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Now while People kept in the Love of God, Fude 21. they built up one and ther in the moft Holy Faith, and pray ing in the Holy Ghoft, there were great Fruits of it brought forth, and fpecial Care taken, that there was no lack and one Church fent unto another, and Collections were made, and diftributed as every Man had need; and none oppreffed, on any hand.

And Glory to God for ever, he hath gathered a Remnant by his own Reveal ed Arm, and the true Church is in God, Theff. 1. and 2 Theff. 1. And in him fhe lives, and loves one another, and injures no Man; and the Law of the Spirit of Life, hath made the Faithful free from the Law of Sin and Death. And what the Law of Mofes could not do, Chrift hath done, and doth; and for brings in perfect Love, that cafteth out flavifh Fear of want. And thofe that go not in the Love of God, but in the Love of Self, and the High Things that are in this World; thefe neither profit their own Souls, nor the Souls of others; nor do thele get Victory over either the World, or Sin; but are carried away of their own Lufts, and enticed; falling into divers Temptations and Snares, and many hurtful Lufts: And tho' when they

come

come at the last Day, which Chrift speaks of, and fay, Lord, we have preached and prayed in thy Name, we have eaten and drank in thy Prefence, and in thy Name caft out Devils, and done many Wonderful Works; yet I will fay, fays he, to them, Depart from me, I know ye not, ye Workers of Iniquity.

Oh that all, that name the Name of Chrift, may confider these things, and depart from Iniquity, and obey the great God of Heaven and Earth: For it is not every one that faith, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doth the Will of the Father which is in Heaven.

O Lord, thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, in Earth, as it is in Heaven:

So prayeth he, that wifheth well to all the Children of Men,

Written in the 12th Month,

call'd February, 1702,

J. G.

THE

THE

Clergy-Man's Pretence

O F

Divine Right to TITHES,

Examined and Refuted.

W. W.

T

Here is a Book come to my Hands of thy putting forth, as it seems, containing moft part of the Letters thou didft write to T. S. and mine, in Answer to them: I fuppofe thy Caufe, as thou thinkest, is fo well pleaded, that thou would'ft print them without my Privity or Knowledge, to fhew, perhaps, as thou conceitedft, thy Parts and Wisdom, and my Weakness and Ignorance. I did not think, when I wrote thofe Letters to thee, that thou would't have published them without making me acquainted; for if I had thought fo, I fhould have been more exact, both as to Argument and Orthography: But however, tho' thou haft endeavoured to Expose me, and the Cause I stand in defence of; yet I fee not that any unbyaffed Perfon hath juft occafion to cry Victory on thy fide: For Solid Answers thou giveft very few, but art full stock'd with Taunts, Evafions, and Flourifhes; as tho' the things I wrote to thee, were fo easily answered, that thou sporteft thy felf

with

with ridiculing both them and me, yea, and my Friends alfo. But this I am not very free to let pafs, left thou fhould'ft not only boaft of Victory before thou haft obrain'd it; but chiefly, left Truth, and Honeft Enquirers, and Lovers of it, fhould suffer, by thy Knacks, Tricks, and little Arts, to carry on thy Un-Gofpel Practice, of taking Tithes of them that receive nothing from thee at all nor need any thing of thine; and therefore are fore opprefs'd by thee.

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In my First Letter, I told thee, No Law of God can be produc'd for Juch Work under the Gofpel Difpenfation, (viz. for taking of Tithes.) This thou never difproved'ft yet, nor produced'ft any Law of God for it. I alfo told thee, That a Clergy-man, I fuppofe, thou takeft to be one called to the Mininiftry of the Gospel: If fo, then he is fent of God, gifted, fitted and furnished by the Lord, and as he freely receives, fo he is commanded freely to give,Mat.10.8. But I find no word from Chrift, in all the New Teftament, to fell and force payment, whe ther People will or no. This thou alfo haft not yet difproved, nor canft, nor all the World to help thee. og0:

But thou tell'ft me in thy Second Letter, That by over fight thou omitted' ft this; and fayeft, I should explain my self, what fort of Million; and what fort of Gifts I speak of; for thou fayeft, If I mean Extraordinary Million, or Supernatural Gifts, fuch as our Saviour Speaks of in Mat. 10. & 8. thou must deny, that thou takeft a Clergyman to be one fo Called of God, and fo

Gifted:

Gifted: This is thy plain Confeffion. But doft thou know of none Called of God, Gifted,Fitted, Furnished, and Sent of him freely, in his great Love, in these Days? Then who Sends thee and thy Brethren? And who Fits and Furnishes you, or Calls you to what you do? The Gifts I mean, are fuch as come from above, fuch as God gives to fit Men for the Miniftry of the Gospel, good and perfect Gifts, as James faith, chap. 1. 17. that come from above, from the Father of Lights; with whom is no variablenefs, neither fhadow of change; fuch as in Eph.4. 1,&c. are fpoken of, fome Apoftles, fome Prophets, Evangelifts, Paftors, Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Miniftry, for the Edifying of the Body of Chrift; till we all come into the Unity of the Faith, and of the Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect Man; unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift That we benceforth be no more Children, toffed to and fro, and carried about with every Wind of Doctrine, by the flight of Men, and cunning Craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive but fpeaking the Truth in Love, they may grow up in kim in all things, which is the Head, even Chrift. And these are the Gifts I mean. Now thou calleft thy felf a Paftor, and fubscribest thy felf T.S's Paftor; but who made thee fo?

Thefe Gifts are from above, good and perfect, fupernatural and divine Gifts, to fit Men for Divine Services and Worship, And if thou haft not the Gift of a Paftor given thee from above freely, from the Fa

ther

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