Truth. Yes, from them that hire him, from the church, to whom he laboureth or ministereth, not from the civil state: no more than the minister of the civil state is worthy of his hire from the church, but from the civil state: in which I grant the persons in the church ought to be assistant in their civil respects.
Peace. What maintenance, say they, shall the ministry of the gospel have?
What maintenance Christ hath appointed his ministers in the gospel.
Truth. We find two ways of maintenance for the ministry of the gospel proposed for our direction in the New Testament.
First, the free and willing contribution of the saints, according to 1 Cor. xvi., Luke viii. 3, &c., upon which both the Lord Jesus, and his ministers lived.
Secondly, the diligent work and labour of their own hands, as Paul tells the Thessalonians, and that in two cases:
1. Either in the inabilities and necessities of the church.
2. Or for the greater advantage of Christ’s truth. As when Paul saw it would more advantage the name of Christ, he denies himself, and falls to work amongst the Corinthians and Thessalonians.
Let none call these cases extraordinary: for if persecution be the portion of Christ’s sheep, and the business or work of Christ must be dearer to us than our right eye or lives, such as will follow Paul, and follow the Lord Jesus, must not think much at, but rejoice in, poverties, necessities, hunger, cold, nakedness, &c. The stewards of Christ Jesus must be like their Lord, and abhor to steal as the evil steward, pretending that he shamed to beg, but peremptorily dig he could not.