Customs of Primitive Churches, Collecting for the saints

XXXV. Of collecting for the saints

XXXV. Collecting for the saints is a right of divine original and perpetual obligation. The collectors are, the deacons. The contributors, every member, whether poor or rich. The time, every Lord's day. The place, in the church. The proportion, according to ability. The manner is, cheerful and devout.

By necessities of saints means all the wants of a church, who are saints; and as a church want to relieve the poor; pay their officers; defray the expenses of worship; the place thereof, &c. The particular manner of making the collections hath been mentioned before, prop. xvii. 12, 13. The rest of the proposition is contained in the following passages, Concerning the collection for the saints (as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye) upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2. To communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Heb. xiii. 16. See texts quoted under prop. xvii.*

From Customs of Primitive Churches, Edwards, page 95

* Other scriptures cited by Edwards in proposition xii were: Philippians 4:16-18; Acts 24:17; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Proverbs 3:9; 1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 13:10; Hebrews 13:15-16.