him great giftes if he could interpret the writing that appeared vnto him Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe saith Daniel and giue thy giftes to another Neuerthelesse he read the writing and shewed the interpretation thereof to the King The Prophet Samuel beeing a Iudge in Israel may worthily be a notable example to all both magistrates in ciuill iustice and also to ministers of the word of God For he hauing the grace we speake of hath obtained this testimonie from the holy Ghost that he tooke no bribe or corrupting gift at any mans hande 1. Sam. 12.13 c. Behold here I am saith Samuel in his Apologie or in way of renderring vp an accounte of his office of Iudge-shippe beare ye record of me before the Lord and before his annointed Whose oxe haue I taken or whose asse haue I taken or whom haue I done wrong vnto or whom haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith and I will restore it you Then they sayde thou hast done vs no wrong neyther hast thou hurte vs neyther hast thou taken ought of anie mans hande And he saide the Lord is witnesse against yee and his annointed is witnes this daie he speaketh of Saul whoÌ„ the people had made king ouer theÌ„ that ye haue fouÌ„d nought in my hands they answered he is wâ—nes But why may some say is Samuel thus earnest in his owne defence verily not in desire of any prayse to himselfe but that he might cause it to be esteemed a matter of great respect that the publike Magistrate should b◠〈◊〉 himselfe 〈…〉 corruptly in the discharge of his duty before the Lord and towarde his people as also that he might let the people see their sinne in casting off him from the rule and gouernement of them without cause on his part yea contrarie to that vprightnesse and fidelitie which he had vse â—â—oward them as appeareth in the faâ—â—â— 1â—â—hâ—â— q. 18. 19. And according to that which God himselfe 〈◊〉 spoken before ch 8.7 They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away that I should not reigne ouer them Thus therefore Samuel resigned his office of Iudge-shippe though he â—â—â—â—seth not to be a Prophet to the people For for it followeth vpon the request which the people make that he would pray for them ch 12. verse 23. God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord and cease praying for you but I will shew you the good and right way The like protestation vseth Moses Num. ch 16.15 A Gift must be receiued reuerendlie though not so largly laied forth but somewhat more directly vnto God I haue not taken saith Moses to the Lord so much as an asse from them neither haue I hurt any of theÌ„ Hetherto of the first grace necessarie concerning the receiuing of a gift From whence easilie may it appeare that the generall exhortation of the Apostle is to great purpose Heb. 13.5.6 in that he thus writeth to all Christans Let your conuersation be without couetousnes and be ye content with those thinges which ye haue for he that is God hath said I will not leaue thee neither forsake thee So that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper neither will I feare what man can doe vnto me Of like sorte is the counsell of King Salomon Prou. 23.6 Eate thou not the bread of him that hath an euill eye And the prayer of King Dauid his father Psal 141. Let me not eate of the delicates of the wicked c. The next grace and vertue requisite to the Christan receiuing of such giftes and benefites as may lawfully expediently be receiued for necessarie reliefe and comfort it is Reuerence For they must be receiued not simple as from men but with a reuerent regard of Gods spiciall goodnes in mouing the heartes of his good seruantes and deare children by his holy spirit to haue so louing and tender a care ouer vs. Yea it is the part of all such as are succoured this way so to consider of Gods owne goodnes herein that they may humblie acknowledge themselues vnworthy of so greate a grace and fauour according to the example of Iaakob Gen. 32.10 who saith vnto God I am lesse then any of thy benefites And as King Dauid saith 2. Sam. 7.18 Who am I ô Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hetherto c. Such humility I say ought to be in those that are succoured by the honorable instrumentes of Gods bounteous goodnes and mercie It is verilie specially in times of great distresse no lesse to be esteemed then if God should cause the cloudes of heauen to raine downe Manna as he did for the reliefe of the Israelites according to that comparison which the Apostle Paul maketh in the same respect A Gift is to be receiued reuerendlie 2. Cor. 8.15 And the rather is this estimation to be made of it if such be in any singular manner beneficiall to any who were before strangers to their benefactors and had performed no dutie whereby they might be induced therunto Finally to make this point of reuerend receiuing of benefites more familiar and plaine this we say that the reuerence which is due to benefactors is such a reuerence as belongeth from dutifull children to their louing and kind parents For in so much as they doe the part of parentes to so manie as they doe relieue and cherish it is good reason that these againe should yeeld a childlike duetie and honour vnto them according to the 5. commandement of almightie God Honour thy father and thy mother c. And thus we haue a good occasion after this mention of honour to proceed to speake in the third place of thankfulnesse seeing this beeing the third grace requisite to to the Christian receiuing of giftes is also a fruite of that honourable reuerend account which ought to be made of all good and beneficiall Patrons and friends Of the which dutie it behoueth euery one whom it concerneth to be the more carefull because it is the preseruatiue or rather a certaine seed for multiplication of benefites For to such as shall be found truly thankfull and walke in good dutie the Lord will continue the beneficence of his seruantes yea he will amplifie and inlarge them so farre as he knoweth to be meete and expedient for any of his obedient children But it may be here obiected that we must on all hands giue all our thanks vnto God seeing all good things come of his bountie alone and he requireth it also as a spiciall dutie of his worship saying as we read in the 50. Psal Offer ye prayse vnto God And againe in the same Psalm He that offereth praise glorifieth me It is true no man may deny it God onely is to bee thanked and praysed with religions diuine praise A Gift must be receiued thankefully which doe indeede belong onely to him that is the author
or description of Christian Giuing that all whatsoeuer is giuen The ends of giuing must tend to the maintenance and furtherance of Gods true worship and the ministerie thereof or to the reliefe of poore Christians especially and that all must be done according to Gods owne will as he hath in either respect made the same knowne in his holy word As wee haue already seene in some part and are henceforth vpon the occasion so iustlie renewed further to consider of it once againe Hence therefore two thinges followe to be more purposedly and distinctly declared of vs. First what are the ends of Christian and religious bestowing of gifts and secondly what must be the rule and squire to direct the ordering and disposing of them First therefore concerning the endes of Giuing diuerse times already touched wee must of most bounden dutie to God allow the first and chiefe place in this care and prouision for the maintenance of the pure worship of God and of the publike ministerie and faithfull ministers thereof together with Schooles of good learning as necessarily appertaining to the nurcerie and preseruation of the same For the worship of God and ministerie thereof is most directly to his honour and glorie and further without it wee could neither be sanctified our selues not anie thing which wee enioy nor haue anie poore Saintes at all to bee relieued And then what great thing were it for anie to be carefull to relieue the frayle and corruptible bodies of men if that in the meane season their most precious and immortall soules shoulde bee suffered for euermore to perish and decay First therefore touching the worship of God and holy exercises thereof we haue the commandement of God himselfe for the contribution of his people thereunto Deut. 16.16 They shall not appeare before the Lord emptie Euery man shall giue according to the gift of his hand and acding to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath giuen thee And chapter 12. verse 19. Beware that thou forsake not the Lâ—uite as long as thou liuest vpon the earth And touching the obedience of the people of God to this his commandement we haue already seene what their zeale hath bene vnder the lawe first in contributing to the Tabernacle of God and the ministerie belonging vnto it And after that likewise to the holy Temple of Ierusalem seruice thereof the charge whereof amounted to so great expence that if euerie man had not come with a full hand in free offrings moreouer beside the former ordinarie allowaÌ„ce it could neither haue bin builded nor mainteined in such maner as beseemeâ— the Maiestie of the great God of heauen and earth This practise of contribution to this speciall end and purpose remained as the ordinance of God to all posteritie as we may perceiue by that which we reade Act. 21.24 where the Disciples say to Paul Thou shalt purifie thy selfe contribute with them And as for the poore to the ende wee may see howe mercifullie louingelie and liberallie the Lord requireth and the same very earnestlie that they should be dealt withall it were good that euerie one should in his best earnest reade the 25. ch of Leuiticus and the 15. ch of Deuteronomie The which lawes albeit they are now long since expired so far forth as they were for a time fitted to the externall policie of Israel yet the equitie of them ought to be still in force and the charge which the Lord giueth touching the substance of the matter conteineth morall dutie whose date is equall wth the continuance of the world and stretcheth it selfe as far as there is anie church and people of God to the endes of the earth If saith the Lord in the 15. chap. of Deut. from the 7. verse one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of the gates of thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thine hand vnto him shall lend him sufficient for his need which he hath Beware that there be not a wicked thought in thy heart for to say The seuenth yeare the yeare of freedome is at hand therefore it grieueth thee to looke on thy poore brother and thou giuest him nought and he crie vnto the Lord against thee so that sinne be in thee Thou shalt giue him and let it not grieue thy heart to giue vnto him for because of this the Lord thy God will blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thy hand vnto Because there shall euer be some poore in the land therefore I command thee saying Thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother to thy needy and to thy poore in thy land Reade also Eccles 11.1.2.6 Cast thy bread vpon the waters c. Giue to seuen and also to eight c. and Isai 58.6.7 The fast which the Lord hath chosen is it not to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauy burthens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye breake euery yoke is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander into thine house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and not hide thy selfe from thine owne flesh Then shal thy light breake forth as the morning c. Thus we see the commandement of God We see also his promise of blessing of the which more afterward Now verily howsoeuer it be more to mans naturall liking to doe all the good he doth as a will-worship at his owne pleasure where and when he list to serue his owne vaine glorie and other his corrupt affections and lustes yet it is onely to the good liking of the Lord and to his glory yea and to our owne benefite also that we performe euery good thing in conscience of our bounden dutie according to the holy lawes and commaundements of God For to such kind of dutie and namely to such beneficence onely doth the promise of Gods blessing belong And furthermore seeing the Lord God had so gratious care for the poore of his people as we saw euen nowe in the time of the Law it is in no wise to be thought that he is lesse carefull for the poore of his Christian Churches now in the dayes of the Gospell nay rather we haue good reason to perswade our selues that his care is rather more fatherly and tender according to the more cleare reuelation of his own bowellike compassion and mercies by the appearance of his sonne No doubt but both the poore of the Gospel who are most tenderly loued and pretiously esteemed of the Lord and also the Gospell it selfe which is the most bright shining wisedom the most gratious power of God to the saluation of all his people both poore rich they ought more mightily to allure and draw vs all to so much the more willing and bountifull contribution so far as the
better to keepe a mans money in his purse then to cast it away he cannot tell how ANSWER What though some do counterfeit religion and play the hypocrites shall we neglect good dutie because it may be there is such or such a foule sinne in this or that man which we know not of And as touching hypocrisie which is one of the most secret and hidden sinnes among the rest it belongeth vnto God who alone knoweth the heart in his due time to discouer it But as for our selues none of vs must presume to iudge any before the time So long as as any behaue theÌ„selues outwardly as beseemeth Christians it well beseemeth vs also to hope the best of them and therefore also whatsoeuer we do for such in the name of faithfull and true Christians hoping that they are such whether they be ministers of the word doctrine of God or disciples and schollers in the schoole of Christ God wil accept of it according to our good charitable meaning therin if our owne hearts be vpright and not according to their dissimulation And furthermore our Sauiour Christ to helpe vs against this all other offences and stumbling blockes saith in the Gospell Blessed is he that is not offended in me that is to say he that will not fall away from Christ nor from any good dutie of Christianitie by any discouragement whatsoeuer Sathan shall throw in his way Thus farre for answer to the objâ—ctions concerning the pretended vnworthinesse of those which stand in need to be relieued The obiections whereby couetous men would excuse one charge by another are next OBIECTION 1. whereby couetous men would excuse one charge by another I find by the count-booke of my expences that a great part of my liuing goeth out to those ordinarie ciuill charges which I stand bound vnto by the law of the Prince and in troublesome times such as these are we are at many extraordinary expences May not these be reckened for my almes or at the least may I not in these respects ease my selfe by being something more sparing that other way ANSWER Shall the same euill of sinne which hath had a strong hand to pull vpon vs all the euils of punishment which we haue bene pressed withall be any fit way or meanes to remoue them away from vs thinke we If the beginning of vnmercifulnesse haue in a great parte brought in the charges of warres and the sharpnesse of dearth and scarcitie among vs shall the continuance and hardening of our harts therin against the corrections of God remoue them awaie It can not be And as touching ordinarie charges imposed by course of lawe in ciuill respects they are plentifullie recompenced by the benefit of lawe and by the gratious protection of the Prince whose lawe it is Nowe seeing these charges as is said are so imposed by ciuill authoritie that they cannot be auoided no not of him that is vnwilling to yeeld them there is herein no praise or practise of beneficence at all Onelie willing freehearted and mercifull dealing whether by or without prescript of humane lawe such as is yeelded for the Lordes cause hath praise in the church and is trulie commendable in the sight of God OBIECTION 2. Neither can I here forget that there is euer and anone much to doo about contributions toward the Church for the maintenance of the ministery for bread and wine for the Communion for reparations of the building and of the glasse windowes and that all things may be made decent and seemelie God is a Spirit and he will be worshipped in Spirit What needeth so much to doo about outward comelinesse and decencie And if I might speake what I thinke saith the profane couetous man why should Ministers take tithes in these daies which they say are the daies of the Gospel seeing the Leuiticall Priesthood and the ceremonies thereof haue bene abolished euer since the death and passion of Christ as they themselues affirme Did not the Apostle Paul also worke with his handes to get his owne liuing Why then should not our Ministers doo so to ease the charges of the people For my owne parte also I can take as much edifiing by a reading Minister who will be content to compound for a small stipend as I can by him that preacheth euerie Sabbath day And therfore I thinke the greater charges of mainteining a Preacher may well enough be spared ANSWER It cannot be doubtlesse that these things should be forgotten of those that haue no care to store their memorie with good and wholsome instructions For want whereof wicked and vngodly thoughts and deuises are very rife in the minds of couetous and profane men howsouer shame stoppeth their mouthes that they do not at all times vtter vent them But that we may vouchsafe theÌ„ an answer What though God be a Spirit and requireth no curious nor ouer chargeable outward pompe or superstitious decking to his spirituall seruice and worship Is this any good reason why all things should not be decently ordered and disposed Or rather is it not in all equitie so much the greater reason that all things ought to be disposed in so much the more comely reuerend maner because the Lord requireth no excessiue cost to be bestowed this way It can by no colour of reason be denied This therefore is a very vnreasonable and malignaÌ„t obiection And for the same cause also it is the lesse to be maruelled at though this kind of meÌ„ grudge at the Minister of the Gospell his allowance and maintenance when they cannot willingly afford God him selfe a comely place for the exercise of his diuine worship nor themselues a small quantitie of bread and wine a fewe times in the yeare for their speciall comfort and spirituall nourishment of their soules As touching tithes by ciuill authoritie alloted for the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospel it is a mere cauil to preiudice them vnder the name of Leuitical ceremonies For there was tithing before there was any tribe of Leui yea before Leui the father of the Leuits was borne therfore also is it writteÌ„ of Leui Heb. 7.9.10 that while he was yet in the loines of his father AbrahaÌ„ he paid tithes in AbrahaÌ„ wheÌ„ Melchi-sedec met him This was before the institutioÌ„ of the priesthood of the law But much rather may the iniquitie of this cauill appeare in so much as tithes are not not now either required or paid of any of sound iudgment in any ceremonious or figuratiue respect but as a moral dutie to the maintenance and vpholding of Gods diuine worship according to the affirmatiue part of the second commandement of the first Table and as a dutie of ciuill honour and iustice according to the fift and eight commandement of the second table of the Law So that to speake in some measure of proportion as touching the Lords Sabbath the ceremonie ceasing whatsoeuer might be so accounted in the Iewish obseruation of it and
what may be the merchandize that our prayers are to procure for our benefactors verily the best commodities aboue all other namely that it may please God to increase and multiply vpon them all spirituall graces and blessings in Christ Iesus that their soules especially may fare well so long as they liue here and for euer in the life to come For thus doth the Apostle Iohn teach vs by his owne practise and example who left in holy record what prayer he made for Gaius a very beneficiall and friendly Host to all the Christians that resorted to him for succour in his time Behold saith Saint Iohn in his third Epistle I wish chiefly that thou mayest prosper and farewell as thy soule prospereth The Apostle Iohn prayeth for Gaius that he might still more and more prosper in all grace and godlinesse according to his happy beginnings and proceedings also euen to the time that he wrote vnto him Likewise Saint Paul Philip. ch 4.17 prayeth for the Christians of that Church who had bene beneficialll vnto him that their gift bestowed vpon him might further their reckening with the Lord. And 2. Tim. 1.16.17.18 he prayeth in like maner for his very good beneficial friend Onesiphorus and for his Christian familie in the Church of God at Ephesus The Lord saith Paul in that chapter giue mercie vnto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me c. The Lord graunt vnto him that he may find mercie with the Lord at that day And if we would haue a more familiar example I meane one of the more common sort of thankfull persons we may take Naomi in the booke of Ruth ch 2.20 who blesseth Boaz for his singular kindnesse to her poore daughter in law a stranger in Israel Blessed be he of the Lord saith Naomi for he ceaseth not to doe good to the liuing and to the dead Her meaning is to note his constancie in doing good as well now as in former times to those that he hath suruiued and namely as it may be thought to her owne husband her two sonnes before they went downe into Moab where they died So then in her praier to God she bewraieth her thankfull heart to Boaz both in respect of her selfe and daughter in law now and also in remembrance of his former goodnes to her husband and her owne children deceased Neither are such as be any way succoured and relieued to pray onely for Christian benefactors but also euen for heathen and vnbeleeuing men by whom they receiue benefite according as King Darius requireth it as a gratulatorie fruite of his royall beneficence and bounty to the people of God that they would pray for the Kings life and for his sons Ezra 6.10 Yea the Iewes while they were in Babylon though they had small fauor shewed them yet because there they were suffered to liue the Lord cōmandeth them to pray for the peace of the land because in the peace thereof they themselues were to haue their peace Ier. 29.7 Much rather then ought we to pray for Christian Princes who are more tender foster-fathers nursing mothers to the Church of Christ for al other faithful Christians who do with more sanctified harts more deare loue cōmunicate their good things to their brethren And in this respect it may be accounted a very cōmendable indeuour of those Iewes of whō we read Luk. 7.4.5 in that they furthered as much as they could the suit which the Centurion of Capernaum made to our S. Christ cōcerning his sick son rhey testifying alleaging that he was a friend to their nation had built a Synagogue for the worship of God amongst thē Finally in somuch as they which giue or be the distributers of the holy beneficēce of others ought to pray that the same may be well accepted so blessed of God that it may incourage his seruants to cleaue constantly vnto him without any discouragement or fainting in their affliction or wants in so much as thereby they may perceiue that the Lord hath a tēder watch ouer their necessities for so doth the Apostle Paul pray himself yea and desireth the prayers of the Christian Romanes also that his seruice in this behalfe might be well accepted among the Christians at Ierusalem Rom. chap. 15.31 Much more therfore ought they that receiue the benefit pray for those by whom they are benefited that it would please God to giue them much ioy comfort with manifold recompence for their Christian contribution And thus prayer to God for Benefactors is the first principall fruit and duty of Christian and bounden thankfulnesse vnto them A second fruit as was sayd is that we retaining a thankfull memoriall of their beneficence do vpon all meet occasion make honourable mention of them For seeing the Lord saith Benefactors are to be well reported of that the memoriall of the iust shall be blessed Prou. 10.7 By whom shall this be perfourmed rather then by such as haue most plentifully tasted of the fruite and benefit of their righteousnesse And seeing God himselfe hath gone before vs in solemnizing the memoriall of manie iust and mercifull men in his holy Scriptures as we may remember from the former catalogue of them and so hath made the memoriall of them blessed according to that which our Sauiour Christ saith of that good woman who poured her costy ointement vpon him that wheresoeuer his Gospel should be preached throughout all the world there also should this be spoken of for a memoriall of her Matth. 26.13 We may iustly from hence informe our selues of our duty herein And the rather because in the remembrance of the beneficence of our good patrons and friends wee may the better put our selues in mind both of Gods bounteous goodnesse to vs also of our most bounden thankefulnesse to him for the same Finally this thankefull memoriall may be a meanes of stirring vp others to the practise of the same vertue which they shal perceiue to be so acceptable both to God and also to all good men Let this suffice for a Memorandum of this second fruite of thankefulnesse The third fruite is that though we be not able yet that we haue a willing setled purpose to make recompence yea and to performe it indeede with aduantage if at any time the neede of our benefactors or the neede of any of theirs shall so require and God make vs able so to doe He that hath friends saith the holy Prouerb ch 18.24 ought to shew himselfe friendly for a friend is nearer then a brother In the 21. ch of Gen. ver 22.23 c. Abraham iudgeth the request of the King of Gerar equall in this respect in that he saith God is with thee in al that thou doest Now therfore sweare vnto me here by God saith Abimelech and Phicol his chiefe captaine that thou wilt not hurt me nor my children nor my childrens children thou shalt deale with me and with the countrie where thou hast
gracious a watering from the hand of God Wherewithall wee haue likewise seene which are the contrarie vices to be auoyded in the same that is to say All hungry couetous lingring after gifts or on the other side a rude Refusall of them being freely offered of a counterfeit or ouer bashfull modestie and much more All obstinate or disdainefull refusall likewise Light esteeming of the liberality and contributions of the Saints of God Vnthankefulnesse also Furthermore Read Act. 6.1 â—ians â—ng Enuie against such as any perceiue to be more beneficially relieued then they thinke themselues to be and finally A loose and vnchristian life without speciall regard of the right vse and end of Christian beneficence The which sinnes they are so heynous in the sight of God that it cannot be but his iustice must needes take vengeance of them To the declaration whereof wee haue appointed the next Chapter as it followeth for the conclusion and shutting vp of this whole Treatise CHAP. III. The greatnes of the sinne of vnthankefulnesse Of the greatnesse of the sinnes and of the like punishments of vnthankeful and irreligious receiuing and abusing of Christian Beneficence ALthough it be very true as hath bene declared in the beginning of this Treatise that the nature of a gift requireth that it be very franke and free because otherwise it is rather a mercenarie bribe or as a secret snare to the receiuer to indebt intangle him to the care of some vniust requitall or to hinder and stay him from the doing of some good dutie which a good conscience would chalenge at his hand Neuerthelesse he that receiueth the most free gift standeth bound as hath bene shewed in the former Chapter to performe the best duty he can to the Giuer yea by so much the more streight bond of dutie doth he stand bound by how much the hart of the Giuer is more free from expecting or desiring any the least recompence againe The left hand of the Giuer must not as hath further bin shewed know what the right hand doth when he giueth his almes and sheweth mercy to anie that is it must be free from ostentation from euery other sinister affectioÌ„ but not onley the right hand but also a right heart of the Receiuer must faithfully skore vp and keep an aduised register of all whatsoeuer he receiueth It iâ— worthâ—lie reckened for a vertue in thâ—â—â—â—â—ifull man 〈…〉 forgetteth what good he hath alreadie done and laboureth still to doe more and more good acknowledging himselâ—â— as hath bene further alleaged that he is but an vnprofitable seruant accorcing to that of our Sauiour Christ Luke ch 17.10 And according to that which the the Apostle Paul professeth I forget that which is behind and indeuour my selfe to that which is before Philip. 3.13 Likewise the mercifull man in the 25. of Matth are described to say Lord when saw we thee hungrie and fed thee c. But it is to be at counted a foule vice for him that receiueth a benefite to forget it or to make lesse reckening of it then it deserueth yea if he do not vpon the sight of former vnthankefulnesse labour to be the more thankefull afterward If a man should haue onely the experience of Gods goodnesse and mercie in mouing the heartes of men to be fauourable vnto vs in a ciuell course and in externall respects onely after the manner of worldly friendâ— we could not but thinke our selues to be bound to yeeld duty and thankes both to God and to men alike as Ioseph acknowledged himselfe bound to be faithfull to his heathen master because he had shewed him great kindnesse and fauour and to the Lord God especially who mooued the heart of his master so to doe Gen. 39.8.9 But when as God vouchsafeth to moâ—e the heartes of his deare children to shew vs Christian kindnesse and to bestow giftes vpon vs for the loue which they beare vs in the Lord and for his sake insomuch as the Lord himselfe doth thereby confirme his owne loue which he beareth vs as it were by more choice and honourable witnesse this ought more mightilie to affect vs and in the sweete consideration hereof our hearts ought to be inlarged to yeeld forth the most holie and excellent duties of thankefulnesse both vnto God and to euery such one of his good seruants whom we may not doubt to be of the blessed number of his elect children For seeing that all vnthankfulnesse and neglect of dutie euen to the vnworthiest sorte of benefactors is sinfull and displeasing before God and so consequentlie verie iustlie subiect to his curse much rather then is that ingratitude and vndutifulnes which is called for by so sweete and amiable an intreatie as is that voice as it were which the holie and christian beneficence of the Saintes of God soundeth in our eares condemned of God and all good men and accordinglie shall be more seuerelie punished of God vnlesse those that thus heinouslie sinne preuent the punishment by timelie repentance Ingratitude is verie seuerelie condemned by that naturall light of reason which God hath reserued in men as maie appeare by the sayinges of the heathen All men saith Cicero hate such as be vnmindefull of the good turne which hath beene done vnto them And againe there is no euill wanting where ingratitude taketh place Wherupon also they haue iudged it worthy to be punished by death Why then hath it not bene so punished among them may some say They themselues render the reason because of the difficulties incideÌ„t to the proceeding which would fall out in course of lawe against it For the number of vnthankefull persons as they obserued is alwayes infinite so that all courtes would not suffice to heare and determine the causes and actions that might this way be commenced And further say they within what space of time should a man neglecting dutie be arrested and attached as an vnthankfull man c. Therefore saith Seneca speaking in the name of the rest wee haue condemned it as worthie hatred and we haue lefte it among those thingeâ— which we commit to the reuenge of God Onelie saith he the Macedonians made ingratiude liable to an action and to beare sute in lawe And it is obserued concerning Alexander the Macedonian King and concerning Iulius Caesar Emperour of Rome that albeit the one did exceed in the bountifulnesse of giuing the other in the clemencie and fauour of forgiuing iniuries yet neither would the one giue nor the other forgiue vnto such as had before shewed themselues vnthankfull Nowe seeing heathen men are thus seuere against this sinne it is lesse maruell though such writers as haue beene inlightened and taught from the holie word and Scriptures of God doo so vehementlie inueigh against it as we may reade that they doo Ingratitude saith one seemeth to me to be a most grieuous vice an vnworthie vice suerlie yea full of all indignitie And an other Detestable is the forgetfulnes of grace and
prouide for them for that which they had partly begged and partly stollen the same day What a cloake and couert of much bastardize practised by the rogues bad-good masters mistresses dames is hereby taken away seeing they shal henceforth no more cary about the base-born to hide them in farre remoued places or to leade them about as their owne naturall children as many of them were wont to do How are not only the disordered births but also the vntimely deaths of many young infants preuented the liues whereof though the fruite of their owne bodies this mercilesse and sauage people little regarded How gratiously is the man-stealing of some proper children with the intollerable misusage and disfiguring of them hereby defeated so that their cruell and vnnaturall practises shall no more abuse the pitie of others by begging with them Who knoweth howe manie priuate persons shall bee hereby safegarded from robberies and pilferies yea and the publike peace from dangerous mutinies rebellions by such euil instruments I mean counterfeit souldiers as were entering into that rude faction In al these things how are the soules of such miserable and forlorne sinners tendered and plucked out of the diuels iawes as we may say in that the most abominable course of their life is dammed or hedged vp if happily they may at the last held by due correction in a more orderly conuersation be brought to repentance as there is hope that God wil giue many that grace To speak the sum of al in few words how happily are a most lawlesse licētious multitude whch by their wādering disorder of life eluded all law brought within the iust limits disciplin of lawe yea such a monstrous and sottish multitude as neither regarded Church nor common wealth neither God nor Prince neither word prayer sacrament nor mariage neither wife nor child nor any honest labour either touching themselues or for the education of their adulterous off-spring but liued and delighted themselues in a most barbarous and beastly confusion to the multiplying of a most vile generation And how is the whole land it selfe the sacred seat of iustice disburthened of that guiltinesse and dāger of Gods wrath which might in short space haue growne now at the last by ouer long sufferance seeing so great and foule euils would certainly haue cried to heauen with a loud and shrill voyce for vengeance if they had not thus tempestiuely by the power of lawfull authoritie and by the godly care and remorse of our Magistrates bene made as it were dumbe and speachlesse before the iudgement seat of God! And now also yet further then all this by the deniall of disordered succour or toleration to the idle and vagrant ô how cōmodiously may poore labouring housholders and vncounterfeit impotent and aged people yea many thousands both of yong and olde such as shall be found to need reliefe be by that vncomfortable and waste charge which was euen cast away in that former course of giuing now relieued and cherished in their honest lawfull trade of life to the great glory of God to the singular blessing of the whole land if happily according to the good prouisoes and liberties authorised to the same end by the worthy Statute and explanations thereof the prouision for the poore shall be with a liberall heart and with a wise and discreet hand duly collected and imployed Wherfore finallie as a kindly fruit of all former respects howe ought not all the people of the lande be the more willing both in this and also in euerie other good dutifull and comendable seruice of all iust contributions required on the behalf of her Maiestie euen for this that it hath pleased her Highnesse to take so gratious an order vpon the humble information of your Honours that her Subiects should be cased for euer of so great and noisome and euery way so vngratefull a burthen and not onlie so but to prouide also that true almes may be giuen and distributed in such a maner as euerie contributor may haue much more comfort in the bestowing of the same greater hope of a more rich blessing from God vpon euerie one that is a mercifull and chearfull giuer then they could haue before But who as was said can sufficientlie without a large discourse lay forth the worthie partes of this so noble and princelie an Act which shall stand for euer in record for a blessed memoriall of the right godlie wisedome and care of our gratious Queene Elizabeth and of all the worthies of the high court of Parliament and namelie of your Honour in this behalfe among all other worthie Acts Verily more greater good both to our selues to all posterity through the gratious blessing of our God wil grow from it then easilie can of the wisest be conceiued if the iustice herein prescribed beeing still pursued and practised as there is good hope it shal mercie also and liberality which is likewise therin intended and commanded may be ready to acompany and support iustice according to the mindes of the Law-makers That is to say if as all loitering drones and lubbers be forbidden to be fatted abroad so no diligent Bee or painefull Labourer be suffered for want of necessary reliefe toward his ouer great family charge of children specially in time of sicknesse or in old age or in times of dearth be suffered as it were in the hardnesse of winter when no flowers can be found to pine away and perish while he is closed vp as it were in his hiue at his own home This verily should be a verie vngodly and vnchristian yea an vnnaturall euill as all cannot but confesse Neuerthelesse it is no greater then there is some danger of it in many a blind and vnmercifull nooke in the land if it be not preuented by the gratious circumspection of those to whom it shall belong Yea the places of best hope will alwayes find it needfull that the poore should haue many good friends of those that be in speciall authoritie to cause the law to speake and to put the rest in mind of their duties herein lest their crie should ascend vp before God more lamentably then euer before Musculus in Matth. 12. Certè turpis est mendicitas sed tamen proximo suo quisque succurrat iubet Deus Alioqui crudele esset non dare egenti quae necessaria sunt interea prohibere ne mendicet Verily this common begging is an vnseemely thing as a learned man saith Neuerthelesse as he addeth it is the commandement of God that euerie man should succour his neighbour otherwise it should be a cruell thing not to giue vnto the poore man such things as be necessary and yet to forbid him to beg God of his infinite mercie grant therefore that all his Magistrates in all places according to that great trust and large power committed to them in this case may haue tender care to see that all things may be faithfully diligently
there be a continuall charge giuen against it both by Timothie and also by all other ministers of the Gospell to the end of the world Charge them saith hee that are rich in this vvorld that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God who giueth vs aboundantly all thinges to enioy That they do good and be rich in good vvorks and ready to distribute and communicate Laying vp for themselues in store a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life 1. Timoth. chap. 6. verses 17.18.19 In the which wordes note also that together with this morall precept of humilitie toward men hee leaueth no place for opinion of merit with God which is the height of pride A Gift must be giuen in righteousnes and in truth the most strong poison and bane of all true beneficence yea that which vtterly peruerteth and destroyeth whatsoeuer good thing a man may seeme to doe Hetherto of the first branch of our Definition or description of Giuing that it is a free or franke and liberall imparting or communicating to other It followeth now that it is a communicating of some meete and conuenient portion of that wherewith God of his goodnesse hath blessed euery one aboue the rest of his people wherein these three things do offer themselues to be considered of vs. First that Christian Giuing or liberall beneficence is to bee prractised in righteousnesse and of that which is a mans owne iustly obtained and gotten Secondly that Beneficence and the actions thereof are to bee ordered wisely and according to good discretion Thirdly that it is a dutie belonging to euerie Christian whomsoeuer God hath in any measure made able to spare any thing to relieue his brother or neighbour who is more poore and needie then himselfe Of all and euerie one of these let vs consider in the same order Touching the first of these three points namely that Christian beneficence is to be perfourmed of that which is our owne iustly gotten howe can wee thinke that it should be otherwise seeing God requireth of all his seruants both high and lowe rich and poore that alwayes in all things they do exercise iustice and iudgement According to that which we reade Psalme 106.3 Blessed are they which keepe iudgement and do righteousnesse at all times In which respect also the seruantes of God are euerie where in the holy Scriptures noted by this propertie in generall that they loue righteousnesse And more particularly concerning this dutie of liberality and beneficence which we speake of the verie almes which the seruants of God are to giue and which only God alloweth it beareth euen the name of Righteousnesse and that not onely because it is a dutie of right and iustice to be perfourmed toward such as haue need but that therewithall likewise we might be giuen to vnderstand that it is iust and right that almes should be giuen of that which is righly a mans owne and not of that which is gotten by any vnrighteous dealing To this purpose tendeth that which we read Deut. 24.13 where the Lord our God speaking of right mercifull dealing to the poore saith that it shall be accounted for righteousnesse to such as duly practise the same And Dan. 4.24 the holy Prophet exhorting the vniust and cruel Tyrant to take thence forward a iust and mercifull course he counselleth him to break off his sinnes by this kind of righteousnesse and mercie toward the poore And Psal 112. vers 2. The Spirit of God speaking of the right mercifull and true almes-man indeed he alleadgeth by his holy Prophet that his righteousnesse is a ioynt companion or rather a guide of his mercie He is mercifull saith the holy Ghost and full of compassion and righteousnesse And againe He hath distributed and giuen to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer The which place of Scripture the Apostle Paul citing to the same purpose 2. Cor. 9.9 he expresseth the liberalitie of the mercifull man by the same word Righteousnesse though our English translation vseth another word saying in the same sence His beneuolence endureth for euer And verse 10. God will increase the fruite of your beneuolence Prouentus iustitiae The Greeke text is in either verse DICAIOSVNE righteousnesse as it is in the Hebrue TSIDQATH Likewise in the beginning of the sixth chap. of Matth. in steed of almes which is in the Greeke the Syrian word after the maner of the Hebrue phrase as also of the Chalde as Tremelius in his note vpon the same place well obserueth is righteousnesse in so much as almes is not the least part thereof For to speake truly no man can worthilie beare the name or doo indeede the part of a liberall man vnlesse he be first a righteous and iust dealing man Liberalitie giuen of an other mans goodes is no liberalitie from the hand of an vsurper though he seemeth to be the giuer of them It is rather his theft and fraude or else his oppression and rapine it is not his liberalitie O how much better were it for such a one to make restitution rather then to beare the face or rather the visaâ—d of a liberall and mercifull man verilie almes of that which is gotten by iniquitie is abomination to the Lord. The crie of him who hath beene oppressed spoiled or defrauded will be louder in the eares of the Lord for vengeance then the praier or thankes-offering of the other for blessing and reward For what reason or equitie is there that some small portion which vnrighteous men giue of that vnmercifull yea cruell hauock and spoile wich they haue made should take away any guiltinesse of their great and grieuous sinne Wherefore let so manie as minde to make practise of true liberalitie hearken in the feare of God to the wise counsell of king Salomon Prou. ch 5.15 Drinke saith he the water of thy cisterne and of the riuers out of the middest of thine owne well Let thy fountaines flowe forth and the riuers of waters in the streets that is ioyfully enioy and vse that portion of outward blessings which God hath in mercie as a fruit of thy honest labour or otherwise as it hath pleased him to bestow vpon thee not onely for thy necessitie but euen for thy sober delight and comfort also prouided that of that which thou maist spare as it were the ouerflowings of thy full cisterne others that stand in need and are as the drie and thirsty ground may be mercifully refreshed and relicued by thee And then it followeth in the same place for a further instruction But let them be thine euen thine only and not a strangers with thee that is order the matter so that through no euill or intemperate abuse of thine God be prouoked to alienate thy goods from thy selfe to any other of the which iudgement he had spoken before in the tenth verse of the same chapter A gift must be giuen
things which we haue done but that we may receiue a full reward Neither is it a small vertue in the Giuer specially if he be bounteous to take in good part such poore tokens of thankfulnesse as their Alumni and foster children do at any time offer vnto them Finally thankfulnesse to God is a vertue belonging to him that is truly beneficial in so much as God hath not only made him able but which is a greater grace hath made him willing and carefull yea hath furnished him with many graces to the perfourmance of this most excellent dutie These vertues are diligently to be regarded of all Benefactors lest any should reioyce in a false and deceiueable liberality such as will affoord no sound comfort before the Lord. For as we reade in the holy Prouerb Many men will boast euery one of his owne goodnesse but who shall find a faithful man As though the wise king should say He is a rare man in comparison of the rest whosoeuer is a good man indeede Neuerthelesse to the end wee may see that God from time to time hath had his number who haue practised true beneficence and goodnesse it shall be to good purpose to gather together such examples whereby God in his holy Scriptures hath exemplified the same vnto vs that they might be patternes to all other of his good seruants to prouoke them to the imitation of them In the 18. chap. of Genesis ver 1.2 c. We haue Abraham a father of the faithfull commended vnto vs for one very notable example And chap. 19.1 c. We haue righteous Lot for another Of the which two the Apostle to the Hebrues chap. 13.2 saith that for a fruite and blessing of their hospitality they receiued Angels into their houses at vnawares in steede of men and by that reason moueth Christians that they would not be forgetful to lodge strangers Gen. chap. 20.14 15.16 Abimelech a heathen king sheweth great kindnesse to Abraham hee gaue him both seruants and cattell and siluer and libertie also to dwell to his best liking where he would in his countrey Gen. chap. 47.12 Ioseph whom God made a foster-father to many nations was also a nourisher of his owne father and brethren and his whole family in the land of Egypt in the time of the famine And Pharaoh himselfe though a heathen king gaue them a countrie to dwell in Exod. chap. 2.5.6.7.8.9 Pharaohs daughter likewise though a heathen woman taketh compassion of an Hebrue infant which was otherwise in great danger to haue perished and causeth it to bee honourably noursed and brought vp at her cost and charges And in the same chap. verses 20.21 Reuel the Prince of Midian giueth Moses though a stranger vnto him very friendly and kind entertainment whereupon also concerning further good liking he giueth the daughter of his sonne Iethro to wife vnvnto him yea though Moses was at time of no worldly wealth Exod. chap. 18. Moses for the same cause sheweth all kindnesse and good dutie to Iethro his father in law after that he was aduaunced to be the Gouernour of the people of God And Numb 10.29 Come with vs saith Moses and me will do thee good for the Lord hath promised good to Israel and vers 32. And if thou go with vs looke what good the Lord shall shew vnto vs the same will we shew vnto thee In the 19. chap. of the Iudges verses 16.17 an old man comming from his worke out of the field at euen giueth a man and a woman their seruant lodging other good entertainmēt who otherwise being benighted in a strange place should likely haue lyed abroad in the fields In the second chapter of the booke of Ruth verses 8.9 14.15.16.17 Boaz giueth leaue to Ruth a poore mayd and a stranger not only to gleane in his field next after the reapers whom he willed to leaue good gleanings for her but also he gaue her leaue to take her victuals dayly with his owne maydes among the reapers In the first book of Samuel chap. 22.3.4 Dauid maketh prouision for the comfortable entertainment and safety of his father and mother with the king of Moab yea he is mindfull and carefull to do it in the middest of his trouble when he had much ado to shift for himselfe and to escape with his owne life In 1. King chap. 18.3.4 Obadiah a chiefe officer in king Ahabs court in the time of famine when also Iezabel the Queen raged in cruell persecution against the seruants of God he tooke an hundreth of the Lords Prophets and fed them fifty in a caue In the the 4. chap. of the second booke of Kings verses 8.9.10 We reade how an honourable woman or certaine Lady of Shunem obseruing how Elisha the Lords prophet vsed to passe by her house she causeth him to come in to refresh himselfe yea and alloweth him a chamber to lodge in whensoeuer he should haue occasion to come that way And this she did because as she telleth her husband shee knew he was an holy man of God And chap. 6. verses 22.23 Elisha causeth the king of Israel not onely to abstaine from the reuenge of his enemies but also to giue them friendly entertaiment and to make them a princely feast In the first booke of Chronicles chap. 16.3 king Dauid at the bringing home of the Arke of the Lord to his city after that they had offered burnt offerings peace offerings before God and after that the king had blessed the people in the name of the Lord He dealt to euery one of Israel both man and woman to euerie one a cake of bread and a peece of flesh and a bottle of wine In the second booke of Chronicles chap. 5.6 at the placing of the same Arke of the Lord in the most holy place of the Temple vnder the wings of the Cherubines King Salomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled vnto him offered sheepe and bullockes which could not be told nor numbred for multitude And chap. 7.5 King Salomon offered a Sacrifice of two and twentie thousand bullockes and an hundreth and twenty thousand sheep so the King al the people dedicated the house of God And chap. 31. of the same booke verse 3.4.5 c. king Hezekiah both by his owne example and also by his royall authoritie he reuiueth the care for prouision of holy allowance due to the Priests and Leuites that they might be incouraged in the law of the Lord. In the first chap. of the booke of Ezra it is recorded that the Lord moued the heart of Cyrus king of Persia though a heathen king to deale bountifully for the restoring of the true worship of God in the citie of Ierusalem For to this end he giueth libertie to the people of God to returne out of their captiuitie he restoreth all the vessels of gold and siluer which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of Ierusalem and had put them in the house of his God
so manie as for the present God shall bring to hand And first that offereth it selfe which we do reade chapter 11. verse 17. He that is mercifull saith the Spirit of God by the wise king rewardeth his owne soule That is to say hee doth so gratious and acceptable a dutie before God when it is done in faith and obedience to God that God of his rich and free grace and mercie will surely reward it vnto him and in the same chapter verses 24.25.26 There is that scattereth and is more increased The liberall person shall haue plentie and he that watereth shall haue raine Hee that withdraweth corne the people will curse him but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne That is of him that exerciseth mercie in his prising and selling of it labouring in hard times to mitigate and being downe that extreme price which vnmercifull men striue to bring it vnto For as touching deare sellers such of whom the common prouerb may be affirmed that The more they heape to wit to themselues the worse they cheape to others such cannot in truth be euer right good and liberall dealers They pull downe that with their left hand which they seeme to build with their right and so they frustrate their reward Whereupon also it followeth in the same chapter of the holy Prouerbes He that seeketh good things getteth fauour but he that seeketh euill it shall come vnto him And in the 19. chap. vers 17. thus we reade He that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen And who can wish or desire any more sufficient surety or better pay-maister then he Againe chap. 21. vers 21. He that followeth after righteousnesse and mercy that is he which is diligent in pursuing and taking hold of all good occasions to practise the duties of righteousnesse and mercie shall find life righteousnesse and glorie And againe chap. 22.9 He that hath a good eye that is to say a mercifull eye which will behold and therewithall tender the necessities of the poore shall be blessed for he giueth of his bread to the poore Likewise ch 28.27 He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke Thus much out of the holy Prouerbes In the booke of the Preacher ch 11.1 c. Cast thy bread vpon the waters saith the same most wise king a Prophet of God for after many dayes thou shalt find it Giue a portion to seuen and and also to eight c. In the which wordes king Salomon like as the Apostle Paul also hath done as we saw before compareth the actions of Christian liberalitie and benficence to a seed time after the which followeth in due season the increase of the haruest And in the same place he prosecuteth this similitude in verie excellent maner thereby to prouoke to the diligent speedie and constant following of this most husbandly plow For He that obserueth the wind saith king Salomon shal not sowe and he that regardeth the cloudes shall not reape that is he that will suffer himselfe to be hindered from doing good by casting of doubts through vnbeleefe or by any other stumbling blocke which the diuell shal cast in his way he shall misse the haruest because he hath lost the seed time To the preuenting of which so great a dammage king Salomon exhorteth as followeth In the morning sowe thy seed and in the euening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not which shall prosper this or that or whether both shall be alike good In the 18. chap. of Ezek. vers 7.8.9 and againe verses 16.17 The Lord doth verie earnestly assure his people that whether a man be the father of a wicked sonne or the son of a wicked father such is the equitie of his gratious dealing that if he himselfe be not an oppressour but hath restored the pledge to his debtor hath spoiled none by violence but hath giuen his bread to the hungrie and hath couered the naked with a garment And hath not giuen forth vpon vsurie neither hath taken any increase but hath withdrawne his hand frō iniquitie and hath executed true iudgement betweene man and man And hath walked in my statutes and kept my iudgements to deale truly he is iust he shall surely liue saith the Lord God And yet moreouer and beside all the testimonies hetherto rehearsed we haue a notable place in the 58. chap. of Isaiah verses 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. The words are verie mightie to incourage and draw on euery good and faithful man both Iew Gentile to exercise the actions of goodnesse and mercy For after that the Lord hath by his holy Prophet rehearsed what he requireth to be done namely that euery heauie burthen be taken of that the oppressed be let go free and that euery yoke be broken That bread be dealt to the hungrie that the poore which wander he meaneth not voluntary beggers and wandering rogues but such as be inforced to leaue their place by some vrgent calamitie be brought to mens houses When a man seeth the naked to couer him and not to hide a mans self from his owne flesh After this rehearsall of the duties and that in more pressing maner then is here repeated then followeth the gratious promise of God in these words Then shall thy light breake forth a◠the morning and thy health shall growe speedily thy righteousnesse shall go before thee and the glorie of the Lord shall imbrace thee Then shalt thou call and the Lord will answer thou shalt cry and he will say Here am I if thou take away from the middest of thee that is out of thy heart the yoke or the tying wherwith the heauy burthen is as it were fastened to the backe the putting out of the finger and wicked speaking that is euery inhumanity and grieuance And then it followeth on the contrarie If thou poure out thy soule to the hungrie and refreshest the troubled soule then saith the Lord shall thy light spring out in the darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the noone day and the Lord will guide thee continually and he will satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not And they shall be of thee which shall build the old wast places thou shalt raise vp foundations form many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach and a restorer of the pathes to dwell in Now what man though of his owne disposition vnmercifull and illiberall as all of vs are if he shall dulie consider this manifold and bounteous promise of God and if he shall gather but one sparkle of faith to beleeue that God is faithfull and his word true can chuse but he must bee affected at the least after the manner of king Agrippa Act. chap. 26. vers 28. to confesse that almost it perswadeth him to become
mercie as it is sayd of the prayers of his good seruants so may it be affirmed of all their good and kinde dealings that they shall be turned vpon their own bosoms according to that we reade Psal 35. vers 12.13.14 O therefore how I beseech you should not the earnest consideration of these things mightily preuayle to moue euery one in whom there is any sparkle of grace to minde this practise of Christian beneficence and mercie toward the poore of Gods people according to euery mans abilty And euen for the same cause also as hath bene before expressed to separate and lay aside a portion before hand of that blessing which God giueth That so we may haue alwayes a purse or coffer to this spirituall vse and seruice of the Lord as well replenished as may be And to this so blessed an end that all which haue aboundance should cut off as much as may be all superfluous and vaine expences in apparell in diet in building in plate in houshold stuffe and in euerie costly and curious ornament whatsoeuer is to any in his place and calling aboue that which is sober and meete For by this wise prouident and sober course not onely the richer but also such as be of lesse wealth shall find both a more richer treasurie to defray all charges this way and also a more readie heart and hand to extende their helpe toward all good reliefe And otherwise it will come to passe that though we be ouercome to giue yet will it be yeelded so vngainely from vs as it were the small sparkle out of the hard flint or as sawe-dust grated out of the belly of the hard oake or to speake the fairest of it it will be but as a thinne and short eare of corne out of a verie barren and vnfruitfull soyle So that loosing all grace in the giuing it doth make the gift it selfe voyde of all blessing like vnto the light and waste seede which being sowne taketh no roote in the ground Verily if we could earnestly and ingeniously consider with our selues and lay together all the reasons which are to be weighed in this argument as namely for a taste that in so doing wee perfourme the dutie of good and faithfull Stewards to God in the right disposing of those his creatures which hee hath betrusted vs withall that thereby we preuent much murmuring and sin and much vniust dealing by pilferie and deceit yea infinite dangerous snares and temptations whereby the diuell spoyleth weake Christians as may easily appeare vnto vs by the prayer of holy Agur Prou. 30. chap. 7.8.9 Giue mee not pouertie prayeth wise Agur lest I be poore and steale Reasons mouing to beneficence and take the name of my God in vaine It is one of the two principal things which he earnestly craued of God that he might obtaine at his hands so long as he had to liue And further if we would duly consider that we refresh the soules of the the best stayed seruants and saints of God Epist to Phile. vers 7. By thee the bowels of the saints are comforted that we mitigate the heauie burthen of their cares and sorrowes and so make their liues more comfortable to them that hereby wee giue them occasion to poure forth many heartie praises and thankesgiuings to the honour and praise of God Moreouer if we would consider that hereby we gather much peace and assurance to our selues that we are in Gods fauour in so much as hereby as Saint Iohn saith We know that we are translated from death to life if we loue the brethren 1. Ioh. chap. 3. vers 14. Likewise that whatsoeuer wee bestowe this way is the safer and surer portion of all our riches according as one truly saith that The most liberall men are the most rich men in all the world Adde also that we mollifie the hard heartednesse of our enemies and mittigate the enuie of those that be spiteful and malignant while we doe good vnto them And yet further that we defeat the moth the canker and the thiefe and store vp our treasure in heauen as our Sauior Christ teacheth vs. In like manner that we are vnder the blessing of the prayers of the poore which is as a princely protection sealed vnto vs as it were with the broad seale of the kingdome of heauen Iob. chap. 29.13 Finally that we are therein blessed of God himselfe with all kind of blessings in this life and shall more comfortably leaue this world whensoeuer God shall call vs out of it If I say we would diligently weigh these reasons and other of like sort it could not be but they wold mightily weigh with vs to prouoke vs to a most willing and chearefull practise of so blessed an exercise Whereupon also it is cleare from this discourse that the errour and dotage of all such is very grosse palpable whosoeuer forgetting that Godlinesse is gaine do pursue and follow after gaine rather then godlinesse that euen vnder the profession of true godlinesse and pure and vndefiled religion contrarie to that of the Apostle Iames. chap. 1.27 Pure religion and vndefiled euen before God the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widdowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world And to that Matt. 9.13 I will haue mercie and not sacrifice For mercie is a great and weighty matter of the law Matth. chap. 23. verse 23. It may appeare also that they do greatly deceiue themselues and preiudice the truth and promises of God who standing aside to behold some few examples of those that in the practise of beneficence seemed to fall into decay as if their goodnesse must needes be the cause thereof and so harden their hearts against all good estimation of this excellent vertue For say some do ye not see how such and such a one haue brought themselues behind hand by their entertaining of Preachers c. We thought it could not last long Whereas rather they should blame themselues if any such decay hath bene because it came the rather to passe vpon other because they contrary to their dutie let too great a burthen lie vpon a few which would haue bene light and easie if these idle beholders wold haue set to their helping hand For want whereof they haue endangered themselues to a greater and more irrecouerable losse seeing they haue thereby purchased the displeasure of God and made themselues subiect to his seuere punishments which followe vpon the neglect of mercie as wee are now to declare in the next chapter The punishment of not giuing CHAP. IIII. Of the punishment of illiberalitie and not Giuing IN so much as the gratious acceptation wherewithall God vouchsafeth to accept and reward the beficence and liberalitie of his seruants may be the more liuely illustrated set forth from the contrarie dislike yea earnest displeasure and holy indignation which he beareth against prophane illiberall couetous mercilesse and cruell persons for all
patrimony and to inrich them with worldly wealth by filling their purses rather then with spirituall grace and vertue by furnishing of their souls by holy instructions by faithfull prayers to God and by Godly example of life Yea herein he committeth a double sin as well in that he taketh not the right course to leaue his children to the protection of God as in that by his practise and example he teacheth them to make more reckening of their earthly patrimony then of Christ himselfe and of his heauenly kingdome And further it is by many degrees better to be a father to manie Orphanes or fatherlesse children in feeding and cherishing them of Christian loue and pitie for the Lords cause who professeth himself to be a father vnto him then to leaue the greatest aboundance that may be to such children of a mans owne as for want of grace shewe themselues so leudly minded that they will wantonly and vnthriftily mispend all that shall be left them as experience doth not seldome shew it to fall out so Finally many though they be not Gentlemen themselues yet do they put forth so farre to make their children or at the least their eldest sonne a Gentleman that they make themselues beggers before they die and make their eldest so mightie aboue the rest that he spoileth and impouerisheth all his brethren OBIECTION 2. concerning care for children Among my children God hath giuen me some daughters beside my sonnes whom I can by no meanes preferre in mariage to any of good degree and countenance in the place where I dwell vnlesse I prouide for them some round portions And I must also bring them vp so as they must haue some Gentlewomanly qualities and they must sutably be set out in apparell something according to the fashion which as these dayes go is very chargeable all the world is giuen to so great brauery ANSWER O blind doting and aspiring folly Doest thou seeke to marrie thy daughters thus Dost thou not see that this is the way to procure husbands to thy daughters portions rather then to themselues and to wed all thy daughters to vanity before thou findest out one good meet husband for anie of them O how much better were it for Christian parents to nurture bring vp their daughters in the feare of God and true Christian modestie in holy shamefastnesse and sobrietie and in good huswiferie that they being first of all espoused to Iesus Christ their heauenly and spirituall bridegrome and so made fit for mariage might haue in his due time husbands of his most wise choise and appointment with whom they might leade not a wanton and idle but a right christian godly and comfortable life Marry thy daughter saith a wise man and so shalt thou performe a weightie matter but giue thou her to a man of vnderstanding Ecclesiasticus 7.25 Thus much for answere concerning inordinate care for children Obiections in regard of the pretended vnworthinesse of those that stand in neede to be relieued doe nowe followe OBIECTION 1. in regard of pretended vnworthinesse of those which stand in neede to be relieued I thinke in my conscience saith the couetous and vnmercifull man that I should doe verie ill to giue to so many as are readie to aske of me for I should mainetaine manie poore folke in their idlenesse and to bring vp their children also idlelie c. Which should be hurtefull to the Common-wealth ANSWER For the poore to liue idlelie in a christian common-wealth and likewise for them to bring vp their children in idlenes it is verily a great yea a double sinne and ought of conscience to be misliked and condemned of all seeing it is condemned of God himselfe He that will not worke should not eate as the Lord by his holy Apostle saith 2. Thes 3.10 And the ciuill magistrate should faile greatlie in his dutie and so sinne against God if he should not by his authoritie prouide against it Neuerthelesse it is no sinne for a mercifull man to relieue anie that be presentlie in vrgent necessitie be they idle or be they worse prouided notwithstanding that with the outwarde reliefe admonition be giuen with earnest perswasion that they will leaue their idlenesse and wickednesse and followe an orderlie and godly course of life Nay this is so farre off from the nature of sinne that he who doth so maketh practise of a double vertue and grace insomuch as at one instant as it were he giueth a double almes the one to the comfort of the hungrie bodie the other for the health of the surfetted soule The more full answere to this obiection may be giuen from the late excellent Statute made for the suppressing of idlenes and for order to be taken as well to set the poore to worke as to contribute to their reliefe so farre as they shall furthermore be found to stand in neede OBIECTION 2. Let a man giue them neuer so much they will be neuer the better for it all shall go through their throate c. ANSWER Such as be well and thriftilie minded will be the better As for the rest if they will be nothing the better yea though they should be the worse it may suffice thee vntill thou doest perceiue it to be so in deede that thou giuest with a mind to doe them as much good as thou mightest Their euill can no whit deminish thy goodnesse But if thou vpon experience perceiuest anie to be the worse as not knowing how to take the right benefite of reliefe thou maiest well make a better choise and so cast the seed as it were into a better soile OBIECTION 3. They are verie vnthankefull they will not giue a man a good word for all that is done for them ANSWER All be not so And though some be vnthankful yet God will be neuerthelesse gratious mercifull to thee Againe if thou shouldest seeke after the thanks and praise of men what a vaine thing were this For so shouldest thou loose all praise and reward with God Furthermore let it be obserued that thofe men which are thus most ready to accuse the poore of vnthankfulnesse and to be the more idle because of reliefe c. they are such as can speake least of all other vpon their owne experience Wherefore well may such Christians be rebuked and shamed by the sayings of the heathen who say Recompence followeth after him that looketh not for it Againe It is the determination of him that is an excellent good man indeed and hath his minde inlarged that way so long to beare with the vnthankefull man vntill thou hast wonne him to be thankefull But let vs proceed OBIECTION 4. There want not examples of some who make so great a shewe of godlinesse as one would thinke that he should do God good seruice in relieuing of them and yet afterward they are found to be nothing the men they seemed to be So that a man knoweth not to whom he should giue And were it not
therefore also the day being changed as it may partly be thought yet the morall sanctification of the Lords day comming in place therof doth neuertheles remaine to all Christians from the authoritie of the fourth commandement so in like manner albeit all ceremonie in tithes and tithing is long since ceased yet in regard of the morall vse of them they may and ought without all scruple or preiudice to the Gospell be retained still as necessarie to the vpholding of the publike practise of Gods diuine worship and for the maintenance of the publike Ministers thereof from the ground warrant of the same moral Law of the most high and soueraigne Lord our God At the least vntill the souereigne Prince to whom next vnder God the care of maintaining and furthering the diuine worship of God doth by Gods owne ordinance chiefly belong shall determine as generall and commodious as equall and bounteous a course to the same most holy vse some other way The which as it is not lightly supposed of many wise men would hardly be so happily found out and so generallie agreed vpon And nowe further also howe vnreasonable a thing is it I pray ye for anie to vrge the Apostle Paules example in that he wrought with his hands for his liuing as though that should be a lawe for all Ministers of the word so to do seeing the other Apostles did not so neither doth Paul himselfe presse any after his example vnles vpon verie speciall and extraordinarie occasion like to those he met withall specially at Corinthus 2. Cor. 11.7.8.9.10.11.12 c. Naie rather he respecting an ordinarie course according to the ordinance and will of God doth in verie Christian and prudent circumspection preuent and meete with the same vnkind obiection of this kind of people as we see plainely 1. Cor. chap. 9 and. 1. Tim. 5.17.18 as hath bene rehearsed in the 2. Chap. of this our Treatise It is nothing materiall therefore what profane and corrupt minded men thinke or speake seeing they knowe not neither greatly regard what they either deny or affirme but onely as may serue their owne vngodly turne Blessed be our God that such priuate worldly and wicked speaches be rebuked and repressed by good holy and publike lawes both of God and of our Christian Princesse Neither is it finally to be wondered at though this sort of profane and couetous minded men doe thinke themselues as much edified with reading as with preaching of the word of God seeing they haue no true tast or iudgement what sounde edification in the knowlege and faith of the Gospell doth meane neither are at all edified by eyther of them both Let them therefore ignorantly both thinke and speake according to the erronious and deceiueable opinion of their owne mind Wisedome as our Sauior Christ afirmeth shall be iustified of all her children The last obiection which endeth in wilfulnes obstinacy which is a meet conclusion for so euill premises To conclude saith the couetous and vnmercifull man if all that I haue said much more which I could alledg though I will not trouble my selfe to vtter it now will not serue for excuse but I must still be called vpon on euery side to paie to paie to giue and to giue and neuer to be at an end I will surely fâ—â—our my selfe for I will breake vp house and go soiourne somewhere to auoide these vncessant charges and to liue morâ—â—t â—eartes case that I may eate and drinke and be merrie with my friendes ANSWER O vaine self-loue ô wicked conclusion I speak of those who with such a minde as hath bene nowe expressed and not vpon anie other more iust reasonable ocasions then these be do breake vp house what shalt thou gaine of all this thy sauing in the end Thou maiest peraduenture saue earthly expences but thou takest the most prodigall course that may be to loose thy soule God will iudge thee from thine owne mouth Is thy neede so vrgent manie waies and wilt thou faile both God his Church and the poore of his flocke all at once and that in time of speciall neede Nay rather if thou be not too much in decay but art in anie measure able to keepe open thy doores thou art so much the more bound to keepe house vnles happilie thou seest thou maiest be more beneficiall otherwise If thou doest not thus by how much thou increasest in vnmercifulnesse by so much shalt thou finde thy iudgement to be more mercilesse whensoeuer God shal call thee to giue account of thy Stewardship Thou professest to seeke thy ease and to eate and drinke and to bee merrie as thy couetous and vnmercifull brother did in the parable of the Gospell who suddenlie was taken away from all his riches and pleasure Luke ch 12. Wherfore maiest thou not iustly feare to haue the like portion with him As also with thy other voluptuous brother Luke ch 16. whose soule forthwith after his death was throwne downe into the endlesse easelesse and remedilesse torment of Hel Thus much for answer to these profane worldlie and malignant obiections against Christian liberalitie and mercifull beneficence For I will not loose time in standing anie longer about anie thing which might be further alleaged to so euill and vngodlie a purpose By that which hath beene answered it may sufficientlie be discerned how vaine and friuolous all other excuses or defences are Onelie this will I say that by howe much flesh and blood is more inuentiue to finde out pretensed excuses and the Deuill also more readie to prompt and helpe forward the same by so much we may vpon good ground more boldlie affirme and determine that Christian and mercifull beneficence is a speciall dutie of godlines which the Lord our God taketh singular delight in which he wil vndoubtedlie blesse to the incomparable aduantage of all that will settle their heartes to continue in the wise discreete and dutifull practise thereof Hetherto therefore of the first part of our Treatisâ— concerning Christian Giuing the second part followeth which is of the christian receiuing of that which is so Christianlie giuen What receiuing is THE SECOND PART of the Treatise CHAP. I. What Receiuing is IN so much as it the coÌ„mandement of God that such whom hee hath made better able theÌ„ others shuld giue vnto those which stand in need and to the same purpose hath incouraged them by many gratious and bountifull promises so to doe it followeth that it is likewise the good will and pleasure of God that such as stand in need should neither refuse to bewray acknowledge their want nor make any nicenesse scruple or doubt to receiue the liberalitie of the good and beneficial seruants of the Lord. Onely it is required that as the giuing must be in such Christian maner as God prescribeth in his holy word as hath already bene layd forth so the Receiuing must likewise be such a kind of Receiuing as God alloweth of the which we are
he the creator this the creature he the glorious and almightie Lord this the poore fraile seruant c. Whereupon we may easilie perceiue how carefullie the true seruantes of God are to abhor and auoide the grosse and profane or rather the sacrilegious and blasphemous flatteries of all wicked Sycophants of the world For they are so lauish in extolling the meanes that they reserue nothing as proper and entire to the Lord. Such was that blasphemous and execrable flatterie of the people who gaue proud Herod diuine glorie Act. 12.22 they crying out with vehement acclamation and shouting so soone as he had ended his oration The voyce of God and not of man Such also was the palpaple flatterie of Tertullus the Orator in his fawning speech to Felix against the Apostle Paul Act. 24. who in the name of the Iewes ascribeth all their peace wholly in al things with al thanks to his prouideÌ„ce For what in effect could he haue sâ—â—d more if he had had a hart to professe his and their thaâ—kfâ—lnesse to God himselfe There is great cause therefore why the faithfull seruants of God should abandon this kind of heathenish and sacrilegious gratulation both from their hearts and also from their tongues For that which is ascribed to man yea euen to Caesar the chiefe among men it is so onely to bee ascribed and yeelded that in wise as was sayd a little before God be defrauded of any part and parcell of his most iust and souereigne due Excessiue thanks to men is to be auoyded But not only heathen men haue foulely faulted this way but much rather the Church of Rome which boasteth it selfe to be the onely true Christian and Catholike Church in the world hath runne it selfe as it were ouer head and eares in this most grieuous and vnchristian sinne For if we compare the heathen and them together we shall easily find that these do exceede them in most pernicious and deadly blasphemy lifting vp and aduancing creatures aboue all measure not onely in ascribing to theÌ„ the voyce of God and a prouidence concerning all earthly thinges as Tertullus to Felix but euen a commanding power for the eternall peace saluation of the soules of men in the kingdome of heauen as is euident in that which they do attribute to the virgin Marie whom they haue made the Lady and Queene of heauen And further as touching their more common or inferiour benefactors here vpon earth they would make vs beleeue that by the merit of theâ—r beneficence and good desert toward their Church together with the propitiatorie helpe of their Priestes they shall not onely escape Purgatory but go straight on to the kingdom of heauen and draw others also by the surplussage of their works together with them Yea further they neuer leaue solemnizing of their praises with an inferiour kiâ—d of religious worship at the least to the end they may the rather allure and bewitch many other to doe the like or rather if it could be more plentifullie after the manner of cunning beggers who at on dore commend the almes which they had at an other to drawe on their good dames to inlarge their good will and charitie towards them But let vs leaue them to themselues all their superstitious and idolatrous CoÌ„mendams to the iudgmeÌ„t of God As touching our owne selues according as we are taught in the holy word of God let vs wisely discreely determine our thanks vnto â—eâ— as to the gratious instrumentes of God and not otherwise so that the chiefe glorie yea the onelie praise and glory maie be whollie reserued and entierlie ascribed to his most blessed maiesty in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ alone to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost one true and euerliuing most gratious and merifull God be all honour and gorie now and for euer Amen Hitherto of the difference of thankfulnesse to God and to men in respect of the nature and definition of thankfulnesse it selfe whereinto the euill effectes or fruites of excessiue thankes haue crept and as it were stollen in before we were ware of it It followeth now that we do further search out the difference from the good fruites which arise from well ordered thankfulnesse both vnto God and also vnto men First therefore the fruite of our thankfulnesse to God in experience of his most prouident and fatherly care ouer vs is so to acknowledge him to be our God and the souereigne fountaine of our whole welfare that we do wholly put our trust in him and depend vpon him as one not onely to be honoured in the meanes which it pleaseth him to vse for our benefite but also aboue all ordinary meanes and helps yea contrarie to all aduersarie and hurtfull meanes if need so require And for the same cause also that in all our needs we runne to him by faithfull prayer and supplication as to our neuer-failing refuge and accordingly to seeke to approue our selues euen from the secretes of our soules and consciences before him according to the direction of his owne most holy and perfect commandement we neuer satisfying our selues with that measure of thankes which we shall at any time for the present attaine vnto But the fruit of our thankfulnesse to men is not so but with the reuerent acknowledgment of them to be the gratious and honourable instruments of God in all that they exhibite and reach forth vnto vs we are onely to perfourme these duties following First that so long as they liue we do continue our harty prayers to God for them Benefactors are to be praied for Secondly that wee retaining a blessed memorie of them doe also vpon all meet occasions make honorable mention of them and of their beneficence so long as wee liue our selues Thirdly that we be willing and desirous to recompence them to our power either in whole or in part to them or theirs yea euen to exceed the benefite receiued if at anie time it shall please God to make vs able and to giue vs iust occasion thereunto Finally that for want of occasions or necessity on their parts that way that we hauing receiued beneficence from the hands of other do learne from their example to bee as beneficiall to others as we may Of these duties therefore let vs henceforth treate a little for our further instruction seeing these also are to be reckened among the duties which belong to the Christian receiuing of a Gift and is our matter in hand still depending to be be further inquired of And first concerning Prayer the debt and conscience of this dutie ariseth from hence that how rich souer they may be and abounding in all worldly wealth they do neuerthelesse stand in continuall neede of the dayly blessing of God the Factor whereof as it were faithfull and feruent or laborious prayer is and that by assignement and letters of mart from God himselfe But what shall we intreat of the Lord in our prayers and
account were no better then enemies Neuerthelesse he would not forget the kindnesse which anie shewed vnto him in any time of his neede And therefore as we reade 2 Samuel chap. 10.1.2 After that the King of the Ammonits was dead and Hanun his sonne reigned in his steede I will shew kindnesse saith King Dauid vnto Hanun the sonne of Naash as his father shewed kindnesse vnto me And therefore he sent Ambassadors to comfort Hanun for his father Finally the prayse of King Dauids beneficiall minde shall liue as long as there shall be any memoriall of the death and buriall of King Saul and Ionathan his sonne for beside his mourning for their death although Saul for his parte had dealt verie hardly against Dauid he reioyced greatly when it was told him that whereas the Philistines had hanged their bodies vpon the wall of Bethshan the men of Iabesh Gilead had taken them downe and honorablie buried them Blessed are ye of the Lord saith he to the men of Iabesh Gilead that ye haue shewed such kindnesse to your Lord Saul in that you haue buried him Therefore now the Lord shewe mercie and truth to you and I will recompence you this benifite because ye haue done this thing 2. Sam. 2.5.6 As touching the kindnesse and beneficence of K. Dauid toward the worship of God and his houe as a fruit of his thankefulnes to him I omit to speake here because that hath bene declared at large in the former part of the Treatise where the vertues required to this dutie haue bene layd forth and wherein as we may remember king Dauid was an admirable mirrour to vs all Worthie therefore is he to be looked vpon of all as a singular patterne in all kind of beneficence but specially of Christian Kings and Princes who by the grace and bountie of God vpon them in their royall estate may come nearer to him in their rich and plenteous beneficence then anie of inferiour degree can doe But let vs desiring God the God of all grace to replenish the heartes of all Christian Kings and Princes with that measure of bountie which is beseeming their high places euen from his infinite bountifulnesse let vs I say returne with Barzillai to walke answereable to our owne more meane estate and condition This is once for all a certaine truth that whosoeuer receiue beneficence they are made thereby as they speake Beneficiarij that is debtors standing bound to performe all good dutie to their benefoctors and namely to that dutie which the learned doe likewise expresse ANTIPELARGIA a mutuall and interchangeable recompence of a good turn or benefit by the greeke word Antipelargie borrowed from the name and naturall prosperitie which they write to be in the yong Storke which feedeth the damme when she is old and standeth in neede of helpe In respect of which propertie of the Storke whereof mention is made Ier. ch 8.7 Euen the Storke in the aire knoweth her appointed time c. it seemeth that in the Hebrewe language she is called Chasidah of Chesedh which signifieth goodnes mercifulnesse or a gratefull affection c. And there is good reason as hath bene obserued before that seeing liberall Benefactors take vpon them the affection and office of Parentes they should haue the dutie of children returned to them againe from such as enioy the fruit of so parentlike an affection The equitie of this compensation or recompence making is plainelie pointed at by the Apostle Paul 2. Cor. ch 8. verses 13.14 in that after manie other reasons alleaged to moue them to liberalitie toward the poore Christians of Ierusalem he addeth this which nowe we speake of in these wordes Neither is it saieth he that other men should be eased and you grieued But vpō like condition at this time your aboundance supplieth their lacke that also their aboundance maie be for your lacke that there may be equalitie As it is written to wit concerning the Israelites manner of gathering Manna described Exod. ch 16. verses 16.17.18 He that gathered much had nothing ouer and he that gathered litle had not the lesse But maie not the recompence be made otherwise then in the same kinde If we had time and authoritie here to appoint an Act and that it might bee philosophicallie disputed and determined I would desire no better moderator then wise Seneca who in his 3. booke De Beneficijs from the 29. ch to the end of the booke verie wittilie handleth this question Whether children may not bestowe as great benefites vpon their Parentes as they haue receiued of them And he bringeth manie instances how neare at the least they maie attaine vnto it if not in some cases exceed them His purpose in this his disputation is to verie good ende namelie to prouoke and incourage or whet on children hereby to striue vnto all good dutie and thankefulnesse to their Parents as to their chief benefactors Read him as a heathen writer and as Erasmus well iudgeth thou wilt say he writeth in this as in diuerse other pointes as a Christian Philosopher howsoeuer in other thinges he bewrayeth himselfe to be a Pagan or heathen man His excellent purpose in this his delightfull wittie disputation may appeare by his determination of the Question some of the words whereof I will here with the good leaue as I trust of the Christian Reader briefly and concisely set downe These things saith he speaking of his former discourse how children may equall their Parents beneficence c. they do not take away reuerence from Parentes or make their children lesse dutifull to them but much better c. Dutifull affection or godly disposition will be so much the more chearely if in this strife of making recompence it may set vpon it with hope of victorie c. And if we doe not in this matter think thus we shall giue liberty to children and make them sluggish herein when as we ought to spur them forward and to say Go to ye well disposed youthes there is an honest controuersie set on foote betwixt parents and children whether haue bestowed or receiued greater benefites Surely they haue not gotten the victorie because they haue made the first chalenge or be on the forehand Onely take ye such courage as is meet and faint ye not that ye may preuayle according to your desire Ye are not without Captaines or leaders in this so godly a fight who stirre you vp to the like enterprises with them and bid ye march on in their footsteps to obtaine the victorie oftentimes already won from parents This is in the 36. chap. And chap. 38. This is the English of his words No force of words no power of wit can expresse how great a worke this is how commendable and how worthy that it should neuer slip out of the remembrance of men for anie to be able to say thus I haue bene obedient to my Parents I haue submitted my selfe to their gouernement c. In this one thing haue
I bene stubborne that I would not be behind in benefites I beseech ye therefore to striue stoutly and though yee bee put to the worse come againe a fresh in battell aray They are happie who get the victorie they are happie also who are ouercome What young man is more noble then he that can say to himselfe for to another he may in no wise speake it I haue vanquished my father by benefites Who is more happie then such an ancient man who hath iust cause to tell it whithersoeuer he commeth that his sonne hath beene more beneficiall or done more for him then he hath done for his sonne And what is a more blessed thing then for a man to ouercome himselfe Thus we see how the Philosopher disputeth and how he determineth the question of recompence betwixt the child and the father And he hath spoken as much and to as good purpose as anie of the Philosophers haue spoken in this point The which also I haue beene bolde thus farre forth to set downe hoping that it may be considered with some good profite by Christians though from the penne of a heathen man But because we haue a more certaine and sure rule to go by both in this particulare and generallie concerning the doctrine of recompence in all cases let vs now answere the question demanded from the most excellent and on lie perfect the wisdome of God out of holie Scriptures I answer therfore by a concession and granting of the question that a recompeÌ„ce through the blessing of God may be some other waies then by benefites of the same kind aboundantlie made as for example when for earthlie blessings anie are made partakers of spiritual graces and blessings the which vnequall coÌ„mutation or change of benefites the Lord most vsuallie worketh by the hand and ministerie of such to whom he hath committed the preaching of his word and Gospell according as the Apostle Paul saith If we haue â—owne vnto you spirituall thinges is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges 1. Cor. 9.11 And againe in his epistle to Philemon pleading with him for his vnfaithfull and runne-away seruant Onesimus that he would vpon his repentance receiue him againe for his sake I vvill recompence it saieth Paule albeit I do not say to thee that thou owest to me euen thine owne selfe Yea further Rom. 15.27 he treating about that great beneficence of manie Churches sent to the Christians of Ierusalem then in distresse through the dearth he is more bold to tell the Christian Gentiles that they are debtors vnto the christian Iewes euen for the inestimable benefits sake of the Gospel which came vnto the Gentiles from them according as it is written The lawe shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Isai 2. v. 3. And Ps 110.2 And therfore the Apostle concludeth that in so much as the Gentiles are made partakers of the spirituall treasures of the Iewes their dutie is also to minister to them in carnall thinges But this pointe hath bene more fully handled before from the beginning of the third chapter of the former part of the Treatise Let vs therefore leauing this point hast forward Verilie Praier it selfe from the faithful and feruent heart of euerie true Christian though they be priuate persons no Ministers Preachers of the word it is such an almes out of such a blessed treasurie and storehouse that it easilie counteruaileth the outward value of that externall almes which the rich man taketh out of his purse or coffer yea though he open the stringes of his purse wide and stretch out his hand verie liberallie Neuerthelesse the widest opening of the heart vnto Praier must not shut out the care of retribution no not in the same kind whereby anie stand indebted or not in the like measure if so there be need and if God giue abilitie to cause the measure to be pressed downe and to runne ouer according to that which was affirmed before Neither must it shut out the care of benefiting the posteritie of those which haue beene good vnto vs. And here also for want of a fitter place let vs consider from the example of the people of Israel that it is a dutie of thankfulnesse to honour speciall good men with speciall honour euen after their death Benefited men euen thereby stand bound to be beneficiall in their buriall for so it is written of the people of Israel to their commendation that they buried Iehoiada the high Priest in the Citie of Dauid among the Kinges because he had done good in Israell and toward God and his house 2 Chro. ch 24.16 Now finally as a helpe to this fruite of thankefulnesse by care of making recompence it is necessarie that euerie mans heart be a faithfull register of all the kindnesse and beneficence which he is made partaker of Yea and because the memorie of euery one of vs is lesse apt to remember what we owe then what we make reckening to be due vnto vs it were requisite that euerie one should haue some booke of record thereby to be holpen by the sight of white and blacke as they say to call to minde from a long repetition of the yeares and times that are past both from whoÌ„ in what measure we haue bene succoured by the beneficence mercifull releife of this and that good seruant of our God Whereunto well may that serue which was obserued in the entraÌ„ce of this treatise coÌ„cerning the similitude which the Apostle alludeth vnto Philip. 4.15 We haue bene long in this third fruit of thankefulnesse The fourth is this that for want of occasions to make recompence to benefactors or for want of necessitie on their partes or their childrens that we learne from their example and by experience of Gods mercie by them to be our selues the instruments of God to exercise as much goodnesse and mercie as we may And if we be not able from the purse yet by good counsell and holie instruction by faithfull dealing by that credit we haue with others by earnest sute for them in good and honest causes c For there shall doubtlesse neuer want occasions of beneficence one way or other to those that be beneficiallie and helpefully minded The poore saith our Sauiour Christ shal be alwaies with vs. And so long as sinne is in the world yea in the children of God though not reigning and as long as the children of this world are violent and deceitfull to oppresse and deceiue specially the true seruants and children of God and as long as the diuell their arch-enemie beareth any swaie in the world ruleth in the hearts of the wicked to push them forward to mallice and persecute the true worshippers of God of blind zeale to their owne false religion and superstition Finally so long as God himselfe seeth it meete yea good and profitable for his children to be humbled and that their faith and patience should be exercised
is punished with another that is when they are giuen ouer from sin to sinne howsoeuer the burthen of this punishment which maketh way to all plague and punishment is not discerned of the wicked The Apostle therefore addeth further chap. 2. vers 4.5 They that despise the riches of Gods bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance not knowing that is not regarding to know or consider that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth to repentance They do after the hardnesse of their harts that cannot repent heape vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who wil reward euery one according to his works c. So likewise in the former place of the Epist to the Ephesians For such things that is for such vices as breake forth and beare swaie among the wicked for want of thankfulnesse to God as the Apostle had rehearsed in the words going before the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience Vnthankefulnesse it selfe in that it is a neglect of dutie to God is a great sinne and that which God punisheth sharply in his owne childrē like as we read of King Hezekiah that good king that wrath came vpon him from the Lord because he did not render to the Lord according to the reward bestowed vpon him 2. Chron. 32.24.25.26 Howbeit insomuch as Hezekiah beeing reproued did humble himselfe both he and the inhabitantes of Ierusalem therefore they preuented the extremitie of Gods wrath so as it fell not vpon them in the daies of Hezekiah Now therefore seeing the Lord cannot spare this sinne when it is found with neglect of dutie in his best seruants for a time how should he not punish it in the wicked in whom vnthankefulnesse is accompained with a black gard of all kind of foule vices and abominable sinnes beside May it not be iustly sayd to the shame of all such as Moses spake to the vnthankefull Israelites Deut. 32.6 Doe ye so reward the Lord ò ye foolish people and vnwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee he hath made thee and porportioned thee c. And if for all this they that be vnthankefull will be vnthankfull still notwithstanding all the infinite mercies of God reuealed vpon vs specially now in the dayes of the Gospell both earthlie and heauenly mercies for body and soule for this life and for euer vpon our selues and all ours which ought to inflame our heartes to power forth perpetuall praises and thankes to the glorie of his most blessed name may we not iustly say further as Moses spake to the people The fire shall kindle in Gods wrath and burne to the bottome of hell and consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountaines The Lord will send plagues vpon them and bestow his arrowes vpon them They shall be burnt with hunger and consumed with heate and bitter destruction And may not the Lord himselfe as it is written Psal 107. turn a fruitful land into barrenesse for the wickednes of thē that dwell therein Yea may he not iustly take away the hedge of his vineyard break downe the wall therof when in steed of sweet grapes it bringeth forth those that be sower and wild That is when there is oppression in steed of iudgmēt crying out in steed of righteousnesse Isa 5.5 c. For seeing vnthankfulnes as hath bene declared is both the breeder also the nourisher of all sin carying all sin as it were in the wombe of it like to those most il-fauoured and leane kine which did eate vp as many well liking and fat kine but when they had eaten them vp were still as leane and ill-fauoured as at the beginning of the which we read Gen. 41 19.20.21 Wel therefore may the fulnesse perfection of all wrath and punishment be cast vpon all such gurmandizing Cormorants who consuming Gods blessings yeeld no fruits of thankfulnesse vnto him but remaine continually leane barren and blasted that way The hope of the vnthankefull shall melt away as the winter yee and flow away as vnprofitable waters Wisdom 16.29 And great reason why vnthankfulnesse to God should bee so heinous in his sight and why also he should punish it so seuerely partly here but more fully after this life ended not only for the causes already alleaged but for many other as first for that God doth in vaine so oftē so earnestly put such vnthākful ones in mind of their duty herein as Ps 50.14 Offer vnto God praise And Eph. 5.20 Giue thanks alwayes for al things vnto God euen the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Likewise Philip. 4.6 Col. 4.2 1. Thes 5.18 and in many other places Secondly because that which is in all equity a most due debt is most vniustly denied withheld frō him as 2. Thes 1.3 We ought to thank God alwayes as is meet c. ch 2.13 We ought to giue thanks alway to God for you brethrē c. And if for others thē also much rather for Gods loue fauour all the fruits thereof toward our selues And Ps 29.2 Giue to the Lord the glory due to his name Reasons of the punishment Thirdly because thankefulnesse is a speciall good dutie wherewith the Lord is singularlie well pleased as Psal 92.1.2 It is a good thing to prayse the Lord c. And Psal 69.30.31 I will prayse the name of God with a song and magnifie him with thankesgiuing The which shall please the Lord better then to offer a young bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes Fourthly because it is as the singular ornament of our owne profession of Gods holy worship as Psal 33.1 Reioyce in the Lord ô ye righteous for it becommeth vpright men to be thankefull And Psal 135.3 Praise ye the Lord for the Lord is good sing prayses to his name for it is a comely thing And Psal 147.1 Praise ye the Lord for it is good to sing vnto our God for it is a pleasant thing and prayse is comely Fiftly because by our thankefulnesse we make speciall profession of our faith and giue the greatest glorie we can yeeld vnto him in the acknowledgement of his prouidence and of his truth in the performance of his promises c. as Psal 66.1.2 c. Reioyce in the Lord ye inhabitantes of the earth Sing forth the glorie of his name make his prayse glorious And Psal 96.8 Giue vnto the Lord the glory of his name And Psal 50.23 He that offereth praise glorifieth me saith the Lord himselfe But on the contrarie all vnthankfull persons dishonour God they iustly displease him they disgrace themselues they shew themselues void of faith they tread vnder foote the commaundement of God c. Thus much of the sinne of vnthankefulnesse to God how hanious it is in his owne nature and in the sight of God and accordingly how greuious the punishment is which in the iustice of God belongeth
vnto it It followeth that we consider likewise of vnthankfulnesse to men both how greuious the sinne is and also who seuerely God will punish it according to the testimonies of his holy Scriptures as was propounded and determined before Concerning the greatnesse of the sinne of vnthankfulnesse betwixt man and man that place of holy Scripture 2. Tim. 3.1 among sundrie other places The greatnes of the sin of vnthankefulnesse to men may iustlie be one where the Apostle rehearseth it among those hainous and noisome sinnes by the abounding whereof the times should growe verie perillous in the last daies For men saith the Apostle Paul shall bee louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankfull c. vnthankfulnes therfore being one speciall sinne Whereby the times will growe perillous or grieuous and tedious yea euen to good merciful men while they shall see all beneficence troden vnder foote and peruerted by the which they would gladlie drawe manie to the loue and obedience of the Gospell of God it can not be lesse esteemed then for a verie hainous sinne And the rather also because not onelie the beneficence of other good Christians cannot preuaile to drawe them to the loue of godlines but euen the beneficence and all reuerence which is due to Parents is easilie despised of vnthankefull persons For if children shall despise their Parentes and all that they haue done for them in the care and cost of their education whom then will they regard To whom can they be ingenuouslie thankfull And therefore is it also that in his diuine wisedom our S. Christ doth so vehementlie inueigh and cry out against the Pharisies who by their blinde and couetous traditions hindered the thankefulnes and remuneration and recompence which children owe to their poore Parentes they thereby making the lawe of God namelie the fift commandement Honour thy father and thy mother of no authoritie as our Sauiour chargeth them Mat. 15.3.4.5 c. And Iohn ch 10.31.32 and before that ch 8.44 he conuicteth manie of the Iewes to be the children of the Deuill and not of God because they went about to stone him who had wrought manie good workes among them And verilie infinit was the goodnes and mercie beneficence which our Sauior Christ wrought aboue all other men that euer were both to the soules and also to the bodies of an infinite number of men while he was in his humanitie here vpon the earth though indeede he distributed no great summes of money among them And yet behold al was not able to subdue this furie of vnthankfulnesse which had bereaued them of all dutifull regard of his good workes wrought among them See therefore the strange nature of this sinne which where it taketh place breedeth the greatest trouble and disquietment yea the greatest malice and outrage that may be further then it is curbed and restrained by the almightie power of God which onely is able to suppresse the furie of the wicked Here therefore we are againe to obserue that albeit vnthankfulnesse to men did rest onely in the neglect of the dutie of thankes yet were it to be condemned much more among Christians then among the heathen whose great hatred against it we haue seene testified before And so we find it noted to the reproofe of Pharaohs butler Gen. ch 40.23 because he did so long forget Ioseph who had bene so great a comfort to him while he remained in prison with him yea because he forgat him although Ioseph had intreated the Butler to shew him mercie and to be a meanes to Pharaoh that he might be deliuered out of his vniust imprisonment But we see that vnthankfulnesse to men goeth not alone likewise as we saw before that vnthankfulnesse to God goeth not without an vnruly traine And therefore also it maketh it selfe so much the more hainous and troublesome or grieuous as the other hath shewed it selfe to be Whereupon let this now be noted for a graue and weightie admonition to all that so soone as the heart ceaseth to be thankfull for benefites receiued of good and mercifull men so soone doth it begin to grow hurtfull and pernicious against men The which admonition that it may the rather take place with vs let vs consider of the warnings which the holy Scriptures of God giue vs against this most wicked practise both by precept and by the discouerie and rebuke of those that haue wickedly practised the same And so will we come to the punishment of this sinne For Precept of admonition against it we may well call to mind that which the Apostle setteth downe Rom. ch 12.17 c. and 1. Thes 5 15. where the holy Apostle according to the instruction of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 5 44. chargeth all Christians to be so farre from recompensing good with euill that they should not recompence one euill turne with another but contrariwise that they should ouercome euill with goodnesse But that it doth not seldome fall out otherwise it may appeare by the complaints of the seruants of God against examples of contrary euil practise and also by common experience Of these euill examples of most vnthankfull practise we haue the speciall complaints of Iob Dauid the prophet Ieremie Of Iobs complaint we read in the beginning of the 30. chap. of his booke For after that he had protested his kind and mercifull course of life all the time of his prosperitie as hath bene alleaged in the first part of this Treatise out of the 29. ch he breaketh into this speach But now saâ—th he they that are yonger then I mocke me yea they whose fathers I might haue dispised to set with the dogges of my flocke that is to giue them a place among my poore shepheards and other heardmen to haue part of that which they cast to their dogges c. And then it followeth verse 9. c. Now I am their song and I am their talke They abhorre me and flie farre from me and spare not to spit in my face Because that God hath loosed my coard and humbled me they haue loosed the bridle before me c. This is the complaint of Iob. The complaint of Dauid is set downe in diuers places Namely Psal 7.4 where he saith he was vexed without cause of him whom he had deliuered And Psal 35.12 They reward me euill for good to haue spoyled my soule He had not onely one such a principall aduersary and as it were a ringleader or captaine but he had many other that ioyned with that chiefe aduersarie against him though they had no more iust cause to doe so then their leader had And Psal 38.20 They also that reward euill for good are mine aduersaries because I follow goodnesse And Psal 109.4.5 For my friendship they were mine aduersaries but I gaue my selfe to prayer And they haue rewarded mee euill for good and hatred for my friendship And Psal 120.7 I seeke peace but when I speake
them as fearefull threatnings as they themselues be For seeing God hath by his holy spirit guided his seruants as liuely and sincere interpreters of his holy iustice herein to set them downe there is no doubt but they are ratified in heauen for the perpetuall admonition and warning of all men to the end of the world whosoeuer will auoid that vengeance that is contained in them against this sinne Neither let any man flatter himselfe because all this as hath also bene obserued before is spoken against the height and extremitie of the sinne of vnthankefulnesse as though negligence or forgetfulnesse or misapplying of beneficence came not within the compasse of this curse for euen these sinnes also are with great seueritie condemned of God In the newe Testament the Apostle Iude hauing layd forth the greatnesse of their sinne who communicating in the holy beneficence and contributions of the Christian Churches and intruding themselues for guestes in the loue-feastes had no care to feede themselues in the feare of God and to liue as Christians ought to doe he sheweth first the greatnesse of this sinne in that he saith such were spottes in their holy feastes Cloudes without water carried about of the windes corrupt trees without fruite c. And then followeth the punishment which the holie Ghost threateneth and pronounceth To them is reserued the blackenesse of darkenesse for euer The like is sayd of the Apostle Paul 1. Tim. 5.12.13 concerning the young widdowes who abused the maintenance which they had by the Churches to idlenesse yea to prating and busie medling c. And now further let vs reason thus against all kind of vnprofitable consumers of Christian beneficence that in so much as euen they who giue not any thing at all to holy vses are greatly punished although they be no sacrilegious riflers and spoylers of Church goods yea euen they that giue if it be in hypocrisie and not with an vpright heart as we haue a memorable example in Ananias and Saphira his wife for they were both punished by an extraordinarie and sodaine death which caused great feare to fall on all the Church which were the beholders of it on as many also as heard of it Act. 5.1 c. 11. And seeing all that boast of greater liberalitie then they do in truth performe such as King Salomon saith doe boast of false liberalitie Prouerb chap. 25. verse 14. and so being mockers of God cannot scape vnpunished according to that of the Apostle Gal. 6. As a man soweth so shall he reape In like maner how should we thinke that he which receiueth corruptly that is contrary to the vertues required to Christian receiuing neither hath care to vse that beneficence Christianly which he hath receiued how can we thinke I say that such a one should not be subiect to the punishment For doubtlesse it is no lesse sinne to vse good things ill then not to giue them well Is it not as great a sinne to destroy a field of corne after it is sowne as Absolom burnt vp Ioabs corne 2. Sam. 14.30 as if Ioab had not caused it first to be sowne But I will not prosecute this point it being of it selfe to all reasonable men as I suppose euident plaine Wherefore I come to make some vse of it and so drawe to an end of our Treatise as one thereunto called by the importunitie of other great and weightie businesse of the Lord. To this purpose I beseech you I speake to all those that are partakers of holy and Christian beneficence let vs thinke earnestly with our selues and weigh the matter as with equall ballance in our owne consciences before hand what anie of vs should answere to the Lord if we should behaue our selues so dissolutely in the abuse and mispending thereof that the Lord should be prouoked to bring forth his seruants to witnesse before his iudgement seat against vs that although they had for his sake fed vs when we were hungry refreshed vs with drinke when we were drie and thirsty clothed vs when we were naked lodged vs when we were harbourlesse visited vs when we were sicke and in prison nay rather if they should be brought for witnesses as they might be touching some of vs that they had not onely for the Lords sake kept vs from extreme pouertie and miserie preuented our imprisonment c. but that they had fed vs deintily clothed vs costly lodged vs in soft bedding and euery way tendered vs charily for his sake if notwithstanding all this any of vs should not be found carefull to serue the Lord and so to reioyce the hearts of our nursing-fathers and nursing-mothers answerable to their so precious and rare kindnesse and bountie poured vpon vs. But much rather if we should idly profanely and wickedly waste all that holy prouision and as it were the Manna of heauen which hath bene bestowed vpon vs to the dishonour of the name of God and to the griefe and discouragement of the hearts of our godly benefactors let vs I say earnestly bethinke our selues what any of vs could answer in this case Nay rather as the truth is let vs assure our selues that whosoeuer of vs shall be found thus culpable or much lesse that out of all question we should be altogether without answere as men dumbe and vtterly speechlesse euen like to thâ—t vnmeete and rude guest that at the marriage feast of the Gospell in so much as he was found there without his marriage garment to the dishonour of the feast And so being speechlesse and conuict in our owne consciences of intollerable and sacrilegious wickednesse what might wee possibly looke for but as at the commandement of the King and Lord of the feast or of the Iudge sitting vppon the throne of iudgement to be taken and bound hand feete and so to be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth which was the righteous iudgement of God vpon the profane and rude guest Matt. 22.11.12.13 O therefore how much better yea how much more blessed and happie shall it be if according as God of his rich mercie do make anie of vs partakers of his more speciall grace fauor in the inlarging of the tender bowels and compassion of his good and mercifull seruants toward vs we shall through his grace awake and stirre vp our selues and inlarge our heartes yea if we shall rise early in the morning as the holy Scriptures vse to speake that we may speedily and with all diligence indeuour after the performance of euerie good dutie of true christian obedience and thankfulnes both toward God and man to euerie good beneficiall friend and to the whole Church of God For hereunto we are called yea verie honorablie inuited and as it were hyred Hereby also are we made debtours to all so far forth as God shall vouchsafe to open the doore vnto vs and to giue vs anie blessed occasion and opportunitie to perfourme anie good and right
as the holy Ghost bearing witnesse it comprehendeth the summe of a godly entire life Caluinus in Act. Apost cap. 9.36 Regem armis quà m munificentia vinci minus flagitiosum It is not so heinous a thing for a king to be vanquished in battell as to faile in bountifulnesse Salust Bell. Lugurth Sentences that may be referred to the second Chapter Beneficentia ex beneuolentia manare debet A Gift must be giuen willingly Affectus tuus nomen imponit operituo Weldoing ought to proceede from well-willing Such as is the affection such is thy action Amb. Off. cap. 30. Bneneficentia complectitur cordis beneuolentiam operis beneficium Beneficence comprehendeth both the beneuolence of the heart and the benefite it selfe as touching the outward worke Beneficium nullum est nisi quod amica benigna voluntas ad nos defert It is no benefite at all if friendly good will be not the messenger of it Sen. de Ben. lib. 6. cap. 7. And cap. 11. Voluntas omne officium perficit Beneuolentia est coÌ„munis quaedaÌ„ pareus omniuÌ„ Amb. Off. 1. 30 Magnificentissimae bonitatis est vt tuum quoque inimicum diligas That goodnesse is most noble or bounteous when a man can heartily loue and tender his enemie Aug. Enchirid. cap. 73. A Gift must be free A Gift must be free according to our common speach What is more free then Gift Id iustè id piè id humanò fit quod sine spe recipiendi feceris That is iustly that is Godly that is curteously done in deed which is done without looking to receiue any thing againe Lactant. Instit diuin lib. 6. cap. 11. And cap. 12. Tenendum est omni modo vt ab officio miserecordiae spes recipiendi absit omnino Aliter non humanitas erit illa sed beneficij foeneratio Danda autem sunt beneficia non foeneranda Non est dubium quin is qui liberalis benignusue dicitur officium non fructum sequatur It is out of all doubt that he which rightly beareth the name of a liberall or kind man followeth not after profit but looketh what belongeth to good dutie it selfe Cicero lib. 1. de Legibus Beneficiorum ratio simplex esse debet tantum eroga c. Ne cessaueris dare opus tuum perage et partes boni viri exequere The purpose of bestowing benefits ought to be simple and for it selfe onely giue c. Sen. de Ben. lib. 1. cap. 2. Et lib. 4. cap. 1. Calcatis vtilitatibus ad vertutem eundum est And againe Vera beneficentia est ipso benefaciendi opere latissâ—na And in the same booke he disputeth earnestly and at large against the Epicure that Beneficenca is res per se expetenda Beneficence is to be desired euen for the loue of it selfe And to speake as the truth is A gift in that it is a gift can not be a thing inforced A Gift must be chearfully giuen Aliquando gratius est quod facili quám quod plena manudatur There is a time when that is more acceptable which is giuen with a readie hand then that which is giuen with a full hand Sen. lib. de Benef. 1. cap. 7. Et lib. 2 cap. 1. In beneficio iucundissima est tribuentis voluntas And chapter 11. In munere conferendo adijcienda est omnis humanitas Non tantum des opertet sed etiam ames A gift is to be giuen in a most courteous maner Thou must not only giue but also giue of loue Alacritas dandi ipsa largitione maius quid perfectius est Cheaefulnesse in giuing is a thing of greater perfection then is the gift it selfe Greg. Nazianz. Orat. de pauperum amore And Caluin in ep ad Cor. 2. cap. 8. vers Alacritas praeoccupandi facto ipso superior est And verse 2. In arctissima paupertate futuri simus liberales si quod facultatibus arcae desit simplicitate animi suppleamus We may attaine to be verie liberall in the greatest straightnesse of pouertie if we make a supply of that which is wanting in the coffer by the vfeined readinesse of the mind Laetandum est non lugendum cùm donum dederis Nazianz. de Paup amore Externa beneficentia nisi oriatur ex corde nihili est coram Deo Vnles outward beneficence arise froÌ„ the inward affection of the heart it is of no account before God Caluinus in Act. 4.34 Eorundem est à Deo aliquid habere ijs quae habent secundum Deum vti It is a speciall gift of God for any to haue the grace to be beneficiall They that enioy any thing froÌ„ God haue this from him also that they vse the same according to the will of God Greg. Naz. de pauperum amore Diffidentia radicitus in nobis haeret quae nos arcet ab omnibus charitatis officijs donec Spiritus gratia corrigatur Distrustfulnesse is so fast rooted in vs that it withholdeth vs from all duties of charity vntill it be corrected by the grace of the holy Ghost Cal. in 2. Cor. 8.1 Quare non das tua Deo A gift must be giuen in faith Diffidis timens ne non iterum recipias Quid verò rationis istud habet Qui enim dedit tibi à quo nihil acceperat quomodo non magis dabit postquam acceperit Wy giuest thou not of that which thou hast to God Doest thou distrust fearing that thou shouldest not receiue it again what reasoÌ„ is in this for how shuld not he who hath giueÌ„ to thee while yet he had receued nothing of thee giue the much rather after that he hath receiued some things Chrysost in cap. 3. ad Rom. Serm. 7. in morali eiusdem exhortatione Nomen gratia posuit Apostolus 2. Cor. 8.4 ad commendandam cleemosynam Est enim gratuitum Dei Patris coelestis donum Et filij eius benefaciendo sunt illius bonitatis et imitatores ingenni et oeconomi fideles The Apostle speaketh of liberalitie calleth it by the name of Grace in the commendation of almesgiuing For it is a free gift of God the heauenly father And his children in that they practise beneficence they are both kindly imitators of his goodnesse and also his faithfull and trusty Steward Caluinus A Gift is to be giuen with an humble mind Ipse Christus dicit quando omnia feceritis dicite inutiles serui sumus c. Cum dilectionem exhibemus cum pecuniam damus egenis debitum implemus non solùm ideò quòd Deus prior beneficijs suis sibi nos fecerit obnozios sed ob id quod quae sua sunt distribuimus quandocunque quicquid tandem dederimus Christ himselfe saith when you shall doe all that you can say we are vnprofitable seruants c. when we shew forth our brotherly loue when we giue money to the poore we doe performe but that which is our dutie not onely because God hath first of all made vs
cap. 29. Conuenit tum in dando munificum esse tum in exigendo non accâ—rbum It beseemeth a man verie wel as to be bounteous in giuing so not to be eger or harsh in vrging or extorting Cicero off 2. Et in Laelio Benefici liberalesque sumus non vt exigamus gratiam neque enim beneficium foeneramur c. Haec beneficij inter duos lex est saith Seneca Alter statim obliuisci debet dati alter accepti nunquam Such is the lawe of beneficence concerning the Giuer the Receiuer The one ought forthwith to forget what he hath giuen The other neuer what he hath receiued Seneca lib. de Benef. 2. cap. 10. And chapter 11. Qui dedit beneficium taceat narret qui accepit Si quis coram nobis narrabit scilicet quae benefecimus respondendum est Dignissimus quidem ille est maioribus beneficijs quae ego magis velle me scio praestare quà m posse Et haec ipsa non venaliter nec ea figura quae quidam reijciunt quae magis ad se volunt attrahere c. Equidem inquit Demosthenes censeo eum qui beneficium accepit oportere omni tempore meminisse eum autem qui dedit continuò obliuisci A note to be referred to the particular rehearsal of the examples of beneficence mentioned throughout the bookes of the holy Scriptures Videte quaeso sic enim Greg. Nazianz. Oratione 27. de Pauperum amore quam constans sit miniméque fucatum mandatum diuinum atque exemplum de beneficentia misericordiaque erga pauperes Neque enim hominibus Spiritu sancto impletis satis fuit semel atque iterum de pauperibus sermonem habuisse nec quidam duntaxat de his verba fecerunt reliqui minime aut alij copiosius alij parcius velut de re non ita magna nec admodum necessaria verum omnes in vniuersum sedulo quisque vel primum vel inprimis ad eam rem nos cohortantur nunc admonentes nunc comminantes nunc exprobrantes nonnunquam etiam eos qui hanc virtutem assequuntur laudibus efferentes nimirum vt assidua commenitione nos ad praecepti huius impletionem inflamment See I beseech you saith this learned Father how constantly and in how good earnest the diuine commandement and practise of beneficence and mercifulnesse toward the poore is layd before vs. For men full of the holy Ghost haue not thought it sufficient once onely and againe to speake of the poore neither some onely and the rest nothing at all neither yet some more largely and other more sparingly as if it had bene no great matter or of anie great necessitie but euen all altogether and euery one for his part verie diligently either chiefly or in order before other things they do exhort vs hereunto sometime admonishing sometime threatening sometime rebuking and sometime also greatly praising and extolling such as doe attaine to this vertue and all to this end that by a manifold and continuall or dayly commonefaction they might inflame our hearts to the obedience of this commandement Read also Lectur of S. B. of Ipsw pag. 4. When the commandement of God is onely stood vpon answer is went to be made that we should do so But who doth it When therefore we bring forth the parties that haue done so that shift is taken away Auaritia se in admiratione diuitiarum immersit Couetousnesse is a chieâ—e hinderer of beneficence velut quaedam bonorum ariditas officiorum vt homines damnum putent quicquid praeter moreÌ„ impenditur Couetousnes hath so plunged it selfe in the admiration of riches that it is as one may say a certaine drouth whereby all good duties are starued in so much as men are thereby brought to be of mind that all is lost whatsoeuer is bestowed aboue an ordinarie or wonted rate Amb. Off. lib. 2. cap. 21. And lib. 3. cap. 6. He mightily inueighing against the couetousnesse of rich Farmers and Corne-maisters he writeth thus to the vehemeÌ„t iust reproof of their practise in seeking the dearth of corne Cur inquit ad fraudem conuertis natura industriam Cur inuides vsibus hominum publicos partus Cur populis minuis abundantiam Cur affectas inopiam Cur optari facis a pauperibus sterilitatem Cum enim non sentiant beneficia foecunditatis te auctionaÌ„te preciuÌ„ te condente frumentum optant potius nihil nasci quà mte de fame publica negociari Why saith he dost thou defraud natures industrie why doest thou enuiously repine that men should enioy the publike fruites of the earth for their vse Why doest thou make the people to haue lesse aboundance then otherwise they should Why doest thou goe about to make a scarcitie Why doest thou giue occasion to the poore to wish the barrennesse of the earth For when they haue no parte of the benefit of fruitfulnesse while thou increasest the price and hourdest vp corne they wish rather that nothing might spring out of the earth rather then thou shouldest make marchandise of a publike famine After which wordes he proceedeth to reproue all the faire excuses and allegations which this kinde of coueteous and vnmercifull people goe about to make for themselues As namely that they lay vp for a common-wealth to helpe in time of neede We vrge none to buy say they let euery man doe according to his necessitie The gaine of corne is our liuing we trauell in tilling the ground we haue no other recompence but the fat of the furrowe c. The which excuses he reproueth as followeth Tu de omnium miseria congeris opes hanc tu iudustriam vocas hanc diligentiam nominas qua calliditatis versutia quae astutia fraudis est Et hoc tu remedium vocas quod est commentum nequitiae Latrocinium hoc aut foenus appellem Captantur tanquam latrocinij tempora quibus in viscera hominum durus insidiator obrepas c. Lucrum tuum damnum publicum est c. That is thou heapest vp thy riches from the gaine of all mens miseries dost thou call that industrie name that by the name of diligence which is the wilinesse of craft which is the subtiltie of deceit And doest thou term that a remedy which is a deuise of mischief I may call this thieuing or vsurie Thou lyest as it were in waite for times fit for theeuing in the which as an cruell lurker thou mayest sodenly creepe into the intrals of men c. Thy gaine is the impouerishing of the common-wealth c. Read more to this purpose Serm. 81. which is worthy thy reading at thy good conuenience and leisure Auaritiae genus est acerbissimum ne pereuntia quidem impertire egentibus It is a most cruell kind of couetousnesse for a man not to giue these transitory things to such as stand in neede of them And againe Tot iniuria afficis quot largiri potuisti Thou wrongest so many as thou art able
nutrimur inopibus alimenta negamus Cum indeficientem Promū ac Thesaurarium Deum habeamus nos erga pauperes perparci ac tenaces sumus c. Hac igitur de causa minatur nobis iustum Dei iudicium Hac de causa Deus omnipotens manū non aperit quoniā fraternitatis charitatem occlusimus Ob hoc cāpi steriles quoniam charitas friguit Supplicantium vox frustra clamat ac in aere euanescit dissipatur nam nos rogantes minime audimus c. We commend beneficence saith the godly father but for want of vsing it we are wanting to the poore Though we being seruants are deliuered yet we haue no compassion ouer our fellow-seruants We are fed when we are hungrie but we deny foode to the needy Though God be vnto vs as a Butler or Treasurer that neuer faileth vs yet are we ouer sparing and niggardly toward the poore c. For this cause therefore doth God in his iustice threaten his iudgement against vs. For this cause doth not almightie God open his hand because we haue shut vp our compassion from our brethren For this cause also are the fields barren because charitie is waxen cold The voice of our supplications crieth in vaine and vanisheth and is scattered in the aire insomuch as we doe not heare those that intreate vs c. The whole Sermon is worthy euery Christians reading Quae vtilitas in aliena regione h. in isto mundo multas diuitias relinquere in propria autem in patria necessarijs carere Itaque oro festinemus dum adhuc tempus est vt illuc transferamus etiam quae in hac aliena habemus c. Facilis est transuectio scilicet per manus pauperum c. What profiteth it to leaue aboundance of riches in a strange country that is in this world and to want necessaries at home in our owne countrie that is in the kingdome of heauen I pray ye therefore let vs make hast while yet there is time that we may cōuey thither euē those things which we haue in this strange place The transportation is easie to wit by the handes or helpe of the poore c. Chrisost in Gen. cap. 23. Homil. 48. Ostendam tibi horrea iam parata inquit Amb. Ser. 81. sc esurientium pauperum ventres in ipsis tuos conclude the sauros I will shew thee saith Amb. in his 81. Sermon he speaketh there to the rich man straited for want of barne-roome barnes alreadie made fit to thy hand that is to say the bellies of poore hungrie people in these barnes lay vp thy treasure let them be the locke key for them c. The whole Sermon is worthie thy reading Lege etiā Bas Mag. in eadē diuitis auari verba Lucae 12.3 Concione in diuites auaros And Ecclesiast cap. 29.15.16 Concludito misericordem beneficentiam in penuarijs tuis c. Lay vp in the storehouses that which thou mindest to imploie to mercifull beneficence c. Sentences which may be referred to the Doctrine of the 4. Chapter Those professors which doe not relieue their poore brethren are called in the Scripture cloudes without raine And therefore they are subiect to the curse which was denounced by Christ against the figge tree Neuer fruite growe on thee hereafter Read Lectures of S. B. of Ips pag. 20. Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautū The vse of all the threates punishments contained in the 4. ch of the Treatise He is a happie man whom other mens daungers can make circūspect or warie Ne expectes dum in te ipso discas quantum malum sit inhumanitas quantumque bonum viscera egentibus aperire In alienis calamitatibus haec discito c. Delay not the time till thou learnest by thine owne experience how great an euill vnmercifulnesse is and how great a good thing it is to open the bowelles of compassion to those that stand in neede Greg. Nazianz. Orat. de Paup amore Seeing God accouteth the dutie of loue which at his commaundement is performed to men to be a spirituall sacred seruice done vnto himselfe wo to our sottishnes if we shall not onely consume in profane but also in wicked vses those thinges which should serue for holy oblations c. Caluin Heb. 13.16 and Philip. ch 4.18 comment Sentences to be referred to the fifth Chapter and first of all to the answer of the first Obiection Recordare ô homo quis est qui largitus est tibi teipsum qui sis in memoriam reuoca Seruus es Dei dispensatio tibi commissa est Dominicae facultatis Recordare ergo quis est qui tibi iniunxit officium dispensandi familiam suam Quid est quod multis praelatus es Non est vtique sine causa quòd tibi à bono iusto Deo officium tribuitur largiendi alijs necessitas imponitur indigendi Dispensatorem igitur conseruorum tuorum te ex dominicis facultatibus esse cognosce Ne existimes quod omnia ventri delitijs tuis terra producat Quae in manibus habes commissa tibi magis quà m concessa cognosce Paruo tempore aliquantulum super ijs laetaris abuti ijs voluptuosius delectaris Cùm verò haec pariter cū vita nostra defluxerint rationem dispensationis nostrae vocamur Domino reddituri Haec Amb. Serm. 81. ibidem in fine Non minus est criminis habenti tollere quà m cùm possis abundes indigentibus denegare c. Tot te ergo scias inuadere bona quot possis praestare quod velis Remember ô man who it is that hath giuen vnto thee euen thine owne selfe and call thou to mind who thou art Thou art a seruant of God the stewardship of the Lords riches is committed to thee Remember therefore who it is that hath inioyned thee the office of a Steward to his family What is the cause that thou art preferred to many Surely it is not without cause that the mercifull and iust God hath giuen to thee the office of distributing and that the necessitie of wanting is laid vpon other Know therefore that thou art a disposer of the Lords riches to thy fellow seruants Do not thinke that the earth bringeth forth all for thy belly and to serue for thy deliciousnesse As touching the things which thou enioyest consider that they are committed to thee as of trust rather then granted to thee to do with them as thou list Thou reioycest a little for a short time and takest delight to abuse them at thy pleasure But when these things together with our liues shall slip away we are called to giue an account to the Lord of our stewardship c. And againe it is no lesse crime to take away from a man that which he hath then to denie succour to the distressed when thou art able to do it of thy abundance c. Know thou therefore that thou doest bereaue so manie
sententiam referens A Gâ—ft must be receiued thankfully Qui gratè beneficium accepit primam eius pensionem soluit Et quod superest soluendae gratiae securior debere potest He that hath thankefullie receiued a benefit he therewithall paieth as it were the first payment and as touching that recompence which is further more to be made he hath the longer day or respite for the paying of it Sen. lib. 2. de Bene. cap 22. 35. Qui verò beneficium dantis grata mente non suscipit iniuriam facit benefacienti But he that doth not intertaine the benefit of his benefactor with a gratefull minde he doth him great wrong Amb. Comment in cap. 10. ep ad Heb. Gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum inuitatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thankfulnes is an inducement to prouoke to the bestowing of greater gifts Chrisost And againe Si cùm ab hominibus beneficium aliquod accepimus illud grati praedicamus beneuolentiores illos reddimus quantò magis Dei beneficia celebrantes ad maiorem erga nos beneuolentiam eum inuitabimus Seeing when we receiue any benefit at the handes of men if we speake thankfully of it we make them more kindly affected toward vs how much more shall we prouoke the Lord to shew his more great fauour toward vs if we will celebrate his praises for his benefites bestowed on vs We must be specially thankfull to God Gratitudo nulla assequi potest magnitudinem beneficiorum Dei. Deo debemus omne quod possumus omne quod viuimus omne quod sapimus quis habet quicquam non tuum No thankefulnesse can be proportionable to the greatnesse of Gods benefites We owe vnto God all that we are able to performe and whatsoeuer our whole life and wit may attaine vnto and who hath any thing saith August which is not thine ô Lord. Medit. cap. 17. Nunquam Dei liberalitatem munificentiaÌ„ vinces quaÌ„uis omnium facultatum tuarum iacturam feceris quamuis te ipsum etiam facultatibus adiunxeris Nam hoc quoque ipsum Deo aliquid donare accipere est Thou canst neuer exceede the liberalitie and bountifulnesse of God although thou shouldest loose al whatsoeuer thou enioyest for his sake yea although thou doest ioyne thy selfe also with all that thou art worth For euen this also To giue any thing to God it is to receiue a gift of him To witte in that it pleaseth him to accept the same Greg. Nazianz. Orat. 27. de Pauperum a more Quicquid sumus quicquid habemus Deo debemus We owe vnto God whatsoeuer we are and whatsoeuer we haue Calu. in 2. Cor. 8.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All good dutie is to be performed to benefactors It is our dutie to performe all thankefulnesse to those that haue deserued well of vs. Basilius Ostendit Paulus suam Onesiphoro gratitudinem quum remunerandi vices in Deum transcribit quia impar est soluendo Benefactors are to be praied for Paul sheweth his thankefulnesse to Onesiphorus in that he beeing vnable to make recoÌ„pence to wit with worldly requitall he putteth ouer the office of rewarding vnto God Calu. in 2. Tim. 1.16 c. And in the same place Tantus est etiam Dei amor erga suos vt se ad omnes qui cum illis sunt coniuncti diffundat So great also is the loue of God toward his seruants that he doth extend his loue vnto all that are ioyned in communion with them Beneficiorum acceptorum commemorationem honestam laudandi occasionem esse dixit Basilius Benefactors are to be well spoken of The rehearsall of benefites receiued is an honest meanes of yeelding them their due commendation as saith Basil Nullum officium referenda gratia magis necessarium est Benefactors are to be recompencâ—d No dutie is more necessarie then is this of thankefull requitall Cicero Off. 1. Quid tamlaudabile quid tam in omniuÌ„ animos receptuÌ„ quà m referre benemeritis gratiam What is so commendable what so generallie allowed in the mindes of all as that thankes is to be rendered to those that haue deserued well of vs Sen. de Benef. lib. 4. 6. Quae natio non comitatem non benignitatem non gratum animum beneficij memorem diligit quae superbos quae maleficos quae crudeles quae ingratos non aspernatur non odit What nation is there that loueth not curtesie and liberalitie as also a grateful heart such one as is mindfull of a benefite receiued Likewise what nation is there where proud mischieuous cruell and vnthankefull persons are not despised and hated Cicero de Leg. lib. 1. Xenophon alijque Ethnicorum Graecorum dixerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenophon and sundry other of the heathen Grecians were wont to say that it is euery where accounted a iust thing that such as haue benefites bestowed vpon them should likewise haue care to make some recompence againe Recompence is to be made with aduantage if it may be Hesiodium illud inquit Cicero laudatur a doctis quod eadem mensura reddere iubet qua acceperis aut etiam cumulatiore si possis That saying of Hesiodus saith Cicero is coÌ„mended of the learned which willeth thee to render according to the same measure wherby thou hast receiued or if it may be with a more full and heaped requitall Lib. de claris Orat. Non tantum animo aequare sed si fieri potest vincere debemus Sen. de Benef. lib. 1. cap. 4. And among Christians Quid tam contra officium inquit Ambrosius quam non reddere quod acceperis Nec mensura pari sed vberiore reddendum arbitror vsum pensandum beneficij What is so contrary to good dutie as not to recompence that which thou hast receiued Neither do I iudge that thou shouldest doe it with equall measure onely but more aboundantly and that the vse of the benefite should be requited according to the time it hath bene enioyed Off. lib. 1. cap. 31. But what if a man be not able so to doe Quid si nulla reddendi facultas suppetit He answereth in the next chapter In reddendo beneficio plus animus quà m census operatur magisque praeponderat beneuolentia quà m possibilitas referendi muneris In that case saith he a good mind or desire to do it is of better worth then siluer and a ready will or affection is more to be esteemed then all possibility of any other recompence And among the heathen Cicero in his 3. Philippica thus he determineth this point Cum gratia referri non potest quanta debetur habenda tamen est quantam maximam animi nostri capere possint When the thankes deserued are greater then we can repay we are yet to acknowledge them with as earnest affection as our mindes are possiblie able to attaine vnto Nescit virtus mensuram gratiae nec contenta referre quod acceperit vult cumulare quod sumpserit
Some seeke by their hatefull dealing to make proofe that they thinke themselues nothing beholding to their friend Sen. de Ben. lib. 2. cap. 24. Sunt hi non solum Christiano nomine indigni sed ne homines quidem dicimerentur cùm monstra naturae sint quae creaturis omnibus gratitudinis sensum inseuit Agnoscit bos herum suum c. These verily are not onely vnworthy to be called by the name of Christians but the name of men is too good for them seeing they are mōsters in nature the which hath seeded a certaine sence of thankfulnesse in all creatures The oxe knoweth his Maister c. Isai 1. Gualt in 5. Mat. Vnthankfulnes to God is the roote of vnthankfulnesse to men Ab ingratitudine erga Deum manat ingratitudinis erga homines hoc est detestabilis vitij audacia Cui enim respondebit gratè Quod munus existimabit magnum aut reddendum qui summa beneficia spernit From vnthankfulnesse to God issueth the shamelesse boldnesse of vnthankefulnesse to men that is to say of a most detestable vice For to whom will such a man shew himselfe thankfull What benefite will he esteeme great or worthy to be recompēced which despiseth those that be the greatest of all other Sen de Bene. 2. cap. 30. Finally the vnthankefull man is not onely iniurious to himselfe but also a common enemie to all that stand in neede insomuch as he discourageth manie from the continuance of their liberalitie In which respect it is said as was partly alleaged before Omnes immemorem beneficij oderunt eamque iniuriam as it followeth in deterrenda liberalitate sibi etiam fieri eumque qui faciat communem hostem tenuiorum putant Off. 2. The wordes of Seneca exhorting children to recompence their Parentes yea if it may be to exceed their beneficence toward them Haec inquit Seneca non destruunt parentum venerationem nec deteriores illis liberos faciunt imò itiam meliores c. Alacrior erit pietas siad reddenda beneficia cum vincendi spe venerit c. Nisi hic ita iudicamus excusationem damus liberis illos segniores ad referendam gratiam facimus quibus stimulos adijcere debemus dicere Hoc agite optimi inuenes proposita est inter parentes liberos honesta contentio dederint maiora an receperint Non ideò viceruut quia occupauerunt Sumite modò animum qualem decet deficere nolite vt vincatis optantes Nec desunt tam pulchro certamini duces qui similia vos cohortentur ac per vestigia sua ire ad victoriam saepe iam partam ex parentibus iubeant Ca. 36. lib. 3. de Benef. Et cap. 38. Nulla vi verborum nulla ingenij facultate exprimi potest quantum opus sit quā laudabile quamque nunquā à memoria hominum exiturum posse haec dicere Parentibus meis parui cessi imperio eorum c. ad hoc vnum contumax fui ne beneficijs vincerer Certate obsecro vos fusi quoque restituite aciem Foelices qui vicerint foelices qui vincentur Quid eo adolescente praeclarius qui sibi ipsi dicere potuit neque enim fas est alteri dicere Parentem meum beneficijs vici Quid eo fortunatius sene qui omnibus vbique praedicabit à filio suo se beneficijs victum Quid autem est foelicius quà m sibi cedere A sentence concerning humane sentences their authoritie both Christian and heathen These words are englished before Like as we esteeme the speciall sayings of the learned among the heathen in such matters as by the speciall gift of God they giue testimonie to that light which he hath reserued in nature aboue the authoritie of the more rude for that more speciall light of natures sake which God hath reserued vnto them so yea much rather doe wee worthily esteeme the sentences of learned Christians whether more auncient Fathers or any of latter times whom God hath specially inlightened by the holy Ghost from his sacred Scriptures to giue testimonie to his truth so farre as we finde they do it according to the Scriptures and right interpretation thereof aboue the opinions or sayings of common Christians whosoeuer haue not as yet their wits so well exercised and acquainted with the Scriptures as by the singular blessing of God the other haue had And thus good Christiā Readers whether more or lesse learned one and other ye may all by that which hath bene remembred and layed before ye in this Treatise euidently perceiue that as was saied in the beginning the duties herein declared are euery way so plentifully testified and commended that whosoeuer will not make practise accordingly he can not be but as one left altogether most wofully conuict both from heauen vpō earth in his owne conscience which of it selfe is as a thousand witnesses and before God and all men without all shadowe of excuse by the verdit of infinit thousandes of witnesses against him But as touching you that vouchsafe to read these things with honest and godly mindes better fruite is to be expected and hoped for euen such as will through the grace of God accompany and helpe forward your euerlastting and most happy peace and saluation both here and in the kingdome of heauen The which I humbly beseech God our heauenly father to graunt vnto ye as well as to my owne soule of his infinit most bounteous mercie for his wel beloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christes sake to whom with the holy Ghost one only true God be all glory and prayse Amen FINIS The Errata to be corrected as followeth Pag. 5. lin 6. read This no doubt p. 23. l. 4. mourning 25. 27. read Mat. 25. p. 28. 21. righteous p. 48. 23. it is to be p. 57. 22. at that time I 35. lyen p. 60. l. 18. 19. read And after this the same Darius as we reade chap. 7. now called Artashasht p. 81. 7. God wil blesse such p. 88. 35. fewer examples p. 98. l. 17. read Consider your own wayes in your harts pag. 125. 5. vnto them p. 134. 8. Is the need p. 152. 1. read only diuine praise p. 159. 1. that is p. 161. 29. property p. 163. 24. goodly p. 168. of Gods name p. 172. 9. men p. 176. 25 infinit p. 180. 32. how seuerely p. 188. 36. read ô serpēts the generatiō c. p. 199. 21. but on the contrary for such p. 203. 8. read ver 10. p. 204. 1. thing l. 7. read The Apostle speaking c. l. 12. stewards l. 16. obnoxios p. 305. 34. is the worst kind of giuing p. 206. 6. read ver 20. 21. Mat. p. 208. 1. profundunt 209. l. 1. 2. Modus ideo vt l. vlt. Tardè velle p. 210. 4. reddit p. 213 32. liberally p. 221. 10. read mirum for nimirum l. penult euehit l. vlt. praeparatoria p. 223. l. pen. miseremur p. 225. 10. Lay vp in thy As touching other escapes which we trust are neither manie nor great we craue the curteous Readers fauourable aide to whom we haue yeelded the best and most helpefull diligence we could
seruiceable dutie Thus dooing we shall be so far from the displeasing and dishonouring of God and so farre also from the reprochfull and damnable blot of vnthankfulnesse that we shall giue God double honour first in the acknowledgment of his mercie as it were reached forth by his owne most gratious and diuine hand out of that fountain and treasurie of all holie and sacred beneficence which is onelie with him and from him and secondlie we shall honour his diuine Maiestie in the worke of his speciall grace whereby he causeth his owne image glorious vertues to shine and cast forth the comfortable beames thereof from the mercifull affection and liberall actions of his deare childrē Further also thus doing we shall giue incouragement to those that are beneficially and liberally minded to continue their liberalitie yea as they shall increase in ability to increase their well doing toward many when they shal behold it to be wel bestowed And finally thus doing do we not see that euen in the receiuing we our selues doo giue we giue God his glorie and we giue his gratious instrumentes that which is their due yea we giue our selues all that God hath giuen vs to God his Church which are the only right endes wherefore God hath giuen vs that which we are and all whatsoeuer we do enioy So that although it standeth firme as mount Sion which our Sauiour Christ hath affirmed that it is a blessed thing to giue and distribute benefites rather then to receiue them yet seeing in receiuing as we ought to receiue we do giue againe that which we ought to giue if we so continue and abide we shall also be blessed of God in our deede Yea we may be bold to go a step further truly affirme that if any by the grace of God shall giue better things then they receiue that is spirituall things for carnall as the holy Scriptures call the trāsitory things of this world heauenly for earthly eternall for temporall c. they shall herein stand more blessed then if they had giuen only the same thinges of this life which they receiued yea though they had giuen them to others in farre greater aboundance then they haue receiued them their owne selues Wherefore that we may conclude and present this our Treatise the best gift that for the present we haue in as dutifull and thankfull maner as we may both to God and his Church would to God most humbly and with al the heart soule mind and spirit that these poore labours may be so blessed and prospered that not onely beneficence may on all hands in the which there is any power to helpe be incouraged and holpen forward to all good ends and purposes as may be most to the glory of God to the mercifull reliefe of euery necessity need of the poore of his people but also that all sorts whosoeuer are partakers of the holy beneficence whether Ministers of the word of God or students in schooles of learning or poore of any other condition may be moued to be carefull to take such a holy diligent and profitable course of life as may best beseeme those who are nourished in the bosom of the Church from the speciall treasurie allowance and portion as it were of the Lord himselfe that in this their good and godly course of life they may be happily and eternally blessed of God And touching those that as yet haue not this due regard my humble harty prayer is that they may haue grace so speedily to consider in how feareful an estate they are that they may be stirred vp to preuent the most wofull euerlasting punishments of God by true repentance in a blessed change of their life The vse of the whole Treatise Yea that in the treatie of mercie and goodnes the heart may shew it selfe inlarged to all pittie and compassion euen to the vttermost boundes of it as much as may be obteined would to God that it might please him not onelie to giue this manifold grace to his Christian Churches trulie professing his name and the name of our Lord Iesus Christ his onlie sonne but also that euen in the Church of Rome which aboue all other Churches in the world glorieth of most large and aboundant donation and giftes both from Christ himselfe and all sortes of Christians high and lowe Emperours kinges Queenes Princes Nobles and of all inferiour degrees that so manie as in the same belong to the election and grace of God may haue grace to see in howe lamentable an estate they stand euen in respect of that wherin they doo so greatlie glorie For in so much as both Priestlie cleargie and all other beneficiaries and beadesmen among them doo not onelie most impiouslie abuse all the latter excessiue and seruile giftes which they haue drawne from their blindelie deuoted benefactors vnder a false perswasion of escaping purgatorie and of meriting heauen c. to all blasphemous idolatrie and superstition but also in so much as they doo likewise abuse all whatsoeuer was in the former and purer times of Gods true religion and worship giuen of true beleeuing Christians both good Emperours Princes and others to the maintenance of the Gospell and holy ministerie therof it cannot be but for this so generall most heinous and treacherous abuse of all beneficence against Christ and his Gospell they must needes stand most culpable before the iudgement seate of Christ and of God The Whore as Saint Iohn was instructed by that reuelation which our Sauiour Christ gaue him from heauen which sitteth vpon the scarlet coloured beast and is her selfe arayed in purple and scarlet and gilded with golde and precious stones pearles who hath a cup of gold in her hand full of abominations c. she shall be damned Reuel ch 17.1 c Why so It is declared in the same chapter and in the chapter next following that this damnation shall come vpon her that is vpō the adulterous church of Rome the mother of the whordomes and abominations of the earth as there she is called because in steade of mainteining the puritie and as we may say the virgine-like or mariage chastitie of the faith of Christ and pure spirituall worship of God in steade of procuring the saluation of men by the right vse of Gods holie ordinances word Sacramentes Praier c. in steed of cherishing his good and faith-full seruantes whether poore or rich noble or of lowe degree king or meane subiect it hath not feared to beare as in the forehead many names of blasphemie against God and Christ to commit infinite spirituall and grosse fornications against the purity of his worship to make marchandise of the soules of men for filthie lucre and aduantage by the corrupting of holie doctrine and promises of the Gospell to make it selfe drunken with the bloud of the Prophetes and of other good Saintes and holie Martyrs onelie because they rebuked and gaue testimonie against their most wicked