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
necessities of the poore and reuerent decencie of the ministration of the Gospell should require And first concerning the maintenance of the ministerie of the Gospell Haue we not power to eate and to drinke to wit at the costs charges of the Church saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 9.4 c. and vers 7. c. Who goeth on warfare anie time at his owne cost who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke Say I these things according to man Saith not the lawe the same also For it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not nousell the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the corne Doth God take care for oxen Either saith he it not altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt it is written that he which eareth should eare in hope and that he who thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope If we haue sowne vnto you spirituall things is it a great matter if we reape your carnall things And verses 13.14 Do ye not knowe that they which minister about the holie things eate of the thinges of the Temple and they which waite at the altar are partakers with the altar So also hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell This point we see is exceedingly laboured and not onely confirmed by excellent weight and number of reasons and from the diuine authoritie of God himselfe but also garnished by a figuratiue course of speech sharpened as it were with often renewed questions or interrogations so as it cannot be but it must needes enter and preuaile with euerie one that hath anie sparkle of true spirituall vnderstanding and life of affection in him And therefore no maruell though the same Apostle setteth it downe for a lawe to the Churches of Galatia that he who is taught in the word should make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods chap. 6. vers 6. Neuerthelesse he knowing the disposition of man to be ouer-bold in eluding and trisling away the commandement of God in this behalfe he admonisheth all meÌ„ to beware that they deceiue not theÌ„selues assuring theÌ„ that God will not be mocked nor dallied withal And therupon also the holy Apostle taketh further occasion to exhort earnestly to willing liberal conscionable and constaÌ„t performance of this dutie without wearinesse Neither doth he only exhort to this dutie of contribution and allowance of all kind of the good things of this life for the commodious and comfortable maintenance of the Ministerie and Ministers of the Gospell but likewise hee doth in the same place earnestly exhort all of the richer sort of Christians to be beneficiall to all that stand in neede specially to the poore Christians the houshold seruants or rather children of the same familie with them as hath bene obserued before Howbeit notwithstanding the holy Apostle doth thus linke the maintenance of the ministerie of the Gospel with the reliefe of the poore we are neuerthelesse to admit that difference betwixt one kind of prouision or allowance and the other which the Lord God himself hath put by the determination of his owne word For the reliefe of the poore is a meere almes and as one may say a grace or gratuitie of mercie as touching those that are relieued who seeing they perfourme no speciall seruice toward the Church they can challenge nothing but as of good will for the Lords sake who becommeth surety for theÌ„ But the maintenaÌ„ce of the ministery is due as a reward or wages of a worthy seruice according to that prouerbial saying which our sauior Christ applieth to this purpose The laborer is worthy of his wages Luk. 10.7 It is true indeed that no maÌ„ either minister of the word or any other can pleade worthinesse or desert at the hands of God for any seruice they are able to performe for we are all vnprofitable seruants to him infinitely failing in that wherein wee stand bound to him but in that reckening account which God alloweth betwixt Ministers of the Gospel and the people our Sauiour Christ giueth plainly to vnderstand that as euery poore labouring man when he hath done his day-worke is worthy of his wages at night for he doth not receiue his hire as an almes but as a debt and dutie belonging to him euen for the worke which he hath done so is the Minister of the word worthy of his maintenance and that in a liberall and comely maner as may well beseeme that honourable account which the people of God do make of the Gospell of their saluation And in this respect doth the Apostle Paule speaking by the spirit of our Sauiour Christ note out the maintenance of the ministery of the Gospell by the title of honour and not of almes or mercie signifying thereby with what kind of dutifull affection it ought to be yeelded vnto them euen for the honour which they beare to the Lord himselfe Yea whereas the Apostle calleth the widdowes allowance for her inferiour seruice to the Church by the name of honour it is to marked that he saith by an increase of speech that the Elders or Ministers of the word whosoeuer labour in that worke are specially worthy of double honour as 1. Tim. 5.2 Honour widdowes which are widdowes indeed But verses 17.18 The Elders which rule well are worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine For the Scripture saith Thou shalt not mousell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne and the labourer is worthie of his wages Christians thus doing shall perfourme that which belongeth to them according to the precept of king Salomon Prou. chap. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy riches and with the chiefe of all thine increase Hitherto of the ends of Giuing It followeth now that we consider of that which was made the second point of the last branch of our definition The Rule of Giuing namely what must be the rule and squire to direct the ordering and disposing of all Gifts to their right ends For as hath bene already affirmed Allour giuing both the one way and the other as well toward the religion and worship of God as for the reliefe of the poore of his people it must be in such maner as God himselfe willeth and prescribeth Now Christian beneficence and liberality is the will commaÌ„dâ—ment of God as wel touching the maner and measure as the dutie it selfe what this will of God is we must learne out of his owne most holy and sacred word And herein we are to be the more willing and teachable Schollers because if wee should giue place to our owne wils we should easily fall into such extremities on either hand as al Chr stians ought to auoyd in so worthy an action as Christian beneficence is For this we are to know that as filthy couetousnes with all vnthankfull
with discretion Moreouer the Lord protesteth expresly that he hateth robberie yea though it be ioyned with burnt offering Isai 61.8 As though the Lord should say Such kind of people without true repentance shall find no expiation with me how plentifull soeuer they are in their vniust sacrifices For as it is in the holy Prouerb chap. 15. verse 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. And Deut. chap. 23. verse 18. It is abomination to the Lord thy God to bring the hyre of a vvhore or the price of a dog into his house for anie vow The sacrifices which may be pleasing to the Lord must not onely be in their owne nature and kinde such as they ought to be without blemish of the best of the flocke or heard but also they must be euery way the sacrifices of righteousnesse as touching the whole manner of the offering of them And our owne they must be by speciall right and interest and not another mans or come to vs lightly and at aduenture wee cannot tell how Right worthie is the saying of king Dauid to Ornan yea though he would for his part haue giuen his threshing flower vnto him for a place dedicatorie to the worship of God Not so saith he seeing he was himselfe to dedicate it vnto God but I will buy it for sufficient money for I vvill not take that which is thine for the Lord nor offer burnt offerings without cost 1. Chron. chap. 21. verse 24. And right worthy likewise is that protestation of Zacheus in the Gospell who disposing halfe his goods to the poore as a fruit of his faith repentance and loue vnto Christ doth promise also restitution for that wrong dealing wherewith any could iustly charge him The foundation of Christian beneficence and giuing being thus laid as it were in righteousnes the second point now followeth wherein it is required that beneficence first iustly gotten should no lesse wisely and discreetly be afterward ordered and disposed For as we might perceiue euen now king Salomon deuideth the wealth and riches of a man into that which is contained in the cistern which is as it were the stocke the which must not be suffered at anie time ouer negligently and wastfully to run out as if a man should pull out the plugge at the bottome and into the ouerflowings of the cisterne which are as the ouerplus of the reuenues and increase the which though they be employed to the benefiting of such as bee not of their owne proper family charge yet will not impaire a mans estate The cisterne therefore is by the aduise of God himselfe wisely and charily to be looked vnto Neuerthelesse in times of extraordinarie straightes the seruants of God stand bound to stretch forth their hands in more then an ordinarie and wonted measure That which our Sauior Chrâ—st saith to the rich man in the 19. chap. of Mat. Mark 10.21 Luke 18.22 If thou wilt be perâ—ect sell all that euer thou hast and giue it to the poore it is nâ—t to be taken for a common rule prescribâ—d to all but 〈◊〉 â—â—â—oueâ—â—â— oâ—â—â—e hypocâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 him thâ—t pâ—â—â—â—nded to 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 â—e baâ—◠〈…〉 Read Aâ— 5 4. Whâ—â— iâ— remained 〈◊〉 Peter to Anâ—◠〈◊〉 appertained it not vnto thee and after it was sold was it not in thine owne â—ower yea so farre fotth the vrgent necessitie of poore Christians so requiring that the richer sort must not refuse to open the bowels of their compassion so wide as willingly to sell some part of their possessions for the reliefe of their brethren who ought to be more deare and precious to them then all worldly riches after that most worthy example of the Christians of the Primitiue Church whereof we read in the fourth chapter of the Acts of the holy Apostles from the 32. verse According also as in the former times the Church of God vnder the law concerning the maintenance of Gods true worship made lawes to themselues of their owne accord for extraordinary allowance that way at what time the ordinary would not suffice Nehem. 10.32.33 and that also agreeable to the commandement of God practised by Moses Numb 31.25 c. and by king Dauid 1. Chro. chap. 26. verse 27. For of the battailes and of the spoyles they did dedicate to the maintenance of the house of the Lord. Reaâ— also 2. Chron. 31.3.4 the notable example of king Hezekiah who of his oâ—ne substance allowed a great portion and likewise commaunded the people so to do that the Priests and Leuites might be encouraged in the Lawe of the Lord. The reason why the seruats of God are in times of more then ordinarie want to make an extraordinarie supply is for that euen as in times of persecution the Lord taketh triall of the faith of those that be truly his toward himselfe for to shrinke away were notable and shamefull vnfaithfulnesse so in times of speciall scarcitie and want God taketh triall of our loue to our brethren whether we set more by our money and outward goods then by the spirituall comfort of their soules and maintenance of their liues which doubtlesse were not only singular vnkindnesse but euen grieuous vnmercifulnesse yea crueltie to bee condemned in any of the children of God Neither may this seeme strange that for the loue which we beare to the brethren we should disburse part of our outward goods for the comfort of their naturall liues and to incourage them to walke chearfully in the wayes of the Lord seeing if need should so require we must not thinke our liues too deare to poure them foorth for their preseruation and for the comfort and confirmation of their faith as 1. Iohn 3.16 We ought to lay downe our liues for the brethren And so we reade that Priscilla and Aquila indangered their owne liues and were willing to haue died rather then Paules life should haue bene destroyed Rom. 16.4 To whom therfore saith the Apostle not I only giue thanks but also all the Churches of the Gentils Neuerthelesse both in the ordinarie and also in the extraordinarie distribution of that almes and beneficence which anie Christian giueth great caution is to be vsed for the preuenting of all vnnecessarie waste lest that bee loosely and vnskilfully scattered and throwne about which ought to be very wisely as it were sowne and most husbandly disposed To this purpose is that which we reade in the fift verse of the 112. Psalme A good man is mercifull and lendeth and will measure his affaires by iudgement That is hee will order and moderate all things with so good discretion and keepe himselfe within so good a compasse that in doing good he will still continue to doe good yea and that with an increase and not by decreasing through the blessing of God For as king Salomon saith in his holy Prouerbes Through wisedome is an house builded and by vnderstanding it is established And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled
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