whole increase of outward blessings by offering vp a first fruites vnto God commanded in the ceremoniall law of Moses be now ceased yet seeing the very morall commandement of God which is perpetuall requireth exactly that Gods true religion and worship be maintained and aduanced also that the poore of his people be liberally relieued by the contributions of the richer sort of his seruants as hath bene sufficiently declared before it may truly be inferred that no man can enioy his goods possessions what soeuer he hath as sanctified vnto him with approbation blessing from God vnles he do of zeale to Gods glory and loue to the brethren bestow a iust and meete portion this way For as the Lord doth in his owne right iustly challenge all to be entirely his as Psal 24 1. The earth is the Lord and all that is therein the world and they that dwell therin and againe Psalme 50.10.11.12 and 1. Chron. 29.11.12 All that is in heauen and earth is the Lords Both riches honor come of him Likewise Hag. 2.9 Siluer is mine gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts So he hath as an homage to him self from the rich interessed the poore as in his steed to the liberal almes cōtribution of the rich mens goods Wherupon the charge is streightly giuen Pro. 3.27 that none withhold his goodnesse or beneficence from the owners therof that is frō such as stand in present need therof The like charge is giuen in many other places of the holy Scripture But let vs come to see in some orderly course the more particular and distinct punishments of all prophane and illiberall couetous and mercilesse people The manifold punishments of them are comprehended vnder these two heads first those which belong to this life secondly that which appertaineth to the world to come which one containeth all and being eternall is as the sealing vp and fulnesse of all the temporall Of the former sort are these which follow First of all the profane illiberall couetous and mercilesse man neither hath neither possibly can haue in his soule any comfort frō God of all his riches how great abundance soeuer he doth enioy The which punishment consisting in the priuation or with-holding of comfort and blessing king Salomon as a holy Preacher and Prophete of God in the beginning of the sixth chap. of Ecclesiastes doth notably obserue The punishment of not giuing to the poore among many other the great vanities of this vaine and sinfull world of the which also he saith that it is much among men There is an euill saith he which I sawe vnder the sunne and it is much among men A man to whom God hath giuen riches and pleasure and honour and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth but God giueth him not power to eate thereof but a strange man shall eate it vp this is vanitie and this is an euill sickenesse And againe chap. 5. verse 9. He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer and hee that loueth riches shall bee vvithout the fruite thereof this also saith the holie Preacher is vanitie And how I pray you should prophane and couetous men haue any true and sound comfort from the hand and Spirit of God concerning any thing which they haue seeing God esteemeth them as vsurpers and not right owners of them They may well enough haue a ciuill title allowable among men according to the receiued course and determination of humane lawes and constitutions but they cannot hold them as a portion sanctified vnto them by the Lord vntill they shall thankefully acknowledge them to be his free gift and accordingly shall dedicate and apply them to such holy vses as he hath by his sacred word appointed them vnto This then is the first punishment euen the want of true comfort and blessing Secondly God doth manie times for this their wickednesse take away their riches and casteth miserable pouertie vpon them For so the holy Prouerb teacheth chap. 11.24 He that spareth more then is right surely commeth to pouertie This briefly is a second punishment Thirdlie God refuseth to succour the vnmercifull whē they stand in need yea he leaueth them in their miserie when they call and crie to him in their distresse because they refused to helpe and succour such of their poore brethren as craued helpe of them So we reade Prou. 13.21 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also crie and not be heard Likewise Zech. chap. 7. verse 8. c. Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying Execute true iudgement and shewe mercie and compassion euerie man to his brother And oppresse not the widdowe nor the fatherlesse nor the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine euill against his brother in your heart But they refused to hearken saith the holie Prophet and pulled away the shoulder stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of Hosts sent in his Spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets wherein marke by the way the mightie increase and obdurate obstinacie which sinne quickely groweth vnto where it is not resisted in the beginning therefore as it followeth in the text there came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts And againe as it followeth immediately Therefore saith the Prophet it is come to passe that as he cried and they would not heare so they cried and I would not heare saith the Lord of hosts But I scattered thē among all the nations whom they knew not thus the land was desolate after them that no man passed through nor returned for they layd the pleasant land waste The Prophete Micah also the third chap. of his Prophesie verses 1 2 3 4. Heare I pray you saith he ô heades of Iaakob and ye Princes of the house of Israell Should not ye know iudgement But they hate the good and loue the euill they plucke off their skinnes from them and their flesh from their bones And they eate also the flesh of my people and flay off their skinnes from them and they breake their bones and choppe them in pieces as for the pot and as flesh within the chaldron Thus heinous is the sinne of vnmercifulnesse and crueltie according to this so dolefull a description specially it it bee found in the bloudy hand of the Prince or in anie of chiefe place and power vnder him who should bee most tender foster-fathers ouer the people of God and chiefly ouer the poore of the flocke For neglect whereof the punishment followeth Then shall they crie vnto the Lord to wit in their miserie but he will not heare them he will euen hide his face from them at that time Read also Gods feareful wo against cruell vnmerciful mē Isai 5.8.9.10 Amos 6.1 c. ch 8.4 c. Micah 2.1 c. because they
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
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
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
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