THE ART OF Giuing Describing the true Nature and right vse of Liberality And prouing That these dayes of the Gospell haue farre exceeded the former times of Superstition in true Charitie and Magnificence BY THOMAS COOPER LONDON Printed for T. Pauter and are to be sold in Iuy Lane 1615. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull Sir Iohn Rotheram and Sir Gilbert Wakering Knights and their vertuous Ladies especiall Patrons of my studies T. C. wisheth all encrease of the blessings of Heauen and Earth Right Worshipfull THe occasions that hath moued mee to treate of this subiect of true Beneficence in these latter dayes are First to propose it as a liuely Touchstone for the triall of our holy entertainment of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ Secondly to confound hereby the vaine confidence of this deceitfull generation which seeme to be somewhat herein when indeed they are nothing deceiuing themselues euen as clouds without water in their false liberality And so to conuince the Atheist that saith where is the promise of his comming seeing this very decay of true loue is among other one of those pregnant signes that the day of the Lord Iesus is neere at hand that so the wise in heart may see the plague and hide himselfe And seeing he that is comming will come quickly with his reward with him to giue vnto euery one according to his work yea will come sodainly in an houre that no man knowes of ought we not alwaies to haue Oyle ready in our Lamps that so we may enter in vnto our masters ioy Surely were there nothing else to moue vs hereunto but the commandement of our heauenly Master this should prouoke vs to loue one another this should adiure vs to abound in Charity that so we might auoid eternall vengeance seeing all the commandements are fulfilled in this that we loue each other to faile in one duty is guilty of the breach of all But behold what loue the Father hath shewed vs that what was impossible to the commandement in regard of the transgression whereby sin reuiued became 〈◊〉 of measure sinfull and so the hatred increasing we had no hope but were as water spilt vpon the ground that we could not be gathered vp againe Our God which is rich in mercy through his great loue wherewith he loued vs supplied by a most gracious and wonderfull remedy namely the pretious bloud of his deere sonne as of a Lambe vndefiled without spot This is that bloud that hath spoken better things for vs then the bloud of Abel not only stopping that loud crie of Vengeance which our sinnes called for but opening vnto vs the gates of righteousnesse and enabling vs to walke in the similitude of the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ that so we might be partakers with him of eternall glory And this is that blessed Lord Iesus who hath not beene a stranger vnto vs or soiournour with vs for a season but hath beene liuely described in our sight and euen crucified among vs in the glorious and constant publishing of the Gospell of Peace And could greater loue be shewed to vs by any then that the sonne of God should lay downe his life for his And if the Lord so loued vs ought we not to loue one another Is not this our euidence that we loue God whom we haue not seene in that we loue our brethren whom we see daily Is not this our warrant that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Behold then our triall of the right entertainment of the Gospell And haue wee brought forth this fruit to repentance and amendment of life Surely we must needs acknowledge that our glorious God can truly iustifie him against vs What could he haue done vnto vs which he hath not done Enquire we in the name of God of the dayes that are past which were before vs since the day that God created man vpon the earth and aske from one end of heauen to the other if there came to passe such a great thing as this or whither any such like thing hath beene heard What nation is so great vnto whom the Gods come so neere as the Lord our God is neere vnto vs in all that we call vnto him for Had euer nation the Gospell of Iesus Christ so long continued with such constant outward peace and prosperity for the better entertainment thereof Was euer nation deliuered out of so horrible a pit as was the Gunpowder treason Thus may the Lord iustifie himselfe against vs but how haue we iustified our God in a conscionable embracing of so great saluation bringing forth fruit answerable thereunto That we haue a name to be aliue who may deny vs Is not yet the Gospell preached in our streets Doe we not draw forth with ioy out of these fountaines of saluation How is it then that we bring forth wilde grapes are we not for all this euen now dead and pluckt vp by the rootes Yea if we may be beleeued our selues we say that we are rich and encreased with goods and haue neede of nothing But is not this because wee know not that we are poore and lame and blinde and miserable Are we not willingly ignoraÌ„t of the truth of our estates iudging of the same by false rules as Opinion Custome Estimation Multitude and such like and so are deceiued in our imagination esteeming our selues to be somewhat when we are nothing at leastwise nothing to what we should be Haue we brought forth fruit answerable to the time of our visitation Surely if there were nothing else to conuince our barrennesse vnprofitablenes in the entertainment of so great saluation the very bleating of the Sheep and lowing of the Oxen the cries and complaints of the poore ringing daily and piercing the heauens for their contempt and desâ—lations the diuisions of Ruben should cause great sorrow of heart this might iustly challenge a great decay of vnfained loue Is not Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iuda Hath not the abundance of selfe-loue eaten out all hearty and true affection to each other while euery one seekes his owne and not that which may concerne the common good nay with the generall wracke of the publike weale And if wee thus bite and teare one another shall we not be deuoured of each other Learne we hence in the name of God to see the plague and hide our selues Is it not already begunne shall I say in the vttermost part of the hoast or not rather in the hoast and eyes thereof And is not the Kite ready to seaze vpon both The Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things Is not this the day of Iacobs trauaile Doth not the Iudge stand at the doore Will not the Master come in an houre which that seruant dreameth not of and giue him his portion with Hypocrites where shall be weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth Surely were it not that the Lord had reserued a
of our enimes shal be so great that no gold shal be ble to redeeme vs out of their hands Esay 13. 12. 13. Pro. 11. 8. CHAP. XXVI A fift Policie whereby Sathan keepes men from charity and true bounty is a foolish feare that they may be esteemed Papists and therefore they will doe no good workes because the Papists glory therein because this is a marke as they say of their Religion Yea are they not hereby condemned as merit-mongers c. Are not their goodly monuments cast downe and demolished Are we not taught iustification by Faith so that good workes may seeme to be thrust out of doores The Remedy hereof is 1 TO consider that the Lord hath commanded vs to abound in good workes and therefore wee should not casting these feares be obedient to his will 2 Wee teach iustification by Faith which worketh by loue so that howsoeuer by faith in Iesus Christ we iustifie Gods righteousnesse in pardoning our sinnes through Christ his merit in whom wee apprehend the acceptance and iustification of our persons as standing righteous through him in the sight of God So by the vertue of Christ his righteousnes wee are inuested with a true inherent righteous whereby first in thankefulnes vnto our God we abound in good workes secondly to declare that wee are iustified both to our owne consciences thirdly and also vnto men Iames 2. fourthly to approue our conformitie vnto our head Christ as liuing members fiftly to be made meet for that glorious inheritance with the Saints in light And therefore Wee condemne the Papists and haue demolished their glorious Sepulchers that their rotten and stinking bones being discouered their faces may be couered with shame that they might seeke the face of God in Christ Iesus whom they did daily crusifie by their abhominable Masses Hori Murthers of infants Thefts Rapines which were discouered in the demolishing of those abhominable sinkes and cages of all vncleannesse And though we haue conuerted some few of those houses to be places of Gods worship purging them of the idolatrous vse and end by which they were abused Yet haue wee wisely defaced the multitude of them as being altogether vnnecessary to cut off the hope of nurcing Popery againe To restore to the Common-wealth what hath vniustly beene extorted from thence by the couetousnesse and fayned deuotions of those Abbey-lubbers To roote out idlenesse and such other mischiefes as were nourished in those abhominable Stewes To restore the people to their liberty who were very fearefully enthralled not onely in their soules but euen in their bodies by those towers of Babell Specially to make free way to the execution of Iustice which was defeated by such sinfull Sanctuaries And to restore the Tithes for the maintenance of a learned Ministery which we wish may as in part it hath bin begun be further conuerted to that end And haue we not since the time of the gospel restored exceeded them notwithstanding in true bounty Yea surely Blessed be God in Iesus Christ that hath confounded the false charity of the Papists by discouering the rotten foundation and cruell ends thereof Blessed be the name of his Maiesty for euer that hath confuted their slaunderous imputations against the glorious Gospell of his Sonne Iesus as if it abolished good workes had banished all true loue and charity Hath not the glorious Lord aduanced and iustified the power of the Gospell in kindling the hearts of the true professors thereof to performe such renowned and glorious workes as cannot be matched in any age of Popery Hath not these times of the Gospell yeelded the supply of foure new stately and magnificent Colledges in the Vniuersities very richly endowed for the maintenance of true religion and learning to all posterity Haue they not furnished the honourable Citie of London with a most ample and worthy Colledge endowed with constant and sufficient mayntenance both for a Reader of Diuinity as also with seuerall Readers of the seauen liberal Sciences to prepare the better for the Vniuersities and so to ease such of that iourney which will receiue their seasoning heere And are not the foundations laid of another famous Colledge by the pious and magnificent authority of our Soueraigne Lord King Iames the most constant enemy of Antichrist and defender of the true Christian ancient and Apostolike faith for the maintenance of such worthies of our Church to employ their studies in refuting the aduersary and iustifying the truth of Iesus Christ Is not a good part of that Colledge alreadie erected Is it not still furthered and vndertaken by the Soueraigne Maiesty who for the glory of GOD will finish that glorious worke What should wee speake of those hundreds of free-Schooles that haue beene erected since the dayes of glorious Queene Elizabeth of happy memory for the rooting out of ignorance the very nurse of Popery and trayning vp of youth in Learning and Religion Shall we not euer remember not only how many sinkes of Antichrist were conuerted to Hospitals for the cure of the diseased and nourishing of Orphanes in the Citie of London and elsewhere and haue not their reuenewes beene much encreased by worthy Citizens from time to time Haue there not beene scores of new Hospitals erected and endowed in each part of the land for the reliefe of decayed and decrepet persons Shall not the memory of Sutton be glorious to posterity for that his magnificent Colledge so stately for the House so bountifull for the Reuenue of at lest sixe thousand pound by the yeere for the sustentation of decayed Souldiers Scholers Citizens c. to continue for euer And hath not the streame of this bounty yet flowed more boundantly to our Vniuersities Is there any Colledge almost in the Vniuersities which hath not receiued euen new glory from thesâ— times of the Gospell not onely by enlarging of the buildings and beautifying thereof but by addition of large maintenance for the encrease of their Fellowship and Scholers-places to continue for euer It not that glorious Library exceeding the Vatican or any now extant in the World furnished with all sorts of bookes and constant mayntenance for a Keeper therof and continuall supply for the same a very true and blessed monument of the bounty of these times a very liuely fruit of the true Religion of Iesus Christ Shall not the memory of deuout Bodley be blessed for euer And can wee forget what is now by Gods mercy euen finished that magnificent building of the Vniuersitie Schooles so stately for the structure so sufficient for mayntenance begunne euen from the foundation and finished by the procurement and charge especially of those most worthy instruments The Right Reuerend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London a true Kingly and Hieroicall Spirit and that illustrious Sir Iohn Bennet both liuing members of the Church of Christ Iesus both sometimes brought vp in that magnificent Colledge of Christ Church Surely if we shall adde vnto these the multitude of new Bridges erected
That deny contributions to the poore and enlarge not towards them 3 For Officers in corporations who are put in trust with Legacies giuen to the poore that they imploy them to the best aduantage 4 For such ouerseers of Testaments that they licke not their owne fingers but faithfully distribute 5 For masters of Hospitals that they make not their places matter of preferment but indeed as they were first intended places of bounty c. 6 For Almoners c. that they beare not the bagge as Iudas did and thinke the cost ill bestowed that is imployed on Christs poore members 7 For euery priuate Christian to make him friends of his Mammon c. CHAP. XVII Lastly obserue we such Lets and Tentations as Satan vseth to hinder this duety and how we are to ouercome the same Of Tentations 1 COncerning their owne estate Satan alledgeth that they are our owne and therefore we may dispose them as we list and why not wholly for our pleasure and profit 2 They are no otherwise our owne then that wee are Gods Stewards to dispence them according to his word which seeing it commandeth vs to imploy them on the poore therefore we may not lay them all on our owne backes and bellies least they proue nothing lesse then goods vnto vs. But all is little enough for my selfe may the miser reply charges are so great and gettings so rare and therefore though I haue more then many thousands yet I haue enough to doe for my selfe 1 If thou which hast such abundance hast tittle enough for thy selfe how little then haue they that haue nothing to take to 2 If God then will prouide for these doest thou doubt by obeying Gods commandement in relieuiug these to be scanted 3 Who hast already experience of Gods mercy aboue these and if thou beleeuest shalt see greater things then these 4 And hast this abundance giuen thee to impart vnto these that by this means thy store may be increased Feare not thou want where God commands to distribute and beleeue the promise that thou shalt haue plenty 5 And as God restrayneth his hand in such scarce and miserable times so restraine thou thy vnnecessary expence in apparrell and diet and so thou shalt haue yet to spare for thy needfull brother 6 And liue here by faith and not by sence so shalt thou be encreased though thou mayest feare the contrary If I should giue to euery one I may soone giue all away and so I shall make my selfe a beggar 1 God would haue thee in giuing first to prouide for thy selfe and therefore thou maist not giue to all Neither 2 God hath so enlarged thee as that thou canst giue vnto all and therefore he requires no more then for what he giues 3 Thou art to giue onely to such concerning whom present occasion is offred in discouering their present necessity and so much onely as in good discretion is meete vpon such speciall occasion 4 Thy rule here must be thy ability and from thy loue to thy selfe must proceed thy loue to thy neighbour CHAP. XVIII Of Tentations concerning care of our Posteritie I But saith Satan thou must prouide for thy posterity 1 Tim. 5. to leaue them portions they are neerest thee c. 1 Thou shalt best prouide for them by sanctifying thine estate and laying vp for them in the Treasurie of the poore 2 As also by leauing the care of them to God in the obedience to his commandement who eyther will so blesse thy beneficence that thou shalt be able to leaue them sufficient or if necessary occasion require thy further employing or the Lord hereby haue a purpose to try thy faith know thou that the posterity of the faithfull are the Lords portion and he will see them prouided for abundantly 3 No Scripture enioyneth vs to leaue a set portion to our children that which is implyed thereby is that wee be not guiltie of neglect and carelesnesse herein 4 The best patrimony Parents can leaue their children is true Godlinesse Psal. 37. 26. Psal. 112. 2. 5 And therefore so to prouide for our children as that wee neglect this principall duety of charity is to betray our children and expose them to all misery Psal. 109. 6 Yea hereby Parents commit a double sinne First in not taking a right course for the prouision of his children Secondly hereby also he prouoketh his children to esteeme more their earthly then their heauenly Patrimony and so with the Cadarens to preferre their Swine before Iesus Christ. 7 Because the children of rich men are vsually gracelesse c. therefore it is farre better to be a father to many Orphanes or fatherlesse children in feeding and cherishing them of Christian loue and pitie for the Lords sake who professeth himselfe a father vnto them then to leaue the greatest abundance that may be to such children of a mans owne as for want of grace shew themselues so lewdly minded that they will wantonly and vnthriftily spend all that shall be left vnto them And therefore it hath beene the practise of many godly Christians to supply for the present where there hath beene neede in Gods Church As for their children they haue rather in their life time put them to honest trades whereby they might be able to liue of themselues then to leaue them any great portion after their deaths 8 The summe is that we know the commandements of God are not contrary to each other as if because the Lord bids vs prouide for our families this did contrary that other commaundement to distribute to the poore But rather that the one is a meanes to the performance of the other They both implying frugality and conscionable cariage in our ciuill callings by which wee shall be inabled to both these duties and each of them furthering the other namely that in pitying the poore wee shall prouide for our family because there is an extraordinary promise of God to such beneficence and in carefull prouiding for our family we shall also be moued to relieue the poore because they are our flesh also Esay 58. So that in trueth he doth not prouide truely for his children that respects not the poore Neyther doth he wisely respect the poore that is not moued to begin at home because he cannot continue herein But yet Satan replyes further Thou hast Daughters as well as Sonnes these will not be preferred without portions their bringing vp will becostly c. My Daughters vertue and godlinesse shall be her best portion which that she may be furnished withall Her education shall be such as may humble her and subdue the corruption of nature little cost will serue this turne As for a portion of goods hee that will haue my Daughter shall giue mee somewhat for her So was it among the Iewes so it was among the Saints If her vertue will not marry her a portion will rather marre her marriage for
substantially in the needfull places of the Land of free stone c. The building of many Gates in the Câ—tie of London c. It may appeare that the Gospell of Christ hath beene most fruitfull in good workes Especially if we be wise to distinguish of the times it will appeare that the charges of such great buildings and endowments doe in these dayes farre exceede those of former ages though of the like bulke and quantity Both in that the Land doth now much more abound with people then in former ages in regard of the long peace our good God hath vouchsafed And so in regard heereof the prices of all things being much enhansed charges of building must needs be so much the greater And this the rather because the wise and gracious Lord hath also furnished the Land with more abundance of treasure then formerly which as it is an occasion to make things deerer in that men are better enabled thereby to procure their necessaries so doth this serue for the great enriching and contentment of the Land That our inbred commodities shall passe at a round price as hath else-where beene truly and sufficiently proued see my Lord Cokes preface to his Reports Lastly if we shall consider that as the doctrine of the Gospell teacheth what is the nature and property of true bounty so also it enableth to an holy practise of well-doing It will easily appeare that though it should be granted that the former times hath exceeded vs in the outward worke yet seeing they fayled in the true vse and end of well-doing they cannot iustly compare herein with the times of the Gospell And that well manifestly be discouerd by these differences 1 Because the good workes of popery were done in darknesse refused the light and true touchstone thereof and therefore wanting knowledge wherefore and faith to make the person acceptable they could not be good in the sight of God Whereas the Gospell teacheth to doe all things by a good warrant from the Word and in the faith of IESVS CHRIST doing all things in thankfulnesse vnto God for his loue vnto vs in Iesus Christ informing vs first to labour the acceptance of our persons in the Lord Iesus and so through him to offer vp this sacrifice 2 Popish workes as they wanted a good foundation so they fayled in the manner and meanes Either doing euill that good might come thereof Rom. 3. Or being stinted in well-doing not by the word but by the orders of their superiours and seuerall rules of their professions Whereas the Gospell teacheth to doe good by good meanes not according to the will of man in a voluntary deuotion imitation of angelicall perfection but according to the blessed will of God each keeping him-selfe within the bounds of his calling Whereas in Popery either the calling is not lawfull at all and so no good can truely be there done or else liberty is taken to vsurpe an other calling as that of the Magistrate or else they presume of an extraordinary calling as the best ground of all their heroicall and great exploits as they call them indeed their diuelish and monstrous enterprises vpon States Princes whosoeuer stands in their way 3 Popish workes faile in the true end which is to giue glory vnto God and procure saluation to the soule as being done first to merit by them and so to rob God of the glory of his free mercy and Christ Iesus of the efficacie of his all-sufficient merit secondly being done to depriue the soule of it saluation as teaching it first to rest in the outward workes without faith secondly by outward workes to excuse and satisfie for any grose and notorious wickednesse and so giues the bridle to all sinne with greedinesse and vtterly excludes true repentance 3 By their good workes to merit heauen and so to depriue themselues of the onely true way thereto 4 Onely tending to the maintenance of present credit and profit and so to build vp an imaginary happinesse in this life and thereby to exclude themselues eternall happinesse But the Gospell teacheth to ayme in all things at Gods glory 1 Cor. 10. 13. To propose saluation not any present respect onely as the marke of well-doing 3 Phil. 13. Not to rest in the thing done but in the acceptance thereof To labour perfection of well-doing not by Euangelicall councels but by the warrant of the word And in this confounding all Popish well-doing that we especially ayme at the sincerity of the heart and yet deny still our owne righteousnesse that wee may be found in Christ Iesus And that wherein the Papists doe well therein wee may be like vnto them and haue exceeded them but we must not be stinted by their measure nor misled by their ends They doe well without knowledge without Faith to merit thereby excusing hereby their ignorance Idolatries and all other kinde of abhominations We doe good workes out of knowledge of the will of God out of Conscience to obey Gods will as true branches deriuing our goodnesse from the Vine Christ Iesus performing and bringing forth fruit onely as we are engrafted in the Vine and daily receiue vertue and sap from thence to enable thereto hauing the imperfection of our goodnesse daily couered with the righteousnesse of Christ that we may be accepted of our God c. By the power of Christ dwelling in vs we are daily led on to perfection daily ascribing our righteousnesse to our maker CHAP. XXVII Hereunto appertayneth that Tentation That because 1 VVE sinne in the best wee doe Stherefore we will doe no good at all least we should sinne To which we may answere 1 That it is a sinne to omit wel-doing as well as to doe euill 2 That sinne which accompanies well-doing shall not be imputed if there be a willing minde 3 Our persons are accepted in Christ and therefore our faylings are couered with his righteousnesse 4 This life is not a time of perfection but of growing and hastening thereto and therefore though we be not perfect without sinne yet if we doe it truly without hypocrisie it shall be accepted 5 The sinne which accompanies wel-doing is not ours and therefore we shall not answere for it And yet by 6 Sinne we are still humbled to giue glory vnto Christ. CHAP. XXVIII A seauenth deuice to draw men from true bounty is by nourishing them in Idlenes and so disinabling thereto And that this sinne abounds in this age is manifest 1 BY the generall pouerty of the Trades-man and Artificer each labouring onely from hand to mouth to maintaine life and soule together as wee say the rest of the time being spent in idlenesse and vnthrifty sports c. Whereas the hand of the diligent might haue plenty 2 By that ordinary sleightnesse to which all Trades are growne each making things onely saleable to the eye without substance c. Idlenesse hauing found out a neerer way to deceiue it selfe and others And is it not iust with God