regardful and wary of every ones Interests in particular to do very general Civilities to all the World by outward demonstrations of Friendship which all in reality signifie nothing This is to prophane the sacred Name of Charity to give it unto actions which are often the motions of a deprav'd Inclination and the effects of a habit meerly to follow ones Humour So that to give Alms out of a natural pity to be officious and obliging for humane respects to love his Friends his Relations and Family because good Breeding enjoyns to live well with all the World this is but the Charity of a Pagan The Pagans love those that love them consider those that consider them and carry it fair with those that do so with them 'T is if you will Civility Good-manners Inclination Complacence Policy and Prudence but it is not Charity at all It is to have too low a conceit of so great a Vertue to give so holy a Name to that which is but humane and natural Christian Charity knows not the meaning of all these Distinctions and these unjust preferrings of one before another which the prudence of the Flesh makes because a Christian equally considers Jesus Christ in all his Brethren whom he never looks on with an eye purely humane Faith teaches him that this ignorant Man he instructs this miserable Wretch he succours this poor Man to whom he gives Bread is Jesus Christ who is in the Person of the Necessitous as a Prince is in the Person of his Ambassador So that the more one finds himself naturally inclin'd to Compassion the more he ought to stand upon his guard not to practise Charity so much out of humanity for as the Apostle says he exposes himself to reap only a carnal harvest when he do's not sow in purity of spirit And it is but a mistaken Christianity that is founded upon the Principles of so humane and worldly a Charity The Second Illusion is of Pride which by a secret presumption and upon the foundation of a very frivolous merit places all the perfection of Man in a vain Charity It is upon this ground the Pharisee in the Gospel set himself above others whose carriage he reprehended because he gave great Alms. And although this Illusion may not be common yet many Christians are found subject to it and who upon the Maxims of a deprav'd Morality give liberally their Goods to the Poor without forsaking the spirit of Injustice by which they possess them Their hands are open to Mercy and their hearts shut to Equity They are Envious Detractors and Calumniators upon that misunderstood Principle That Charity blots out all iniquities and that it is sufficient to be a good Man to be compassionate of the miseries of our Neighbour They adorn the out-side with works of superficial Charity and leave all disorder and corruption within And what else is this says St. Gregory but to give ones Goods to his Neighbour and his Soul up to Sin To sacrifice his Riches to God and himself to the Devil They even carry this Illusion much farther For there are of those falsly charitable Persons whose Soul is so perverted that to do these Works of Mercy which are proper to blot out their Sins they commit new ones to have wherewithal to do Works of Mercy They offer to God what they have taken from Men and frame to themselves an extravagant Devotion to give in Charity what by violence they have forc'd from others How great a Fallacy to believe that the bitter and envenom'd root of Injustice is able to produce the sweet and lovely fruit of Charity for He says the Scripture that offers sacrifice of poor mens substance is as he that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father We must imitate Zacheus to practise Charity as me ought He began by restoring what he had taken to give the remainder to the Poor In this manner Christian Charity is neither presumptuous nor unjust and she is always without Violence for she is never without humility The Third Illusion is Covetousness which out of a narrowness of heart and miserableness seeks false reasons of Family Children Parcimony and good Husbandry to authorize this false Prudence in Men not to dispossess themselves of their Goods by giving them to the Poor But it is a distrust fit for Pagans to fear falling into want by giving in the Person of the Needy to a God whose riches are inexhaustible for He that shall give to the poor shall never want the goods of the earth as holy Scripture says Alms says S. Paul is a Seed whence cannot be reap'd but a very great Harvest And as the Husbandman when he sows much reaps much So the faithful shall reap a plentiful Harvest when they have given great Alms. The fulness of the Charity of a Christian shall make the fulness of his Recompence But these are Truths the avaritious Man do's not comprehend through the shameful fixedness he has to the Goods of this World He hoards up his Bonds and Money carefully in the bottom of his Chests whilst he perswades others to be Charitable He strains for poor Pretenees for his not giving when he is ask'd He remits to his Council all Propositions made him for Charity to authorize his Avarice and refuse more methodically what he is unwilling to grant He do's all he can to excuse his giving and never gives but in hopes of receiving His Charity is a meer Traffick He so strongly blinds himself even in his presumption that he makes a false vertue of his conduct He says with a haughty and disdainful ayre I have no Goods of another bodies nay I do not desire any I make use of what God has given me because he has only bestow'd it on me for my use This was heretofore the Illusion of that unhappy rich Man who deny'd himself nothing that he liked His Expence was magnificent at his Table in his Train in his Cloaths and his whole Family bore the marks of his Vanity and Pride whilst Lazarus dy'd with hunger at his Dore. 'T is likewise the most common Illusion of Great Men that their licentiousness makes them covetous and insensible of the miseries of the afflicted They waste their Estates profusely in criminal Expences and refuse a poor Man a bit of Bread So that out of a mean Selfishness they extravagantly squander away those Goods wherewith God had intrusted them to distribute Hereunto may be added the mistake of those merciless People who give no Alms but with an ill will and grumbling It is not to the Poor they give it is to their importunities and to the vexation they feel in being pressed by them Hence they follow their own humour not practise Charity 'T is fruitlesly they give because they give without any fellow-feeling So as they experience not the sweetness which joys his heart that practises Charity but when one is fully perswaded that the Poor represent the Person of Jesus Christ
he fears not to have him for his Judge whom he would not acknowledge for his Brother It is a Heart perfectly hardned that being no longer touch'd with any apprehension of fear rebells under the Rod shuts his Ear against the checks of his Conscience and his Eyes against the light of his Reason and becomes insensible of the motions of Humanity 'T is the most rigorous pain wherewith God chastises the rich Man that dies in abundance and leaves vast Wealth to his often unknown Heirs without giving any share to the Poor He thinks not on 't because God gives him not the Grace He might obtain mercy by giving in Alms at least when he 's dying what Death will soon snatch from him But this is a Reflection a rich Man is not worthy of God abandons him to blindness and insensibility at his Death in punishment of his hard-heartedness during his Life to make him feel all the weight of his Justice that regarded not his Mercy which he slighted in slighting the Poor 'T is from this insolent contempt that there arise so many Disorders in Families hence comes the ruine of Houses the Losses the publick Defamations and all the shameful Faults of particular Persons The Providence of God permits to fall into these Misfortunes those who whilst they made profession of Christianity had not any sentiment of love or tenderness for their Neighbour and were Christians but had not the Spirit or Character of a Christian But if the greatness of the Threats of the Son of God is able to frighten us the greatness of his Recompences ought to have much more power over our Hearts to touch them This is the Third Motive In so short a Treatise as I propos'd to my self it would be difficult to comprehend all the Rewards God has promi'sd to Charity the Scripture is full of them 'T is to this Vertue God has promis'd an unconcern for temporal Goods firmness of Faith purity of Manners the comfort of a good Conscience tenderness of Devotion unshakable perseverance in Vertue and the infallible recompence of Salvation God engages himself to pardon every thing in consideration of Charity for it is the ordinary propitiation of Sin One Alms one action of Clemency the pardon of one Injury one work of Mercy is able to hide all the Faults that humane frailty can make us commit Nothing purifies so much the Conscience nothing cleanses more the Mind then Alms-deeds How many simple and humble Persons have render'd themselves worthy to penetrate the Mysteries of the holy Scriptures and enter into the Secrets of God by the light of their Charity It is a sure protection against the frailty of Man and against the occasions of offending God since it resists Sin as the Scripture says It is saith St. Ambrose the remedy against all Disorders Man is subject to This is of all other the most powerful Mediatour to Jesus Christ for it continually solicits this severe Judge who is inflexible to all but Alms. This poor Man whom you have Clothed this sick Man you have Visited this innocent Creature to whom you have given your protection and this afflicted Soul whom you have comforted is Jesus Christ For since Jesus Christ has told us that we do to him what we do to the least of his Servants There is no difference says St. Chrysostom between giving to the Poor and giving to Jesus Christ If then the Poor are Advocates to God if their Intercession is the most assur'd assistance the Rich can expect from their Riches in that dreadful Day of the universal Judgment place your hopes in this Treasure of Gods Mercies where neither Thieves nor Corruption can have access Nay be assur'd that 't is your Charity which will draw upon you the assistance of Heaven in your temporal Occasions and in the afflicting Tribulations whereto the misery of our Condition is so subject For if you are Charitable God will be faithful to the Promises he has made in his Prophet You shall no sooner open your mouth to call him to your aid then he will answer Here I am But what blindness is it in a Christian to have it in his power to merit Heaven by a Glass of Water or a Morsel of Bread given to a poor Man out of the motive of Christian Charity and to refuse it him With what face can he beg pardon of God daily if himself pardons not Would you have others take pity on you take pity on others Do you crave Favours do them your self Do not judge if you will not be judged for as you treat your Neighbour your self shall also be treated After all what Recompence can move a Christians Heart if Heaven cannot that comprehends in it self alone all Rewards and is only promis'd to the Charitable For the Gospel teaches us that the Saviour of the World in that terrible Day wherein he shall Judge the Universe will shew mercy only to those that have been merciful since in opening the Heavens to his Elect he will say to them these words You who have clothed and fed me in the person of the Poor come receive an eternal reward which I have prepar'd for your mercies Behold what the price is of Christian Charity it merits an eternal recompence by a piece of Bread given to a poor Man for the love of Jesus Christ it gains heavenly Goods by earthly ones and for perishable Riches receives those will never perish Behold what Vertue the Spirit of Christianity has in it to produce the solid fruits of Eternity by mean weak and slight Works For how many Christians are there that sanctifie a Life in other respects but ordinary nay sometimes imperfect by the sole exercise of Charity How many Souls have been rais'd to a sublime perfection by the only practice of this Vertue which includes in it self all the perfection of Christianity These are Motives capable to make impression on a Heart that is prevented by the light of Faith and is really touch'd with the hopes of what our Religion proposes to us But since we are in an Age wherein Christian Charity is much cool'd by the nicety of so many new Interests brought into the World which divide Mens minds let us endeavour to reinforce the heat of this Vertue by Considerations still more pressing being its practice is so necessary CHAP. VIII The Conclusion of this Discourse by way of Exhortation to move Christians to Charity IF the Spirit of Christianity be nothing else but the Spirit of Charity as it appears by this Discourse let us see if we are Charitable to judge whether we are Christians For the Law of Charity is the Law of the New Testament written in the bottom of our hearts by the Impression of the Holy Ghost So that it would be strange that Christians instructed in a School of Unity modell'd by the same Maxims redeemed with the same Blood fed with the same Bread that have the same Faith the same Hope and are one
day to be reunited in the same Glory should not have the same Spirit and love one another But after all how go's it have we Charity one for another The Luxury Self-interest Ambition and general Irregularities of the Manners of this Age have they not spread every where the Spirit of Division and what judgment ought one to make of the Christianity of these later Times wherein Animosities Jealousies Law-Suits Quarrels Envies Calumnies Repinings Injustices and Revenge reign with so much heat Were there ever seen so many Divisions in Families so many Separations in Marriages such Coldness and Indifferency among Relations so little Union in Communities and so many different Opinions in Religion Men have no Charity for those they know how then can they have any for them they know not They love not their Kindred how then can they love others They are rigid to their Domesticks and can they have any tenderness for Strangers Never did Luxury more reign in the World and perhaps the Poor were never less assisted Are we Christians with such languishing Manners Those later Times when Men shall hate one another and the Charity of the Faithful grow so cold Those Times I say foretold by our Lord are they already come However let us tremble if we have not Charity For without it all our hopes are vain and we are degenerated from the Spirit of the first Christians who generously renouncing all the Goods of the Earth only rais'd their Minds to Heaven and made the purity of their Faith shine to the whole World by the ardor of their Charity Let us then not stray out of the sure way of Salvation which they have marked out to us by the exercise of this Vertue they have practis'd with so much perseverance and fidelity Let us not stifle in our selves the sentiments of that Spirit which our Christianity gives birth to Let us examine our selves and see if we have that Seal of our Predestination so distinctly shew'd us in the Gospel Let us be afraid of losing the features of this divine Character for fear we lose at the same time the marks and surest pledge of our Salvation Let us be touch'd with compassion for our Brethren that God may be touch'd with compassion for us Let us assist them in their wants that God may assist us in ours Let us be merciful to them that he may be so to us Let us not judge them for our Judgments must one day be judged or if we judge them let it be without condemning them that we be not condemned for we shall be judged in the same manner we judge Let us not hope God will stretch out to us his helping hand if we refuse help to the Afflicted that ask it What pride would it be to behold with ungrateful Eyes Jesus Christ pouring forth his precious Blood upon the Cross for us and to deny him a bit of Bread which he begs of us by the mouth of the Poor And what unhappiness for us should these Riches that give us nothing but inquietude and which we must one day quit become an obstacle to our Salvation God having given them us only by their means to save us How happy is he who to make a good use of them abandons the love of his Treasures to reserve for himself none but those of the Riches of Gods mercy at the day of his wrath But the Justice of this dreadful Judge has Secrets and Abysses impenetrable to our understanding His Grace is not for the Rich or Great ones of the Earth who through monstrous hardness of heart are become so insensible of the motions of pity that they see the miseries of the Afflicted without the least compassion Alass if this poor wretch that carries sorrow in his Face this poor wretch that is your Brother in fine this poor wretch that represents Jesus Christ in person cannot move you what can If you have been so cruel to shut up your bowels against his wants how can you have the confidence of the truly faithful who place all their hopes in the bowels of their Saviour whence flow those springs of mercy which are the sanctuary of Sinners With what assurance will you appear before the Sovereign Tribunal of the last Judgment to render an account of your Life to that inflexible Judge who will give to every one according to his works if you have been hard and pitiless to all the world But alass how frightful will it be to hear those terrible words of the Gospel Go you accursed and what follows after having neglected to clothe Jesus Christ when he was naked to feed him when he was hungry in those Members whereof he is Head He must be very blind to think himself secure against the Sentence of so severe a Judge that sees all things when one has so contemn'd him in the person of his Brethren But it is a dreadful heedlesness and dismal blindness to which God uses to abandon those that permit themselves to be hardned by covetousness and pride of the Grandeurs of this World and that are so cruel to treat their own Brethren more rigidly then they do the very Beasts they make use of for their Vanity If God will one day call a Christian to account for an idle word what account will he demand of the idle Expences of the most part of the Great ones and of all the Abuses committed in the administration of the Estate he has given them For the Estate which God bestows is no longer his to whom he gives it when he has taken what is needful and seemly for his Quality It is the Poors when the Poor are in want This is the reason why the Prophet calls Alms a piece of Justice not Mercy He distributed says he what he had to the poor the memory of his justice remaineth for ever You possess not your Goods as soon as you are a Christian but to distribute them Give little if you have but little but give much if you have much For what greater Inheritance can a Father leave his Children then the Protection of Jesus Christ whom he has succoured in the Necessitous that had recourse to his assistance Happy he that comprehends this Mystery it is a Secret unknown to earthly Souls that dream not what advantage it is to regard the wants of the Necessitous out of the sincere Motive of Christian Charity Happy he I say that understands it He starts not back at this ignominious out-side nor at the miserable condition of the Poor because he beholds Jesus Christ conceal'd under that mean Aspect and these Rags He minds not the poorness of his Clothes he considers the price of his Soul That ulcerous Body in tatter'd Garments appears to him not unworthy his assistance for he is favourably look'd on by Heaven from the Minute he is truly poor so he receives him as an Embassador sent from God to treat of Peace with him and mediate the Affair of his Salvation He hopes the Alms he gives him will be the cause of his Predestination and source of his Glory Behold what a Christian ought to comprehend when he sees a poor Body and once again happy he that comprehends it If we then are truly Christians as we glory to be let us follow this admirable counsel S. Paul gave to the Colossians to raise them up to the height of that Spirit he inspir'd into them conformable to the Image he had traced forth to them of the New Man he Preach'd to them Put you on therefore as the elect of God that is as Christians put you on says he the bowels of mercy benignity modesty patience supporting one one another and pardoning one another as also our Lord hath pardoned you Our Redeemer wholly clad as he is with our frailty teaches us to pardon our Enemies by his pardoning us who are his We are so nice we cannot bear with those that do us the least Offence and yet we boast we are Disciples of a God who pardons his Executioners dies for those that crucifi'd him and who in spite of our Ingratitude continues to showre down upon us his Favours and the continual marks of his Bounty I do not bid you quit your Estates like the first Christians who went and laid them at the Apostles feet I do not say to you Go affront Tyrants like the Martyrs to make an eminent Profession of your Faith I say not Retire your self into the Wilderness to lead a penitent Life like the Anchorites Sell your Liberties as St. Paulinus did Or cross the Seas like St. Xaverius though God deserves all this and more from you I do not propose unto you the Lives of the Primitive Christians as the most holy Model and true Rule of Evangelical perfection I only say to you Do not tear in pieces your Brothers Reputation Pardon this Enemy relieve this poor Man this is sufficient for you I do not say to you Save so many Souls that perish I only say Save your self your Soul is your next Neighbour lose it not Love those you are to live with but love them with a pure and sincere Charity which neither your own Interests nor the Artifice of Men may ever alter that the Unity of spirit which ought to be among the Faithful may not be prejudiced Let us leave Spiritual Fathers to invent new Methods of Devotion to satisfie the humour of the Age that pretends so much to Curiosity Let us bluntly stop at the practice of this Vertue without seeking after any perfecter way to go to God since neither St. Paul St. John nor the Gospel it self have ever own'd a better In fine let us be Charitable if we pretend to be Christians since Charity is the true Spirit of Christianity FINIS