may this our last Testament be concealed and Vna transpefita litera vnum noÌ„ probè appositâ—m signum totam sententiam mutare ac irritâ—am facere valeâ—it Basil in Diuit Auares Sâ—r. 2. suppressed or defeated made voyde vpon some nice point in law or vniust testimonie of some false witnesses or not be performed according to our purpose and proiect through the dishonestie and corruption of our executors For the auoyding of all which dangers let vs take the Wise-mans counsell Pro. 3. 27. With-hold not good Pro. 3. 27. from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thy hand to doe it and the Apostles exhortation Gal. 6. 10. Gal 6. 10. whilest we haue opportunitie let vs do good vnto all men And let vs remember that death will not be long in comming and that the couenant of the graue is not shewed vnto vs and so doe good before we dye and according to our abilitie stretch out our hands to giue vnto him Let vs not defraud our selues of the good day nor let the part of a good desire ouerpasse vs because we shall leaue our trauels vnto another and our labours to be deuided by lot as the sonne of Syrach perswadeth Chap. 14. 12. 13. 14. 15. Eccli 14. 12. 13. Sect 7. Giuing almes in our life-time most sutable comely for a Christian Fiftly it is most comely and sutable that a charitable life should goe before a charitable death and it well beseemeth a Christian so to liue continually as he meaneth to dye For who can expect a pleasant epilogue after a direfull tragedie or that he should be pittifull compassionate and liberall in the end who in all his former course hath beene cruell hard-hearted and niggardly or that God will honour him with a close of bountie and blessednes who hath all his whole life dishonored God wronged his poore Saints with his extreame miserablenesse and gripplenes or how shall a man take his words spoken in extremitie of sicknes I giue and bequeath pounds and hundreds to these and these good vses who would not in his whole life part with a few pence to releeue the poores necessitie and preserue them from staruing who seeing such dissonancie and disagreement betweene his present words and former practise would not thinke that he raued and talked idly rather then out of a setled iudgement and good deliberation Againe it better futeth with the nature of these good workes to be done by our selues in our life-time then to be left vnto the discretion of other to bee done by them after our death in which respect our Sauiour calleth our good workes by the name of lights to imply vnto vs that wee must see them goe before vs and not suffer them by others to be held behinde our backes Sect. 8. Almesdeeds to bee suspected when they are onely done after death Lastly howsoeuer we are to iudge charitably of such actions when we see them done because wee discerne onely the outward worke but cannot search the heart and secret thoughts yet when as we see all on a sudden crueltie turned into mercie and miserly hardnesse into profuse bountie the hands wide opened towards the approch of death for the releefe of the poore which haue beene close shut in the whole life and the workes of mercy practised which alwaies before haue been vtterly neglected there is great cause of iealousie and doubting that these actions proceede not from those right and religious causes which set the true Christian a worke to doe the like things but rather from sinister worldly and carnall respects which haue ouerswayed and ruled them in the whole course of their liues Not from the loue of God Christian obedience charity and mercy towards the poore for if these graces had residence in their hearts they would haue produced the like effects in their health and strength but rather from selfe loue which is alwayes accompanied with carnall feare and vaine glory whereby they are made willing to imploy their goods to these pious and charitable vses when as they see they can keepe them no longer either to eternize their names in this world by these long lasting monuments or to escape the better before Gods iudgement seat where now they must giue vp the account of their stewardship and to be freed from that fearefull condemnation in the world to come From which iealousie and suspicion there is no means to be freed vnlesse these workes of mercy thus performed do apparantly proceede from serious and sound repentance and a liuely faith in Christ which are seldome granted to any in their death-bed who haue neglected and contemned them through the whole course of their liues CHAP. 14. Of the properties of the Christians almes wherein they differ from those which are done by worldlings And of the diuers sorts and kindes of them Sect. 1. That there are many great differences betweene the almes of Christians and of worldlings And first in the causes mouing them THe next point which I propounded in this duty of almesdeedes was their properties whereby the pious and charitable almes of Christians which are the vndoubted signes of a godly and blessed man may bee discerned from those counterfet almes which are done by hypocrites and worldlings the which are great and manifold For first they differ in the causes and fountaines from which they arise and spring For the almes of Christians are the fruites of a liuely and and iustifying faith and are done out of vnfained loue and obedience towards God and therefore is a Christian mercifull vnto others because he is assured of Gods mercie to himselfe therefore doth he giue small things to men because he hath receiued great things from God and for this cause is he liberall to those that neede his helpe not because they haue deserued it but because God hath commanded it So also his almes spring from Christian charity mercy and compassion towards the poore because hee is a member of Christ and of the houshold of faith or at least a creature of God and of the same flesh But the worldlings alms arise froÌ„ selfe-loue wherby in his almes he aimeth at some temporarie and earthly good to be deriued by them vnto himselfe out of pride and vaine-glory that hee may bee praised Matth. 6. and magnified amongst men or may merit a farre greater reward at the hands of God or out of seruile feare of Gods iudgments in this life or the life to come which by this meanes hee would auert and turne away from him and therefore not proceeding from true charitie they profit nothing 1. Corinth 13. 3. 1. Cor. 13. 3. Secondly the Christian sheweth mercy being enclined thereunto by the motion of Gods spirit and the inward fountaine of goodnesse which is thereby wrought in him which make him when hee wanteth occasions of doing good to enquire and seeke after them but the worldlings mercie is the meere worke
obedience vnto him as vnto God in him in all things which are honest lawfull or indifferent But if he commaundeth what God forbiddeth or forbiddeth what God commandeth he is not to be obeyed As if hee shall forbid his wife to sanctifie the sabbath to pray heare the word or to performe the workes of mercie which God inioyneth because herein he beareth not the image of God commaunding as he commandeth but the image of the diuell opposing against God and crossing that which he requireth Againe the Lord is our supreme soueraigne and the husband but subordinate vnto him as his deputie or leiuetenant and therefore whilst he houldeth his subordination vnto Gods gouernement the wife is to hold hers to him because so in obeying him she obeyeth God but if he leaue his subordination and rebell against his soueraigne shee is not to ioyne with him in this rebellion but leauing her subordination vnto him as he hath left his vnto God shee is to disobey him that shee may yeelde obedience to the chiefe commander Sect. 11. Of the communion betweene man and wife The second point to be considered is the communion which is between man and wife through the bond of mariage which extendeth both vnto their persons and goods the communion of persons is so neere and indissoluable that they are no more two but one flesh in which regard they haue no more proprietie in themselues nor absolute power of diposing their owne bodies but either in other according to that 1. Cor. 7. 4. The wife 1. Cor. 7 4. hath not power ouer her owne body but the husband and likewise also the husband hath not power ouer his owne body but the wife So also there is such communion in their goods that there is no absolute proprietie in either of them but it resteth in them both neither haue these words mine and thine any place betweene them seeing they are but one flesh and one body whereof the husband is the head And howsoeuer maried persons speaking of that which they possesse vnto others may say that this is mine to note proprietie yet when they haue relation to one another they imply this community by saying these goods are ours So Iacobs wiues speaking of their goods say that all the riches which God hath taken from our father that Gen. 31 16. is ours though no part of it came by their dowry but through the blessing of God vpon their husbands labours onely it was theirs through the communion of marriage And this communion both of persons and goods is signified yea plainely expressed in our forme of marriage both by the words and actions there vsed the communion of persons by ioyning of hands and by those words with my body I thee worship by which hee professeth that he doth her honour in vouchsafing vnto her the communion of his body for it is the honour of a woman to haue an head and husband the communion of goods by giuing vnto her a ring and as it was the practise heretofore money or gold with it as an earnest of all the rest and by those plaine words with all my worldly goods I thee endow Sect. 12. How farre the communion in goods extendeth Yea will some say but this communion extendeth vnto vse onely I answere it is true for what can be more required then vse where there is no proprietie but that which is in them both yea but say they the proprietie is in the husband and for the common vse which the wife hath in her husbands goods it onely extendeth to her meate drinke apparell and such necessaries as are fit for the maintenance of her person The former hath some colour because the husband hath right to alienate and sell house and land yea An obiection that the husband may dispose of all at his pleasure answered to giue all away if hee please without the wiues consent vnlesse it be her ioynter or dowre I answere that they may doe all this wisely and discreetely for their owne good and of their wiues and children by that authoritie and superioritie which they haue ouer their wiues and goods though they haue no proprietie in them more then they because the action best proceedeth from the predominant cause and chiefe agent but if it be to the wiues hurt and preiudice they abuse their authoritie and sinne against their spouse by infringing the communion and as he who with riot wastfulnesse excesse and ill husbandrie consumeth and mispendeth his estate is a theefe to himselfe so also to his wife in that hee robbeth her of her right which by vertue of the communion of marriage belongeth to her And therefore we reade that when Ananias though he were but an hypocrite sold his possession to relieue the necessitie of the Church yet hee did not doe it without his wiues consent but they ioyned both together in the sale according to the custome of those times Act. 5. 1. Now if any Act. 5. 1. will say that the husband hath more absolute right among vs to dispose of al his goods and possessions at his owne pleasure to this I answere that he hath it not by the law of God but by the positiue lawes of men and I dispute not what a man may doe in foro iudiciali in the courts of men but what he is bound to doe in foro conscientia in the court of conscience Sect. 13. Another obiection answered Secondly the proprietie of the husband hath some shew of reason seeing hee hath power by will to dispose of his goods at his owne pleasure I answere that though he may make such a will in his life yet it is not to take effect till after his death when the band of marriage is dissolued and the communion between them ceaseth Neither is it then lawfull to giue away all from his wife but he is bound to leaue vnto her a good part and share and a part also vnto his children the which generall rule of equitie is by our law wisely and equally determined to be a third part to either of them another third onely being left to his disposing wherein they are like vnto partners who whilest they continue together haue equall right to the whole estate but take euery one his share when their partnership being dissolued they goe from one another Sect 14. That the wife hath communion in goods to al good vses To the other part of the obiection which restraineth the vse onely vnto the meate drinke apparell and such other corporall necessaries I answere that it beseemeth not a christian for haue they power by vertue of this communion to dispose of their goods for all vses sauing doing good may they imploy them at their pleasure for the good of their bodies and may no part be allowed vnto them to dispose of for the good of their soules may they haue enough to pamper their bellies and adorne their backes and to bestow vpon all vses which pride pleasure and
are assuredly good vnto the receiuers and in respect of the giuers thus much may be said that they do much better than those who doe neglect them altogether taking no care that any good should be done either in their liues or after death And though now they can keepe their goods no longer yet being to part with them of necessitie it is good that they make choice freely to bestow them on these good vses wherein they are much to bee preferred before those who bestow them vpon such vses as are either euill superfluous superstitious or meere worldly and carnall Neither may they iustly be taxed for doing these good workes now but their long delay is to be blamed and because they would not be perswaded to do them sooner Sect. 5. Giuing in our life time is much more commendable and acceptable Which fault that we may auoyde let vs consider that it is much better and more commendable to giue liberally to these good vses in our life time making our owne hands our executors and our eyes our ouer-seers than to leaue our goods to these vses to bee disposed of at the discretion of others According to that Eccli 18. 22. Eccli 18. 22. 25 Let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vow in due time and deferre not vntill death to be iustified When thou hast enough remember the time of hunger and when thou art rich thinke vpon pouertie and neede Secondly it is much more acceptable to God as being a more infallible signe of a stronger faith and more firme affiance in him For if in our life time we giue our goods to the poore because God requireth it we therby euidently declare that we rest vpon Gods prouidence and promises for our prouision seing we dis-furnish our selues of a good part of our meanes euen whilest we haue occasion to vse them Whereas if we keepe all to our selues till the honre of death we may be well suspected of diffidence and want of faith which is the cause why we doe not trust so much in God as in our owne prouision and store which we haue about vs. So also it is an euidence of greater loue and obedience if at Gods commandement and for his sake wee can willingly part with our goods when they are still in our power and might be conuerted to our owne vse than if we bestow them to such vses when as death approaching we can keepe them no longer For it is a small matter to giue vnto God that which though we would neuer so fayne we cannot carry with vs and it is next to neglecting to doe so late For what great thing is it if we be perswaded to put off our clothes when as we are ready to go to bed to giue away the reliques of our meate in the Inne when we are ready to take horse and to set forward our iourney into another country Yea what thanks is it if we then giue away our apparell when we haue so long worne it that it will hange on our backes no longer and then part with our meate when whether we will or no it shall be taken from vs especially when it is done in this hope that our rotten raggs shall be changed into robes of immortalitie and our perishing meate shall be supplyed with the bread of life To which purpose an ancient Father saith Alas poore wretch Basil in Diuit auaros Serm. 2. wilt thou then be liberall and kinde vnto men when as thou canst no longer liue among them shall I then only say that thou art louing to thy brethren when as I shall see thee a dead carcase Thou art no doubt worthy great praise of thy liberalitie and great honour and grace is due vnto thee when lying in thy graue and being turned vnto dust thou shalt appeare munificent and bountifull Sect. 5. Giuing in our life-time most seasonable and best fitted to occasions Thirdly It is required not only that we giue but also that we giue seasonably and that is when we see our neighbours wants and haue power and abilitie to helpe and relieue them for as in sowing our seede we doe not thinke it enough if at some times wee be ready to cast it into the ground but we haue also speciall respect to the season and seede-time so is it in sowing the seeds our almes deeds which if wee sow not before death it is as if we should deferre the sowing of our seede till the very time when we should reape our haruest Now are we sayling towards to the Holy Land and these works of mercy like a good gale of winde driue vs forward vnto the wished hauen now are we to dispatch our spirituall market wherein God offereth vnto vs for temporarie trifles euerlasting treasures now is the time of our christian warfare wherein we are to fight against the deuill the world and our owne carnall and couetous lusts and then we ouercome the world and our selues when we are wholy taken vp with the workes of mercy and can part with our earthly goods in loue towards God and compassion towards our neighbours But if we deferre them till after death and will giue nothing to the poore till all must be taken from vs it is like a faire gale of winde after ship wracke as if we should set out our wares when the market is done make great braggs of our valour when the fight is finished and we put to flight Besides the workes of mercy are best done when they are fitted to the occasions and wants of those vnto whom they are performed and not to giue vnto them when their necessitie requireth but when we can best spare our goods is as if the steward should giue foode to the familie not at meale-times or when they are most hungry but when as himselfe hath nothing else to doe or when he can keepe the foode in his store-house no longer because theeues haue digged through the wall and are now ready with violence to take it away from him Sect 6. No certaintie of doing good by legacies Fourthly It is much better that we doe our selues the workes of mercy in our life time than to leaue them to bee done by others after our deaths not onely because the seed-time being much more seasonable we may assuredly expect a much more fruitfull haruest but also because if we doe not take the time present and relieue our poore brethrē whilest it is in the power of our Pro. 3. 27. hands to doe it we can haue no certaintie that they will euer be done by vs at all For either we may be stripped of all our goods before our death and so haue nothing to bequeath to these vses or death may take vs suddenly away and giue vs no time to dispose of our goods or our sicknes may be of such a nature that it will depriue vs of the vse of our memory and vnderstanding or else if all things be left in good order by our Will yet