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A19280 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. Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626. 1615 (1615) STC 5692; ESTC S118543 43,483 144

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so long as it lasts so long shall my daughter be beloued and it is not my daughter but her portion that shall be maried And seeing my purpose is that my daughter shall haue the blessing of mannage therefore I will rather make choice of a man who will take my daughter for loue and if there be loue there will be no lacke and what neede then my portion Notwithstanding I will respect my daughter in her place My God shall first be honoured with my substance and next his poore Saints my daughter if she stand more in neede then they shall not want necessary comfort otherwise she shall depend on the prouidence of God as I haue done and what is her portion she shall haue it in her place CHAP. XIX Other Tentations there are in regard of the pretended vnworthinesse of those that stand in need to be relieued 1 SAtan obiects That hereby many shall be first maintayned in their idlenesse Secondly Which will be hurtfull to the common-wealth 1 Though it be a sinne for the poore c. to liue idlely yet my entent is not by my liberality to maintayne them in sinne but relieue their want and so to obey the commandement of God If they abuse my mercy it is their greater sinne 2 Yet that they may not abuse it I will see they shall be set on worke if they be able if not I will relieue them that they may be able and then if they will not worke they shall not eate 3 Because I haue not authority to set them on worke therefore I will acquaint the Magistrate who will supply in this behalfe 4 And what is in my power shall not be wanting Namely godly exhortation and admonition to leaue their sinne as also more sparing reliefe as a kinde of punishment of their idlenesse By this meanes I shall performe reliefe both to soule and body Seeing some poore folkes are suspected of witchcraft and some conuinced shall I therefore giue to those If they be but suspected then they are to be relieued because Charity is not suspicious If conuinced yet I am to relieue them because hereby I shall heape coales on their head And still they are my flesh yea hereby I may be a meanes to bring them to repentance But if I giue them they by this means haue power ouer me c. If I accept of their company and yet suspect them to be such and so for feare that they may not hurt me doe giue them then it is iust with God to punish my infidelity But if they haue extreame neede and so are relieued not of feare but loue because my flesh I shall eyther preuent their malice or all will be for the best But Satan replies Though thou giue them neuer so much they are neuer the better for it all goes downe the throat it is little seene on them they haue still as much neede as euer they had and therefore it may seeme that God doth not blesse it vnto them and therefore secretly seemes to forbid thy charity towards them 1 Indeede to giue vsually as the world doth sparingly and miserable rather to linger on a pining state then to set the poore on their feete as wee say that they may be able to worke for themselues this as it doth them little good so it is not accepted of God who willeth vs to giue not sparingly but plentifully 2 And therefore I will giue that it may doe good with a large hand as God hath giuen to set them vp and prouide them of some stocke and withall to see to their following of their calling and thriuing therein 3 If for all my paines and cost I yet see them neuer the better yet heere is my comfort that God accepteth my purpose and my faith is heereby more tried that I cast my bread vpon the waters 4 Yet if still I see that no good will follow but rather my bounty is wilfully abused to be a cloake for sinne here I may lawfully change my soyle and sow my seede where there is better hope 5 And yet rather then the vilest should perish I am bound and wil relieue them though he sinne in receiuing yet I shall not sinne in giuing and my well-doing shall returne into mine owne bosome Oh but saith Satan the poore are the most vnthankfull wretches that may be and therefore what comfort canst thou haue in relieuing them 1 I doe not relieue them that they may be thankefull but because God hath commanded so and promised to recompence whose faithfulnesse shall content mee notwithstanding mans vnthankefulnesse And 2 If I should seeke praise of men I should dishonour my God and therefore it is his mercy that men should be vnthankefull that so I might giue him the whole glory of the worke Yet 3 Though I finde men vnthankfull yet let me not cease to doe good for hereby I shall in the end ouercome euill with good Rom. 12. Seest thou not saith Satan what dissemblers these professors are while they haue neede of thee who so holy as they but yet when their turne is serued they embrace the world And therefore seeing thou knowest not who are the houshold of faith nay indeede canst haue little hope but rather to maintaine hypocrisie cast not away thy mony c. 1 Though men may deceiue mee yet my God will not 2 And therefore my well-doing is not cast away though the person may be a cast-away 3 It may be I may win him hereby If not I make him without excuse 4 And what know I whether I may not adde sinne to sinne First in not relieuing him Secondly in iudging him an hypocrite seeing the sinne of hypocrisie is so hardly discerned 5 Howsoeuer the person may be yet will I not be cast off from doing good vnto him because it is not for his sake but for the Lords cause that I doe it who will accept my single heart herein ●owsoeuer he may punish the others hypocrisie 6 Lastly if I should play the hypocrite in not giuing where God commands vpon such and the like pretences where as indeede my wretched and couetous heart is the cause thereof What will it aduantage mee to complayne of the hypocrisie of others seeing therein I doe condemne my selfe And this will be the issue that hee will one day condemne me of hypocrisie for not giuing who now pretends his hypocrisie as not worthy to receiue CHAP. XX. Other tentations whereby couetous men would excuse one charge with another Hearken I pray how Satan assa●●ts them 1 VVHat art thou not charged sufficiently with expences for the Common-wealth and to the Prince how many occasions are offered to draw mony from thee Is not this sufficient for one are not these to goe for beneficence and may they not excuse thee to be more sparing another way Nay doest thou not giue as thou art ceased weekely contributions doest thou not moreouer giue some Almes at
Math. 15. 32. so Abraham Lot Iacob Ioseph c. Gen. 18. Gen. 19. Gen. 47. Exod. 2. Exod. 18. Moses c. 3 The benefits that doe redound to Gods children hereby which are manifolde 1 What we doe here inconscionably it is accepted as done to God and Christ themselues Math. 10. 40. 41. Math. 25. 2 The Lord will recompence it according to the excellency of the occasion which he vouchsafeth to giue whether greater or lesser and according to the greater or lesser measure of saith and loue wherein the same duties are performed yet so as the least kindnesse done in truth shall be requited with manifolde aduantage Gal. 6. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 1. Hagg. 8. 3 This will be a great comfort vnto vs in the time of trouble Iob. 30. As also a pledge of our recouery out of the same 2 Chron. 31. 1 King 18. 13. Psal. 37. 25. 26. Pro. 13. 22. 4 Yea hereby the Saints are prouoked and emboldned to pray for mercy for others and so cannot be denied it 2 Tim. 1. 16. 17. 18. Phil. 4. 17. 18. 19. 10. 1 Reg. 17. 15. 2 Reg. 48. 5 The very wicked haue beene blessed for their beneficence to the Saints Act. 28. Gen. 42. 43. 44. c. 6 It is a meanes to establish and continue our estates for euer Psal. 122. 6. 9. 10. to our posterity c. Pro. 13. 22. 7 Yea an vndoubted pledge of our right and enioying of euerlasting happinesse Math. 25. 40. Pro. 11. 17. 8 The more we scatter the more we encrease our estate in this life Pro. 11. 24. 25. Pro. 28. 27. 9 We make the Lord hereby a debtor vnto vs. Pro. 19. 17. 10 Hereby ill gotten goods are sanctified Ezech. 18. 7. 8. Luke 19. 11 It is the meanes to make our prayers accepted of God Esay 58. 7. 8. 9. 12 Yea hereby we haue receiued Angels into our houses Hebr. 13. 13 Obserue we how Iob Ezechiah and others were abundantly recompenced Iob. 42. 14 Hereby wee gather much assurance that we are in the fauour of God 1 Iohn 3. 14. 15 We approue our selues to be liuing and true members of Iesus Christ. 1 Cor. 12. Iohn 15. 16 And manifest our selues to be like vnto our heauenly Father Iam. 1. 5. 6. Math. 5. 17 And doe witnesse that we are pertakers of the holy Ghost 18 We adorne and beautifie our profession 19 And make our calling sure 2 Pet. 1. 9 Motiues hereto 4 Weigh we the vncertainty danger of riches and thinke we how by liberality we make them durable and eternall 5 By liberality to the poore all superfluous expences are cut off in Diet and Apparrell and the like Buildings Plate and so much sinne preuented 6 Hereby we shew our selves faithfull Stewards vnto God in a right bestowing of the blessings hee hath put vs in trust withall Math. 25. 7 VVe make the liues of the Saints comfortable and ease them of many grieuous burthens CHAP. XIIII Consider we wisely some helpes and preparatiues to Beneficence And for our better encouragement herein 1 VVE must consider wisely of the poore and needy that is Iudge charitably of them Psal. 41. 1. 2. 2 Hereupon will follow a taking to heart of their estate and true compassion thereof 3 This will be furthered by considering that it may be our case and so as we would be comforted our selues we are moued to comfort them 4 Hereupou yet to moue compassion more we proceed to take notice of their misery to reason with them of it to enter into the house of mourning and discerne the particulers thereof 5 Hereupon we con●●●ue the necessitie and equity of doing good and so are conuinced in conscience that it must be done 6 And so as we are perswaded in our hearts we proceede to seasonable bounty and so cause the loynes of the poore to blesse vs. Iob. 30. 7 To this purpose consider we that the poore in their neede are true owners of what God hath made vs Stewards of Pro. 3. 27. 8 And that wee may be willing to powre out to others set wee not our hearts vpon these things Psal. 62. 9 Consider that these blessings are burthens vnto vs and therefore by giuing to the poore we ease our selues of this burthen and goe lightlier to heauen 10 Yea wee ease them of their burthen of pouerty that they may also be more cheerefull companions in our heauenly iourney with vs. CHAP. XV. Obserue we the punishments that are due and haue beene inflicted vpon such as haue fayled in this duty of Beneficence and exercised the contrary sinne of Cruelty and Vnmercifulnesse 1 THe neglect of this duety hath been punished with famine Hag. 2. Esr. 7. 23. Mal 3. 8. 9. 11. Pro. 20. 25. 2 The vnmercifull man is vtterly depriued of all comfort in his soule from God of all his riches Eccl. 6. 1. 59. 3 God esteemeth these as vsurpers of such blessings which they doe not sanctifie through liberality 4 God takes away riches when they are not thus imployed Pro. 11. 24. 5 Yea when they are in need he refuseth to succour them Pro. 13. 21. Zac. 7. 8. Mich. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 6 If we doe not hinder what we may the cruelty of others there is grieuous punishment threatned Pro. 24. 10. 11. 12. 1 Sam. 14. 45. 7 This want of bounty is a meanes to shorten the dayes of men as Pro. 55. 23. Psal. 140. 11. 12. Psal. 11. 26. 8 Heereby men doe expose themselues to the curses of the poore Pro. 11. 26. Exod. 22. 23. 24. which God will take notice of and auenge 9 Yea this is the meanes to bring a curse not onely on themselues but on their posteritie Psalm 109. 6. Nehem 5. 10 Sodaine death is likewise a fruit of this sinne 1 Sam 25. 9. Psal. 73. 19. 20. 11 Yea it is the cause of a most shamefull and dishonourable death Ierem. 22. 13. Esay 14. 3. 4. 5. 6. and that such shall become a prouerbe and by-word to all posterity Abac 2. 6. 12 This was one of the sinnes for which Sodom was so destroyed Ezec. 16. 49. the old world drowned Gen. 6. 13. 13 The vnmercifull person is no better then a rotten braunch cut off from the true Communion of Christ howsoeuer hee be in the Church and in shew a member thereof 1 Cor. 11. 1 Tim. 6. 5 14 The couetous person shall not inherit the Kingdome of heauen 1 Cor. 6. 10. Ephes. 5. 5. Psal. 17. 14. 1 Tim. 6. 9. 10. Psal. 69. 22. Iam. 2. 13. iudgement mercilesse Math. 25. 41. 42. 15 Hereby a wicked man doth most resemble his father the diuell Iohn 8. and so hath his condemnation already 16 It transformes men into bruite beasts so the holy Ghost calls oppressors Amos 4. Psal. 10. to a Lion c. CHAP. XVI Heere then is a Glasse for diuers sorts of men to looke their faces in 1 FOr those that rob their Ministers in tithes and offerings Mal. 1. 2