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A16763 A treatise of christian beneficence, and of that like christian thankefulnese which is due to the same The which, as they are duties of singular account with God, so are they of as necessarie vse to all christians, for the keeping of faith and a good conscience, as are fire and water for common vse and comfort to the naturall life of all men. Allen, Robert, fl. 1596-1612. 1600 (1600) STC 367; ESTC S112321 178,520 256

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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 mē to beware that they deceiue not thēselues assuring thē 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 constāt 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 thē But the maintenāce 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 mā 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 commād●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