the same things that their hearts might be inlarged to a more liberall contribution for the reliefe of the poore in all collections made to that purpose O that Landlords would well thinke of them that they might be moued to deale fauourably with their poore tenants and to abstaine from all hard racking and inproning of rents taking away of their commons of frustrating of their good leases by captious aduantages c. O that Officers and Gouernours in corporations and other townes where money or landes haue bene giuen for the reliefe of the poore would so mind these fearefull punishments against vnmercifull men that they may in no wise diuert the merciful gift of others from that good vse end wherfore they haue giuen it O that euerie one to whom at any time the holy legacies of the last will and testament of any beneficiall Christians deceased would so looke vpon the iudgements of God that they might therby be seriously admonished to deale well and faithfully according to that trust which is committed vnto them because otherwise their sinne must needes be double if they shall be couetous and vnmercifull in withholding another mans liberalitie beside their owne yea and because they do herein sacrilegiously conceale and frustrate the glorious worke of the holy Spirit of God which he had wrought as his last worke here in this life in the hearts and spirits of his good and faithfull children Finally would to God that all whosoeuer are by any kind of vnmercifulnesse in danger of Gods heauy plagues might by the premeditation thereof come to repentance in sure trust of his mercie and so happily preuent them yea that entering into the way and practise of mercie they may proceed and go forward therein till they may be blessed partakers of Gods euerlasting mercy Amen Who I beseech you would not thinke that it had bene happie for such rich men as our Sauiour Christ speaketh of in the Gospel Luke 12 16 c. and againe chap. 16. verse 19. c. if the one in steede of pulling downe his barnes to make them bigger and both of them in steed of delicious pampering of their bellies had made the bellies of poore Christians the bare emptie houses of widowes fatherlesse children to be the barnes and bellies of their ouerplus and superfluitie Had it not I pray you euen in euery reasonable mans iudgement bene far better for them to haue learned from the fruitfulnesse of their fieldes and all the bountifull prouision of God both for their backes and for their bellies to yeeld their owne bounden fruits of thankfulnesse to God for his sake the fruits of loue to his poore children then that they should be like barren ground to yeeld no good fruite and so to make themselues neare to cursing as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.8 yea euen to pull downe sodaine destruction and the fire of Gods euerlasting wrath vpon them I will pull downe my barnes faith one I will poure into my belly saith another But in the meane while they altogether neglect the right way of building their head-houses neither once consider they that the vse of aboundance consisteth rather in pouring out to the hungrie then in pouring into the full belly in relieuing and supplying the necessities of the Saints then in following a voluptuous course of life as hath bene alreadie declared That course therefore which euery man iudgeth would haue proued happinesse to them if they had in due time sought after it before extreme and endlesse miserie fell vpon them let vs while we haue time being thus forewarned by their lamentable example labour for grace that we may lay hold of it and so through the endlesse mercie of God be for euer happy and blessed men To the which end euē with full purpose of our harts let vs in the feare of God in trust of his grace harten harnesse our selues against all the lettes and hinderances Obiections answered which either our owne corrupt hearts or the suggestions of the diuell or any of his instruments shall cast in our way What the vices naturally setled in vs be the which we must auoyd we haue seene in the second chapter of this Treatise and they are briefly gathered together in the end of the chapter We are now to answer the obiections and pretended reasons which from the same euill disposition of our nature flesh and bloud vseth thereby to disswade the liberall practise of Christian beneficence Whereunto is appointed the next Chap. which is the last of the former part of this our treatise CHAP. V. Containing answers to such obiections as flesh and bloud maketh and the diuell suggesteth to the hindering of Christian beneficence THe obiections or pretended reasons whereby many would gladly excuse respite themselues from the practise of Christian beneficence they are either taken from themselues and their owne estate or from the care they haue of their children and posterity or from the vnworthinesse of those to whom they should be beneficiall or else they would excuse one charge by another that is contribution to the poore by the greatnesse of other charges to God and the Prince and charges towards the Church and Ministers of Gods word by the burthen of the poore But whatsoeuer reasons they pretend they shew in the end that it is nothing but an vnmercifull and wilfull hard heart which beareth all the sway in them as will partly appeare by the obiections and answeres following OBIECTION 1. concerning men their owne state Are not the goods which I haue mine owne saith the couetous and vnmercifull man Why then may I not keepe and dispose them to mine owne liking and for mine owne entire and only profite and pleasure ANSWER Be it that they are thine owne in as lawfull and iustifiable a title as may be yet thou must remember from whose diuine prouidence and dispensation thou hast receiued them and on what condition and to what end purpose For God who hath giuen them to thee indeede for thine owne proper vse and comfort he hath made thee also his steward to bestowe a meet and conuenient portion more or lesse according to thy abilitie for the relief benefit of such as stand in need Whereof thou must one day giue a faithfull reckening and account vnto him Moreouer seeing they are thy goods as thou sayest and they be indeed the good gifts and blessings of God thou must haue great care that good things be vsed well yea euen to the best endes that possibly may be If thou doest otherwise apply them thou mayst be sure that the worst will be thine owne in the end Thy goods will change their good nature like sower wine and proue as thornes in thy sides and snares to intangle thy soule to most bitter destruction OBIECTION 2. Though I must needes confesse that I haue those helpes to vphold my estate which many thousands do want yet I cannot tell howe all is little enough to
booke where very pleasantly he confuteth the inordinate care which Parents pretend for their children conuincing them of a manifest lye as he plainly demonstrateth his charge against them sheweth that it is their infidelity couetousnesse in respect of their owne selues principally which suppresseth their beneficence and mercy toward the poore Finally for this point consider well the excellent saying of Caluin in his Comment vpon 2. Cor. 8.10 Sola benedictio Dei pluris centuplo aestimanda est quam omnes mundi thesauri The blessing of God is of it self alone to be esteemed a hundreth fold more then all the treasures of the whole world Answer to the 2. and 3. Ob. concerning the pretended vnworthinesse of the poore Post malos meliores quaeras If thou perceiuest any to whō thou giuest to be very vnthrifty and vnthankfull c. make choise of better Yet thinke of that which the same authour saith further Satius est prodesse etiā malis propter bonos quà m bonis deesse propter malos It is better to be beneficiall euen to those that be euill for their sakes that be good then to faile those that be good because other are euil Sen. lib. de Ben. 4. cap. 28. And againe Beneficia ferè sequuntur non reposcentem And yet againe Propositum optimi viri ingentis animi est tamdiu ferre ingratum donec feceris gratum lib. 5. cap. 1. Englished before Read him also lib. 7. cap. 31. Vincit malos pertinax bonitas Vnweariable goodnesse ouercommeth euill men And further he addeth In caeteris rebus ad spes bonas animus pertinax est Terra marique humana opera cessarent nisi malè ruentia iterum tentare libuisset In other matters the mind is stiffe and vnweariable because it is still in hope of good successe And al the businesses of men should cease both by sea by land vnles they should attempt the same things againe and againe though ere while they fal out very ill Wherefore as it followeth in the next chap. Tanquam bonus agricola cura cultuque sterilitatem soli vince Ingratus non mihi iniuriam facit sed sibi Non est magni animi beneficium dare perdere hoc est magni animi perdere dare That is do thou the part of a good husbādman ouercome the barrennesse of the ground by diligent manuring of it He that is vnthankfull is not so much iniurious to me as to himselfe And againe This is not the property of a very liberal mind to giue and to lose but to lose yet for all that stil to giue But specially call to mind that which is said of the Christian Doctor Seminatur in terra germinat in coelo Plantatur in paeuperes apud Deum pullulat What therefore though some be vnthankful Thou sowest on the earth but it springeth vp in heauen Thou plantest among the poore but it groweth vp with God Amb. lib. de Nabuthe cap. 12. Qui pendet à benedictione Domini animum habet explicatum his tricis simul manus solutas ad beneficentiam Answer to the last Obiect He that dependeth vpon the blessing of God hath his mind loosened from these snarlings and he hath his handes also at libertie to the actions of liberalitie Caluinus in 2. Cor. cap. 8. vers 2. The Sentences follow which may be referred to the second part of the Treatise and first to the first Chap. Iniquissimum est pecuniam sub gloria egestatis acquirere It is a most vnequall thing that anie man should go about to get money glorying in his pouertie Or bearing this mind as though it were a credit to him to be a poore man Sen. de Benef. lib. 2. cap. 17. And well may the Philosopher say so because pouertie is a publike conuiction or open badge and cognisance as it were of our sinne Moreouer in the same chapter There are manie saith Seneca of such a crooked nature that they had rather lose whatsoeuer kindnesse they haue shewed then they would seeme to receiue any thing they being proud and vpbrayding men Multi sunt tam prauae naturae vt malint perdere quae praestiterunt quà m videri recepisse superbi imputatores Quanto melius quantoque humanius id agere vt illis quoque suae partes constent c. gratias agentem non aliter quà m si referat audire praebere se facilem ad hoc vt quem obligauit etiam exolui velit How much better and how much more curteous is it to take such a course that they that receiue may haue their time to giue c. Yea and for one to heare another giuing thanks euen as if he did make a full recōpence and herein to shew himselfe ready to release him whom he hath bound as it were by an obligation And yet againe in the same chapter Beneficium tam recipiendum est quà m non exigendum A benefite is in like proportion to be receiued as it is not to be exacted Non minus regium humanum est exigua beneuolè placidè accipere quà m magna dare It is no lesse princely and curteous to accept small things readily and with gentle good will then to giue things of great value Plutarchus Sentences that may be refered to the 2. ch of the 2. parte Non minoris est animi beneficium rectè debere quà m dare Great grace is required to the receiuing of a gift Eò quidem operosius hoc quà m illud quò maiore diligentia custodiuntur accepta quà m dantur It is no lesse vertue to be rightly indebted for a benefit then to giue it Yea somuch the more labour belongeth to this then to that according as thinges receiued require more diligence to the keeping then to the giuing of them Sen. de Beneficijs lib. 6. cap. 43. Non patitur auiditas quemquam esse gratum Nunquam enim improbae spei quod datur satis est Et maiora cupimus quò maiora venerunt If any man be couetously lingering after giftes it will not suffer him to be thankefull For inordinate hope is neuer satisfied with that which is alreadie giuen For by how much the giftes that haue beene bestowed are greater by so much greater giftes are still desired and longed after Seneca de Beneficijs lib. 2. cap. 27. But as touching the good disposition of a mind well disposed the same author saith Optandum est non recipere beneficia potius quà m non dare It were to be wished rather neuer to receiue benefits then neuer to giue any at all lib. 1. cap. 2. And lib. 12. cap. 18. Maiore delectu quaerendum est cui debeamus quà m cui praestemus Greater choise is to be made to whom we minde to be indebted then whom we will make indebted to our selues Vir nemo bonus ab improbo se donari vult No good man will willingly be indebted to a wicked man Cicero de Legibus lib. 2. Platonis
God to poore miserable dānable sinners All these Gods bounty aboue mans and if there be any such like they are such gifts of God as infinitely exceede all mans donation and gift And no maruell though the gifts of God be thus inestimable because his loue toward vs from whence they proceede is passing all knowledge Ephes 3.19 So that to set out the greatnesse of Gods gifts we may iustly say vnto God with his holy Prophet What shall we render to the Lord for all his benefites toward vs. Psal 116.12 And with his holy Apostle What thanks can we recompence to God c. 1. Thes 3.9 And to admonish our selues of our duties O my soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefites Who forgiueth all thine iniquitie c. Psal 103.1 c. Read also Psalme 107. And to comfort our soules against all spirituall feares anguish and disquietment Returne to thy rest ô my soule for the Lord hath bene beneficiall vnto thee Because thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feete from falling I shall walke before the Lord in the land of the liuing Psal 116.1 c. Hetherto therefore of the second difference of Gods beneficence how in measure it infinitely exceedeth all the bountifulnesse of man Thirdly God only is constant and vnweariable in continuing the bountie of his gifts vpon all such as he chooseth at the first to bestow his bountie vpon for Whom he once loueth he loueth to the end Iohn 13.1 The vnchangeable decree of God is expressed by his fatherly loue Mal. chap. 1.2 and Rom. 9.13 As it is written I haue loued Iaakob And Rom. 11.29 The gifts calling of God are without repentance and Hosh 13.14 Repentance is hid from mine eyes and againe 1. Thes 5.24 Faithfull is he which hath called you and he will do it and Isai 40.28 Knowest thou not or hast thou not heard that the euerlasting Lord the God hath created the ends of the earth He neither fainteth nor is weary there is no searching of his vnderstanding c. and vers 31. They that wait vpon the Lord shall renew their strength c. And this is the cause why king Dauid in the place before alleadged 1. Chron. 29. acknowledging the present great grace bestowed vpon himselfe and the people in offering willingly toward the house and worship of God to be his speciall gift he prayeth God to keepe the same grace for euer in the purpose and thoughts of the hearts of his people and that he would stil prepare their harts vnto himself And further that he would giue to his sonne Salomon a perfect heart to keepe his commandement c. For right well did the holy king know that man left to himself is lighter then vanity and most fickle in the purpose and care of the best things and namely in beneficence and liberality toward the Church and people of God Wherefore also well saith a godly learned man that it is proper to God to hold on in a continuall care to saue and preserue and not to be prouoked to cease from the bestowing of his benefites because men are vnworthy of them Finally he is infinitely more kind and bounteous to his enemies then any man or all men can be to theirs though all their kindnesse were layd together Matth. 5.45 Luk. 6.35.36 Rom. 2.4 And that either most gratiously to win their soules vnto him for their owne most happy saluation or els to leaue them altogether most iustly without excuse But thus the greatnesse of Gods diuine bountie and the excellencie of his giftes furpassing all gifts that anie man or Angell yea that all men or Angels can possibly giue they haue held vs somewhat longer then was at the first intended though not with lost time or labour as we trust Let vs now return to instruct our selues further touching that beneficence and giuing which ought to be in continuall practise among men after the example and president which we haue in the Lord so far as we preuented by his good grace may in our measure attaine vnto Giuing therefore wherein men in their poore measure may by the grace of God resemble that diuine bountifulnesse which is in God like as many little gutters or channels of the streame may declare how plentifull the head of the riuer or liuely spring is it is to speake something more generally a free imparting and communicating of that which is at the least in a mans owne perswasion rightly his owne Giuing what more generally to the vse or commodity and possession of another Or thus It is the alienating of a mans own right to make another the owner of that wherein he had all the property before According to this more generall definition a man might take occasion to speake more generallie of giuing by a distinction of Giftes according to the diuerse condition and estate of the giuers and according to their seueral minds purposes in giuing and so forth For there are gifts of the Subiect to the Prince as the Moabites and Aramites brought giftes to king Dauid when he had subdued them 1. Chron. 18.2.6 of the seruant to the Master of the tenant to the landlord and of the child to the father as gratulatory and dutiful presents for honours sake as Ioseph sent gifts to Iaakob his father out of Egypt into Canaan Gen. 45.23 And againe there are gifts of the Prince to the Subiect for reward or of mere clemencie and fauour according to the royall bountie of a Prince as in the 6. ch of the booke of Ester where the great king Ahashuerosh asketh Haman What shall be done to the man whom the king will honour And Dan. 2.48 king Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel a great man and gaue him manie and great giftes There are giftes of the poorer and weaker to those that be more rich and mighty to procure fauor or at the least to mitigate the rage furie of anger to which end Iaakob presented his gifts to Esau and in most submisse and humble maner desired him to accept of his present And as wise Abigail by her presents together with her gratious behauiour appeaseth the wrath of Dauid greatlie kindled against her husband Nabal Of the which kind of giftes it is said in the holie Prouerbes A gift in secret pacifieth anger and a gift in the bosome great wrath Prouerb 21.14 On the other side there are gifts of the rich and mightie to the poorer and inferiour sort Diuerse kinds of gifts because they mind to make them indebted to them that they may vse them for their greater benefite and gaine as Pharaoh preferred Ioseph and Nebuchadnezzar Daniel and those other three men of Israel Some giue gifts to helpe out good and iust causes and sutes as Iaakob sent presents to the chiefe Gouernour of Egypt little thinking that it had bene
Ioseph his sonne Gen. 43.11 Take saith he to his sonnes of the best fruites of the land in your vessels and bring the man a present c. And contrariwise some giue gifts to corrupt true iudgement to contriue and compasse a mischiefe of whom it is sayd A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosome to wrest the wayes of iudgement Pro. 17.23 and thus Ziba presented king Dauid with a gift minding and compassing treacherie against his maister 2. Sam. 16. For a gift if it be once accepted it is of great force euery way as Prou. 17.8 It prospereth whithersoeuer it turneth Finally there are gifts of one friend and neigbour to an other and that of all degrees when they are kindly affected the one to the other for mutuall loue and friendships sake the one striuing after a sort to ouercome the other with kindnesse and benefites according to the common saying which goeth concerning such There is no loue lost betwixt them After this maner the Queene of Sheba gaue king Salomon great gifts and he againe requited her with like royoll gifts 1. King ch 10. verses 10.13 The which kind of strife hath bene alwayes honourable euen among the nations of the heathen and the more honorable because as they rightly esteemed if a man striue vnto thankfulnes there is no reproch or dishonour though he be vnwillingly ouercome They write of Taxiles a pettie king of India that he offered Alexander comming out to make warre against him this notable challenge If saith he thou be our inferiour receiue a benefite of vs but if thou be our better then do vs a good turne Alexander accepting the challenge We will striue saith he whether of vs shall be the more beneficiall Giuing what more speciall Alexander then imbracing Taxiles verie cuteously did not only abstainâ— from spoyling his countrey but also he inlarged his dominion Thus as was said there are diuerse kindes of gifts and great varietie in the diuerse maner of the bestowing and placing of them But it is not the intent of the present Treatise to followe this argument in so large a discourse but only to speake of religious and meâ—cifuâ— Giuing which wearing the crowne or garland aboue all the rest may receiue a more particular and speciall declaration thus It is a most free or frranke and liberall imparting some meete and conuenient portion of that wherewith God of his goodnesse hath blessed euery man * That this is a part of goodnes beneficenâ—e it appeareth Heb. 8.3 vnder the name of offering giftes to God yea the Lord reqâ—ireth the heart it self as of gift Hee wiâ—l aâ—cept of nothing in way of constrainâ— or extortioÌ„ Reâ—de also Matt. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar â— to the maintenance and aduauncement of Gods pure religion and worship and to the mercifull relieuing comforting and succouring of all such as we see or for want of such of those whom we do by credible report vnderstand at any time to be in any present necessitie and need in such mâ—ner as God himselfe would haue his owne worship to be vpheld and furthered and the poore among his people in all Christian Churches to be comfortably relieued and succoured Of the which religious and mercifull contributing and giuing are the words of our Sauiour Christ menâ—ioned in the beginning of this chapter to be vnderstood in that he sayd It is a blessed thing to giue rather then to receiue It is our purpose therfore to imploy our chiefe studie and diligence to the laying open of this point so farre as that portion of time and grace may afford which God of his mercy shall in the middest of the ordinarie duties of his holy ministery alot vnto the same CHAP. 2. A gift must be free What graces or vertues are requisite to the right maner of Giuing and of the contrarie vices which do either hinder or corrupt the same BEcause the examination of the definition or description of giuing will afford vs a commodious and iust occasioÌ„ to note the vertues of right Christian giuing likewise because the vertues being known the contrary vices wil the more euidently appeare it shal be worth our labour to take a more large view and examination of the same and euen to make it the ground and direction of this our second Chapter First of all therefore it commeth to be considered that Giuing as was said is a free or franke and liberall imparting or communicating c. Now that it is so that a Gift must be free and proceede of a liberall and franke mind it is euident and plaine from that which our Sauiour Christ teacheth in the sixth chapter of the Euangelist Luke verses 33 34 35. If saith he ye doe good to them which do good to you what thanke shall ye haue For euen sinners do the same And if ye lend to them of whom ye haue hope to receiue what thanke shall ye haue For euen sinners lend to sinners to receiue the like Wherefore loue ye your enemies and do good and lend looking for nothing againe c. and Prou. chap. 25.21.22 If he that hateth thee be hungry giue him bread to eate c. and Rom. 12.20 21. Ouercome euill with goodnesse Luke 10.30 c. If then Christians must be beneficiall to their enemies though nothing can be looked for in way of recompence from their hands much rather must we be helpfull to those that be Christianly minded toward vs though they shall neuer be able to requite vs. If we must ouercome euil with goodnesse which as it is the most honourable so is it the most difficult victorie that may be much rather must we ouercome our selues to do good to those who wold if they were able giue vs incouragement by their kindnesse to striue this way with them It is contrary to the nature of a gift for the Giuer to haue any desire of a recompence for it This were rather to put to vsurie or to sell or at the least to make an exchange of one thing for another not to giue a gift He that giueth a gift in truth must do it simply euen for it selfe as it were because in his owne heart he esteemeth it meete and worthy that it should be done because God hath so commanded and because he hath promised so much the rather to recompence it by how much all humane quittance is more firmly neglected To this purpose saith our Sauiour Christ When thou makest a feast bid thou the poore the maimed the lame and the blinde that cannot recompence thee againe and thou shalt be recompenced at the day of the resurrection Luke ch 14.12 13.14 That also which our Sauiour Christ commaundeth his disciples concerning the preaching of the Gopell and working of miracles which were precious gifts of God saying Freely ye haue receiued freely giue Matth. 10.8 the same also hath place by a certaine analogie and proportion in the distribution of