of our enimes shal be so great that no gold shal be ble to redeeme vs out of their hands Esay 13. 12. 13. Pro. 11. 8. CHAP. XXVI A fift Policie whereby Sathan keepes men from charity and true bounty is a foolish feare that they may be esteemed Papists and therefore they will doe no good workes because the Papists glory therein because this is a marke as they say of their Religion Yea are they not hereby condemned as merit-mongers c. Are not their goodly monuments cast downe and demolished Are we not taught iustification by Faith so that good workes may seeme to be thrust out of doores The Remedy hereof is 1 TO consider that the Lord hath commanded vs to abound in good workes and therefore wee should not casting these feares be obedient to his will 2 Wee teach iustification by Faith which worketh by loue so that howsoeuer by faith in Iesus Christ we iustifie Gods righteousnesse in pardoning our sinnes through Christ his merit in whom wee apprehend the acceptance and iustification of our persons as standing righteous through him in the sight of God So by the vertue of Christ his righteousnes wee are inuested with a true inherent righteous whereby first in thankefulnes vnto our God we abound in good workes secondly to declare that wee are iustified both to our owne consciences thirdly and also vnto men Iames 2. fourthly to approue our conformitie vnto our head Christ as liuing members fiftly to be made meet for that glorious inheritance with the Saints in light And therefore Wee condemne the Papists and haue demolished their glorious Sepulchers that their rotten and stinking bones being discouered their faces may be couered with shame that they might seeke the face of God in Christ Iesus whom they did daily crusifie by their abhominable Masses Hori Murthers of infants Thefts Rapines which were discouered in the demolishing of those abhominable sinkes and cages of all vncleannesse And though we haue conuerted some few of those houses to be places of Gods worship purging them of the idolatrous vse and end by which they were abused Yet haue wee wisely defaced the multitude of them as being altogether vnnecessary to cut off the hope of nurcing Popery againe To restore to the Common-wealth what hath vniustly beene extorted from thence by the couetousnesse and fayned deuotions of those Abbey-lubbers To roote out idlenesse and such other mischiefes as were nourished in those abhominable Stewes To restore the people to their liberty who were very fearefully enthralled not onely in their soules but euen in their bodies by those towers of Babell Specially to make free way to the execution of Iustice which was defeated by such sinfull Sanctuaries And to restore the Tithes for the maintenance of a learned Ministery which we wish may as in part it hath bin begun be further conuerted to that end And haue we not since the time of the gospel restored exceeded them notwithstanding in true bounty Yea surely Blessed be God in Iesus Christ that hath confounded the false charity of the Papists by discouering the rotten foundation and cruell ends thereof Blessed be the name of his Maiesty for euer that hath confuted their slaunderous imputations against the glorious Gospell of his Sonne Iesus as if it abolished good workes had banished all true loue and charity Hath not the glorious Lord aduanced and iustified the power of the Gospell in kindling the hearts of the true professors thereof to performe such renowned and glorious workes as cannot be matched in any age of Popery Hath not these times of the Gospell yeelded the supply of foure new stately and magnificent Colledges in the Vniuersities very richly endowed for the maintenance of true religion and learning to all posterity Haue they not furnished the honourable Citie of London with a most ample and worthy Colledge endowed with constant and sufficient mayntenance both for a Reader of Diuinity as also with seuerall Readers of the seauen liberal Sciences to prepare the better for the Vniuersities and so to ease such of that iourney which will receiue their seasoning heere And are not the foundations laid of another famous Colledge by the pious and magnificent authority of our Soueraigne Lord King Iames the most constant enemy of Antichrist and defender of the true Christian ancient and Apostolike faith for the maintenance of such worthies of our Church to employ their studies in refuting the aduersary and iustifying the truth of Iesus Christ Is not a good part of that Colledge alreadie erected Is it not still furthered and vndertaken by the Soueraigne Maiesty who for the glory of GOD will finish that glorious worke What should wee speake of those hundreds of free-Schooles that haue beene erected since the dayes of glorious Queene Elizabeth of happy memory for the rooting out of ignorance the very nurse of Popery and trayning vp of youth in Learning and Religion Shall we not euer remember not only how many sinkes of Antichrist were conuerted to Hospitals for the cure of the diseased and nourishing of Orphanes in the Citie of London and elsewhere and haue not their reuenewes beene much encreased by worthy Citizens from time to time Haue there not beene scores of new Hospitals erected and endowed in each part of the land for the reliefe of decayed and decrepet persons Shall not the memory of Sutton be glorious to posterity for that his magnificent Colledge so stately for the House so bountifull for the Reuenue of at lest sixe thousand pound by the yeere for the sustentation of decayed Souldiers Scholers Citizens c. to continue for euer And hath not the streame of this bounty yet flowed more boundantly to our Vniuersities Is there any Colledge almost in the Vniuersities which hath not receiued euen new glory from thesâ— times of the Gospell not onely by enlarging of the buildings and beautifying thereof but by addition of large maintenance for the encrease of their Fellowship and Scholers-places to continue for euer It not that glorious Library exceeding the Vatican or any now extant in the World furnished with all sorts of bookes and constant mayntenance for a Keeper therof and continuall supply for the same a very true and blessed monument of the bounty of these times a very liuely fruit of the true Religion of Iesus Christ Shall not the memory of deuout Bodley be blessed for euer And can wee forget what is now by Gods mercy euen finished that magnificent building of the Vniuersitie Schooles so stately for the structure so sufficient for mayntenance begunne euen from the foundation and finished by the procurement and charge especially of those most worthy instruments The Right Reuerend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London a true Kingly and Hieroicall Spirit and that illustrious Sir Iohn Bennet both liuing members of the Church of Christ Iesus both sometimes brought vp in that magnificent Colledge of Christ Church Surely if we shall adde vnto these the multitude of new Bridges erected
substantially in the needfull places of the Land of free stone c. The building of many Gates in the Câ—tie of London c. It may appeare that the Gospell of Christ hath beene most fruitfull in good workes Especially if we be wise to distinguish of the times it will appeare that the charges of such great buildings and endowments doe in these dayes farre exceede those of former ages though of the like bulke and quantity Both in that the Land doth now much more abound with people then in former ages in regard of the long peace our good God hath vouchsafed And so in regard heereof the prices of all things being much enhansed charges of building must needs be so much the greater And this the rather because the wise and gracious Lord hath also furnished the Land with more abundance of treasure then formerly which as it is an occasion to make things deerer in that men are better enabled thereby to procure their necessaries so doth this serue for the great enriching and contentment of the Land That our inbred commodities shall passe at a round price as hath else-where beene truly and sufficiently proued see my Lord Cokes preface to his Reports Lastly if we shall consider that as the doctrine of the Gospell teacheth what is the nature and property of true bounty so also it enableth to an holy practise of well-doing It will easily appeare that though it should be granted that the former times hath exceeded vs in the outward worke yet seeing they fayled in the true vse and end of well-doing they cannot iustly compare herein with the times of the Gospell And that well manifestly be discouerd by these differences 1 Because the good workes of popery were done in darknesse refused the light and true touchstone thereof and therefore wanting knowledge wherefore and faith to make the person acceptable they could not be good in the sight of God Whereas the Gospell teacheth to doe all things by a good warrant from the Word and in the faith of IESVS CHRIST doing all things in thankfulnesse vnto God for his loue vnto vs in Iesus Christ informing vs first to labour the acceptance of our persons in the Lord Iesus and so through him to offer vp this sacrifice 2 Popish workes as they wanted a good foundation so they fayled in the manner and meanes Either doing euill that good might come thereof Rom. 3. Or being stinted in well-doing not by the word but by the orders of their superiours and seuerall rules of their professions Whereas the Gospell teacheth to doe good by good meanes not according to the will of man in a voluntary deuotion imitation of angelicall perfection but according to the blessed will of God each keeping him-selfe within the bounds of his calling Whereas in Popery either the calling is not lawfull at all and so no good can truely be there done or else liberty is taken to vsurpe an other calling as that of the Magistrate or else they presume of an extraordinary calling as the best ground of all their heroicall and great exploits as they call them indeed their diuelish and monstrous enterprises vpon States Princes whosoeuer stands in their way 3 Popish workes faile in the true end which is to giue glory vnto God and procure saluation to the soule as being done first to merit by them and so to rob God of the glory of his free mercy and Christ Iesus of the efficacie of his all-sufficient merit secondly being done to depriue the soule of it saluation as teaching it first to rest in the outward workes without faith secondly by outward workes to excuse and satisfie for any grose and notorious wickednesse and so giues the bridle to all sinne with greedinesse and vtterly excludes true repentance 3 By their good workes to merit heauen and so to depriue themselues of the onely true way thereto 4 Onely tending to the maintenance of present credit and profit and so to build vp an imaginary happinesse in this life and thereby to exclude themselues eternall happinesse But the Gospell teacheth to ayme in all things at Gods glory 1 Cor. 10. 13. To propose saluation not any present respect onely as the marke of well-doing 3 Phil. 13. Not to rest in the thing done but in the acceptance thereof To labour perfection of well-doing not by Euangelicall councels but by the warrant of the word And in this confounding all Popish well-doing that we especially ayme at the sincerity of the heart and yet deny still our owne righteousnesse that wee may be found in Christ Iesus And that wherein the Papists doe well therein wee may be like vnto them and haue exceeded them but we must not be stinted by their measure nor misled by their ends They doe well without knowledge without Faith to merit thereby excusing hereby their ignorance Idolatries and all other kinde of abhominations We doe good workes out of knowledge of the will of God out of Conscience to obey Gods will as true branches deriuing our goodnesse from the Vine Christ Iesus performing and bringing forth fruit onely as we are engrafted in the Vine and daily receiue vertue and sap from thence to enable thereto hauing the imperfection of our goodnesse daily couered with the righteousnesse of Christ that we may be accepted of our God c. By the power of Christ dwelling in vs we are daily led on to perfection daily ascribing our righteousnesse to our maker CHAP. XXVII Hereunto appertayneth that Tentation That because 1 VVE sinne in the best wee doe Stherefore we will doe no good at all least we should sinne To which we may answere 1 That it is a sinne to omit wel-doing as well as to doe euill 2 That sinne which accompanies well-doing shall not be imputed if there be a willing minde 3 Our persons are accepted in Christ and therefore our faylings are couered with his righteousnesse 4 This life is not a time of perfection but of growing and hastening thereto and therefore though we be not perfect without sinne yet if we doe it truly without hypocrisie it shall be accepted 5 The sinne which accompanies wel-doing is not ours and therefore we shall not answere for it And yet by 6 Sinne we are still humbled to giue glory vnto Christ. CHAP. XXVIII A seauenth deuice to draw men from true bounty is by nourishing them in Idlenes and so disinabling thereto And that this sinne abounds in this age is manifest 1 BY the generall pouerty of the Trades-man and Artificer each labouring onely from hand to mouth to maintaine life and soule together as wee say the rest of the time being spent in idlenesse and vnthrifty sports c. Whereas the hand of the diligent might haue plenty 2 By that ordinary sleightnesse to which all Trades are growne each making things onely saleable to the eye without substance c. Idlenesse hauing found out a neerer way to deceiue it selfe and others And is it not iust with God
and vniust misery yet most iustly vpon themselues A second poynt of wisedome is that we must giue where there is most neede presently so that without our helpe life will perish And that because 1 This is most impartiall when we simply respect our owne flesh and are not led with any more speciall circumstances Esay 58. 2 This is most seasonable because now it doth good And 3 Generally euery one beareth the Image of God and so we are to relieue him least in him we reiect God himselfe Math. 25. And this condemneth 1 Those that neglect well-doing in such extremities vpon pretence that such are forsaken of God and so to be left to his iustice as presuming that if they were Gods they should not be left to such extremity whereas the Lord doth this eyther to trie our charity or shew his extraordinary mercy c. 2 Those that cast water into the Sea powring in where there is no want 3 Those that because they feare they may bestow amisse therefore they will not relieue at all much lesse in this extremitie A third poynt of this wisedome is That we not onely giue as present occasion is offered but That we set apart a moitie of our substance as the Lord encreaseth it to be as a Treasurie continually as occasion is offered to draw forth for the poore Pro. 5. 15. To this purpose compared to a Cesterne c. 1 Cor. 16. 2. For 1 Hereby we shew our determinate purpose to giue 2 Cor. 8. which is discouered by actuall giuing vpon occasions 2 We prouide for constancy and scasonablenesse of bounty as hauing somewhat alwayes ready and so continue to such end And this serueth 1 To reproue those that among their bagges haue forgotten this Or 2 Thinke so of themselues as that they ought not to let their stocke lie dead and thinking whereas they may imploy their stocke for the further maintenance of the poore Hereunto appertayneth 1 The appoynting of set officers for the distribution of the Almes vnto the poore These in the Primitiue Church were called Deacons and are vsed in all reformed Churches like vnto which are our Collectors for the poore Whose office was 1 To haue a particular Catalogue of the names of the poore 2 To discerne the measure of their pouerty and to this end to ouersee them weekely And 3 So to distribute the reliefe of the Church among them by such portions as may not linger them in a pinching famine but indeede cheere them and make them seruiceable to God the common-wealth or both 4 That they should giue an account of this their distribution to the Pastors and gouernours of the Church 2. To this purpose ought there a publike Treasury to be prouided 1 Not only of those weekely contributions which are ministred by the Saints 2 As also of those pledges of thankfulnes which are giuen at the Sacrament But Further euery man is monethly or quarterly as he is able to cast in his mite into the Treasurie for the increase and continuance of the common Treasurie not onely to relieue their owne poore but if occasion shall serue to comfort other Churches in their afflictions and wants A fourth poynt of wisedome in giuing is to keepe within the bounds of our abilitie That is 1 First to prouide necessary things for our selues and so consequently to distribute 2 To measure our ability not by what may be as fearing by giuing to diminish it but by what is so depending vpon the prouidence of God for the increase of our estate if we bestow on our Brother Pro. 11. 24. 3 If the case of the Church so require our ability must come within a narrower compasse not onely not to respect the time to come but so farre to enlarge our selues for the time present as to part with the inheritance of our Fathers and to sell our possessions for the reliefe of the Saints reseruing some part for our necessary reliefe and herein also for the time to come resting on the prouidence of God Luke 21. Widow 2 Chron. 31. 3. 4. Hezekiah Nehem. 10. 32. 33. Num. 31. 25. Act. 4. 32. Reasons 1 Because as it is a triall of our faith to Godward if we will lay downe our liues for his sake so if the Lord doe spare vs herein yet seeing we must suffer with our brethren therefore wee must manifest our loue by parting with our possessions to their reliefe 2 If we ought to part with our liues for our brethren sake then much more with our goods 1 Iohn 3. 16. Rom. 9. Prouided that this be in times extraornary and cases of extremity otherwise we are not bound to diminish our estates This 1 Reproueth all Popish charity and profession of wilfull pouerty 2 As also those that onely of their superfluity doe bestow thinking it in no sort lawfull to impart their patrimonies to this end whereas such will make no bones to sell away whole Lordships c. to maintayne dicing whoring c. 3 Hereby the loue of the Saints may be tried abundantly Apoynt of wisedome is That none may be any way dammaged or hindred by our benefice This may be 1 When sinne is manifested by the same As in the maintenance of Rogues and idle Beggars which though they can yet will not worke Quest. Are not these then to be relieued Ans. Yes if they begin extreame necessitiy 2 And be first punished for the breach of the Law 3 And so tied to worke when they are able that so they may liue of their owne otherwise both the giuer sins in breaking the law 2 Thes. 2. 12. and the receiuers sinne is maintayned by nourishing idlenesse c. 4 If they be impotent they are to be relieued at their houses and not suffered to wander 2. When our estates are lauished and consumed hereby To this end we must giue Ordinarily 1 As God encreaseth our estate 2 As may satisfie onely the present necessity of our brother that so he may as well depend vpon the prouidence of God as wee 3 When Superstition and Idolatry is maintained therby Exod. 23. such is the Popish charity in maintaining Iesuits c. 4 When idlenesse and vanity is thereby maintayned and this is the vsuall bounty of our land whose house-keeping and excesse what else doth it maintayne at solemne times but gaming and all excesse of sinne tending to the hurt both of the giuer and receiuer CHAP. VIII A fourth circumstance and condition of Beneficence that it to be done in Faith That is 1 THe person that performeth it must beleeue in the sonne of God because whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin Rom. 14 2 Cor. 8. 5. And this Reproueth the liberality munificence of all Atheists Papists and prophane persons whatsoeuer yea the hypocrites Almes is heere condemned Math. 6. 2 It must be done according to the word and so all voluntary and conceited charity is also reproued as also that depends onely on mans