vnto it It followeth that we consider likewise of vnthankfulnesse to men both how greuious the sinne is and also who seuerely God will punish it according to the testimonies of his holy Scriptures as was propounded and determined before Concerning the greatnesse of the sinne of vnthankfulnesse betwixt man and man that place of holy Scripture 2. Tim. 3.1 among sundrie other places The greatnes of the sin of vnthankefulnesse to men may iustlie be one where the Apostle rehearseth it among those hainous and noisome sinnes by the abounding whereof the times should growe verie perillous in the last daies For men saith the Apostle Paul shall bee louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankfull c. vnthankfulnes therfore being one speciall sinne Whereby the times will growe perillous or grieuous and tedious yea euen to good merciful men while they shall see all beneficence troden vnder foote and peruerted by the which they would gladlie drawe manie to the loue and obedience of the Gospell of God it can not be lesse esteemed then for a verie hainous sinne And the rather also because not onelie the beneficence of other good Christians cannot preuaile to drawe them to the loue of godlines but euen the beneficence and all reuerence which is due to Parents is easilie despised of vnthankefull persons For if children shall despise their Parentes and all that they haue done for them in the care and cost of their education whom then will they regard To whom can they be ingenuouslie thankfull And therefore is it also that in his diuine wisedom our S. Christ doth so vehementlie inueigh and cry out against the Pharisies who by their blinde and couetous traditions hindered the thankefulnes and remuneration and recompence which children owe to their poore Parentes they thereby making the lawe of God namelie the fift commandement Honour thy father and thy mother of no authoritie as our Sauiour chargeth them Mat. 15.3.4.5 c. And Iohn ch 10.31.32 and before that ch 8.44 he conuicteth manie of the Iewes to be the children of the Deuill and not of God because they went about to stone him who had wrought manie good workes among them And verilie infinit was the goodnes and mercie beneficence which our Sauior Christ wrought aboue all other men that euer were both to the soules and also to the bodies of an infinite number of men while he was in his humanitie here vpon the earth though indeede he distributed no great summes of money among them And yet behold al was not able to subdue this furie of vnthankfulnesse which had bereaued them of all dutifull regard of his good workes wrought among them See therefore the strange nature of this sinne which where it taketh place breedeth the greatest trouble and disquietment yea the greatest malice and outrage that may be further then it is curbed and restrained by the almightie power of God which onely is able to suppresse the furie of the wicked Here therefore we are againe to obserue that albeit vnthankfulnesse to men did rest onely in the neglect of the dutie of thankes yet were it to be condemned much more among Christians then among the heathen whose great hatred against it we haue seene testified before And so we find it noted to the reproofe of Pharaohs butler Gen. ch 40.23 because he did so long forget Ioseph who had bene so great a comfort to him while he remained in prison with him yea because he forgat him although Ioseph had intreated the Butler to shew him mercie and to be a meanes to Pharaoh that he might be deliuered out of his vniust imprisonment But we see that vnthankfulnesse to men goeth not alone likewise as we saw before that vnthankfulnesse to God goeth not without an vnruly traine And therefore also it maketh it selfe so much the more hainous and troublesome or grieuous as the other hath shewed it selfe to be Whereupon let this now be noted for a graue and weightie admonition to all that so soone as the heart ceaseth to be thankfull for benefites receiued of good and mercifull men so soone doth it begin to grow hurtfull and pernicious against men The which admonition that it may the rather take place with vs let vs consider of the warnings which the holy Scriptures of God giue vs against this most wicked practise both by precept and by the discouerie and rebuke of those that haue wickedly practised the same And so will we come to the punishment of this sinne For Precept of admonition against it we may well call to mind that which the Apostle setteth downe Rom. ch 12.17 c. and 1. Thes 5 15. where the holy Apostle according to the instruction of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 5 44. chargeth all Christians to be so farre from recompensing good with euill that they should not recompence one euill turne with another but contrariwise that they should ouercome euill with goodnesse But that it doth not seldome fall out otherwise it may appeare by the complaints of the seruants of God against examples of contrary euil practise and also by common experience Of these euill examples of most vnthankfull practise we haue the speciall complaints of Iob Dauid the prophet Ieremie Of Iobs complaint we read in the beginning of the 30. chap. of his booke For after that he had protested his kind and mercifull course of life all the time of his prosperitie as hath bene alleaged in the first part of this Treatise out of the 29. ch he breaketh into this speach But now saâ—th he they that are yonger then I mocke me yea they whose fathers I might haue dispised to set with the dogges of my flocke that is to giue them a place among my poore shepheards and other heardmen to haue part of that which they cast to their dogges c. And then it followeth verse 9. c. Now I am their song and I am their talke They abhorre me and flie farre from me and spare not to spit in my face Because that God hath loosed my coard and humbled me they haue loosed the bridle before me c. This is the complaint of Iob. The complaint of Dauid is set downe in diuers places Namely Psal 7.4 where he saith he was vexed without cause of him whom he had deliuered And Psal 35.12 They reward me euill for good to haue spoyled my soule He had not onely one such a principall aduersary and as it were a ringleader or captaine but he had many other that ioyned with that chiefe aduersarie against him though they had no more iust cause to doe so then their leader had And Psal 38.20 They also that reward euill for good are mine aduersaries because I follow goodnesse And Psal 109.4.5 For my friendship they were mine aduersaries but I gaue my selfe to prayer And they haue rewarded mee euill for good and hatred for my friendship And Psal 120.7 I seeke peace but when I speake
conscience of humane office and dutie which he would haue preserued in the middest of them and such also as he hath vsed for his more holie and honorable instruments for the direction and instigation of his people from time to time to walke not onelie in humanitie but euen in Christian mercie compassion toward their brethren in a holie communion of Saintes before him Not for necessitie of proofe or for power of perswasion as if the holie Scriptures were not alone sufficient to euerie holie vse both of doctrine reprehension comfort and exhortation but that euery one that wil not shut his eyes may more clearely perceiue that he shall stand euery way conuict and condemned before God and in his owne conscience and before the world if he do not mind and practise the duties herein conteined And that especially in more then ordinary hard times such as of late haue continued for sundry yeares together and are like againe to renew vpon vs if we call not the more earnestly vpon God for mercie and if we shall not more vnfeinedly repent of our most grieuous sinnes which haue as it were armed his iustice and kindled his wrath against vs. And in this respect I trust such addition of sentences shall not be vngratefully accepted either of the learned who will take an honest and scholler-like delight in the elegancie of the speech wherein the Authours expresse their graue and weightie meditations of these matters or of the vnlearned for whose sake I will English at the least the more briefe and principall of them And the rather haue I this trust because they will wisely consider that there is more libertie allowable this way in a course of writing then in an vsuall order and custome of preaching and againe because in no other argument may this be to better purpose performed then in that which is presently in hand Excellency of Giuing THE FIRST PART of the Treatise CHAP. 1. What Giuing is IN so much as in this argument of Giuing Receiuing Giuing as was obserued in part before hath the first place in order it being as it were by birth and course of nature before Receiuing but much rather in so much as it is of greatest preheminence and worth in dignitie to the which also belongeth the chiefe fruite and as it were the first-bornes double portion in the blessing according to those words of our Sauiour Christ himselfe which the Apostle Paul would haue very diligently remembred of all Christians in that he sayd It is a blessed thing to giue rather then to receiue Act. 20.35 Reason therefore strongly chalengeth that we begin with Giuing as with the principall and more worthy part of that Prize which now is striuen for And how I pray you should it not be as the Apostle remembreth from the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ that Giuing is a more blessed thing than Receiuing seeing that by how much men of God are more bountifully minded and more liberally handed by so much do they more liuely both in disposition of mind also in practise of Action represent and resemble the likenesse of God himselfe who by no other thing is better manifested and made knowne either for his owne honour and glorie or to our comfort then by the bountie of his goodnesse and mercy in giuing and bestowing his benefites and blessings vpon vs his poore and vnworthy seruants This doubt the Lord himselfe giueth clearely to vnderstand in his holy Scriptures where he hath of purpose most fully reuealed himselfe in that he holdeth forth the light of his mercy to shine out most brightly among the reâ—â— of his most noble diuine vertues as we may perceiue by a few testimonies culled out of many which it shall be good for vs to alleadge before we proceed any further as it were out of so warme a Sun-shine The Prophet Moses telleth vs that at what time it pleased God at his request to proclaime the glorie of his name Exod. chap. 34. verses 6.7 that he vsed more words in number and larger in sence to expresse his mercy then any diuine property els yea then the wrath of his iustice which is there mentioned with it The words of mercy which exceed in number are these Mercifull gratious slowe to anger and aboundant in goodnesse and truth compared with not making the wicked innocent and visiting of iniquitie foure or fiue to two The words which exceed in largenesse of sence are these Reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgression and sin that is infinit sinnes and all kind of great and grieuous sinnes compared with these words Visiting the inquitie of the fathers vpon the children vpon the childrens children to the third and fourth generation But mark I pray you that I do not lessen or diminish Gods iustice to inlarge his mercie for that were most impious sacrilege seeing both are infinitely perfect aboue all vnequall comparison but I speake as Moses telleth vs that the Lord himself spake coÌ„paring the displeasure or anger of his iustice with the fauor of his mercy in regard of his couenaÌ„t made in respect of Christ by whose satisfactioÌ„ this wrath of iustice is woÌ„derfully coÌ„tracted yea in respect of the elect made temporall yea is cleane diuerted and abolished For otherwise perfect that is infinite both mercy and iustice meete together in the saluation of the elect God accounting it iust to saue the vniust for Christs sake who is the Lord our righteousnesse But let vs come to some other testimonies wherein God hath in singular maner renoumed his mercie The Lord saith the holy Psalmist is gratious and mercifull slowe to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his mercies are ouer all his works Psal 145.8.9 And Psalm 136. he repeateth this foote of the song as often as there be verses in the Psalme that is 26 times one after the other For his mercie endureth for euer And he maketh this as the chiefe reason of all his workes yea euen of his most fearefull and heauy iudgements vpon the wicked in the which he propoundeth to himselfe not so much the confusion and destruction of the wicked in his iustice as the benefite of his Church and people to the glory of his grace and mercie as is easie to be seene in the reading of that Psalme According also to that Isaiah 43.4 Because thou wert pretious in my sight wert honorable I loued thee saith the Lord therefore will I giue man for thee and people for thy sake This singular care of the Lord ouer his people is euerie where repeated in the holy Scriptures Read Psalme 9.9 and Psal 10.17 and 18.27 and 34.6 and 40.17 and 113.5 and 146.7.8.9 God will be a refuge to his poore people he will heare them he will saue them he will destroy their enemies c. And for what other causes also doth God at any time aduance any of his seruants from poore estate to high
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
doubt that by the rich he might helpe the poore and by the poore make triall of the rich as it is well obserued answered by a godly learned Father Neuertheles the same our God who commandeth vs to do good vnto all that alwayes he doth specially require that we be chiefly beneficiall to those poore ones which be of the houshold of faith Euery man is bound to giue and that also constantly and without wearinesse Gal. 6 10. And further also euen concerning these though we are to begin to exercise our kindnesse with the recompencing our kindred which is noted to be an honest thing and acceptable before God 1. Tim. 5.4 Yet we are not to stay there but to extend our goodnesse to other our poore neighbours and neare dwellers and not onely so but sometime also euen to such as dwell in places far distant from vs according to that right Christian practise whereof we reade Rom. chap. 15. vers 24. c. When I shall take my iourney into Spaine saith Saint Paule I will come to you c. But now I go to Ierusalem to minister vnto the Saints For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certaine distribution vnto the poore Saints which are at Ierusalem For it hath pleased them and their debters are they c. Neither are we to stay til such as we mind to help be pressed with extreme neede and therefore to make delayes but to take hold of the occasion and if it may be euen to preuent their calamitie For so we haue the precept Prou. 3.28 Say not to thy neighbour Go and come againe and to morrow will I giue thee if thou now haue it Why so It may be he may die that he cannot come or though he liue yet be discouraged from comming againe or if he do come thou maist be more hardened against him then before or it may be that thou maist bee sodainly taken away by death from all that thou hast as our Sauiour Christ saith in the parable to the rich couetous and vnmercifull man Wherfore far better both in respect of themselues who taking the time to do well shall reape in due season and more comfortably to others seeing the deferring of the hope is the fainting of the soule but the desire accomplished is as the tree of life and also more to the honour and glorie of God which is best of all doe they which dispose and giue themselues to pursue hospitalitie and to distribute to the Saints most readily according to that Rom. 12. vers 13. TEN PHILOXENIAN DIOKONTES pursuing or prosecuting hospitality Euery man is bound to giue and that also with good expedition Petrus Martyr Longè autem maius est persequi hospitalitatem quà m esse hospitalem It is far more to pursue hospitality then to be hospitall as saith a learned interpreter Of this sort of holy and kind hearted pursiuants Lot and Abraham are cōmended for singular examples in the olde Testament Philemon and Gaius in the new And that there is speciall regard to be had of the houshold of faith mentioned before and among those to such of them chiefly who being destitute by any occasion are of singular godlines and grace aboue the rest there is very great reason why it should be so not onely because they are more precious in the sight of God but also because they of all other are least regarded yea rather most maligned and spighted in the world the children whereof doe only loue and cherish their owne And like wise also concerning the rest howsoeuer vnbeleeuers must be tendered of the faithfull though they regard not them and better is it as was said that almes should be cast away then any creature should perish for want of reliefe In which respect the Christians of the Primitue Churches euen in the middest of the hote rage of their persecutors Read M. Foxe Acts monu pesrecution 10. pag 76. got singular credite to their profession in that they shewed more mercie to miserable infidels then did the vnfaithfull themselues Yet wisedome and discretion is to be vsed this way for their sakes who are wont to pretend neede without cause or in a measure aboue their neede while they make themselues more poore and friendlesse or more diseased and lame or more weake and feeble then they are indeed or in that they lay the blame vpon other for their vndoing and decay when as in truth they haue had no other riflers and oppressors then their owne slouth and vnthriftinesse whereby their pouerty hath bene armed against them according to that we read Prou. chap. 6.11 and againe chap. 24.32.33.34 Yet a litle sleepe a litle slumber a litle folding of the handes to sleepe So thy pouerty commeth as one that trauelleth by the way and thy necessity like an armed man Wittingly therfore Euery man is bound to giue rather with his own hands in his life then by executors after his death and without good caution to giue vnto such specially if they be of set purpose idely and leudly minded is not onely to cast away that which a man giueth but which is worse to cherish and confirme the wicked in their sinne as was sayd once before yea and thereby also to defraude those that are better minded to whom of right that beneficence so cast away was onely due To conclude this point of our definition concerning euerie mans Giuing it may not be amisse to adde vnto the former considerations that it is a more wise course also more agreeable to the nature of true liuely beneficence for euery one to giue and dispose with his owne hands and by the ouersight of his owne eyes that which he mindeth to giue euen in his life time rather then to leaue all or the greatest part to the dispositiō of his executor after his death For such gifts are subiect to much fraudulent and vnfaithfull dealing as experience dayly confirmeth that we say nothing of the opinion of merit or of the danger of superstition and praying for the dead which hath by long custome attended that course And beside it seemeth lesse commendable in the Church of God for any to giue his gift when he can keepe it no longer and lesse comfortable to the conscience of the Giuer in the sight of God because he may doubt whether it be rather an extorted or a free gift Neuerthelesse that beneficence which any good Christian bequeatheth by his last wil and testament which we may call his funerall beneficence is not to be condemned though the other course specially of such as be more rich and wealthy is to be accounted so much the more honourable by how much it doth more euidently declare both a liuely faith in Gods fatherly prouidence and also a more liuely and pure loue to the brethren and therefore for excellencie sake may bee called Vitall Beneficence It followeth nowe in the latter part of our definition
sententiam referens A Gâ—ft must be receiued thankfully Qui gratè beneficium accepit primam eius pensionem soluit Et quod superest soluendae gratiae securior debere potest He that hath thankefullie receiued a benefit he therewithall paieth as it were the first payment and as touching that recompence which is further more to be made he hath the longer day or respite for the paying of it Sen. lib. 2. de Bene. cap 22. 35. Qui verò beneficium dantis grata mente non suscipit iniuriam facit benefacienti But he that doth not intertaine the benefit of his benefactor with a gratefull minde he doth him great wrong Amb. Comment in cap. 10. ep ad Heb. Gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum inuitatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thankfulnes is an inducement to prouoke to the bestowing of greater gifts Chrisost And againe Si cùm ab hominibus beneficium aliquod accepimus illud grati praedicamus beneuolentiores illos reddimus quantò magis Dei beneficia celebrantes ad maiorem erga nos beneuolentiam eum inuitabimus Seeing when we receiue any benefit at the handes of men if we speake thankfully of it we make them more kindly affected toward vs how much more shall we prouoke the Lord to shew his more great fauour toward vs if we will celebrate his praises for his benefites bestowed on vs We must be specially thankfull to God Gratitudo nulla assequi potest magnitudinem beneficiorum Dei. Deo debemus omne quod possumus omne quod viuimus omne quod sapimus quis habet quicquam non tuum No thankefulnesse can be proportionable to the greatnesse of Gods benefites We owe vnto God all that we are able to performe and whatsoeuer our whole life and wit may attaine vnto and who hath any thing saith August which is not thine ô Lord. Medit. cap. 17. Nunquam Dei liberalitatem munificentiaÌ„ vinces quaÌ„uis omnium facultatum tuarum iacturam feceris quamuis te ipsum etiam facultatibus adiunxeris Nam hoc quoque ipsum Deo aliquid donare accipere est Thou canst neuer exceede the liberalitie and bountifulnesse of God although thou shouldest loose al whatsoeuer thou enioyest for his sake yea although thou doest ioyne thy selfe also with all that thou art worth For euen this also To giue any thing to God it is to receiue a gift of him To witte in that it pleaseth him to accept the same Greg. Nazianz. Orat. 27. de Pauperum a more Quicquid sumus quicquid habemus Deo debemus We owe vnto God whatsoeuer we are and whatsoeuer we haue Calu. in 2. Cor. 8.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All good dutie is to be performed to benefactors It is our dutie to performe all thankefulnesse to those that haue deserued well of vs. Basilius Ostendit Paulus suam Onesiphoro gratitudinem quum remunerandi vices in Deum transcribit quia impar est soluendo Benefactors are to be praied for Paul sheweth his thankefulnesse to Onesiphorus in that he beeing vnable to make recoÌ„pence to wit with worldly requitall he putteth ouer the office of rewarding vnto God Calu. in 2. Tim. 1.16 c. And in the same place Tantus est etiam Dei amor erga suos vt se ad omnes qui cum illis sunt coniuncti diffundat So great also is the loue of God toward his seruants that he doth extend his loue vnto all that are ioyned in communion with them Beneficiorum acceptorum commemorationem honestam laudandi occasionem esse dixit Basilius Benefactors are to be well spoken of The rehearsall of benefites receiued is an honest meanes of yeelding them their due commendation as saith Basil Nullum officium referenda gratia magis necessarium est Benefactors are to be recompencâ—d No dutie is more necessarie then is this of thankefull requitall Cicero Off. 1. Quid tamlaudabile quid tam in omniuÌ„ animos receptuÌ„ quà m referre benemeritis gratiam What is so commendable what so generallie allowed in the mindes of all as that thankes is to be rendered to those that haue deserued well of vs Sen. de Benef. lib. 4. 6. Quae natio non comitatem non benignitatem non gratum animum beneficij memorem diligit quae superbos quae maleficos quae crudeles quae ingratos non aspernatur non odit What nation is there that loueth not curtesie and liberalitie as also a grateful heart such one as is mindfull of a benefite receiued Likewise what nation is there where proud mischieuous cruell and vnthankefull persons are not despised and hated Cicero de Leg. lib. 1. Xenophon alijque Ethnicorum Graecorum dixerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenophon and sundry other of the heathen Grecians were wont to say that it is euery where accounted a iust thing that such as haue benefites bestowed vpon them should likewise haue care to make some recompence againe Recompence is to be made with aduantage if it may be Hesiodium illud inquit Cicero laudatur a doctis quod eadem mensura reddere iubet qua acceperis aut etiam cumulatiore si possis That saying of Hesiodus saith Cicero is coÌ„mended of the learned which willeth thee to render according to the same measure wherby thou hast receiued or if it may be with a more full and heaped requitall Lib. de claris Orat. Non tantum animo aequare sed si fieri potest vincere debemus Sen. de Benef. lib. 1. cap. 4. And among Christians Quid tam contra officium inquit Ambrosius quam non reddere quod acceperis Nec mensura pari sed vberiore reddendum arbitror vsum pensandum beneficij What is so contrary to good dutie as not to recompence that which thou hast receiued Neither do I iudge that thou shouldest doe it with equall measure onely but more aboundantly and that the vse of the benefite should be requited according to the time it hath bene enioyed Off. lib. 1. cap. 31. But what if a man be not able so to doe Quid si nulla reddendi facultas suppetit He answereth in the next chapter In reddendo beneficio plus animus quà m census operatur magisque praeponderat beneuolentia quà m possibilitas referendi muneris In that case saith he a good mind or desire to do it is of better worth then siluer and a ready will or affection is more to be esteemed then all possibility of any other recompence And among the heathen Cicero in his 3. Philippica thus he determineth this point Cum gratia referri non potest quanta debetur habenda tamen est quantam maximam animi nostri capere possint When the thankes deserued are greater then we can repay we are yet to acknowledge them with as earnest affection as our mindes are possiblie able to attaine vnto Nescit virtus mensuram gratiae nec contenta referre quod acceperit vult cumulare quod sumpserit
ne inferior sit beneficio licet aequetur officio Vertue is of this nature that it cannot abide to be scant in thankefulnesse and not contented to yeeld that which it hath receiued it desireth to returne heape measure not liking to be inferior in the benefit though it be matched in like dutifulnesse of the mind Amb. Comment lib. 5. in cap 6. Lucae Magni viri magnifice egerunt non vt in vnam tantum aetatem prodessent Benefactors are to be recompenced in their posterity ita nos non per vnam tantùm aetatem grati esse debemus As men of excellent vertue haue done notable thinges respecting the benefit of more ages then one so ought thankfulnesse to continue from one age to another toward those that descend from them Gratus esse non potest nisi qui beneficij meminit To moue vnto this recompence-making it is necessarie that benefites be well thought of remeÌ„bred He can not be a thankefull man that is not mindefull of the benefit Obliuio facit ingratum nec excusat ingratitudinem Forgetfulnesse maketh vnthankefull but it is no excuse of vnthankfulnesse Sen. de Benef. lib. 3. cap. 1. c. And againe Quis tam ingratus est quà m qui quod in prima parte animi positum esse debuit semper occurrere ita seposuit abiecit vt in ignorantiam verteretur Apparet illum non saepè de reddendo cogitasse cui obrepsii obliuio Who is so vnthankefull as he which hath so put aside yea cast away that which ought to be chiefly remembred and often thought vpon by him that it is turned into mere ignorance whether any such thing had euer bene or no This forgetfulnesse is the rather to be carefully watched against because we are very apt to forget a benefit soone after we haue receiued it according to the sentences following Beneficij memoria breuissima at iniuriae solet esse tenacissima The remembrance of a benefite is verie short but an iniurie is kept very long in mind And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing in this life doth sooner waxe old or loose the vigor of it then doth thankfulnesse Socrates Aristoteles And not only is it so concerning men but euen concerniâ—g God also Nihil enim procliuius est quà m donorum Dei obliuio Nothing is more readie with vs then the forgetfulnesse of Gods benefits Caluinus Comment in Ioh. cap. 4.44 Wherefore worthy is the admonition of a more ancient Father Vt pretiosum quoddam depositum gratiarum actionem in anima tua custodias recipies tu quoque dupliceÌ„ illius iucuÌ„ditatem Keepe thou thankfulnesse in thy heart as thou wouldest keepe a precious pledge committed vnto thee and thou thy selfe also shalt receiue a double pleasure therby Basilius Serm. 3. in diuites auaros Neither is the saying of the heathen Philsopher to be lightly passed by in that he setteth downe this sentence Multum is dat ei cuise fidelem gratum amicum dederit That man giueth much vnto him to whoÌ„ he will giue himselfe a trustie and gratefull friend Sen. de Benef. lib. 6.33 There are many wayes of exercising beneficence Alium re alium fide alium gratia alium consilio alium praeceptis salutaribus adiuua Be helpeful to one with thy goods to another by trusty dealing to another by that fauour which thou hast with any to another by aduise and counsell and to another with wholsome instructions Sen. de beneficijs lib. 1. cap. 2. Enuy hindreth all thankâ—ulneâ— Vehemens importunum malum est inuidia quae nos inquietat dum comparat Hoc mihi praestitit sed illi plus sed illi maturius deinde nullius eausam agit contra omnes sibi fauet Gratitudini denique inimicissima est Non potest quisquam inuidere gratias agere Quia inuidere querentis moesti est gratias agere gaudentis Enuie is a fierce and troublesome euill the which disquieteth vs while we enter into comparison to wit after this maner He hath done this for me indeed but more for him and that also more seasonably and thus he pleadeth on no mans side but against all he is partiall for himselfe alone To conclude it is the sorest enemie that thankfulnesse hath It is impossible that anie man should be both enuious and thankfull For enuie is the propertie of him that complaineth is sullome but thankfulnesse belongeth to him that is ioyous and cheareful Sen. lib. de Benef. 2. cap. 27. lib. 3. cap. 3. Res conuiuÌ„ctae sunt Dei gloria Ecclesiae munificentia The chiefe end and â—se oâ— beneficence iâ— the glory oâ— God Neque haec cessare potest quin illa tantundem minuatur The glory of God and the liberalitie or contributions of the Church are linked together Neither can this cease but accordingly is that diminished Calu. in cap. 8. verse 19. 2. Cor. Nothing can be sayd or conceiued sufficiently concerning this grace of beneficence in which respect the Apostle calleth it an vnspeakeable gift of God Lect. of S. B the last pag. Sentences that may be referred to the third chapter 2. part of the Treatise Omnes immemeres beneficij oderunt All men are wonte to hate such as are vnmindfull of the benâ—fite or good turne which hath bene done them Cicero Offic. 2. Vnthankfulnes to men iâ— a very hainouâ—sâ—n And againe lib. 8 ep ad Atticum In ingratitudine nihil non mali inest Ingratitude is accompained with all kind of euill and mischiefe Non referre beneficijs gratiam est turpe apud omnes habetur Ideò de ingratis ingrati queruntur cùm interim hoc in omnibus haeret quod omnibus displicet It is a very shamefull thing and so is it acccunted of all men for a man not to be thankeful for benefits receiued And for the same cause euen vnthankefull men themselues complaine of those that be vnthankful though in the mean while that sticketh in all which seemeth to be disliked of all Sen. de Ben. lib. 3. cap. 1 And ch 6. 7. of the same booke Cum diffâ—cilis esset incertae rei aestimatio odio damnauimus inter ea reliquimus quae ad vindices Deos mittimus When we perceiued saith Seneca in the name of many other Philosophers that the matter was so difficult that we could not certainly determine it we condeÌ„ned it as an odious thing haue left it amoÌ„g those things that we put ouer to be reueÌ„ged of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vitium maximum ingraetitudo videtur mihi indignum profecto perquam indignum vitium Chrisost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Detestabilis est obliuio gratiae beneficiorum reticentia Theod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Admiranda illa quidem ingratitudo est quae benemerentis beneuolentiam ingratitudinis occasionem facit Gesner Serm. sentent 58. These Sentences are Englished before Argumentum nihil debentium odio quaerunt