Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A19280
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The art of giuing Describing the true nature, and right vse of liberality: and prouing that these dayes of the gospell haue farre exceeded the former times of superstition in true charitie and magnificence. By Thomas Cooper.
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Cooper, Thomas, fl. 1626.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 5692; ESTC S118543
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43,483
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144
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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
be able not putting him off with this that he must now seeke elsewhere but reioycing that we haue still this meanes to sanctifie our estate and being glad herein to preuent others Math. 26. 11. Pro. 22. 2. Rom. 12. 13. Gal. 6. Because 1 Our God deales so with vs as often as we seeke he supplies and we must be mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull 2 Hereby we preuent much distraction and endlesse labour which otherwise we put him to in putting him ouer to others 3 The Church is freed from inordinate and idle persons by this constant contribution 2 Thess. 3. 6. 7. 8. 9. 4 To this end serues that common treasury to be leauied and stored vp for the poore of which before CHAP. XI A seauenth thing to be considered in Beneficence is the ends thereof Which are 1 THe assurance of saluation to the giuer who testifieth hereby the truth of his faith 1 Iam. 23. And layeth vp a good foundation against the day of Christ 1 Tim. 6. 2 Is the benefit of the party both in soule and body to whom he giueth 3 The good of the Church of God which is hereby both honoured by the maintenance of her members 2. And prouoked to the like by such examples 3 And 3. hereby enabled and outwardly preserued when the word and meanes thereof are maintained Hence followeth the 1 Necessity of the maintenance for Ministers 1 Cor. 94. Gal. 6. 6. 2 The equity of Tithes to this purpose Deut. 16. 16. 12. 19. Act. 21. 24. not as a matter of Almes but due Luke 10. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 3. 4 This Beneficence hath good place in the solemne duties of Gods worship as a part and inseparable companion thereof So 1 It is a part of the sanctifying of the Sabbath in generall 1 Cor. 16. 1. 2 A necessary companion of publike Thankesgiuings Hest. 9. Nehem. 8. 3 As also publike fasts are not well solemnized without it Leuit. 25. 4 It doth accompany the Ministerie of the word Nehem. 8. 5 Hitherto also belongeth those reuenewes which haue beene giuen to the maintenance and repayre of the house of God Which howsoeuer in some part to superstitious vses yet by the godly haue beene well conuerted and established to such good ends And so are to be continued and increased 1 So that we remember we are in the time of the Gospell where lesse outward pompe is required then vnder the law Exod. 36. 5. 6. Hagg. 1. Mala. 1. c. 2 Where the Lord is to be worshipped in spirit and truth and not in outward ceremonies vnnecessary vanity 3 Where we are sometimes to remit of our right rather then to stand vpon vnnecessary and superfluous maintenance Ezra 8. 22. Act. 20. 33. 34 1 Cor. 4. 12. 2 Cor. 12. 13. 1 Thessa. 2. 3. 4. 5. 17. 9. 2 Thess. 3. 8. 1 As when the Church is in some extraordinary persecution and difficulty 2 To stoppe the mouth of false Prophets and accusers that condemne the Ministery as mercenary and that they doe all for what will you giue And this 1 Condemneth the vnsatiable ambition and couetousnesse of the Church of Rome 2 And generally all such as would bring religion from the heart to the eye and set vp a pompous and carnall worship 3 It teacheth all faithfull Pastors to be content with a sober maintenance and to beare a part of the burthen of the Church in all the difficulties streights thereof 5 And lastly and especially as aboue all the maine end is The glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Which we wholy respect by 1 Priuate secret liberality not blowing a trumpet c. but so that our right hand may not know what our left hand doth Math. 6. 2 This principally reports the humility of the heart which if it be free from hypocrisie and vaine-glory it skills not though the gift be open 3 By thankefulnesse vnto God that hath made vs not onely able but wiling to part with our owne and that in such good order and measure as that we may be perswaded of the acceptance thereof 2 Chron. 29. 14. CHAP. XII Now because things will better appeare by comparison of their contraries therefore hauing shewed the good properties belonging to Beneficence let vs now in the second place consider of such Vices as are contrary to godly and Christian Beneficence These are of two sorts 1 SVch as hinder the same altogether 2 Such as corrupt and peruert the power and sincerity thereof Those which hinder altogether are 1 Couetousnesse whereby we thinke we neuer haue enough for our selues Haba 2. 2. And so in steed of giuing rake what we can from others 2 Churlishnesse whereby we cannot endure to doe good to others as neglecting society c. 3 Pride as thinking our selues worthy of all things and therefore wee will not part with any thing 4 Enuy as not enduring the good of another and therefore wee will rather choake our selues then others shall haue good by vs nay we will hurt our selues that we may hurt others 5 A base account of God and his worship and his seruants 2 Sam. 25. Who is Dauid 6 Distrust in Gods prouidence as if we should want our selues if we should distribute to others 7 Confidence in riches which hath so possessed and forestalled our hearts as that they haue no corner to admit compassion to others 8 Selfe-loue as if all were too little for vs we could not bestow too much cost on our selues being onely borne for our selues 9 Voluptuousnes which so imployeth our state and drowneth vs in pleasure as that wee regard not the afflictions of Ioseph 10 Atheisme thinking this life to be onely our happinesse and therefore wee will take our fill wholy possesse it our selues none shall share with vs therein 11 Vnnaturalnesse as hauing broken the bands of nature and so neglecting all duties thereto 1 Rom. 27. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 6. Those which seeke to corrupt our Beneficence are 1. On the left hand 1 Hypocrisie whereby we make shew of what we meane not to doe 2 Vaine-glory doing it to be magnified of men 3 Conceit of merit as if God were beholding to vs and we did a worke of supererogation 4 Iniustice giuing of ill gotten goods 5 Superstition when we doe good to maintayne Idolatry c. 6 Pollicy when we do good for a greater hurt or to procure vnto our selues some greater benefit of men 2 On the right hand 7 Prodigality giuing beyond our ability 8 Presumption of Gods prouidence hence 9 Neglect of spirituall and ciuill meanes to vphold our estates 10 Vnthankefulnesse vnto God for enabling vs hereto CHAP. XIII Further consider we such Motiues as may stirre vs vp to the performance thereof These are 1 THe commandement of God expresly enioyning the same Galat. 10. Math. 6. 2 The examples of the Saints that haue beene plentifull herein Our Sauiour himselfe though he liued of Almes yet he gaue bountifully