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
Enterludes 5 Dancing Chap. 29 Certaine generall remedies are proposed and commended against these vnlawfull delights Chap. 30 Conclusion of the whole Chap. 31 THE ART OF Giuing CHAP. I. What Giuing is in generall namely AN imparting of what the Lord hath giuen vs as eyther cast vpon vs extraordinarily by his prouidence or obtayned by ordinary meanes of our labour and industry 2 To the necessitie of our poore brother as he is neerest vnto vs in the Lord And that both willingly and bountifully to his sound comfort And wisely also prouiding especially and principally for our selues And that in all holinesse and humility vnto God Giuing him the glory of what hee hath enabled vs to giue vnto others and laying vp thereby a good foundation by making vs friends of this vnrighteous Mammon against the day of Christ Iesus that we may be receiued into euerlasting habitations 1 Tim. 6. 19. Luke 16 11. 12. c. CHAP. II. Obserue we the diuers kindes of Liberality and that to good ends THe first and speciall worke of Charity is to prouide for the saluation of the soule To this end serue 1 Prouision that it be instructed by the word of God Rom 10. 10. 2 Reproofe for sinne and plucking it out of the fire Iud. 2. 2. 3 Comfort and consolation raising it vp out of the deepe and pit of despayre Gal. 6. 1. Iam. 5. 4 Chastisement and humbling of the flesh that the soule may be saued 1 Cor. 5. 5 To this end serues the maintenance of the Ministry as a speciall worke of bounty as also 1 Cor. 9. 2. Cor. 11. 6 The erecting and maintayning of the Vniuersities and Free-schooles for the instructing of youth c. A second and next worke of Beneficence is to relieue the body of our poore Brother And this is properly called Almes this is done 1 By giuing freely vnto him to supply his want Hebr. 13. Math. 5. 2 We must also lend vnto him which steeds him more sometime then giuing Deut. 5. 8. Luke 6. 35. Exod. 22. 25. 3 We must remit due debt or money lent if the party be not able to repay Exod. 22. 26. Nehem. 5 11. 4 We are to hinder and put off such wrongs as may be done vnto him Pro. 24 10. 11. 12. As also as our callings will allow to right him therein and to be auenged of those that offer them 6 Yea to this end we are to prouoke others to tender his case by making it knowne 7 Hitherto serue set contributions and treasuries for the poore 8 By conscionable selling we performe true bounty A third kinde of Beneficence is where gifts are giuen betweene parties for ciuill respects 1 Are gratulatory such as Gen. 45. 23 2 Or placatory to appease wrath as Iacob to Esau Gen. 34. 3 Some for reward as those of the Prince to the Subiect Dan. 2. 48. Hest. 6. 2. 4 Or to procure fauour of those of the meaner to the superiour Pro. 21. 14. 5 Some to helpe and promote iust causes as Iacob to his sonne Ioseph Gen. 43. 11. 6 And also to maintayne mutuall loue and friendship Nehem. 8. 1 Reg. 10 11. 12. 7 To the aduancing of the worship of God 1 Chron. 19. Exod. 35. 20. 8 By thankfulnesse we are giuen vnto God 9 Also gifts are giuen in signe of homage and subiection 1 Sam. 10. 27. Secondly some are to euill ends 1 As to the erecting of Idolatry Exod. 32. 2 To the coruprting and enthralling of the soule Reuel 17. 3 To the corrupting of iudgement and iustice Pro. 17. 23. 2 Sam. 16. Pro. 17. 8. 4 To the ensnaring and entrapping into danger 1 Sam. 18. 5 To the enthralling and abasing of men to serue the worlds turne 6 To obtaine greater benefits againe fishing with a Gudgeon to catch a Pipe CHAP. III. Of the true Giuer 1 GEnerally onely the regenerate man may truly giue because he onely hath right in what he hath The wicked being no better then theeues 2 Particularly the rich are bound to giue 1 Iohn 3. 17. 2 Cor. 8. 14. 3 The poore euen of that little that they haue are also bound to giue Ioh. 13. 29. Eph. 4. 28. As the widow must giue her mite seruants must giue of their wages 4 Yea we must empouerish our selues in some cases to giue to others in cases of necessitie Act. 5. Nehem. 5. Exception 1 Those that are in paricular subiection to others as Seruants to Masters these may not giue in selling c. vnlesse it be out of their wages 2 Subiects cannot giue but from that generall authority committed by the lawes of the land vnto them answerable to the lawes of God concerning relieuing of the poore c. 3 The Wife may not giue in some cases vnlesse it be of such things as are common to both 2 As also of that which she hath excepted from mannage 3 And that with the consent of her Husband eyther expressed or presumed from the generall liberty giuen to her 4 In a case of extremitie when all is like to be lost and the Husband vnfit to gouerne the family 1 Samuel 25. 19. CHAP. IIII. Obserue more especially what true giuing is as it properly belongeth to the elect of God and of the seuerall properties thereof Namely A Most free franke and liberall imparting some meet and conuenient portion of that wherewith God of his goodnesse hath blessed euery man 1 To the maintenance and aduancement of Gods pure religion and worship Hebr. 8. 3. 2 To the mercifull relieuing comforting and succouring of all such as we see or for want of such of those whom we doe by credible report vnderstand at any time to be in any present necessity and neede And that in such manner 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 CHAP. V. Of the conditions and propertie of true liberality gathered out of the former difinition 1 IT must be free and from a franke minde Luke 6. 33. 34. 35. Prou. 25. 21. 22. euen to our enemies Math. 5. 2 To those that cannot requite vs againe Luke 14. 12. 13 14. 3 And that not sparingly and grudgingly but bountifully 2 Cor. 9. 5. Philem 14. Luke 19. 1 Pet. 4. 9. Because 1 It must be from the heart 2 Cor. 9. 7. 2 This is it that God loueth and accepteth 2 Cor. 8. 12. 3 Yea though the gift be small yet the heart makes it acceptable Luke 21. Act. 9. 36. 1 King 18. 3. 4. Obadiah and Lydia Act. 16. Exod. 35. 20. 2 Chron. 39. 31. 36. 35. 8. sub Hezekiah and Iosiah Deut. 20. 8. Exod. 36. Markes of this free giuing Are 1 To giue bountifully of a little so the widow Luke 21. 2 To straine our selues euen aboue our ability 2 Cor. 8. 4. 3 To preuent importunate asking 4 Not to defer and put off til
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