The Happiness of the Church, Biblical commentary 22
GODS BOVNTIE OR The blessings of both his hands.
Prov. 3. 16.
Length of dayes is i… her right hand: and in her left hand, riches and honour.
BY Wisedome, here the consent of Diuin… vnderstandeth the Sonne of God, the Sauiour of Man. In the first to the … 1. Cor. 1. 24.he is called the Wisedome of God. aCol. 2. 3.In … are hid all the treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge.
Wisedome is formerly commended for her Beautie, here for her Bountie. Length of dayes is in her right hand; in her left riches and honour. Conceiue her a glorious Queene sitting in … throne of M…iestie, and …lling her children about her, to the participation of those riches, which from euerlasting shee hadde decreed them.
Not to trauell farre for distribution, the parts of this Text are as easily distinguished, as the Right hand from the Left. Here be two Hands, and they containe two sorts of treasures. The Right hand hath in it Length of dayes: the Lest, riches and honour.
The right hand
Is vponupon good reason preferred; both for it owne worth whereby it excelles, and for the worth of the treasure which it containes. It hath euer had the dignitie as the dexteritie.
Length of dayes
Is the treasure it holds. This cannot be properly vnderstood of this mortall life: though the sense may also stand good with such an interpretation. bProu. 9. 11.For by me, sayth Wisedome, thy dayes shall be …: and the yeares of thy life shall be increased. Wisedome is the mother of abstinence, and abstinence the Nurse of health. Whereas voluptuousnesse and Intemperance, (as th… French Prouerbe hath it) Digges the owne g…e with the teeth.
But all a mans Wisedome cannot keepe him still aliue. cEccl. 2. 16.The wise man dyeth, as the foole, sayth Salomon. And the Father of Salomon excludes it from hauing power to keepe a man. dPsal. …. …That he should liue still for e…r, and not see …rruption. Me…ushalem liued nine hundred sixtie and nine yeares; yet he was the Sonne of E…ch, who was the sonne of …ared, who was the sonne of …, who was the sonne of Cainan, who was the sonne of …, who was the sonne of Seth, who was the sonne of A…, who was the sonne of dust. The best constitutions, that communicate in the sanguine of the Rose, and Snow of the Lilly, hauehave this parentage; they are the sonnes and daughters of dust.
This … … i… not … to the Poles, nor are these dayes measured by the Sunne in his Zodiacke: all is pitched aboue the Wheele of changeable mortalitie. It is Eternitie that fils the Right hand of Wisedome.
Length of dayes.
Dayes for the Claritie.
Length for the Eternitie.
Dayes.
Mans life in this world is called a Day: a short day, a sharpe day. Short, for instat vesper: it is not sooner morning, but it is presently night. The Sunne of life quickly sets, after it is once risen. Sharpe; for miserie is borne with life, brought vp with life, and to the good dies with life: to the wicked remaines in death. Like Hippocrat… twinnes, inseparable in their beginning, processe, end. So that aged Patriarch to Pharao. eGen. 47. 9.My dayes hauehave beene few and euill, So. Iob. fIob. 14. 1.Man is of few dayes, and many troubles. gPetrarch.Animal …vi breuissimi, solicit…dinis infinitae. And Paul cals it hEphe. 6. 13.the euill day. It is somewhat to comfort, that though it be sharpe, Euill: yet it is but short, a Day. iEphe. 5. 16.Redeeme the time, for the dayes are euill. But howsoeuer Semper mali dies in seculo, yet semper boni dies in Domino: as kIn Psal. 33.Augustine sweetly. Though the world hath alwayes euill dayes, yet God hath alwayes good dayes.
And this Day shall hauehave no night. Nox non erit illic. lReu. 21. 25.There shall be no night. The Sunne that inlightens it; cannot be ecclipsed. mVer. 23.That cittie hath no need of the Sunne, neyther of the Moone, to shine in it: for the Glorie of God doth lighten it, and the Lambe is the light of it. No clouds shall draw a vaile of obscuritie ouer it. Here the light of the Sunne darkens the Moone, and the Moone obscures the luster of the Starres: Sometimes halfe the earth is in light, the rest in darkenesse.
But in these Dayes, Albeit n1. Cor. 15. 41…there is one glorie of the SVNNE, another of the MOONE, and another of the STARRES; and one starre differeth from another starre in glory: yet the light of one increaseth the light of another: and the glorie of one, is the glory of all. oAug. Medit. cap. 25.Dispar est glo… …, sed … Latitia omnium. So in summe, here we liue but a short day; GiueGive vsus this day our dayly bread. But in that world wee shall hauehave Daies, & those good dayes, and great dayes; dayes of eternall length, for they shall hauehave no night.
Length.
As the glorie is cleare for the Countenance, so it is long for the Continuance. Nullus erit defectus, nullus …erminus. There shall be … charit…, chara …rnitas Gods eternall decree to chuse v… in Christ had no beginning, but it shall hauehave an end: when the elect are taken vp to glory. The possession of this decreed Inheritance shall hauehave a beginning, but no end p1. Thess. 4. 17Wee shall e…er be with the Lord. Gods merciemercy in both hath neither beginning nor end; for it is from euerlasting to euerlasting.
Here then is both the Countenance; it is a cleare day: and the Continuance, it is of length; the very same Length that Euerlastingnesse it selfe. Hezekiahs day was a long day, when q2. King. 20. 11The shadow of the sunne went tenne degrees backward in the diall of Ab…. Iosuah had a long day; when the Sunne stood still in Gibeon, and the Moone in the valley of …. rIosh. 10. 14.And there was no day like that before it, or after it. But both these dayes had their nights; and the long forbearing sunne at last did set. Here the dayes are so long, that it shall neuer be night. You see the clearenesse and the length: both are expressed. Dan. 12. They that be …ise, shall shine as the firmament, and they that turne many to righteous…es, as the Dan. 12. 3.starres; there is the Claritie: and that for euer and euer, there is the Eternitie.
There is nothing made perfectly happy, but by Eternitie; as nothing but eternitie can make perfect misery. Were thy life a continued scene of pleasures, on whose stage griefe durst n…uer set his vnwelcome foote: were the spoyle of Noahs Arke the cates of thy table: hadst thou king Salomons wardrobe and treasurie: Did the west Indie send thee all her gold, and the East her spices: and all these lying by thee whiles a late succession of yeares without car…, snowes white vponupon thy head: thou we… euer indulgent to thy selfe, and health to thee. Yet suddenly there comes an impartiall Purseuant, death; and hee hath a charge to take thee away … de …, bathing thy selfe in thy delights. Alas; what i… … thy glory but a short play, f…ll of mirth till the last act, and that goes off in a tragedie. Couldest thou not hauehave made death more welcome, if hee had found thee lying on a padde of straw, feeding on cr…s and water gruell? Is not thy paine the more troublesome, because thou wast well? Doth not the end of these temporary ioyes a…ict thee more, then if they had neuer beene? OnelyOnly then eternitie can giuegive perfection to pleasure: which because thi… world cannot afford, let vsus reckon of it as it is, a mee…e Through …: and desi… our Home, wh… we shall be happy for ….
In her Left hand, riches and honour.
The gift of the right hand is large and eternall, of the left▪ short and …. Yet you see, I am short in the long part, giuegive mee leaue to bee long in the short part. Herein wee hauehave many things considerable.
1. That Riches and H…r are God… gifts.
2. That all are not so, but some: and therefore it is necessary for vsus to learne, whether God gaue vntounto vsus that riches and honour which we hauehave.
3. That albeit they are his gifts, yet but the gifts of his left hand.
4 That wealth and worship are for the most part companions; for both those gif… lie in one and the same hand.
1. Riches and honour are God… gifts, therefore i… themselues not euill. Sunt Dei …, …rgo i… se bona. Saith Augustine▪ sEp. 70. ad Bonif.Ne p…tentur …a, … & … b…na, … & …lis. That they may not be thought euill, they are giuen to good men: that they may not be thought the best good, they are giuen also to euill men. A rich man may be a good man, and a poore man may be wicked. Christ sanctified … as well as …; and that in
his
…
Life
Death.
1. In his Birth: hee sanctified Pouerti…, when hi… chamber of presence was a Stable, his cr…dle a manger, his royall robes course ragges. Hee sanctified Ric…, when he rec…ed of the wise men preciou… … tMat. …. 11.G…ld, Frankincense, and Myrth, Que … ipsissi… …la, dedignatus ess…t. Which if they had beene simply euill, he would not hauehave accepted.
2. In hi… Life: hee sanctified … when hee was maintained …, hauing no garment to put on; and the good women kept him by their contributions. Hee was glad to borrow an Asse colt, when he was to ride: and to angle for mon…y in the sea, when he payd tribute. And (… if he wanted a bed) to complaine; uMat. 8. 20.Th… Foxes hauehave holes, and the birds of the aire hauehave nests: but the Sonne of … hath not wh…re to rest his head. Hee sanctified Riches, when hee called aLuk. 19. 2.Zaccheus a wealthy vsurer, and raised bIohn. 11.Lazarus a wealthy citizen, had his cIoh. 12. 6.S…d which gaue almes to the distressed, and bo… his p…se. And like a Prince, feasted thousands at one banket.
3. In his Death. He sanctified P…ertie, when he had not a Graue of his owne, but was buried in another mans dLuk. 23. 53.Sepulchre: nay, not a sheete to wrappe him in, but was beholding to another for his linnen. And euen dying conuerted a poore malefactor on the Crosse by him. He sanctified Riches, when he accepted the kindnes of Ioseph, (whom Matthew calls a eMat. 27. 57.rich man, Marke an fMark. 15. 42.honourable) for his sepulture: and gIoh. 19. 39.Nichodemus his costly vnction, euen an hundreth pound waight, mixed with myrrhe, and aloes.
Though riches be to some pernicious; a fuming wine which turnes their braines: yet to others they are a vessell, wherein they may with more speed saile to heauen: though no compasse, starre, or cause, to bring them thether. Others are called by Dauid, …iri diuitiarum, Men of riches: because they possesse not their riches, but their riches hauehave subiugated them. We hauehave a kind of presage, though we conceiue it not, in saying of such a one; He is a man of wealth. The speach signifies him a slaue to his riches: the wealth is not the mans, but the man the wealths.
But otherwise a rich man may be a good man: for wickednesse is not bound to wealthinesse, as heate is to fire: and arrogancie or lewdnesse may be incident to pouertie and basenes. Pauper superbus: a poore man proud, was one of Cyprians twelue abuses. A rotten log will yeeld as much saw-dust, as a piece of good timber: & a peasant ill nurtured, is also ill natured. A great gentleman will shew more humble courtesie, then a thrashing hind, or a toiling ploughmā. Hagar was but a Gipsee, a bondwoman yet was her excellent mistres Sara hGen. 16. 4.dispised in her eyes. As Ier…m reproued the Monkes. Quid facit sub t…ica p…nitentis regimus animus? So not seldome a …sset coate shrowds as high a heart, as a silken garment. You shall hauehave a pal…rie cottage send vp more blacke smoke, then a goodly mannor. It is not wealth therefore, but vice that excludes men out of heauen.
The Fryers and Iesuites hauehave very strongly & strangly backbited Riches: but all their railing on it is but behind the backe: secretly and in their hearts they louelove it. When they are out of the reach of eyes, then Gold is their Sunne by day, and siluer their Moone by night. Some of them for enforced want, like the foxe dispraise the grapes they cannot reach. Or as Eusebius notes of Licinius the Emperor; that he vsed to raile at learning, & to say, nothing worse became a prince, because himself was illiterate. So they cōmend nothing more then Pouerty, because they are, & must be poore, against their wills.
Others of them find fault with Riches, whereof they hauehave great store; but would that none should couet it beside themselues. So the cosening Epicure made all his fellow guests beleeue, that the banket was poysoned; that all they refusing, hee might glut himselfe alone. These often cheate themselues, and worke their owne bane: whiles they so beat off others from the world, and wrappe themselues vp in it to their confusion. The foxe in the fable, with diuerse other beasts, found a rich bootie of costly robes and iewels. Hee perswades the Lyon that he needs not trouble himselfe with them, because he is king, and may command all at his pleasure. He tells the Stagge, that if he should put them on, they would so molest him that hee could not escape the huntsmen. For the Boare, hee sayes they would euill fauouredly become him: and the wolfe he shuffles off with the false newes of a fold of Lambes hard by, which would doe him more good. So all gone he begins to put on the robes himselfe, and to reioyce in his lucky fraud. But instantly came the owners, and surprised him: who had so pus…led himselfe in these habiliments, that hee could not by flight escape: so they tooke him, and hanged him vp.
The subtle foxes, Iesuites and Fryers diswade kings from coueting wealth, because of their power to command all: and Great men, because it will make them enuied and hunted after for their trappings. Countrey men it will not become they say: and all the rest, that it will hinder their iourney to heauen. So in conclusion they driue all away, and get the whole world for their master Pope, and themselues. But at last these foxes are caught in their owne noose: for the deuill finds them so wrapp'd & hamperd in these ornaments, and their hearts so besotted on money and riches, that he carries them with as much ease to hell, as the charriot drew Pharaoh into the red sea.
For vsus beloued, we teach you not to cast away the bagge, but couetousnesse. Non facultatem, sed cupiditatem reprehendimus. We bid you vse the world, but enioy the Lord. And if you hauehave wealth iLuk. 16. 9.make you friends with your riches: that they (so made friends by your charitie) may receiue (and make way for) you into euerlasting habitations. It is not your Riches of this world, but your riches of grace, that shall doe your soules good. Not my wealth, nor my blood, but my Christianitie makes me noble: quoth that noble Martyr Romanus. And though the Philosopher merrily, when he was asked whether were better, wisedome or Riches, answered, Riches: for I hauehave oftē, said he seene poore wise men at rich fooles dores; but neuer rich fooles at poore wise mens dores. Yet wealth may be ioyned with wisedome, goodnesse with greatnesse. Mary and Martha may bee sisters: righteousnesse and riches may dwell together.
Chrysostome on that aphorisme of Christ, kMat. 6. 24.Yee cannot serue God and Mammon obserues: that hee doth not say, Yee cannot hauehave God and Mammon; but ye cannot serue God and Mammon: for hee that is the seruant of God, must bee the master of his wealth. The Lord Iesus is able to sanctifie and saue the rich mans soule as well as the poores: and to send poore Lazarus into the bosome of rich Abraham. Where consider not onelyonly lAug. in Psal. 51.Qui sublatus, but Quò sublatus. Poore, but good Lazarus, is carried into Rich, but good Abrahams bosome: to signifie that neither Pouertie deserues heauen, nor Riches hell. Diuitiae non iniquae, sed iniquis. Riches are not vnrighteous, but to the vnrighteous. Nec culpabile est habere ista; sed harere istis. It is not a sinne to hauehave them, but to trust them.
As much might be sayd for Honour. It is the Lord that aduanceth. m1. Sam. 2. 30.Those that honour me, I will honour sayth God. It is God, sayth Iob, that putteth on the kings girdle that fastneth his honour about him. Promotion commeth neither from the East, nor from the West: nor from North, nor South: but onelyonly from the Lord. Hence it followes that Great men may be good men: yea hence it should follow, that great men ought to be good men.
They may be good. Christ had his faithfull followers euen in Cesars familie. nDe Consid. Lib. 4.Bernard indeed complained, that the Court is wont to receiue good men, but to make them bad men. Bonos facilius recipere, quam facere: and Plures illic defecisse bonos, quam profecisse malos. The Court doth sooner take good men, then make good men. There moe good are peruerted to euill, them euil converted to good. Yet in the Court of Pharaoh was a good Ioseph: in the Court of Darius a good Daniel in the Court of Ahashuerosh a good Mordecai. Neither is it euer true that, Quò quis corruptior moribus, & corrumpentior muneribus; the more a man is corrupt with vices, and corrupting with bribes, so much the more set by. The Pharises obiection is sometimes false. oIoh. 7. 48.HaueHave any of the Rulers beleeued on him? They may be good; yea
They must be good. For they are vnprinted Statutes whereout euerie man reads his dutie. They are Legis factores, & therefore should not be Legis fractores. Aristotle calls them Loquentes Leges; speaking Lawes. In feriours often set their eyes, to supply the place of their eares; and rather looke to see their duetyes, then to heare it. All should liue by Precept, but most will liue by Precedent. A Superiour therefore should teach men, to take the measure of his greatnesse, by his goodnes. These two should be of an euen length, of an equall pace. If honour out-runnes honesty, it will hardly be ouertaken. Let such a one appeare to the people as he would hauehave them be: and be himselfe such a one as he appeares. A great Person is like a great hill; which giues a faire prospect, but is subiect to the lightning and thunder of censures.
2, But it may here be obiected, that if Riches and Honour be GODS gifts, then is he the giuer of Iudas his wealth, and Hamans honour. Perhaps you would here learne, whether your riches and honours come from God or no: your demand is requisite, and I will striue to giuegive you satisfaction.
First for Riches.
If they come from God, they are
Honestly gotten.
Iustly disposed.
Patiently lost.
1. They are well gotten: for God is not the Patron of vniust gaines. He can blesse a man well enough without the help of the Deuill. There are many that will hauehave wealth though they go a fishing for it, eyther with Habakkuks pHab. 1. 15.net, or Ophni's booke. They do not onelyonly trouble the waters for it, but they bloudy the waters; fetch it out of the bowels and life-bloud of the poore. This is not from God, nor will he blesse it. But qMica. 1. 7.as it was gathered of the hire of a harlot, so it shall returne to the hire of a harlot.
It is easie for that man to be rich, that will make his conscience poore. He that will defraud, forsware, bribe, oppresse, serue the time, vse, abuse all men, all things, swallow any wickednesse; cannot escape riches. Whereas he, whose conscience will not admit of aduancing or aduantaging himselfe by indirect means, sits downe with contented Pouertie. But Bonus non cito e…sit diues: a good man seldome becomes rich on the suddaine. Wealth comes not easily, not quickly to the honest dore. Neither let vsus enuie the grauell, that stickes in the throate of iniustice. For hee that will swallow the baite, which hangs on the Line of another mans estate, shall be choaked with it. Of riches let vsus neuer desire more, then an honest man may well beare away. Mallem me miserum sanctum quàm prosperum peccatorem. I had rather be a miserable Saint, then a prosperous sinner. When the raising of thy roofe, is the rasing of anothers foundation. rHab. 2. 11.The stones shall cry out of the wall, and the beame out of the timber shall answere it. Thus …on accipimus data, sed arripimus prohibita: we take not things with a beggars hand, but with a Tyrants: they are not Gods gifts, but our felonies.
For this cause Riches are called Bona fortunae; the goods of fortune: not that they come by chance, but that it is a chance if euer they be good. sHab. 2. 6.Vaeac cumulanti non sua. And tVer. 9.Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house. Wee thinke the oppressors auarice euill onelyonly to the houses of the oppressed: but God sayth, it is most euill to his owne. Whether fraud or force bring in vniust gaine, it is as a coale of fire put in the thatch of his house.
And to shew that God is not the giuer of this, hee powres a curse vponupon it; that often they who thus desire most wealth shall not hauehave it: the world being to them like a froward woman, the more woed, the further off. uEsa. 33. 1.Woe to thee that spoylest, and wast not spoyled: when thou shalt cease to spoyle, thou shalt be spoiled. And Habac. 2. 8. Because thou hast spoyled many nations, all the … of the people shall spoyle thee and thou shalt be for booties vntounto them. Many a great fish in the sea of this world, deuoures another: and instantly comes a greater, and deuoures him. As that xSueton. in vita vespas.Emperor suffered his Officers to bee like spunges, sucking vp the goods of the comminaltie: and being once full, hee squeased them into his owne coffers. yGen. 41. 21.Pharaohs leane kine, that deuoured the fat, were yet themselues neuer the fatter.
Philip was wont to say, that an asse laden with Gold, would enter the gates of any citie: but the golden lode of bribes and extortions shall barre a man out of the Citie of God. All that is so gotten, is like quick siluer; it will bee running. If the Father leaue all to his son, yet the sonne will leaue nothing for his sonne, perhaps nothing for himselfe: neuer resting till.
Quodcumque profunda
Traxit auaritia, Luxu peiore refundat.Claudian.
Vntill he hath throwne abroad all with a forke, which his father got together with a rake aNahu. 2. 12.The lion did teare in pieces enough for his whelpes, and filled his holes with prey, and his denns with rauine. But I will bee against thee, sayth the Lord: and the sword shall deuour thy young Lyons. The father playes the Lyon for his whelps, oppresseth and consumeth the poore: but his young Lyons, which he so prouides for, shall be destroyed.
Non habet euentus sordida praeda bonos.Ov. Amor.
We hauehave seene huge hills of wealth, like mountaines of ice, thus suddenly thawed as waxe, with the heate of Luxurie. But Parum iusto, bPsal. 27. 16.a little that the righteous man hath, is better then the riches of many wicked. For the armes of the wicked shall be broken: the strength of their state shall be confounded. Their wealth is not Gods, therefore he takes no charge of it. But the Riches of the good, is the riches of God, and he will prosper it.
2. These riches are well disposed or vsed. Pietie not lust, rules them. He whom Gods blessings hath made rich, giues God his part, man his part, and keepes the thirds to himselfe. He returnes part.
1. To God: it is reason that he who giues all should hauehave part of all. And because thou shouldest not grudge it, hee chalengeth but a litle part, but the tenth part, wretched men, that will not giuegive him one, that gaue them tenne. As Pilates wife sent her husband word; cMat. 27. 19.HaueHave thou nothing to doe with that iust man: meddle not with Gods portion; lest a voyce come to thee, as to Abimelech, dGen. 20. 3.Thou art but a dead man. This was good Iacobs resolution; eGen. 28. 22.of all that thou shalt giuegive me, I will sure: ly giuegive the tenth vntounto thee. Goe too now ye that say, the Gospell hath no law for Tythes; and that they were meerely ceremoniall. Iacob payed them vnderunder nature: they are therefore vnnaturall men that deny them. You can find no law commanding your payment, but you shall find a law condemning your non payment.
What can then be pleated for our accursed Impropriations? Did the heauenly Wisedome euer giuegive you those riches? Shew vsus your Patent, and wee will beleeue you. If euer God did conuey his owne portion to you shew vsus his hand and seale for it. Where did euer Iesus passe away his royall prerogatiue, or acknowledge any fine before a Iudge; that you say, Haec nostra sunt; these are ours? What money did, you euer pay him for them? where is your acquitance? Shew your discharge. O but you plead prescription! If you were not past shame, you would neuer dare to prescribe against the eternall God. Nullum tempus occurrit Regi: the king of heauen had these from the beginning, and will you now plead prescription? You may thus vndoe the poore Minister in these terrene Courts, but your plea shall bee damned in the Courts of God. We can produce his act and deed, whereby hee separated Tenths to himselfe: hauehave you nothing to shew, and will you take away his inheritance? Goe to, you hauehave a Law, and by your owne law this proceeding is intolerable. You say, you hold them by your law, by your law you shall be condemned.
Perhaps you thinke to make amends for all, for you will encrease the stipend of the vicar. When the Father hath gotten thousands by the sacrilegious Impro priation, the Sonne perhaps may giuegive him a Cowes grasse, or a matter of fortie shillings per annum. Or bestow a litle whiting on the Church, & a wainscote seate for his owne worship. Yea more; hee may chance to found a litle Almeshouse, and giuegive twelue pence a piece a weeke to sixe poore people. O this oppressor must needes goe to heauen, what shall hinder him? But it will bee, as the by-word is, in a Wheelebarow: the fiends, and not the Angells will take hold on him.
For is it not a great piece of charitie, to get fiue hundred pound a yeare from God and to bestow twenty markes a yeare on the poore? When Dauid prouiding for the Temples building, saw how bountifully the Princes and people offered; he giues solemne thankes to God, acknowledging that they had all receiued this first from him. f For all things come of thee, and of thine 1. Chro. 29. 14owne hauehave we giuen thee. The originall is, of thine hand. What here the left hand of God gaue to them, their right hand returnes to God. They did not as our Churchsackers and ransackers doe; robbe God with the right hand, and giuegive him a litle backe with the left: take from him a pound, and restore him a peny. Well you would know whether God hath giuen you your wealth; and he sayes, whatsoeuer you hauehave gotten by Tenths was none of his giuing: and, besides euerlasting malediction, it shall make your posteritie beggars.
2. The second rule of vsing our riches well, is (when God hath his owne, in the next place) tribuere cuique suum: to render eueryevery man his due. If they bee Gods gifts, they must be disposed with iustice. This is double; Commutatiue, & distributiue Iustice. The one Arithmeticall, the other Geometricall. Arithmeticall is to giuegive euerie one alike: Geometricall is to giuegive euerie one according to his deserts. 1, Cùm res adaequaturrei. 2. Cùm res adaequatur personae. There are two rules for him that would be iust: a negatiue, and an affirmatiue rule. 1. The negatiue. gTobit. 4. 15.Doe that to no man which thou wouldest not hauehave done to thy selfe. Quod tibi non vis, alterine facias. 2. The affirmatiue. hMat. 7. 12.Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you, doe ye euen so to them. Not what euerie man out of his disordered passions would hauehave another doe to him: but what in his composed and deliberate iudgment he approues done to himselfe, let him doe that to others. Wouldst thou be relieued? Relieue. Wouldest thou borrow? lend.
If I should follow this point of iust distribution, as a marke to discerne of your riches whether they are Gods goods or not; how distasting would my speech be! How few of your houses are filled with those treasures onelyonly, which the heauenly wisedome here disperseth! How litle of them is found to come in Gods name! It may be some of your wealth was giuen you of God; but your euill vsage alters the nature of it; and it can no more properly be ascribed to him. It is hard to draw this circumstance into a square: it is so confused in your actions, that I cannot tell how to find a method for it in my discourse. You may make your riches none of Gods blessings, by vsing them ill in respect of others, especially three wayes.
Or
Detinendo debita, by detaining things due to others
Extrudendo vilia, by putting forth base things for good.
Corrūpendo vtilia, by corrupting with good things others.
1. By detaining those things that are due to others: &
these are either
Debts
Promises.
1. Debts. Rom. 13. hRom. 13. 8.Owe no man any thing, but to louelove one another. Indeed there must be some owing, as there must be some lending: without this mutuall commerce we are worse then Sauages. But we must pay againe. iPsal. 37. 21.The wicked borroweth, and payeth not againe. Debt is not deadly sinne when a man hath no meanes, but when he hath no meaning to pay. There must be votall restitution, if there cannot be actuall. Restore Quoad affectum. thought you cannot Quoad effectum. k2. Cor. 8. 12.For if their be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, & not according to that he hath not. God reckons that as done which a man lBern.verè voluit, tamet si non valuit adimplere; faithfully would, though not fully could accomplish.
There are that will restore some, but not all: to this they hauehave Posse, but no velle: let the creditors be content with one of foure. But this litle detinie is great iniquitie. For a mite is debt, as well as a million. Tam, though not Tantum: so good a debt, though not so great a debt. And mMat. 25. 23.he that is faithfull in a litle, shall bee made ruler ouer much.
What shall we then say of their goods, that breake, and defraud others? Come they from Gods hand, or from the deuills? Surely Satans right hand gaue them, not Gods Left. Haec mea sunt, sayth the Deuill: meae diuitie, mei diuites. These are mind, my riches, and my rich men. O that men would see this damnable sinne! mee thinkes their terrified consciences should feare, that the bread they eate should choake them; for it is stolne; and stolne bread fills the belly of grauell. They should feare the drinke they swallow should poyson them; being the very bloud of good housholders, mixed with the teares of widowes and orphanes. The poore creditor is often vndone, and glad of bread and water: whiles they like hogges lurking in their styes, fatte and lard their ribbes with the fruite of others labours. They robbe the husband of his inheritance, the wife of her dowry, the children of their portions: the curse of whole families is against them.
And if this sinne lye vponupon a great mans foule, hee shall finde it the heauyer, to sinke him lower into perdition. They are the Lords of great lands, yet liue vponupon other mens moneys: they must riot and reuell, let the poore commoners pay for it. They hauehave their Protections: their bodyes shall not bee molested, and their Lands are exempted: what then, shal they escape? no, their soules shall pay for it. When the poore creditor comes to demand his owne, they raile at him, they send him loden away, but with ill words, not good money. In the Countrey they set labourers on worke, but they giuegive them no hire. Tut they are Tenants, vassalls: must they therefore hauehave no pay? Yet those very Land-lords will bate them nothing of their rents. But the riches so hadde, are not of Gods giuing, but of the Deuills lending; and hee will make them repay it a thousand fold in hell.
2. Promises are due debts, and must not be detained. If the good man promise, though to his owne hurt, mPsal. 15. 4.he changeth not. Indeed now Promissis diues quilibet esse potest: men are rich in promises, but they are poore in performance. More respect is had to commoditie, then to honestie. Men hauehave their euasions to disanull their promises: either they aequiuocate, or reserue; or being vrged plead for getfullnesse. But the truth is, they hauehave sufficient memorie, but not sufficient honestie. It is said that a good name is the best riches; Qua semet amissa, postea nullus eris. But what care they for a name, so long as they saue their money? nIu…en. Satyr. 1.Quid enim saluis infamia nummis?
A Pilate could say, Quod scripsi, scripsi; oIoh. 19. 22.What I hauehave written, I hauehave written: and shall not a Christian say, Quod dixifaciam, what I hauehave promised, I will performe? Hence it comes that there is so litle fayth in the world: that scriueners hauehave so much worke, that the prouerbe runns in eueryevery bodies mouth; Fast bind, fast find: that there is no hope of good deeds, but Sealed and deliuered: that there is more trust to mens seales, then to their soules. For the Law of God holds vsus not so fast, as the lawes of men. There is more awe of iudgement in the common Pleas, then of a sentence of condemnation in the Court of heauen. The Sherife is altogether feared, not God: their is no dread of any Execution but his. Is the wealth thus detained, in your owne consciences, Gods blessing? deceiue not your owne soules. God requires vsus to be iust in all our words, as righteous in all our wayes. A Christians word should bee as currant as his coine. Thus you see this first circumstance of Iniustice taxed. Therefore pProu. 3. 27.Withhold not good from them to whom it is due; when it is in the power of thy hand to doe it.
2. By putting forth base things for good. The Prophet Amos speakes of some, that qChap. 8. 6.sell the refuse of their wheat the basest wares: neither doe they sell them for base, but for good. If halfe a score lies, back'd with as many oathes, will put off their vile commodities, they shall not lye vponupon their hands. Not vponupon their hands, I say; though vponupon their consciences.
Plenius aequo
Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere merces.Hor. lib. 2. ep.
Their rule for themselues is Vincat vtilitas; for others Caueat emptor. Either they will shew you one thing, & sell you another: and this cosenage hath longer armes then all other trickes, and ouer reaches them. Or they will conceale the insufficiencie of the wares; and for this cause they darken their shops, lest the light should reueale their workes of darkenesse. rIoh. 3. 19.They louelove darkenesse more then light: let them take heed, least it be vntounto them according to their desires: least as they hauehave brought hell into their shops, so their shops send them into hell.
Or if the commoditie bee discerned bad, you must hauehave that or none. If your necessity forceth you to buy, it shall force you to buy such base stuffe. This is a grieuous sinne in all professions, especially amongst Apothecaries: because with their iniustice may be also mixed a spice of murder. But you will say, wee compell none to buy our commodities: we but shew them, and make the price. But it is craft tendere plagas, etsi agitaturus non sis: to lay snares, though you driue not men into them. Or be it what it will, yet rather then refuse your money, they will protest to giuegive you the buying. Yea rather then faile, they will sell it you cheaper, then before they swore it cost them.
Quis metus aut pudor est properantis auari? What, sell cheaper then they buy? How should they then liue? Iuv. Sat. 14.The answere is easie, they liue by their lying.
Now doth this wealth come on Gods name? is this the blessing of Heauen? Which of your consciences dare thinke so? Saint Augustine speakes of a certaine De Trin. lib. 13. cap. 3.Iester, that vndertooke to tell the people what they all did most desire. Multitudes came to heare this: to whose expectation he thus answered. … vultis emere, & chare vendere: You would buy cheape, and sell deare. And this is eueryevery mans desire, that desires to bee rich, more then to be iust.
3. By making others bad with his goods: and here we may fitly proceed to the condemnation of Bribery. aDeut. 16. 19.A gift blindeth the eyes of the wise. They that see furthest into the Law, and most clearly discerne the causes of iustice, if they suffer the dusts of bribes to be thrown into their sight, their eyes will water and twinkle, and fall at last to blind connivence. It is a wretched thing, when Iustice is made a Hackney, that may bee back'd for money, and put on with golden spurs, euen to the desired iourneys end of iniurie and iniquitie.
If the partie be innocent, let his cause be sentenced for his innocencies sake: if guiltie, let not gold buy out his punishment. If the cause bee doubtfull, the Iudge shall see it worse, when he hath blinded his eyes with Bribes. But the will of the giuer doth transferre right of the gift to the receiuer. No, for it is not a voluntary will. But as a man is willing to giuegive his purse to the theife, rather then venture his life or limbe: so the poore man giues his Bribes, rather then hazard his cause. Thou sayest, the theefe hath no right to the purse so giuen: God sayth, nor thou to the Bribe.
And this is sinfull in a Iusticer, though he passe true Iudgment on the cause: but much more accursed, when for this he will condemne the cause he should allow, or allow the cause he should condemne. To iustifie the wicked, and condemne the innocent, is alike abhomination to the Lord. Farre be from our soules this wickednes; that the eare which should be open to complaints, is thus stopped vp with the eare-waxe of partialitie. Alas poore truth, that shee must now bee put to the charges of a golden eare-picke, or sh… cannot be heard.
But to shew that these riches are not of Gods giuing, his anger is ho…e against them. bIob. 15. 34.Fire shall consume the Tabernacles of Briberie. The houses or tabernacles, the …hambers, hals, offices, studies, Benches; a Fire shall consume them. They may stand for a while, but the indignation of the Lord is kindled; and if it once begin to burne, all the waters in the South are not able to quench it. These Riches then come not of Gods blessing: but I pray that Gods blessing may bee yours, though you want those Riches. Time, that seuere moderator, chargeth me silence: and I rather chuse abruptly to breake off my discourse, then immodestly to abuse your tryed patience. The Lord send vsus the gifts of his Left hand at his owne good pleasure, but neuer denie vsus the blessings of his Right, for Iesus Christ his sake.
Amen.