Petition of Two Sisters, Reason 5
The fifth reaſon is, that this Incloſure is againſt Chriſtian charitie.
SAint Paul ſaith, Charitie ſeeketh not her owne things, but eueryevery man alſo 1. Cor. 13. 5 Phil. 2. 4.the things of other men. But theſe Incloſers reſpect onelyonly their owne commodities, and therefore it is againſt charitie. It was the voyce of Cain, and not of Sheth, nor of Gods Church, am I my brothers keeper? And euen at this Gen. 4. 9.day they are of Cains petegrée, and not of Gods familie, that hauehave no care of the wealth and welfare of their brethren.
This Incloſure is alſo againſt the louelove which Jeſus Chriſt commaunded and ſhewed towards vsus; Yee know the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt (ſaith 2. Cor. 8. 9.Saint Paul) that he being rich, for your ſakes became poore, that you through his pouertie might be made rich. And I giuegive you foreign my counſell, and 2. Cor. 8. 10.mine aduiſe herein. This is alſo that law of our Sauiour Chriſt, which he ſo ſtraitely commaunds all his, To louelove Ioh. 13. 34. Ioh. 15. 12.one another, as he hath loued them, and that with a repetition. This is Saint Pauls aduiſe; for our brethrens ſakes, 2. Cor. 8. 10euen to become poore to doe them good. But Incloſers doe not thus, they ſéeke their owne wealth and riches, therefore they contradict both our Sauiours law, and Saint Pauls aduiſe.
The moſt comfortable words of our bleſſed Sauiour, euen the firſt and moſt ioyfull meſſage that he ſent to his Apoſtles after his reſurrection were theſe, Goe to my brethren and ſay vntounto them, Ioh. 20. 17.I aſcend vntounto my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God. Oh ioyfull newes! Shall we not beleeue this? And if we doe, ſhall we not account indéede all Chriſtians now our brethren? euen our moſt néere and déere brethren? which brotherhoode our Sa-Sauiour Jeſus ſo dearely bought, euen by his moſt precious death; and ſhall we not deale with them as with our brethren? But Dauid in the perſon of our Sauiour Chriſt complaines, that he is become a ſtranger to his brethren, Pſal. 69. 8.and an aliant to his mothers children. And is not Jeſus Chriſt, in his members amongſt vsus, in this ſtate euen now? and may he not ſéeme to make the ſame complaint? Whoſoeuer lets a farme, or ſels any thing to his brother, doth he not deale with him, as with a ſtranger? doth he not make him pay for it to the vttermoſt? Nay, ſometimes more then it is worth? A Turke might hauehave it as cheape at our hands as a Chriſtian. And may not Jeſus Chriſt then iuſtly ſay, that he is become a ſtranger to his brethren? ſurely as great a ſtranger, in his members to Chriſtians, as he was in his owne perſon to the Jewes. For as they gaue Mat. 26. 34.him vineger and gall to drinke; ſo many now giuegive to their brethren; and eſpecially Incloſers giuegive this drinke to their poore tenants.
And here we may note that excellent propertie of true charitie that ſhe is alwaies hard to her ſelfe, that ſhe may be bountifull to others. So was the widow 1. King. 17. 15.of Sareptah, that ſhe might féede Elias; and ſo was that widow in the Goſpell, Luk. 21. 4.which our Sauiour ſo highly commends; That ſhe might giuegive ſome thing into the Treaſurie of God, ſhe gaue all her liuing, and puniſhed her ſelfe. So was that Samaritan and that ſtranger amongſt the Jewes (whoſe example all Luk. 10. 37.that will be accounted neighbours our Sauiour commaunds to follow) to that wounded man. He ſet him on his owne beaſt: he went a foote himſelfe, and tooke paines that he might ride. So were all the Church of Macedonia, as Saint Paul ſheweth, in their extreame 2. Cor. 8. 2.pouertie rich in liberalitie to the poore, They pinched themſelues, that they might be liberall to them. Doe Incloſers follow theſe examples? doe they pinch themſelues that they may doe their brethren good? Shall not all theſe examples, of Jewes, widowes, ſtrangers, and Macedonians mooue them? They doe quite contrarie; and they thinke, that they may doe it lawfully; that is, they may ſeeke their owne commoditie howſoeuer that their brethren fare: ſurely this is not charitie. All Gods creatures may ſeeme to teach vsus Sic vos non vobis vellera fertis oues, &c.this leſſon, as Virgils verſes auouch. The ſheepe beareth not his fleece, nor the oxe his yoake for himſelfe, nor the Bées hord vp their honey, but all for our vſe. Nay, thoſe exceilent creatures; the Sunne, the Moone, and ſtars, how continually doe they runne their courſes, for our commoditie? And ſhall not we take paines and pinch our ſelues to doe our brethren good? And will not Incloſers learne this leſſon being taught it by ſo many ſchoole-maſters? I am verely perſwaded that God hath ſent of late vnſeaſonable weather, eſpecially in the hay-harueſt, to teach Incloſers what an acre of their incloſed paſture ground (which they doe make ſo great a reckoning of) is worth. For the hay-harueſt, which yeeldes meate for their ſheepe, hath beene lately vnſeaſonable and wet: but the corne harueſts which yéeldes meate for his Ioh. 12. 8.ſheepe (the poore) the Lord hath bleſſed: Or elſe no doubt, if the corne harueſt had bin as wet as the hay harueſt was, there would hauehave béen a great dearth of corne, to the vndooing of the poore. But our moſt louing God, to declare the louelove that he beares to his owne ſhéepe: & the ſmall care in compariſon, that he hath of their ſhéepe; hath as it were plagued the hay-harueſt of their ſheep, and bleſſed the corne-harueſt of his own ſheepe; for nothing chanceth in vaine. And Mat. 12. 29.therefore whereas Incloſers doe vrge, the goodneſſe of the ground, and the benefit of Incloſure, and that an acre of their incloſed medow and paſture, is worth thus much; they muſt conſider, yt vnles God ſend ſeaſonable weather, it may prooue almoſt worth nothing: they muſt learne to let God hauehave a chief part of their rents reſerued to him. Vnleſſe Ier. 5. 24.he keepe for vsus the appointed weekes of the harueſt, as Ieremic teacheth, what is all our land and labour taken about it worth? No doubt our anceſtors had conſideration hereof, in letting their lands; which were ſo eaſily rented, that the tenant might hauehave the rent what weather ſoeuer God ſent: and this was Chriſtian charitie. But this charitie is now vaniſhed out of the world: The Incloſer will hauehave his great rent, hée will not abate one penie what weather ſoeuer come. One writes that the poore hus…andman is more cruelly dealt withall than the aſ…e; whom his maſter, if that the weather or the way proue not conuenient and good, will eaſe of his burden. But Huſbandmen, come faire come foule weather, are nothing pitied; they muſt beare ſtill their accuſtomed burdens, be they neuer ſo great.
This practiſe of Chriſtian charitie was vſed in the Primitiue church. And the multitude of them which beleeued Act. 4. 32.(ſaith S. Luke) were of one heart, and of one ſoule; neither any of them ſaid or accompted, that that which he poſſeſſed, was his own; but they had all things common. Common like Chriſtians, not like Anabaptiſts: common in vſe, not in propertie. For Ananias poſſeſſion Act. 5. 4.was his owne, to hauehave either kept or ſold it, as Peter told him. So was alſo all other mens poſſeſſions and goods, but no man accompted it as his owne.
Lodouicus Viues, a very learned man, thus deſcribes Chriſtian charitie: To louelove, ſaith hée, is the happiest and the Introduct. adſapient.best thing in the world: and therefore God and Angels are moſt happie and bleſſed, who louelove most. And to hate is the worst and most miſerable thin in the world: and for this cauſe the denils are most miſerable. And after, leſt any man ſhould coine to himſelfe a counterfeite Chriſtian charitie; This true charitie makes all thinges equall; where that flouriſheth, no man deſireth to be preferred before another, no man will deſire to take away any thing from him that he loueth, when as he accompts that he himſelfe hath whatſoeuer his friend hath: no man will goe to law with him, whom he loues: none will thinke that he can receiue any iniurie at his hands, and therefore neuer thinkes on reuenge: no man will enuie him, whom he loues; nor any man is glad of the harmes of him that is his friend, nor is agrieued at his welfare. But contrariwiſe, according to the ſaying of the Apoſtle; He reioyceth with them that reioyce, and weepes with them that weepe, Rom. 12. 15.& that not fa…nedly or counterfeitly. but from his very heart. Becauſe louelove makes all things common, and atcompts that his owne which is his whom he loueth. Thus Lodouicus Viues deſcribes Chriſtian charitie. And how farre off are Incloſers 1. Cor. 13. 1from this? Saint Paul ſaith, That if he had all knowledge, and all faith, euen to remooue mountaines, yet without this charitie he were nothing before God: And what are Incloſers then, that are deſtitute of all theſe gifts, and lacke this charitie? Let them marke this well, that this i…well Charitie, one day before the Maieſtie of God, ſhall be more worth than all their golde, and great rents and reuenues. This is the charitie of all the Saints in heauen. For although there be differences of ioyes, 1. Cor. 15. 41.yet the Saints which hauehave leſſer ioyes, accoūt thoſe ioyes, through charity, alſo theirs, which their brethren doe enioy.
Now is fulfilled that prayer of Dauid, It is time for thee Lord to put to thy hand, for (Hephiru) they hauehave abrogated, Pſal. 119. 126.they hauehave made no account of thy lawe. And what is Chriſts law but Ioh. 13. 34.charitie? And that not any charitie, but ſuch a charitie as he hath ſhewed towards vsus; & as Lodou…cus Vi…es here hath deſcribed to vsus. But it is time for God to put to his hand, for this charity is vaniſhed, is abrogated, is made no account of, many thinke that it concernes them not.
But the very Pagans hauehave had this charitie, and, but that they wanted the eye of faith, they hauehave mounted vp herein Act. 17. 27.(like blinde Hawkes) farre higher than ſome Chriſtians, eſpecially than Incloſers.
Cymon the Athenian commaunded all hedges and pales to be taken away from his grounds, that both Citizens and ſtrangers whoſoeuer, that ſtood in neede, might hauehave more free acceſſe into them, to gather Ap…les and corne. And Photion the Athenian ſaid, That a man had as good pull downe Churches and Altars, as take merciemercy from amongst men. And Iulius Caeſar was wont to ſay, That then he waxed rich, when as he did any man good. And wil Incloſers come behind any of theſe? will they incloſe? Cymon the Athenian would not doe it. Will they not deale charitably in letting of their farmes to their brethren? Phocion tels them, that they had as good pull downe Churches Doe they account the money in their coffers their treaſures? Caeſar, that proud Romane Emperour ſhall condemne them; he thought not ſo, but rather that which he had beſtowed liberally. Traiane the Emperour was accompted the ioy of mankinde, becauſe that he neuer ſent any man ſad home. Oh that all Landlords were Traianes! They ſhould bee more; for it is more to bee a Chriſtian, than to be a Traiane; and Saint Paul wills all Chriſtians to walke worthy of their Epheſ. 4. 1.vocation. The name of a Chriſtian is 1. Pet. 4. 16.the honorableſt and bountifulleſt name in the worlde. Chriſtians take their names, of the anointing the holy Ghoſt. And what then can be more honourable 1. Ioh. 2. 27.and bountifull? Octauius Caeſar …ccompted that day loſt, wherein he had done good to no man. Oh that all Landlords would ſpend their daies thus, in deuiſing the good of the townes, whereof they are Landlords, and not in the impoueriſhing of them! Then we ſhould hauehave a flouriſhing Church, and a rich Common-wealth. P…olome alſo King of Aegypt was wont to ſay, That he had rather make others rich, than be rich himſelfe. Oh that Incloſers were of this minde Curius alſo the Romane hauing a great deale of golde offered him of the Samnites, …had rather, ſaith he, hauehave the poſſeſſors of the gold Mine, than their gold. O wiſe Curius he had rather hauehave the hearts of the Samnites, than their heapes of golde. Oh that Incloſers were in this point but as wiſe as he! The day will come when the prayers of tenants, ſhall doe their Landlords more good than their great payments now. For that ſaying of our Sauiour ſhall ſtand good, whēas they with their cheſts full of gold and ſiluer ſhall periſh; Make you friends of your vnrighteous māmō; Luk. 15. 9.that when as you ſhall depart hence and faile in your account, they may receiue you into euerlaſting Tabernacles. And our Sauiour addes an Emphaſis or a Memorandum (as we ſay) to this his ſentence; (And I ſay vntounto you) as though he ſhould ſay, Marke this well, all you rich men, whom God hath enriched with his talents: Herein follow that ſame vniuſt Steward, and make you friends of the poore; that when you ſhall depart hence, & God ſhall call you to an account of your ſtewardſhips (as ye great rich man did his ſteward, and ſhall faile therin, the beſt of you al, euen as he did) the poore may receiue you into euerlaſting tabernacles. Make the poore as waters to caſt your bread on, as yt Preacher counſelleth you: that you may find it again, Eccle. 12. 1.whē as you ſhal ſtand in need, after Gen. 28. 12. 18.many daies: and as ſtones to powre your oyle vponupon; as did Iacob the Patriarch; that when you ſhall die, you may ſleepe quietly as hée did being aliue; and ſée that ladder Jeſus Chriſt reaching from earth to heauen. For that ſtrange fact of Iacob containes in it ſome great myſterie. And may not that ladder ſignifie faith, & this powring oile on the ſtone, merciemercy? So that we muſt ioyne to the ladder of faith, the oyle of merciemercy if we meane to aſcend vp to heauen. Or if that Ephe. 2. 20.ſtone ſignifie Jeſus Chriſt, are not the poore his members? and doe not they which ſhew merciemercy vntounto them, powre their oile on Jeſus Chriſts feet, as Mary Ioh. 12. 3.did in the goſpel, & as it were on ſtones? Such an heire of Iacob, was Dauid, who of himſelfe writes thus; Know Pſal. 4. 3.yee that the Lord (Hiphlah) hath as a wonderfull and pretious thing choſen to himſelfe (Chaſidh) the mercifull man. And he concludes, I will lay me downe Verſ. 8.in peace and take my reſt, as though mercifull men onelyonly, and they that power their oyle on ſtones, as Iacob did, ſhould take their reſt, and ſléepe ſweetely. For that ſentence alſo ſhall ſtand good, wherein conſiſtes one maine point (next faith) of our ſaluation: Bleſſed are the mercifull, for they ſhall obtaine Mat. 5. 7. Iam. 2. 13.mercy; and iudgement mercileſſe ſhall be to him that hath ſhewed no mercy, as S. Iames teacheth vsus. But Incloſers, I thinke, neuer remember that day: if they did, they would prefer prayers before payments, and the harts of their tenants, with that courteous Romane Curius, before their heapes of golde and ſiluer. O blind couetouſneſſe! O blinde Incloſers! more blinde than Grecians, more blinde than Romanes, nay, more vncharitable and cruell than very Infidels. Nature teacheth, that the wilde figge tree, if it be planted neere vntounto the figge tree, that it will make it more fruitfull: and ſhall not theſe Heathen or Pagans, who are wilde figge trées in compariſon of vsus Chriſtians, make vsus excell in good works? ſhall their figges be ſweeter than ours? O degenerate and wilde Chriſtians!
God by his Prophet Ieremie (ſaith, Goe to the iſles of Chittim, and behold; Ier. 2. 10.and ſend vntounto Kedar, and take diligent heede, and ſee whether there be ſuch things. Our moſt gratious God, compares his people of the Jewes, with the Paganes: And will he not much more compare vsus chriſtians with them? And is it not a ſhame for vsus to be ouercome of them in charitie towards our brethren? Surely, if we be, in the day of iudgement they ſhall condemne vsus.