How Alms Ought to be Distributed, Title page – To the reader
A TREATISE, HOW BY THE WORDE OF God, Chriſtian mens Almoſe ought to Be diſtributed.
Math. VI.
WHen thou geueſt thyne Almoſe, let not the Trompettes be blowne before the: as Hypochrites do in their Sinagoges, and Streates, to hauehave Praiſe of Men.
To the Reader.
BEcauſe in theſe days, lyke as not manie yeres ſithc, manie luſtie and ſturdie perſones be ſuffred to begge, men counterfaitinge horrible deſeaſes and infirmities, fitte by the commen ways crauinge Almoſe: dyuerſe go about Weſtminſter Haulle, and other places, with gloues, under pretence to gather for the mariage of poore Maidens, but in deade to hauehave wherwith to coople with Harlottes, or to riotte at Dice: And ſome craftie Hypocrites, no Friers in coates, but more ſubtil thē Friers in maners, under colour to relieue ād mayntain Orphanes, poore wydowes, poore Scolers, ād other, gather muche, but put all into their owne purſes, or beſtowe litle, and that after their owne Fantaſie, and not indifferentlie to euerye one as his neade requyreth, and Goddes worde preſcribeth, And ſo by all theſe meanes, and manie other, good mens charities be utterlie abuſed: I thought it uery neceſſarie, to ſetforthe in Engliſhe the mynde and opinion of the Reuerende Father, and Excellent clerke Maſter Martyne Bucer, touchinge the right geuinge and diſtribution of Almoſe, and prouiſion for the poore, declared in his boke entitled De regno Chriſti, made for the Moſte Bliſſed King Edwarde whiche, iff good people will folowe, no doubt but all theſe kynde off ſubtile theaues ſhal bee forced to gyue ouer their occupation, And Hypochriſie it ſelf will ſchortlie loſe one of the principall fethers of hir winge. And if thei will not, let theim take heede, that whilest thei goo about with their painted Charitie to get A litle uayn glorie, thei purchace theim ſelfs at length, by maynteninge the Lewde, euerlaſtinge damnation. But I hauehave A good hope, that manie erre by ignoraunce, who beinge rightlie inſtructed, will ſhewe theim ſelfs conformable to Goddes will, and do as he cōmaundethe: wherbye thei may fynde at length his mercifull fauor.
Fare well.
THE ORDER OFF THE prouiſion for the poore.
ALMYGTIE God that ſetteth up the Humble, and pulleth downe the Proude, that gyueth richeſſe, ād taketh it away, plainlie commaundeth his people, that thei ſhulde not ſuffer any to lacke emonge theim. Whiche commaundement the primatyue Churche of Chriſte at Hieruſalem kept with all reuerence and deuotion: wherbie there was ſuche aboundaunce of Almeſe geuen by Good men, as relieued eueryemans neceſsitie, and ſo emonge theim there was not one, that was not prouided for. Afterwarde, that this prouiſion and gatheringe for the poore might be the better loked unto, and contynew, the Apoſtelles inſpired with the hollie goſte, by cōſent of the hole cōgregation, appoynted to that Ministerie ſeuen Men of honest reporte and fame, full of the hollie goſte, and wiſdom, on whom thei layde their handes, for a ſigne of their admiſsion. And ſo this ordenaunce and prouiſion for the poore was uery deuoutlie obſerued, till Antichriſt with his fluddes of wyckednes, ouerflowed the Churche of Chriſt. Thoſe that were called to that hollie ministerie, were named the Deacons of the Churche: who albeit thei ought to be aſsistaunt to the Elders of the Congregation, in the conſeruation and execution of the Diſcipline of Chriſte, and the Adminiſtration of the Sacramentes: yet their chief Office and duetie was, to kepe the names of the poore in the Congregation of the Chriſtians, to knowe euerye mans lif, and behauiour, And of the commen Almoſe of the faithfull, to diſtribute to euerye one, aſmuche as was ſufficient for his neceſſarie relieffe. For thoſe that may gette their lyuinge by their labour and trauayl, and wil not, ought to be put out of the Churche: He that do the not labour, let him not eate, ſaith the Apoſtell. Sith then it is the cōmaundement of god, to relieue the poore and neadie, and to ſee that none lacke: all ſuche as mynde fullie to receaue the Kingdom of Chriſte, ought to labour earneſtlie, that this ordenaunce be restored in to Chriſtes Churche. For thoſe that hauehave the goodes of the worlde and ſee their Brethern lacke, and hauehave not compaſsion on theim: the louelove of good dothe not dwell in theim, and ſo alſo neither the Kingdom of Chriſte is in theim.
And all thoſe that heare Chriſte, and the hollie goſte, wil indeuour and laboure to ordayne and do all good thinges in ſuche order and maner, as thei knowe the lorde, and the hollie goste hathe appoynted.
And ſith it is manifeſt, that god earnestlie forbadde, that his people ſhoulde ſuffer eny to beg emōge theim, and that his goodnes alſo ordeyned, that the poore ſhoulde be loked unto by certayn choſen men in the Churche, and that good mens deuotions ſhoulde be diſtributed to euerye nedie perſone, as his neceſsitie requireth: it is with out all doubt, that all thoſe pray with out deuotion, Let thy Kyngdom come, which to their power, do not beſtowe all their endouour, that this maner of prouidinge for the poore, be reſtored in to the Churche, whiche the lorde him ſelf commaunded, and the hollie goſt in the prymytiue churche ordayned.
By the whiche meanes it ſhalbe preuented, that theſe wicked Begginge houſes, and ſubtiltie off Hypocrites, ſhall not take from thee nedie menbres of Chriſt, the Almoſe that is due to theim: nor Ambition of mans praiſe, and thanckes, nor uayne glorie, ſhall defile the right office of Almoſe, whiche euell how muche it ought to be eſchued, Chriſt uery playnlie taught, when he commaunded, ſo to geue Almoſe, as the left hande may not knowe, what the right hande dothe. This may best be doone, if euerie man put into the Comen Chest, or Boxe of the Churche, to the uſe of the poore, aſmuche as he may ſpare of that God geueth him. For when eueryevery man him ſelf will diſtribute his owne Almoſe, friſt the Inſtitution of the hollie gost, and the lawfull Communion, Compainie, and Felowſhip of Saintes is broken. Beſydes thalmoſe due to the litle ones of Chriſt, and ſo to Chriſt him ſelf, is gyuen oftener to the unworthie, then to the worthie (for euerye man can not knowe and trie ſuche poore people as he meeteth ſodenlie) and alſo ſuche as be not meete to hauehave Almoſe, come better inſtructed to beg, yea, as it were to wringe out the Almoſe of A mans Purſe with paynted wordes, then thoſe to whom it onlie ought to be geuen. Moreouer when A man geueth Almoſe with his owne hande, he dothe hardlie put out of his mynde the deſyre of mens thāckes and uayne prayſes, which uaine rewarde when he receaueth of men: he may not …eke for the true and perfet rewarde of god. And fynallie, when it is most certein, that ſuche as gyue theim ſelfes wilfullie to the trade of Begginge, be geuen and bent to all myſchieff: what other thinge do thei that nouriſhe theim, then maynteyne and encreace the greatest Pestilences and deſtructions off A commen welthe? Wherfore all ſuche as hauehave wiſelie writen how commen welthes ſhoulde be well gouerned, hauehave thought that ſuche perſones were not to be ſuffred in A comen welthe. And certaynlie men ought to be aſhamed and lament when this right maner of prouiſion for the pore is restored in manye contrays, whiche yet be under Antichrist: ſuche as uaunte thei hauehave receaued the Goſpell of Christe, and profeſſe to be off his Kingdom, be ſlacke to restore it, yea be hynderers off it, ſeinge it is an ordenaunce of Christes Religion ſo neceſſarie, and ſo holſom.
To conclude, who ſo euer dothe not carefullie endeuour, aſmuche as he may, to restore this hollie ordenaunce off the Prouiſion for the poore, as the lorde hathe commaunded, and the hollie gost ordayned: He dothe playnlie beare witnes off himſelf, that he dothe not in deade knowe, nor perfetlie deſyre Chriſte, and his Kingdō, how muche ſo euer in wordes he boast of Christe, and his Kyngdom.