The Art of Giving, Chapter 20 – Chapter 21
CHAP. XX.
Other tentations whereby couetous men would excuse one charge with another.
Hearken I pray how Satan assa…ts them.
1 VVHat art thou not charged sufficiently with expences for the Common-wealth,Tent. 4. and to the Prince, how many occasions are offered to draw mony from thee? Is not this sufficient for one, are not these to goe for beneficence: and may they not excuse thee to be more sparing another way? Nay, doest thou not giuegive (as thou art ceased,) weekely contributions? doest thou not moreouer giuegive some Almes at thy doore, and what more can they require at thy hands?
I call to minde my offences this day:Answ. indeede it is vnmercifulnesse that is the especiall meanes to draw downe iudgements vponupon the land, as famine, wars, &c. and I cannot excuse my self herein: And shall I seeke to remoue the iudgement by the encrease of my sinne? shall I help forward he affliction by my vnmercifulnesse?
2 If God hath enabled mee to doe the greater good, namely, to relieue my Prince and Country, shall I disinable my selfe to doe the lesse, seeing the charges of the Prince are so moderate and conscionable?
3 If my Prince be partaker of my goods, &c. is it any more then is due vntounto him? Nay, owe I him not my body goods and all? And doth not he plentifully make me amends by the benefit of the law? May I not ease my selfe? nay, do not rich men beare least of this burthen? Is not the protection of the Prince a sufficient recompence hereof? Am I not hereby better enabled to doe good to others?
4 Besides, what triall is this of my bounty to doe that which is due? Nay what will be exacted of mee whether I will or no? Ought I not therefore to doe good otherwise, where it is in my choyce?
5 If the Lord offer extraordinarie publike occasions: this shall not hinder me to shew my willing minde: what I am able (God willing) I will beare a part in the burthen, and ease the affliction.
6 As for determining what is sufficient it is not in my choyse where God commands the contrary, and therefore I may not neglect the poore, though I thinke I am sufficiently charged elsewhere, seeing the same God that commands, will enable me to performe.
7 And what if I giuegive weekely to the poore? this I am compelled to: and what triall is heere? this I may doe of vaine-glory: and where is then my reward? doth not my God daily giuegive? doth hee stint his mercies? Is not his hand continually enlarged? and shall I shut my bounty? where he offers occasion?
8 As for the Almes that is giuen at my doore, this is wrung from me, and done vsually for custome: I must moreouer visite the fatherlesse, if I will be truely religious: and seeke out where I may doe good, not onelyonly be sought to for it.
9 It is not what man may require or be contented withall, but what my God requires and enables me to performe, my conscience witnessing herevnto, and occasions offered to manifest the same.
A second Tentation that sets vponupon vsus, in this kinde, is drawne from
1 Such contributions and layes as are leauied about the Church, for reparations.
2 That which goes out towards the maintenance of the Ministery.
3 For Bread and Wine at the Communion, &c.
Hereupon Satan vrgeth thus.
God is a Spirit, and he will be worshipped in Spirit, what then neede so much about outward decencie and comelinesse?
1 Why should the Ministers take Tythes in these dayes? This is Iudaisme, which they say, is abolished; 2. Why ought they not to labour with their hands, as the Apostles did, to ease the charge of the people.
3 Why will not a reading Minister serue the turne, who will serue for lesse? Seeing thou mayest as well edifie by him, as by a Preacher, whom thou canst not vnderstand, who will seeke to curbe thee, and crosse thee in thy pleasures? And if I must needs be charged with all these, is not this great liberality? Can you require more at my hands?
For answere hereunto.
1 Know wee that spirituall worship cannot be performed publikely without the helpe of the body:Answ. for which, seeing there must be a set place of Gods worship; therefore it is fit it be so prouided, that not onelyonly the body be sheltred from iniury and danger, but fitted also by decency and order to the seruice of God.
2 Which seeing it may be done without excessiue charge, therefore much the rather ought conuenient cost to be bestowed hereupon.
3 And if the Lord be at the cost to bestow his sonne vponupon vsus, is it not reasonable that we should be at the charge of such sacramentall signes as may represent and seale vp the benefit of our saluation vntounto vsus?
4 As for Tithes due to the maintenance of the Ministery, howsoeuer they were inioyned by the ceremoniall law, yet the equity of them is morall, and so to continue for euer.
1 Because they were paid by the law of Nature, before euer the Ceremoniall law was instituted. Heb. 7. 9. 10.
2 They are not now required to be paid in any ceremonious or figurate respect, but as a morall duty, to the vpholding and maintenance of the diuine worship, according to the affirmatiue part of the second commandement, of the first Table: And as a duty of ciuill honour and iustice, according to the fift & eight commandement of the second Table.
3 As the Sabbath remaynes, though the Ceremony be changed, so ought Tithes to remayne for the maintenance of the ministery, to the sanctifying of the Sabbath, the Ceremony being remoued.
4 Vnlesse the Christian Magistrate (in whose hands the ordering of such things doth lie) shall determine of a like bountifull and constant course for the set maintenance of the Ministery.
As for the example of the Apostle Paul in working with his owne hands.
1 There was no other of the Apostles but he, that did so.
2 He presseth none to doe the like by his example, vnlesse vponupon very speciall and extraordinary occasion as 1 Cor. 11. 7. 8. 9. 10.
3 Nay as allowing a certayne and setled course of maintenance, he preuents & meets with this vnkinde obiection of this kinde of people, as 1 Cor. 9. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 18.
4 Besides the times then and now are different.
1 Then the Church was in her cradle, now shee is in her growth, then not established by the Magistrate, who is the approuer and confirmer of the maintenance of Ministers, as now it is. 2 Then the Apostles were furnished with extraordinary gifts of miracles, &c. to procure and compel extraordinary maintenance. Act. 5. Now these gifts are ceased.
3 Then mens hearts were inflamed with the power of godlinesse. For then happy was hee that could lay downe his possessions at the feete of the Apostles. But
Now the forme of Godlinesse hath bred coldnesse of compassion, so that glad is hee that can withdraw from the Ministery.
4 There the zeale of teaching subdued men to the Church. Now the zeale of teaching, because the Haruest is well in, driues hypocrites out of the Church. And winnowes the Wheat into a narrow compasse. And therefore if the Ministerie should not hauehave a set maintenance, seeing it necessarily prouokes enmitie, and maintaynes such opposition against the world, little voluntary deuotion would appeare.
Lastly, let these consider what their forefathers hauehave parted with to the Queene of heauen, and the Golden Calfe, &c. Ier. 44. Exod. 32. And see whether their blinde deuotion will not condemne this repining of their children to maintaine the sinceritie of Gods worship.
Nay let them wisely consider whether they spend not more vnnecessarily and wickedly vponupon the idols of their belly and backe, then vponupon the maintenance of the worship of God.
And if they can content themselues with a Leuite that wil serue for ten Sheckels, and a suite of rayment, because they will not be at the charge of the preaching of the Gospell, let them looke to be serued as Micha was, their Leuite will be the man to betray their soules, through ignorance, prophannesse and the like, and if he can finde a better Master, their hireling will shew them a fayre payre of heeles.
CHAP. XXI.
Another tentation which Satan hath to hinder true bounty and liberality to the poore, Is
FRom pretence of such expences as are wastfully imployed in keeping great excesse at Christmas, &c. wherevpon he inferreth that the poore being fufficiently relieued the in, they may be excused all there yeere after: and so hath brought it to passe among great ones generally, that so they keepe iolly rout and riot at that time, they priuiledge themselues from further hospitality.
For the encountring of which Tentation.
1 Know they, that this solemnity of feastings at that time, is one of those works of supererogation which one day will be brought within the compasse of that Quere. VVho required these things at their hands. Esay. 1.
2 Admit it were lawfull to vse such excesse at that time, yet is it farre from true bounty.
1 Because the poore hauehave least part thereof, they are no fit guests at these times, especially religious poore will marre the sport.
2 What they hauehave is not wholesome and of the better, but the refuse, that which the Dogs and Swine doe leaue.
3 They hauehave it also with sauce of swearing and cursing, and that is farre from sanctifying the deuotion vntounto them.
4 The glut that they hauehave at such times, makes them more greedy & dainty, yea, more idle, and vnfit for their calling, and spare diet all the yeere after.
5 That which they then hauehave, will not maintayne them all the yeere, as they must be relieued. Nay.
6 Vsually to maintayne such Bacchus feasts, the poore are racked, and fined and grinded to powder.
7 And this Charity is also subiect to such vanity and ostentation, as that happy it is, if it hath it reward in this life.
And therefore,
Seeing what is wastfully spent at such times would maintayne many poore, euen a whole yeere, it were much better to abate such vnnecessary expences, and so at conuenient times to distribute to the necessity of the Saints.
Besides these tentations, consider we certain maine pollicies of Satan, whereby he hath in these late daies, euen stockt vp liberality, and vtterly abolished the same.