The Art of Giving, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
The first maine pollicy which Satan hath vsed in these latter dayes to preuent liberality, is, Enclosing of grounds, &c.
BY which his drift is, that the people of God being turned out of their dwellings might so perish through the vnmercifulnesse of the weather, & so the Land being dispeopled, these cormorants might riot freely, no more might be troubled with the cries of the poore, might themselues wholly consume, that they call, their owne, without enuy or controulement, and so fat vp themselues against the day of slaughter. Ier. 12. 3.
For remedy of which mischiefe I would such did consider these things.
1 That the rich and the poore goe together, the Lord is the ordayner of them both. If the Lord had not seene it fit they should be together, he might and would, no doubt, hauehave made all rich. Pro. 22. 2. But as our Sauiour saith, likewise the poore wee shall hauehave alwayes with vsus.
To what end I pray you with vsus? surely,
1 That the poore might be a means to humble the rich: And
2 The rich might be a meanes to comfort the poore.
3 That so the loynes of the poore might blesse the rich.
4 And the fleece of the rich might cloth the poore: And so of either, such as doe belong to God might by this means further each other vntounto God. And
As for such as doe not belong to the Election, the Lord hath also appointed this mixture of the poore with the rich, for the contrary end: Namely,
1 That the estate of the poore might breede contempt and hardnesse of heart in the rich. And
The oppression of the mighty might nourish discontentednesse and worldly sorrow in the poore.
That the poore hereby being often prouoked to spoyle the rich.
The rich might be enraged to make hauocke of the poore, and so the iustice of God wonderfully accomplished in making each other the instrument of their destruction. And yet all for his glory and good of his children in purging a Land hereby of much corrupt bloud, and out of euill manners establishing good lawes, yea hereby proceeding for the better execution of them.
And therefore,
Know we that they which by enclosures would roote and weary out the poore.
1 They fight against Gods ordinance, and therefore they shall not prosper; as may appeare by the visible iudgements of God daily brought to light vponupon such Nimrods and deuourers. Habac. 2.
2 They are enemies to Religion, and the worship of God, being occasions that the houses of God are laid waste & conuerted to Barnes, Stables, and kennels for hounds, whereby Atheisme & prophanenesse is set in the seat of the scorners.
3 They are also enemies to the common-wealths: First, in decaying tillage, which maintains labour, and so keepes in humility: so that in steede therof, idlenes and pride is maintained. Secondly, in decaying the people, which are the glory of the Prince, & strength of the land wherevpon the land is exposed to the spoyle of the enemy, as also ciuill wars are hereby oft times occasioned, & the Famine, Pestilence, &c. procured. Thirdly, hereby also the estate of Princes is endangered: In that great ones hauing now no inferiours to be humbled by, through the insatiablenesse of pride and ambition grow to enuy, and so to leauy at the highest: whereupon proceeds treasons, and subuersion of Kingdomes.
4 Our neighbour is many wayes exceedingly iniuried.
And that
1 As being outlawed, and depriued of the common benefit of habitation.
2 Driuen most inconscionable to the cursed estate of beggery. Gen. 4.
3 Compelled euen to steale, and so the Author of his owne destruction.
4 Depriued of the publike benefit of Gods worship.
5 Forced to a most discontented and desperate estate.
5 The greatest wrong of enclosing, redounds to the Authors themselues.
Because,
1 They exclude themselues out of Gods protection, in excluding the poore out of their protection.
2 They lye open to Gods heauy curse in this oppression of the poore.
3 They depriue themselues of the vse of Charity, whereby they argue themselues to be no better then infidels.
5 As also they strip themselues of the vse of society, and so grow sauage and brutish.
6 They also exclude themselues from the necessary protection of their owne flesh.
7 And arme the same with crueltie against them.
8 Hereby they make way to pride, and all kinde of impiety.
9 As also they doe expose themselues to beggery, &c.
10 And not onelyonly so, but their posterity is lyable to the curse, and so to desolation.
And that we may grow to an healing of this euill: Consider we wisely the causes hereof, which are:
1 Atheisme and contempt of God, for if wee were contented to be vnderunder God, and did acknowledge we held of him, we would then suffer others to liue both by vsus and vnderunder vsus.
2 Pride, which cannot endure eyther equall or inferiour.
3 Couetousnesse, as if all were too little for our selues.
4 Distrust of Gods prouidence, as if God were not able to prouide for vsus, if so be that others liued by vsus.
5 Hatred of mankinde, in that we cannot endure his presence and society.
6 Inordinate louelove of this world, and these corruptible things.
7 Setting vp our rest in the happinesse of this life.
8 As also a secret renouncing of the heauenly blisse.
9 Enuy of Superiours and discontentednesse, which are forerunners of treasons, &c.
10 A bloudy and cruell minde deuoyd of all remorse and pitie.
3 Obserue we the particular remedies of the same,
VVhichWhich are eyther.
1 Inward, concerning the reformation of the minde.
2 Outward, reforming the party.
Outward are these,
1 Sincere louelove of God, whom wee hauehave not seene.
2 Consideration of our wants and infinite occasions, and then wee shall see that he is a very meane one, whom wee may not stand in neede of, and therefore despise we none.
3 Contentednesse with our estate, and so shall we endure the poore to liue vnderunder vsus.
4 Remember we the day of account, that as now we would hauehave all, so we must giuegive vp the larger account, and thinke we if it were not much better to hauehave others to ease vsus?
5 Know wee that so much as we exceed in enclosing and coueting, so much we doe detract from the holy vse of Gods blessings, and so shall be guilty of cruelty against our selues, because wee shall want whereon to imploy them.
6 Meditate we on death, &c. when all our glory shall be confounded, that seauen foote long at most must contayne vsus.
7 Record we the curses of God which are threatned and executed against ioyners of house to house, &c. Esay. 5. Hab. 2. Mich. 3. &c.
The outward Remedies are,
1 Frugality in apparell and diet, whereby being good examples to those with whom we liue, as wee shall not be driuen to spoyle them, so not vsing them as instruments of our lusts, they shall not lye open to our cruelty.
2 Care, that wee and our Tenants prosper in religion and honesty, for the neglect of these, and contrary, bolstering of them in sinne, is an occasion to make vsus tyrannise ouer them.
3 Conscionable obedience in our owne persons to those that are set ouer vsus, so shall wee continue mercifull to those that are vnderunder vsus.
4 Conuersing louingly, &c. with those of the lower sort, inuiting them to our society, Tables, &c.
5 Maintenance of Tillage.
6 Moderation of hunting, and such outward pleasures.
7 Necessary prouision by Musters and trained Souldiers, against the dayes of warre.
8 Progresse of Princes, to view their people, and reioyce them by seeing their faces.
9 Wholesome lawes against depopulation, and conscionably executed.
11 The estimation of the subiect with the Prince, and pretiousnesse of the life of man is a speciall meanes hereto, whose example will be the best law to those great ones that are vnderunder him.