The Plea of the Poor, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. 4. That the poore ſhould be the obiect of our bountie.
Sect. 1. That the poore ſhould be the obiect of our liberalitie.
ANd thus much of the action: the obiect of our liberalitie is the poore: whence wee learne that though there are many waies, whereby men expreſſe much bountie and liberalitie in ſpending their riches, yet this onelyonly doth approue a man to be godly and bleſſed, when as he giueth freely to the poore and needy. And this our Sauiour ſheweth. Luk. 14. 12. When thou makeſt Luk. 14. 12.a dinner or ſupper, call not thy friends nor thy brethren, neither thy kinſmen and rich neighbours; leaſt they alſo bid thee againe, and a recompence bee made thee. But when thou makeſt a feaſt, call the poore, the maimed, the lame, the blinde; and thou ſhalt bee bleſſed, for they cannot recompence thee, for thou ſhalt be recompenced at the reſurrection of the iuſt. So that if we would be bleſſed in our bountie, the poore muſt be the obiect of it. For they are the ground in which the ſeede of beneficence muſt be ſowne if euer we meane to reape an harueſt of happines. They are the bankers to whom we muſt deliuer Gods talents, if we would hauehave them increaſe in our maiſters aeſtimate, and ſo receiue the gracious reward of our faithfull ſeruice. Finally, theſe are Gods factours, vntounto whom if we deliuer our goods, the Lord himſelfe will acknowledge the debt, and will ſurely pay vsus with great aduantage.
Sect. 2. That the liberality of the worldlings wil not profit thē.
And therefore they, the ſtreames of whoſe bountie doe runne another way, may well impaire by their expenſes their preſent meanes, but they cannot thereby increaſe their future hopes, they may perhaps among men hauehave the praiſe of their munificence & liberalitie, but they ſhall not by God bee approued for their coſt, nor when they giuegive vp their account be bleſſed in their bountie. For example, many are profuſely liberall in feaſting and banquetting, who becauſe the poore are not their gueſts, but their kindred and rich friends, they hauehave their reward in this world, when they feaſt them againe, and their reckoning to make in the life to come, for defrauding their poore fellow ſeruants, and waſting their maiſters wealth in exceſſe and riot. Many are liberall in ſending to their betters and equals rich preſents; but how farre off ſhall they finde themſelues from being bleſſed in their liberalitie, when in the day of their account it ſhall be laid to their charge, that they hauehave giuen more in one new-yeareſ-gift, to get the fauour of ſome flattering courtiar or falſe friend, then in their whole liues they hauehave giuen to the poore, that thereby they might be aſſured of the fauour of God? Many are bountifull in giuing large bribes, either to peruert iuſtice and iudgement, or to aduance their vnworthy ſelues to ſome worldly preferments; but as the end of their giuing is to corrupt, ſo their gift ſhall be corruption in the end, euen a canker in their fleſh, and rottenneſſe in their bones; and as theſe giuegive not, but rather put out their monies vntounto vſurie, making it ſerue as a ſmall baite to catch a greater praye, ſo the end of their preferment ſhall be their ruine, and their falſe glory in this world, ſhall bring them true ſhame and a fearefull downefall in the world to come. Finally, there are many who ſpend largely on ſtately buildings, ſumptuous furniture, and gorgious garments, giuing more for one ſuite of apparell, for a iewell made precious onelyonly by ſuch wantons aeſtimate, for one peece of rich hangings, or a picture to adorne their wals, then euer they hauehave beſtowed in their whole liues in relieuing the poore members of Ieſus Chriſt. But there is no bleſſedneſſe in this bountie, becauſe it is ſpent on the world, which is moſt vngratefull and will neuer requite it. Yea how accurſed ſhall they finde it at the day of iudgement, when they ſhall heare that fearefull ſentence of death and condemnation, becauſe they hauehave prodigally waſted Gods talents in ſuch exceſſe and riot, and hauehave neglected to Math 25. 41.releiue Chriſt in his poore and diſtreſſed members?
Sect. 3. That common vagrants and idle perſons are not thoſe poore who ſhould be relieued.
So that it is not inough to be bountifull, vnleſſe we chouſe the poore as the obiect of our beneficence; and not all that are poore, neither is eueryevery leaude lozell of the canting commonwealth, a fit altar whereon we may offer the ſacrifice of our almeſdeedes, but ſuch as are ſo through neceſſitie and not of choiſe. For there are many ſturdie beggers, and vagrant rogues, the blemiſh of our gouernment, and a burthen to the common wealth, who hauehave nothing in proprietie, but their licencious life and lawleſſe condition; no knowne father or mother, wife or children, but a promiſcuous generation, who are all of kinne, and yet know no kindred, no houſe or home, no law but their ſenſuall luſt, or ſome wicked orders of their owne making, fit to maintaine them in their in ordinate courſes; men without religion, Church, baptiſme, faith or God in the world, who like idle drones, feede vponupon the common ſpoyle, and liue by the ſweate of other mens browes: which kinde of poore are not to be maintained in their wicked courſes, for according to the Apoſtles rule, they that will not labour, 1. Theſ. 3. 10. 12muſt not eate; but rather the law is duely and with ſeueritie to be executed, which though it ſeeme ſharpe, yet for the preſent it is full of mercy to the honeſt poore, who might be more liberally relieued, if theſe idle deuourers did not eate vp their portion; and would aboue all be mercifull to thoſe miſcreants, if by holeſome ſeueritie they might be reclaimed from their wicked liues, ſeeing hereby they ſhould be pulled out of the iawes of the diuell, and preſerued from falling into fearefull condemnation. To which purpoſe Auſtine ſaith; It is better to louelove with ſeueritie, then to Auguſt. ad vincent. Donatiſta.deceiue vnderunder ſhew of lenitie; and to withhold bread from the hungrie, if being ſure of his victuals, he neglect iuſtice, then by giuing vntounto him, to make him reſt ſecurely in his vnrighteouſneſſe.
Sect. 4. What poore are chiefely o be relieued.
Or if through their inordinate liuing, and the iuſt hand of God lying vponupon them, they are brought into extremitie and miſery, ſo that ſomething is to be done, if not homini yet humanitati, to the common nature of mankinde, and not to the particular perſon; it muſt not bee in bountifull fulneſſe to incourage him in his vnchriſtian courſes, but onelyonly to relieue his preſent neceſſitie. But the poore vponupon whom the godly and bleſſed man doth exerciſe his beneficence, is the honeſt laborer and the poore houſhoulder, who either through the greatneſſe of their charge, or badneſſe of their trade, croſſes, loſſes, ſickneſſe, ſuretiſhip, or other caſualties being brought behinde hand, are not able in the ſweate of their face to earne their bread; or the blinde and maimed, the aged and decrepit, the weake widdowes or yong orphanes, which are either paſt their labour, or not come vntounto it. The which is ſignified, by that phraſe of ſpeech which the holy Ghoſt vſeth. Leuit. 25. 35. If thy brother be waxen poore, and his Leuit. 25. 35.hand faileth, or trembleth and ſhaketh, then thou ſhalt relieue him: by which is ment the weake, ſicke and impotent, who are vnable to get their owne liuing. And amongſt theſe (if our bountie cannot extend to all) we muſt chuſe out thoſe who are in greateſt neceſſitie; and eſpecially ſuch as are moſt honeſt and religious; for as we muſt doe good Gal. 6. 10.vntounto all: ſo principally vntounto thoſe who are of the houſhould of faith.
Sect. 5. That we muſt auoide negligence in giuing
By all which it plainely appeareth, that it is not enough, that we be liberall and open handed; but it is further required that wee make choiſe of ſuch as God in his word hath commended vntounto vsus; relieuing thoſe poore who hauehave his gracious paſport to ſhew, and eſteeming them as vagrants that come without it. In which our choiſe two extreames are to be auoided. The one is negligence and careleſneſſe, whereby men giuegive they care not to whom; ſhewing therin their prodigalitie and contempt of their money, rather then their charitie towards the poore, or their louelove vntounto God. But this wee muſt carefully auoide, Pſal. 41. 1.and no leſſe ſtudie the husbanding of the poores ſtocke (that thoſe being paſſed by, who hauehave no need, there may be ſufficient for thē who are truely poore, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh. 1. Tim. 1. Tim. 5. 16.5. 16.) then the well managing of our own eſtate; for (as one ſaith) pars ſacrilegij eſt, res pauperum dare non pauperibus, it is a kinde of ſacriledge, to giuegive the poores portion, to thoſe who are not poore. And euen the heathen man could tell vsus, that a wiſe and vertuous man will not giuegive, but Habebit ſinum facilem non perfora…um. &c. Senec. de beata vita. cap 23.when he is moued by a right and probable reaſon, becauſe a gift ill giuen is to bee reckoned among our leaſt honeſt loſſes. And therefore he will hauehave his boſome eaſie, but not open; out of which many things goe out by direction of wiſdome, but nothing falleth to the ground at vnawares. For what husbandman is ſo free in ſowing his ſeede, who caſteth it indifferently into all grounds, fallow and manured; yea vponupon the high way and hard rockes, where it is ſure to bee loſt and come to nought? and why then ſhould we ſhew leſſe care, about this ſeede which is more precious, and conſequently the loſſe greater, & the inconſiderate looſing more faulty Seneca.and blame worthy? For Turpiſsimum genus perdendi eſt inconſulta donatio, vn aduiſed giuing is the worſt kinde of looſing, and much worſe to him who beſtoweth a gift ill, then it were to the other not to receiue it; for it is anothers fault if we doe not receiue, but it is ours if we make not good choiſe of thoſe vntounto whom we giuegive.
Sect. 6. That we muſt not be ouer ſcrupulous in making choiſe.
The other extreme is too much care & ſcrupuloſity, when men of almeſgiuers wil be iudges, or 2. Theſ. 3. 13.iuſtices of peace, and are ſo buſie in examining the poore about their eſtate and deſert, that they can finde no leaſure to open their purſe or relieue their wants. With which practiſe the Apoſtle meeteth. 2. Theſ. 3. 13. for hauing giuen charge that the idle ſhould not bee relieued, hee addeth in the next words, but yee brethren be not wearie of well doing. As though hee ſhould ſay; let not the diſorder and inordinate courſes of ſome, make you deſiſt from doing the workes of merciemercy, and to picke a quarrell againſt almeſdeedes, becauſe of the vnworthineſſe of thoſe who are to receiue them. And therefore let vsus take heede, that we doe not vſe this practiſe as a vaile to hide our niggardlineſſe and hardheartedneſſe, becauſe we can meete with none worthy to hauehave thē. And to this end let vsus remember that we doe not out of iuſtice and equitie, giuegive rewards to them that hauehave deſerued them, but an almes and free gift out of merciemercy and pitie, to relieue the poore whom we ſee in neceſſitie; and that if wee take conuenient care, though the almes be loſt in reſpect of the party who hath receiued them; yet not vntounto vsus in reſpect of the fruite of our beneficence. For we hauehave giuen it in louelove vntounto God and in obedience to his commandement, and he will be our paimaiſter in rewarding our charitie, according to that gracious promiſe of our Sauiour. Math. 10. 41.Math. 10. 41. He that receiueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, ſhall receiue a righteous mans reward; who alſo profeſſeth, that what is done to the poore for his ſake, is done vntounto himſelfe. Math. 25. 40.There is no husbandman that will wholely refraine his ſowing of ſeede, becauſe there are many grounds vnfit to receiue it, but this maketh him more carefull to chuſe ſuch as are fruitfull and fertile; and more painefull in tilling, dunging, and manuring thoſe that are barren, that they may bee made fruitefull; and much leſſe muſt we take ſuch diſcouragements in ſowing the ſeedes of our beneficence, but hould the ſame courſe in making them better by our benefits; and that the rather becauſe wee are aſſured that though the ground where wee ſow our almeſdeedes doe prooue barren, yet God himſelfe will returne vntounto vsus a fruitefull harueſt.
Sect. 7. That we muſt giuegive almes conſtantly.
And thus much for the obiect of our almes: the time of performing this duetie is daily, continually, and conſtantly, as our abilitie will beare, and the neceſſitie of the poore ſhall require, according Eccleſ 11▪ 6to that. Eccleſ. 11. 6. In the morning ſow thy ſeede, and in the euening hold not thine hand. And this aſsiduitie in the action is implyed in the obiect. For whereas he ſaith, that the godly man giueth to the poore, he implyeth thus much, that he continueth giuing, ſo long as they continue in their pouertie; and that there is no end of his bountie, till he ſeeth an end of their wants. Neither doth hee vpbraide the poore man with remembrance of former benefits when he renueth his ſuites, as though it were too great boldneſſe in him to craue often, and ſuperfluous for himſelfe to giuegive often to the ſame perſon: but remembring that his heauenly father renueth his mercies vntounto him eueryevery morning, and harkneth graciouſly to his ſuites ſo often as he wanteth and craueth; he imitateth his vnwearied goodnes, & giueth often to the ſame poore man, according to his owne abilitie and the others neceſſitie, if he ſee that his wants are not cauſed through his idleneſſe and negligence, but through the hand of God lying heauie vponupon him. Or if God hath prouided otherwiſe, for thoſe whom wee hauehave formerly relieued, this muſt not put an end to our charitie and almeſdeedes, ſeeing the godly man giueth to the poore, that is, ſo long as there are any poore, ſo long he giueth, his liberalitie not being appropriated vntounto any perſons, but extending it ſelfe to the ſame eſtate and condition of pouerty, when as he findeth it in new ſubiects. And therefore as the fountaine ſending foorth it ſtreames, firſt filleth one emptie hole as it runneth, and then goeth into another, and neuer ceaſeth till it hath filled all: ſo the fountaine of the righteous mans bounty neuer ceaſeth to communicate the ſtreames of his beneficence, but after he hath ſupplyed the wants of one and many, he ſtill ſeeketh after more, and neuer thinketh himſelfe ſo rich in good workes and almeſdeedes, that now he may giuegive ouer and ſpend vponupon the ſtocke, bleſſing himſelfe in his former bounty; but ſtill he continueth his ſpirituall trade and neuer fainteth, vntill the great paimaiſter hauehave giuen him an euerlaſting reward. And becauſe God hath ſo ordained that there ſhal alway be poore (according to the ſaying of our Sauiour, the poore you ſhall alway hauehave Math. 26. 11.with you) for the exerciſe of their faith and patience, and of rich mens bountie and obedience, that ſo both being approued, both may alſo be richly rewarded; therefore he reſolueth to be conſtant in his beneficence, and that in obedience to God who hath commanded it, according to that Deut. 15. 11. The poore ſhall neuer ceaſe out of the land, therefore I commaund thee ſaying, thou ſhalt open Deut. …5. 11.thine hand wide vntounto thy brother, to thy poore, and thy needie in the land. The which perſeuerance in well doing, hath the promiſe of reward appropriated vntounto it. Gal. 6. 9. Let vsus not (ſaith the Apoſtle) Gal. 6 9.be wearie of well doing, for in due ſeaſon we ſhall reape if we faint not. And therefore as we hauehave opportunitie, let vsus doe good vntounto all men, eſpecially to them that are of the houſhould of faith.