A general discourse against the damnable sect of vsurers grounded vppon the vvorde of God, and confirmed by the auctoritie of doctors both auncient, and newe; necessarie for all tymes, but most profitable for these later daies, in which, charitie being banished, couetousnes hath gotten the vpper hande. VVhereunto is annexed another godlie treatise concernyng the lawfull vse of ritches. Seene and allowed accordyng to her Maiesties iniunctions.

¶ The 15. Chapter. The causes mouing to mercifulnes.

THE causes whiche may in∣cense the godlie to pitt••c to∣wardes the poore bee many, especially these.

The firste is Christianitie* 1.1 it selfe, or the profession of Christian religion. For this doth require that wee excell in all good woorkes, and that we make of, and cherish one another as the mem∣bers of one bodie whose head is Christe. When this* 1.2 is doen through faith in Christ, we studie for Christiani∣tie in the feare of God, that is, to imitate the nature of God in deede. For because God, whom by our profes∣sion* 1.3 we are bound to imitate, is ritche in mercy, we imi∣tatyng

his mercie, are said after à sorte to bee the imita∣ters of God himself. But as many as are not exercised in* 1.4 this imitation, they are Christians onelie in name, Ba∣stardes, and no sonnes of God. For none are the sonnes of God, but sutch as imitate the vertues of their father.* 1.5 Hetherto belongeth that saying of the Prophet: If I be a father, where is myne honour? But the chefest parte of honour, whiche children can doe to their Parentes, is to imitate their vertues. Whosoeuer desireth to be glori∣fied with the honour of à Christian, let him place bee∣fore his eyes this cause of mercifulnes and liberalitie, and take heede that he bee not carried awaie through examples of wicked men from this necessarie, and due seruice of God.

The second is the commaundement of God, where∣unto* 1.6 all creatures must be obedient. Iesus the sonne of* 1.7 Sirach maketh mention of this cause, saying: Helpe the poore for the commaundemente sake, and turne hym not awaie because of his pouertie. And à little after: Bestowe thy treasure accordyng to the commaundemente of the highest, and it shall profit thee more than Golde. All the* 1.8 testimonies of scripture, which commende vnto vs the loue of our neighbour, doe aboue all require liberality towardes the needie. For this is the cheifest part of true charitie. Hetherto belongeth that of the Lorde: I com∣maunde* 1.9 thee that thou open thy hande vnto thy needie brother. He which contemneth this commaundement,* 1.10 how can he loue God? how can he feare hym? For so saieth Iohn: whosoeuer hath the goodes of this world, and seeth his needy brother, and shutteth his compassion from hym, how abideth the loue of God in hym? And Iob: Hee* 1.11 whiche taketh away compassion from his neighbour, hath cast awaie the feare of the Lorde. Whosoeuer therefore* 1.12 doth purpose from his harte to serue and feare God, let

him think that he oweth obedience to God commaun∣ding. Of the whiche Micheas spake after this manner: I will shewe thee, ô man, what is good, and what the Lorde requireth of thee, namely to deale iustly, and to loue mer∣cie, and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God.

The thirde maie bee the examples bothe of Christ,* 1.13 and his men bers. Christe became poore too make vs riche. And then againe, what doe we owe to the mem∣bers of Christ? especiallie when he doth witnes hym∣selfe that what soeuer is doen to the least of his members,* 1.14 is doen to hymselfe? The holie fathers delighted in no∣thing so muche, as in cherishing the sainctes of God. Abraham doth humblie entreate straungers to abide, the better to extende forthe his liberalitie. Lot inuiteth* 1.15 Angels, supposing them to be poore traueilers. Corne∣lius the Courtier is said to haue spente his tyme in prai∣er, and giuing of almes, whiche ascended into the hea∣uens, as the Scripture witnesseth.

The fourth is the dignitie and account whiche God* 1.16 maketh of our almes deuoutly conferred. Prouerb. 21. To doe mercie and iudgement, is more gratefull to the Lorde, than sacrifice. Christ hymselfe saieth: I will mer∣cie and not sacrifice. The Apostle adhorteth that we for∣get not to be liberall, and beneficiall: for in sutch sacrifices he saieth, God delighteth. Sutch is the excellencie, sutche is the account before God of almes godly bestowed. It* 1.17 is preferred afore sacrifice: God is said to be singularly delighted therewith. This account whiche God ma∣keth* 1.18 of our almes, ought mutche to moue the ritche men of this world, that they endeuour, according to the counsaile of sainct Paule, too bee ritche in good woorkes.

The fifte is our neighbour hymselfe. Euerie man as* 1.19 well the wicked as the godly is my neighbour, and that

firste by reason of creation: secondlie, because of like∣nesse:* 1.20 thirdlie in respecte of humane societie. And al∣though this triple bonde, whereby all men are tied to∣gether, is à greate cause, why one should benefite an o∣ther: yet is there a greater couplyng together of Chri∣stians. For there is a common callyng of all Christians, whereby we are called to the vnitie of the spirite in the* 1.21 bonde of peace. Secondlie, by the same Spirite of Christ* 1.22 wee are regenerate into the sonnes of God: whereby wee haue all one Father whiche is God, and therefore are all brethren. Thirdlie, wee are members of the same* 1.23 misticall bodie, whose head is Christe. Laste of all, wee* 1.24 haue one and the same hope of euerlastyng life, and are all heires of eternall happinesse in Christe our Lorde. I saie nothyng of that bonde, whereby all men in this worlde are debters one to an other. If this cause of libe∣ralitie and mercifulnesse were considered of many as it should bee, thei would vse lesse cousenyng, and vnlaw∣full gaine, thei would not so muche spoyle the poore members of Christe, but make of, and cherishe their owne fleshe. And therefore as often as wee see any through miserie crauyng our aide, let vs I beseche you, remember that saiyng of Esaie: Despise not thyne owne* 1.25 fleshe.

The sixte cause, is the sondrie punishementes for* 1.26 suche as bee harde harted. The firste is the wrathe of God, Turne not awaie thyne eyes from the poore, because of displeasure. The seconde is cursyng: In the same chapter of Ecclesi. it is thus written: The praier of hym whi••h•• curseth thee in the bitternesse of his barte shalbee heard, and he will heare hym that made hym. The third is* 1.27 to bee reiected when thou praiest beeyng in neede thy self. He that stoppeth his eares at the crye of the poore,* 1.28 shall crie hymself and not be heard••. An horrible punish∣ment

truely as maie bee: and no maruell though God heare not hym, because hee heareth not the sunne of God criyng in his members. The fourth is, to leese that* 1.29 wherewith God hath blessed thee. For it is written: From hym whiche hath not, shalbe taken awaie euen that* 1.30 whiche he hath. And he is said not to haue, which vseth not his giftes and ritches to the glorie of God, and re∣liefe of the poore. Hetherto belongeth that saying: He* 1.31 whiche despiseth the praier of the poore, shall suffer po∣uertie. The fifte is the beggerie whiche the children of* 1.32 the couetous come vnto, or their filthie and wicked life whiche is more miserable than beggerie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1.
• * 1.2

  Good children will imitate the vertues of their fathers.
• * 1.3

  How we are said to be imita∣tors of God.
• * 1.4

  VVho are ••h••∣sonnes of God.
• * 1.5

  Malach. 1.
• * 1.6

  2.
• * 1.7

  Eccles. 29.
• * 1.8

  Liberalitie the cheifest parte of charitie.
• * 1.9

  Deut. 15.
• * 1.10

  VVhosoeuer gi∣ueth not vnto the poore, lo∣ueth not God. Iohn. 3.
• * 1.11

  Iob. 6.
• * 1.12

  The duetie of •• Christian man.
• * 1.13

  3. The mercie of Christ towards vs miserable wretches.
• * 1.14

  Math. 25. How redie the holy fathers were to relieue the poore.
• * 1.15

  Abraham. Lot. Cornelius. A notable ex∣ample for cour∣tiers to imitate.
• * 1.16

  4. The account which God maketh of almes deuoutlie be∣stowed. Matth. 9. Heb. 13.
• * 1.17

  Almes better than sacrifice.
• * 1.18

  God is deligh∣ted with the al∣mes giuen by his seruauntes.
• * 1.19

  5. VVho is our neighbour.
• * 1.20

  1. 2. 3. How many waies christians are linked toge∣ther in ••igh•••••• or neighber∣hode.
• * 1.21

  1.
• * 1.22

  3.
• * 1.23

  2.
• * 1.24

  4. Al men are det∣ters vnto God▪ and euerie one oweth a duc•••••• to another.
• * 1.25

  Esaie. 5••.
• * 1.26

  6. The punishe∣ments of the vnmercifull. 1. Eccles. 4. 2,
• * 1.27

  3.
• * 1.28

  Proue••b. 21.
• * 1.29

  4.
• * 1.30

  Matth. 25.
• * 1.31

  Prouerb. 3.
• * 1.32

  5.