A forme of Christian pollicie drawne out of French by Geffray Fenton. A worke very necessary to al sorts of people generally, as wherein is contayned doctrine, both vniuersall, and special touching the institution of al Christian profession: and also conuenient perticularly for all magistrates and gouernours of common weales, for their more happy regiment according to God.

❧ The simple impotent and true needy poore, we ought to holde in singuler and deere care, asvvell for Gods commaundements, as for that he hath promi∣sed vs great recompences both temporall and eternall, by the vvhich many haue bene stirred vp to giue all their goodes to the poore, but specially such as vvould follovve Iesus Christ to doe holy profession.

The .1. Chapter.

TOuching the true poore, who eyther for their small age (as children) are vnable to labour, or being olde, haue no force to trauell, or suche as by diseases in disposition and true infirmi∣ties of the state decrepit (as the blinde and lame) are vnapte to seruice, yea, their handye worke not sufficient to giue nouriture to their family, spe∣cially in times of dearth: togither with those poore soules, who hauing bene riche, are now fallen to pouertie, whose shame makes them endure much, because they dare not aske: And lastely all poore passengers, and néedy straun∣gers ought to stande with vs in due recommendation by the commaundements more often repeated to vs in the scrypture, with more great promises of recompence, then for any other thing which God hath giuen vs in charge to doe: the same being a signe most certaine, that we can not doe an act more agréeable to God (touching duetie to our neyghbour) then to vse charitie (comprehending alwayes that which we ought to God) without which, though we giue all our goods to the poore, yet we lose all for as chari∣ty is the perfection, and full ende of the law, yea, the very marke whervnto it drawes, proceding of a pure heart, a conscience perfect, & faith not dissembled, but entire & ex∣pressing a true trust reposed vpon the goodnesse of God in hope of eternall lyfe: so is it called mercye, which, who so euer doe vse, are called by Iesus Christ happy, for they shall find mercy afore God. Dauid assureth the man that reléeueth the poore, neuer to stand abandoned of god in his necessities: yea, so far doth he loue this mercy, y^t he prefer∣reth it afore sacrifice, due to him as to god: I loue (saith he) mercy better then sacrifice, & obediēce, & knowledg of god, more then holacust, which was a sacrifice wherin y^e whole beast was burnt and consumed in perfit oblation to God.

By this he auiseth vs that it were better to nourish a poore soule, and preserue him from perishing by hunger, then to offer all the beastes in the world in sacrifice: for as the beastes and all other perticuler creatures of the worlde were made for the vse of man: So it were better there were a generall wrack of them all, then to suffer the mea∣nest man that beareth lyfe to perish and dye for want to be succored by this mercy.

This worde almes (according to the Gréeke) hath hys deriuation from thence, so that to doe mercye, is to giue almes, according to the Gréeke propertie, whereof it is sayd, who hath pity on the poore shall be most happy, who exerciseth pitie on the poore man, and aydeth him, hath his recompence of pity layde vp with God, who will neuer abandon him, and according to the succors which he besto∣weth on the néedy, God will measure reléefe to him in his proper necessities: Yea, suche high dignity and prayse of vertue, hath this charitie to the poore, that it only amongst all other vertues, is called iustice, which is the most perfit vertue, conteyning all other vertues, and according to the name of it, all honest people are called iust: sure none can worthyly be called honest men, vnlesse they be pitifull to the poore, expresse actes of comfort in their necessities, and frankely, and gladsomly giue vnto them the duety of their estate, which is norriture, and necessarye succors: For which cause Dauid called such Acte, iustice: the iust man (sayth he) hath distributed his goodes to the poore, and his iustice remaines eternallye: as if he hadde sayde then doth a manne shewe himselfe to be of perfect hone∣sty, when he imparteth a good portion of his welth with the poore, hée shall not loase by that benefit which he doth to the poore, for he shall be iustified by it (vnder the merit of Iesus Christ) of all sinnes of the which he shoulde be ac∣cused in the iustice of God: that was the cause why Dani∣ell spake to Nabucodonosor: redéeme thy sins with almes and thine iniquities by charitable déedes to the poore: For that cause will Iesus Christ absolue in his iudgement, all

such as in his name haue giuen succors to the poore: Thus doth almes make and expresse a good man helping to hys iustification in that he workes or prepareth remission of sinnes, as the almes done to Cornelius, and prayers by the which he was heard of God, and instructed in true faith by S. Peter: And almes proceeding of true fayth iustify∣ing by charitie, helpeth to iustifie, in that they deminishe the paines of sinnes, and make that man after he haue ob∣tained remission which is done by the efficacy of the passi∣on of Iesus, Christ apprehended by fayth, stande with God in more grace of pardon.

Besides all this, to almes is ioyned of God a promise of succors in all affayres, as deliueraunce from diseases, and death, encrease and aboundaunce of welth, and frui∣tion of eternall lyfe: yea, they suffer not as Toby sayth, a man to go in darcknesse, meaning dollors, heauinesse, perplexities, and perpetuall sorrowes of hell: The assured consideration of which promises, hath drawne many chri∣stians to dispose all their goods to the poore, some of them choosing a solitary lyfe in the desertes, others to take vp∣pon them euen the seruice of the poore in hospitals, others endued with knowledge, to become preachers, not regar∣ding temporall goodes, in hope of the eternall felicytye, which hope woulde not suffer them to take goodes of any: In this they conformed themselues with the Prophetes of the olde testament, and with Iesus Christ, who had not so much as a bolster to rest his head vpon: he sayde to his Apostles, that such as forsake not all they haue, can not be his disciples: They séemed also to beléeue and take suerty in that which he said to a certayne rych man: go thy waies sell all thou hast, and giue it to the poore, then returne to me, and follow me, and thou shalt haue a treasour in hea∣uen: Christ willeth not by these texts, that in al men indif∣ferently should be such actual prostitution of their goodes to the poore, and that they shoulde leaue all and follow him and become his disciples, which haunt with publicans, and hauing conuerted them, he commaundes them not

to leaue al to follow him: nor to Zachea, who was princi∣pall amongst them, and for shewed that there should be al∣wayes poore in the worlde, meaning then by consequence that there should be also riche men in the world: which is very well confirmed by S. Paule in the lesson which he giueth to the richemen what they ought to doe for their saluation, not prescribing to them to leaue al, but to distri∣bute part to the poore: of whome Iesus Christ made elec∣tion of some for his Apostles and disciples, who the better to exercise their estate, shoulde actuallye forsake or sell all they had and to offer it to the poore: and others he lymi∣ted no further, but that they shoulde not set their heart vp∣on richesse, but giue almes, and speciallye eschewe coue∣tousnesse, and cares of the worlde.

Notes

• 1. Cor. 3 Rom. 3. 1. Tim. 1.
• Math. 5 Luk. 6. Psal. 4••
• Ose. 6 Mat. 9
• Prouer. 14 21. & 28.
• Math. 7
• Psal. 3.
• Daniel. 4
• Math. 25 Actes. 10
• Psal. 4•• Esay. 58 1. Tim. 4 Toby. 4
• Mat. 8
• Luke. 11