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.

¶VVee must not feare, that by geuing Almes, wee shalbe poore, for God vvho is iust and true, hath promised not to suffer the almes geuer to haue necessitye: Strangers, aboue al other sortes of poore, are to be fauored in necessity: Let the countreyes as vvell as Cities norish their perticular poore: Such as distrust the prouidēce of God, not norishing the poore, are conuinced by the Turkes: rea∣sons by the vvhich vve ought not to haue distrust: In times of plague, ought such prouision to bee made, as the poore dye not of vvant and pouertye.

¶ The .5. Chapter.

THen, seeing we haue so many cōmaundements to féede & harbor the poore in theyr necessityes, with ample promises cōfyrmed with exāples of plentiful graces of God: why should wée doubt? if wée doubt of his word, we cannot bée but Infidels: shal wée dare to resist God, impugning so fierce∣lye his commaundementes? are we not his subiectes, & is not hee the Lord which can do al thinges, & which is iust and true? In this doubte and infidelitie wée merite the threatning in Salomon,* 1.1 That that which wee feare shall assuredly happen vnto vs: Or in place of that, some other more gréeuous plague: wée shal crye to him for ayde, and shal find none, ney∣ther in life,* 1.2 nor in death: He sayth, who kéepeth no reckoning of the poore, or denyeth him his iust demaund, doeth wrong to him that hath made him, & who heareth not the prayer of the poore, shal crye, & shal not be hard: as of the contrary, who in∣clineth in compassion to the poore, is sure to bée heard in al his requests, for we haue declared that God multiplieth the corne in the Garner, & increaseth the wine in y^e seller of the Almes geuer: who sayth, hée wyl geue ayde to the poore of his owne towne, and stretche not him selfe to helpe others: Rates him selfe and prescribeth to his wil what he thinketh good, & lea∣ueth to God, to doo with the rest what hée will, which can not but bée heaped against him, as an ouerwéening rashenesse, speciallye to deuide and parte that which hée hath set in state indiuidible, willing at the least that wée vse as great care to poore straungers, as to others that are familiar to the coun∣trey: The reason why God in the Scriptures, hath more recommended poore straungers, then others, is, that as hée that hath most néede of ayde, ought most to bée succoured, and is worthy of most great compassion: So the straunger hauing neyther Parent, Allye, Neighbor, or other meane of friend∣ship by the commoditie of the countrey, standes in most néede of Christian charitye? For the which only (being for the loue of God onely) hee is succoured, and not for other ende. Ther∣fore, séeing the only respect of the loue of God, is more great in this case then in other, greater necessity also requiring, the

almes employed there must necessarily bée more great, and the charity more commendale.

Heare, if it bée replied that wée are most bound to our owne countrey: I aunswere with S. Paul,* 1.3 that there is neyther Iewe, Greeke, Scithian, nor Barbarian in Iesus Christ: no, neyther woman nor man: as who saye, wee must not make distinction with Iesus Christ touching charitye, no more, then in the case of Saluation (wée meane not heare of Pa∣rents & kinred, who in the actes and duty of charity, ought by right of nature, and deuine Lawe, to bee first considered:)

Besides, although (as we haue saide) there were some fleshly affectiō, yet the causes are greater to exercise charity to poore passengers, as being more vexed with wantes, & haue more necessity of helpe: yea, hospitals or townes (as we haue said) were made therfore with the time expressly, and principally for them: For those within cities were sustayned in the par∣ticuler houses of wealthy and honest men: Why should not then the place consecrated to their vse euen from the first in∣stitution, be reserued for them? What iniquity is it to take from them, that which they haue possessed aboue prescription of time? But heare I meane not that to reléeue straungers, we should be carelesse ouer our familier poore, and leaue them destitute: But where is feruency of charity, there the towne maye suffice to all, so that none perishe with hungar: And in our charge to nourishe straungers, I comprehend them not but as passangers or wayfairing, and to bée refreshed for a daye or twoo in the Hospitall, and not to entertaine them in idlenes, or geue sufferāce to theyr vaine pleasures: touching the weake & sicklye, there is other consideration: For in that, nor in any other act wherin wée employ our selues to do wel, charitye is not ruled, but is gouerned by the necessitye: And where it may bée feared, that a whole world of poore people of the countrey may flock to the townes.

That doubt is answered, if there bée aduertisement geuen that they receiue none but poore passangers: and that those of the countrey bée ruled by a generall ordinaunce, that in euery parishe the most Ritch of common liberality, reléeue such as are trulye poore, so that none bée suffered to come out of the

countrey, but certaine, who eyther for shame, or other neces∣sary occation wil go séeke some meane to liue by: Such men in any wise must bée applied to trauaile to auoide damnable idlenes: of whome, if any fal to disorder, let him bée sent from whence he came with seuere threates of corporal paines, ha∣uing perhaps left Father, Mother, wife and children, who, by his absence, may suffer sharpe necessitye: Touching other feares, which these timerous Almes giuers maye alleadge, they ought no more to bée hearde then Infidels, but are sur∣mounted euen by the Turkes of this age, with whome are continued goodly Hospitals to nourishe the poore, but special∣lye passanger strangers, and that in time of dearth, more thē in any other season.

Let also those fearefull Christians, note that as true faith and charity haue neuer any feare, but obedience to God with suretye of his word: So the wise man sayeth, that who fea∣reth the Birdes, & obserueth the windes in doubt of stormes, let him neuer cast séede into the earth, nor make his haruest: euen so let not man thinke that by his prouidence the Citie is kept from the euils which hée feareth to happen by meane of the poore, as from great famine, & dangerous sicknesses: who sendes the misery, and who preserueth the Citie frō it: is it not God? whose grace if wée haue, shal we not be assured with Dauid, that malice can not hurt vs, enemies can not anoye vs, nor plague, no nor death it selfe haue power ouer vs? By what meanes can wée better obtaine the graces of God,* 1.4 or if he bée angry, what easter way haue wée to reconcile him, thē by almes & hospitality? if wée lodge the sonne of God in our house, and entreate him with franke will in zelous charitye (which wée doo, in harboring his poore creatures in his name) Let vs thinke that we stand in such estate of grace both with the Father & the Sonne, as our requests are alwayes accep∣table with them:* 1.5 Shal we haue feare of euil, wée that receyue him that preserueth and deliuereth vs from it? hée that hath power to ceasse the rage of Tempests & stormes, & restoreth life to the dead? euen so of the contrary, if wee reiect him, and threaten him to auoide from our gates, what wretchednes do wee worke to our selues: euen no lesse then damnation?

If Iesus Christ assure vs that making the poore our frindes, by y^e plenty of our wicked richesse, we shal haue them as ad∣uocates to receiue vs into their eternall tabernacles: let vs not doubt but as they liue exercised in prayer for vs, so they are heard in their requestes, & their deuotion acceptable with God: If then by the meane of y^e poore y^t pray for vs, we haue y^e redier place with & who hath them his enimies can haue no accesse to heauen: then where is our refuge, séeing they are only y^e heyres of the kingdome of god: In making them our enimies, wée prouoke God grieuouslye against vs, & to chase them out of our townes, or threaten them if they approche néere our gates, is to bring vs and our Citty in perill of his iustice, who is their soueraigne father and protector. There can not be a more iust cause to bring in the plagues, & mise∣ries that we feare, then to deale straightly with the poore pas∣sengers straungers: here I allow not, that without discre∣sion there be suffraunce of frée entry to whome that will, but at the least, let suche be sustayned, whose necessitie most re∣quires it, giuing consolation to their pouerty, and not cause of further gréefe in their present sorrowe,* 1.6 which of it selfe is intollerable ynough: It is written that we are bound to com∣passion ouer she distresse of an other, and not to defrawde the poore of his almes: And if no man be defrauded, but when that is taken from him which appertayneth to hym: then to giue him that is his owne, is but common iustice and christi∣an piety: Strayne not thine eyes ouer the poore in his pouer∣ty, and delay not that which thou wilt giue him to encrease his perplexity: if he curse thée (that is if he complayne iustly of thée) he shall be hearde of God, who turneth directly to thy destruction. Let vs be therefore affable and mylde to the as∣sembly of the poore, for these speaches of the wise man are ministred for our instruction.

Still touching the recōmendation of hospitalitie and almes.

BVt the better to prouide for all sortes of poore, it were good to follow the order of the Apostls, who elected deacons,* 1.7 such as among the people by common iudgement had the estimation of honest men and fearing god, and they to distri∣bute

according to the perticuler necessity of euery poore of the churche,* 1.8 to which office were called oftentimes the most ho∣norable and vertuous dames: choosing also inhabitantes of the towne of sounde conscience, and feruent followers of charitye to administer the almes by faythfull ser∣uauntes.

This Apostolik custome appéereth euen at this day (in many sortes agréeing with that antiquity) in certaine auncient townes, where be many hospitals called commaunderyes, as hauing in euery one of them a Deacon, commaunding as a speciall gouernour vnder the Bishop or Chapter, to whom he was to make account at certaine times of the receypt, & distribution to the profite of the poore: For to al those houses belonged great reuenues, because the churchmen liberally contributing, departed the reuenues with the Bishop, and the thirde part or (according to the counsell of Rome in Sil∣uesters time) the fourth part at the least was employed that waye: the Byshop tooke the first, the Canons the second, the third was giuen to the reperation of Churches, & the fourth (as is sayde) was the share of the poore. There were besides these many generall collections, & many perticuler almes in large charity: many legasies by the testamentes of richmen were transferred thyther, and after the churches were riche, all fines and common confiscations were applied therevnto: by which meanes, hospitals became the richest houses of a country. But such wretchednesse is happened with the cor∣ruption of time, that those Deacons, or substitutes, which we sayde are called at this day commaunders, and the syndicks haue folowed the declination of the time, & conuerted to them selues what they thought good, not bearyng care to their estate and office, wherevpon is happened a generall discon∣tinuaunce of Almes geuing: yea Bishops and Churchmen also, haue either resumed, or at least restrayned their fourth part, and the reuenues and benefites growing by Legacies of good men, are lost for want of lyuing: For those com∣maunders durst not draw them into question, either fearing to be reproched for their owne dissolucions, or glad to vse sci∣lence, and liue in peace with their vsurped share of the liuing

of the poore: And so they haue suffered all to be lost which was proper to the poore, both what was in certayne reuenue, and what might haue growen to their reléefe by casuall de∣vocion, reteyning to them selues what they list attribute to the merite of their paynes, which, besides their trauayle to collect, shoulde haue stretched, to visite, comfort, and care for the poore: If they had with halfe of that they tooke, but pre∣serued the houses which now are fallen to ruine, they had yet perfourmed a great parte of their duetye for these latter times.

For touching the first seasons, as there hath béen allowed no excuse, so in these latter dayes shall none be admitted, if they do not commit their charges into the handes of such as haue power to reduce them to order, which are gouernors of the pollecy, who according to God and the zeale to their country, are to take hart & enforce restitution of that that hath béene taken away & deuided into cantels, whereby the poore house of God is robbed by sacriledge: procuring also restoration of the first collections and almes for the continuance of a thing so pittifull, and agréeable to God: For the which the auncient Macedonians were so liberall, that they gaue not onlye one part of their goodes, but also offred themselues as S. Paule writeth: Let them search out the auncient debtes due to hos∣pitals and let such as are indebted therin be compelled in that which they are bounde to pay for the goods they holde of their auncestors: yea let themselues in recompence of the wrong they haue donne in times past to the poore, and for the honour of God, say with Zacheas to Iesus Christ, that for penaunce, he will satisfie such to whome he was bounde: I will gyue (sayth he) the halfe of all my goodes to the poore, and if I haue deceyued anye manne, I will restore it fourefold,* 1.9 which if they doe not, let them not thinke that they stande in other state afore GOD, then as men accused of theft, rob∣bery and murder, yea the counsell of Carthage calleth them murderers of the poore.

And thus Gouernours hauing prouided that the reue∣nue be sufficient for the poore passengers, and vnhable peo∣ple, lette the hable passengers, after two or thrée dayes

repose and harbor, haue their leaue to depart, and the impo∣tent vexed with sickenesse, be furnished of Phisitians and po∣thicaries for the cure of their diseases, which being recouered to auoyde ydlenesse, let them be recontinued to trauell and labour for their liuing: But in case of defect by imbecilly∣tie of nature, or iniquity of time, let gouernours measure the reléefe of such according to the hability of their persons, and by their owne charitable discretion: and if there be any who either by impotency of limmes, or imbecilyty of age, can not get their sufficient sustenaunce, let their good willes be fauo∣red and their defectes supplied of the common store, applying y^e olde women to y^e labor of y^e spindle according to the meane they haue to worke vpon. Al impotents of nature, as such as are vexed with y^e paulsey, & others who being restrayned in mēbers are vnhable to labor, blindmen, & all suffring defects of body, ought to be norished wholy of y^e almes: & yet y^e blind are not so fully excusable, but they may be applied to some∣thing, for y^t in many of them god hath raised supplies of ver∣tues & wisdom, as to Dydimus. And séeing such as are lame, may aptly ynough suffice to leade the blynde, it cannot be but contrary to good order, to apply stoute and able beggers to that office in whome is capacity to trauell in their trade: Such as are lame only of their féete and legges, haue yet an vse of their handes, eyther with the néedle or such like instru∣ment: and such as are onelye dombe, are not vnfite for all that to labour. Touching poore children whose insufficiencye of age makes them vnhable to gaine their necessarye suste∣naunce, it cannot but be a worke of great compassion to ap∣ply them to learning in a colledge vnder the instruction of some good scoolemaster: by whose industry, and helpe of gods spirite they may ryse in time to be members seruiceable to their common weales: such as haue no disposition to studye, may be applyed to other sciences according to the rate and measure of their capacities: Touching poore maydes, wée haue before recommended them to the honorable and vertu∣ous dames of euery Citye, whome we beséech eftsones, for Gods cause, to take to themselues a charge and office of so singuler pyety.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prou. 10.
• * 1.2

  Prou. 17.
• * 1.3

  Gala. 3. Collos. 3.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 23.26
• * 1.5

  Hebr 13.
• * 1.6

  Eccle. 41
• * 1.7

  Act. 6
• * 1.8

  ••. Tim. 4
• * 1.9

  Luke ••