The harmonie of Holie Scriptures vvith the seuerall sentences of sundry learned and vvorthy vvriters : collected for the comfort of all such as are desirous to seeke after theyr soules health / by I.B.

¶ Against Couetousnes.

§. 1.

TAke heede, and beware (saith Christ) of couetousnesse; for, though a man haue abundance, yet his life standeth not in his riches.

Godlines is great gaine, if a man be con∣tent with that he hath: for we brought no∣thing into the world, and it is certaine that we shall carry nothing out.

Therefore, when we haue foode & ray∣ment, let vs ther-with be content. For, they that will be rich, fall into tentation and snares, and into many foolish & noysome lusts, which drowne men in perdition and destruction.

For, the desire of money, is the roote of all euill; which while some lusted after, they erred from the fayth, & perced them∣selues thorow with many sorrowes.

§. 2.

There is not a more wicked thing (saith Sirach) then for a man to be couetous, and a louer of money: for, such an one will e∣uen sell his soule.

And, vvhere a greedie desire of gaine resteth, there raigneth all manner of sinne

and wicked workes.

Besides, a couetous mans eye, hath neuer enough of a portion: and his wicked ma∣lice withereth his owne soule.

While such a man liueth, the poore peo∣ple daily curse him: and after hee is dead, his owne kindred fall at strife and conten∣tion about his goods.

§. 3.

Couetousnes is such a poysoned euill, & of such force where it is rooted in the heart of man, that it worketh in him, not onely a carelesnes of Gods holy will, but an vtter contempt also of God himselfe. For, who∣soeuer with that infection is sick, & intang∣led, endeuoureth with all his might to fol∣low the loue of filthy lucre, and the lyfe of Gods holy word is lothsome vnto him.

Hee maketh none account eyther of his good name, or office in which he is placed to doe iustice; but flieth as greedilie after gaine, as hungry Rauens doe after stinking carrion. And, the better to attaine his pur∣pose, hee will vndermine all men, & proue trustie to no man; but craftily lie in waite for euery ones goods: neuer making any conscience, whom, or by what meanes hee

doth deceiue, so hee may get golde by the bargaine.

For, as the Gluttons cheefest desire is to fill his belly, and the Lechers to satisfie his lust; so the couetous mans minde, is whol∣ly imployed to get abundance of gold.

Hee so well loueth lucre, that he maketh gold his God: and his chiefest confidence, is lockt vp close in his coffers.

He miserably spareth both from his own belly and backe; and liues like a begger all his life, coueting onely to be found rich in money at his death.

But,] hee that loueth gold, shall not be iustified; and hee that followeth corrupti∣on, shall haue enough thereof.

§. 4.

The minde of a couetous rich man, saith Pacuuius, can neuer be thorowly satisfied or contented so long as hee liueth, though hee possesse plenty of all things; for, the more he hath, the more hee still desireth.

And, like as a greedy curre speedily de∣uoureth whatsoeuer hee can catch, & pre∣sently gapeth for more: so when it hap∣neth the couetous man to obtaine any thing that hee desireth, hee seemeth not∣withstanding to set little by it, & saith, Alas,

it is nothing; but wisheth euer to haue it doubled. The onely reason is, because his couetousnesse increaseth, as fast as his sub∣stance is augmented.

§. 5.

It is no maruaile (saith Aurelius) though hee bee good, which is not couetous, but it were a vvonder to see a couetous man good.

For, great abundance of gold and siluer, cannot of any man, be both gathered and kept without sinne.

To delight in riches, is a foule and dan∣gerous vice, but to be a bond-slaue to co∣uetousnes, is the confusion of a mans own soule.

§. 6.

O thou horrible hunger of gold and sil∣uer, what is it not that thou doost compell, the harts of men to buy and to sell?

VVho hath beene tryed thereby, and found perfect? Let him be an example of glory. VVho might offend, and hath not offended? or doe euill thereby, and hath not done it?

Many are destroyed by reason of gold; and diuers haue founde theyr destruction before them.

It is as a stumbling blocke to them that sacrifice vnto it, and euery foole is taken there-with.

§. 7.

There is (saith Salomon) an euill sick∣nes which I haue seene vnder the Sunne: to wit, riches reserued to the owners there∣of for theyr euill.

Now surely, none can be more wretched by the riches which he possesseth, then the hungry-harted money-monger; whose de∣sire is neuer satisfied, though he haue suffi∣cient; but is euer complaining of vvant, when hee is most stored with wealth.

For; his very trauaile after riches, pineth away his body; and the care thereof, dri∣ueth away his sleepe.

Many wayes dooth hee daily molest his minde, first to get gaine; & when through much troublesome busines he hath obtay∣ned abundance, hee is then no lesse com∣bred with care, howe to keepe safely that which hee hath gotten: but aboue all; his greatest dolour is at the day of death; to think with himselfe, that he must then per∣force depart from whatsoeuer he hath, and leaue all behind him.

VVhere-vpon Sirach very well sayth: O Death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee, to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions: yea, to the man that hath no∣thing to vexe him, and that hath prosperi∣tie in all things!

For doubtlesse, to him that maketh vvealth his onely happines in this vvorld, Death at his comming, is a most vnwel∣come guest.

Thus is it with the man that gathereth ri∣ches to himselfe, and is not rich in God.

§. 8.

Trust not [therefore,] in oppression, nor in robberie: be not vaine; if riches in∣crease, set not your hart thereon.

Put no confidence in thy riches: neither say vnto thy selfe; I haue enough for my life: for riches shall not helpe thee in the time of vengeance and indignation.

Let not thy soule be subiect to the sinne of couetousnes; but liue content with that which thou hast, though it be but little, ne∣uer seeking to increase thy substance by deceit: for, goods gotten by honest labour, bring with them ioy of hart, and peace of conscience: but the wealth that is wonne by any vvicked meanes, cannot long be

possessed, vvithout some inward griefe & vexation.

§. 9.

If thou vvilt liue according to nature, thou shalt neuer be poore: but if thou wilt liue after thine owne greedy desire, thou shalt neuer be rich.

If thou couet to bee rich in vvorldly wealth, thou shalt receiue there-with, sor∣row, care, trouble of minde, & many other greeuances: but if thou seeke to be godly, thou shalt thereby finde comfort, quiet, & euerlasting felicitie.

Prepare thy selfe therfore of such riches, as when the shyp is broken, may swimme, and scape to land with theyr maister.

For, no man is more wealthy, then hee that is rich in good workes.

Notes

• Luke, 12, 15
• 1. Tim. 6. 6. 7.
• verse, 8, 9.
• verse, 10.
• Eccl{us}, 10. 9.
• Iraeneus.
• Eccl{us}, 14, 9,
• Macrobius.
• Erasmus.
• Cleobulus.
• Bernard.
• Boetius.
• Anachar.
• Eccl{us}, 31, 5.
• Pacuuius.
• Hermes.
• Aurelius.
• Ierome.
• Socrates.
• Tully.
• Eccl{us}, 31, 10
• Eccl{us}, 31, 6,
• verse, 7.
• Eccles, 5, 12, 13,
• Fulgosius.
• Eccles, 31, 1,
• Clem. Alex.
• Eccl{us}, 41, 1,
• Euagoras.
• Luke, 12, 21
• Psal, 62, 10.
• Eccl{us}, 5, 1, 8,
• Mar. Bucer.
• Seneca.
• Hermes.
• Plotinus.
• Augustine.