The ready way to good works, or, A treatise of charitie wherein, besides many other things, is shewed how wee may bee alwayes readie, and prepared both in affection and action to give cheerefully to the poor and to pious uses never heretofore published. By Richard Bernard, rector of the Parish of Batcombe in Sommerset-shire.

CHAP. VIII. What is to be learned of them who doe good Workes, and how they are to bee quali∣fied.

IT is a generall mis∣take and common error among men, they thinke any vo∣luntarie contribution, every si∣nister refreshing of the needy to bee an unquestionable Almes∣deed, that all sorts of givers are

ipso facto mercifull and charitable persons, and that their heartlesse doles and offerings are accepted of God, though they themselves walke on in their owne cursed and crooked courses, and live ac∣cording to the fashion of this evill world, meere strangers to the power and practice of true pietie and godlinesse. Therefore it will not bee amisse for mee to teach, and others to learne how to doe a good worke. Now it may bee learned two manner of wayes, by the Gospell, and by the Law: First by the Gospell which teacheth us

1. To have an eye and to looke unto Christ in whom only God is pacified and wel pleased, and by whom all things that by reason of sinne were at ods, are againe reconciled betweene the guiltie creature and the angrie Judge.

2. To reflect backe upon our owne persons, and seriously to

consider what interest wee have in Christ Jesus, and his merito∣rious purchase, that so wee may be assured that our sacrifices will send up a sweet smell, and plea∣sant savour into the nostrils of the Almightie.

3. To looke there bee grace in us, as our faith (without which it is impossible to please God) un∣fained love, brotherly kindnesse, humilitie, patience, and other spirituall abilities and qualifica∣tions. For you must know that the Gospell by the Synergie and cooperation of the Spirit doth inlighten the understanding, re∣fine the nature, change the con∣ditions, batter into peeces the stonie heart, plant saving graces, and sow the seed of immortalitie in the soule, and then when it is thus well pruned, harrowed, tempered, and sanctified by the Word, it brings forth plentifully the fruits of good works. So then you see wee must first view the

faces of our soules in the pure glasse of the Gospell, whether they beare any conformitie with the Image of Christ, whether they bee adorned and beautified with the Graces of the Holy Ghost, before we can assure our selves that our works are truely good, and saving acceptable to the Lord.

4. To looke unto our lives and conversations: Charitie, a pure heart, and a good consci∣ence, are ever neere neighbours, and lodge close together, and no man can dole charitably to the poore, that doth not deale con∣scionably with his neighbour. The same tree cannot naturally bring forth sweete and bitter, sound and rotten fruits together: So likewise the same man cannot bee a liberall giver to the poore, and an unconstionable couzner of his brother. There must bee a Spirituall harmonie and unifor∣mitie betweene all our actions, a

conformitie in them with the pure precepts of God, and then we may boldly conclude the in∣fallibilitie of a good work. None I am sure are in the Scriptures commended for their merciful∣nesse and almes-deeds, but such as are otherwise described by other saving and eminent graces and good parts. Revolve and consider with your selves the manifold b examples which are obvious to your observation, both in the old and new Testa∣ment, and you shall finde this truth as cleere and evident as the noone-day.

5. The Gospell teacheth us to looke ever to Gods mercy in Christ, and not to our owne me∣rit in any worke we doe: for do what we can, wee can doe but our dutie, still we are but unpro∣fitable servants: One little dead fly will spoile a whole boxe of pretious oyntment, so one dram of merit will marre the best acti∣on,

and greatest good worke. Thus learne wee a good worke from the Gospell.

2. From the Law which teacheth us. First, that we must doe a good worke from the love of God, 1 John 3. 17. this the Law instructeth us in the first place, and so our Saviour Christ enformeth us, and therefore whensoever wee intend a good worke, our chiefest care must be to see that it may consist with true holinesse, and that it is not contrarie and repugnant unto the honour, glorie, and worship of the living and eternall God. If any pretended good worke tend to the erection of idolatrie, to the maintenance and supportati∣on of false worships and religi∣ons, or bee any way derogatorie to the Name of the Lord, that worke is directly condemned by the Law as full of sinne and ob∣liquitie.

2. That we must do a good

worke from the love of our selves unto our neighbours, whom wee are commanded to love as our owne selves: and here speciall heed must be taken; that the good worke stand with the preservation of our owne and our neighbours dignitie, inno∣cencie, chastitie, equitie, and ve∣ritie, according as the rules of the second table binde and di∣rect us. For our Saviour Christ sharpely reproves the Jewes for there Corban, because a gift with contempt or neglect of ones du∣tie to his parents and superiours is no way tolerable or allowable. Cardinall Woolsey laid a faire foundation for a good worke, but his ego & rex meus mar'd all the building. It was a point of prodigious pride, and intolerable arrogancie for the subject to en∣throne himselfe above the king, and to raise his owne honor and reputation upon the ruine of his Soveraignes dignitie.

Lastly, the goodnesse and ac∣ceptance of a worke is lost and quite mar'd, if it be incompatible with innocency, equitie, or ve∣ritie, any way injurious or offen∣sive to any, for Charitie is a friend to innocencie and right, an utter enemy to deceit, untruth, and fraudulent dealing. It never wrongs any, but rather suffers, covers and palliates multitudes of undeserved and dishonoura∣ble injuries. From all this that hath beene spoken may wee learne easily to confute the erro∣neous and selfe-deceiving con∣ceits of those men who ima∣gine.

1. That the very act of gi∣ving is a truly charitable worke, as if God more respected the hand than the heart: this is pro∣digious folly and a strong delu∣sion of Sathan. Doth not the Apostle in plaine words tell us, that a man may give his body to be burned, and all his goods to the

poore, and yet have not a sparke of true charitie. 'Tis not the pas∣sion, but the good cause that makes a martyr: So 'tis not the action, but the good heart that makes a charitable man. The Philosopher doth put some dif∣ference betweene the externall act, and internall habite, be∣tweene justa agere & justè age∣re, gramaticum proferre, & gra∣matice loqui: An unjust man may doe just things, and yet not justly from the habite of Justice: and an arrant dunce may pronounce a good grammaticall speech, and eloquent oration by chance, or by the helpe of another man, and yet not speake grammatical∣ly, out of the true knowledge of that Art and science: So many a churle and covetous niggard may performe many externall good actions, and seeming cha∣ritable workes, and yet not doe them charitably, from the habite and internall inherent grace of

Charitie. This is a flower that growes not ordinarily in every Garden: It is a supernaturall and infused, not acquired habite, and never comes into the heart till it be planted there by the immedi∣ate finger of the Holy Ghost. Now doe not many by giving a pece of bread at their doors, or a pennie now and then out of their purses, conceive that they are really charitable Christians? though they were never ac∣quainted with the habite of cha∣ritie, a d pure heart, good con∣science and faith unfained, yes certainly, and these be the men, who as I conceive most grosse∣ly deceive themselves. For wee are to know that the out∣ward opus operatum the exter∣nall worke wrought may arise and proceed from somewhat else than Charitie, As

1. From the poore mans im∣portunitie and incessant obs••c••a∣tions which sometimes will ex∣tort

a gift and extract some natu∣rall compassion from the most flintie-hearted wretch b who neither feareth God, nor regar∣deth man.

2. From a spice of vaine-glo∣rie and selfe-love to purchase the praise and popular applause of the world, as Hypocrites doe.

3. From feare of publike shame and disreputation, lest he be censured of his neighbors for a very churlish mercilesse man, one of great lands, revenewes, and possessions, but a covetous earth-worme, and a starver or murtherer of the poore, by his unconscionable, cruell, and un∣charitable dealings.

4. From an humane and na∣turall pittie and compassion up∣on some remarkable spectacle of woe and misery, which cannot but worke sometimes upon the most obdurate heart.

5. From a sinister respect un∣to the person of the poore: As

when a man singles out the ob∣jects of his mercy, this kins-man or that worke-man, because these will be the trumpetters of his liberalitie, blaze abroad his Almes-deeds, and procure him some respect, glorie, and reputa∣tion in the world.

6. From a groundlesse con∣ceit of meriting Heaven, this is the poyson that invenomes and infecteth some of the good acti∣ons of the Papists, and makes them to bee odious and abomi∣nable in the sight of the Almigh∣tie. Thus you see there be many false grounds on which most men build their good workes: They are but sandie foundations and therefore the superstructions cannot be lasting.

Now the true saving grace of Charitie, which is a ray of the Divine Majestie, a pure beame of the Sunne of righteousnesse, is firmly grounded on the deare love of God revealed in the face

of Jesus Christ to every truly humble and broken-hearted sin∣ner, it warmes the Christians heart with a Heavenly and holy heate of impartiall affection to∣wards all the naked and needy members of Christ: It teacheth him to hate father and mother in case they bee Remoraes and pull-backes from Heaven, to cleave close unto the flocke of Gods faithfull Saints and Ser∣vants to relieve them, love them, live and dye with them. This is Charity indeed.

2. That all kindes of givers are Charitable persons, this is as full of absurdity as the former: for a truly Charitable man must be a good man, a gracious man, a righteous man, as the Plalmist intitleth him: hee must bee holy and beloved, and one of the bles∣sed of the Father, as Christ cal∣leth all the mercifull at the last day. Therefore those mens ex∣ternall workes of Mercie and

Almes-deeds can never finde ac∣ceptance with God, who

1. Either lye wittingly and wilfully in those reigning iniqui∣ties which are cleane contrary and repugnant to true Charitie as envie, pride, malice, unquench∣able desire of reveng, implacable hatred, contention, &c. Charitie can never take up her lodging in the heart till these devils bee dispossessed, these captaine and domineering abominations bee dethroned, captivated, and cast out of doores.

2. Or wallow and persevere in such hellish courses and cursed practises as are quite opposite to the life of Charity, as usury, ex∣tortion, briberie, unconscionable and cruell dealing, secret under∣mining, circumvention, and poli∣ticke over-reaching of the sim∣ple and unsuspicious brethren, or in other grosse and notorious sinfulnesse, drunkennesse, adul∣tery, gluttonie, or the like: Cha∣rity

that Lady and royall Queen of Graces scornes the company of such feinds of hell, and is ever waited on with these undefiled and heavenly hand-maids, with meekenesse, humility, brotherly kindnesse, patience, sobriety, and the like traine of sweet and amiable creatures of the holy Ghost. Shee rejoyceth not (saith the Apostle) in iniquity, but onely in the truth: Shee suffers not a man to make a sport of sinne, to boast, glory, and impudently to triumph in the contrivances and publike executions of foule enor∣mities, and execrable villanies, but rather puts a bridle upon corrupt and rebellious nature, moderates the passions, qualifies the Affections, confines and rules the thoughts and cogitati∣ons, and worketh a gratious cheerefulnesse and delectation in the inner man to walke in the paths of pietie, and narrow wayes of Gods Commande∣ments.

The Patrons of ryot and excesse, the great maintainers of hospitality and strong suppor∣ters of intemperance, and the conventicles of goodfellowship, may perchance relieve a multi∣tude of lawlesse vagabonds, la∣zie beggars and idle droanes at their doores, yet for all this, these their publike demonstrations of bountifulnesse, are but vanishing flashes, and false fires, not the re∣all expressions of a Charitable heart.

And here thirdly, let me dis∣cover a fearefull deceit, whereby not onely living but dying men grosely delude themselves, and the lesse judicious and weaker Christians. There be many who all their lives long play the de∣vils in usurious practices, oppres∣sions and unconscionable gri∣ping, and raise up huge Babells of honour, and vast mountaines of wealth, by most ungodly and unjustifiable courses, and when

pale death knockes at the doors of their stately Pallaces, and sum∣mons them to take their last farewell of the world, and to hold up their hands at the bar of Gods Justice, then they begin to put on some charitable thoughts and late resolution, to give some small legacie to the poore at their death, which they most basely stole from them all their life long. This is not the best charitie to give a thing when a man can keepe it no longer, and like a fatted swine to feede those being dead, which in his life time he grunted at, reviled, scorned, and contemned. Many never feed the poore with their bread, till they feede the wormes with their carcases, they are almost alike charitable both to the one, and to the other: for had it been in their power to have kept their bodies from the grave, certainly they would yet longer have de∣ceived the wormes, and could

they yet longer have enjoied and lockt up fast their earthly drosse in their coffers, they would still (it is to be feared) have coozend and starved their poore Christi∣an brethren.

Let the men of this world then, slaves of lust, masters of sinnefull pastimes and pleasures idolizers of durt and clay, car∣nall, covetous, irreligious earth∣wormes and the rest, which may be reduced to this predicament, take these things into their con∣sideration.

1. That being in the flesh, and nothing but a meere body of sinne or chaos of filth and cor∣ruption, they cannot performe any one dutie in a right manner that may be savingly acceptable to the Lord: All their best acti∣ons, even their fastings, almes∣deeds, sacrificing unto God, &c. have the nature of sin, and some intrinsecall pravitie in them (ac∣cording to the generall confessi∣on

of our Church of England) and therefore they stinke in the nostrils of the Almightie, and are very odious and loathsome unto him.

2. They are naked and de∣stitute of the Spirit of Sanctifi∣cation, and the grace of unfained and justifing faith, which should mortifie the deeds of the flesh, purifie the heart, incorporate them into Christ, and carry them through this present world with spirituall wisedome, and an un∣blameable conversation. Now having not the Spirit of God, they are none of Christs flocke, they cannot challenge any of his pro∣mises, nor lay any claime to his Kingdome, and Inheritance, and wanting the grace of saving faith, they can never do any thing which God will accept or re∣ward: for without faith, it is im∣possible to please him.

3. That as long as they con∣tinue such f workers of vanitie,

and artificers of sinne, God doth detest, g loath, nay hate them; hee cannot endure that they should take his Word into their mouthes, that they should h tread his Courts, or intrude in∣to his Assemblies and Congre∣gations: Their prayers and i sa∣crifices are so farre from accep∣tation, that they are an abomi∣nation unto him. Hee nothing values but disregardeth and re∣jects all their good workes and Almes-deedes as the fruitlesse leaves of barren figge trees, for 'tis not possible that good fruits should grow in such rotten and corrupt trees.

Therefore let not men of such defiled consciences, crooked courses, and heathnish conversa∣tions falsely suppose that they can so easily make God amends for all former abuses and trans∣gressions, and that they can so soon cover and palliate their fore passed licentiousnesse and lewd∣nesse

with a few rotten ragges of heartlesse almes-deeds. For the hypocriticall Scribes and Phari∣ses could give almes as liberally as any, and yet they were the cruellest packe of blood-thirstie Hell-hounds that with open mouth, and implacable rage did hunt and pursue the blessed Mes∣siah and Saviour of the world. A bloody Joab, a proud Abner, an envious, malitious, and per∣secuting Saul could dedicate some thing to God and holy uses, and yet were all confoun∣ded and cut off in the end. The sayings of some famous writers are so pertinent and pregnant for this purpose, that I cannot omit them, k one saith, no man can bee mercifull to another, who by a wicked life is mercilesse to him∣selfe. Charitie begins at home first, and therefore how can hee bee good to another that is an enemy to himselfe, or love his neighbor, that cannot love him∣selfe:

And further the same Au∣thor goes on and assures us, that if any willingly wallow and conti∣nue in his sinnes, none of his evill deeds can be pardoned and expi∣ated by his Almes.

Another saith,

they verily who live lewdly and licentiously, not caring to reforme such their life and conditions, although they ceasenot to give many alms while they live thus wickedly, they do but vainly flatter themselv's.

He that will give almes in due order must beginne at home, and first serve himselfe, for saith the same

Father, whosoever thou art that leadest a lewd life, returne and go home into thy conscience, and there thou shalt finde a poore hunger starven soule, give it some bread, bestow an almes upon that: if thou neglect to doe that, give as much as thou wilt otherwise, the tenth of thy estate, the halfe, yea, nine parts and reserve but one unto thy

selfe, it is nothing profitable, be∣cause thou art poore and relee∣vest not thy selfe.

Therefore if thou wouldest reape true comfort to thy soule from thy bountie and liberalitie, labour earnestly to reforme thy waies, to mortifie the earthly members, to strangle thy corrup∣tions, to abound in the worke of the Lord, and to furnish thy selfe with the rich confluence of all supernaturall and saving gra∣ces of the Holy Ghost, be merci∣full with Job, but a just man also, a fearer of God, and an eschewer of evill: Bee full of compassion with Barnabas the sonne of con∣solation, and bee also as full of pietie and devotion: with bles∣sed Zacheus be charitable to the poore, but withall proove thy selfe to be a true childe of Abra∣ham, and if any way injurious, be likewise with him a maker of restitution. l Refresh with Phile∣mon the bowels of the Saints, but

withall thou must be a ^m belee∣ver in Christ, and a lover of the Saints, else tis but in vaine to glo∣ry in thy liberalitie.

Therefore such as wilfully persist and contumaciously run on in the wayes of their owne hearts, and securely nuzzell themselves in their uncleannesse, and filt hie abominations, are in a most deplored and miserable state and condition. If they give no Almes at all, nor here shew any mercie, then they are sure to finde no mercie hereafter, but to perish everlastingly: And if they do never so many outward good works, yet they shall not be accepted; what then is to bee done will you say, or what course may be taken for the pre∣vention of this miserie. I know no better advise than that of S. Peter, Repent and bee converted, that thy sinnes may bablotted out. Leave off bearing armes any longer against the Majesty of

Heaven: cast downe thy selfe humbly at Christs feete, conse∣crate and resigne thy selfe, soule and body wholly to his mercie, and to the obedience of his Will, resolve hereafter to walke in his narrow wayes and unbeaten paths, follow the directions of his Word, and willingly submit unto his Spirituall governement, and then Give in the Name of Christ, and looke for a blessed acceptance.

Notes

• Matt. 3. 17.
• Heb. 11. 6.
• 1 Tim. 1. 5.
• b

  Job. 1. 1. Act. 10. 1. Phil. 5. 7. Act. 4. & 11. 24.
• Nehem. 13 22.
• Matth. 22. 38.
• Matth. 19. 19.
• Matt. 15. 6.
• Hee laid the spatious and famous foundation of Christs-Church in Oxford, which king Henrie the eigth enri∣ched with many good∣ly revenues.
• 1 Cor. 13.
• The first er∣rour confu∣ted.
• 1 Cor. 13. 3.
• Non passio sed causa facit mar∣tyrem.
• Arislo. li. 2. Eth. cap. 4.
• * 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ibid.
• d

  1 Tim. 1. 5.
• b

  Luk. 18. 4. 5.
• Matth. 6. 3.
• The second errour con∣futed.
• Psal. 112. Col. 1. 12. Matth. 25. 34.
• 1 Cor. 13. 6.
• The third errour dis∣cover'd and confuted.
• Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regumque turres. Ho∣race: lib. 1. od: 4.
• Vide Ro∣ger in Art. 13.
• Rom. 8. 11. Act. 15. 9. Rom. 8. 9.
• Heb. 11. 6.
• f

  Psal. 5. 5.
• g

  Pro. 13. 5.
• h

  Esai. 1. 12. 13.
• i

  Prov. 15. 8. 21. & 10. 3.
• Matth. 7. 18 & 12. 33
• 1 Cron. 26 28.
• k

  Nullus in alium mise∣ricors esse potest, qui pravè vi∣vendo in se non est mi∣sericors. &c. Isidor. lib. 3. de Summo bo∣no.
• Sane qui sceleratissi∣mè vivunt nec curant talem vi∣tam mores∣{que} corrige∣re, &c. Aug. Euch. ad Lauren∣tium.
• l

  1 Phil 7.
• Jam. 2. 13 Matth. 25. 41.
• Act. 3. 19.