An explication of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments, with reference to the catechism of the Church of England to which are premised by way of introduction several general discourses concerning God's both natural and positive laws / by Gabriel Towerson ...

PART VII.

Concerning the contributing, what in us lies, to the procuring, con∣serving, or enlarging our Neighbours Property, which is the Second Branch of the Affirmative part of the Commandment. The Means of effecting that, the Liberality of our Endeavours, or of our Purses: The former whereof is recommended upon the score of its both ge∣neral practicableness and use; the latter, for its immediate subser∣viency to the advantaging of our Neighbour. The Liberality of the Purse more particularly consider'd, and shewn to imply the remitting of what is due, or at least not exacting it with rigour; the giving of what we are actually possess'd, or lending; and, in fine, an Ho∣spitable Entertainment. Inquiry is next made, whether the use of the formentioned Means be to be extended unto all, and in what order, and manner, and proportion. For the resolution whereof, the Reader is in part remanded to the Affirmative part of the Sixth Commandment, and in part afforded Satisfaction here. In order thereunto, the several Liberalities before spoken of are resum'd, and such Remarques made upon each of them as were before omitted. Concerning the Liberality of Mens Endeavours, is noted, That in∣asmuch as it takes little from our own Properties, we ought to be the more free of it; but yet not so free, as for the sake of one, to offer any Injustice unto others. Concerning the remitting of what is due, which is the first Species of the other Liberality; That it cannot be omitted without a manifest resistance of the Divine Will, where the Person concern'd becomes insolvent by the sole disposition of his Providence; provided that the Remission be not prejudicial to others, nor draw after it any intolerable prejudice to our selves. The Explication more particular in the Liberality of Giving, as ob∣serving concerning the Objects of it, that they are such, and such onely, who are under any need of it, and are beside that in an in∣capacity to provide for themselves; by which means all wealthy or slothful Persons are excluded from any share of it: concerning the Order which it ought to observe, that though those of the Houshold of Faith ought, caeteris paribus, to be preferr'd before other Men; yet not before those of a Mans own Family and Kindred; as more∣over, that, where the necessitous Persons are many, the preference ought to be given to those whose Necessities are most pressing: con∣cerning the Proportion this Liberality is to observe, that it ought

to be according to Mens Ability, and that no one ought to value that at less than the Thirtieth part of his yearly Income; that where the Necessities of those that are about us cannot otherwise be provi∣ded for, we ought to give above our Ability, if we understand there∣by an Ability to provide for our selves according to that Condition wherein God hath placed us: concerning the Manner of our Giving, that it ought to be without superciliousness and contempt, as also with chearfulness, speed, and secrecie. A Transition to the Libera∣lity of Lending, and of Hospitality; concerning the former where∣of is observ'd, That though there be no necessity of lending gratis to such as borrow onely for the Improvement of their Fortunes; yet that we ought so to do, where those that borrow, borrow onely to procure or continue to themselves a bare Subsistence: Concerning the latter, That it ought to be extended to Strangers, as well as to those of our own Neighbourhood, yea to all whom we are in a capacity so to mi∣nister to; That, though it minister to Mens Necessities, yet it ought not to minister to their Intemperance: where also the means of re∣trenching that is described. The Conclusion of the whole, with the Promises that are made to the Charitable Man, and that his own Property is more likely to be improved, than any way diminished by his Liberality.

II. IT having been often said, and largely prov'd, that every Ne∣gative in the Decalogue includes an Affirmative, and that that Affirmative is Love; it is easie to infer, That the Negative we are now upon, forbidding the invading of others Properties, the Affirmative doth principally suggest the contributing what in us lies toward the procuring, conserving, or enlarging them. For then, and then onely, can we be said to love our Neighbour in the Instance that is now be∣fore us, when we do not onely abstain from the invading of his Property, but endeavour to procure him one if he wants, or to conserve and add to it, if he hath. Taking it therefore for granted, that so to do, is in part the Affirmative of this Commandment, I will make it my Business to inquire,

• 1. By what means it may and ought to be effected.
• 2. Whether our Endeavours of thus doing good to others, ought to extend to all sorts of Persons; and in what Or∣der, and Manner, and Proportion.

1. Now there are two ways (as Tully* 1.1 well observes) whereby Men may become useful to others, as to the procuring, or conserving, or en∣larging of their several Properties; the Assistance of their Endeavours, or of their Purses: Whereof, though the latter be most taken notice of, and so far as in a manner to appropriate to it self the Name of Liberality; yet the other doth no doubt alike deserve our conside∣ration and regard, that I say not also more importunately require it: As being, 1. in the power of the Poorer, as well as the Richer sort; of those whose Properties are as strait, as theirs whom they desire to enlarge or conserve. For, though, as St. Peter sometime spake con∣cerning himself, Gold and silver have they none; yet they are not of∣tentimes without an Ability of giving that Advice, and Encourage∣ment, and Assistance, which may be alike useful to the procuring,

improving, or conserving of others Properties: Solomon* 1.2 having told us of a poor man, who, however he was not afterwards regarded for it, yet by his wisdom delivered the City wherein he dwelt from the Power of a Great Monarch, who had us'd no contemptible means to make himself Master of it. But neither, 2. as was but now inti∣mated, is the Liberality of our Persons less to be considered, for the use it is of toward the forementioned purposes, as will appear, if we consider it with reference to Mens Labours, or the conciliating the Fa∣vours of other Persons towards them. For, Labour (as was before said) being not onely appointed by God for the procuring of this Worlds Happiness, but not without a natural aptitude to it; he must be look'd upon as no unuseful Person, who shall either direct Men in the management of it, (which in all Employments is of great weight) or encourage and assist them in the performance of it. In like man∣ner, when, as it often doth, the Properties of Men depend, either as to their being, or well-being, upon the Benevolence of others; it is easie to see, that he who is no Niggard of his Person and Endeavours, may by his Authority or Intercession procure the Favour of those who have the collation of Benefits, or by his Wisdom and Eloquence (if those Properties Men have be attempted by others) defend them from their Rapine, or recommend them to those by whom they may. All which Beneficences, as they are undoubtedly of great use toward the advantaging of our Brothers Properties; so they have this farther to commend them to us, that whilst the Liberalities of the Purse, as Tully* 1.3 speaks, exhaust the Fountain of it, and make Men less able to be liberal for the future, that Liberality which exerts it self in our Endeavours, doth not onely suffer no detriment by its being often us'd, but gains so much the more by it, because making Men both more apt for the exercise thereof, and more ready to intend it.

From the Liberality of our Persons and Endeavours, pass we to that of our Purses, as being more immediately subservient to the advanta∣ging of our Brothers Property, and therefore no doubt more especi∣ally requir'd. Now there are four ways whereby we may be thus li∣beral; by remitting of what is due, or at least not exacting it with rigour; by giving of what we are actually possess'd of, or lending; and lastly, by a Hospitable entertainment. Of the first of these much need not be said, whether we consider it as a Duty, or as a Means to procure or conserve our Neighbours Property. For, as the latter of these is so apparent, that it seems not to stand in need of any Proof, Men being often undone, where they who are their Creditors will neither remit ought of what is due to them, nor allow them a com∣petent time to discharge the Debt; so the latter needs no other proof than that Love and Benevolence wherein our Saviour hath summ'd up this and other the Precepts of the Second Table. For, though the exacting of what is due in its full proportion, be no way contrary to the Precept of Justice; yet it may be sufficiently repugnant to that of Love, especially as urg'd upon us by the Gospel: Love prompting Men to forgive, as well as give; to remit of what it may require, as well as to part with what it is possess'd of. And not without Rea∣son; he who forgives, giving away what he doth so, because it is in his power to exact it. To the Liberality of Remitting or Forgiving, subjoyn we that of giving; a Duty no less necessary to the foremen∣tioned

purposes, nor less necessary to be observed, whether we do re∣spect that subserviency of it to the advantaging of our Neighbour's Properties, or that right we have often said the necessitous person to have to such a portion of this worlds goods, as may afford him a sub∣sistence: for it being apparently the intention of God, and so declared in his first grant of Dominion, that each of the Sons of Men should have a share in them, it is of necessity to be looked upon as the duty of those, into whose hands God hath put the possession of them, to communicate them to such as shall be found to stand in need of them; he, who refuseth so to do, as much as in him lyes, defeating God of his intention, and men of that right which accrues to them by it. Whence it is no doubt that Almsgiving both‖ 1.4 in the Old and New Testament hath so frequently the name of Righteousness; that being not improperly stiled Righteousness, which he, who is the Object of it, hath the original grant of Dominion to warrant his title to. Thirdly, as there is a liberality in forgiving and giving, so there may be a liberality in lending; that no less than either of the other tending to the advantaging of Mens Properties, and oftentimes much more to the welfare of their Souls: For whereas giving many times relieves Mens idleness as well as wants, and makes them careless in the discharge of the Duties of their several Callings; lending puts the necessitous person upon a necessity of being industrious, if it were that he might be in a capacity to repay that which he hath borrowed of us. Lastly, for though that be a species of giving, yet it deserves a particular mention for the commendation is given to it by the Scripture; There is a liberality in entertaining, as well as in giving, or lending, and par∣ticularly in the entertaining of Strangers. To the practice whereof, though there be other inducements, and such as are it may be of more affinity with that Commandment which I have now chosen to entreat of; yet it may suffice to mention that which is used by the Author to the Hebrews* 1.5, that thereby some men have entertained Angels unawares: that being to be looked upon as no contemptible piece of Liberality, to which God hath sometime vouchsafed so excellent a reward.

2. It being thus evident what are the means of bringing that advan∣tage to our Neighbours Property, which I have affirmed to be incum∣bent upon us by the affirmative part of this Commandment; my propo∣sed method obligeth me to enquire, whether the use of those means be to be extended unto all, and in what order, and manner, and pro∣portion. But because in my account of the Affirmative part of the fixth Commandment, I have in a great measure prevented my self in most of the queries proposed, and particularly so far as the liberality of our persons or endeavours is concerned, I will only touch at such things in each of them as were there wholly omitted, or obscurely and imperfectly delivered. Now there are two things observable, beside what were before noted, concerning that Liberality which exerts it self in our endeavours: 1. That inasmuch as it takes little from our own Properties, that Liberality especially which consists in giving good advice, we ought to be the more free in bestowing it upon those that need it; it being a strange piece of niggardliness, that I say not of en∣vy and maliciousness, which will not impart of such boons, as bring lit∣tle or no prejudice to him that gives them. And though the reaso∣nableness

of that which follows, seemed so evident to the great Master of Morality* 1.6, that he hardly thought fit to make it the matter of an admonition; yet inas∣much as men are often peccant in it, I thought it not amiss to observe, in the second place, that we should not so endeavour to promote some mens welfare, as to offer any the least in∣justice to others; he, who forbids the doing injury to any man, conse∣quently prescribing that Liberality, which cannot take effect without it. Upon which account, all those must be looked upon as Offenders, who, to promote the welfare of some one or more persons, by calumnies or other such like courses endeavour to obstruct their rise, who have the same pretensions with their Favourites.

From the Liberality of our Persons or Endeavours, pass we to that of the Purse, and consider the several species of them before set down. Where who is there that sees not first, I do not say how necessary it is to remit sometimes of our own right, but to remit of it especially there, where the person concerned in it becomes unable for the satisfy∣ing of it, by the sole disposition of the Divine Providence? Extremi∣ty in such cases arguing as little regard of God, as consideration of the calamities of our Brethren: For inasmuch as inability puts a man out of a capacity of discharging that debt which he hath contracted; where the inability proceeds meerly from God, it must be a kind of resistance of his Will to be over rigid in exacting it. I will not add, though per∣tinent enough, that how incumbent soever it may sometime be to re∣mit of our own right, yet it is to be understood where such a remissi∣on is not prejudicial to others, nor draws after it any intolerable pre∣judice to our selves: as because, though we may part with our own right, yet we cannot do so with those of others; so the parting with our own right is ever to be understood with subordination to our own necessities, to which, as I have before shewn, the Law of Reason as well as Charity obligeth us to have the first regard. Setting aside there∣fore that Liberality which consists in remitting of that which is our due, I will proceed to that of giving, as being more apparently subser∣vient to the welfare of other men. And here not to tell you, because sufficiently evident from the forequoted discourse, that no qualificati∣on whatsoever can exclude those from our Charity, whose condition makes them proper objects of it; it shall content me to observe, be∣cause not before noted, that the condition of those and of those only is such, who are under any need of it, and are beside that in an inca∣pacity to provide against it: by the former whereof are excluded all persons of better or equal fortunes with our selves; by the latter, all idle or slothful ones. For as Reason and Charity both oblige us to give the first place to our selves, and consequently not to part with that to others, which we are under a like necessity our selves; so the Command of God, and the Precept of S. Paul, debars those of any re∣lief, who will not contribute ought to their own subsistence. Upon which account as our Laws have spoken the same thing, and, which is more, made it penal to relieve them; so, that they are at any time re∣lieved by considerate persons, is only imputable to their importunity, and the neglect of those in Authority who suffer them to use it. Which neglect is so much the more criminal, in that it doth not only encou∣rage those idle persons in their sloth, and many other wickednesses,

which slothfulness draws after it, but makes the charitable person less able to minister to those necessitous ones, who are either wholly inca∣pacitated for labour, or cannot by all their labour compass a tolerable subsistence. But because, even of those who are fit objects of Charity, all cannot be relieved by all, by means of the shortness of our Fortunes; therefore I proposed also to enquire in what order we are to relieve them, and which of the many necessitous ones ought to be preferred. Which demand, though I have in part satisfied already, in the place so often referred to by me, yet there are two things of moment which were not there observed, and will therefore be fit to be taken notice of here: 1. That though those of the Houshold of Faith ought, caete∣ris paribus, to have the precedency of other men, yet not when the necessitous ones are of our own Family or Kindred, Justice as well as Charity obliging us to give to these, and consequently to prefer them before such, who, however better deserving otherwise, yet have no∣thing but the Law of Charity to oblige us to the relief of them. Again, though all necessitous ones are fit objects of Charity, and consequent∣ly, where our faculties will permit, to be relieved by us; yet Reason as well as Charity oblige that, where our Faculties will not permit the extending of it to all, we give the preference to those persons whose necessities are the most pressing: For, if the necessities of men make them fit Objects of Charity, those persons must be looked upon as the fittest Objects, and consequently they to be preferred, who labour un∣der the most pressing ones. And more than this, as I shall not need to say concerning that order which is to be observed by the charitable person in giving, so I shall therefore proceed to enquire after what man∣ner and proportion we are to do it, the next things in order to be consi∣dered. For the resolution of the latter whereof, as being the most important Query; the first thing I shall offer, is, That it be generally according to our ability, and not either above or below it; not only Tully* 1.7 so advising, where he requires the referring of our bounty to our Faculties, but he, whose judgment is more considerable, even S. Paul, he enjoining the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 16.2. that every one should lay by him in store for the supply of the necessitous, according as God had pro∣spered him. By virtue of which Rule, as the Charity of wealthier per∣sons must be concluded to be in a greater proportion than those of mea∣ner ones; so, that the Charity of both the one and the other ought not either to fall below or exceed it: he who offends in the defect being unjust to the necessitous, to whom, as I have before shewn, God hath made our Charity due, as he who offends in the excess, unto himself. But because, through that self-love which prevails in the most of us, men will be apt enough to think they give according to their ability, when in truth they do nothing less, I will propose to your considera∣tion, in the second place, what measures God prescribed the Jews in the exercise of this great Duty of Charity; which was, that beside the Tithe payable every year to the Priest, as you may see, Deut. 14.22. they should every third year* 1.8, as it is in the 29. v. of that Chapter, set apart another Tithe for the poor, which being resolved into a yearly rate will amount to the Thirtieth part of our yearly income: For though this Law do induce no direct Obligation upon us, as being a part of the Jewish Polity; yet inasmuch as Charity is no less required of us than of the Jews, and our Saviour professeth not to have come to destroy,

but rather to fulfil the Law and the Prophets, we cannot in reason deem our selves obliged to set apart less for the poor than the Thirtieth part of our yearly income. Lastly, as consideration ought generally to be had of our ability, and of those measures which God hath given us to judge both of that and our own duty by; so I see not how we can sometime avoid the giving even beyond our ability, if we mean there∣by an ability to provide for our selves according to that state and con∣dition wherein God hath placed us, and not an ability to serve our own necessities. For as we find that S. Paul, who doth generally re∣fer men to their ability, yet mentions it with commendation that the Corinthians, whom he wrote to, gave not only according to their abi∣lity, but above it, 2 Cor. 8.3. so I see not how we can avoid the abating of our own enjoyments, where the necessities of those that are about us cannot be otherwise in any tolerable measure supplyed: he, who gave the Earth for the support of all, consequently obliging those who are possessed of it, to communicate thereof to the necessitous; and therefore also, where the support of those is not otherwise to be pro∣cur'd, to abate of those Enjoyments, which the place we hold in the World might otherwise warrant the enjoyment of. One only thing remains, relating to the liberality of giving, and that is the manner af∣ter which we are to do it; concerning which I say, first, That it ought not to be with that superciliousness and contempt of the poor, where∣with it is too often attended: Not only their descent from the same common Parent forbidding it, but the particular regard which God professeth to have to all necessitous persons, and that relation wherein our Saviour hath own'd them. For, what place can there be for super∣ciliousness, where those, to whom we give, are not only of our own blood, and the same common stock, but under the particular care of and relation to God and Christ, and that too in such a proportion, that what is done or not done unto them, he interpreteth as either done or not done unto himself? But neither, secondly, are we to give with grudging and repining, as it is but too frequent with those who are not otherwise peccant; as because God, to whom we are obliged for being in a capacity of giving, professeth to love* 1.9 a chearful giver, and should not therefore be so ill requited, as to find a grudging one; so because (as hath been often said, but can never be too much repeated) that Charity is no more than is due to the poor from us. For, what place can there be for grudging, where that, which we are to give, is but the right of those to whom we are required to impart it? Thirdly, as we ought to discard from our giving all superciliousness and grudging, so also all slowness in the doing of it, not only Solomon so requiring, where he forbids us to say to the necessitous person, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give, when we have it by us, but also the design and end of Charity; the deferring of a benefit making it of little use to him that craves it, and sometimes also of none at all. I will con∣clude this head, and my discourse concerning the Liberality of giving, with admonishing, in the fourth place, that it be done secretly, and so (as our Saviour speaks) that the left hand may not know what our right hand doth; lest that, which was intended for a benefit to our Neigh∣bour, prove an exprobration to him, either of his necessities or obli∣gation to us, and to our selves a temptation to pride and vanity. Which as it is enough to sowre the most excellent Charity, and make

it disgustful both to God and Man; so hath this farther inconvenience attending it, that whilst it seeks the praise of Men, it debars the cha∣ritable person of the praise and reward of God; he who forbids us to do our Alms before men to be seen of them,* 1.10 assigning for the Reason of it, that so doing, we shall have no reward of our Father which is in Hea∣ven. And indeed, as to give secretly hath Reason as well as the Precept of our Saviour to oblige us to the observation of it; so there wanted not among the Heathen, who saw the reasonableness of it, and incul∣cated it almost in the same terms; Marcus Antoninus* 1.11 not only insinuating the so giving, that we our selves may not know what we our selves have done, but resembling the benesicent person, among other things, to a Vine, which is neither sensible of its own fruitfulness, nor makes any noise of it, chusing rather to superadd in their proper season new clusters to its former, and to continue its truitfulness, than to be esteemed for it.

Of the Liberality of giving, what hath been said may suffice; proceed we to that of lending, a Liberality which I have already shewn to be no less necessary in its self than the other, and might also be no less incumbent upon us, by the Precept of our great Master Christ; in the very same breath* 1.12 wherein he commands the giving to every one that asks, forbidding to turn away from him that would borrow of us. Now there are two things observable concerning this Liberality, proportionably to the twosorts of persons with whom we have to do: For either they may be such who want it for the improving of their Fortunes, or such as borrow it of us to procure or continue to themselves a bare subsistence. Now though I doubt not (as hath been before declared) but that he who lends to the former persons, may require what he does so with a valua∣ble Consideration for it, especially where the money lent is needful enough to a Man's self: yet as such persons may sometime prove un∣fortunate in the management of it, in which case it may be but requi∣site to remit somewhat of our own demands; so it cannot at all be ac∣counted lawful, where we our selves can possibly be without it, to take the like Use of those who borrow what they do, meerly to pro∣cure themselves a subsistence, not only the Law of Moses forbidding so to lend to a poor Brother, but the Law of Nature and Christ: He who lends to such a person upon Use, being so far commonly from advan∣taging him, which is the end of Charity, that he only helps to plunge him so much the deeper in necessity and calamity. The same is to be said of the taking of Gifts of such persons, or making any other ad∣vantages of them; it mattering not at all, under what notion it comes, so a Consideration be paid, which changeth it from Liberality into a Contract, and, in the present case, an unmerciful one.

I am now arrived at the last species of Liberality, best known by the name of Hospitality; concerning which, as the Scripture hath not been wanting in furnishing us with Examples* 1.13, so neither in inculcating the Fractice thereof upon us: S. Paul in his Exhortations joining Hospita∣lity with distributing to the Necessities of the Saints, Rom. 12.13. as S. Peter† 1.14 with that Charity which covers a multitude of sins. And not without Reason, if we consider, I do not say how much it immediate∣ly conduceth to the conserving of the Properties of meaner persons,

but to the encouraging of them to undergo that labour and travel which God hath been pleased to lay upon them. Now though even here that Caution is to have place, which refers the Benevolence of Men to the measure of their several abilities; yet I cannot forbear to say, that, provided it keeps within those bounds, it ought not to con∣tent it self with extending to a few, or indeed to those of its own Neighbourhood; as because the word, which we render Hospitality,* 1.15 imports the entertaining of Strangers, so because it is a Vertue of those whom God hath blessed with more liberal Fortunes, and from whom therefore he expects a more than ordinarily comprehensive Cha∣rity. And I cannot but upon this occasion call to mind the Story of Henry* 1.16 Wardlow, sometime Archbishop of S. Andrews in Scotland, who, agreeably to his own Function, and the Precept of the Apostle, em∣ployed that Revenue, which God had given him, in the entertainment of other persons: For, being prevailed with for the ease of his Ser∣vants, to make a Bill of Houshold, that they might know who were to be served by them; when he was asked whom he would first name, he answered Fise and Angus, which are two large Countries in Scotland, containing many millions of People. By which answer of his, as he wisely freed himself from their importunity, who would for their own ease have retrenched that good Man's Hospitality; so he gave an evi∣dent testimony of a truly Christian and generous mind; and such as it will concern those of the richer sort, but especially of the Clergy, to shew themselves diligent imitators of: That and no other being truly Christian Charity, which, so far as in it lyes, extends it self to all, I do not say that are the Children of the holy Jesus, though that be a large Family, but the Descendants of our common Parent Adam. Care on∣ly would be taken (as being in a manner the only blemish which ad∣heres to this most excellent Vertue) that that which is intended by the hospitable person for the refreshment of Strangers and others, be not converted into luxury and intemperance; that, as it often happens, not only proving no Charity to their Bodies, but the destruction of their Soulls, which is the greatest cruelty we can be guilty of. And indeed, as those times which were most famous for Hospitality, found a way both to prevent and retrench all such intemperances; so if we could live to see the simplicity and plainness of those ancient days recalled, there is no doubt we might live to see their Hospitality also recalled, without any of those inconveniences which do now attend it; they arising for the most part from that, which hath been also the bane of Hospitality, even a desire of gratifying our Palates with curious and costly Entertainments. For as those things which are most plain are also procured at the easiest rates, by which means men may be better fitted to be liberal towards other men; so, at the same time they grati∣fie the appetite, they do also satiate it, and not like the curiosities of latter time produce a thirst which is equal to the other, and which no∣thing but intemperance can aslake.

Such are the means whereby we may contribute to the subsistence of others, and to the procuring or conserving or improving of those Properties from which they derive it: in which as I have often said, and I hope sufficiently proved, that the Affirmative part of the Com∣mandment doth consist; so they have this farther to commend them

to our consideration and use, that they would if duly observed, not only not abridge our own Properties, but preserve us from the tem∣ptation of invading those of others, which the Negative part of the Commandment doth forbid. It being not to be thought, especially after such glorious Promises* 1.17 as are made to the charitable man, that he should be under any necessity of invading the Properties of others, who, in obedience to the Divine Command, hath been so liberal of his own.

Notes

• * 1.1

  De Officiis, l. 2.
• * 1.2

  Eccl. 9.14, 15.
• * 1.3

  De Officiis, lib. 2.
• ‖ 1.4

  See for the Old, Deut. 24.13. Where the Septuagint render the word righteousness by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as also, Psal. 112.9.

  For the New, Mat. 6.1. ac∣cording to some Greek Copies.
• * 1.5

  Heb. 13.2.
• * 1.6

  Tull. de Officiis ••. 2. Jam illud non sunt admonendi (est enim in promptu) ut animad∣vertant, cum alios javari ve∣lint, ne quos offendant.
• * 1.7

  De Officiis lib. 2.
• * 1.8

  See Ham∣mond's Serm. on Deut. 26.12, 13. and Seldens Histo∣ry of Tithes, c. 2. sect. 3.
• * 1.9

  2 Cor. 9.7.
• * 1.10

  Mat. 6.1.
• * 1.11

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. li. 5. sect. 6. —〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.12

  Mat. 5.42.
• * 1.13

  Gen. 18.3. Gen. 19.2. Judg. 19 20.
• † 1.14

  1 Pet. 4.9.
• * 1.15

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.16

  Spotiswood's History of the Ch. of Scotl. l. 2. p. 57.
• * 1.17

  See Prov. 11.25. Prov. 19.17. Prov. 28.27.