CHAP. I. The words opened; and a discourse touching Debts in generall, with reasons why we should not continue in them.

IN the words before, the Apo­stle exhorteth to render to e­uery man his due, tribute, custome, honour and feare to whom they belong, and in these things not to remaine debtors to any; but so farre as in vs lyeth to yeeld to euery man his right; from which particular enume­ration, he proceedeth here to the generall [Page 2] admonition, to owe nothing to any man but loue, this is [...], sayth Chrysostome, a Debt neuer fully paid, but alwaies to be yeelded and alwaies due; the Argument is thus. Debts must bee paid, but loue is an vniuersall and a perpe­tuall debt, therefore it must be yeelded to all: the Verse is resolued into two propo­sitions.

First, wee must not be in debt in such things as can be discharged.

Secondly, we must alwaies continue and keepe on foote the debt of loue. A reason is annexed of the latter Propositi­on; Hee that loueth another hath fulfil­led the Lawe. For the vnderstanding of the former proposition, we must consider what Debt is. Debitum est quicquid obli­gatione aliqua alteri praestatur: Debt is whatsoeuer is performed to another, vp­on any bond or reasonable consideration: Now as is the obligation, such is the debt; obligations are of three sorts, of Nature, of Grace, and of Ciuill contract. Bonds of Nature and Grace are perpetuall, so long as the parties remaine, as a child ow­eth a perpetuall respect to the Parents, [Page 3] and they to him, euen by nature: so Chri­stians are vnited in the bonds of grace, which must not faile but ought to conti­nue. Yet the ciuill bonds of debt, which come by borrowing and lending, by buy­ing and selling, or any interchangeable duties and seruices, doe then cease when they are payed and performed. The pro­position is to be vnderstood of this third kind of debt as we may see by the excep­tion in the Text, which keepes that debt on foot which cannot totally be dischar­ged.

Now when he sayth, Owe nothing to any man, I took it not to be a simple pro­hibition of all ciuill debts, which cannot bee auoided, while humane contracts stand; but it is an admonition duly and truly to discharge all such debts, and so much as in vs lyeth, not to continue in them. Hortatur, sayth Chrysostome, vt nul­lius rei quám solius dilectionis debitores ma­neamus, soluentes scilicet quicquid rerum aliarum aut officiorum debemus. He exhor­teth that wee remaine not debtors of any thing, but of loue only, paying forthwith whatsoeuer other things or duties wee do [Page 4] owe; this doth Bucer follow, and other the best Expositors.

The instruction is this: That whatsoe­uer ciuill debts or duties we owe to any, we must truly and duely pay them, and so much as in vs lyeth not continue vnder that bond and obligation. Giue vnto Cae­sar that which is Caesars, is an excellent rule, Mat. 22. 21. and is it not euen as true and as good; render to your neigh­bour that which is your neighbours? If the work-man be worthy his wages, Luke 10. 7. then euen the hireling must haue his due; the poorest labourer his due; spe­cially the labourer in the Lords haruest. If it be a brand by Gods Spirit vpon the wicked, that he borroweth, but paieth not againe, Psal. 37. 21. Then should euerie good man, so much as in him lyeth, pay euery man his owne, and not willingly continue vnder the bond of debt.

First, because debt consumes many a Reason. 1 mans estate, by the hard conditions vpon which they are constrained to borrow; as vpon vsurious contracts, or vpon cruell bargaines, or vpon such pawns and Morgages and Obligations as vtter­ly [Page 5] vndoe a man in the forfeiture.

Secondly, in many cases it is a seruile 2 thing to be indebted: and therefore when the Lord will set downe an vnderling, hee describes him by being a borrower, and not a lender. Deut. 28. 43. Hee shall lend to thee, but thou shalt not lend to him. Salo­mon is more peremptory; The borrower is a seruant to the lender, Prou. 22. 7. sup­posing them equall before, as we may see by his submissiuenesse and flatteries, and obsequiousnesse, and seruile obseruations. By Debt a mans state and person is in a manner mancipated to the lender. [...], gifts for loane of money, make free men seruants, by tur­ning, as I conceiue, the state of him that so borroweth, from freedome to seruility.

Thirdly, by long continuance of a 3 debt, freely lent, the Lender may be dam­nified greatly by the Borrower. A man by trading and turning the Stocke, may raise maintenance to himselfe, and such as depend vpon him; whereas the money in another mans hand long deteined, is like aburied Talent, in respect of the owner.

Fourthly, Debt may prooue vncom­fortable 4 [Page 6] fortable to a mans owne Conscience, for what if payment be so long deferred till a man be not able to pay? till he be compel­led to ingage others? what if it be defer­red till a man dye? then that which might haue beene satisfied by ones selfe, will ve­rie hardly bee discharged by his Execu­tors. A man well able to pay his owne debts, may leaue an Heire that shal not be bound to pay. Lands pay no debts, or not in hast; not at a mans neede.

Fiftly, a man indebted cannot (while he so continueth) liue comfortably, be­cause, though otherwise frugall and indu­strious, yet hee enioyeth not the labour of his hands, but he soweth, and another reapeth; or hee reapeth to another that which he soweth: he earneth wages, but another mans bag must bee filled with it, and so he laboureth for the winde; speci­ally when hee borrowes vpon vsury, for that will eate out all a mans increase. Nor can a man thus continuing, prepare to die contentedly, by setting his house and out­ward state in order. For, if debts must first be paid, as vndoubtedly they should, and then Legacies and Portions, what [Page 7] certainty can be assigned to the fatherlesse and widow, when whatsoeuer is most precious in a mans house or substance, must bee drawne out to the satisfying of the Creditour, before they can bee sure that they eate their owne bread? Many men seeming rich, are found poore and naked, when euery bird hath her owne feather.

CHAP. 2. That we should owe no man any thing.

THese grounds being thus laid, I pro­ceed as the words lead me.

[...].] Two negatiues in other languages make an affirmatiue, in the Greeke, Duae negativeae plerum (que) vehemen­tiús negant, two negatiues for the most part doe more vehemently denie, as Heb. 13. 5. [...]: in this place in hand, each negatiue hath it's seuerall weight, for if we must owe [...], to no man, then suum cuique redde, pay e­very man his owne: if we must owe, [...], then wee must pay all fully, without com­pounding [Page 8] at an vnder-value, out of pre­tence of pouertie.

First, be indebted to no man, so much as in you lyeth: not to a rich man, least he draw you before the Tribunall: not to a poore man, lest his maintenance detai­ned be a crying sin in you: not to a Land­lord, lest hee take occasion to root out you and your Family: not to a Tenant, lest his stocke in our hand, which might haue been improued vnto profit, make him fall short in paiment of his rent: not to a Minister, lest hee be impouerished, and instead of hospitality to others, be cast vpon the curtesies of a mercilesse world: not to the fatherlesse and widow, lest in the bitternesse of their soule and sense of their want, they make their moane to God, who wil certainly iudge their cause: not to a seruant lest he bee discouraged, and put vpon shiftes vncomfortable to himselfe, vnprofitable to you. Owe no­thing to a friend, lest you be burdenous where you should be helpfull, or lest fai­ling of payment proue a ship-wracke of friendship: not to a foe lest he exact rigo­rously, and worke vpon some vantage: [Page 9] Owe not to a Neighbour, lest you lose your liberty: not to a Stranger, lest you fall into some snare: not to a buyer, lest you disapoint his owne necessity: not to a Seller, lest hee enhance the price of his commodity: not to a free Lender, lest you disable him from managing his own affaires: not to an Vsurer, lest he consume you as a Cankar. Wee should owe no man any thing, if wee be in case to pay it; no not our owne Fathers, to whom wee should, vicem rependere, make requitall rather then run further vpon that skore. By making too bold, euen with parents in this kind, many men haue lost their ve­ry patrimony.

There is in borrowing, a kinde of ob­noxious ill-liberality, which an ingenu­ous spirit brooketh not, if there be any o­ther remedie. Besides, there is such a corruption in the hearts of men, that euen a free lender will thinke hee may well a­bate the fruite of his beneuolence some other way, and that makes him cease to bee a free lender. Lastly, by deepe and great debts, there is such a world of cares vpon the heart of the debtor, that it [Page 10] breakes his sleepe, it distempers his affe­ctions, and afflicteth him so continually, that Augustus Caesar, hearing of a man that died exceedingly in debt, desired to buy the Pallet or Bed vpon which a man so deepely indebted could sleepe; intima­ting thereby, that great debt is such a cor­rasiue as is able to molest the minde of a­ny man, euen of an Emperour, and to make it restlesse.

CHAP. 3. The diuision of debts, and of the first kinde of debts, imposed by others, namely, Haereditary.

[...], Owe nothing.] That our proceeding may be such, as hee that runnes may read it. Let mee here pro­pound in a short diuision, the substance of the ensuing discourse, touching civill and mixt debts, which fal first to be hand­led. Debts are either imposed by others, or procured by our selues. Imposed by others, are hereditarie, or legall. Legall [Page 11] are of three sorts, to the Magistrate, to the Minister, or to the Poore. Debts procured by our selues, are either neces­sary, or voluntary. Voluntarie are either casuall and transient, or permanent and standing debts: The remedies whereof are either such as preuent, or such as re­moue the disease: Of all which in their or­der. The sacred debt of Loue is also to be handled in the second proposition. But first of Hereditary debts, which are the first kinde of ciuill debts imposed by o­thers.

These are such as Parents impose vpon their Heires, or Testators vpon their Exe­cutors by will and testament; or which necessarily fall vpon the state of the de­ceased. A Testament or Will, is; Vo­luntatis Vlpian in d. lib. 1. nostrae iusta sententia, de eo quod post mortem nostram fieri voluerimus. A Testament is a iust declaration of our will, touching that which we would haue done after our death. By this a man may haue a calling to the paiment of debts and legacies; & consequently vnto debts which cannot perhaps with comfort, per­haps not without losse to himselfe and [Page 12] others bee auoided.

Now if a man, in regard of the trust reposed in him, and of the meanes alot­ted for performance of the same (with­out which, and his owne acceptation con­curring, no man stands charged) will vn­dertake the execution of any mans Will, then must he accomplish what is enioy­ned and prescribed, by the true meaning of the Will, according to Austins rule; Aut Testatoris voluntas seruanda, aut haere­ditale carendum. Either must the Will of the Testator be obserued, or the inheri­tance must be lost. In debts then thus imposed, this remaineth to be done; We must pay them speedily at the time pre­fixed, lest they lose their acceptation, by hanging too long in our hands: Wee must also pay them faithfully and fully, without keeping backe from any that which is intended to them.

Among things which passe by Will, besides that which is giuen to kindred and friends, there are sometimes summes of money and yearely pensions alotted to Colledges, and Schooles of learning, to Hospitalls, and High-waies, to the poore [Page 13] of certaine parishes, and to other godly vses, and then the debt so to bee paide, is not meerely ciuill, but a mixt debt: of a common nature in respect of the matter, as money or goods; but in respect of the godly & pious vse, of a higher straine. In all these we must deale truely and wor­thily, both with the dead, and with the li­uing: For as the counterfetting and for­ging Lege Corn. de falsis. of a false Will, was punishable an­ciently in some cases by death, in some by banishment and publication of goods: so the suppressing of a true will, by not publishing or not performing it, to those whom it doth concerne, is a sinne and an iniquity, not much inferior to the other: the one iustifies a dangerous lye, the o­ther conceales a necessary truth, not with­out periury perhaps in both. It was some­times Dauids complaint; Defecerunt ve­races Psal. 12. 1. a filiis hominum. The trustie are fai­led frō among the sons of men. The com­plaint is still iust, in this particular as much as in any. I am perswaded very few Wills are executed by the common sort of men, in estates of any value, without some no­table fraud, partly by alledging (when pai­ments [Page 14] should be made) defect in the state, and partly by concealing legacies from those who cannot demand them, out of ignorance of the Will; to whom I say, that so long as wrong reckoning is no pai­ment, that the debt remaineth in the sight of God, how euer it bee crossed out of their accounts. They shall also finde, that Luk. 16. 11. for being vnfaithfull in the dispensation of earthly talents, they shall neuer bee trusted with the true treasure. It may al­so one day be their owne case, that as they haue cancelled and made void the Will of the dead, by deteining debts and lega­cies from the right owners, so by the iust iudgment of God, the like Mat. 7. 2. measure may be meated to their widowes and father­lesse children, by those whom they shall vnworthily put in trust: wee may not thinke an account discharged, when a fraud and a deceit is cunningly contriued. A debt cannot bee paid but by reall satis­faction, without which the obligation re­maineth in full strength and force; vpon the conscience whereof, an honest heart cannot but bee tenderly sensible: And therefore I am not of Cyprians minde, [Page 15] who tooke order; Ne quis Clericum tuto­rem Cyp. Epist. 66. aut curatorem testamento constitueret. That none should appoint a Clergie man Guardian or Executor by Will, lest hee should bee molested with the affaires of this life. I rather thinke that men should bee chosen out of all vocations and cal­lings whatsoeuer, of most vnstained con­uersation and conscience most alienated from couetousnesse, least intangled in worldlinesse, for the dispensation of our estate to whom it is intended.

Before I leaue this point, let mee ad one caueat to Parents and Testators, not to charge their Wills with that which their state cannot discharge; for this is the way either to haue nothing done at all, or to expose their executors or succes­sors to perpetuall suites and clamours. A man were better sell all that he can spare, and pay his owne debts himselfe, then out of an ambitious humour of leauing so much in lands to his Heire, lay withall vp­on him such a masse of debts & legacies, as shall mancipate him to the ineuitable yoake of the Vsurer, till hee can redeeme himselfe, by selling what is most precious [Page 16] in his patrimonie: which when one is compelled to doe, let him then consider whether the great possessions which came to him by inheritance, were not partly the spoile of the Church, the prey of the poore, and the fruits of oppression, which like Aurum Tolosanum, the gold of Tolo­sa, Aul. Gel. lib. 3. makes euery hand vnfortunate, into which it comes: let him also well consi­der, whether the intollerable masse of debt, be not that vnmoueable yoake, spo­ken of by Micah, and threatned to them Micha 2. 2. 3. who couet fields, and take them by force, who roote out men and their families, threatned, I say, to them, and their poste­rity. Let them lastly consider, whether a small thing to the righteous man be not Psal. 37. 16. better, then great riches to the wicked and mighty; howeuer some of them florish till the measure of their iniquity be at the full. Thus of the first kinde of debts im­posed by others: the next are Legal.

CHAP. 4. Of Legall debts; and first to the Magistrate.

THE debts imposed by humane laws and ordinances, are of diuers sorts, as Subsidies, Fifteenes, Tenths, Oblati­ons, and other pensions to the Church or to the Common wealth, in peace or in warre. These are common burdens, which euery man in his place must necessarily beare. as a member of a politicke body, and readily for auoiding offence and mo­lestation iustly ensuing vpon neglect. These fall due either to the Magistrate, specially to the Kings Maiestie, or to the Minister, or to the Poore. In all these I know there is a morall right, and so they may be called morall debts, in respect of the common ground of diuine or natu­rall iustice: But we call them legall debts, Secundum regulam legis determinantis, in respect of the Law, determining thus much to such a man, of such a calling, at Aquin. pri­ma, secundae quest. 99. art. 5. such a time: it's Aquinas his distincti­on. [Page 18] The ground of such debts as come to the Magistrate, is from divine Authori­ty, though for the manner and measure of them determinable by law. For if the Magistrate be Gods Minister (so is hee Rom. 13. 4. 6. called both [...] and [...]) if for our wealth, if for the punishment of euill doers, and praise of them that doe well, if hee labour and attend continually vp­on this thing, is there not an equity ma­nifest to the conscience, that such a work­man, so ordained of God for so excellent a seruice, should haue his reward? Or doth not the Apostle conclude inuinci­bly? For this cause pay wee tribute, Rom. 13. 6. and Ver. 7. pay therefore tribute, cu­stome, feare, honour to whom they are due. Ministers of Peace and Iustice, as they should not consume their inferiours: (for so the remedie will be worse then the disease) so should they not be constrained to spend vpon the stocke, & to wast their owne estate further then as members of eminent ability, should beare a burden for the common good, proportionable to their strength. But Magistrates ought to haue Tributes and Pensions of their [Page 19] inferiours, as pledges of subiection, as recompences of seruice, and as meanes to defray expences for the publike good; euen equity and necessity requires all this.

Now because in Monarchies (the per­fection of earthly gouernments, and types of the heauenly) the King is su­preame Gouernour, not onely ouer all persons, but in all causes, Ecclesiasticall and Ciuil, to see them done and managed according to Gods will, by Officers qua­lified with gifts and callings requisite for such matters: And seeing these Officers of eminent place and trust, at home and a­broad, are imployed immediatly by the Kings Maiestie, and consequently main­tained by him that sets them on worke; hereupon it is, that by vertue of some lawes perpetually in force, and by vertue of some Statutes, deuised for supply of casuall occurrents, besides the power of Prerogatiue Royall, Tributes and Cu­stomes, Subsidies and Tenths, with ma­ny other pensions fall due to the King, and so are counted legall debts, though morall in their originall, yet legall, ex de­terminatione [Page 20] legis, the Law prescribing how it shall be for quantity and circum­stances. In paiment whereof, it is the wisdome of our State, that though where nothing is to be had, the King must lose his right, yet hee seldome doth lose any thing of that which is found due by Offi­cers employed & put in trust; and it were pitty it should not come entirely into his treasury. For how should the most illu­strious estate of such a Monarch? how should such ministers of State, of Iustice of Peace, peareless (I am perswaded) for worth and wisdome? How should such a Navy? such men and munition as must be alwaies in a readinesse against casuall e­vents? how should such Armies as may be requisite in a tumultuous and raging world be maintained at his cost? how should true Religion, and the Gospell sin­cerely preached, (for which the world hates vs, and yet without which our life would be tedious, and a very shadow of death) bee defended by his power against the malice of the Diuell and his instru­ments, if all the springs and fountaines of the Kingdome, did not constantly runne [Page 21] into the Ocean of his Treasury?

As our Nation hath not beene back­ward in the payment of this debt, so hath it beene more happy then any nation in the world, in our two last Soueraignes, Queene Elizabeth, and King Iames, both of blessed memory, to whom it hath been paied. For, besides protection by the Sword of Power and Iustice, common to other Subiects (yet not euery where so common as were to be wished) wee haue had the true Faith of Iesus Christ profes­sed, and the preaching of the Gospell established and countenanced by publike Authority, for the space of sixtie six years without interruption. A most inestima­ble blessing, for which we owne euen our selues vnto them, as Paul speakes to Phile­mon, Philem. v. 19. and for which none but God onely can make recompence. The Children that now are shall not forget King Iames when they are old; the Elder also shall re­uerence his memory, because by his princely care, and expresse direction, for Catechizing the ignorant, not onely the younger are able to giue an account of their Faith; but euen the elder, though [Page 22] vnwilling to appeare, senes elementarij, old men learning principles, yet they do both countenance the worke by their pre­sence, and doe encrease daily in know­ledge and zeale.

Thus our two late gracious Soue­raignes, most memorable for great mat­ters, but for none so much, as in that they were an incomparable payre for defence the true Faith, and propagation of the Gospell, haue had (as they deserued) the loue of our hearts, & a reall performance of those pecuniary debts whereof I speak, and shall be had by vs and ours in an euer­lasting remembrance: which wee doubt not shal daily be renued by that most no­ble branch springing from that roote so blessed to our Nation, our deare Soue­raigne Lord King CHARLES, that now is. Concerning whom wee cannot ex­presse the greatnesse, either of our hopes, or ioies which wee conceiue. For his life, hitherto vnspotted of the world, so free in youth from the lusts of youth; so farre from intemperance in the fulness of plen­tie; so preualent ouer pride in such a for­tune; so vnstained by Popery in the [Page 23] schoole of Spaine; so attentiue and iudi­cious in hearing Gods word; so full of goodnes when it was not in request; such a life, I say, hitherto in the blossome and spring doth promise precious fruits in the ripenesse and maturity.

Blessed are those guides, liuing and dead, who had the seasoning of such a vessell of honor and grace, and failed not in the seruice: and blessed is his Majestie, who in his Christian education laid such a foundation of religion and wisedome, of godlinesse and honestie; as is the vn­speakable ioy and comfort of all his lo­uing subjects, and will bring him infalli­bly in a course of holinesse, to a perfecti­on of life and happinesse at last.

Our Sauiour pleads the right of Mat. 22. 21. Cae­sar, euen then, when Tiberius a subtle Ty­rant was that Caesar. Paul in this place doth most earnestly vrge the paiment of Tributes and all other duties to the Supe­rior powers at that time when Nero, whom else-where he calls the 2. Tim. 4. 17. Lion, was the Roman Monarch. What else doth this teach vs, but that how-euer the im­portunity of gouernors may at some time [Page 24] be grieuous in exacting; yet the subject, (if release cannot bee had by supplicati­on) must be alwaies obedient in perfor­ming to the vttermost of his ability. How much more should we hauing by the gra­cious prouidence of the Almightie, such a King set ouer vs, as we trust will proue a man after the heart of God; as Dauid did in Israel, and a pattern of grace and zeale, as Iosuah was in Iudah: How much more, I say, should wee most cheerefully yeeld vnto him the homage of our hearts, the seruice of our hands and the portion of our substance required by Law to the vt­termost mite: besides, our continuall prayers vnto God for his present and fu­ture happinesse.

CHAP. 5. Of Debts to the Minister of the Gospell.

ANother debt imposed by humane Ordinance pertaineth to the Mini­ster, as Tythes and other pensions in the right of the Church. These I cal, imposed by humane Lawes, not as wauing the [Page 25] claime by Diuine right (till I bee other­wise instructed then yet I am): For, if Tythes were due to the Priest of the most high God Gen. 14. 20 Gen. 28. 22. paid by Abram; if vowed by Iacob, before the Law giuen in mount Ho­reb; if they were due vnder the Lawe, to the Priests and Leuites, by diuine right for the seruice of the Tabernacle; If a maintenance bee due to the ministers of the Gospell, as the Apostle pleadeth pur­posely, 1. Cor. 9. from verse 7. to the 15. & Gal. 6. 6, 7. If God haue ordained, that they who preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell, and that hee who is taught in the word should communicate vnto him of whō he is taught in all good things: then surely I see not, but that tythes at least, or some better thing, should be due to the Minister of the Gos­pell by Diuine Ordinance; and that those who take them from vs, should giue vs a better thing, as those who vnder the Law had a mind to redeeme their tythe, were bound to ad to the price euery Leuit. 27. 31. fift pen­nie aboue the true value. But I make it not my taske to dispute this question, my betters haue done it lately and worthily. [Page 26] I here consider tythes, and other portions of the Ministers maintenance as a legall debt due by a double right. First, the faithfull labourer in the Lords haruest is worthie his wage, ex debito, not ex gratia, by debt, not by curtesie; though he be 2. Cor. 3. 7, 8, 9. but an earthen vessell, yet his treasure is verie precious, and his Ministerie much more excellent then that of the Law.

Secondly, that hee ought to haue the tythes in kind by vertue of the positiue Law of our kingdome, most agreeable and consonant to the Originall Law of God, Ephes. 4, 12 in lew of his seruice for the ga­thering of the Saints, and for the edify­ing of the body of Christ by the Ministe­rie of the Gospell; so that it is not a meere Legall but a Morall debt, as I no­ted of that to the Magistrate out of A­quinas. A mixt debt, so let me call it, because the seruice is holy, and the things ministred are spiritual, though the recom­pence bee temporall goods or money. I need not cite the words of the Henry 8. an. 27. and 32 Edw. 6. an. 2. cap. 3. Statute, the practise is paiment, vnder paine of triple damage, euen in Impropriations, where the worke is not done by him that [Page 27] takes the wages. What then can bee al­leadged why this debt should not bee paid? So assigned by God, who holds his work-man Luk. 10. 7. worthy his wages, as well in the New Testament as in the Old; so confirmed by Law, proportioned to the Numb. 18. 21, 22. 24. &c. authenticall patterne; so dearely earned by the continuall paines of the faithfull Pastors, who haue the most dreadfull charge of Soules. I speak not for Impro­prietaries, they will be sure to shift for themselues. I put the case with all the fa­uour that may be, yet not otherwise then stands with the truth in many places.

That which they answere for non-pai­ment of this debt, is, that they owe vs no such matter; for Debitum est quod iure ab inuito exigi potest: That is a debt which may lawfully be required of a man against his will; but this cannot so be exacted say they: for their land is Abby-land, and consequently exempted as was the Abby; or their land is freed by composition, pre­scription or custome: and for these they will stand, tanquam pro aris & focis, as for their altars and their houses, indeed a­gainst their altars and houses of God, To [Page 28] whom I say not any thing to plead for the belly, as they suppose: If I had the tongue of the eloquent and learned, their bellies would haue no eares to giue mee audience in such an Argument; I speake onely for discharge of my owne consci­ence, in seruice of the truth, and to cleere my selfe for euer from consenting vnto sacriledge in any man, or matter.

First, their land is Abbey-land, belong­ing Places ex­empt. to such a Monastery before the disso­lution; so let it bee, and so let them enioy it, vnlesse it be a thing consecrated to the Church; if so, then except they be Pro­phets, or Prophets Children, or superan­nited Leuites (who alwaies had their al­lowance and portion in things consecra­ted) or in the nature of these, let them take heede and looke well to themselues, be­cause it is a snare to deuoure that which is holy, & after the vowes to make enquiry, Pro. 20. 25. It is an ancient Canon; Semel dicatum Deo, non est ad humanos vsus vl­teriús De reg. iuri [...] in Decr. reg. 51. transferendum: That which is once dedicated to God, is not to be translated afterwards to the vses of men: That is, if it be consecrated rightly to the seruice of [Page 29] God it may not be alienated to the priuate common vses of men, not employed in that seruice; some few cases are excepted, whereof this is none. To this they will say, That they finde themselues hereof possessed by inheritance, and they haue digested it already well enough. If God be pleased with it, I wish them all prospe­rity; their lot is fallen to them in a fayre ground: they haue a goodly heritage: yet I had rather haue my part in a lot lesse disputable. But, admit all is well, and that they hold what they haue without a­ny scruple, I enuy not vnto them the least dramme of their right. But, what doth become of the Tyth of those lands? are not those more specially consecrated in their original, & in their vse more proper­ly necessary to the maintenance of Gods seruice then the Lands themselues? Why then is the payment of these denied? and in lieu thereof, some pitifull con­temptible pension ill paied, to the mi­serable defacing of the Ministery in that place.

The same Authority, say they, which giues Ministers the Tythe in places not [Page 30] exempted, hath exempted our lands from payment of Tythes in kind; thus we haue it, and so we meane to hold it.

I dispute not the power of Princes and Parliaments, it is aboue my capacitie, and out of my element, I alwaies yeeld to Law, presuming reason of state in it, though I see it not. But what if the Law be not so cleare as is imagined? The aliena­tion of these Tythes, (which came to the King at the dissolution of Abbyes, toge­ther with the lands) was at first an Act of the Pope, by an iniurious vsurpation vp­pon the right of the Church, and against the Lawes of God and man then in force. If this were in the Pope a sacrilegious Act, hatefull to God, who detesteth rob­berie Esay 61. 8. in the sacrifice, it is not to bee thought, that our Statute Law intended, to iustifie that in any which is sacriledge in the Pope; or to make that iust, which is originally vniust. I do not thinke that our Statute Law intended, either to abolish Tythes vtterly, or to decide the right, but to change the possession for the present time, till the claime of the Church might more euidently appeare. But suppose the [Page 31] Law for non-payment of these Tythes were as cleare as the practise, yet as in the businesse of the Tabernacle, Moses was admonished, See thou do all things accor­ding Exod. 25. 40. Hab. 8. 5. to the patterne shewed thee in the mount: so in matters of the Church, all things should be done, chiefly in matters of importance, according to the patterne of holy Scriptures. Now whether the Law enioyning Tythes in generall, or the Act releasing that payment to some, bee more agreeable to the Originall patterne, let any man iudge that is not a partie. For mine owne particular, when I find it pun­ctually set downe, That as those who mini­stred 1. Cor. 9. 13▪ 14. about holy things, did liue of the things of the Temple, and they which waited at the Altar, were partakers of the Altar, that so the Lord hath ordained, that they who preach the Gospell, should liue of the Gospell: Me thinkes it hard dealing, that we should be barred of the benefit of the ancient ordi­nance of Tythe, till some other Law of prouision disanulling the former can bee produced out of the Scripture.

Another exception against true pay­ment, Composition▪ euen where lands are not exempt, [Page 32] is composition with the former Incum­bents. Of this kinde I haue heard many pretended, but I could scarce euer see a­ny produced, lest some thing of aduan­tage should relieue the present Minister, which shewes the obnoxious diffidence of a guilty heart, when the cause is nought; for otherwise men are forward to make proofe of their right, for satisfa­ction of such as haue iust cause to questi­on it. But suppose a composition as firme as couetousnesse and craft can de­uise it, I would gladly learne, how it stands with conscience or common sense, that the act of an Incumbent onely for terme of life, remoueable vpon preferment, or misdemeanour, should preiudice his Suc­cessor in a place of painfull seruice, to the vtter impouerishment and vndoing of all posteritie? Is it possible, that in any law­full contract, the fruit of the godly and religious labours of a free and ingenuous man, in the Lords haruest, should bee bought and sould before he is borne, by those who are meere strangers vnto him? Or if this cannot bee done in any godly and righteous course, why should not the [Page 33] ancient rule take place; Quae contra tus fi­unt, pro infectis haberi debent: That those things which are done against right, ought to be esteemed as if they had not beene done. The old word is, Caueat Emptor, let the buyer looke to it: but I thinke, both the buyer and seller, being in this case bre­thren in euill, had neede to looke to it, lest they swallow that in earth, which they shall digest in hell; I doubt it will one day be a cold comfort to those who are par­ties to such an act, to consider vpon their death-bed, that by their sinfull hands the Church is depriued, for the time present and to come, of what soeuer hath fallen within their power to dispose of. Can that mā haue any hope to be found a true member of the Church triumphant in heauē, that liues & dies a betrayer & spoi­ler of the Church militant here on earth?

Prescription is another mousell of the Prescrip­tion. Oxe that treadeth out the Corne: the o­riginall of this worke of darkenesse is commonly thus; There are few great rich men to be found, that can indure with patience to pay any Tyth in kinde; here­upon they take their opportunity, when [Page 34] some Minister is incumbent, either not a­ble to doe the worke, or not resident, or some other way obnoxious, to agree with him for their Tyth at an vnder-value, a pound perhaps in the hundreth, preten­ding, that they can vse the matter so, as that the Tyth shall bee little or nothing worth vnto him; yet this yearely pensi­on they will allow for zeal to the Church, and good will to the man, whom they will not sticke to mollifie with comple­ments, or with any thing else that shall cost them nought: these conditions are continued from the father to the child, by the same arts and practises, till a new man come to be presented, who for quietnesse sake must take things as he finds them; or if he dare contend, they will scourge him through all the Courts of the kingdome. When thus it hath beene caried for two or three descents, though men know in their consciences, that, Non firmatur tra­ctu temporis, quod de iure ab initio non sub­sistit: That it gets no validity by tract of time, which is not grounded vpon right from the beginning: yet from these deceit­full practises thus continued, prescrip­tion [Page 35] doth arise to put the Minister to per­petuall silences, who hauing spent his pa­trimony in the Vniuersitie, hath neither time nor money nor euidence on the sud­daine to mannage the Churches right, though a prescription once begun, con­sume it daily more and more. For if the prescribers adde by purchase or inclosure to their demaines within the same Parish, the thin and ill-fauoured prescribed pen­sion, like the Gen. 41. 4, 7. thin eares of corn, and lean Kine in Pharaohs dreame will swallow vp all the Tythe of the portions so annexed, and be neuer a whit the fuller.

On the other side, if the prescribers chance to sell, its no sauoury bargaine vn­lesse the Tythe be included, and the Mi­nister excluded out of that portion, and confin'd to some smaller peece of ground more proportionable to his pitifull pen­sion. The time was when our Sauiour Ioh. 2. 14, 15, 16. in a feruent zeale cast buiers and sellers out of the Temple, what will he doe one day to those who thus couetously in­croach vpon the patrimony of the Tem­ple?

Customes are no lesse pernicious to Customes. [Page 36] the state of the Minister in keeping backe his due, then these; for as these exempt some particular persons or places in great matters, so customes swallow all so far as they goe like a generall Deluge; if they find a Benefice like the Garden of Eden, they will leaue it like a desolate wilder­nesse. I speake of such as are pretented vpon vsage without any euident reaso­nable cause, whereby the Churches pa­trimony is most iniuriously detained: and why should not euery man that is able to oppose reason and truth against them, cry them downe? For though it be true that diuturni mores consensu vtentium compro­bati Iust. lib. 1. [...]. 2. legem imitantur, that manners long continued, and approued by consent of such as haue vsed them are a kind of law; yet consent and practise is not enough to giue a custome the power of a lawe, vn­lesse it be consensus rationabilis, a consent grounded vpon reason, nisi enim consue­tudo ratione munita sit, non est consuetudo, sed corruptela: If custome be not fortified by reason, it is not a custome but a cor­ruption. Now it will be hard to proue ei­ther reason in the thing or consent of the [Page 37] Minister, who is alwaies a party in those things which are obtruded as custome vpon the Church. If men will sweare that it is their custome to pay no tyth wood, then you must haue none, though the greatest part of the Parish bee wood-ground▪ If men will sweare that it is their custome not to pay tyth Wooll, for sheep not wintered in the field, then you must haue none, though they haue a full stocke that takes I benefit of the Common for eight the most profitable moneths of the yeare; but it may bee you shall haue some proportionable rate: nothing lesse, but some such contemptible scraps as are not worth the gathering vp; which how it stands with reason, or the good liking of the Minister let wise men iudge. Yet if men will affirme vpon oath that these and the like are the customes of their Parish, wee haue no remedie; and customes sel­dome fail for lacke of swearing. If theeues had come vnto thee; if robbers by night, would they not haue stollen that which were enough for them? If Grape-gathe­rers had come to thee, would they not have left some Graps, Obadiah, verse 5. [Page 38] but customes sweepe all away, they leaue in a manner nothing. The Church, saies Austen, discoursing of customes, being August. Ia­nuar. Epist. 119. placed in the midst of many Tares, and much Chaffe, tollerates many things; Et tamen quae sunt contra fidem, & bonam vi­tam non approbat, nec tacet, nec facit: yet such things as are against faith & a good life, it neither doth approoue, nor con­ceale, nor practise. The like say I in this, the Church, whose cause I plead, tol­lerates many pressures, susteyneth many iniuries; but customes against all reason and right, against iustice and common sense, it neither approueth, nor concea­leth; nor practiseth the like it selfe towards others.

When the malignity of all these exemp­tions, compositions, prescriptions and cu­stomes, like ill constellations, bring penu­ry and misery vpon the Clergie. When these foure come vpō vs, like the foure se­uerall sorts of Vermine mentioned by the Prophet, the Palmer-worme, the Locust, Ioel 1. 4. the Cankar-worme, and the Caterpiller, the latter still consuming the residue of the former, is it not time to mourne and [Page 39] complaine when out meat is cut off be­fore our eyes, and ioy and gladnesse from the house of our God? Ioel 1. 16. Is it not time to say with Amos, O Lord God Amos 7. 2 forgiue we beseech thee, by whom shall Iacob arise, for he is small. Querelae (saies one) Liuius l. 1. ne tam quidem grate, quanda fortasse ne­cessari [...]; Complaints are not then wel­come when perhaps they are necessary; but it were better to complaine, and ad­monish, and reproue, then that a curse should rest vpon vs as it did vpon Iudah, for robbing God in Tythes & Offerings, Mal. 3. 8, 9. If answer bee made, that the case is not like; I confesse it is not like in many circumstances, but it is very like, if not the same, in substance: For if God haue as peculiar an interest in vs, and as fatherly a care ouer vs, as in and ouer the Ministers of the Law; then, if the defrau­ding of Priests and Leuits were sacriledge in the Iewes, how▪euer the stile and word may bee mittigated; yet our curbing the Ministers of the Gospell by force or fraud, will proue something which cannot bee answered in the day of account.

In this point I had much rather referre [Page 40] the Reader to the godly Sermons of the most learned Doctor Raynolds, vpon the Prophecie of Obadiah, specially vpon the 5. and 6. Verses, then say any more my selfe; onely let me adde these few things: First, let that of Ieremy be wel considered; Thus saith the Lord against the Ammonits, Ierem. 41. 1, 2. hath Israel no Sonne? hath hee no heire? why then doth the Ammonite possesse God, and dwell in his Cities? Behold I will cause the alarme of war to be heard in Rabbah, of the Ammonits, and it shall be an heape, and his townes shall be burnt with fire, and Isra­el shall bee heire vnto them that were his heires, &c. Let mee now enquire as God did of Israel and God; hath Leui no sons? or hath the Minister of the Law no heire? why then doth the Lay man possesse the Clargie? Why doth hee encroach vpon the portiō of the Minister of the Gospel▪ Remember the imprecation vpon the ha­ters of Leui, Deut. 33. 11. Smite through the loynes of them that rise against him, that they rise not againe. The Lord turne the hearts of the spoylers of his inheri­tance, who doe not now as the Iewes, Agg [...]y 1. 4. neglect the house of God to [Page 41] build their owne, but take away the main­tenance & reuenues of Gods house to in­large their owne. The old word was, Deci­mas redde & diues sis, pay tythes that thou maiest be rich: & it is Ieromes obseruation, Decimi [...] redditis vbertas, nō redditis fames fuit; That there was plenty when Tythes were paied, & penury whē they were not. But the present practise is, pay not Tythes that thou maiest be rich; & it is the com­mon opiniō now, that its all one, whether Tythes be paid or not, & that the Lord in that respect will doe neither good nor ill. Is there then no difference betweene the cleane and the vncleane? or betweene well gotten goods, and the wages of ini­quity? If vnder the Law a man otherwise Agg. 2. 14. cleane, did hold in his hand a thing pol­luted and vncleane, if he washed himselfe neuer so oft, yet he was still vncleane: all the water in Iordan, and the ceremonies of Leuiticus could not clense him, so long as the polluted thing remained in his hand. The Ministers portion wrongfully vsurped and vniustly deteined from him, is an vncleane thing in the hand of the oppressor, who so long as hee holdeth the [Page 42] vncleane thing in his possession, cannot but bee polluted and vncleane in Gods sight. The Lord I trust will at last re­moue the vaile of ignorance and coue­tousnesse from their hearts whom it con­cernes, that they may see the breaches which they make vpon Gods Ministers, and will giue them true repentance and a­mendment, that their sinne may bee for­giuen, and their polluted consciences purged in the blood of Iesus Christ, ap­plied to them by a liuely Faith; and re­member Lord in mercy those who haue compassion on the daily ruines and de­caies of thine house, and let not the kind­nesse bee wiped out which they shew to thine house, and to the Officers thereof. Thus much of the Legall debt to the Mi­nister, which I take not to be meerely ci­uill, but a mixt Debt, because though that which is yeelded be a temporall thing, yet it is the compensation of a spirituall seruice.

CHAP. 6. Of Debts to the poore.

A Third kind of debt imposed by Law, is to the poore: the burden hereof is laid vpon the richer sort, according to their ability. I speake not now of almes which is voluntarie and left to discretion; yet required in Deut. 15. 10, 11. Scripture with much im­portunity: but of such monies as are pai­able by vertue of the Law, made in the dayes of Queene ELIZABETH, and Reg. Eliza. 43. cap. 2. continued in the reigne of King IAMES of blessed memorie for the raising of a stocke to set the poore on worke, for re­lieuing of the lame, impotent, blind, aged, and such as are not able to worke, and for putting out of poore children to be pren­tises, which euer being not only pollitike but godly also and religious. I hold the debt not meerly ciuill, but a mixt debt, as was the former: for the chearfull and rea­dy paiment whereof let me vse these mo­tiues.

First the care which God hath had al­waies for the poore: Hee doth not only plead their cause Deut, 15. 10, 11. And o­pen thy hand liberally to thy brother, to thy poore, to thy needy; for euen for this cause the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy worke, and in euery thing that thou puttest thine hand vnto; but he allots a portion of the third yeers Tythe, not only to the Leuite (who neuer is ex­cluded) but to the stranger, the fatherlesse and the widow; Deut. 26. 12. As Hierome hath obserued vpon Ezech, 45. and calls it [...] the poore mans Tythe. [...].

God allotted them a portion in his own lot and portion: when God takes order that euery thing may not bee taken as a pledge, not the vpper or nether milstone, Deut. 24. 6. and that if a poore man lay his garment to pawne, it shall be restored before the going downe of the Sun, Exo. 22. 26. Doth not this restraine from offe­ring hard measure to the poore in his ex­tremity? Besides, wee know, that as the poore lye open to the greatest iniuries, men treading downe where the hedge is lowest: so God takes speciall notice of the [Page 45] wrong done vnto them, he denounceth his iudgements against such as doe concu­tere tenuem, shake them to pieces, as A­hab did Naboth, 1. King. 21. Such as take their corne from them, Amos 5. 11. Such as grind their faces, Esay 3. 16. as root them out and their families: Mic. 2. 1, 2, 3. Hee also counts a scorne to them, a contempt to himselfe; Prou. 17. 5. Who so mocketh the poore, reproacheth his Maker; let not vs therefore deny them their right, whom the Lord doth take into such spe­ciall protection, as to interpret a kindnes or vnkindnes to them, as done vnto him­selfe.

Let vs also remember that this is Gods will and appointment, that the poore should alwaies bee in the Land, for exer­cise of their patience, and tryall of the ri­cher mens beneuolence, and his own glo­rie out of them both. For the abilite of the one being accommodated to the necessitie of the other; thankesgiuing vn­to God ariseth from them both, as from the Physitian and the Patient when a bo­dily cure is done. Wee must not thinke that when the cause of the poore is so of­ten [Page 46] and so tenderly in the Scriptures commended to the rich, that all this adoe is for a pennie now and then to a begger when we list; but it is to draw vs to a wise consideration, how the strong may sup­port the weake, how wee may beare one anothers burthen, and as fellow members serue one another through loue, that the wealth of one supplying the want of the other, there may be no defect. Where­fore when such Lawes are deuised and e­stablished by authoritie, as inioine a per­formance of Gods reuealed will, touch­ing the poore of the Land, in such sort, as may be comfortable to them and easie to vs, ought wee not most willingly to pay this debt both in respect of God and of man?

A second motiue to the paiment here­of is the prouision of the godly in former ages for the poore. In the Primitiue Church Deacons were appointed for the daily ministration of necessarie things, Acts 6. 1, 2. Paul ordained in the Chur­ches of Galatia and Corinth, that on the first day of the weeke euerie one should lay by in store, as God had prospered him [Page 47] for reliefe of the poore, 1. Cor. 16. 1, 2. How earnestly also doth hee exhort the Corinthians to liberality towards the poore Saints, by the example of the Ma­cedonians, who had beene beneficiall to their power and aboue their power, 2. Cor. 8, 9. This I mention to shew, that the more the Gospel was embraced, the more bountifully was Christ relieued in his members. When after the bitter stormes of persecution, the Church in succeeding ages had rest, then were Hospitals erected and endowed with reuennues, that the poore might both be harboured and nou­rished: They had also receptacles for the sicke. The first founders of w^ch kind, was Fabiola, prima omnium [...], instituit in quo aegrotantes colligeret deplateis, et con­sumpta languoribus atque inedia miserorum membra foueret, Hieron Epitaph Fab. Fabi­ola was the first of all that built a recepta­cle for the sicke, into which she might ga­ther the diseased out of the streets, and might cherish the bodies of poore wret­ches, consumed with languishing and famine.

Our owne Nation wanteth not exam­ples [Page 48] of this kinde, which I rehearse to this purpose, that the voluntary contributions of Gods religious people in all ages, may make vs more willing to beare the neces­sary burden imposed by law as a debt vp­on vs. If our hearts and hands had not beene straitned too much this way, there had been no neede of compulsory means; but, Ex malis moribus bonae leges: For the hardness of our hearts was this law made. Out of the sinful defect of Charity in the greatest part of men, hath arisen a legall imposition of this duty, that many hands might make lighter worke. Some I know we haue, who may truly say with Iob; that, They haue not restrained the poore of their desire; that they haue not caused the eies of the widow to faile: who haue not eaten their morsells alone, but the fatherlesse hath eaten thereof, Iob 31. 16, 17. Some there are who in the stran­gers and poore, haue entertained, Christum conuiuam, euen Christ as a guest, as Hierom speakes it. But there are others againe of competent wealth & state, who the more they haue, the lesse good they will doe, and so long as they were left to them­selues, [Page 49] would neuer touch the burden with the least of their fingers: and now that they are compellable by law, it's in­credible to heare how they quarrell at e­uery Leuey, how they make the Colle­ctors attend, how they grudge against the poore, adding sorrow to their afflicti­on, forgetting that of Paul; That God lo­ueth a cheerefull giuer: 2. Cor. 9. 7. And that of our Sauiour too; that, It is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue: Act. 20. 35. whom I would mitigate, if they were tractable, with these considerations, as further motiues to pay this debt.

First, they beare not the yoake alone, but ioyntly with others of their owne ranke, as equally laid vpon them as indif­ferent men can deuise it: wee must pay scot and lot (as is the word) vnlesse we will be, Homines nullius census, Men of no account. Secondly, this payment to the poore is not made to maintain idlenesse, the mother of lust, a sinne of Sodome; but to raise a stocke to set such to worke, who would otherwise bee vnprofitable bur­dens of the earth, liuing on the spoile, not eating their owne bread; whereas a small [Page 50] contribution out of euery hand a little to raise a stocke, doth take away the com­mon euasion of idle persons; I haue no worke, therefore I must beg or steale. A stocke will finde them worke, and a dili­gent hand at worke will not onely feed, but also enrich. That which makes vs tremble at the multitude of the poore, (and say with the Prophet; Thou hast mul­tiplied Esay 9. 3. the nation, but not encreased the ioy) is, our failing in setting the poore to such worke as they are able to doe, for want of a stocke alwaies in readinesse to keepe them imployed. Thirdly, whereas ma­ny true labouring men are not able by di­ligence & assiduity to support the weight of their charge: by the paiment of this debt, opportunity is offered to raise them vp who sink vnder their burden, & who in sense of their necessity, hauing made their moane to God, will bee thankefull for a supply to him and to vs. Our plenty be­ing applyed to our brethrens want in such a case, is like precious seed, sowed vpon good ground, tilled and prepared; wee need not doubt of an encrease at haruest. Fourthly, wheras many are aged and past [Page 51] their worke, blind, impotent, diseased; by the paiment of this debt, we are helpefull vnto those whom it were sin and shame to forsake. Hic, ad cuius intuitum nobis vomi­tus Hieron. Epit. Fab. erumpit, nostri similis est, de eodem no­biscum formatus luto, ijsdem compactus ele­mentis: this man, at whose presence our stomacke is turned, is like vnto vs, formed of the same clay, and composed of the same elements; whatsoeuer hee suffers, we may suffer the same our selues: Esay 58. 7 Turne not then thine eies from thine own flesh. Whereas the visiting of these would bee very tedious vnto vs, yea impossible, by true paiment of this little, wee are, Cle­mentes per altena ministeria, mercifull to them by the ministery of others, which in our persons wee could not so well bee. Lastly, whereas the breeding of poore children in families of small imployment and rude education, doth vtterly cut off all proofe and hope; by the payment of this allowance, imposed by law, diligent and discreet Officers are inabled to bind them to occupations answerable to their capacity, that so as good plants, transla­ted from a barren to a better soyle, be­come [Page 52] profitable & fruitfull; so these trans­planted from idleness & rudeness, to a fa­mily of employment and discipline, may be of vse and seruice, both in peace and warre. I am perswaded, the wisest of vs cannot tell, how to dispense so small a por­tion as goes from vs by this meanes, to so many excellent purposes, when the Statute is duely executed; and if it faile in execution, the fault is not in vs, if the debt be truely paid. Let it not then bee tedious to vs to doe so much good, with so little cost or losse, if that can be coun­ted losse, which being sowen on earth, we shall reape in heauen. When wee see wicked men so violent in doing ill, as Op­pressors and Idolaters daily are, should not we be ashamed to be weary of doing well? Quale hoc est, cumpeccatores in malis Hieron in Epist. ad Gal. cap. 6. operibus quotidie augeantur, vt nos in bono opere lassemur: What a thing is this, that when sinners are strengthened in euill workes, we should be weary of our well­doing.

I speake not any thing in this discourse for the vagrant Rogues and Beggers of our nation, they are the Sodomits of the [Page 53] Land, without God, without Magistrate, without Minister, Children of Beltal, with­out yoake, none can rule them, nor make them ashamed, though they liue in pro­digious lusts. 2. Thes. 3. 10. Hee that will not labour, shall not cate, saies Paul, yet they will eate the sweat of other mens faces, though they be idle and vnprofitable, and to eue­ry good worke reprobate; these I leaue to such extremity as the Law of God and man laies vpon them: Prou. 31. 8. I open my mouth for the dumbe, who will not speake for themselues, and for the godly poore, who had rather be helpefull then chargeable to others; and for the aged and impotent, whose misery moues compassion with­out an Oratour. For these I speake, who if there were no Statute of prouision to enforce the paiment of this debt, or to direct the vses, yet haue a iust claime to the almes of the rich, & the rich hath such an interest in them, as that they are called as well their needy, and their poore, as their brethren, Deut. 15. 11. which I chiefly vnderstand of those, who being ioyned to vs by vicinity or affinity, are by Gods pro­uidence put vpon vs, as a part of our [Page 54] charge, to whom, Eleemosinas non facere crimen habentis est, Hier. in Psal. 112. to these not to giue almes were a sin in him that hath where withall; so that if there were no law at all, yet there is such an e­quity in the thing, and such a necessity in the poore, that a rich man ought to bee a law vnto himselfe; hee ought in this case, to Prou. 3. 9. honour God with his substance, which cannot be better done, then by par­ting to such as want it, the fruit of his be­neuolence. I say not as some doe; that, Eleemosiua est debitum, that almes is debt; which in some sense may be true; but, see­ing the law requireth a portion of the ri­cher, seeing there is an equity and a pie­ty in the thing, seeing the necessity is per­petuall, The poore yee shall haue alwaies with you, Mat. 26. In this concurrence of law and conscience, the non payment of this debt is vncomfortable and sinfull. Thus of legal Debts, which for most part are not simply ciuill, but mixt.

CHAP. 7. Of Debts procured by our selues: and first of necessary Debts.

DEbts imposed by others, hauing hi­therto beene handled; now follow in order, Debts procured by our selues: these are either necessary, or voluntary. Neces­sary are such as could not by discretion or industry be preuented, nor discharged by any meanes within our power. Put case a mans house, which hee is bound to repaire, as being tenant to another, bee vtterly consumed with all his substance by casualty of Fire, the condition of re­paration, which is alwaies reasonable in such contracts, brings vpon this man a necessary debt, which neither could bee preuented before, nor performed in this case, which by Gods prouidence is befal­len him. Suppose a man in time of dearth haue spent all his money, and cattell, and substance whatsoeuer; his lands also for bread: It was the case of the Egyptians in Iosephs time; what remedie hath he, but Gen. 47. [Page 56] to run in debt, though hee mancipate his very body for the payment. If these seeme (as indeede they are) vnusuall e­vents, let vs consider things more com­mon. Whena a mans wages, which hee can earne, are so small, and his domesti­call charge so great, as that the one cannot support & susteine the other; then comes Debt, as a wayfairing man speedily, and as an armed man violently, that will not bee kept off. This, as I conceiue, might be the case of the man of God, the poore Prophet, who feared God, and yet dyed in debt, 2. King. 4. 1. and it is the case of many a poore man, whose whole family depends vpon his industry and frugality; hee riseth early, and late takes rest, and eates the bread of care, yet cannot for all this liue out of debt. Some men also turne from one trade to another, from husbandry to grazing, from that to mer­chandizing, Vt mutando industriam mu­tant Hieron. in Esaie. 43. infaelicitatem, nihilominus dispensati­one dei, his quos saluare dignatur, omnia ni­tentibus eueniunt contraria; Though men by changing their employment would change their hard estate, yet by the dis­pensation [Page 57] of God, euen to those whom he vouchsafes to saue, all things fall out crosse when they haue tried all the waies. These debtors, thus enforced by neces­sity to groane and to struggle vnder the burden, are to be pittied by the lender, to bee releiued by the giuer, and God vn­doubtedly will requite it.

This Debt is no sinne, nor any other pecuniary debt of it selfe, but a crosse it is: in some, a punishment of sinne, in all, an exercise of patience, and a discipline of humility, and so, Paupertas salutaris, a wholsome kinde of pouerty, teaching men to lay vp treasure in heauen, when things here vpon earth frame so little to their contentment.

CHAP. 8. Of Voluntary Debts, transient and permanent.

VOluntary Debts are such as might at first haue beene auoided, or satisfied and paied within some time conuenient, yet▪ were incurred notwithstanding and [Page 58] continued, either to serue our turne for some profit, or perhaps for some delight; or, it may be, for reliefe of others in some extremity. I censure not all these with a note of reproofe, they may sometimes be helpefull in compassing gainfull bargains, yea, in supplying the wants of such as can­not shift for themselues; those only I mis­like which entangle men in worldly cares, in wilfull snares, and vnsupportable losses; and yet serue but to the satisfying of some foolish lust when all is done.

These voluntary debts are either casu­all and transient, or permanent and stan­ding. It is a casuall debt which any man may incurre, Ex re nata; out of some pre­sent sudden occasion. Dauid is comman­ded by God to offer a Sacrifice to the Lord, in the Threshing-floare of Arauna the Iebusite. Dauid will not offer of that which shall cost him nought, he therefore 1. Chro. 21. 25. 2. Sam. 24. 24. buyes the Threshing floare at a price by it selfe for 600 sickles of gold, and the Ox­en for 50 sickles of siluer: after this bar­gaine made, it was a casuall Debt of Da­uid till the money was paid, which I know was done speedily: yet in euery bargaine [Page 59] of sale accomplished, as the buyer hath a property in the thing sold, so oweth he a debt till paiment be made, be it sooner, or later. Without these casuall debts, the life of man doth not consist, and in these, as a man needes not to bee scrupulous in making vse of a friend for a short time, so must he be exact & punctuall in keeping day; not keeping time makes a iar in pay­ments, as well as in musicke. He must also be cheereful in doing the like courtesie a­gaine, whether it bee lending or forbea­rance. That which I call a transient debt, is alwaies like, often the same with this; when a man owes somewhat to a worke­man, or a Tradesman, for a short time, or to a Seruant for his wages, till a set day, it is a transient debt, daily running and pas­sing among men, and not setled or perma­nent in respect of time. In these we must be honest, and reall, and trusty, and spee­dy. For as the Grashopper is a burden to the aged: so a little thing deteined, or not duely performed, may be a troublesome disappointment to the poore (and the greatest part are poore) and may afflict them by tedious delaies, when money [Page 60] hangs too long in the hands of ill pay­masters.

As for permanent and standing debts, these are indeed, fundi calamitas; these breake downe as it were the blade of corn in the field; these, like wormes & moaths, fret out a mans estate, be it neuer so firme and sound at the first. This commeth, when men able to giue security, borrow great summes of money or wares, with­out either purpose or possibility of pay­ment, within any competent measure of time; and it is commonly procured, either out of a couetous desire of purchasing whatsoeuer lyeth conueniently; or out of a prodigall and riotous humour of ouer-spending vpon lusts and curiosities; or by giuing more for a casuall preferment then a man is worth; or by some other grosse failing in iudgment; or indiscretion about the dispensation of our estate.

These are the lamentable consuming debts, with which, when a mans credit is rent and torne, as it will be very quickly, then must the ancient inheritance bee morgaged, then must their best and dea­rest friends be ingaged, then Seruants and [Page 61] Tenants must be brought to the stake, and bound for more then they are worth; then must depopulations and racking of rents, and defrauding of Ministers be put in practise, and yet all too little, because Amalecke, the licking people, I meane the nation of Vsurers and their Factors, as Cormorants fall vpon the borrower. Then the debt is multiplied when the re­uennues are diminished, and the Vsurer consumes all a mans encrease. Let no man continue in the Vsurers book for one and twenty yeares (as some are neuer out while they liue) for, a hundred pound, paying interest vpon interest, after ten pound in the hundred, (suppose nothing giuen to Scriueners and Broakers, yet for his hundred pound) hee shall pay in that time six hundred & sorty pound, besides the principall, as appeares by calculation; which makes mee wonder why any man should open his mouth for vsury, which thus opens her mouth, and enlargeth her bowells like hell, to swallow the poore Borrower.

Let those who plead this cause consi­der, that God dispenseth with no vsury, [Page 62] when Neshek the biting, and Tarbith, which they call the toothlesse Vsury are both condemned, Ezech. 18. 8. 13. that the lender, for eight or fiue in the hun­dred, deales not as he would be delt with­all, for hee himselfe would neither giue eight, nor fiue, nor two, if he could bor­row freely; and the rule of loue is, To doe to all men as wee would they should doe to vs, Mat. 7. 12. Let them consider, how Vsury is cried downe, among other op­pressions, Nehem. 5. and Psal. 15. 5. How it is condemned by the Councell of Nice Concil. tom. 1. Concil. Nic. Cap. 18. se­cundum Ruffin. can. 17. in Clergie-men, as matter of filthy lucre, (if filthy lucre in Ministers, then no righ­teous dealing in others.) How it hath beene the vtter ruine of many thousands in our Nation; how in the Church of Rome at this day, all Vsurers are excom­municated monethly; how no man of note in all antiquity (Iewes & Manichees excepted) none I say of honesty and lear­ning, for fifteene hundred yeares after Christ hath euer vndertaken the defence hereof: wherfore as Ioash sometimes said Iudg. 6. 30, 31. to the men of Hophra, when they stood for Baal against Gideon, Will you contend [Page 63] for Baal? let him plead his owne cause: so say I to the patrons of Vsury; Will you contend for Mammon? let him plead his owne cause. Shall Tirus and Zidon rise Mat. 11. 21. vp in iudgment against Corazin and Beth­saida, for not bringing fruit answerable to their meanes? And shall not the Ro­manists rise vp in iudgment against vs for practising that oppression, which they, who walke not by so cleere a light, con­demne? Let the Borrower himselfe also consider the vnsatiable Daughters of the Prou. 30. 15 Horsleech, that sucke him, and deuoure the sweat of his face, the fruit of his la­bour, industry, and skill. If the King should take out of the poore mans ground three of his best Kine yearly, or so many horses out of his Teame, would hee not crye, that he must needs giue ouer house­keeping, and husbandry? Yet, the Bor­rower of 100 pound from yeare to yeare, suffers, in effect, all this which I say, at the hands of the Vsurer, and dare not speake a word against his consumer; but onely suffers and giues thankes. If one word of discontentment fall from him, then must the stocke bee sold, that satis­faction [Page 64] may be made, lest any aduantage of forfeiture be taken. If an vsurious con­tract for so small a summe, make such a breach into a mans estate, what will the borrowing of thousands doe for many yeeres together? When I see any man of eminent place and worth, cast vpon the Vsurer (whose mercies are cruel) for grea­ter matters then he is able to weild, I can­not but interpret it as a dismall signe of some fatall ruine to the family: or, at least of some notable defalcation of estate, for causes best knowne to God, and some­times apparant to the eies of the world.

Moreouer, this soaking and standing debt, doth so exercise and afflict some men deepely engaged, that it takes vp bet­ter studies & meditations, it spends much precious time in solicitation of Broaker, Lender, and Suerties; it leaues no free time for praier & repentance; it drownes the comforts which men otherwise might enioy, when they see how debt consumes them day and night; yea, and continues still, without any diminution of the sum. Much perhaps some borrowers haue in lands, and in revennues, in possession and [Page 65] expectation, but as Alexander the great somtimes said: Quid refert si multa habeam Plutarch in Alex. & nihil agam, what matters it if I haue much and doe nothing? So say I, what is one the better for a great estate; if debt bind his hands, from doing good to the poore answerably, from prouiding for younger children, from restoring the Mi­nisters right?

If a man out of debt will doe more good with a hundreth, then a man vnder the Vsurers chain with a thousand pound a yeere, yea and much more chearefully. Let vs then bee thus farre indulgent to our selues, as to shake off the deadly yoak of Billes and Obligations, which manci­pate the most free and ingenuous spirit, and drie vp the very fountaines of libera­litie. Yea, they so put a man out of aime, that he cannot set his state in order, but liues and dyes intangled and pusled with cares and snares; and after a tedious and laborious life passed in a circle of fretting thoughts, he leaues, at last, instead of bet­ter patrimonie a world of intricate trou­bles to his posteritie, and to his sureties, which cannot be mannaged by those who [Page 66] vnderstand them not but to great disad­uantage.

When Acts and Monumēts, Vol. 2. p. 1692. col. 2. Arch-bishop Cranmer (as is recorded in his life, by reuerend M. Foxe) discerned the storme which after fell vpon him in Queene Maries dayes, he tooke expresse order for the paiment of all his his debts; which when it was done a most ioifull man was he, that hauing set his af­faires in order with men, he might conse­crate himselfe more freely to God. This should teach vs all in this tumultuous and raging world, to free our selues so much as is possible, from the bonds of debt to men, that wee may more freely and constantly performe our duties and vowes to God, which will otherwise be in­terrupted, if not vtterly abolished by wordly cares and molestations; if wee giue them intertainment, as wee cannot choose but doe, so long as wee are in debt.

CHAP. 9. A confutation of such Apologies as men plead for their continuing in debt.

THat the Apostles counsell of owing nothing to any man may the better be followed: three things remaine to be added to this discourse. First, I would shew the vanitie of those Apologies, which men haue deuised for continuing in debt. Secondly, how to auoid it that we come not into it. Thirdly, how to get out of the snare if wee be intangled.

That debt is a consumer of credit and state, of goods and good name; howeuer some men thinke the contrarie, yet there is no question to be made. How ofter do we see, that as after the biting of an Aspe, the man smitten fals asleepe, but the poi­son dispearseth it selfe through euerie member till the whole bodie be poisoned: So after debt contracted, specially vpon the hard tearmes of vsurie, or ill conditi­ons the debter is lulled a sleepe by the [Page 68] sweetnes of the present supply, but the debt passeth as a poison through euery part of a mans substance, donec totum con­uertatur in debitum, till all be turned into debt, it is Chrysostomes comparison. Yet In Matth. 5 for all that; as the dropsie-man delighteth in abundance of drink, though most hurt­full in that disease, because it satisfies the present appetite: so men in debt alreadie are willing to continue, yea to multiply the same, (because thereby their present need is serued) though it be neuer so per­nicious in the conclusion. Let vs see their allegations and accordingly determine.

First they hold it lawfull without all Allega∣tion. 1 question, to borrow when they can, and thinke it conuenient, and make no scruple at all to continue in an vsurious debt for many yeers together; and cōmonly so far and so long as they can giue security, they will neuer by their good wils come clear­ly out of debt: for howsoeuer they con­demne the lender vpon vsurie, at least in their consciences, though they dare not tell him so; yet they take the borrower to be cleere, and rather to bee pitied then censured by any. But in this, as I take it, [Page 69] they are deceiued. For, though the case may so be put, that a man may borrow, and ought to borrow, euen vpon vsury, if there bee no other remedy; as, when money is payable vpon forfeiture of a Lease, or of a Bond, or of a mans liuing; and the party that owes it, is vtterly and suddenly disappointed by another; then is hee, by the reason of the hardnesse of mens hearts, who will not helpe him at such a need, ineuitably cast vpon the Vsu­rer, as chusing of two euills of losse the lesse: Yet, to sticke and to continue in the Vsurers furnace, which will leaue a man at last neither mettle nor matter, I hold it to bee vtterly against prudent frugality, which is a duety of the eight Commande­ment, most requisite for the discreet dis­pensing both of plentifull and poore E­states, and necessary to bee obserued by such as intend an intire obedience vnto God, as well in one thing as in another; without which the royalty of Salomon, could not haue consisted for all his riches.

I know that as in full bodies euacuati­ons may bee not hurtfull: yet, if a man [Page 70] should be purged and let blood euery six moneths, without faile, for many yeares together, it would not onely weaken, but at last consume him: So in plentifull e­states to bee sometimes straitned and put vpon difficulties, may be of vse to make the rich more cautelous for themselues, and more sensible of poore mens wants. Yet if the richest should be put to do his homage to the Vsurer euery six moneths after eight or ten in the hundreth, per an­num, for many yeares together, and for great summes, without failing or excuse, it would wast by degrees the greatest wealth that is, till it were exhausted and vtterly brought to nought.

Reges Parthos non potest quisquam salu­tare Sen. Epist. 17. sine munere; No man might salute the Parthian Kings without a present. A man may not salute an Vsurer gratis, nor looke him in the face (which yet must bee done at times prefixed) without the tribute of interest in his hand. Yet is he not molli­fied at all by this: but, as the Philistimes, when they had put out Samsons eyes, Iudg. 16. 21 made him grinde in the Mil: so, when bor­rowers are blinded with a thicke mist of [Page 71] probabilities to instifie their owne parti­cular case, then the Vsurer makes them grinde in his Mill. All the profit they can make by industry or skil, perhaps by rack­ing Tenants, and robbing the Church, is added to his heape: and when they haue compassed the circle from yeare to yeare; they are iust where they were at first. Not­withstanding the yeelding of the interest all the while, yet the debt remaines intire. In payment whereof, if any default bee made, then forfeitures and suites at law, and costs & damages; then executions vp­on body, goods, lands, & imprisonments, till the vtmost farthing be paied, do ensue.

Thus the Borrowers thrift is spent, their substance is dilapidated, their wiues and children are impouerished, & themselues wearied with labouring for the winde; which how it stands with that discreet frugality which God requireth in his most righteous Law, and without which no State can stedfastly hold out: let them whom it concernes examine, for satisfy­ing their owne consciences, and not goe on with security where there is certainty of danger.

This foundation being now laid, that the borrower is not alwaies so innocent as is supposed, let vs hear what men indebted, and not resolued to seeke their freedome, will say further for themselues.

Debt is chiefly by borrowing or buy­ing Allegat. 2 vpon time; I borrowed, saith the ser­uant of debt, but I purchased with it, and a great penniworth I had at the hands of a young Prodigall, who scatters more in a yeare, then he will gather in an age: him I obserued and humoured, I furnished him with supply for all excesse of ryot, till I found an opportunity to lay out all my stocke, and great summes besides out of the Vsurers treasury. Torua leaena Lu­pum Virg. Ecl. 2. sequitur, lupus ipse capellam; Thou art as a rauening Wolfe to the wanton vn­thrift, til the grimme Vsurer deuoure you both. But was this well done of thee to worke vpon the ignorance, or necessity, or wilfulnesse, of a raw and vnexperien­ced Waster, and to builde thy rising vp­on his ruine? Shall any man be establi­shed Prou. 12. 3. by wickednes? Was it well done, by crafty insinuation to circumvent thy bro­ther? Is not God an auenger of all such? 1. Thes. 4. 6. [Page 73] What else is this, but, Crimen stellionatus; the very sinne of cousenage? Yet for all thy cunning, and buying at an vnderua­lue, do but add to the price, that which is paid for the loane, and in seuen yeares it will prooue very deare, vnlesse thou helpe thy selfe in making the poore a prey; and so, Lucrum tuum, shall be, dam­num publicum; Thy priuate gaine shall be a publike losse: as Ambrose obserueth; Officiorum, Lib. 3. And indeed in most ca­ses it so falls out to bee, euen in those which seeme most tollerable. A skilfull Tradesman (for example) lackes a stocke; another that wanteth skill hath money ly­ing by him, to no vse nor profit; here, by the passage of an vsurious contract, the money of the wealthie is accommodated to the industry of the skilfull, and so both become gayners. And may they not both become loosers, God denying his blessing to vnsanctified meanes? Is not euery vniust gaine a true losse? Though gain in the Coffer, yet wrack in the Con­science: But of this they are willing not to be sensible. Admit them both gainers in sundry returnes, yet may not the poore [Page 74] Buyer, (honester then them both) be com­pelled by this occasion, to pay a higher rate for commodities, without which mans life is not sustained. And where this practise is generall, (Vsury being the be­witching sinne of the age as Poligamie sometimes was) may it not turne to the publike detriment of Buyers and Borrow­ers, when the Seller must proportion the price, as well to the aduantage of the V­surer, as to the industry of such as are im­ployed, and the worth of the thing? May not this raise iust cries and complaints a­gainst them both in the Court of heauen? Why doth Ierem. 15 10. Ieremy cleere himselfe both of lending vpon vsury, and of borrowing vpon vsury, if there may not in some ca­ses be matter of exception against them both?

Another alledgeth for his continuance Allegat. 3 in debt, that, Hee doth it to preserue his ancient Inheritance, which is a good thing and a iust: one would be loath to be the man, in whose person and time, the splendour of a family should be eclipsed. It was the honour of Augustus, that hee could say of Rome; Accepi lateritiam, reli­qui [Page 75] marmoream; I receiued it of Bricke, I left it of Marble. But, as it is better in a Gangrene to cut off one member, then by suffring it to fret from part to part, to lose the whole: so, when great and grieuous debts consume a mans reuen­nues, it's better by selling part of an in­heritance, though ancient, to cleare the State, then by suffering this Gangrene to ouerspread the whole, at last to lose all. Antiquity will not pay the rent of Vsury: And a debt continued til it be ancient, wil consume the most ancient both inheri­tance and reputation.

I continue in debt, will another say, Allegat. 4 that my trading be not diminished: it's great dealing that brings in great gaining: so then, as one notes; Lucrum est esca, sed fraus est laqueus, sic attende escam, vt vide­as & laqueum; Gaine is the bayte, de­ceit is the snare; so looke at the baite, that thou discerne also the snare. But com­monly in trading men light vpon the snare, committing fraud industriously with both their hands, who yet could ne­uer catch the baite, the gaine which did allure them. Nor is it any maruell, for in [Page 76] debt continued, there is certainty of losse, but in great trading, aboue a mans abili­ty, no certainty of gaine, nor assurance of Gods blessing, when men take too much vpon them, and will be rich in all haste, against the rule of Prou. 20. 21▪ Salomon, who teacheth; that, An inheritance hastily got­ten, shall not prooue happy in the latter end.

Another imputes his debt vnto great Allegat. 5 house-keeping, and maintaining himselfe according to his birth and ranke. This is a meere friuolous pretence; for, when God cuts vs short in point of ability, should not we abridge our selues in mat­ter of expence? must wee not be con­tent to cut our Coat according to our cloath? It is the quarrell of God against Esay 22. 12 13, 14. the Iewes, that when hee called to lamen­tation and mourning, to baldnesse and sackcloth; behold ioy and gladnesse, slay­ing of Oxen and killing of Sheepe, ea­ting of flesh and drinking of wine; As I liue, saith the Lord, this iniquity shall not be purged till yee die. When God, by im­pouerishing a mans house, calls from su­perfluity, to a moderate stint, & a strickter [Page 77] course, shall wee goe on in lauishing and in spending excessiuely aboue our meanes? And shall not God abridge vs and daily cut vs short, till he haue cast vs vpon extreamities? Qui iniuste se ordinat August. Honor epist. 120. in peccatis, iuste ordinatur in paenis; He that carries himselfe vniustly in sinning, shall bee ordered iustly in the punishment of sinne.

Others lay their debt vpon magnifi­cence Allegat. 6 of building, and furniture, and o­ther deuices and curiosities, and thinke it well bestowed, because they haue not spent it in eating and drinking. This kinde of delight, though very costly, is yet more permanent then those which perish sud­denly, in the vse; and of these it is said; Haec sunt quae faciunt inuitos mori; These are the things which make men vnwilling to die; which should make vs, whose life ought to be a meditation of death, lesse willing to set our hearts vpon them, or to cast our selues for them vpon the miseries of debt. For mine owne part, I see no warrant for vndoing our selues vpon any appetite or humour of this kinde. If a man will bee sumptuous in the satisfying [Page 78] of any lust whatsoeuer, the reuennues of an Empire will not keepe him out of debt.

Others lay their debt vpon preferment Allega∣tion. 7 of children in Offices, Mariages, Honors or the like: to whom I say, that Christi­an education in the seruice and feare of God, and supply of things necessarie for the present and time to come as God in­ables vs, and imploiment in such vocati­ons, as may yeeld a maintenance to the industrious, that they bee not cast vpon the curtesies of a mercilesse world, is the dutie and taske of Parents. The vehe­ment affectation of superfluities of wealth and eminency of honour, may be a straine of pride and couetousnes in vs, how euer God allots them in his prouidence to some. Besides it is preposterous to put our selues in debt for the aduancement of one or many, the burden whereof must final­ly fall vpon him that shall inherit as well our debt as our state.

It is lastly pleaded that the very pro­curement Allega∣tion. 8 of things necessarie and ho­nest, euen in a slender maner and measure is the cause of debt to some, these only of [Page 79] all the rest are to bee pitied and excused; for vltra posse non est esse, men cannot do more then they can. If those men pay their debts so farre as they are able, and keepe out of debt so farre as to them is possible, and craue not only patience and forbearance till they can make satisfacti­on, but remission of the debt if their abi­litie faile them vtterly; then they obserue the precept of owing no man any thing, so farre as in them lyeth. Which that we may doe, it remaineth in the next place for eschewing the inconueniences inci­dent to a state clogged with debt, to shew by what means and courses debt may and ought to be auoided.

CHAP. 10. Directions for auoiding of Debt that it breake not vpon our estate.

AS it is easier to keep out then to cast out an enemy, so it is easier to keep debt out of our state, then to remoue it hauing entred. The first and fairest way to auoide debt that it breake not in vpon vs, [...] [Page 90] and pouertie is not sought vnto; it is the Lord that maketh poore and that maketh rich, 1. Sam. 2. 7. There is a curse vpon idlenesse though men be rich, as in Sodom; vpon negligence and securitie, as in the men of Laish, Iudges 18, 27. A curse vp­on vnlawfull practises though men be in­dustrious, as in Iehoiachim, whom God would not blesse though he vsed all inde­uour of heart and hand to get riches, Ie­rem. 22. Yea, there may be a curse vpon the laborious, euen in lawfull things, if God be not first and chiefly sought and serued by such as profess religion, as Hag­gay 1. vpon the children of the Captiui­ty, for building their owne houses at their returne to Ierusalem, and neglecting the Lords house; for this cause they sowed much, but reaped little; they did eate, and were not satisfied; they did drinke, and were not filled; they were clothed, but not warmed; they earned wages, but were not enriched. Yet at last, when they fell seriously to the worke of God, then hee returned graciously with his blessing vpon them. Hag. 2. 19. The way then to auoid both debt, and [Page 91] other consuming miseries, is faithfull in­dustry in a lawfull calling, which God vouchsafeth to crowne with his blessing, where the seruice is chiefly entended and done vnto him.

Men of great estate and means are of­ten indebted, Vsque ad stuporem, euen vn­to astonishment; for, where should there be water, if not in the riuers? will you seeke it in ditches, which haue no spring to feed them? Where should there bee plenty, if not among men of great pos­sessions and reuennues? will you seeke it among those who haue no such standing helpes to yeeld them supply? Yet, some­times these men of great possessions, are full of nothing else but debt; and why so? Gods iudgment is vpon them, either for an idle, or an vnprofitable life; or, for actiuity and forwardnesse in vanities and voluptuousnesse; or, for a heauy and dis­mall hand in sacriledge and oppressions; or, for neglecting the worke and seruice of God, when they will not misse a mi­nute in aduancing their owne. But this they will not see, lest they should turne to him that striketh: Esay 42. 25 God powred vpon Is­rael [Page 92] the fury of his anger, and the strength of battell, and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him vp, yet he considered not: That is, he tooke no notice that this was Gods iudgment, and that his sinne had deserued it: so is it with these men, they see themselues con­sumed, but will not be brought to lay those sinnes distinctly to heart, for which they suffer and are consumed.

A second way for the auoiding of debt is, discreet and honest thriftinesse: Vecti­gal magnum parsimonia; Frugality is a great reuennue: the great saueurs are the rich men: hee that hauing gotten great a­bundance of wealth, by industry or patri­monie, will spend excessiuely & ryotusly aboue his meanes, though hee bee rich, will quickly come to pouerty; and there­upon Prodigalls are commonly termed, Decoctores, Heluones, Gurgites, Spead­thrifts, vnsatiable wasters, and deuourers; such men wil neuer keep out of debt. It is noted of the Roman Common-wealth, that it perished and flourished by thrifti­nesse and vnthriftinesse: vnder the Bruti, the Fabritij, the Cincinnati, the Scipioes, [Page 93] frugall and moderate men, contemners of voluptuousnesse, it was most flouri­shing; but, Abundantes voluptates dis­siderium Liuius lib. 1 per luxum & libidinem, pereun­di perdendique omnia invexêre; Super­fluities of pleasures brought in a desire of spilling and spoiling all by luxurie and wantonnesse, and then the State declined from the former eminencie of brightness; Prou. 21. 27 Hee that loueth pastime shall bee a poore man, and he that loueth wine and oyle shall not be rich: Voluptuousnesse & vnthrifti­nesse will make a rich man poore, and a poore man penurious.

This makes the Prodigall hang in the Mercers booke for his clothes, in the Taylors note for making, in the Butchers score for his meate, and in his seruants debt for wages; and when thus many hands come to rifle one, they will quickly make an empty purse. Yet let all these Prou. 27. 22. hands bray the vnthrift as wheat is braied in a morter with a pestill, and his folly will not depart from him till it bee too late to spare when all is spent. As Adams Gen. 23. 24▪ intemperance in not abstaining from the forbidden fruit did cast him out of Para­dise [Page 94] into a vale of teares, so riotous wast­fulnes in any kind, be it in meate, drinke, apparell, building, gaming or any other course of voluptuousnes, is able to cast a man out of plenty into penury, and out of a free and comfortable estate into debt and danger.

A third way to auoid debt, is a seuere watch ouer our word and promise. Pro­mise is debt, and must bee performed though to our hindrance. Faithfulnesse in promises is the bond of humane con­tracts; Fides inde dicta, quia fit quod dici­tur; So called Fidelity, because that which is said is fulfilled. Circumspect promi­ses are of vse I know to assure true mens words, to secure good mens hopes, to encourage industry, and make it liuely in well-doing; but then wee must beware wee bee not like Antigonus, [...] That will giue; ignominiously so called, be­cause forward in promising, but slacke in performing. Promises are as vowes, much better neuer made, then not made good: Facile ex amico inimicum facies cui pro­missa Hier. ad Celantiam. non reddas; One may easily make of a friend a foe, to whom he keepes not [Page 95] promises: yet what man almost is there of any competent state, so cautelous and wary that is not sometimes snared in his words, & ouertaken with vnaduised sure­tishippe. Yet Salomon tells vs; that, He Prou. 11 15 is vtterly quasht in peeces that is surety for a Stranger: It is the rocke on which many make shipwracke of credite and: Sponsioni non deest iactura; Stipula­tion is not without losse accompanying: it was the Symbolum, or memorable word of Chilo the Lacedemonian; Sponde, noxa prasto est: Passe thy promise, and forth­with ensues some hurt, said a greater then hee. I know we should Gal. 6. 2. beare one a­nothers burthen, and so fulfill the law of Christ, euen of charity; but to beare ano­thers burden till I sinke vnder mine own, is no charity but folly; and to pull ano­ther out till my selfe sticke fast, is no dis­cretion but destruction both to mee and mine: now, hee that promiseth for him­selfe more then hee can performe, or be­comes suerty for another in more then he makes account to pay (if the principall debtor fayle) he is snared in his words, he Prou. 6. 1, 2 is taken in the words of his owne mouth, [Page 96] nor dare I in all cases excuse his consci­ence.

Fourthly, hee that will auoid the trou­bles of debt, must reserue something in store against casuall euents; I speake not of publike iudgments, as war or famine, wherewith God visits a Nation in his an­ger, which are much more preuented or mitigated by repentance and prayer, then by any ciuill policy, but of priuate casu­alties, daily incident vpon the persons or states of men; in regard whereof, a man desirous to liue out of debt, must resolue to spend within his compasse, that he may haue somewhat more in readinesse then from hand to mouth. What if sicknesse come, and make one the Lords prisoner, and binde his hands from dispensing his owne affaires? What is more ordinary? Da mihi corpus quod nunquam languerit, Hieron ad­uer. Pelagi­anos lib 3. aut quod post languorem perpetua sanitate securum sit; Shew me the body that ne­uer languished, or that is secure after sick­nesse recouered. So long as corporall diseases are spirituall remedies, God will hereby draw vs to the Physitian of our soules. Suppose losses come in the house [Page 97] or in the field, Spem mentita seges, bos est Horat. epist. lib. 1. epist. 7 enectus arando; The crop answers not the cost, or the expectation, the cattell are kil­led with working, or the like, no man hath a perpetuall gale of prosperity. Deus fae­licitatibus August. in Mat. Serm. 29. terrenis amaritudines miscet, vt alia quaeratur faelicitas, cuius dulcedo non est fallax; God mingleth bitternesse with earthly prosperity, that another hap­pinesse may be sought, whose sweetnesse is not fallacious.

Suppose Suites at Law come, which to some are ineuitable, for necessary de­fence of innocency and patrimony, and yet are alwaies costly, whether one winne or lose the thing in question; and dange­rous for breeding anger, Aug. ep. 87. which cor­rupts the heart as vinegar doth the vessell wherein it doth continue. Suppose a mans charge be multiplied and encreased by number of children, poore, friends, strangers, by frequent pensions and serui­ces to the Church or Common-wealth; suppose any of these, or many of these doe fall vpon a man that is not prouided before hand for them, hee cannot chuse but runne in debt, he must borrow where [Page 98] he can; and lending vpon any tollerable termes is in a manner out of date. Let e­uery man therfore so husband the oppor­tunity of thriuing and plenty, as wise-men doe of Vintage and Haruest against har­der times ensuing, lest the storme arising from the mutability and vicissitude of earthly transitory things, ouerwhelm him with debt, as the whirle-winde doth the vnwary Traueller vpon the Alpes with snow.

Lastly, there are baites to catch the most thriuing & circumspect men in the snares of debt; Ouer-purchasing, and o­uertrading: and, which is a consequence of these, vsurious contracts. Ouer-purcha­sing, and Ouer-trading are delightfull burdens, if a man can bear them without straining conscience or credite, or, with­out hazarding the principall, to compasse the ouerplusse; yet, because the ayming at superfluities and excesses, is but the fruit of an inordinate appetite, it were better to restraine both our actions and affections, to that which wee are able to wield, then to runne so greedily vpon the world: Qui periculosior est blandus, quam Aust. Epist. 144. [Page 99] molestus; Which is more dangerous, when it flatters vs, then when it afflicts vs? When it allures vs to loue it, then when it compells vs to despise it: He that 1 Ioh. 2. 15. loueth the world, and the things of the world, the loue of the father is not in him. Why then should wee so wilfully and so eagerly embrace the world? the moderate loue whereof, as it is an alienation from God, and from the comfortable refre­shings by the light of his countenance: so, insteed thereof, it casts vs vpon the mercies of the cruell, the Vsurer I meane; Qui alienas negotiatur miserias, & lucrum suum alterius aduersitatem facit; The V­surer, I say, whose trafficke and trade it is to make men miserable, and to raise his gaine out of other mens aduersitie, he is saith Chrisostome, Quasi manum suscipiens Hom. 6. in Matth. & in naufragium impellens; As a man ta­king one by the hand to pull out of the water, but kicking him backe againe to the shipwracke of his substance, and of himselfe, which is a rude and a barbarous part in any, to hurt infallibly, whom he pretends to helpe. This is one of the bit­ter potions which the world reacheth [Page 100] forth to Ouer-purchasers, and Ouer-tra­ders, which they are forced to drinke to the very dregges, when they cannot bee content to walke within their compasse. As a man cannot touch pitch but bee de­filed therewith: so hee cannot deale with Vsury without detriment, ipso facto, the first moment.

CHAP. 10. Directions how to get out of Debt, if wee be already intangled.

IT may be these directions, for auoiding Debt, come too late for many men, who haue hitherto erred, not conside­ring the danger; and haue run constantly in a course of multiplying Debts, euer since they were of age and discretion to procure credite by giuing security. So that they may say of Debt, as the Strum­pet Quartilla did of her virginity; Iunonē Petron. Satyr. meam iratam habeam, si vnquam me mimi­nerim virginem fuisse; So let me haue the displeasure of my Iuno, if euer I can re­member my selfe a Virgin; The like may [Page 101] many a man say of this; Mammona me­um iratum habeam; So let mee haue the displeasure of my Mammon, if euer I can remember my selfe out of debt; but I was alwaies a borrower of little summes, when I could not speed in greater.

To these now I say, that if they be so hardened with custome of owing, that they haue setled a resolution to liue and dye in debt: then indeed my counsell ei­ther of eschewing debt, that they come not in, or of quitting themselues, being in already, can do them little good. They will despise it as a barren and naked con­templation of a man without experience, who makes no difference between a meere Scholler, and a man wholly exer­cised in worldly affaires. Well, let them hold their course, if it will be no better, I leaue them to the Vsurer to bee braied in his morter; or to the office of Insurance, to be stript of thousands by the lumpe, while they are catching after scraps by the morsell.

There are others also, whose case falls not within the compasse of my aduise, such I meane, as are either desperate [Page 102] Bankrupts professedly; or, indeed and in truth, being indebted for great summes, are little worth, and haue no possibility to pay. For, as the Psylli of Lybia, who had power to cure the byting of Serpents, by sucking the venome out of the wounds, could not helpe Di [...] Rom. Hist. lib. 51 Cleopatra, Queene of Aegypt, smit­ten with Aspes, or with a poysoned Nee­dle, or Crisping-pin, because the poyson was dispersed through all the veines, and had damped the vitall spirits, before they came: And, as Physitians vndertake not to worke a cure where the principall parts of the body are wasted away: so, where Debt hath run through euery part, and hath searched euery veine of a mans sub­stance, and as a poyson hath fretted in true calculation both goods & lands, it's past my skill to prescribe any remedy, to get out, where there is no matter to work vpon. I can onely leaue such to the mer­cy of God and men, as Physitians doe their Patients in desperate diseases. I ad­dresse my selfe to those, who hauing som­thing left, are willing to improoue the re­mainder of their time and state, in get­ting [Page 103] and keeping themselues out of debt.

The first direction for comming out of Debt, is that which Salomon giues for getting out of suertiship, Prou. 6. 3, 4, 5. Submit thy selfe, and entreat thy neigh­bour, solicite the Creditour, vt diem am­pliet, to haue patience with thee, and to grant some respit: solicite the Debtor, for which thou art engaged, Vt fidem liberet, to cleare his fidelity by keeping promise: solicite thy friends to enterpose them­selues, to mediate for thee, to put to their helping hand. Giue thy selfe no rest, nor sleepe to thine eyes, till thou be deliuered as a Roe from the hand of the Hunter, or as a Bird from the Snare of the Fowler. Delay breeds danger, put it not off. If we must doe thus when we are engaged for others, how much more when the debt is our owne?

All meanes must be vsed instantly, im­portunately, not to renue the bond from six moneths to six moneths, till many years be expired, that is a meditated con­tinuance in the snare, and an addition to the debt: as if a man in fetters & chaines, [Page 104] should entreat that one ten pound more, one todd more, one hundreth weight more might bee added to his Shack­les, and laid vpon him. But all meanes must bee vsed by submission, by com­position, by helpe of friends, satisfaction must bee giuen to the vttermost that the state will beare, before it bee cleane wasted, that it may manifestly appeare, that wee are truly willing not to delude the world, nor to raise our selues a for­tune by defrauding others; but so farre as wee are able to giue contentment, and where power faileth, to craue remission or respit, without further aggrauating the burden by interest. Nor must these seri­ous endeauours bee deferred, but as the Esay 51. 14 captiue hasteneth to bee loosed, that he dye not in the pit, and that his bread faile not, so must we quit our selues, that debt pine vs not in the pit. Say not; He is my friend, he will spare me, I need not feare, he will vse no extreamity; for, if he be a free lender, he will not bee a long lender, he deserueth currant & speedy paiment. If the Creditour be an Vsurer, then the debt is nothing mittigated, but doubled [Page 105] by continuance, though thou sleepe thus indebted, yet thy consuming disease slee­peth not: this worme dyeth not till the debt be payed.

Qui non est hodie: cras minus aptus erit; The longer in debt, the lesse able to dis­charge it: the burden will encrease hower­ly, and thy ability will be deminished by the very edacity of debt. Follow then the Prophets counsell; Giue no sleepe to Prou. 6. 4. thine eies, nor to thine eye-lids any slumber, till thou bee deliuered as a Deere out of the snare. I cannot but interpret the coun­sell of Salomon, as an intimation of deli­uerance, if it bee followed. I take it for a rule, that obedience to holy authen­ticall counsells and precepts, is alwaies an assurance of good successe to him that practiseth the same, which hath made me importunate in vrging expedition. All things I know must haue a time, and in­ueterate diseases are not cured in a mo­ment, onely bee impatient till thou finde the meanes, and restlesse in the way of getting out of debt: which way I will [...]eat out as a second remedie.

That contraries are cured by contra­ries [Page 106] is often true, and certainly in this: Egressus malitiae, virtutis operatur ingres­sum, Ambrose; The out going of wic­kednesse works an entrance vnto good­nesse. If a man came in debt by intempe­rance, he must come out by sobriety; if by ryot and voluptuousnesse, hee must binde himselfe to a stricter and seuerer course. Legimus quosdam (saies Hierome) morbo articulari & podagrae humoribus la­borantes, proscriptione bonorum ad simpli­cem mensam & pauperes cibos redactos con­ualuisse: Wee haue read of some, who being sicke of the Gout through abun­dance of humours, did recouer their health, being forced to a poore and slen­der dyet by confiscation of their goods. As extrauagant humours are cured by a sparing dyet, which came by ryotousness; so all other superfluities are tempered by moderation. Hee therefore that ran in debt by any excesse, must come out by order, and a discreet method of circum­spect mediocrity. If a man came in debt by ouer-purchasing, he must be content to sell; if by ouer-trading, hee must not ouerlay himselfe with that burden, vnder [Page 107] which he hath sunke already; if by sump­tuousnesse in apparell, if by curiosities in building: these superfluous expences vpon our lusts must be cut off, Men must not imitate Athenaeus lib. 6. ca. 8. the magnificence of Lucul­lus without the wealth of Lucullus; no, nor yet of Salomon, he liued in a golden, we in an iron age. Finally, if a man came in debt by idlenesse, and sloath, and vn­profitablenesse; hee must struggle out by a contrary course of diligence and indu­strie, and employment in well doing. A necessity lieth vpon him so to doe: for e­very man is bound to eate his own bread which he can neuer doe, that paies not his debts truly, but liues and spends vpon a­nother mans stocke and substance, taking the iniury vpon himselfe, but leauing the iustice and mercie to another.

But alas, may some man say (in preiu­dice of this aduice) how little can one mans industrie and frugality auaile, in the remouing and ouercomming of great and consuming debts? these are aboue the power and reach of a man alreadie sunke and decaied in his estate. To this I an­swer; First, that the diligence and fore­cast [Page 108] of some one man may be of great ef­ficacie in it selfe, for the accomplishment of great matters, if God bee with him; Gen. 30. 27. 30. as of Iacob in the seruice of Laban, whom God blessed for his sake, and encreased his little into a multitude. So Gen. 40. to Chap. 48. of Ioseph in Pharaohs. Also the diligence and pru­dent frugality of one may bee of conse­quence in the example to many; as Ruth chap. 2. & 3. Booz may be a patterne in this kind to all poste­rity: how did he follow the businesse him­selfe? How were his eies on the Seruants, on the Reapers? euen on the gleaners? hee doth euen lodge in the midest of his husbandry.

Secondly I answer, that diligence, thrif­tinesse, temperance after a rude and vnru­ly course, are not so much to be conside­red in themselues, as in the blessing of God annexed vnto them, which can as well draw men out of debt, as adorne them with riches. If Luk. 15. 22. the prodigall be ne­uer so needy, yet if the father will receiue him vpon his submission, the ragges will quickly bee changed into roabes. This changing also of the former misdemea­nors into a state of reformation; of dis­solutenesse [Page 109] and luxury, into diligence and sobriety, is an euidence and an exercise of true repentance; without which, no re­lease nor deliuerance from the iudgments of God, which haue ceazed vpon vs, can be expected. Whereas vpon repentance and amendment, which implies an intire change of the minde, and of the man­ners, and a liuely accommodating of our will to the worke, and of our best en­deauours to the accomplishment of our iust desires: deliverance in due time may be expected, as well from this of debt, as from any other iudgment of God. His hand that laid it on, can take it off againe, if he be sought vnto by feruent praier and supplication, which I willingly propound as the next remedie and speciall helpe a­gainst debt.

In those things which are meerly ciuill, and are transacted by dexterity in man­naging worldly affaires, it is a hard thing to make men beleeue (so that industry and skil be vsed) that prayer is of any great consequence for good or bad euents. This makes the Day-labourer, the Artifi­cer, the Husbandman (for most part) fall [Page 110] down-right to his worke, without any set▪ inuocation of God, more then perhaps a Pater noster inhast, or some other word of course, without in tention of the spirit. As they deale in other things, so likewise in this of debt; they are sensible of the burden, and capable of all politike dire­ctions, tending to their ease; but how praier and debt should haue any relation, or the one giue furtherance to the remo­uing of the other, they are not willing to conceiue. And hence it is, that being perplexed in this labyrinth of debt, they cast away their confidence, nor seeking a­ny issue or helpe by praier; yet Phil. 4. 6. Paul hath taught in all things to make our re­quests knowne to God by praier and supplication. If in all things, why not in debt? 2. Chro. 6. 29. 30. Salomon hath taught vs; that, When a man shall see his owne plague, and his owne disease, and shall make his moane accordingly, God shall heare him in heauen. Now they, who are for other things in a kinde of stupidity, yet acknow­ledge debt to bee their plague and vndo­ing: Why then vse they not the remedy prescribed by the wisest? Psal. 50. 15. God himselfe [Page 111] encouraging to call vpon him in the day of trouble, and they esteeming this to be the vlcer of all their trouble? If the house cannot be builded, if the Citie can­not be guarded without the Lord; if no­thing can be done by early rising and late resting, but onely so far as God puts to his helping hand, working in vs and for vs: why then is not hee entreated for his assistance, in this difficulty of debt, as well as in other things? When Amazi­ah 2. Chr. 25. 9 asked the man of God, who forbad him to take the Ephraimits into the battle against the Edomits, because God was not with them, what then should become of the hundreth talents, which he had gi­uen them for their helpe? cannot God, said the Prophet, giue thee more then this? So say I to him that trembles at the inundation of debt vpon him; Cannot God, if he were sought vnto, giue an is­sue out of this? Cannot God, if the stum­bling blocke of thine iniquity, (which makes the separation, and hinders good things from thee) were remoued, giue e­uen more then this? If it bee replied; That God worketh men out of debt, by [Page 112] meanes, which thou hast neither in thy power, nor in thy view. To this I say, that prayer it selfe is a means, wherby all o­ther helps & practises receiue their force, vertue, & successe, w^ch haue failed hither­to for want of this. Faithfull praier puts a man vpon the cheerefull vse of subordi­nate meanes, and binds to such pertinent courses, and serious endeauours, as are most likely to remoue, or at least to miti­gate this languishing consumption of our estate. All our policies without this are but, Arena sine calce, Sand without Lime. They will not hold together when wee haue most need of them, but like vntem­pered morter, will fall asunder. Let ear­nest praier be ioyned with frugality, skill, and diligence, and payment so far as our ability will extend; and then expect with comfort the end that God will giue.

Suppose when all is done that is dire­cted or deuised, that we cannot for all this satisfie the Creditour; yet this shewes a mans repentance for his former indiscre­tion, and his true desire to make satisfacti­on, when hee seriously sets himselfe to make such payment as to him is any way [Page 113] possible: which though it come short of contenting the Creditour, may notwith­standing serue to pacifie the cōscience of the Debtor, which will bee surely clamo­rous where iustice is not done to a mans power, by yeelding euery man his owne.

I know some cruell Lenders will bee bitter & violent in exacting, which makes the clamours great of oppressed Borrow­ers, Nehem. 5. yea, secessions of the poore, and separations from the rich, as appeares in the Liuius D [...]c. 1. lib. 2. Roman story, but no cry is so in­tollerable, as of a tender conscience, if debts and duties be not faithfully perfor­med. Let vs therefore not remaine in­debted any thing to any man, but pay e­uery man his due, not out of constraint onely, but euen for conscience sake.

I end with Aquinas his words vpon this place, It a plené omnibus omnia debita persoluatis, vt nihil remaneat quod soluere debeatis; Pay all your debts so fully vnto all, that (so farre as is possible) nothing rest behind which ought to be paid; the debt of loue onely excepted, which fol­lowes in the next place. Hitherto of civill and mixt debts.

CHAP. 12. Of the sacred Debt of Loue, that we ought to loue one another, and why?

BVT that yee loue one another.] As is the Obligation, such is the Debt: ci­uill obligations cease when the pecuniary debt is paid, but the bond of loue among Christians is perpetuall; so that as wee say of thankes in case of benefits receiued, Gratiae agendae & habendae; Thankes must be giuen and held as still due: so of loue it is; Debitum semper reddendum & semper habendum; A debt which alwaies is to be paid, and yet alwaies continues payable; I am (saith Paul) a debtor, both to the Greci­an Rom. L 14 and Barbarian, both to the wise and to the vnwise; hee meanes the debt of loue and of seruice. The instruction is this; That Loue and Charity is a due debt, perpetu­ally to be performed by one Christian to another; Let brotherly loue continue, Heb. 13. 1. Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, I am the Lord, Leuit. 19. 18. Be­loued, [Page 115] let vs loue one another; for loue is of God, and euery one that loueth is born of God and knoweth God. 1. Ioh. 4. 7. Ioh. 13. 34 A new Commandement giue I vnto you, that yee loue one another. How a new com­mandent? Austine answeres, quia exuto veteri induit nos nouum hominem Because the old man being put off, it puts on vs the new man. Whereunto I adde this, that when the Scribes and Pharises by false glosses and corrupt interpretations had put it out of date; Mat 5. 43, 44, 45, 46, &c. Christ restored it by a true interpretation, and reuiued and illustrated it by his owne practise and example: as Paul also doth obserue, Eph. 5. 2. Walke in loue as Christ hath loued vs, and Phil. 1. 9. This I pray that your loue may abound more and more in knowledge, and in all iudgement. To walke in loue intendeth a proceeding and going for­ward till wee come to an eminencie, and this we should indeuour.

Reason. 1 First, because it is a good thing and a pleasant, Psal. 133. 1. that brethren, should dwell to­gether in vnitie and amitie. Some things are pleasant that are not good, as vnlaw­full gaines to a couetous man. 2. Pet 2. 15. Balaam [Page 116] loues the wages of iniquitie to his hurt: some things are good that are nor plea­sant, as to suffer affliction, so Heb. 11. 25. Moses did with the people of God: But the loue of the brethren is both good and pleasant: Good, because agreeable to Gods will: Pleasant, because comfortable to the heart of man to inioy the societie and communion of Saints: both good and pleasant, Psal. 133. 3. because God hath comman­ded his blessing to rest vpon the vnitie of brethren in that which is good.

Secondly, Christ hath loued vs being his Rom. 5. 2. 10. enemies; therefore we ought to loue one another: If Christ haue taught vs this, not only by precept, but also by ex­ample, and by illustration of the precept in his owne person, should we not herein conforme our selues vnto him? Should not euerie one accommodate himselfe to that, which is the proper end and vse of his calling? Should not the Shepheard feed his flocke, the Pilot at Sea guide his Ship, the Captaine in warre exercise mi­litarie discipline? Should not the watch­man keepe his watch? Now brotherly loue is as proper and peculiar to Christi­ans, [Page 117] as any of these seruices to the vnder­taker of them. By this shall all men know, that ye are my disciples, if ye loue one a­nother, Ioh. 13. 35.

3 Thirdly, many excellent things are spoken of loue: it is 1. Tim. 1. 5. the end and scope of the Lawe; Vt est in medicina sanitas, as health is the end of Physicke. It is the summe of the Lawe sayth Christ, Mat. 22. 40. Where hee speakes of the loue of God, and of the loue of man iointly: In which sense it is noted to bee a tran­scendent vertue required in euery com­mandement. It is the Col. 3. 14. bond of perfecti­on, quo omnia hominum inter se officia con­tinentur & coherent, wherein all the du­ties which passe betweene men are com­prehended and combined. As faith is the bond of our vnion with Christ, so is loue of our communion with our brethren, the members of Christ, in which two consists the perfection of the mysticall bodie. It is called here the fulfilling of the Lawe, both in this verse and in the tenth, be­cause, qui diligit, non vnum aliquod prae­ceptum obijt, sed in genere praestitit quod lex iubet, he that loueth, obserueth not some [Page 118] one precept, but performeth in generall what the Law inioineth, but of this in the next place.

4 4. Fourthly, where loue is not, the life of man is like a perpetuall tempest, here rushing, and there blustering, here bea­ting and there bearing downe all before it; without this wee still doe liue in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquitie: where this failes, mischief comes in place thereof; dissentions, discords and such curses as accompany them. Non eue­nissent Cyprian. Ep. 8. fratribus haec mala, si in vnum fra­ternitas fuisset animata. Such euills had not befallen the brethren, if the brother­hood had held together in one mind. Let vs therefore nourish this precious charity in our hearts, in obedience and true conformity vnto Christ; as also for the worthinesse of the grace it selfe, and for our owne refreshing and consolation in our pilgrimage here on earth.

CHAP. 13. Of the diuersities of loue, and of the nature of Christian religious loue, towards one another.

BVT that ye loue one another.] We haue a rule euen in moral discipline that the prayse of vertue consisteth in action. This is as true of loue as of any other whatso­euer, 1. Cor. 13. 13. in this preferred before faith and hope, not simply, but because it is diffu­siue of it selfe to the vse of others, where­as these are confined to the person of the beleeuer. Wee haue also another rule that whatsoeuer wee would that men should doe vnto vs, euen so should we do to them; for this is the Law and the Pro­phets: Mat. 7. 12. But wee desire that men should loue vs, and accommodate themselues to our seruice; therefore it is a naturall and a perpetuall debt to do the like vnto them.

Now that loue may be diffusiue of it selfe in precious streams, and operatiue with approbation of God and of man: [Page 120] let vs choose out among the seuerall kinds of loue, 1. the most excellent in nature, 2. the best esteem'd in quality, 3. the most beneficial in the operations & fruits of it.

For the first, wee must obserue that there are diuerse kinds of loue; as naturall affection whereby wee loue our Parents, Children, and Kindred. Hee that hath not this is worse then brutish: euen beasts cherish and suckle their young ones. This though a Christian cannot want, yet a reprobate may haue. There is a ciuil loue, the obligation whereof is domesticall or politicall societie. Meere naturall men yeeld this for mutuall commodity and consolation. There is a morall loue con­sisting in an exact compensation of affe­ction with affection, of benefite with be­nefite, which falls short indeed of that loue which here we seeke, as our Sauiour shewes, Mat. 5. 46. 47. It may be in vn­regenerate men, yet it is a great furthe­rance, to the producing and preseruing of the charity, whereof we speake. [...]. Greg. Na­zian. Nothing so auaileable vnto loue, as com­pensation of affection: which is expressed [Page 117] by mutuall offices, Vis vt ameris, ama; Wilt thou be beloued, then do thou loue.

Lastly, there is a christian religious loue, which is a sanctified affection, wher­by our hearts are ioyned either to our brethren in the faith, in contemplation of Gods image in them, shining in an emi­nency of Graces; or in respect of the common hope of our calling, declared by outward profession; or else whereby we wish and doe good to our enemies, in obedience to him who hath commanded vs so to doe.

There is not any kinde of these loues aboue mentioned, but it is a debt; and so is this christian religious loue also, and must be duely paied. First, in respect of the communion of Saints: there is one body, one spirit, one hope of our calling, one lord, one faith, one baptisme, one God and father of all, Eph. 4. 4, 5, 6. If a Eccle. 4. 12▪ three-fold cord bee not easily broken, how much lesse this of loue in such a con­currence of inuincible obligations? It must also be paied as an homage to God, who will take no notice of our loue to him, vnlesse we loue our neighbour; Thou [Page 118] shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, I am the Lord, Leuit. 19. 18. as also 1 Ioh. 4. 20. Hee that saith hee loueth God and hateth his bro­ther, is a lyar. Who so loueth not his brother whom he hath seene, how can hee loue God whom bee hath not seene?

Thirdly, it must bee paid, in regard of mutuall offices and duties, as of tender affections and earnest prayers for one a­nother; the intercourse whereof cannot be stopped among Christians. Maior est fraternitas Christi, quàm sanguinis; Bro­therhood in Christ is stronger then in blood. If kinne will creepe where it can­not goe, christian charity cannot chuse but be diffusiue of it selfe, from the high­est to the lowest. Psal. 133. 2. 3. As the precious oint­ment from the head of Aaron to his beard, and to the skirts of his garment: as the dew of Hermon vpon the hill of Zion; so this loue imparts it selfe by a co-operati­on of Gods spirit, to the comfort and re­freshing of high and low, pertaining to the couenant.

Moreouer, as in ciuill debts, so also in sacred, the paiment must be currant. It is not the loue of brethren in euill, bee it [Page 119] neuer so strong that will serue the turne; such concord is a conspiracy, as in Gen. 34, 25. Sime­on and Leui, in the outrage vpon the She­chemites. It is not the doting of Iudg. 16. 4. &c. Num. 25. 15. Samson vpon Dalilah, or of Zimry vpon Cosby, be the men neuer so great, that will serue the turne; this is but carnall lust. The currant loue which beares the stampe of the San­ctuarie, must bee deriued 1. Tim. 1. 5. from a pure heart, a good conscience, & an vnfaigned faith; this is the right myne out of which it must be taken. And in this respect the christian loue doth as much surmount all carnall loues, as gold or siluer doth cop­per or lead; which makes mee wonder, why we should bee so ambitious of the friendship and countenance of men no­toriously sinfull, seeing how much soeuer they are beloued of vs, yet they can but giue vs drosse for gold, chaffe for wheat. True christian loue indeed, as it is a noble heroicall grace, so can it not proceed but from a sanctified originall.

CHAP. 14. The qualities of religious Loue.

AS is the nature of religious Loue, so are the qualities holy and heauenly. These are three; Patience, Constancy, and Feruency: Loue is patient; Charity suffereth long, and is kinde; it is not ea­sily prouoked, it beareth all things, it en­dureth all things, 1 Cor. 13. 4, 5. 7. The Israelits depose Samuel from his gouern­ment, as great an indignity as could bee deuised; yet, God forbid (said hee) that I should cease to pray for you, or to shew you the right way, 1. Sam. 12. This was the patience of his loue, to recompence good for euill. Saul persecutes Dauid bitterly; 1. Sam. 24. 5 & 26. 11. &c. Dauid hauing his life in his power twice, takes not the opportunity of priuate re­uenge, but dismisseth him safe; this was the patience of his loue to the Lords an­nointed; Greg. hom 7 in Ezech. Patientia vera est, quae ipsum a­mat quem portat; It is true patience to loue him whose weight we feele. Thus the nurse beares the vnquietnesse of her [Page 121] child, that breakes her sleepe: the Mini­ster the ignorance and wilfulnesse of the opposite: the husband and the wife suffer the infirmities of each other without grudging or repyning, because there is true loue in the flesh, and in the Lord. As is the measure of Loue, so of Patience: much loue, much patience. Loue is strong as death, being supported with pa­tience. Whereupon also doth depend the next property which is Constancy.

The Apostle hauing said, that Charity Aquin. in hunc locum beareth all, and endureth all things; infer­reth in the next words; Charity neuer fai­leth, 1. Cor. 13. 8. Charitas in diligendo non deficit, sed proficit; Charity in louing goes not backward but forward; as ap­peares in the Philippians, whose loue a­bounded more and more. The loue of Ruth to Naomi, makes her cleaue vnto her constantly, though shee had perswasions, and example, and discouragements to the contrary, yet the resolution was; That nought but death should make a separa­tion. Ruth 1. 16 17. The like stedfastnesse is in the loue of Paul towards the Corinthians, though the more he loued them, the lesse he was [Page 122] beloued, Yet will I spend most willingly (saith he) and will bee spent for your sakes, 2. Cor. 12. 15.

True loue is not apprehensiue of offen­ces, nor alienated vpon sleight occur­rents, though the seruices of loue bee sometimes costly, as in relieuing the poore: and the labour of loue sometimes painfull, as of Ierem. 38. Ebedmelecke in drawing Ieremy out of the dungeon of Malchiah, hazarding thereby the displeasure of Prince and State. Yet loue, armed with constancy, persisteth in good purposes; a­gainst all difficulties & oppositions what­soeuer; yea, when many other eminent gifts doe cease, yet shall loue continue, 1. Cor. 13. 8. 9.

The third quality of this loue is Fer­uency. Aboue all things haue feruent loue among your selues, 1. Pet. 4. 8. This sets an edge on loue, it keepes it from languishing, it suffers not so gracious an affection to settle vpon the lees of slug­gishnesse, but will quicken it as a taske­master, exacting daily the seruice of the day, it will make vs restlesse til some good be done, and sensible in case we faile: as [Page 123] is noted of Hieron. in Epist. ad Gal. cap. 6. Titus the Emperour, when he had not done some memorable good, he would lament the losse of such a day. Feruency will make vs sow our seed in the morning, and not suffer our hand to Eccle. 11. 6. cease in the euening. Want of feruency in our loue, makes vs vnprofitable in time of need; like the Priest and Leuite to the Luk. 10. 30 31, 32, 33. man that was wounded and halfe dead, they looked on, and perhaps pitied him, but passed by the other way, without vouchsafing any reliefe at all: So is the common temper of mens loue, they thinke themselues in charity, else God forbid, they hate no body, they hurt no body, they are no quarrellers, or other­wise iniurious; thus they make faire wea­ther with all: but let a man fall into some extremity; and then they will not ease his burden with the least of their fingers. It is Feruency must make our loue actiue & vsefull, and which must make vs like the good Samaritane, ministring to the di­stressed as wee are able, and they haue need, Neuer turning our eyes from our owne flesh, Esay 58. 7.

CHAP. 15. The effect of loue, with rules to dispense the fruits thereof, and a complaint for the neglect of it.

THe religious loue thus qualified will quickly shew it selfe in the fruits and effects; it will sweeten and season all our actions, making vs full of mercie, and as Rom. 15. 14 Paul speaks of the Romans full of good­nesse. If you would know wherein this loue must and may bee discerned; I an­swere euen in all things. Let all things be done in loue, is the Apostles direction, 1. Cor. 16. 14. Because without this, the best things degenerate and turn the edge: 1. Cor 8. 1 Knowledge without loue puffeth vp. 1. Cor. 13. 1, 2. The gift of tongues and prophecie, without loue, is as a vanishing sound. Almes without loue is ostentation. Martyrdome without loue is fruitlesse and vnprofitable. Let mee speake it as it is; as faith without workes is dead: so works without loue are counterfeit and hypocriticall. Rom. 12. 9. Let loue be then without aissimulation, in all our do­ing, [Page 125] which will make them passe more sweetly then all the springs of Lebanon. [...]f we further inquire when and to whom this loue must be shewed, that also is set downe, Gal. 6. 10. While we haue time let vs doe good vnto all: [...], Theophilact the time of working is the time of liuing; and though there may bee diffe­rence in the opportunities: yet shall we neuer want such as will want vs. Which burden for all that, where loue is, will not seeme tedious. Charitas facit iugum leue: Loue makes the yoake easie. Gen. 29. 20 Iacob in­dured a hard seruice vnder Laban, of se­uen yeares for his daughter Rachel, yet they seemed in his eyes but a very few dayes, because be loued her.

If yet we further aske in what manner this loue must be declared: That also is set downe, 1. Ioh. 3. 18. Little Children, let vs not loue in word and in tongue: hee meanes, not in bare verball complement only, (for words otherwise must bee the Interpreters of the heart) but in deed and in truth; our loue must be reall and bene­ficiall; if it be barren, it is certainly coun­terfeit. If this precious treasure be in our [Page 126] hearts, wee ought not to hide it; concea­led loue is like concealed learning, vnpro­fitable. We must professe it then to the comfort of our brethren, as Ruth 2. 13. Booz spake to the heart of Ruth, yea and expresse it too as hee did: Ruth 3. 18. he rested not till he had done her good in the highest degree. Thus Mordocai procured the wealth of his people, and spake peaceably to all his seed, Esther 10. 3. Hee was beneficiall in word and in worke.

Besides these generall directions, for the better dispensing the fruites of our loue there are certaine speciall rules to be obserued. First wee must consider our owne ability, and our brethrens necessitie, accommodating the one to the reliefe of the other, as the plaister to the sore.

If our ability be great, then 2. Cor. 9. 6. by sowing plentifully we shall reape plentifully, and 1. Tim. 6. 17. lay vp a good foundation against the time to come. This sheweth want of loue in those who hauing great ability, doe lit­tle or no good therewith; like Nabal and the rich Glutton, who had great abun­dance, euen a Prou. 17. 16 price in the hand, but wanted a heart to vse it. They feared to [Page 127] lose their wealth by giuing, but feared not to lose themselues by keeping it. If on the other side, our wealth be small, yet if our good will bee great, it is accepted, as were the Widowes two mites, Luk. 21. 3. He that is faithfull in a little enters in­to his Masters ioy Mat. 25. 23. God crow­neth the inward will, where he finds not the outward wealth, saies Austin. If 2. Cor. 8. 12 there be a willing mind, it is accepted by him who iudgeth not after the outward appearance, but beholdeth the heart. Yea though some must say with Iob. 42. 8, 9. Peter, Siluer Acts 3. 6. and gold haue I none; yet loue is as effectu­all, in dispensing the spirituall talent as the temporall. Those who haue not the worldly goods, may be helpfull and bene­ficiall, by powring out faithfull prayers, as Iob did for his three friends: or by mi­nistring a word of counsaile, admonition, or exhortation at our need. He that doth so, may turne a sinner from going astray, hee may saue a soule from death, and couer a multitude of sinnes. Iam. 5. 20. Abili­tie must bee improued according to the condition of it: which that it may be with successe, we must also consider the neces­sities [Page 128] of those with whom wee haue to deale. Loue trauailes in paine with some, till Christ be formed in them, as Paul did Gal. 4. 19. with the Galathians; with others it is weake; to some it stoops; it raiseth it selfe to others: August. de catechiz. rudib. cap. 15. alijs blanda, alijs seuera, nulli inimica, omnibus mater: gentle to some, seuere to others, an enemy to none, a mo­ther to all. Some haue more need of our prayers then of our purse, of our counsaile then of our commodities, of our good example then of our goods. Paul Act. 20 33. craues neither siluer nor gold, nor raiment, but Eph. 6. 19 Col. 4. 3. 2. Thes. 3. 1. prayers often and with importunitie. Dauid on the other side craues not Nabals counsaile, 1. Sam. 25. 8. but a supply of things neces­sarie, when hee might haue spared it. As one member serues another according to the necessity of it, so should we. Because by how much more fitly wee apply our selues to one another: by so much more feelingly is God glorified by the party that is succoured, Iob. 31. 20.

After ability in the author, and necessi­tie in the obiect of beneuolence obser­ued, the next rule pertaineth vnto order. All things are comely in their order, [Page 129] and loue is orderly and discreet, non agit indecorè, it deales not vnseemely, 1. Cor. 13. 5. The orderly course in disposing the fruits of loue is, that (where present oc­casion imposeth not a necessitie) the spe­ciall duties of loue should be conferred, where there are the principall bonds of nature or grace, or other respects of soci­etie or vicinitie: specially where there is an eminencie of desert at our hands. The case may so be put that a beast must be re­lieued before a man: yet other things be­ing like, wee must specially doe good to Gal. 6. 10. the house-hold of faith.

A cup of cold water thus bestowed is not forgotten, Mat. 10. 42. but shall bee remembred in the day of accounts, Matth. 25. 40. Euen among these, loue ordered by discretion leads to our speciall charge. Integer rerum aestimator est, qui Aug. de doc. Chr. lib. 1. cap. 27, 28. ordinatam habet dilectionem: nam quum omnibus prodesse non possis, his potissimum consulendum est; qui constrictius tibi quasi quadam sorte coniunguntur. He is an vp­right esteemer of things that hath an or­derly charitie: for seeing thou canst not doe all men good, prouision must chief­ly [Page 130] be made for those, who are as it were, by a certaine lot, most nearely ioined vn­to vs.

Dauid prouides for his Parents in the midst of his persecution: Our Sauiour for 1. Sam. 22. 3. his Ioh. 19. 26, 27. mother in the midst of his passion. But the bowels of compassion are for the most part chiefly moued, when the state of the Church is vnder the eye of tender­hearted men, as Psal. 122. Amos 7. 2. 5. Ieremie 9. 1, 2, &c. But such men are ve­ry rare, the most euen of professors, plea­sing themselues abundantly, if their perso­nall state be good, and if there bee plenty within their priuate walles, neuer looke further at the distressed abroad: nor at well deseruing men of Church and Com­mon-Wealth: thinking because charity beginnes at home, they neede not straine themselues with supporting such as fall not within the domesticall verge. But these men are much deceiued; For though it be true, that charity beginnes at home; Yet it must not also end at home, and ne­uer goe further. For as parents and chil­dren claime their portion in vs, so doth the Church and Common-Wealth also: [Page 131] specially such as haue deserued our loue, to whom, perhaps we owe euen our selues Phil. ver. 19 as Philemon did to Paul.

Can that loue be religious, which is so straitned in the bowels of compassion, as that it will not inlarge it selfe to the affli­cted? Or is that loue religious, which can be vnthankfull to men of speciall merit, for temporall or spirituall seruice? Let charity beginne where it ought, but let it not both beginne and end in one Period. If it be naturally diffusiue, confine it not to one point or center, which ought to liue and moue, and worke in the circumfe­rence round about.

The third rule in the exercise of loue concerneth those who are without, or at least farther off. Rom. 12. Wee must haue peace and concord with all, so far as is possible: our God is the God of peace, not of dis­sention 1. Cor. 14. 33. or confusion; and when he exhi­bited himselfe to Eliah, he was not in the 1. King. 19. 11. mighty wind, nor in the Earth-quake, nor in the fire, but in the still and quiet voice: to shew that hee is not among tumults and quarrells, but where peace, and vnitie, and amity is imbraced. Yet he that must [Page 132] endeuour to haue peace with all is not bound to haue societie, nor ordinarie in­tercourse of consultations and familiarity with all, nor peace neither, further then may stand with holinesse and godly wise­dome. For what if there be ineuitable oc­casion of a breach? What if a man will needs become an enemy? and prouoke vs with heauy iniuries? Here now is loue put to the greatest tryall, yet will it bee fruitfull, and that in season. For Christian loue may as truly be exercised to an ene­my as to a friend: and in forgiuing iniu­ries, as in giuing gifts. Did not Steuens charity shine as cleerely, Acts 7. 60. Acts 6. 6 in praying for the forgiuenesse of his persecutors, when he suffered as a Martyr, as in ministring to the necessities of the Saints as a Deacon? Forgiuenesse is like a blossome in March, that shrinkes not at a nipping blast, this will proue the forwardest and goodliest fruit in Autume. But what if forgiue­nesse be not sought by him that doth the wrong? yet must thou daily aske forgiue­nesse at Gods hands vnder condition of forgiuing. What if the iniurie be daily multiplyed and renewed? Heauen is open [Page 133] to thy complaints, and the Law is open to restraine intollerable persons, onely in suits at Law, when they are ineuitable. Loue first retaineth an vnfeined desire of peace, though it be prouoked. Secondly, it abstaineth from priuate reuenge, though it haue opportunitie. Thirdly, true loue prayeth for the enemies con­uersion, though continuing refractary.

But here may I iustly take vp a com­plaint; Charitatem in terris peregrinam a­gere. As one speakes of Truth: so may I of Charitie, that it liues as a stranger here on earth; little religious loue is to bee found in the world. Some men loue no body but for some carnall respects. O­thers can loue any, but the seruants of God; as Achab could like well of all Pro­phets, but of Michaiah and Eliah, and 1 King. 22. 68. 1 King. 21. 20. them he hated, and counted them as ene­mies. Others that can find no fault in Gods children, yet hold off their loue in suspence; and they must know them bet­ter, before they will ioyne with them in amitie and societie, and so perhaps they neuer meete. Others confine their loue to societie in reuelling & lasciuiousnesse, [Page 134] or some other rudenesse in which there is at last but a bond of iniquitie. So little en­tertainement finds loue vpon earth: yet it is the bond of perfection, both in hea­uen and in earth, and hath the most noble testimonie and stile to be called in this place, the fulfilling of the Law.

CHAP. 16. That loue is a fulfilling of the Law accor­ding to the measure of it, and that yet hence it doth not follow: either that the perfect ful­filling of the Law is possible in this life: or that any can be iustified by the workes of the Law, in this state of corruption.

FOr hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the Law.] These words are a reason of the former exhortation. The argument is thus. The mutuall loue of Christians is the fulfilling of the Law, therefore wee ought to loue one another. When loue is said, Cantic. 8. 6. to bee strong as death: non potuit (saith Austin) Charitatis fortitudo magnificentiùs exprimi, quàm [Page 135] quòd morti comparatur: The strength of loue could not be more magnifically ex­pressed, then when it is compared vnto death. As he saith of the strength of loue, that it could not be expressed in more loftie termes: so may I say of the supere­minent excellencie of loue, it could not be set downe in higher termes, then in calling it the fulfilling of the Law. Con­cerning which words sundry things may be enquired, both for the meaning and certaintie of them. As first, the thing in hand being mutuall charitie and bro­therly loue which is limited and confi­ned to the second table of the Law, and is no further extended; how the perfor­mance of it can bee said to fulfill the Law? seeing in this dutie (supposed as good as can bee in this life) a man one­ly fulfilleth the second table of the Law.

The answer herein is this: that though he that loueth his neighbour intirely, do but fulfill the second table expresly, yet he performes the first also by necessarie consequence. For all religious loue to men floweth originally from our loue to [Page 136] God: and our loue to God dependeth wholly on his loue to vs. 1 Ioh. 4. 19 We loue him because he loued vs first. As therefore a great brightnesse of the ayre at midnight, argueth the shining of the Moone, and that presumeth an illumination from the Sunne, because these depend one on a­nother: so the diffusing of our charitie on our neighbours proueth our loue to God, and our loue to God presumeth his loue to vs first, for the inseparable de­pendance which they haue on each o­ther. We may also briefly answer, that our brotherly loue fulfilleth the Law, that is, that part of the Law which doth punctually require it.

The other questions arise from the ambiguitie of the speech, Hath fulfilled the Law. Out of which our aduersaries draw two conclusions. First, that the ful­filling of the Law is possible in this life. Secondly, that a Christian may be iusti­fied by the workes of the Law.

For the first, the Rhemists in their mar­ginall notes vpon these words say this. Here we learne that the Law may bee, and is fulfilled by loue in this life, against [Page 137] our aduersaries, who say, it is impossible to keepe the Commandements. The ar­gument may thus be framed. He that lo­ueth another, or that loueth his neigh­bour fulfilleth the Law. But euery true Christian can, and must, and doth loue his neighbour; therefore euery true Chri­stian can, and must fulfill the Law. First, to the proposition I say, that he that lo­ueth another fulfilleth the Law, accor­ding to the qualitie and measure of his loue. Qualis & quanta dilectio, talis & tanta est legis impletio: so farre as he lo­ueth, so farre he fulfilleth the Law. But say they, in the assumption; euery good Christian can, and may, and doth loue his neighbour. To this I answer, that loue is either perfect and full in the affections and offices of it, without any errour or defect at all: this is that which fulfilleth the Law, according to the seueritie of it to the vttermost, but it is impossible in this life through the weakenesse of the flesh. There is another loue which is true, sincere, and heartie, yet not without im­perfection, for in many things we all fall short in affections, in actions, Gal 5. 17 The flesh [Page 138] lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit a­gainst the flesh, so that we cannot do as wee would. Phil. 3. 12▪ 13. I haue not (saith Paul) attained vnto perfection. This loue is possible, but not perfect, the other is perfect, but not possible to vs compassed as we are with imperfections; and consequently the per­fect impletion of the Law in this life is not possible.

The second argument depends on this, framed by those, who by building iustification vpon the workes of the Law, put themselues vpon the hazard of falling from grace. The argument is thus. Hee that fulfilleth the Law is iustified thereby; according to that word, Gal. 3. 12. He that doth these things shall liue by them. But euerie true Christian fulfilleth the Law by loue; therefore euery true Christian is iustified by the Law. Stapleton propounds it thus Stapleton Antidot. in sense, and triumpheth like a conque­rour against Caluin and Beza. His argu­ment is thus. The fulfilling of the Law is true righteousnesse; but he that loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the Law; therefore he that loueth his neighbour obtaineth true righteousnesse, or true iustification thereby.

The strength of these arguments is in the ambiguitie of the phrase: for true it is; He that fulfilleth the Law shall be iusti­fied thereby, if he fulfill it in all points per­fectly; otherwise not iustification, but malediction is of the Law. But he that loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the Law. That I grant is true, he that loueth per­fectly without any defect fulfilleth the Law perfectly; but where is that man, that euer so loued, or obserued the Law without errour or imperfection?

Was there euer Patriarke, Prophet, or Apostle without sinne?

Doth not Dauid the man after Gods owne heart confesse this sinne with much contrition against himselfe, Psal. 32. 5. and Psal. 51.

Doth not Dan. 9. Daniel the like against him­selfe and all the people?

Doth not Rom. 7. Paul after his conuersion yet lament his vnwilling subiection vnto sinne? When the best of men condemne themselues, is it not impudent pride in a­nie to iustifie himselfe by the workes of the Law? Can any bee so partiall in his owne cause, or so senslesse of his owne [Page 140] estate, as not to tremble at his dayly transgressions, arising from the sinke of originall corruption?

I know for the opening of this speech in hand, the learned bring this distincti­on. There is, impletio legis quoad partes, or quoad gradus; We fulfill the Law say they, according to the parts, or according to the degrees. According to the parts, when we haue respect to all the commandements, as well in one thing as in another, not al­lowing our selues in the neglect or breach of any; thus farre say they we attaine. But according to the degrees or perfection required in the strict letter of the Law, (for which cause it is called the killing letter,) so we do not fulfil the Law.

In this distinction some satisfie them­selues, but for mine owne part I am of opinion, that the best men faile, not onely in the degrees, but euen in the parts of the Law, omitting at some time the very duties of loue by infirmitie, ig­norance, negligence, or temptation, so that our best fulfilling of the Law is, when that which is not fulfilled is forgi­uen: according to that of Austin, Om­nia [Page 141] mandata Dei tunc implentur, quan­do quod non fit, ignoscitur; All the com­mandements of God are then fulfilled, when that is forgiuen which is not fulfil­led. And our best iustification is; Quando fides impetrat, quod Lex imperat: When faith obtaineth in Iesus Christ that per­fect righteousnesse, which the Law en­ioyneth by a liuely application of the same to the conscience. As our loue is not perfect in regard of our defects in matter, measure, and circumstance: so it cannot be meritorious, because it is a debt, and such a debt as is neuer fully payd, but still remaineth due. No debt is merit; Est ae natura meriti, vt sit opus in­debitum, pramium ex indebito faciens debi­tū: It is of the nature of merit, that it be a work not due, & which makes the reward being nor due of it selfe, due to the doer.

Is all our labour of loue then lost, be­cause it is vnperfect? and because our ful­filling of the Law is vnperfect? or because when wee haue done our best, yet our loue is not meritorious? or because our best fulfilling of the Law, is but onely a true and sincere obseruation of the Com­mandements, [Page 142] but not a full obedience of the Law [...], in exactnes? Is all our labour I say then lost? God forbid: for though wee cannot attaine vnto perfecti­on in this life, it is reserued for the next: our righteousnesse being here eclipsed with manifold defects: yet the neerer wee come vnto it, the more conformable we are to God, and to his Law, then which nothing is more beautifull, or more blessed.

Paul professeth that though hee had Phil. 3. 12. 14. not as yet attained, yet he aspired with great indeauour, and pressed toward the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in CHRIST IESVS: euen so should wee doe also, who come much shorter of perfection then he did: the re­mainders of sin continuing more, & the Image of Christ being lesse renued & re­stored in vs then in him. We should, I say with all our strength & intention of spirit, striue to be aduanced to a higher pitch & measure of grace, of goodnes, of loue with the fruites therof; knowing that loue is the Iohn 13. 35. marke of Gods children: the proofe of 1 Iohn 47. our regeneration: the seale of our tran­slation [Page 143] 1 Ioh. 3. 14. from death to life: yea such an euidence hereof as will shew it selfe and stand vpon record in the effects, when o­ther signes may faile in the day of tempta­tion: knowing also that hatred, which is contrary hereunto, is the diuels 1 Ioh. 3. 10. Ioh. 2. 11. brand on the vessels of wrath; he that hateth his brother walketh in darknesse, and kno­weth not whether he goeth, because dark­nesse hath blinded his eyes, euen his iudgement, the eye of the inner man. For Austin & glossa ordin. Ira est festuca, odium est trabs in oculo; an­ger is a moate, but hatred is a beame in the eye.

The summe is this. Debts must be pai­ed to whom they are due. Loue is a Debt; therefore it must be paid to all, as time, and place, and power doe permit: that by yeelding hereof in obedience to the Commandement, our loue to God him­selfe may appeare, Iohn 14, 15. who measures our loue by our obedience. Who if he dis­cerneth the readinesse of the spirit, though the flesh bee weake: if a promising and chearefull heart, though ability bee not great, hee will drawe vs on to further proofe.

Iohn 15. 2. Euery branch that beareth fruit hee purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit, to the honour and glory of his owne name, and to the benefit of his Elect.