§. I. Of the dif­ference of Estates, and the End of Pro­vidence therein.

WHat our blessed Lord ob­serv'd long ago concern­ing the difference God makes in the distribution of his heavenly Talents, giving to some five, to others two, and to some one; is found true also of those that are Earthly. Estates are now [Page 2] (and ever have) been different in this World, and the Levelling Princi­ple has been found as impracticable as it is unreasonable. God gave at first (and since by his Providence continues) to some more, to others less, but to every one in some mea­sure a sufficiency. Riches and A­bundance (like other good Gifts) are from above, and so is the Im­provement too; and tho' we ought to use a studious Care, yet the Issue must be left to the Author. For our Experience will affirm the truth of Solomon's Adage; There is that Prov. 11. 24. scattereth and yet encreaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. As also that of the Apostle in a tempo­ral Sence; That it is not of him that planteth, nor of him that water­eth, but of God to give the encrease. Thus Families and Estates have their (sometimes unaccountable) rise, continuance, and decrease. From mean Beginnings they arise to Greatness, and for a few Ages shine [Page 3] like a Meteor and are admir'd, and then sink like the same into their former obscurity, and become ex­tinct and unobserv'd amongst the Croud.

This (worthy Sir) is a Consi­deration useful in its kind, to put you in mind of your House's Mor­tality as well as your own; to de­pend upon and be thankful to that Power that has raised you up so far above others: Not to be proud and disdain at those that are pass'd by, whilst you are chosen to Ho­nour and Estate, but rather to fear, because as your Estate is greater, so is your Charge and Duty, and so will your Account be. For to whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required; and to whom Men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. That you be kind, loving, and com­municative to those below you espe­cially (for Interest will oblige you to those above) and like the Sun, warm and enliven every one with­in [Page 4] the Sphere of your Activity, and that you wou'd live up to the End for which Providence design'd your Station; that is, that as you are rais'd up to a higher Capacity than others, so you would do more good than others. To apprehend truly what, and how much that Good is, it becomes you to consi­der two Things. First, The Use that Men commonly put their E­states to in this Age: And then, Se­condly, The Use that God has re­quir'd them to put them to, and the Account that he expects of them accordingly.

§. II. The Ʋse of Estates, and how commonly imployed, with the best Account they can give of the same.

If you, in the first place, take a view of the World, you will find that when a young Man begins to understand his Quality, and that he is born or design'd to an Estate above others, he begins to shake off his former Acquaintance, and those that the state of Childhood and Ignorance had render'd his Familiars, and to seek the Society [Page 5] of his Equals in Birth and Fortune, and the Exercises that are proper to his Rank. He overlooks his old Companions, and will seldom (and that in private only) own that he knows them, and that which we below think to be a spice of Pride, is but necessary to his Place in the World, to conciliate to himself the Honour and Reverence due to him. When he hath found out a Compa­nion of his Joys and his Griefs, their great Care is to live up to the Character of their Houses, and maintain the Honour of their Pre­decessors. This is the Center to which all the Lines of the Circum­ference, their Tables, Attendants, Equipage, Houses, Gardens, and o­ther Appendages of Nobleness and Gentility do, and indeed shou'd tend. And this is true down from the Noble-man to the Farmer, and each Man in his several Degree aims at the Support and Credit of his House and Family. For their E­states; the Riotous waste and con­sume [Page 6] them; the Covetous do what they can to hook in whatsoever comes within their reach; and the provident and good Husband, by his prudent management of what is left him, increases what he has, and finds an increase of Esteem and Re­spect proportionably. In fine, when every Man has acted his dif­ferent Part upon the Stage of this World, he settles it (or the Law for him) upon his Son or his Daugh­ter, or his nearest Relation. This is the Summ of the Life of Man; and the Account that he can give to his Maker in the other World must be accordingly. And the best that can be given, according to the usu­al management, is this: That they have husbanded their Charge to the best Advantage without fraud or oppression, or wronging of any Man; and with the yearly Product thereof they have fed and cloathed themselves, their Children, and their Servants. And besides that, have maintain'd their State according [Page 7] to their Degree, and have at seaso­nable Times gratified their Appe­tites with suitable Pleasures. This during their Lives; and that when they died they left their paternal Estate with Additions to their el­dest Sons, the presumptive Heirs of their Dignities, together with suffi­cient Provisions for their other Sons and Daughters. And in defect of such Children, then to their Ne­phews, or Nieces, or nearest Relati­ons; or, in defect of these also (which is rare) to some of their Names, or whom they best fansie. This (to pass by the Extorsion and unjust Methods of Covetousness, and those profuse and extravagant ones of Sensuality, not here to be named) is the best Account that usually the best of Mankind can bring of what they have done here. But for any eminent Act of Piety, especially for the Glory of God and the Advancement of his Service, either in their lives­time or at their death, 'tis very rare [Page 8] and extraordinary, and a Work of wonder, not imitation. 'Tis true, natural Compassion, Custom and Credit obliges Men to give some­thing at their Gates; but then 'tis usually the Superfluities of Life, and the Refuse of their Tables, which otherwise wou'd stink and be corrupt; and at their deaths some will commend a small Summ to the Poor to be distributed by their Executors, which is no sooner received but spent: But, in these degenerate Times, how few stand­ing Acts of Piety and Charity do we find as Monuments of our Love to God and our Neighbour? I wou'd not be thought to lessen any Man's Charity when I say, that sometimes a merciful and generous Nature, and (possibly Glory) may wring out of the Hands of our Heirs and Executors some good Remain. But then as it is rare, so it is thought a Work of Super­errogation, not Duty; that which is laudable, but yet may be left un­done [Page 9] without danger. And where is the Man that thinks such Works necessary to Salvation? or, that God requires them, and they will be advantageous to us in another World? 'Twas otherwise in Times of yore, and not only Works of Charity but Piety were thought to be absolutely requir'd of God, and therefore they cou'd not go out of the World without making a kind of Retaliation and Acknowledgment to God as well as Man; which pos­sibly was the Original of Deodands, Mortuaries, &c. And a Will cou'd not be made without bequeathing God and his Church some Legacy. Hence it is they left us so many Monuments of both; but we their unworthy Posterity have destroyed many, and think much to support those that remain. In a word, all that we can do is but to say, that we have serv'd the Necessities and Pleasures of our selves, and them that are next to us in Relation; and, as for others we have done [Page 10] them no good. And this we think sufficient to justifie us before God and Man. But then may not a Scribe or Pharisee, or did not many of the good Heathen more than this? Or, is not this the Effect of the Law of Nature, which teaches me to love my self, and do good only to my Friends and Relations, and is competible to the wickedest of Mankind? Is this the living up to the more perfect Law of Jesus, which will sometime try you with the sorrowful Command of sell all and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven? And which doth always oblige us to love even our very Enemy, and much more a poor peaceable Neighbour, and to watch opportunities to do good to all Men? Or, is Heaven a Re­ward for loving our selves, and for doing that which we cannot omit without violating our natural Incli­nations? No, surely, The Chri­stian Religion is a super-addition of Duty as well as Promises and Re­wards, [Page 11] and therefore the ordinary Accounts of Mankind, concerning the distribution of their Estates, will not be allowed.

§. III. The End of these Pa­pers, with the Author's Design and Apology.

To convince you of this great Truth, and to direct you to the due management of your Estate, so that you may be acquitted, and re­ceive the Reward of an euge bone Serve, &c. is the Design of these Papers. And the rather, because God hath given me (for Reasons best known to himself) but a very short Allowance; so that I can nei­ther be Exemplary nor Serviceable, as I desire, in Works of Piety and Mercy, and mine own tyrannous Necessities wou'd fain engross all. I think it therefore my Duty to do what I can, tho' I cannot what I wou'd, and seek the Comfort of exciting others to do that which I am incapacitated to do my self. And if God accepts the Will for the Deed, this will be a sufficient Con­solation. And this will the better [Page 12] appear if you consider the other Thing, which is to shew what God doth expect at our Hands in this Particular. And in order to this I will beg your Patience to discourse of these two Things in their or­der.

• 1. Of the Propriety and Title that every Man has to his E­state, in respect of God the Supreme Donor.
• 2. Of the End for which God hath given Estates, and con­sequently what he expects from the present Professors.

§. IV. That we have no Ti­tles or Pro­perty to E­states, in respect of God the Supreme Donor, &c.

1. First then if we look for any Property or Title to our Estates, in respect of God, we shall find none. 'Tis true, every Man has a Proper­ty in what he possesses, in respect of his fellow-subject; and the Laws of God and Man, have declared a meum & tuum, and fenced them from mutual encroachments. That is mine (in respect of my Neigh­bour) [Page 13] which I lawfully possess, whether by Inheritance, Gift, or Purchase. And this another Man ought not either to invade or co­vet. But 'tis otherwise in respect of God, our great Benefactor; who as he gives every one his Quota, so he saves to himself a Power of ta­king it away; of transferring and changing, of raising and throwing down Men and Families. For the most high ruleth in the kingdom of Dan. 4. 32. Men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will; for his is the World and the fulness thereof. In him we live, move, and have our being, and he gives Life and Estate, and takes it away at his Pleasure. When he actually interposes and declares his Will, all humane Laws are super­ceded. In that Case even killing is no murther, nor taking away Goods theft; as appears by the People of Israel's dealings with the Seven Nations in the Land of Ca­naan, and with the Egyptians at their departure out of Egypt. Thus in [Page 14] the Gospel he strips the foolish Pro­jector of all, when he takes his Soul away. Thou Fool, this night shall thy Soul be required of thee, and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? And as Job is the most celebrated Instance of Pati­ence, so he is of the Instability of our Fortunes, and of God's disposal of them. To day a Man the grea­test in Substance of all the Men in the East, and to morrow by an un­lucky Conspiracy of design'd Mis­fortunes meeting, or rather follow­ing one another, reduc'd to the State of a Lazarus, and the want of all things, Life only excepted: And, yet, after a time of Trial and patient Sufferance, restor'd by an extraordinary Providence, and en­dowed with double to what he lost. An Instance, not of the Ca­price of Fortune, but the design'd Intrigue of Providence, and the Right God hath to give and take away; and so he made it in his self-denying Hymn of Thankfulness. [Page 15] Naked came I out of Mother's womb, and naked shall I return: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord. This is an Evidence that God is the Su­preme Lord, and may make a Sei­sure of his own when he pleases, and that we are Tenants at Will, and no further.

'Tis true, we call what we have, our own; and we transferr our Rights to others; but then 'tis only (quantum in nobis est) as far as we may. We give them a lawful Pos­session against our selves, and all that claim under us, but this is all but a humane and temporary Ti­tle; and can give no future Secu­rity against the former Right of Providence. And when we die we divide our Acquests and be­queath them to our Children and Relations, and use the greatest Se­curities to entail it upon our Heirs, &c. But all this (when the Supreme Owner pleases) in vain. For in a small time Strangers shall [Page 16] feed in our Dining-Rooms, stretch themselves on our Couches, en­joy the Fruits of our Labours, and the Pleasures of our Buildings, Plan­tations, and Contrivances. All this daily Experience confirms to e­very considering Man, nor is it de­nied by any that acknowledges a God and Providence. And I have us'd the more Words, not for the Doctrine but the Application's sake; which is, That rich Men wou'd, First, Be humble, and not carry themselves with that extravagant Pride, as tho' they had not re­ceiv'd it, or were to render no Account for it. That they wou'd, Secondly, Be grateful to Almigh­ty God, and own him as their and our common Benefactor. Thirdly, Be careful to manage their Trust to the Intents and Purposes for which they were gi­ven: And what they are comes next to be discours'd of. And therefore,

§. V. The Ends for which God gives Men E­states, and what he expects from them. These Ends must be Good, and are three­fold.

Secondly, As to the Intents of God in bestowing Estates, you are to consider: If God gives to some what he denies to others, or con­tinues to them and their Heirs what they call their own, it must be for some End, and that End must be the performance of some Good. For God doth nothing in vain, or for no End, and he proposes no End but what is Good. Now all Good is such in respect of three Objects; our Selves, our Neigh­bour, and God, the chief Lord of all. There is no question but God intends the Good of that particu­lar Person whom he makes Over­seer of his Talent: And thence a­rises self-preservation. And be­cause he cannot manage it himself without assistance, from Self-pre­servation arises also that of our Fa­mily and Dependants. But then God being an universal Father, and taking Care for all Mankind (which are his Family) equally, (tho he has not endow'd all equally) [Page 18] thence arises a second Good to our Neighbour, and especially to those that want any thing that he hath denied him and given us: That we may thereby exercise our Love and Charity, those God-like Ver­tues which are in him originally, and which he hath deriv'd to us, and expects we shou'd use towards one another. But then, Thirdly, Tho' he is in himself so perfectly Happy, as to be incapable to re­ceive any repletion from the Works of his Hands, yet to try our Grati­tude, and renew in us a remem­brance of his Benefits, he has re­serv'd to himself a certain kind of Quit-Rent; and that is, that we should not only acknowledge his Bounty to us publickly and private­ly, but also contribute out of our Estates what is necessary, that o­thers should do so likewise: That his Supremacy and Goodness might be daily acknowledged by all, as it is daily received by all. From all which it follows, That no Man [Page 19] is a sole, absolute, and free Proprie­tor of his Estate, but that he is bound to Conditions of doing Good to himself and his Neigh­bour, and the making of due returns of Gratitude to his God. That these are the Conditions of his Tenure, which (as it is at the Will of the Lord as to time, and may be ejected when he pleases, so) he ought during the space of his pos­session to perform the Conditions thereof, viz. pay his Quit-Rents, and do his Homage, upon the Pe­nalties that will ensue thereon on the day of Enquiry and taking Ac­counts, when every Man shall re­ceive according to his Works. Thus much of the Ends in general; but I must consider these three Uses more particularly and separately.

§. VI. Of Self­preservati­on, which is the first End.

1. And first of Self-preservati­on, the first End. That our Duty is to preserve our Selves, our se­cond Selves, our Offspring, which are our selves propagated and con­tinued, [Page 20] and our Servants, which are kept for our Selves sake, will not require many Words; for Na­ture hath imprinted it upon our Minds in Characters that be inde­lible: And this Principle is so fix'd and operative, that the only fear is, lest it should grow too fast, to the stifling of the other. Experi­ence teaches us, that Self-preserva­tion is, like Moses's Rod-Serpent, ready to swallow up the other two. Selfishness hath engross'd all, and Men look so much on themselves, and their own Profits and Pleasures, that they mind not their Neigh­bour, nor (what is more) their God. And therefore on this Head I must hold back the Hand, by con­sidering what is due to our Selves and what not, lest we shou'd cheat God and our Neighbour of theirs. There is no question but there is due to our selves Necessaries, but what that is, is not defin'd, but al­lows of a Latitude according to our several Circumstances in the World. [Page 21] First, There be Necessaries in re­spect of Life, such as Food and Rai­ment: This is certainly allow'd us and our Dependents. 'Tis all the reason in the World, that in the sweat of our Brows we shou'd eat our Bread, and wear those Cloths that should defend us in our La­bour. Secondly, There be things necessary ad bene esse, to our well­being, as times and ways of Joy and Pleasure: And therefore 'tis all the reason in the World, that God's Tenent reap the Comforts as well as the Troubles that he lays upon him under the Sun. That he eats his Bread with Joy, and drinks his Wine with a merry Heart then, when he hath Testimonies that God hath accepted his Labours; that then his Garments be white, and his Head lack no ointment. My mean­ing is, That at times of Feasting he relax his Cares, and use such Super­fluities that are agreeable to his Con­dition and the general Rules of Sobriety and Charity. Thirdly, [Page 22] There be Necessaries ratione personae & conditionis unius cujusque, things that are necessary to great Persons and not to all. 'Tis all the reason in the World, that great Officers shou'd have great Attendants, and that high Stewards shou'd have a State answerable to their Places and Cares. The distinction be­twixt Men cannot be well mani­fested but by great Buildings, plen­tiful Tables, many Servants, and a Grandure becoming the Nobility and Gentry. Fourthly, There is a necessity ratione posterum, a neces­sity of Education, and a moderate Provision for their Children and Relations. The first sort of Ne­cessity is absolute, and must be al­low'd; the three other are capable of degrees, and must be us'd so far as agrees with Prudence and So­briety, and the other two Ends that I am yet to speak of. God nor Man will deny, but the Estate shall bear them all, if it can with­out Prejudice to God, our chief [Page 23] Lord, or our Neighbour. But he that spends all on himself and Fa­mily, so that he can allow God and Charity nothing, is like (nay is) a Tenant that wastes all on his Luxury, and so can pay no Rent. If Estates will not maintain us as we wou'd, they must as they can; and we must cut off some of our vain Expences to secure the main Point. We make it a Rule, that when Taxes run high, and our Crop is but small, Expences are to be retrench'd, that we may pay our Rents: And why in a greater Con­cern should we not abate some­thing from our extraordinaries for God and Charity's sake? Necessa­ries we all must have, (but they are but a few) but the Appendages of Honour and Greatness may be encreased or diminished according to the Circumstances of Time and Place, without sinning against ei­ther. This will not seem hard to him that considers how much may be par'd off from Vanity without [Page 24] diminution of Honour, and that if our unnecessary (not to say sin­ful) Expences were sav'd, and put into the Box of Charity, it wou'd be fill'd and run over. For I have observ'd amongst all sorts of Men, high or low, rich or poor, they will spend liberally upon the score of Friendship and Company at home or abroad, and are asham'd to show any reluctance at it; but when a small piece of Charity is to be done, or but a Brief to be given to, how many Difficulties are ob­jected, and what Complaints for want of Money! And yet at the same time if an useless Piece of Va­nity is propos'd to sale, or some little thing to gratifie Ostentation, how eager they are, and how will they incommode themselves to pro­cure Money to purchase it! And yet, when procur'd, it shall be laid up in a Box, and there sleep (it may be) whole Years together, and never see the Sun. How happy wou'd it be if those Jewels were [Page 25] imploy'd to adorn the Soul withal, and if those precious Stones were turned into Bread for the Poor! If those Pearls were dissolv'd into Drink for them! But this must not be hop'd for; yet I must say again, That many of these chargeable Trifles may be spar'd without the least dishonour. And here I will not be so impudent as to ransack the Ladies Closets, and search their Boxes, and note their Extravagances in Dressings and outward Orna­ment; nor will I compute the Charge of their Lordship's super­numerary Hawks, Hounds, Horses, Attendants; and the Instruments of State and Pleasure of both Sexes. They are able to judge of that best; as also what may be spared without detriment to Life or Ho­nour; for something must be, if the Estate will not bear it other­wise: For both God and Man will expect Works of Charity and Mer­cy to be done while we are here, and that in proportion to what [Page 26] we possess. And this I name in the Second Place, as an End for which God has given us our Earthly Por­tion, and which is next to be con­sidered.

§. VII. The second End, Works of Charity and Mercy.

2. That no Man's Estate is so much his own, that he may spend it as he pleases, and that our dear Country, our Neighbour, our Friend, yea and our Enemy (if in want) claims a part of it; and that God will expect an Account of these Things at the great Audit, appears by the Book of Nature, as well as by the Holy Scriptures, and hath the united Suffrage of Reason and Religion.

In Nature we find that as everyThis prov'd first, By the Law of Nature. thing depends, so every thing is subservient to each other; and the Universe preserves it self by mutu­al Helps and Assistances. The Hea­vens rowl about incessantly for the Benefit of those things within their Vortex; and the Sun, the greater Luminary, rejoycerh as a Giant re­fresh'd [Page 27] with Wine, to run his Course, (as David expresses him­self, according to Vulgar appre­hension;) or, rather, (according to the Modern Sages in Nature) stands still in the Centre, and contents himself to send out his Emanations of Light and Heat to gild the Globes that wheel round about him, and enliven the Creatures that inhabit them. The Earth, our common Mother, feeds and sup­ports her Offspring; and they, in return, enrich her Superficies. The sensible Creatures, notwithstanding the mutual enmity of some, be­come Food one to another, and submit to the Law of Nature, and serve and feed Man, the Lord of the visible Creation. And God hath convinc'd Man by the Wants that he is sensible of, and the Help he expects from others, to supply theirs also. To give, as well as ask, and to be a blessing to those from whom he expects a blessing: For no Man can live without the assi­stance [Page 28] of another; and the King is beholden to the Charity of Wo­men in his Childhood, and the La­bours of the Field throughout his whole life. To which I add, That the End of the Existence of Things is founded in Community; and we live not for our selves, but for some Being without us. The Sun shines not to it self, but to us; and the Earth feeds and nourisheth not her self, but the Creatures that live upon her. The Birds, Beasts, and Fishes continue their Species, but it is for the delight and service of Man. And Man was not made to eat and drink, and propagate his like, but to be serviceable to his God, and his fellow-Creatures. Is not this then the Lesson of Nature, and do not we read it in all the Works of God; That Self-preser­vation is not the sole End of the created Beings, but the Good of the Community, as the Glory of God is that of the whole Crea­tion?

§. VIII. And, 2dly, By the Law of God in the Holy Scripture.

But if the Book of Nature be seal'd up to those that will not o­pen or read it, yet the Holy Scri­ptures are not so; that Book lies open, and is read and expounded daily in our Ears, and (if we do not stop them) we cannot be igno­rant of our Duty; and this whe­ther we consider God's Commands about Works of Charity in the Old Testament or the New. In the Old he was pleas'd to settle an Estate by a positive Law on the Poor, viz. A Second Tenth (after that of the Levites was paid) every Third Year; which was the Third Part of every Man's Nine Parts, (the Tenth being paid before to the Le­vites;) and besides this, the ex­traordinary Gleanings of the scat­tered Corn; the restoring of the Pledge; and lending without In­terest, and other occasional Chari­ties. Add to these, those general acts of Love, which we are taught to bear even to our Enemy, whose Oxen or Asses (and consequently [Page 30] any other of his Goods) we should not suffer to fall into any hazard, and much less his Person: So that here is a manifest Charge entail'd for ever upon every Jews Estate for the good of the Publick. And this is greater to the Christians, if you consider that our blessed Lord not only fill'd up the Vacuities, but strain'd up the Obligations of their Law higher than it was before. Give, saith our Lord, to every one Matth. 5. 42. that asketh thee; and from him that would borrow, turn thee not away. Love your very Enemies, and do good to them that hate you. Thus he for all: And then for our Friends, Na­ture will teach us enough for them. So that the Law of Christ subjects our Estates to a boundless and universal Charity, even to the worst as well as best of Men; and no Man that wants must be ex­cepted or neglected. And the Apo­stle St. Paul accordingly orders hisGal. 6. 10. Galatians to watch opportunities to do good to all Men; and to the [Page 31] Houshold of Faith especially. And lest this doing Good shou'd be in­terpreted of a verbal Benefaction, of wishing them well, and prayingJam. 2. 20. for them only, St. James, another of his Apostles, vehemently declaims against such Charity, and calls it a dead work, and the Man vain that trusts to it. And this was no more than what he had learn'd from his Master in the instructive Parable he made in answer to the Question of the Lawyer, Τίς ἐστίν μου πλησίον Luke 10. who is my Neighbour? Where he shews by the sequel, that 'tis our Du­ty to engage our Time, Beast, Purse, and Credit, for the sake of a wounded and wanting Enemy, Stranger, or Unbeliever. For so did the Charitable Samaritan to the wounded Jew, he bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine; he set him on his own Beast, brought him to his Inn; paid for his past Charge, and engag'd for his future. Who cou'd do more for his Friend and nearest Relation? This Nature and [Page 32] Gratitude teaches us, but the Chri­stian Religion extends it to the most hated of Men. For so ended our Saviour that Parable; I tu, & fac similiter; Go thou and do like­wise. And finally, to shew the necessity of Works of Charity, our Lord has declared in his Descripti­on of the last Judgment, That no less than Heaven is the Reward (and no less than Hell the Punish­ment of the Neglect) of Charity.

Thus if we consider what God hath declared, either under the Law or under the Gospel, we can­not question but that God, the rightful Proprietor of all Things, hath conveyed our Estates to us, clog'd with the Incumbrance, or rather Duty, of giving Part to cha­ritable Uses; and that every Man is no more than a Trustee for what he possesses, for several Uses di­rected and limited by the general Rules of Charity: And finally, that a strict Account will be exacted of us about the same at the last Day, [Page 33] and that under the highest Obliga­tions of Rewards and Punishments. This being so, what I have more to say upon this Head, shall be divided in answering the Objections that Men make to excuse themselves from Works of Charity, and in shewing how great Encouragements and Obligations there are to this Duty.

§. IX. Objections answer'd.

1. First therefore for the Excuses they wou'd appear extream foolish and light, did not Selfishness part it it self in the Scale. Such is this which follows; and that is,

§. X. Obj. 2. The Laws Pro­vision for the Poor answer'd.

2. But it will be further obje­cted; That the Law hath plenti­fully provided for the Poor; that they are ready to be our Masters, having a sufficient Part of our E­states settled upon them; and that upon Complaint they may have pos­session of whit is their due without delay or charge; so that no Men need to want but such as are idle, and that 'tis even a Sin to relieve these. And further, That it is ve­ry difficult to give any Charity but what will ease the Rich, and that they (not the Poor) will have the Benefit of it. That Gifts are com­monly abused; that the Intentions of the Donor are soon perverted, and that such Donations are usual­ly an Injury to the Publick. And that finally, the Object of Charity being taken away, the Duty cea­seth. To all which I answer in their order.

1. For the hardness of our Hearts these Laws were made, and it is no great Commendation to us that [Page 40] there was a necessity for them. It shews at least that this is the Iron Age, wherein all the Bonds of Re­ligion were broken, and Heaven and Hell laid aside; so that our Le­gislators were forc'd to make use of the more powerful Secular Penal­ties to prevent the miserable perish­ing in our Streets.

2. But, Secondly, This Objection stands upon a false Supposition, that only the old and decrepit, and such as come within the compass of the Law, are Objects of Charity; and whereas there be as many (or more) that receive no Collection, are such then those that do? There are ma­ny poor laborious House-keepers, that hunger and thirst in secret, and are asham'd to make their Wants known, and yet help to maintain those that want less than them­selves: These may well exercise our Consideration and Mercy. Our Sa­viour's Prediction has been hither­to verified, and we have (and e­ver shall have) those with us whose [Page 41] Wants will keep alive the Fire of Charity, besides those that the Laws have provided for. There be several occasional Acts of Mercy that meet us every Day; such are the Relief of the distressed, the Comfort of the afflicted, the Vin­dication of those that are wrong­ed and slandered, the strengthen­ing of the weak Hands, and the confirming the feeble Knees. Be­sides those of durable Effects, such are, the erection, endowing, or aug­menting of Habitations for poor Widows and the Fatherless; a Ver­tue contrary to the Pharesaick way of devouring them. The Educa­tion of Youth, and placing out of poor Children unto fit Trades and Callings. Children are the pre­sumptive Supports of the Common­wealth when we are gone: And therefore to take Care of the form­ing their Manners, and the mend­ing and perfecting of their Natures, is an inestimable Good to Posteri­ty, and a probable Way of bring­ing [Page 42] many Souls to Heaven. And, that I may not mention any more, look but upon the many Charities in London and elsewhere, and you'll find more ways to exercise this Christian Vertue than I fear will be used.

And here I cannot chuse but re­member, and at the same time con­gratulate Mankind for all the Nur­series of Learning and Religion, and especially for the glorious Foun­dations in the two Universities of our Land, founded and augmented by Men and Women famous in their Generations. For, if we consider their lofty Buildings, regular Walks, pleasant Gardens; their Chappels, Halls, and Libraries; the Gravity and Learning of their Superiors, and the Civility and Obedience of the Inferiors, and (in a word) the Decency and Symmetrical Propor­tion of their Edifices, or Vertues of those that now are so happy as to inhabit them, we must say, That hardly all the World can equal [Page 43] the one, and all Ages the other. Here Pleasure and Profit, Wit and Ingenuity, all the Graces, and all the Muses have their peaceful and innocent Habitation. And tho' some (overcloy'd with the best things) leave these Seats for a noi­sie World; yet none did ever so, but (as he had cause enough) re­pented him of it afterwards. Won­der not that I mention these a­mongst the Instances of Charity. So they are, and so they were at first intended; and not (without offence be it spoken) for those that are Rich, Great, and have sufficient Estates to maintain their Relations there, (and who yet basely covet and procure the Founders Chari­ty) but for the meaner sort; such I mean, to whom Nature hath been liberal in the Gifts of the Mind, but scanty in those of Fortune: That these as well as others might find means to emerge out of their obscurities, and grow up into Great­ness; that they might exercise and [Page 44] improve their Talents to the Glory of God, the Honour of his Church, and the Good of the Common­weal. All these were the Effects of a pious Charity, or a charitable Piety; or, rather, of Piety and Charity united; and, if no where else, yet there you may find op­portunities of adding to both. But this more naturally falls under the Third End; of which here­after. And therefore to return.

Thirdly, 'Tis not the Poor alone, but every Man that may be the oc­casional Object of Liberality. The wounded Jew was not poor before he was robbed, otherwise he might have pass'd on safely; and the Sa­maritan that assisted him in his Ex­tremity might have been in the same Condition himself: Time and Chance happens to every Man, and none are free from the Misfortunes of this unconstant World. 'Tis our Duty to be in a readiness to assist the afflicted, and God only knows whose turn shall be next so. [Page 45] Those into whose Minds God hath put good Desires, shall have some opportunities to bring the same to good Effect. We cannot be with­out Objects of Charity, if we have sincere Intentions to it.

§. XI. Obj. 3. That God hath not defin'd the Quota of Charity, answer'd.

3. Lastly, it is said, That if Libe­rality must have a share of our E­states, over and above what the Law obliges us to, it shall yet have little enough. For God nor Man hath defin'd the Quota of this re­dundant Charity. I may give what I please, and where. And I know my own Wants, and do not those of others, and therefore I think it best to administer to mine own Necessities, (which ought to be first serv'd) and then to those of o­thers (if I have ought to spare) and not otherwise: For if God hath not appointed what Part of my Estate I shou'd bestow upon Works of Charity, then 'tis left to my self; and if so, Self must be first satisfied, and then there will be [Page 46] but little left: So that this is the way to constitute a partial Judge, who will shrink up the Portion of Charity to a very small quantity. To which I answer:

1. 'Tis confessed, That neither the particular Modes, nor the pro­portion of doing Good, are (or indeed can be) defin'd, prescrib'd, and enforc'd under a Penalty; be­cause they depend upon future Contingencies, and God deals with Man as with an ingenuous Crea­ture. He loves a free-will Offer­ing, and therefore has left us a La­titude. He has not set the Bounds and Limits, because we might ad­vance it according as we find op­portunity. But then if any Man from thence takes occasion to shrink it up to that minuteness that it is next to nothing; let him know, that he doth but cheat himself of his Reward, as well as God and his Neighbour of their Due. For the general Rules of loving (viz. ef­fectively, and to all the purposes of [Page 47] Good) our Neighbour as our selves, will oblige us to imploy a propor­tional Part of our Estates in that Duty. The Rule of doing Good to all Men will oblige us to act as far as we are able; and how far that is, God knows better than we do our selves, nor can we think to deceive him. He sees the true ex­tents of Self-preservation, and what that doth require, what we may spare, together with the Thoughts of our Hearts and the Sincerity or Hypocrisie of our Intentions, and will reward us accordingly.

2. Tho' God hath not defin'd what Proportion he expects for the Uses of Piety and Charity, yet we may well take an estimate of that by what he appointed to the Jews, his old People; for the hardness of whose Hearts he thought it best to prescribe particulars. And that was, every third Years second Tythe, which was the thirtieth Part yearly; The gleanings, the restoring of the pledge, and borrowing with­out [Page 48] use, &c. This was the settled Proportion of Charity, and it was a Jews Righteousness, (Deut. 24. 13.) That Duty which he was bound to do in Righteousness or Justice; and without the doing of which he cou'd not be accounted a just or righteous Person. For this was the Poors due, which they might demand by Law, and which it was Injustice to deny them. But besides this, there was a higher De­gree of Charity; which was, to as­sist them on all Occasions, and do­ing all manner of acts of Kindness to them over and above what the Law prescrib'd. And this was the natural Effects of loving their Neighbours as their selves. The assisting and providing for a woun­ded Man on the Way, as the Sama­ritan did for the Jew he found be­twixt Jerusalem and Jericho, Luke 10. The extraordinary and occa­sional Acts of Pity were called Mercy or Goodness, and the Man that us'd them was call'd a good [Page 49] Man. Thus a righteous Man and a good Man seem'd to be distin­guish'd. The latter of more de­sertRom. 5. 7. than the former. Scarcely for a righteous Man (one that is just and gives every Man his legal due and no more) will one die; tho' perad­venture for a good Man (the chari­table Person, who obliges Mankind by all manner of extraordinary Kindness) some would even dare to die. Possibly there may be found some Person that out of Gratitude, and the desire of continuing such a common Blessing to Mankind, wou'd lay down his Life for to redeem his. Thus in Micah 6. 8. God re­quires us first (as the lowest Duty) to do justly; and then, secondly, (as a higher Perfection) to love Mercy; and then, thirdly, (as the highest) to walk humbly with our God. And Nebu­chadnezzar is exhorted by Daniel to break off his Sins (of Justice, Pride, &c.) by righteousness, (by doing justly, and making restituti­on, &c.) and his iniquities, (of Cru­elty [Page 50] and Tyranny) by showing Mer­cy to the Poor, &c. This being set last, as a higher Perfection than the first. Finally, where we read ελεη­μοσύνη, Alms, in our Saviour's Ser­monMatth. 6. 1. on the Mount, some ancient Copies have it δικαιοσύνη, Righteous­ness. And so the Vulgar Latin at this Day reads it; Attendite ne ju­stitiam vestram faciatis coram homi­nibus; See that ye do not your Ju­stice or Righteousness before Men. So that a Jewish Righteousness (which was the paying of the settled Main­tenance to the Poor) was, as to Degrees descending, limitted; be­low which they might not sink: But the Jewish Mercy or Charity ex­ceeded that, and was not limitted as to Degrees ascending. It was something above Righteousness, and exceeding it; but how much, was left to Zeal joyn'd with Pru­dence to determine. Now all this is only to give Light to the Place of our Saviour, Matth. 5. 20. Ex­cept your righteousness exceed the [Page 51] righteousness of the Scribes and Pha­risees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of God. Which thus understood teaches us, That Christ expects, that we shou'd at least ex­cell the Scribes and Pharisees in our Liberality to the Poor, and that our Works of Mercy ought to exceed theirs; that God expects a higher Quota from the Christian than he did from the Jew, in proportion to the greater Grace and Encourage­ments that he hath received under the Gospel. This being laid down for a Principle, the rest is left to e­very Man's Circumstances, and to the Rules of Prudence, only with the Apostle's Caution, 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reap spa­ringly.

§. XII. The Summ of this Du­ty of Cha­rity.

And now having, I think, fully silenced these importunate Preju­dices, give me leave (Sir) out of the Premises to conclude our Du­ty to be this; That all Men watch all opportunities of mutual Assi­stance [Page 52] and Kindness, but the Rich especially, as having more Conve­nience and Power to do Good, and from whom God will without doubt expect an Account accordingly. Spend not therefore all upon your Self and Attendants, nor let your Fol­lies and Appetites engross all. Charge your self every Year with some publick or private Good, more or less according to your Ability, and when the Year is ended, be able to give God and your own Consci­ence an Account of it. Put not off Charity till your death, and then think it enough if your Executors give something at your Funeral; which usually turns to little Ac­count. 'Tis a sign of an earthly and sensual Mind to part with no­thing while you are able to keep it; and 'tis no Thanks to give what we can keep no longer. While we live our Charity cannot be per­verted, but when we are gone it may. Tho', by the way, it is no loss to us, for God rewards accord­ing [Page 53] to our good Intentions, not ac­cording to the Effects they may ac­cidentally produce; and 'tis not the Iniquity of Mankind in abusing Gifts of Piety, that shall rob the Donor of his Crown. Let us do Good, and trust God with the Is­sue. This I note here, having for­got to answer the latter part of the second Objection in its place Pag. 39.. But altho' I wou'd have every Man's Charity begin in his life-time, yet I wou'd not have it end with it. The more durable it is, the more glorious and beneficial; it the longer preserves the Fame of the Founder, and is an increase of his Happiness, by how much his Gift continues to do Good to Man­kind. It gathers Strength and Ver­tue by its Age. It is the best Tomb and Epitaph, and therefore, Conde tibi tumulum, nec fide haeredis a­mori, &c. Build up your Pillar your self, and see (if possible) your Work finished; for there is no Work, nor Device, nor Wisdom in [Page 54] the Grave, whither we are all po­sting.

§. XIII. The Encou­ragements to Charity.

Having said thus much in settling the Duty I plead for, and directing it, there remains that I should speak of the Encouragements we have to it, of which I have made (Sir) my self your Debtor: And, among the many that may offer themselves to your view, let these Three have a particular Conside­ration.

1. Then 'tis very probable that1. God de­signs Works of Charity when he gives E­states. God Almighty designed this End when he fitted you for the manage­ment of an Estate, and gave you an Estate to manage. Some End he had in joyning you together, (and may it be long before this Tye is dissolved) and that was Good. This Good must be either the pre­servation of your Self and Depen­dants in particular, or the well­being of your Fellow-Mortals also. The first is a good thing, but the second added to it makes it more [Page 55] excellent. And God, without all doubt, aim'd at that End which was most Noble: And that this Se­cond is such, will appear if you consider that the exercise of Libe­rality is the exercise of many di­vine and precious Graces together, in one and the same Act. First, That Cha­rity is a Complica­tion of ma­ny excellent Graces. 'Tis an Act of self-denyal, in which I take away something from my self to give to another: For Nature wou'd engross all to it self if it cou'd receive it; and has an Appe­tite to all the good Things we pos­sess, tho' we are convinc'd we can­not use them. He that parts then with some good Thing to his Neigh­bour denies himself the same; and, consequently, acts upon a higher Principle than that of Nature. Se­condly, 'Tis a present submission to the Will of God that has com­manded me so to do, and conse­quently, a preference of his Will to my own. Thirdly, 'Tis an Act of Faith and Trust in him, that he is able to preserve me without this [Page 56] I part with, or to provide it for me when I want it. Fourthly, 'Tis an Earnest, That I shall part with all, if he commands it, as willingly as I do this for his sake. Fifthly, 'Tis a free-will Offering to the Poor for his sake, and an acknowledgment that I receive all from him. Sixth­ly, And lastly, 'Tis an Antidote to that Depraver of the Mind and Bo­dy both, that unreasonable, poor, slavish, and distrustful Root of all Evil, Covetousness. And now con­sider and judge (Sir) how vast a difference there is betwixt Charity to your self and to others, Self­preservation and doing Good to o­ther Men. The first is from Na­ture, the second from Grace. That's Self-love, this is the Effect of the love of God. That complies with the Root (and consequently Branches) of all Evil, this opposes it. That may be the Act of the greatest Epi­cure and wickedest Man in the World; this (if conscientiously per­form'd for God's sake) must be [Page 57] that of a Child of God. And fi­nally, That is rewarded by the pre­sent enjoyments of this Life only, (which God knows are very few and inconsiderable) but this brings forth some present Fruit, and that not to be despised, (as I shall pre­sently observe) and after tends to a joyful Eternity. Besides, Self­preservation may be attain'd with Necessaries only, and best by them. Superfluities usually tend to the sub­version of Nature. And God wou'd never have bestowed these upon you for the End, for which they are neither adapted themselves, neither are either useful or used. They are more than is necessary to you, but others want them, and therefore they were given for their Use, and not for your own. I mean, for the exercise of Charity and other good Graces that God delights to see us perform; With such Sacrifices God is well pleased. From all which it is evident, That Works of Charity and Mercy are one End why God [Page 58] has bestowed his Largess upon Man­kind: And he that is wise will con­sider these things, and understand the loving kindness of the Lord. Now if this was one of God's Ends, (as it needs must be) you rob God of his due, when you deny Charity hers; you live beside the End to which Providence hath directed you; you misimploy your Estate, and will be call'd to an Account for the contempt of God, and mis­using his Creatures: So that as good Works are your End, they are your Interest.

§. XIV. That Cha­rity doth not impo­verish us, but tends to increase.

2. A second Encouragement is this, That Works of Charity is your temporal Advantage. And here I shall endeavour to advance a Notion in contradiction to the usu­al Complaints of Covetousness, That Charity is so far from impoverish­ing us, that it tends to the blessing of God and the increase of our E­states. If this cou'd be but believ'd, it wou'd gratifie the Covetous and [Page 59] Ambitious at once; and stop the Mouth of a considerable Objection (which I have not before menti­oned) as well as settle an impor­tant Truth: Which I shall endea­vour to do by Arguments drawn from Scripture, Reason, and Expe­rience.

From Scripture I have this to say;That prov'd by, first, Holy Scri­pture. That what God hath promised must be performed, if our Ignorance or Infidelity doth not hinder it. But there is nothing plainer than a Pro­mise of a full retribution (and that with advantage) of those Tempo­rals we lay out upon the Account of Charity; and that not only in the next but in this Life. Thus So­lomon; The liberal Soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth, shall be watered himself, Prov. 11. 25. agree­able to what he affirms in other places: He that giveth to the Poor shall not lack, Prov. 28. 27. And, He that giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord; and that which he hath given, will he repay him again, Ch. 19. 17. [Page 60] Foenerator Deo, (saith the Vulgar) he putteth his Money to use to the Lord; & vicissitudinem suam red­det ei, he will restore him his turn or share. Thus David his Father; Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy: the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth, Psal. 41. 1, 2, &c. St. Paul com­pares Alms-deeds to Seed sowen; and God's returns, to the Harvest; and promises thereupon, that he that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully, 2 Cor. 9. 6. The Original and Vul­gar hath it, He that soweth in bles­sings, shall reap of blessings, meaning temporal Blessings. And tho' some of these Promises may be interpre­ted of the Life to come, (which yet makes the Encouragement the more considerable) yet others must be applied to this Life. But why should we doubt this Truth, and what better Security can we have than our Saviour's Promise? Luke [Page 61] 6. 38. Give, and it shall be given you; good measure, shaken down, and running over, shall men give into your bosoms: for with the same measure you meet withal, it shall be measured to you again.

From Reason. And if, after such2dly, By Reason. plain and pregnant Places of Scri­pture, it were proper for a Chri­stian to consult this more fallible Oracle, when the Matter is con­cluded by that which is infallible, we might receive further satisfacti­on from Arguments drawn from God's Veracity, Justice, and Good­ness; all which seem to be engag'd to make the charitable Man a pre­sent as well as future Recompence: And that so much the more for En­couragement and Examples sake. For, it is the most probable way to engage the Divine Benediction up­on all we have. And altho' Men may be either forgetful or unjust, yet God cannot be untrue to his Word, when he hath promised that the Righteous shall be recompenced [Page 62] on Earth; or so unrighteous, as to neglect our work and labour of love, which we have shewed to his Name, in the ministring to the Saints, Heb. 6. 10.

From Experience. David long3dly, By Experi­ence. since professed, that in all the Ob­servation of his Life, he never saw the righteous forsaken, or his seed beg­ging, Psal. 37. 25. That the righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth; and thereupon his seed is blessed. And it is noted as an Aphorism by Solomon, That a good Man leaveth an Inheri­tance to his Childrens Children. And even in these dark Times of Sin and Ignorance, I shall challenge Mankind to shew me one Instance, that ever prudent Charity made a­ny Man poor; (and 'tis no longer Charity than 'tis Prudent and Re­ligious; nor can I think him Pru­dent or Religious, that neglects his Family and foolishly gives all away, for I have and ever shall allow Self­preservation the first share.) In­deed, [Page 63] other things may reduce the liberal Person to Poverty, as Idle­ness, Suretiship, and other wastful Crimes, that may possibly outweigh his Charity, and make Poverty ne­cessary for him; but for Charity alone, it must be followed with the Favours of Heaven, and the grate­ful Acknowledgments and Retri­butions of Earth. And this is suffi­cient to silence the usual Fears of Covetousness, and beget in the li­beral Breast a lively Hope of pre­sent, as well as future Recompences. For, who can desire a more benefi­cial Bank than God's? Or, why may we not venture, when we have God's Promises, his Veracity, Ju­stice, and Goodness; yea, and our own Experience, that we shall have a fortunate Lot?

§. XV.

But you (Sir) and those of your Character, with whom I presume to deal in this Paper, are above Avarice, and its Fears and Jealousies. Ho­nour moves you more, and there­fore [Page 64] let me use that as a Third Mo­tive to Charity: I mean,

Thirdly, The honourableness of3. Charity a generous and honou­rable Ver­tue. that Action. I know very well how much the World generally is mistaken in the Notion of Honour; as tho' 'twas to be only found in Wars, Ruines, Murthers, Desolati­on; in sacking, burning, and de­stroying Cities, and Countries; and, finally, in doing all the Mischiefs one to another, that Revenge can invent, or Pride and Cruelty exe­cute. But these are false Notions, that make Men Tyrants instead of Hero's, and feared and hated instead of honoured. True Greatness of Mind consists in dispensing Benefits to Mankind; in giving and for­giving; in loosing the Bonds of wick­edness, and the heavy Burthens, and letting the oppressed go free; in dea­ling our Bread to the hungry, and bringing the Poor that are cast out in­to our Houses; in covering the na­ked, and not hiding our selves from our own Flesh. For then our Light [Page 65] shall break forth, as the morning out of the bosom of obscurity, and our Darkness become as the Noon-day. Our Righteousness shall go before us, and the Glory of the Lord shall be our Rere-ward. A generous Nature will rather enliven with genial Heat, than burn and destroy. God hath produced this beautiful World, and by his wonderful Providence hitherto hath preserv'd it. 'Tis the Devil that wou'd first disorder and then destroy it, and has therefore the Name of Abaddon and Apollyon. Charity comes from God, and all the Actions it produceth are Divine and God-like. 'Tis a great and ge­nerous Grace, and what is common to us with the Deity. We cannot reach the Power of his Creation; but we may in some measure the Goodness of his Preservation. An Action so full of Honour, and so deserving it, that our blessed Lord, when he was to refine and subli­mate it in his Sermon from the Mount, gave us no new Rules a­bout [Page 66] it, but only a Caution not to be too proud of it. And tho' it wou'd injure the radical and self-denying Graces to make Glory the chief End of Charity, yet I know not why I may not use it among others as an Encouragement to it, for it naturally follows it. For his Horn (to use the Hebrew Phrase) shall be exalted with honour, and his Righte­ousness endureth for ever.

§. XVI. That Cha­rity is re­warded with Hea­ven, as well as Earth.

4. Lastly, That I may mention no more: It is the part of every wise Man to consult his future Good, and take care for a well­being when he is turn'd out of this his present Stewardship. Our Lord from the wicked Policy of the unjust Steward in the Gospel, de­duces a Lesson both of Piety and Polity; And, I say unto you, make you friends of the Mammon of un­righteousness, that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habi­tations. Which I shall need but to render plain by this Paraphrase: [Page 67] Whereas by the abuse of Riches Men usually render them Snares of the Devil, and Fewel to heat their Hell seven times hotter; learn ye from me the divine Chimistry, to extract Good out of Evil, and Spi­ritual Advantages out of that which accidentally ruines so many. Use your Riches in Works of Piety and Charity; by which means you may make you Friends in the Court of Heaven, (as well as on Earth) that when ye fail and die, and so must leave this World, those Friends that ye have made there, may cause you to be received into everlasting Habitations. By these Friends I mean good Works; which, by the Mercies of God, and his gracious Acceptance, are crown­ed with an eternal Reward, far a­bove their intrinsick value. And this is (I conceive) the true im­port of the Words, and free from the affrightful Doctrines of Merit, whether of Condignity or Congrui­ty. And we may in all Humility [Page 68] have respect to the recompence of the Reward. For our Lord to this purpose describes the Circumstances of the last Judgment, Matth. 25. as tho' he wou'd encourage Men to Works of Charity when he tells us, That the Pious should have their Heaven and the Kingdom pre­pared for them, from the beginning of the World, for or in considera­tion of their Works of Mercy, viz. For feeding, cloathing, and visiting Christ's poor Members; and the Cursed their sentence of Condem­nation for their neglecting of them. And if there be (as we are sure there are) Degrees of Glory, and they may be increased every Day to the World's end, then judge to what an immense Summ the merci­ful Man's Stock of Glory may a­mount to by the consummation of all Things; while his Acts of pru­dent Charity every Year bring ma­ny Souls to Heaven, whose good Deeds and Reward must in all E­quity redound to him that was the [Page 69] occasion of 'em. And such must be the happy Condition of the Founders and Benefactors of Col­leges, Halls, Hospitals, and other religious and charitable Foundati­ons, whose Reward shall not only continue, but be increased daily, in proportion to the Good it doth and shall do daily, till the consum­mation of all Things.

§. XVII. The Con­clusion; shewing the difference betwixt the Desert and Reward of the ordina­ry and cha­ritable Di­sposals.

And here give me leave to ob­serve to you, the difference betwixt Self-serving on the one Hand, and Liberality and Charity on the o­ther, and desire you to consider the different Methods of Distribution, and the different Deserts and Re­wards; by which you may judge which is the more prudent way, of Disposal in our lives-time, or Set­tlement at our death. And for once let us suppose, That every rich Man has a Son to be Heir of his Estate and Fourtunes; yet even in that Case there is this to be said.

1. We think our selves happyThat of the Ordinary consider'd. when we can beget our like, and transmit our Nature to another, and so preserve it from the common fate of Mortality. And yet, indeed, it is no more ours when we die than anothers; for then all Rela­tions cease, and Kindred is at an end. And even while we live here (considering the constant Flux of Matter) there's very little of us in our Children, unless the Soul al­so cou'd be prov'd to be ex traduce. However, we call them ours, we give them an Original and Nature by Nutrition and Increase: But then we communicate to them our evil and corrupt Nature and Di­sposition, and (commonly) our Customs and Habits. If there be any Imperfection it is usually pro­pagated, and we may view our sin­ful selves in them: An Object of Grief more than Joy. And so much the more, when by the want of E­ducation, or a depraved one, when by Fondness and Lenity we make [Page 71] him twofold more the Child of Wrath than our selves. But if we cou'd be secure of his happy and prosperous Life, in respect of all his Capacities, yet this like wise must be taken into Consideration, That Families as well as single Men have their period; and two or three Ge­nerations usually put an end to our Place and Name; and then where's the effect of all our Cares, Projects, Designs, Joys, and Griefs, when Strangers shall inherit our Labours? Well, but what's the pre­sent or future Reward for all our Cares and Troubles, in providing Estates for our Heirs, or Heirs for our Estates? Verily, nothing at all. We have here but our Labour for our Pains, and the thin aery Plea­sure of thinking we shall leave an Estate to our Children; or, rather, to we know not whom: Sometimes we have the mortification to fore­see that all shall be spent and wa­sted in a short time; as 'tis said of an eminent Person in a former [Page 72] Reign to have made this sorrow­ful Bequest; Scelera omnia Edoardo Primogenito meo dissipanda (neque unquam melius speravi) religo, &c. And, if Souls departed have any Account of the Affairs of their Suc­cessors here on Earth, it must be most commonly a very sorrowful one; but, if they have none at all, it will not concern us who they are, and what they do. Thus for our present, and then for our fu­ture Reward, we can expect no­thing. For this is the Effect only of self-love, to support our selves first, and then our second selves, our Heirs, and Assigns when we can hold it no longer; and so do the Heathens; and then what Re­ward can we expect more than they? Or, rather, what Punishment may we not expect above them, who have a greater Light, Pro­mises, and Encouragements, and yet manage our earthly Talent mostly worse than they? And this is, in short, the Account of our [Page 73] ordinary Disposals of the Goods of Fortune, (as they are commonly called) and Deserts and Rewards consequent thereunto.

§. XVIII. That of the Charitable Persons, &c.

2. Let us now, in the second place, consider those of the Chari­ble Person; and, for Instance sake, that of the Founder of a College or School in particular. He cannot be suppos'd to be Childless, but has a numerous Family, and that selected out of the best Wits and Humours in the Nation, and the greatest Persons are glad to part with the most ingenious of their Sons to become his, and serve un­der his Rules. He prescribes Laws, which they willingly bind them­selves by Oath to observe, with a greater Reverence and Care than the Commands of their natural Pa­rents; and they leave their Fathers and Mothers to become his Chil­dren. Their continual Practice is that of Vertue, Learning, and Re­ligion: And thus the worst Na­tures [Page 74] are rectified, and the best im­prov'd, and all are mended, And when this Work is perfected, some go out into the World and are fit­ted to serve God in his Church, the King, and their Country; and o­thers succeed in their Places and Advantages: So that his Family is a Seminary of Religion and Learn­ing; and there is a succession of it as long as the Sun and Moon en­dureth. And when these have fi­nished their Courses, and the end of all Things is come, he may present himself and them to his Maker, with the Words of the Prophet; Behold, Lord, I and the Children that thou hast given me.

§. XIX.

In Summ: Charity hath the pre­ference of any other Disposal of Estate; and that in these Three Respects following: First, The Charitable Person doth Good to o­thers, and not to his own Family only, (and I wou'd not be so un­derstood, as if I pleaded for the [Page 75] neglect of them) but the Good of others also; and therefore his Work is more Heroick, Diffu­sive, and remov'd from private Good, and so is more excellent. And he may say out of the Mouth of Wisdom; Behold, I have not la­boured Ecclus. 24. 34. for my self only, but for all them that seek Wisdom. Secondly, He doth the best Good, not only in supporting the Bodies, but dressing up the Souls, and cultivating of the Minds of Men for Religion and Vertue. And so the End of his Endeavours is the acquisition of the greatest present and future Hap­piness of Mind and Body here on Earth, and afterwards in Heaven. Thirdly, Others Labours cease and rest, (as well as they from their Labours) but his continue, increase, and produce new Advantages dai­ly; and so will continue to do till the end of the World, unless the Supreme Providence suffers them to be invaded and diverted. And even in that Case the Pious Donor [Page 76] may reasonably expect from the just God Rewards in proportion to the presumptive Effects of his Work, and the Intention of the Benefa­ctor. So that let things happen how they will, he cannot miss of his Re­ward. If his Charity remains, his Reward increaseth with its Fruits; but, if it be obstructed by Fraud or Violence, yet it will be remune­rated according to the uprightness of his Intention.

§. XX.

In a word: Every Action of Cha­rity we do here is recorded above, and hath its Reward apportion'd there, even to Interest upon Interest, and all the possible Degrees of Im­provement; which the Divine Pre­science can easily foresee, and will adjust according to the Measures of his Mercies. And this Reward is as far above the inherent Worth of the Work as Heaven is above the Earth, or the Regions of Bliss above this Vale of Tears. Whatsoever we do for our selves, or our Rela­tions, [Page 77] we leave behind us, as Du­ties we owe to Nature, for which she pays us here. But what we do for God, and his Servants for his sake, follow us into the state of the dead, and into the Tribunal of our Judge, and plead for us; where they cannot but have a benign Au­dience, from him who is the Fa­ther of the Fatherless, and who pleads the Cause of Orphans and Widows; even God in his Holy Habitation. And with this I will conclude the second Head of this Discourse, and prepare to speak of the Third in that which follows.

§. I. Why the Author treats of Works of Piety in the last place.

THE Subject of this Second Address, is the Third End for which it pleases the Di­vine Bounty to entrust us with an Earthly Portion; and that is the Promotion of the Honour of God, and the making his Perfections, and particularly his Goodness known [Page 80] to Mankind, that they may with us be induc'd to render him the Ho­nour due to his Name, and the Tribute of Praise and Thanksgi­ving. And this by the order of Nature and Reason ought to have claimed the first Place in these Dis­courses; as his Dues were to be first offered up, and separated a­mongst his own People, before they were to make use of the remainder. Besides, this is the End of the En­joyment of our own Part, and the End of our Distribution to others; of Self-preservation and Charity, both ought to aim at his Glory, and therefore it ought first to be trea­ted of. But in this ungrateful Age, in which we take (like the Beast of the Field) what is bestowed up­on us, without ever looking up to Heaven and acknowledging the Hand that distributes it; in this prophane Age, in which our Plea­sures and Profits are only consi­dered, and God's Honour not at all, or not often; in this bigotted, [Page 81] and yet irreligious Age, in which 'tis thought Superstition and Priest-Craft, to plead for any thing to­wards the continuance of God's Service, (because they are to be his Receivers) wherein such Doctrines as these are quite out-dated, and strange to our Ears, and Men think their Estates not concern'd at all to maintain the Worship of God: In an Age wherein 'tis thought that Church-men have too much still, and a covetous Eye is cast upon the large Revenues of Bishops, Deans and Chapters; wherein all chargea­ble Worship is thought needless, and so many inspir'd Ignorants set up for Ministers, and tender a cheap Worship, or such as will cost nothing: I say, in such an Age as this is, I must be content that God's Cause shou'd come on last, and that he have the least share in our E­states rather than none at all. And yet tho' it comes last, yet it shall not be least treated of, but be the Sub­ject of the following Papers; in [Page 82] which I shall endeavour to main­tain this Assertion.

§. II. That every Man is bound, to the utmost of his Power, to promote the Ho­nour of his Master, and maintain his Service, and (for the sake of that, and to that purpose) those that are to officiate in the same, and that with his Estate and Fortunes. And, that he that is able to do it (which is the Case of most Men more or less) and doth it not, mis-imploys his Talent, answers not the End for which it was committed to his Charge, and must give an Account of that Neglect at the last Day.

That this Truth may appear, I must first define what I mean by the Object of our Piety, the Glory of God, and then distinguish concern­ing the Ways of promoting of it.

The Glory and Honour of God,What is meant by the Glory of God, or Di­vine Wor­ship. or Divine Worship, is the humble and reverential Agnition of his Be­ing, and of all his Glorious Attri­butes; [Page 83] his Supremacy, Power, Goodness, and other infinite Per­fections: And the Acknowledg­ment that we are his Creatures, de­pend upon him for Life and Moti­on, and receive all the good things necessary thereunto at his Bounty; which is the subject-matter of our Prayers and Praises.

The act of exhibiting those Ac­knowledgments,How this is exhibited. is either mediate, or immediate.

We glorifie God mediately,1. Medi­ately: By mediate, as that tends to his Ho­nour. when we do any thing that natu­rally tends to these Acknowledg­ments. Thus the doing of every good Work is for his Glory, be­cause it may and doth naturally tend to set it forth. Thus all the Works of Nature and Art, the Knowledge of the great System of the World, and Natural Philosophy teach his Praises. Thus all MoralAs Moral and Matu­ral Philo­sophy. Works of Vertue (as Equity, or Justice, Comity, Urbanity, Liberali­ty, Fortitude, Temperance, and such like) tend to his Glory in their ex­ercise [Page 84] for the Good of Mankind, and in the Subject where they are found, because of his planting there. Even Polity (the well-institution of Kingdoms, and Reciprocal Du­ties of Governors and Subjects) leads us to the Providential Care of God for our Good, and consequent­ly to his Praises. In a word, what­soever doth naturally incline us to think upon God, and reflect upon his Power or Goodness, is a medi­ate Act of glorifying him. And thus the Psalmist, having considered the several Acts of Providence o­ver the several sorts of Men in the varieties of their Lives, reflects ve­ry naturally upon his Goodness, and thence takes occasion to ex­hort Men to praise him; O that men Psal. 107. wou'd therefore praise the Lord for his Goodness, and for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men.

And, as natural and moral Philo­sophy tend in their consequences and mediately to the Divine Ser­vice which we owe our Maker, [Page 85] so do all Foundations, Societies, andThe Foun­ders of Schools of Learning, and the Ʋ ­niversities, how they tend to the advancing Divine Service, &c. Seminaries of Learning and Reli­gion, design'd for the same uses. And here I cannot but remember, and at the same time celebrate those Nurseries of every thing that is Good and Commendable, The two flourishing Ʋniversities of our Land, and that with all Thankfulness to God, and Acknowledgments of the Munificence of the Founders and Benefactors of each Society, that compose those August and Illustri­ous Bodies: That God was pleased to incline the Hearts of those good Men to employ their Riches to such Advantages of Religion, and pre­serve such Foundations to the Good of Mankind, amongst the Dissolu­tions of so many pretended Houses of Religion in these three King­doms. Places founded at first, without all question, with sincere Intentions of extraordinary Pie­ty and Devotion, but degenerated in latter Times into Idleness, Glut­tony, and all manner of Sensuality, [Page 86] and so from Houses of Prayer be­coming Dens of Thieves. In the desolution of these, those remained untouched, (nay, augmented and established) because free from their Crimes; and may they continue and flourish whilst this Machine of Heaven and Earth continues, and not determine but in its Desolu­tion.

How naturally, and how much these tend to the Service of God, is obvious to every one that considers, That the End of their Erection, and the daily exercise of their Mem­bers, is, First, To smooth over the Asperities, mend the Deformities, and finish the Imperfections of hu­mane Nature; to introduce Civili­ty and Urbanity, Bowels of Mercies, humbleness of Mind, Meekness, Long-suffering, Forbearance, and Forgiveness, and, indeed, an uni­versal Charity. These Graces are requir'd in Christians by the great Apostle of the Gentiles, and are in­troduc'd by the University-Educa­tion; [Page 87] which softens our harsh Na­tures, and melts them down into a Temper to receive such Impressi­ons. And, besides, by the conti­nual practice of Vertue, and sweet­ness of Conversation, and by the Admonitions and Examples of their Superiors, the Inclinations to our native Vices are weakned and de­stroyed, and contrary Dispositions and Habits super-induc'd, necessa­ry all the remaining parts of our lives to our Politick, as well as Re­ligious, Capacities. Secondly, Their Exercise is the Improvement of their rational Faculties, whereby we differ from the Beasts, and this helps them not only for Discourse and Conversation, but for the dis­covery of Truth and Falshood when it is drest up in its shape and like­ness. Thirdly, Natural Philosophy and the inquisition into the state of Nature, the System of the World, and the Works of God, and there­by they are taught to see things with other Eyes than the Vulgar, [Page 88] and discover the Greatness and Goodness of our Creator, and fear and honour him accordingly. Third­ly, The heavenly Doctrine of the Knowledge of our selves, Autarchy, or the Government of Lusts, Appe­tites, and Passions: To live as ra­tional Creatures, that are not in­ebriated with present Enjoyments, but foresee and provide for Futu­rity and another Life. These are all excellent Preparations and Ap­proaches to the highest of all Sci­encies, (which is likewise taught and practised within those Walls) the Knowledge of God, and our Duty thereupon, according to both natural and revealed Religion. And therefore from these Nurseries, those that are fit are transplanted into the Church (as well as State) as workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, throughly furnished with all good Works, and fitted to exhibit the Wants of their several Flocks to God, as well as their own, by those [Page 89] Prostrations of Mind and Body in the immediate Acts of his Worship, commonly call'd Divine Service, which I am next to speak of.

For there is a more immediate2dly, Im­mediately. act of exhibiting this Worship; and that is, the actual homage of the agnition the agnition of God, and his Attributes, and our dependance on him: And this is done only in Prayers and Praises. And in this strict Sence, neither reading, hear­ing, preaching the Word, nor fre­quenting of Sermons, is Divine Ser­vice, or the immediate act of Wor­ship. And tho' they have an im­mediate Aspect that way, and tend to it, yet they are not the thing it self: Wherein (by the way) we may note the great mistake of the Zealots of this Age, who place Re­ligion in nothing but Sermonizing and Hearing, and slight all the an­cient and holy Methods of ap­proaching the Deity. And, instead of these, gratifie their itching Ears with long canting Harangues, and [Page 90] the Froth of Fancy, which they ad­mire because they know not what to make of it. Whereas Religion consists in the Application of the Mind to the Deity, with all man­ner of Submission and grateful Ac­knowledgments: And these pas­sing from a pure and sanctified Mind in Thoughts or Words proper, suit­able, and throughly examin'd, that we may offer unto God a reasona­ble Service, or the Service becom­ing reasonable Creatures. This is the true and essential Worship of God, the highest Duty Man is ca­pable of, and the End of the Crea­tion: 'Tis our great Duty upon Earth, and the Imployment of Hea­ven, which shall continue to all E­ternity. There the four (strange, but) glorious living Creatures, and the four and twenty Elders, toge­ther with all the heavenly Host, rest not Night nor Day, but joyn al­together in perpetual Hymns of Praises and Thanksgivings, casting down their Crowns before the [Page 91] Throne, and saying, Thou art wor­thy, O Lord, to receive Glory, and Honour, and Power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy plea­sure they are and were created.

§. III. That Works of Piety, or the Service of God, ought to be promoted by our Estates, proved by Five Pro­positions.

This is that which we are bound to do our selves in the several Pauses and Intervals we enjoy from the noise of this World: And this we are bound to promote to the utmost of our Power, and with our Lives and Fortunes. And that you may know how your Estate may be serviceable, and is liable to contri­bute to this immortal Work, (the continuance of Divine Service) I shall make a gradual Advance in these Five Propositions follow­ing.

Prop. 1. God is to be worship­pedProp. 1. That God is to be worshipped, and his Service promoted. by Mankind. And here, to distinguish a little further (which falls properly in the aforegoing Section, but was forgot there) a­bout the mediate Acts of Divine [Page 92] Worship. They are either inwardOf inward and out­ward acts of Worship, and that both are required. or outward. The inward is the act of the Mind, and consists in hum­ble and grateful Acknowledgments of his infinite Goodness, &c. The outward act is the external Expres­sion of this inward Acknowledg­ment. And this Expression is made by sensible Signs; such are, First, The articulate Words of Prayers and Praises. And then, Secondly, The inarticulate Signs made by the Genuflexions and Prostrations of the Body. By these outward acts we make our Bodies Parties in the Worship, and give sensible Indica­tions to others what we are doing, thereby instructing and encouraging them to do the like: And there­fore this is proper for the publick Service of God; because 'tis the on­ly visible and sensible act of which our Fellow-Creatures, Men and An­gels can take cognizance. And from these outward Signs of in­ward Humility have the Greeks ta­ken occasion to call Divine Service, [Page 93] or Adoration, in their Language, προσκύνησις, a bowing down, or Prostration of the Body; according to the devout Psalmist; O, come let us worship, and bow down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. I will not make comparison betwixt these two acts, the inward and the outward, (each have their several use and excellency) because they must not be separated, especially in publick Prayer. For, as the Body and Soul make the Man, so the external and internal Service of God do make Divine Service.

To come to the Proposition then.The Propo­sition prov'd from the Obligations we have to Truth, Gratitude, and In­dempnity. 'Tis absolutely necessary that eve­ry Man shou'd worship his Maker, with the inward and (if he be not incapacitated) with outward Ho­mage. And this will appear from the Obligations we have to, first, Truth; secondly, Gratitude; third­ly, Indempnity or Pardon of Sin.

1. We are bound to acknow­ledge every Truth. But, that God is an infinite Being in himself, and [Page 94] infinitely Good to us, is a great and eternal Truth, and therefore ought to be recogniz'd and acknow­ledged, else we are injurious to Truth it self. 2. We are bound to Gratitude, and that obliges us to acknowledge God's Bounty. And, as Tenants swear Fealty, and do their Homage, (as an acknowledg­ment of the Lord's original Right upon these Terms deriv'd to them) so Gratitude obliges us to a decla­ration of God's Right over all things, and his gracious Dispensati­ons of what is useful to us. But then we have a Third Obligation; which is, the want we have of Indempni­ty. For we must be sensible of the depravation of our Nature, and our neglect of Duty; and, conse­quently, that we are obnoxious to the Divine Justice, if it be not a­ton'd and reconcil'd to us: And the way to obtain that, is by hum­ble Confessions and Acknowledg­ments, to which God in his Holy Word hath annext a full Remis­sion,1 Joh. 1. 9. [Page 95] and hath pawn'd his Faithful­ness and Justice for the same: And this is a Third Obligation to Divine Worship.

Behold (Sir) the triple Founda­tion of all Religion, and especially of Divine Worship. And here I cannot but tremble to make the Application to those many (to al­most all) in these luke-warm Times. To those (I mean) that are become so indifferent as to God's Service, that they preferr the meanest of their Pleasures, as well as the grea­test of their Profits, to it. That serve God when they have nothing else to do, and go to their Prayers when they have neither Friends nor occasions to interrupt them. That lay aside their Duty to God to go to a Feast, or Meeting, and leave the Chappel for a Hunting­match. These (and who are not such in this degenerate Age?) do in effect, and for that turn at least, deny God, and sin against Truth, Gratitude, and the Pardon they [Page 96] stand in need of. They use that daily Bread which they are not at leisure to ask at God's Hand, and take his Liberality, and cannot stay to thank him, but put him off till some other time. They disown their Creator and Benefactor for that time, and will make him stay till they can a while to make their Acknowledgments. And how great a Crime this is, do but judge (Sir) by the like in any of your Ser­vants, whom for less than this you wou'd discard for ever. I cannot stay to prosecute this seasonable Reflection, (you may improve it by running up the Parallel as far as it will go, and making Applica­tion to your own Conscience) be­cause I must pass on to the next Pro­position; which is this.

§. IV. Prop. 2. That God is daily to be worshipped. Of publick and private Worship.

Prop. 2. This Divine Service must be perform'd publickly or pri­vately, solemnly or occasionally e­very Day. The publick and so­lemn way of serving God is as far [Page 97] beyond that which is private, as the Light of the Sun is beyond that of a Candle, and must be so much the more acceptable, as your Servants ready performance of your publick Command wou'd be be­yond his denying of it before all the Company, and then perform­ing of it in secret. Not to con­fess God (when we are enjoyn'd) is to deny him: And our Saviour has declar'd, That he that denies him before Men, shall be denied by him before his Father and the Holy An­gels. For this and other Reasons, I say, 'tis our Duty to worship God publickly and solemnly. But be­cause Mens Circumstances may va­ry, publick Prayers cannot be al­ways had, and there may be emer­gencies which may prevent them, and sometimes the necessaries to Self-preservation hinders them, e­specially in the meaner sort, (who literally undergo the consequent of Adam's Sin; In the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eat thy bread.) I [Page 98] add therefore, in defect of the pub­lick Worship, that which is private or occasional; For, where the pub­lick is intermitted, the private must supply that neglect; and, where the settled Hour of Prayer cannot be attended, the occasional must atone for the omission. The first, and (in defect of that) the second must be our daily Exercise. And he that cannot wait upon God in his Temple, must yet meet him in his Closet; and if even that cannot be (which is seldom known) he must yet send some short Eja­culation up wards, as Envoys to ex­cuse his necessary Neglect.

But however this is done (forThat one of these is to be offered up daily. God is ready to allow us what we can reasonably demand) it ought to be done daily. Life is call'd our Day, and each Day is a new Life. Night is a true Image of the Days of Darkness, which are many, and Sleep of Death. We cease to be our own, and have no signs of Life but Respiration; which is only a [Page 99] Pledge that we shall wake again; we know no Body, and are dead to the World, and all its Concerns. The Morning of the Day follow­ing is our daily Resurrection, when we receive a new Life, and rise up from our Grave-Clothes, and dress us again for the Businesses of the Day. Seeing then we receive eve­ry Day a new Life, and begin a new Work, can it be thought un­reasonable that we should be bound to desire a Blessing on the same? Or, that being a wakned from the Regions of Darkness and Shadow of Death, we shou'd make our Ac­knowledgments for that new Mer­cy? We salute our Friends every Morning, as restor'd to the de no­vo, but shall we pass by God un­saluted? Besides, 'tis the dictate of Nature to begin the Day with God, a procuration of his Assistance, and a Blessing upon our Undertakings. The Persians us'd to adore the ri­sing Sun, the Image and Represen­tation (as they thought) of the [Page 100] Supreme Deity. And the Jews had their Morning and Evening times of Sacrifice and solemn Pray­ers: And the Apostles thought it their duty to frequent them, Act. 2. 46. & c. 3. 1. The religious and devout Christians of the Primitive Times had several settled Hours of Prayer every day. It wou'd be thought too much Superstition to imitate, or strictness to enjoyn the like to this Licentious Age: Yet our blessed Lord (below whose Commands we cannot go) hath ordered us all to ask day by day our daily Bread. And suppose God shou'd say Amen to our si­lence, (I mean) shou'd not give us what we are not at leisure to ask; suppose he shou'd put us out of his Protection for but one day, what would follow? Why, no less than a seizure of the evil Angels upon Body and Soul, while ungarded. Or, if he shou'd withdraw his as­sisting Hand, what wou'd be the Effect? Why, nothing less than [Page 101] death and the desolution of the Man. Besides, 'tis an omission that can proceed from nothing but a disingenious and base Ingratitude, unworthy of a rational Being, or of the Nature of Man: And I be­seech God to lay it home to all our Hearts for an universal Refor­mation.

§. V. Prop. 3. That there is a neces­sity for a settled Mi­nistry, in or­der to per­form the same.

Prop. 3. To assist us in our re­ligious Addresses, as well as to in­vite us to them, there is a necessi­ty that there should be a sort of Men selected from others, and or­dained for that purpose.

These we call usually the Mini­stry, the more proper Instruments of Divine Worship. And the ne­cessity of these appears from hence: Man is generally immers'd in Cares and the Affairs of this World; and the Business of this Life is apt to take up all his Thoughts, and bank his Resolutions of Duty. Besides, he is blinded by Self-love, and apt [Page 102] to flatter himself, so that he cannot make a true judgment of his Spiri­tual Estate; and wants upon both Accounts a daily Monitor, as to the things of God. Add to this, he is carried headlong with the fu­ry of his Passions beyond all mo­deration, and loves and hates with­out measure. His Appetites cheat and delude him, and the Devil is ready to improve them to evil Acts; and the Admonitions of his Con­science cannot be harkned to. And all these unite to make him not ca­pable at all times to exhibit a due and seasonable worship to his Ma­ker: And therefore God by the Law of Nature, as well as by his revealed Will, hath taught Men to have standing Ministers of Religi­on, who at once should be Moni­tors and Assistants in our religious Applications, who shou'd at the same time call upon us to pray, and pray with us and for us; who shou'd exhort and rebuke with all Au­thority, and keep us (as far as those [Page 103] means can prevail with us) in our way to Heaven. Hence it is that in all Nations, where there was any Notion of a God and Religion, (and that was every where) there was also a separate sort of Men call'd Priests, to assist them as to the things of God and their well-in tended (tho' mistaken) Devotions. Thus it has been from the begin­ning, and so it continues to this day, even amongst the Heathens, Pagans, and Indians, who have no other Law but that of Nature to guide them. So it was amongst the Pa­triarchs before the giving of the Jewish Law, where the chief of each Family did this Office, as having in all probability the most Wisdom as well as the most Authority. Du­ring the Jewish Oeconomy in that Nation, this Office was annext to one Tribe, (but this was but a Na­tional and Temporal Constitution) and under that of the Christian; these are usually called the Clergy. A sort of Men begun by Christ him­self, [Page 104] (the chief Corner-Stone) con­tinued from him to the Apostles, and from them to others down to us: These receive a derivative Power to intercede for their seve­ral Flocks, instruct and build them up in the most Holy Faith, and ad­minister to them the Pledges of Grace and Salvation. These things cannot be denied as to matters of Fact, or the reason of the Thing; and he that shall have the forehead to do it, will at the same time im­peach the Wisdom of God in the Holy Scriptures, as well as in the Law of Nature, and is no better than a proud conceited Atheist or Enthusiast: And so I leave him to proceed to the Fourth Proposition, which follows.

§. VI. Prop 4. That the Ministry ought to have a com­petent and sufficient Mainte­nance.

Prop. 4. This sort of Men thus set apart for the Purposes of Reli­gion, and the Service of God, are to be maintain'd with a Com­petency sufficient for that Pur­pose.

And here I desire not to be mi­staken, for I dream not of Great­ness and worldly Pomp. And what an envious sort of People a­mongst us have to object, shall be taken into Consideration in its due place. I shall only plead for a Competency that may enable them to attend upon their Office with­out distraction or worldly Avoca­tions: And if that were allowed it were sufficient, and under such a Sufficiency it cannot he performed. The only Question will be, what ought to be accounted such a Suffi­ciency. And here let me not be thought impertinent if I enquire into two Things. First, What the Supreme Wisdom did heretofore think so, and shew how plentifully they were then provided for, both under Judaism and Christianity, how the Church came to be impoverish­ed, and what were the Conse­quences of the same. Secondly, What by Parity of Reason may be thought such a Sufficiency now.

1. If we enquire of former TimesWhat God himself heretofore assign'd for a Compe­tency. What a­mongst the Patriarchs. and the Days that are now long past, we shall easily perceive what the Wisdom of God thought ne­cessary for the Support of so holy and abstracted an Office. From the beginning of the World till the giving of the Jewish Law from Mount Sinai, which was above 2400 Years, the Priesthood was ex­ecuted by the Head of each Fami­ly, and the Princes were also Priests, the Sacred and Secular Powers be­ing united. But after God had en­tail'd the Priesthood on the Fami­ly of Aaron (instead of the First­born,Exod. 13. which were always accounted his) he chose the Tribe of Levi, (of which Aaron was a Branch) toNumb. 3. attend the Priests and the Service of the Tabernacle. So that the Mi­nistry of that Nation was divided into Priests and Levites: Those the Principals, these the Assistants: Those to perform the most solemn Acts of Worship, these to attend them, and to perform the inferior; [Page 107] and they were answerable to our Priests and Deacons. And amongst the Priests there were then (as there be now) several Degrees (as the High-Priests, the Chief of the se­veralWhat a­mongst the Jews; and God's large Provision for them. Courses and ordinary Priests) each dignified and distinguished, and endow'd with Estates equal to their several Stations. The lowest of that Ministry were the Levites. And, as to them, if we consider their Number, they were not the fortieth part of the whole Congre­gation, and yet it is observed by learned Men (that have computed it) that their Portion (what by Cities, and the Glebe round about to One thousand Cubits every way, according to the Cubit of the San­ctuary, which was as big again as the ordinary Cubit, and what by the Tythes of all Israel) was four times as much as that of any other the greater Tribes. So liberal was God in those Days to the Inferior Clergy, that tho' their Number was far smaller, yet their Portion [Page 108] was far greater than the rest of the Peoples, and they lost nothing, but got much by having God to be their Pay-Master, who allowed them E­states seven or eight times as much as he did to those of other Tribes. Then for the Priests (of the parti­cular Family of Aaron) they had the First-Fruits of all things the Earth produced; as Corn, Wine, and Oil, (and he was a Man of an evil Eye, that offered under the six­tieth part:) They had also the First-Fruits of Cattle, clean and unclean; the first in kind, the other to be redeemed at a Price. They had the First-born of Man to be re­deemed at five Shekels a piece, being likewise the Shekel of the Sanctua­ry: They had all the Vows, Gifts, and Offerings, and all Males were to appear before God thrice every Year, and none to appear empty­handed. And besides all this, they had thirteen Cities with their Sub­urbs of the same Dimensions with the former. So that every Priest, [Page 109] considering the smalness of their Number, could not chuse but live (if he wou'd himself) in a plenti­ful Condition, far above Want, and nearer to that of great Men than the common People. What Provision was made for the Chief of every Course, I remember not, but the High-Priest had the Tenth of the Levites Portion, and a Re­venue equal to many (some say three or four thousand▪) Levites, suitable to that of the Princes, a­mongst whom he was accounted the chiefest. Now let any Man tell me why God shou'd thus pro­vide for those that perform'd his Worship, after such an extraordina­ry manner, above others under the Law; was it not to free 'em from Wants, and consequently from Con­tempt? And if so, (as none can deny) if we have a Specimen of the Divine Allotment in those Days of the largest Measures, why should we think that he is not of the same Mind now? Or, that he would [Page 110] have his Priests under the Gospel live upon Alms as Beggars? Espe­cially seeing there is the same rea­son in the thing it self, and he hath declared nothing to the contrary. But this will be better clear'd by taking a view of that Competen­cy which his Providence order­ed his Ministers under the Go­spel.

§. VII. The large Provision God made for the Mi­nistry, un­der the Go­spel, in the Primitive Times.

Tho' our Lord chose Poverty as a state of Life best suiting his De­sign of redeeming Mankind; and his Apostles were of mean Con­cerns, and forc'd to leave what they had, as unportable Matter, which they cou'd not (nor indeed needed) carry with them about the World, whither they were sent to publish the Gospel; yet, no sooner was the Holy Ghost given, and those their mighty Powers confirm'd to them, (the least of which was of more worth than a Crown and Scepter) but we find that they commanded all that their Converts [Page 111] had. And, in recompence of their own Losses, receiv'd their Prose­lytes whole Estates in Money at their Feet and Disposal. The right of Tythes and Offerings (which was appropriated during the Levi­tical Law to that Tribe and Priest­hood) reverted now to its old Channel: And that Priesthood be­ing at an end, they return'd to God's Ministers of what Nation or Family soever they were. This our Lord himself intimated in the Sentence of giving to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's; by which last the Primitive Fathers (who must best know his Mind) say he meant the restoration of God's due (his Tythes and Offerings) to his Servants they now properly be­long'd to; and thereby laying down a Maxim or Foundation for the right of the Christian Priesthood. And St. Paul alludes to this, or some other Ordination of our Sa­viour, when he maintains the Priests [Page 112] Right under the Gospel to the Dues of the Altar upon our Lord's Or­der. Even so (as the Ministers of the Temple and the Altar were par­takers of the Things of the Tem­ple and Altar, which were Tythes and Offerings) hath the Lord or­dained that they that preach the Go­spel, should live of the Gospel, 1 Cor. 9. 14. But those Times wou'd not bear that Truth, and therefore it was not seasonable to declare it in plain Terms, or press it upon the Churches; lest the Jews should be scandaliz'd at it, and cry out Sa­crilege, and the Devil should have an Objection of pretended Covetousness and Self-Interest, a­gainst the Propagators of the Go­spel. It was therefore abundantly sufficient to assert the Ministers Rights in general Words, and in such Terms that they knew the fu­ture Christians would interpret to the Churches Settlement. Besides, Tythes cou'd neither be demanded without Offence, nor paid, nor re­ceiv'd [Page 113] in those Times; and there­fore Providence ordered Things so that they needed them not: For the Believers with themselves made the Apostles a Present of all that they had; and left them to be Stewards and Distributers of it, as they shou'd think fit. Offerings supply'd the Place of Tythes, which were so considerable during those Times of Trouble and Persecution, that not only the succeeding Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, but the Poor also were plentifully main­tain'd, and that in all Places whi­ther Christianity extended it self: And this till the Times of Constan­tine, who settled Peace and its Rights to the Church, and Tythes amongst the rest; which cou'd not be regularly and universally paid before; tho' they might and were privately and in some Places, (where suffered) and therefore we read of some Churches endow'd before. But be that as it will: After the time of this Christian Emperor, [Page 114] Churches were built and endow'd by Pious Men, who gave to them Portions of Glebe, and the Bishop of the Diocess allotted and appro­priated Portions of Tythes to the new-built Churches, such as was sufficient to maintain the Minister of Religion plentifully, and enable him to be hospitable, and to give to the Poor. This was the Original of Parochial Rights; and by these means, these Portions of Tythes, by little and little, were derived from the Bishop (who was at first the Grand Proprietor and Receiver of them in his Diocess) to the Parish-Priest; to whom likewise, with the Profits, he derived also part of his Charge and Care (the Curam animarum) of those in such and such Precincts: And this last is done to every new Incumbent to this Day, and it is call'd the Bishops Institution to the Benefice. The rest of the Tythes, Offerings, and En­dowments, were reserv'd to the Cathedral Church of the Bishops Sea, [Page 115] and the Priests there resident, who lived longer together in common, till Abuses made it necessary to se­parate likewise their Allowances, which we call at this Day Pre­bends. This was the Work of se­veral hundred Years more or less, and sooner or later in the Nations wherein Christianity was settled; during which time God stirred up the Hearts of Pious Men, both Ec­clesiastical and others, to endow and settle the Revenues of the se­veral Churches, that the Pastors or (as they are now call'd) Rectors of them liv'd above Contempt, kept Hospitality, maintain'd the Poor, (for then there needed no Laws for their Sustenance by Col­lection, as now) and so waited comfortably on their Office. Their Gifts were great, and Offerings many. No Man came to the Chri­stian Altar empty-handed, and none died but he gave something in his Will to his Parish-Church, (if not to that of the Diocess) besides o­ther [Page 116] Legacies and Mortuaries. Their Conveyances were made to God and such a Church, and that by the surest ways, and under the severest Curses in case of Alienati­ons imaginable; by which they thought to ensure and perpetuate their several Pieties beyond the Power of Sacrilegious Alienations. They gave to God, because they thought no Man durst rob him, not remembring that the Israelites wereMal. 3. 6. long ago charg'd with that Crime. They hedg'd about their Donati­ons with Denunciations of Hell and Damnation to those that shou'd be so bold as to pervert them to other Uses. But all in vain. There is nothing durable in this World. The wild Boar out of the Wood first threw down the Hedges, and so the little Foxes of the Hills were let in to de­vour the Grapes. An Atheistical Covetousness is able to overthrow all Fences, and when the Fear of God is departed from a Place, no­thing can secure the Gifts of Piety [Page 117] or Property but humane Laws, and they too, were drawn into the Con­spiracy. And yet even this cou'd not be done quickly and directly, nor had Iniquity the forehead to invade God's Possessions, but un­der the disguise of Zeal and Reli­gion; which was thus effected.

§. VIII. How the Revenues of the Church came to be alienated.

There hath been in the Church very anciently some severe melan­choly Christians, who separated themselves from the World, and its Temptations, and Follies, to serve God in Solitude and Wilder­nesses; and some in Times of Per­secution were forc'd to it, such were the Eremits and Anchorites: These afterward were reduc'd to Compa­nies and Societies under several Rules, and Orders; and were cal­led Monks and Friars. These in time engross'd to themselves all the Credit of Christianity, and were call'd (by way of Eminency) the Religious. Their Rules were se­vere, their Diet very poor, their [Page 118] Hours of Devotion long, often and exact; their Discipline most morti­fying, and their Holiness so great, that their very Habit in those Times of Superstition was thought effe­ctual to save the Sinner that was bu­ried in it. By this means the ordi­nary Secular Clergy (as they were call'd for distinction sake) were slighted, and the Pastors of Parishes that had care of Souls were dis­respected; and a severer Religion than Christ ordain'd was prest up­on Men as necessary. And hence the Patrons of Livings, (which usu­ally were the first Endowers of the Churches and their Heirs) the Bi­shops of Diocesses, and Popes of Rome ran altogether upon building of Mo­nasteries and Religious Houses, and endowing of them; and to this purpose fell to appropriating the Tythes of most of the considerable Parish-Churches, and left some lit­tle Gleanings, the small Tythe, (the halt, blind and lame) to the Church for the continuance of the Service [Page 119] of God there, (which was now counted but cold and dull in re­spect of the more ardent and lasting Devotion of the Regular) and the maintenance of the Vicars. By that Name was the Parish-Priest call'd, who was left to perform the Ser­vice, and he was to live of these and the Offerings of the People, which were then considerable. The rest of the Church-Revenues (which consisted in the great Tythes) were carried all away to these Fraternities. And then for to supply the want of Hospitality, some Feathers were left, a Church-House, some small Gift at Easter, or such like were continued for ever. In a word, the Zeal towards this sort of life was so great, from the time of the Conquest for about 150 Years, that the State was in danger to be swallowed up of the Church; and most of the Land of England, as well as the Revenues of the Church, turn'd all over to the Propriety of Monasteries; so [Page 120] that they were forc'd to make the Statute of Mortmain in the Reign of Henry the Third to prevent it.

§. IX. The Pre­tences and Methods of the same.

The Pretences for these Aliena­tions were plausible, which were the advancing the Service of God in a more Religious sort of way, and the Salvation of Souls. The Tythes seem'd to be still within the Church, tho' alienated from the first Place they were annext to: And the Portion which was still left was thought sufficient (toge­ther with the Offerings and other Obventions) to maintain a sin­gle Person to officiate in the said Church, for such were the Clergy of those Times. And yet this was a great Evil, and the cause of grea­ter, as you shall hear presently. For Time that depraves all things, made at last the very Monasteries and Re­ligious Orders publick Nuisances. Those holy Brothers and Sisters de­generated wholly from their Primi­tive strictness, and became abomi­nable [Page 121] for Pride, Idleness, and Lux­ury. They were dissolv'd in Ease, Riches, and Abundance. The cry of their Sins fill'd the Earth, and reach'd Heaven, and importun'd a final Dissolution; which accord­ingly came upon them in the fif­teenth Century, and the Reign of Hen­ry VIII. their final Suppressor. God nor Man cou'd endure their Wickedness no longer, but a pre­tended Visitation prov'd their De­solution. Some, as asham'd of themselves, were persuaded to give up their Seals and Charters; others were trick'd out of them through Promises of Preferment, or Fears of Punishment; and those that were obstinate were dissolv'd by Act of Parliament. And thus a multitude of goodly Buildings became rui­nous Heaps, and a Place for wild Beasts and unclean Birds. A Work perhaps not altogether so bad as it is represented; if they had pro­moted the high Pleasure of God, and Works of Piety and Charity, [Page 122] with the Riches they found there, as they pretended, and the Acts of Parliament for their Dissolution seem to intend: If also in their Dissolution, each of their Acquests had return'd to their first Principle, the Lay-Gifts to them of the Laity, and the Church-Possessions to the several Churches from whence they had been taken. But that King and his Favourites (the Instruments of his Covetousness and Oppressi­on) divided the Spoils amongst them; which (tho' so infinite) soon wasted away and came to nothing, and left the first Alienators as poor and as hungry as ever. Their Families are (most of them) dissolv'd as the Religious Houses were; and, like them, become a Heap and a Ruine. Thus the Tythes of so many Churches be­came lost to all Purposes of Re­ligion; and were (amongst the other Spoils) carried away cap­tive to serve Luxury and Pleasure: Whence they must now never re­turn [Page 123] again, but, like the ten Tribes, be lost for evermore.

Behold (Sir) the Effects of three contrary Principles, Devotion, Su­perstition, and Covetousness. Devo­tion built us up Churches, which stand still as its Monuments; nor hath biting Time been able to de­vour them. She endow'd as well as built them, and settled Persons there to perform Divine Service to the Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind. Superstition wou'd needs be meddling too, till she had found ways to transferr them from the several Houses of God to those (commonly call'd Houses) of Re­ligion; and this under pretence of serving God more perfectly. But Covetousness discovered the Sham and Abuse, and took thence occa­sion to seize upon them to its own Use, and that of Pleasures. Thus Avarice was too hard for all the De­votion of our Fore-Fathers, and God is robb'd of his Tythes, and (in some Places) of his very Of­ferings. [Page 124] And the Curse annext to the Alienation has in some measure operated upon the Alienators, and I pray God that neither that nor his (mention'd Mal. 3. 9.) may descend to the present Proprietors, or rather, Impropriators.

§. X. The mise­rable Ef­fects of such Alie­nations.

And now (Sir) before I part with this sorrowful Instance of hu­mane Frailty, give me leave to lay before you the dismal Consequence of these Alienations, whereby the best Livings in England are impro­priated, and God's Portion become a Lay-Fee: Some of which are vi­sible at this Day, and are these that follow.

First, The extream Poverty of1. The Po­verty of the Clergy. such of the Clergy who succeeded to those remains of Benefices. The Gleanings were only left, a few small Tythes, both troublesome, vex­atious, and invidious, to be colle­cted, paid with regret and mur­murings. The Lees that are to be squeez'd out with some Violence, [Page 125] and oftentimes with the loss of Cha­rity: And the Law of them is so de­fective, that it is better to lose all than remedy it. The Poor pay­ing nothing, and the Rich what they please; and the Minister of God (their Spiritual Father) forc'd to stand by, see himself wrong'd by his Children, and dare not own it. The Tythe of Mint, Anise, and Cummin is reserv'd still, instead of that of the Staff of Life; and even this not to be enjoy'd without de­ductions. And, indeed, there were two or three Things that in those Days conspir'd together to promote the Poverty and Misery of many of the Clergy. First, Their being dispossest of their great Tythes that shou'd have supported them. Se­condly, Of the Offerings since. At the Appropriations of the Tythes to Monasteries the Offerings were great and many. No Man (as I noted before) approached God's Altar but he offered liberally; and none made a Will but he gave some­thing [Page 126] to God and the Holy Church. And this was the reason why Vica­ridges were left so bare in Tythes, because of the Plenty of Offerings. But even these since the Reformati­on of our Religion, (which was a Blessing acknowledged with all due Thankfulness, and is no way guil­ty of these Evils) which supported the Church for 300 Years, are now vanished into Air, and sunk almost to nothing, and by some counted Superstitious, and by most unneces­sary. 'Tis true, the Law hath ta­ken notice of them amongst other Dues, and commanded their pay­ment, (which by the way hath changed the very Nature of the Thing) but then the Law refers to Custom, which has melted them down to almost the smallest Summ payable; and that not to be reco­vered without great Charge and Trouble; so that in some Places they are forc'd to be wholly laid aside. Thirdly, The Abrogation of the Vow of Celebacy, and the Licence [Page 127] to Marry filled the Vicaridges full of small Children, and that aug­mented their Cares and Poverty, and still continues them. And in­deed, if ever the Clergy had need of their Corn-Tythes to find them Bread, it was then when they had so Many Mouths to eat it. But the Church-men were ('tis like) then grown too proud and en­croaching, and Providence suffered a complication of Causes to meet and work their Humiliation; and so they did effectually, and have done ever since. Nor shou'd I grudge if this were all or the worst Effect of Impropriations. But there be worse that follow. And there­fore,

§. XI. 2. Their loss of Au­thority and Contempt.

Secondly, From hence proceeds their loss of Authority, and the Con­tempt they labour under. Our E­nemies I know assign other Causes of the Contempt of the Clergy; but yet they cannot say but this is one, and no mean one too; and the [Page 128] natural Effect of the smallness of their Estate. 'Tis true, St. Paul commands Titus not only to ex­hort but rebuke with all Authority; but those were Times in which the Apostolick Men were endued with the Power of Miracles, and inflicting Diseases and Judgments upon those that slighted their Authority. They were delivered over to Satan for the chastising or destruction of the Body, that they might learn what it is to blaspheme. But these mira­culous Effects have long since left the Church, I presume, since the time that the temporal Authority took upon her its defence: And what we do of this nature must be ordered according to the Me­thods of Prudence. For who dare in this irreligious Age undertake to reprove sharply his Benefactor, which is the way to lose him for ever. I know very well, the Scripture-Precepts do not consider the out­ward Condition of Pastors, but oblige their Flocks to give them [Page 129] double Honour, and to know, i. e. acknowledge them and esteem high­ly of them for their Work's sake. But these Precepts may perhaps make some impression upon the meek, humble, and conscienti­ous sort of Christians; and yet the Minister of God may fall under the Contempt and Derision of most of those that yet profess themselves to be so. And what a precarious Authority he can exercise over those that feed and cloath him, is apparent by those that do the Sa­cred Offices in many great Mens Fa­milies, where they seem to be re­tained mostly (I fear) for State rather than Religion, and are more like Servants than Spiritual Fathers. And, in imitation of these, our Gen­try likewise admit them to bless the Meat, and then (unless they are Dignitaries, rich and conside­rable) to sit at the lower end of their Tables, and prefer every Lawyer, Physician, Tradesman, yea, and sufficient Mechanick, to them. [Page 130] And then what can Vicars and Cu­rates, with a great many poor Chil­dren, expect from the wealthier sort of Yeomen, who want the E­ducation, and Learning, and, con­sequently, the Civility of the o­ther? 'Tis true, the inferior Priests have a large Spiritual Authority; but what are Titles without Estates to support their Credit? The Clergy have Titles, by Divine Right, great enough to make them envied, did not the meanness of many of their Fortunes make 'em despised. And should a heavenly Angel descend down and dwell among Men, he must expect the same usage. And therefore 'tis hard measure, first to take away their Estates, and then to object it to them.

§. XII. 3. Their Depression and Deje­ction in Mind and Conversa­tion.

Thirdly, From hence it is that so many of them are (the faeces Popu­li) the lowest of the People; that they descend low in their Conver­sation, and are content to be thought so: For Poverty emasculates the [Page 131] Person, and makes him dis-spirited and dejected. It brings him down into the Company, and consequent­ly into the Vices, of the Vulgar. It invites him into the Society of Sots and Fools; and into a Co­partnership of their Habits of Riot and Drinking. And hence it was that perhaps a memorable Person had his Maxim, That scandalous Places makes scandalous Ministers. For Man is a sociable Creature, and must associate with some or other; and, if his Circumstances will not permit him to chuse that of the best, he is apt to take up with the wor­ser: And by this means many an ingenious Man in his Youth loses his good Parts in his Age, and out­lives all his Learning. And even the most innocent and unspotted be­ing confin'd to a rustical sort of Life, and wanting the Conversati­on of the Learned, shall contract a kind of Assimulation to his Com­pany; he shall become rude and diffident, and not able to carry [Page 132] himself amongst his Betters; and depress'd with Cares and Wants, must sink down into the lower Orb of Ignorance and Stupidity.

§ XIII. 4. The in­crease of the Poor, &c.

Fourthly, From hence I may (I hope without Vanity or Falshood) assign one Cause of that Inhospita­lity, which produc'd a necessity of making Laws for the maintenance of the Poor. For the Tythes be­ing divided from the Churches, to which they did of Right belong, and conferr'd on Monasteries, and they dissolv'd, there must necessa­rily follow an increase of the Poor, who were wont to be reliev'd at their Gates. And accordingly we find few or no Laws made for the Relief of the Poor, or Repair of the Churches, while they were Pro­prietors of that which enabled them for Hospitality. St. Paul tells his1 Tim. 3. 2. Timothy, That a Bishop or Presbyter (for the word Ἐπίσκοπος in that place may signifie both) should a­mongst other things, be given to [Page 133] Hospitality. And therefore he did presume, that the Offerings of that Age, and the Tythes, Offerings, and Endowments of those succeeding, wou'd enable him to be so. And such I believe the Clergy then were till Covetousness broke in upon them; and such also I dare say the generality of those few, that e­scap'd the fangs of Covetousness, now are. As for others, they are forc'd to retrench House-keeping and Expences, live meanly, and give little; because they can spare but little from their own Neces­sities.

§. XIV. 5. The neg­lect and in­termission of God's Service.

5. But the greatest Evil of all is this, That hence it is that the Ser­vice of God becomes neglected, and the grateful Homage that we shou'd pay him daily is laid aside. His Mercies are not kept in remem­brance, and our Obligations are for­gotten, because so seldom acknow­ledged. Amongst God's own Peo­ple the Jews, there was the daily [Page 134] Administration, the Morning and Evening Sacrifice; and every Priest Rub. In the End of the Service of the Church. and Deacon is by the Rubrick of our Church enjoyn'd to use the Publick Prayers, Morning and Evening, publickly or privately (not be­ing lett by Sickness or other urgent Cause.) And accordingly there is a Course of Service provided for every Day of the Year, both for Mattins and Evening Song. So it was anciently in the Church, and so it shou'd continue to this Day: That the Minister, the Mouth of the People, might supply their Defects, offer up their Prayers, and give a fit opportunity to those that are de­vout and cou'd spare time, to joyn with him. But this pious Custom is now quite laid aside. Men post over this Duty to the next Lord's-Day, or the next Holy-Day (where they are kept) and think it suffi­cient to make their Acknowledg­ments when they have nothing else to do. God is defrauded of his daily Sacrifice of Praise, and the [Page 135] Church stands empty and useless all the Week. And indeed the Cler­gy for the most part cannot attend the daily Service for worldly Cares, and the necessary Provision for their Families; and they that can, have learn'd of the necessitous to be idle. They cannot (vacare Deo) wait upon God at his House, but must divide their Service six parts to the Thoughts of this Life, and the seventh only to him. Such a daily Service must suppose a Man of sufficient Estate, able in times of necessary Avocations to keep an Assistant, free from Cares, and ha­ving those about him who shall provide the daily Bread he asks at God's Hand, and who is the Ma­ster of such a Family, who may at­tend him to the House of Prayer, and give others a good Example: Whereas (as things stand now) we had need to Fast as well as Pray continually; and, if we go to God's House it must be by our selves without any Company. For, since [Page 136] the Wages have fallen so low, a part of the Duty proportional to it, hath been omitted; and God is robbed of his Tythes and Offerings, and of his Honour also. I do not say, that this deduction of Wages will justifie the neglect of Duty; but something must be allowed to humane Frailty, and the want of Encouragement, and the necessities of Life. Who goes a Warfare at his own Charges? Who planteth a Vine­yard, and eateth not the Fruit there­of? Or, who feedeth a Flock, and eateth not of the Milk of the same? 'Tis hard to muzzle the Ox that trea­deth out the Corn; or, expect that a sort of Men shou'd plow and thresh without any expectation to be partakers of the Product. When the Reward was duly brought to the Altar, there cou'd not but be an Attendance there; but when there is nothing but Hunger and Nakedness to be found there, how many (or, rather, how few) will attend it? The Church puts us in [Page 137] mind of our Duty by commanding it, and yet thinks it not seasonable to make any enquiry into the perfor­mance of it, lest she should find too many Omissions and too many Reasons for them.

But further, from this disuse ofWhence proceeded the Opinion of the In­difference, or rather, Ʋselessness of Divine Service. the daily Service proceeds an indif­ference as to its Necessity, the ne­glect and slighting of it; yea, and a misapprehension of the true Na­ture of it. For heretofore the Worship of God was thought to consist in Prayers and Praises; and the Liturgy was look'd upon as the Standard and Magazine of both. But now this Notion of Worship is lost or chang'd into Enthusiastick Harangues, made up of canting Terms and Tones, to tickle the Ears and move the Passions of the Ignorant, who are apt to admire what they understand not, and be taken with a noisie Zeal for God: Hence it is Preaching hath supplan­ted Prayer, and taken away all its Credit, and all its Necessity; yea, [Page 138] and hath fermented it self away to little else but Froth and Vapour. The truth is, Enthusiasm hath got into the Church, and is ready to justle out sober Reason; extraordi­nary Gifts the ordinary; and the pretended Spirit-speaking in parti­cular Men, the Spirit which speak­eth in the Church. The ancient Methods of Religion will not now maintain its Ministers; and there­fore Credit and Estate must After the Example of the Secta­ries, &c. be gotten by pious Frauds, and pre­tences to extraordinary Gifts and Il­luminations: All which, and many more evil Consequences As the increase of Fanati­cism and Non-confor­mity. (that I must not now take notice of) may be reduced to this Head, the neg­lect of the old rational way of Worship, and proceed from the same Cause, the depauperating of the Church by Impropriations.

§. XV. 6. Plurali­ties and their Incon­veniencies.

Sixthly, And lastly, that I men­tion no more: If all these Evils be not enough, I have one more to add, which makes a greater noise [Page 139] than all, and is thought of worse Consequence, and that is Pluralities, which cannot be well remedied in reason without making every Place a competency. But so it is at pre­sent, (and have been ever since the times that the Church was robb'd of her Dues) that some two or three Cures of Souls cannot make one Competency for the support of the Minister. So that there has been a necessity of dispensing with the an­cient Canons, not only to reward Merit, but to provide some labori­ous Priest to travel from one to a­nother, and officiate in them. And if these Indulgencies were not gran­ted, the Service of God must cease for altogether in those widowed Churches, as it doth now for some time, more or less. And tho' Plu­ralities may not be utterly unlaw­ful in themselves, yet they are al­ways inconvenient if they cou'd be remedied. The Curates never of­ficiating so well, as for themselves, [Page 140] and not having that Authority as if they were Principals. But from this Cause is it, that Cures are so small that they lie vacant without any Incumbent, and so are seque­stred to some Minister of the Vica­ridge, by whom the Service is perform'd by halves; I mean, as of­ten as he can attend it, from that of his own Church; whilst some are totally delapidated and dead of the Wounds they received in the Im­propriation. Whereas, if there was a Sufficiency in every Parish, (and if the great Tythes had not been separated, there wou'd have been in most) there wou'd be little riding from Church to Church on Sundays, and very few Spiritual Polygamists. The Praises of God wou'd have been not only decent­ly, but frequently, and daily per­formed and offered up to God; and every Church wou'd be a House of Prayer.

§. XVI. The usual Pleas for Impoverish­ing the Clergy, and Objections against Works of Piety an­swer'd.

I know very well, that notwith­standing these great Evils, it will be objected by the Adversaries of the Clergy, That Christ and his A­postles were poor, and so was the Church for the first 300 Years; during which time they preserv'd Union and Communion; and, be­ing at Unity with themselves, kept out Heresies and Schisms from a­mongst them. That when the Churches became endow'd and rich, the Church-men became so Proud and Factious that they were soon hated. That their Luxury became great, and their Insolence intolerable; and that the taking away these Superfluities was neces­sary for their Humiliation. That Piety consists in Humility, and that is much advanc'd by Poverty: Whereas it has been observ'd e­ven to a Proverb, Make the Priest rich, and you spoil him for ever: To all which I answer in their or­der.

First, Christ voluntarily chose Poverty, as suitable to his Design of being crucified for the Sins of the World. And as for the Apostles, if they were Heirs of any Estates, they cou'd not have enjoyed them, because of their continual Travels and Preaching. But then they were endow'd with that which was far better, and that was the Gifts of extraordinary Holiness, and extraor­dinary Power. These supply'd all Wants, and drew to them the Love, Wonder, and Veneration of all Mankind, and made them Masters of their Affections and Estates to­gether. They were received as Angels of God, and, if it had been possible and necessary, the Converts wou'd have plucked out their very Fyes to serve them. And then for the Primitive Church of the three first Centuries, they abounded in Gifts, Offerings, and occasional Kindness; so that the Ministry liv'd as plentifully as their Circumstances requir'd.

Secondly, 'Tis granted, that great Endowments make some Men Proud, Insolent, and Factious, and so it did some of them. 'Tis too apparent, that every Man cannot manage Riches to the right uses God intends it, yet I do not find that any Man is willing to part with it on that score. And yet I cou'd be willing that every proud, inso­lent Clergy Man's Estate shou'd be confiscated to the Laity during his life, upon condition that the same shou'd be observ'd on the other side. And yet I deny that this Charge is universally true; 'tis with the Clergy (and so has been) as with others. There have been ma­ny that have possest much, and yet have been Just, Liberal, Humble, and Merciful, and who did not trust in uncertain Riches. And, if we may judge of the former Clergy in better Times, by those we know in these worse, we shall find that for the most part they were an obliging, humble, and hospitable [Page 144] sort of Men. However, the abuse of Things do not take away the right use of them; otherwise both Clergy and Laity should have been long ago stript of all. And, as for the Proverb, Of spoiling a Priest, &c. it may or it may not be true, according to the different Nature or Inclination of the Reci­pient.

Thirdly, Tho' Christianity is foun­ded upon Humility, yet Humility is not always the concomitant of Poverty. For I know as many Poor that are proud and insolent as Rich. And tho' the Disciples of our Lord were (for several Reasons) most of 'em chosen out of the ordinary sort of Men, yet some were Rich and Honourable; as Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Nathanael, Zaccheus, and others. But this is according to the Measure of the Vertue of the Person; for otherwise Poverty in it self is not desirable. Give me neither Poverty nor Riches, saith the wise Agur. [Page 145] Food convenient is best for all Men: And so much I wou'd have every Parish-Church endow'd with, and no more, that the Servant of God that dwells there may be sa­tisfied, and not call'd out by his Wants into other Places. And this may answer the Thing that I pro­mised to inquire into, viz. What Pag. 105. may by Parity of Reason be thought a Sufficiency. That which enablesWhat must be judg'd a Sufficiency for every Parish-Priest. God's Minister to perform the seve­ral Parts of his Duty without worldly Avocations, by which he is made capable to keep Hospitali­ty, relieve the Poor, the Father­less, and Widow; visit the Sick, attend the publick and private Worship of God, instruct the Ig­norant, comfort the Afflicted, charge the Rich to do his Duty as well as others, and rebuke with all Autho­rity even the boldest vitious Per­son; (I say) that which enables him to perform those Parts of his Duty with assurance and confidence of Mind, is that Competency that I [Page 146] contend for: That which may nei­ther make him insult over the Poor or be afraid of the Rich, and live (in a word) above Contempt, and below Envy, is a Sufficiency. And so much I thought fit to say to this invidious Pretence, which looks more like a Prejudice than an Ob­jection; and whose Authors wou'd fain be wiser than God, and take new Measures for the Humiliation of the Clergy; but are, indeed, neither Friends to the Honour of God or Religion it self.

And now, to return to you after this long digression (which was yet necessary to discover the Me­thods of Superstition and Avarice, to defraud God of his Worship, and his Ministers of their Liveli­hood, and then to appropriate the Tythes by such Laws as should eternally bar their return: The Consequence of which is the cea­sing of the Christian daily Sacrifice of Praise altogether in some Places, and performing it by the halves in [Page 147] most: I say, to return to you) and to the Proposition which I have, I hope sufficiently confirm'd, by shewing that God himself hath thought fit by his own Alotments to provide plentifully for his Mini­sters under both Dispensations; and consequently, That those that at­tend the Service of God ought to be provided for with a Competen­cy sufficient for that purpose. And now I proceed to the Fifth and last; which is this.

§ XVII. Prop. 5. That it is the Duty of every Chri­stian to pro­vide such a Competency for the Set­tlement of the Service of God.

Prop. 5. That it is the Duty of every Man, as far as he is able, to promote and settle the Worship of God; and to that End apply what he can of his earthly Talent to the providing such a Competency for the Ministers of Religion, and ob­liging them to their Duty.

This was that Principle that built those goodly Structures the Cathedrals, and other Parochial Houses of Prayer, some of which [Page 148] remain to this Day, and that en­dow'd them with such ample Pos­sessions for the maintenance of the Service of God, and those that were devoted to it: This is that Principle which stood in oppositi­on against Atheism, Covetousness, and Sacrilege, and defended the Church as long as it was enter­tain'd; but is now laid aside as an obsolete and unseasonable Doctrine, long since antiquated; and which (if reviv'd) might disquiet the peaceable Possession of those that have purchased God's Inheritance, and raise up anew those Scruples that have been now long since laid a sleep, dead and buried. And fi­nally, this Principle wou'd restore the Service of God, together with the Tythes, or other Maintenance, unto all Churches, and provide fit Persons to perform the one and receive the other; and therefore I shall endeavour to settle it from se­veral Heads of Argument.

First, From the Testimony ofThis de­monstrated. 1. From the Holy Scri­ptures. Holy Scripture, both in the Old and New Testament. And amongst those that offer themselves, I shall accept only of one from either. The first is that of Prov. 3. 9, 10. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of thine increase; so shall thy Barns be filled with plenty, and thy Presses shall burst out with new Wine. This is (not a Judicial or Ceremonial, but) a Moral Pre­cept, and the Dictate of the Law of Nature, which taught the Heathens to dedicate Things to God, and pay their Tythes and First-Fruits to him under mistaken Names, and to uphold a false Worship. It is as natural and reasonable as Grati­tude it self, and therefore it reaches all Men and Times. Such are the Proverbs of Solomon, and such is this Text. From whence we may observe: First, That God may be honoured by our Substance, and by the First-Fruits of our Increase: Which is done by applying it to [Page 150] the continuance of his Honour and Service. As was particularly ap­pointed the Jews, and by the sameDeut. 26. Equity reaches all other Nations. Secondly, We learn from these Words, That it is our Duty to pro­mote the Honour of God with our Substance and Estates; as one of the Ends and Uses for which he hath put it into our Hands, and intrusted it with us. Thirdly, That a great and extraordinary Blessing is pro­mised thereupon, and that we shall lose nothing by such Deodands. For our Barns shall be fill'd with Plenty, and our Presses even burst with Wine. God will make a plentiful return, and restore with Advantage what we bestow upon him. All this is contain'd in these Words, without the least stretching them, and is the natural result of this Text, than which nothing can be more plain and evident, to establish the pre­ceeding Proposition. The second Place is that of Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate [Page 151] to him that teacheth in all good things; or, rather, (ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς) in all his Goods. Where we are com­manded, that he that is taught (or, as we now call him, the Lay-Per­son, the Catechumen, according to the Original) is bound to com­municate, (not contribute, for it is not an Alms, but a Due,) or, to exchange for the Spirituals his Tem­porals, even his best Things; to give him a sufficient recompence of all that he possesses. It being but reasonable that the Sower of Spi­ritual Things, in recompence of his Labour, should reap the Temporal.1 Cor. 9. 11. And if occasional Recompences are due and acceptable, the settlement of our dedicated Things to the Support and Encouragement of Teachers for following Generati­ons must be more necessary, and more acceptable. And, having nam'd these two Texts, I need not descent upon our Lord's Maxim, Render to God the things that are God's; nor St. Paul's Argumentati­ons [Page 152] for to establish the Truth I plead for, 1 Cor. 9. nor need I stretch his ὅυτω καὶ ὁ Κύριος, &c. Even so, or after the same manner, (that the Priests lived upon the Things and Endowments of the Temple and the Altar) hath Christ ordain­ed, that those that preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel. I say, I need not, because the former Texts are plain, cogent, and not to be e­vaded; and so are the latter.

Secondly, From the Examples of2. From the Exam­ple of God's People in all Ages. God's People in all Ages: The Ta­bernacle, the moveable Place of God's Worship, was made by the Offer­ings of the whole Congregation, and that of their most precious Things; which they brought in so abundantly, that Moses was forc'd to restrain 'em by Proclamation, Exod. 36. 5. And the great and glorious Temple at Jerusalem, the Joy, Envy and Wonder of the whole Earth, the settled Place of God's Service, and the Type and Resem­blance of the Holy Temple above: [Page 153] This wondrous and magnificent Building was the sole Munificence of David and Solomon, Kings of Is­rael: It was repair'd by the free­will Offerings of the People, and the poor Widow that threw in her whole Estate is recorded and com­memorated for the same, tho' it was but two Mites. And it was the Prince and People that main­tain'd the daily Sacrifice, and their Offerings, Tythes, &c. the Priests and Levites that officiated there, and in the Synagogues and Oratories of the whole Nation.

In the New Testament the Chri­stian Priest's Portion is not so par­ticularly commanded, but only the general Rules laid down, and the particulars left to prudent Piety. And if we look upon what they did, we shall find, that in some Places they offered up all to Works of Piety and Charity, as at Jerusa­lem, Acts 4. 35. Their Charity was so great that they seem'd to give a­way even their own selves to the [Page 154] Lord and his Apostles, as the Church of Macedonia, 2 Cor. 8. 5. And, indeed, in all Places in those times of Zeal and Devotion, they were so abundantly Pious in respect of God, and so Charitable to the Poor, and took such effectual Care for the Worship of God and his Wor­shippers, that there needed no De­crees of Councils, or Laws of the Church or State, to force Men to build Churches or endow them,Lib. de di­spensati­one con­trà sacrile­gos, p. 176. (Nulla enim compulit necessitas, fer­vente ubique religiosâ Devotione, & amore illustrandi Ecclesias ultrò ae­stuante, saith Agobardus,) while the Flame of religious Devotion lasted, and the earnest Desire of building and endowing of Churches burned of its own accord: There needed no Laws or Canons to en­joyn Men to pay their Tythes and Offerings, and to give to God's Treasury: They did it of their own accord as far, and beyond what they were able. All the stately and magnificent Structures through­out [Page 155] the Christian World, that have escaped the Ruines of Time and Sacrilege, and their ample Reve­nues: The decent Parish-Churches, and the Portions of Glebe and Tythe allotted to them by pious Benefa­ctors (whose Names are recorded in Heaven, tho' lost some of them on Earth) are sufficient Evidences of this Truth.

Thirdly, From the Equity of the3. From the Equity of the Thing, and natural Reason, and from Men of all Reli­gions. Thing, and a Parity of natural Rea­son. It cannot be imagin'd but that God shou'd take Care of his Honour; and we are told in seve­ral places that he is jealous of it, and that he will not give it to ano­ther. Nor can it be thought but he hath the same Design in preser­ving the World, and every Man's Estate and Properties, that he had in making it at first, which was for nothing but for the manifesting his Glory and Goodness to created Be­ings; so that it must be concluded that he is well pleased that Men shou'd praise him for his Goodness, [Page 156] and declare the Wonders that he doth for the Children of Men. And con­sequently, that there shou'd be an Order of Men for that purpose, and Places where they might officiate and declare his Praises. Besides, it is no reason we shou'd hold E­states of God, and yet not acknow­ledge the same by Word and Deed. Homage and Fealty are but rational Returns amongst our selves, the Foundation of our Titles and Right, and the Conditions upon which we possess what we have; and 'tis no less than Injustice and Ingrati­tude to deny them. And can we expect to possess his Gold and his Silver, and all the precious Products of his Earth, and yet allow him no Acknowledgments? Or, shall we imagine that he was careful of his Honour heretofore under the Jewish Law, and yet has wholly forgot it amongst us? No, certainly, the con­trary seems to be written in every Man's Heart, and to be part of the Law of Nature. Hence it is, that [Page 157] even the Heathens (as well as the Jews and Christians had ever, and) have still their Temples, Oratories, Oracles, Priests, and the Places and Ministers of Religion, and these en­dowed plentifully, and, in some Places, magnificently provided for. And tho' they mistook the Object, the true God, yet they agreed with all others, that he was to be worshipped. The Christians in all Ages, since our Lord's Ascention, had their Orato­ries, Places of Divine Service, and (as soon as they cou'd for Persecu­tion) their Churches and Houses of Prayer; yea, and those beauti­fied, inrich'd, and endow'd with plentiful Revenues: Thus they con­tinued for many Centuries, till the Devil found out the way to impo­verish them, under pretence of Re­ligion. And (what ought to be taken likewise into Consideration, and shame the luke-warm and co­vetous Members of the Church of England, who are content to serve God with a cheap Religion, and [Page 158] that which cost them nothing) the Dissenters themselves, of what­soever Denomination they are, or by what Sect or Name distinguished, think themselves oblig'd to build Meeting-Houses, (seeing they must not, nor can take possession of our Churches;) nor can I blame them, it being the natural Consequence of their Principles, which cannot, it seems, joyn with ours in our worship of God. And without doubt (if Times and Circumstances wou'd al­low) they wou'd do what was ne­cessary to the maintaining and set­tling their Service in the said Places. And, in the mean time, they raise voluntary Contributions for the Sup­port of their Teachers, in propor­tions (as 'tis said) superior to what we of the Church of England en­joy by Law of the Estates that are still left us. And while those of our Communion leave the Mini­sters to make shift with the present Settlements, tho' never so small, (which are the Remains of our An­cestors [Page 159] Piety, and no thank to us, for it has been demonstrated, that we pay nothing of our own to the Parish-Priest, but our Offerings, &c.) whilst they, I say, seldom will be persuaded to add any thing to their small Stipends, unless they in­crease their Duties with an additio­nal Sermon, or the like, the Dis­senters (all but the Quakers) pay Scot and Lot, and their Tythes, and yet can find Money to pay their Teachers, and discharge the particu­lar super-numerary Expences of their Communion. And this I note to the shame of those of our own Communion, that are bred up un­der the best Church in the World, and yet are most unworthy of that Privilege.

The Summ of all is this; andThe Con▪ clusion from the Pre­misses. from the Premisses I wou'd inferr this Conclusion: Every Man ought, to the utmost of his Ability, con­tribute to the maintenance and con­tinuance of the Worship of God, [Page 160] which, by reason of the smalness of the settled Revenue, is in some Places quite intermitted, and in others perform'd by halves; so that the Administrator of God's Service, and his Dependents, might live plenti­fully, and be able to attend the Du­ties of his Calling without neces­sitous Avocations. Then God wou'd be duly serv'd, his Minister be rever'd, his Authority be pre­serv'd, Hospitality and Chari­ty maintain'd, the Poor reliev'd, and Publick Prayers wou'd be made daily for himself and them, while the Devout wou'd have the op­portunity of the Hours of Pray­er. Then every Bishop and Pres­byter wou'd be the Husband of one Church as well as one Wife, nor wou'd there be more need of Pluralities of Parsonages than of Wives: And whether these are not Blessings considerable, and worth the desire and striving af­ter, I leave you and all the World to judge.

§. XVIII.

And now I have done, when I have answered the Pleas that Ava­rice and Selfishness may put in a­gainst the Duty I plead for, and made some fit Applicatory Con­clusion. And,

First, It will be said, That thisThe several Pleas a­gainst Works of Piety con­sider'd and answer'd. is a Project too large for Practice, and a burthen too heavy to carry on. It wou'd require the Addi­tional of 100 l. per Annum in some Places, and in most Vicaridges some. And this is impracticable at any time, and unseasonable (because impossible) in this time of scarci­ty of Money, and great Taxes. That such Additions wou'd render the Clergy proud and idle, and might in any Revolution of Government be chang'd to advance Superstiti­on, and perhaps Popery it self; at least be diverted from the Intenti­tion of the Benefactor. To all which I shall answer in their or­der.

First, For the greatness of this Work, let it take up what time it will, so it were begun, and tho' a Sufficiency cannot be provided in an Age or two, yet this can be no Excuse to a Man of good Estate for not contributing something to­wards it. Who knows how pre­valent and effectual a good Exam­ple may be, and whose Hearts God will raise up to repair the Breaches of his House upon so good a Pre­cedent? But, if no Body follows you, yet your Reward shall not be deny'd you; and if they do, it will be augmented by their Addi­tions, while yours was the cause. But I cannot see the impossibility of such a Work, if Men were but willing and in Earnest. For we see many Places contribute for Ser­mons, besides their Dues to the Mi­nister and Impropriator. The Re­formed in France (till this late Per­secution) gladly paid their Tythe to the Curate of their Parish, and [Page 163] yet maintain'd their own Pastors. And the Dissenters (whether wil­lingly or no) do the same, and yet they are the thriving part of the Nation; and who knows but God may bless their well-intended (tho indeed needless) Piety? Now what is done from Year to Year may be settled for Futurity, and were the Members of our Church as Industrious and Zealous to sup­port it, as the dissenting Party are to pull it down; and as good Hus­bands to save, as they are, I do not see but Additions may be made to many small Places, and a Settle­ment of the same for future Gene­rations. 'Tis but to abate some­thing from our Pride, Sensuality, Luxury, Riot, Drunkenness, and other chargeable and expensive Crimes, and mind our own Busi­ness and God's Glory, and the Dif­ficulty wou'd be soon removed; and if the Thing cou'd not be ef­fected in one Age, yet there might [Page 164] be a Foundation laid for the finish­ing it in another.

Secondly, But it is further said, That such an Address is at this time unseasonable, for, that War seems to be entail'd upon us, &c. But I may answer in St. James's Words; From whence come Wars? Come they not from our Lusts? And shall these hinder the payment of our Quit-Rent to God, our Chief Lord, or our Homage to our Ma­ker? But this may be done, and the other left not undone. And the pre­sent State of all the dissenting Chri­stians in the World evinces so much, who bear their part of all ordinary and extraordinary Taxes, support their Families, and contri­bute plentifully to their Teachers besides. An Example (be sure) of the feasibility of the Thing, and a Pattern to all the Professors of the Church of England.

Thirdly, The Presumption of the Pride and Insolence of Church­men hath been considered already. Alas, there is no danger of that in these Times, and when that is like to be, let the Benefactors stay their Hands, or impose such Conditi­ons that may bridle them. But then,

Fourthly, For the suppos'd Pos­sibility of the alteration of Religi­on; as it is but a bare Possibility, so the piously inclin'd may well leave that to God, and trust him with the Event. Give then with an upright Heart and a right Inten­tion, and leave the Issue to Provi­dence, who will take Care for his own Glory. And if the Gift should chance to be mis-imploy'd, yet that, being not our Fault, cannot in the least lessen the Reward. But this Objection wou'd hinder all good Works, and rob the Church and Poor of what is left 'em, and [Page 166] therefore I dismiss it as impertinent, and of mischievous consequence, both to Religion and Charity.

§. XIX. A general and parti­cular Ap­plication, and Ad­dress.

And now (Sir) because the World shall not know your Name, Condition, Character, or Person, give me leave to make the Appli­cation in general to all sorts of Men, and to those especially whom God hath made capable of Works of Piety and Charity: Wherein, tho' I may seem to leave you, yet I may perhaps meet you incognito, and speak to you still under one Denomination or another. And,

First, Let me address my self of1. To the Noble, Rich, and Wealthy. all the Rich and Wealthy, amongst whom many are dignified and di­stinguished with great Names and Titles. Our blessed Lord seems to pass a hard Sentence upon rich Men, when he makes their Salvati­on as difficult as for a Camel to pass through the Eye of a Needle, which [Page 167] one wou'd think was impossible. The reason is, the great Dispositi­on that is in humane Nature to become proud and fastidious by the flattery and false measures of Gran­dure. They that will be rich (saith his Apostle) usually fall into tempta­tion and a snare, and into many foo­lish and hurtful Lusts, that drown men in distraction and perdition. They are put in a dangerous Post, and have a great Duty upon them, and must make a greater Account than other Men. And yet amongst all these lov'd and courted Dangers, they have this great Advantage, that they are capable of doing more Good, and serving God to more and better Purposes than o­ther Men. These Men are posses­sors of the earthly Mammon, and with that which is usually an Instru­ment of Unrighteousness may pro­cure everlasting Habitations. But then this is not to be done but by Works of Piety and Mercy; by [Page 168] giving God and the indigent Part of Mankind their due; by loving of Mercy, and walking humbly with (that is worshipping) God. For there is a way of making Returns to Heaven, of paying in worldly Goods and receiving Glory, of laying in Bank and Fund here such a Stock of good Works that shall produce a Reward infinite both in Duration and Quantity. And this is the true, best, and prudentest way of Merchandizing. I will not say, that a Man may purchase Hea­ven, and barter for a Crown of Glo­ry; for that seems to be the ex­change of an equivalent, but so it is, God has made (by a free Pro­mise) Heaven and its Joys the Re­ward of good Works, and of those that we do, which are hardly our own. So that there is a way open­ed for Man to advance himself in the World to come, as well as in this. And as Riches is the Foot­stool to Honour (for who ever [Page 169] heard Poverty courted or honou­red) in this World, so it may be in the next, and (if us'd as it ought) will be certainly. Every transient Act of Piety and Mercy is recorded above, and hath a Re­ward assign'd for it there. But those that are fix'd for a continu­ance, and that benefit succeeding Subjects, continually operating for the good of Mankind: Those, I say, (that I may borrow and in­force the Instance in the Conclusi­on of the former Letter) bring af­ter them an increase of Glory eve­ry Day, answerable to the Good they do. Thus a Founder of a Col­lege or Hospital must needs receive Accessions of Reward, agreeable to the mighty Good of Education and Edification of those bred up and maintained in it. And the Founder of a Church to the Honour of God, (as he was the Cause, so he) must receive the Reward of that Ho­nour that is exhibited there during [Page 170] the time of its standing. And who knows but that this was one cause of the Dissolution of the Monaste­ries and Abbeys, because by their Wickedness they were become Dens of Thieves instead of Religious Houses, and ceased to yield any more Glory to God, or Reward to their Founders and Benefactors. You have then (Sirs) an oppor­tunity that courts you to make your selves Happy, and convey a Blessing with the main of your E­state to your Posterity. And here I cannot but admire, and at the same time upbraid your unaccount­able and extravagant Love to your Sons and Daughters; to your Ne­phews or Nieces; to your Heirs, be they of your own Family or no; for whom you ingross all, and with that Application, that you cannot spare any thing for God and Charity, nay (some of you, I fear) for your own sake; and so you run up an infinite Score, and [Page 171] an apparent hazard of being shut out of Heaven for your Posteri­ty's sake. And your Care of these is so great, that you fear not to make your selves miserable to all Eternity hereafter, (and some of you here also) to make them, as you conceive, Happy: For so doth the Proverb pronounce that Son whose Father goes to the Devil for him. Consider (Sirs) that you were not sent hither to eat and to drink, and to beget your like, and provide for them, that they also may do so after your decease; but to glori­fie God here, and to be glorified by him (or else to be miserable) to Eternity. The time of Discri­mination and Account is coming on apace. And tho' you at present put from you the evil Day, while you despise and tread upon all but your selves and those of your own Degree; yet know, that it comes, and that swiftly, and every Minute of Pleasure and Jollity, of Cares, [Page 172] Fears, of Fraud or Violence, eve­ry Day of Feasting and Night of Mirth, brings the fatal time on; wherein you must be strip'd of your Titles and Acquests of Honour, and leave all these your goodly Buildings, Gardens, Parks, and Ri­dings, your Friends and Flatterers, and the Partners of your Loves and Lusts, and be carried all alone into the unknown State of Eter­nity, whither your good and evil Works will follow; those to justi­fie, these to accuse, and what shall become then of him who hath whole Multitudes of the latter and none of the former? Remem­ber then the Counsel of the wise King; Withhold not Good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the Prov. 3. 27. Power of thy Hand to do it: Or, that of the Apostle; To do Good Heb. 13. 16. and to Communicate forget not, for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased.

§. XX. 2. To the Impropria­tors.

Secondly, But amongst the Great and Rich there are not a few that have a more particular Obligation to the restoring and perpetuating the Service of God, because their Predecessors were the Instruments of the intermission of it; I mean the Impropriators. These are most of them Men of considerable E­states, and many of great Vertue and Piety in all other things but this; and in this the Lord Pardon thy Servants, &c. Any thing but parting with their Freeholds for God's sake, tho they anciently be­long'd to him, and he never yet quitted his Title to them. To these may I be so bold with all Hu­mility as to address them to consi­der, that they are mightily con­cern'd in the clearing two or three Questions. First, Whether Tythes are due to God, and to those that execute his Service (jure Divino) by a Divine Right? That they are [Page 174] so is the common Opinion of Di­vines, Canonists, Civilians; yea, and the Common Lawyers too. OnlyDoct. & Stud. l. 2. c. 55. p. 164. these latter distinguish of Tythes, which they say may be considered quoad decimam partem, or quoad sustentationem sufficientem Cleri vel 19 Eliz. in B. R. Ministrorum Dei, &c. That the exact Tenth Part, is not due of Di­vine Right, but so much as is sufficient to maintain the Minister of God. Now, tho' this Distincti­on be little less than a Contradi­ction, (for if Tythes are due Jure Divino, the Tenth Part must be so, being both the same;) yet from these Determinations of the Judges we gain this Point, That a Com­petency of Tythes ought to be left to every Church for the necessary Sustentation of the Priest that of­ficiates there; and this Part is due Jure Divino, and consequently can­not be separated by any humane Law. And if so, those that quite beggar'd the Church (by carrying [Page 175] away all, or the best Part) were by the Common Law no less than Church-Robbers, and guilty of Sa­crilege; and the present Possessor of Tythes is bound to restore so much as is necessary to maintain the Worship of God in that Church, from whence they were taken, or else he is guilty of the same Crime, and becomes answerable for the in­termission of the Service of God during his time; which is no less than robbing of God of his Ho­nour, and is the worst kind of Rob­bery.

Secondly, Whether things conse­crated to God's Service with the greatest Solemnities, and the strictest Tyes imaginable, may (upon a presum'd Abuse) be alienated and converted to common Uses, and that by any humane Authority?

Thirdly, Wherein consisted Bel­shazzar's Crime, and why might he [Page 176] not eat and drink out of the Ves­sels once consecrated, (but now long since carried out of the Temple by his Grand-Father) when the Temple it self was destroyed, and the Service thereof at at end?

Fourthly, Supposing the lawful­ness of all this; yet, whether in common Equity it can be thought pleasing to God to serve our Lusts and Pleasures with that which was once dedicated to his Service on­ly? And yet at the same time know that his Worship ceases for want of it in some Places altogether, and in others it is perform'd but once in a Week, Fortnight, or Month, as in many Places in this Kingdom; and in some not at all: And all this for want of a suffici­ent Settlement for one to perform it. And whether those that eat and drink those once Holy (be­cause dedicated) Things, and those that are capable of making such [Page 177] Provisions de novo (and do it not) are not the occasions of these O­missions, and so lovers of their Pleasures more than lovers of God?

Fifthly, Whether these Gentle­men might not only promote the Honour of God, but reform ma­ny Abuses and Neglects in his Ser­vice, by returning back some of the Churches ancient Demesns, or dedicating some Equivalent, under such Conditions and Limitations, that might oblige the Minister to frequency and fervency of Duty, over and above what the Law can compel him to, upon peril and loss of such Endowments, and so be­come new Founders of Religion, and Restorers of God's Glory? And, if this may be done, then whether they are not bound in Conscience to do it? These are weighty Con­siderations, which nearly concern all (Impropriators especially) of what Degree soever they be; and I pray [Page 178] God to set it home to their Hearts, that they may make some sort of Satisfaction for the Sacrilege of the first Alienators, and that the Curse of the wrong'd Donors may never reach them.

§. XXI. To those that have no Children to provide for.

Third, Let me next address my self to certain Persons of Estate and Quality in this Nation, who are qualified and (as it were) mark'd out for such a Work. Such are they to whom God never gave any Children, (the necessary Pro­vision for whom we make our con­tinual Plea for our Selfishness,) or from whom he hath taken most or all, (and so consequently the Charge appropriated to them,) Men that have plentiful Estates, but want Heirs of their Bodies, and so are forc'd to seek for them amongst the other Branches of their Family; or, adopt some one of their Name amongst those that are no Relati­ons; and oftentimes bestow all up­on one that wants it not; or, that [Page 179] shall waste all when they are dead, and wish them so, while living. Fond Men! that refuse God for their Heir, and his Service, to be­stow their Estates upon, even then when they can hold it no longer! What might not such a Man do? Why, he might buy Heaven with Earth, and a Crown of Glory with this worldly Trash: He might pur­chase an everlasting Habitation with the Mammon of Ʋnrighteousness, even then when he must use it no longer: He might raise to himself an everlasting Monument, and a Name more durable than that en­graven in Brass or Marble! And yet lose all those precious Advan­tages, and throw away all he hath upon some Kinsman afar off, or some Nieces Husband, or some Bo­dy less deserving, tho' nearer in Relation; one who shall use it to the Satisfaction of his Lusts and Appetites, and the dishonour of himself and his Maker. Doth not such a Man seem to be design'd [Page 180] by Heaven to promote the Honour of his Maker? his way is prepar'd, all Obstacles are remov'd, and him­self adapted to so great and glori­ous a Work. And shall a vain Name, a pompous Retinue, a great Table, and a company of debauch'd Servants, eat him up living? And some politick Relation sweep all away when he dies, and so defeat himself of the Product of all the Good that he might do, or Ex­ample that he might give to o­thers? Or, doth such a Man ex­pect that God shou'd give him a plainer Indication of his Will, than to take away all Objections, and en­able him to do some considerable Good? He acts with Man by such Methods as are consistent with his freedom of Will; he gives us op­portunities, and then leaves us to make our Election. I wou'd not here (nor any where else) be mis­understood. I think the Princi­ples upon which these Discourses are built, will make no Man un­kind [Page 181] to his Relations, or himself; but this is all I say, That if every Man that is Childless (or other­wise enabled) wou'd but leave God a Legacy worthy of him when he dies, and lay up the Tenths of his increase while he liv'd for his Use, it wou'd soon make every Li­ving a Competency, and every Church a House of Praise.

§. XXII. 4. To the Bishops, Dignita­ries, and others of the Clergy.

Fourthly, Nor must I pass by my Lords the Bishops, the Dignitaries, and other the richer Part of the Clergy, but humbly represent to them the Repairing of the House of God, the proping up of a de­clining Church, and that Service that must uphold them. They are fed, nourished, and sometimes ad­vanc'd by the Devotion of others to God's Altar: To that many owe their Living and the Riches that they have gotten; and 'tis all the reason in the World, that their Relations shou'd not sweep away all, but that something shou'd be [Page 182] return'd back again to increase that Treasury from whence they have received all. The Policy of the Church of Rome forbids the Marriage of their Clergy, and (if I am not mistaken) makes the Church their Heir. Our Church obliges us to neither. Not to the first, because contrary to the Ho­ly Scriptures and Reason; not to the latter, because 'tis contrary to Nature for Men to pass by their own Children and leave them Beg­gars. But tho' the Church obliges to neither, yet she cannot but com­mend both, or either, to those to whom this Gift is given. Happy is that Man that is therefore un­married, that he may care for the things of the Lord whilst he lives, and provide for them when he dies. But, woe is me! Can there be any such Men amongst us, whose desires of Pluralities and Riches are insatiable, who take no o­ther Care but to shear their Flocks, and gather the good Things of the [Page 183] Altar, and lay them up in store, as if against an approaching Famine? That leave the Cares of their Flocks to their poor Curates, whose Faces they grind amongst the rest, and will not allow them to live, tho' they bear the Burthen of the Day? That leave them the Care of great Parishes, to attend the dai­ly Service, and themselves live at Ease, reap all the Profit, and allow them not the twentieth Part? I am asham'd to say that there is such a Man. For, next to the Sot, the Sensualist, the Drunkard, and the Debauch'd, the covetous and cruel Clergy-man is the most unseemly and unbecoming Object, and the very Contradiction of his Calling. And let me humbly propose one thing: Would every Bishop once in his whole Life do some eminent Work of Piety, it wou'd not only be Exemplary to stir up others, but wou'd have been considerable by this time; and if every rich Clergy­man (who has either no Children, [Page 184] or whose Charge is moderately provided for) wou'd but return to the Church some Part of those Alms that he hath receiv'd at her Hands, (and 'tis all the reason in the World it shou'd be so,) it wou'd be the like. And as for those of this Order that are utterly un­capable to add any thing but their Prayers to so good a Work, I shall entreat them that they do not hin­der it. I mean, that by the strict­ness of their Lives, and the consci­entious Discharge of their Duty, they wou'd walk worthy of such a Blessing, encourage Piety and Cha­rity, and shew that that which re­mains still to the Church, is not per­verted or thrown away upon it.

§ XXIII. 5. To all in general.

Lastly, Let me apply my self to all Men in general, that they wou'd take that Account of their Stew­ardship (that they must make at the last Day) into Consideration, and weigh well the best that can commonly and generally be made, [Page 185] even by the best of Men, (which,The best Account that can be made gene­rally at the last Day, and its in­sufficiency. as I noted in the beginning of the first Letter) is this; That they have been good Husbands, and care­fully advanc'd (or, at least, pre­serv'd) their Talent, and that with­out Fraud or Violence. That these have supported themselves and their Dependants with the Rents and Issues of the same, during their Lives, and, when they died, con­vey'd them carefully to their Heirs and Assigns; but whether they were left to wise Men or Fools they knew not; or, whether they are like to be imployed to the Ser­vice of God or the Devil, they have made no Provision. But to what purpose they have liv'd, or where­in God or Man has been benefitted by their Lives they cannot shew, no more than they can one Acre or Le­gacy for the Uses of Piety and Cha­rity. That as they have wrong'd, so they have done good to no Man: They have only possessed their own, and only themselves, and their se­cond [Page 186] selves and nearest Relations have reaped the Benefits of it, &c. This is the best Account that most Men can give, (and how few are there that can give so good?) and yet I leave it even to the Judgments of these Accountants themselves, Whether an honest and wise Hea­then may not give up a better? Or, whether the unprofitable Servant in the Gospel did not give up the same? And yet we read its Re­ward was no less than utter Darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of Teeth; from which good Lord deliver us.

But how much better and moreA better way of Ac­counting with God, and the conclusion of the whole. comfortable wou'd it be when we come to die, if we cou'd say to God as the religious Israelite was taught to say, (in the end of the third Year, usually call'd the Year of Tything, when he had given the Levite, the Stranger, the Father­less, and the Widows, their Porti­ons,) Deut. 26. 13. I have brought [Page 187] away the hallowed things, [viz. That which I set apart, and dedicated to thy Service,] out of mine own house, [to thine, and there according to my Vows] I have distributed them, [some] to the Levite, [for the main­tenance of thy Service; some to Works of Charity,] to the Stranger, the Fatherless, and the Widow, accord­ing to thy Commandments, which thou (O Lord) hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy Command­ments, nor forgotten them, &c. And [I cannot but expect thy Blessing upon what I have left, to descend with it down to my Heirs, &c.] Look down therefore from thy Holy Habitation, and bless thy People, and the Land which thou hast given me, &c. When we can testifie before our Judge, that we have not altogether serv'd our Pleasures, nor our Ap­petites, with that which was com­mitted to our Charge, but to the utmost of our Powers have advan­ced the Honour of our God, and the Good of our Neighbour with [Page 188] it during our Lives, and when we were to leave the World, that we likewise secur'd something for the Service of Piety and Charity, so that it shall not be in the Power of our Heirs to alienate it.

This and only this can Comfort and Support the timorous Soul when it is brought before its Judge, and assure it of a welcome. It wou'd not only ensure us of Heaven, but of a proportional increase of its Joys, according to the Effects of our good Works. It would likewise ascertain an everlasting Name up­on Earth, and build us up a Monu­ment more durable than that of the dead deceitful Brass or Marble; or, those living, but perishing ones, of Sons and Daughters; whilst we receive the Applauses of future as well as present Ages, and those now unborn shall hereafter rise up and call us blessed.

And may you (Sir) be partaker of this Blessedness which is the Re­ward of Piety and Charity, both on Earth here, and in Heaven here­after. And so I return to take my Leave of you, and to beg your candid Interpretation of any Ex­pression in either Letter, and your Pardon for any Mistake in both, seeing I intended them for your Service, and they were written for your Use, and at your Command. For I am,