The Second Sermon
TUB THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
as itisevident in the twenty-firstof Exodus, and in the law of Constantino, which is to be seen Cod. Lib. ix. tit.20 l.
Another sort of thievesthere is, which we call felons; and those be they which steal and drive away other men's cattle. In this order of thieves are those people placed, which do misuse the cattlethat is lent them ; and they also, which, when they may, will not help another man's cattle that is in jeopardy : for the Lord in the law commanded roeut. xxii. to bring back that which goeth astray,and to restore it to the right owner.
Thus much hithertohave I spoken, my brethren,touching the sundry kinds of theft,of the justand lawful getting of goods, and alsoof the proper owning of peculiarriches.
OF THE LAWFUL USE OF EARTHLY GOODS; THAT IS, HOW WE MAY RIGHTLY POSSESS, AXD LAWFULLY SPEND, THE WEALTH THAT IS RIGHTLY AND JUSTLY GOTTEN:
RESTITUTION,
AND
ALMS-DEEDS.
THE SECOND SERMON.
I DID in my last Sermon, dearly beloved, declare unto you, by what means goods are rightly gotten, and how many kinds of theft there be, and sundry sorts of getting wealth unlawfully.
There is yet behind another treatisefor me to add, and thereinto teach you what is the true use of goods rightlygotten,and how we may lawfullypossess them, and justly spend and dispose them in this transitory life. f1 Imp.
Constantinus A. ad Celerem vicarium Africse xvi.
Plagiarii,qui viventium filiorum miserandas infliguntparentibus orbitates, metalli poena cum ceteris ante cognitis suppliciisteneantur.
Si quis tamcn ejusmodireus fuerit oblatus, posteaquam super crimine claruerit ; semis quidem, vel libertate donatus, bestiis subjiciatur ; ingenuus autem gladio consumatur.
D. Kal. Augu.
Constantino A. nil. et Licinio. Coss."
Codex Justin. Lugd.
1551, Tom. n. p. 701, Lib. ix, tit.20.] [2Abigei dicuntur, qui gregem ovium aut pecorum " vel equum de grege, vel bovem de armento abducunt.
Jul. Pacii Isagog. in Instit.
Lib. XLVII. tit.14. p. 406, Traject. ad Rhen. 1680.]
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] For justice doth not only not defraud any man, but doth, so much as it may, endeavour itselfto do good to all men; neither isit enough for a godly man not to hurt any body, unless also he do good to allthat he can.
And in this point do many men sin, while they are persuaded that they have done all the duty that they owe, if they hurt no man, and if they possess that which they have without trouble to any man ; although in the meanwhile they have no regard, whether they help or do good to any man, or no.
And he sinneth as greatlyin the sight of the Lord, which doth not use rightly goods justly gotten, as he that hath heaped up wealth in wickedness and naughty means.
I will tell you therefore,so far as God shallgive me grace, how, and in what sort, godly men may holily possessand dispose these earthly goods.
First of all,that the use of worldly wealth may be Nothing of healthfulto the owner, holy men have a diligentcare, that man's must ""
. be possessed. nothing of another man's remain in their possession: that is, . they do carefullyseparate wealth rightly come by from unjust-gotten goods, and do faithfullyrestore whatsoever they find,in that which they have, to belong of right unto other men.
For they are throughly persuaded, and do verily believe,that by this means the wealth that is left them, although by restitutionit be somewhat diminished, will yet notwithstandingprosper the better,endure the longer,and be far more fruitfulunto them.
Now this restitutionis flatlycommanded, and also very Restitution is ne necessary to be put in practice: for the Lord in the law doth by sundry means, and that very carefully,give charge of it too, as is to be seen in the twenty-second of Exodus. Exod, xxu.
Moreover, so often as the justand holy commandment of God was, through the covetousness and wickedness of mankind, cast offand neglected,the Lord raisedup grievous and almost unspeakable evilsagainstthe contemners thereof,and scatteredabroad the unjust-gotten goods by wars, mishaps, and divers calamities. For the prophet Esay crieth,saying :
" The Lord shall enter into judgmentwith the elders and isau m. princesof his people,and shallsay unto them, It is ye that have burnt up my vineyard, the spoilof the poor isin your houses."
And Amos in the third chapter of his prophecy crieth:
" They store up treasures intheirpalacesby violence
[BULLINGEK,
11.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
and robbery.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God : Miseries shallinvade thee on every side of the land, and thy enemies shallbring down thy strength,or riches,from thee, and thy Luke xu. palaces shallbe spoiled." We read therefore in the gospel, that Zacheus, of his own accord, promised restitutionfour-fold double, that is,a fulland absoluterecompence of whatsoever he had taken wrongfully away ; and it is assuredly certain, that he performed that promise: for he understood by the inspirationof the Holy Ghost, that a restitutionof hisill-gotten goods was especiallynecessary, and that he should never be happy untilhe had made a fullamends for all his wrongful dealings. Very rightly therefore said St Augustine in his " If,when thou mayest, thou dost not restore that which thou hast of fifty-fourth epistleto Macedonius, where he writeth : another man's goods, then is not repentance truly performed, but falselyfeigned: but ifrepentance be truly taken, then is not sin forgiven,unless restitutionbe made of that which was taken away ; but, as I said,when itmay be restored1." when r"a But touching the time, when restitutionought to be made, tution u to - " be made., the example of Zacheus teacheth us ; who, so soon as he was received unto the favour of Christ, and did understand the works of truth and equity,did immediately promise restitution, and out of hand perform the same.
Wherefore we must not foad off from day to day to make restitution. No man hath need to double his offence.
For thou needest not by thy morrow and over-morrow delays to augment his discommodit and hinderance any longer,from whom thou hast, by thy subtilmeans and wicked violence,wrested the goods that he hath ; considering,that he to his loss hath lacked them long enough, and been without them too long,God wot2.
St'IItiOT is ^ tnou demandest, to whom thou oughtest to make restiu" be made, tution?
I answer, to him from whom thou tookest it,ifthou knowest from whom thou hast had it,and who it is whom thou hast defrauded.
But by that means, sayest thou, I shall bring myself into obloquy and infamy.
I bid thee not [*Si onim res aliena, propter quam peccatum est, quum reddi possit,non redditur, non agitur poenitentia,sed fingitur: si autem veraciter agitur, non remittetur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum ; sed, ut dixi, cum restitui potest.
Aug.
Opp.
Par.
1531, Tom u fol.48, col.4.] * [aThis expression is the translator's.]
THB EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] do so : but, if thou didstinvent a means to take it,then find out some handsome way to restore it again, -whereby thou mayest escape and not incur the note of infamy.
And pray to the Lord, that he willvouchsafe to shew thee a ready way and apt for to accomplish the thing that thou mindest.
If thou meanest in good sadness3to make true restitution,thou shaltundoubtedly find a way to do it without reproach and obloquy.
But if thou dost but dally and jestwith the Lord, thou wiltnot be without a thousand excuses, the best and the soundest whereof willnever set thy conscienceat quietliberty.
Neither is God mocked.
I cannot tell,sayestthou, from whom I have taken it,and therefore I know not to whom I should restore it.
If in very deed thou knowest not from whom thou hast taken it; then hast thou the poor and needy, on whom to bestow it: to those thou oughtest to deal thy unjustgotten goods, and not to superstition, or the ministersthereof.
Now, let every one make restitutionof so much as he HOW much every one hath taken away ; or at the least,of so much as he is able to restore.
For many have spent, and so prodigally wasted other men's goods, that they are not able to make restitution of any thing again.
Let such fellows acknowledge their fault,and repent their folly,from the bottom of their hearts.
And if ithappen at any time afterward that they come by goods, then let them be so much more liberalof their own, as before they were prodigalin spending other men's.
But if all the riches which thou possessestbe other men's goods, and gotten of thee by theft and robbery, so that, if thou madest a fullrestitution,there should no penny be left for thee, but that thou must needs go beg ; then art thou verily hard bestead,and in too woeful a taking ; yea, thou art mad and far beside thyself,if thou wilt not stick,but stillgo on to paint thy pride,and maintain a port with other men's pence, and satisfythy lustin the bowels, blood, and sweat of poor men's brows.
Why dost thou not rather abase thy selfto poverty, and use thy unjust-gotten goods, as needy people use theiralms ?
For thou livestof that that should be the poor's.
Therefore lay down thy pride, and forsake thy ruffling4 [3sadness : seriousness,earnestness.] [* ruffling: to ruffle,to put out of form or discompose ; but used by old writers to signifythe acting in a rough, turbulent,or disorderly manner.
Toone's Glossary.] 4"2
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
riot.
Consider with thyself,who thou art, and whereupon thou livest: and stilldo thy endeavour to make restitution, so far as thou canst; and let it grieve thee to see thyself not able to restore the whole again.
If it be not a grief to thee for a time to sufferpoverty, to labour and faithfullyto exercise some honest occupation, and to train up thy children,leading them as it were by the hand, to work ; then thou shalt not want whereon to live,although thou restorest all,whatsoever thou hast,of other men's goods.
But there is very small and almost no faith at all in many men ; whereby itcometh to pass, that very few, or none, can be persuaded to make true restitution.To this I add (before I go any further) that they ought especiallyto think of a restitution, which have with evil words corrupted the minds of simple souls; with privy backbiting raised slanders on other men ; or with perverse counsel stirred up the mightier
Ample or men against the weaker sort : for these things do pass and large dis- " f are ^ar a^ove a^ earthly riches. t^^iieve Thus much have I said hitherto touching restitution,of re^ltutwn. which other men have leftvery ample discourses. I for my part do see, that to a godly mind thiswork of restitutionis short and plain enough ; and therefore have I spoken of it so shortly as I have.
For a godly and well disposed man doth with all his heart desire and seek to obey the law of God ; and therefore,by callingto God for aid,he shalleasily find a way to work justice and equity.
As for those whose desire is rather to seem justmen than to be justindeed, and do love this world more than it becometh them to do ; they, with their over many questions and innumerable perchances and putcases1, do make the treatiseof restitution so tedious and intricate,that no man shall ever be able to make it so plain that they will understand it.
I will not therefore answer them any more, but only warn them to examine their own conscience, and see what that doth bid them do.
Now I would have that conscience of theirs to be settledin,and be mindful of,the general law, which saith:
"Whatsoever thou wouldest have done to thyself,that do thou to another; and whatsoever thou wouldest not have done to thyself,that do not thou to another."
[lput case, an ellipticalexpression for suppose that it may be so.
Johnson.]
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] After this now I will somewhat freely discourseupon we must not i .
"""'*" set our minds the just possessing,using,or disposing of well-gottenearthly on "he*substance.
First of all,no man must put any confidencein riches, which are indeed things transitoryand do quickly decay: we must not settleour minds upon nor be in love with them; but by all means take heed that they drive us not to idolatry,nor hinder the course that we have to pass.
Heaven is the goal whereat we run2.
Here again we must allgive ear to the divine and heavenly words uttered by the prophet David, who said:
" Put your trust in God pgai. uii. always, pour out your hearts before him ; for God is our refuge.
As for the children of men, they be but vain : the children of men are deceitfulupon the weights, they are altogether lighter than vanity itself. Trust not in wrong and robbery, give not yourselves to vanity : ifrichesincrease, set not your hearts upon them3."
The apostle Paul, being endued with the same spirit,biddeth us to use the world and worldly things, as though we used them not4.
Again, he callethcovetousness the worshipping of idols; and chargeth [Coiosg.m. rich men not to put their trust in uncertain riches,but in ri]Tim. vi. the livingGod, who ministereth to all creatures livingsufficiently enough.
And therefore the Lord in the gospel forbiddethto heap up treasures upon earth.
Now, on the other side,we are not bidden by the apostles^^1^ to spend our goods prodigally,in riotand wantonness.
For we may not abuse the wealth, that the Lord hath lent us, in pride and luxury, as many do, who lash out all in dicing, sumptuous building,strange clothing,excessive drinking,and overdainty banqueting.
The end and destructionof such kind of people the Lord doth very finely5,though not without terror to them that hear it,set down in the parable of the rich glutton,who, after his delicatefare and costly apparel, was after thislifetormented in hellwith unspeakable thirst, and toasted there with unquenchable fire. Therefore these temporal goods must be rightly,holily,and moderately used, without excess.
Everyman must acknowledge these terrestrial goods to be Riches are the mere and freegiftsof our bountifuland heavenly Father, GodRfor"
[2Ad cedes tendimus, Lat.] [8See Prayer-book Version.] [4 1 Cor. vii.31.
See page 31.] [*venuate, Lat.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
hich -h" and not to be given for our deserts, or gotten by our might, for we have of God's liberalityallthings necessary to maintain our lives.
It is the Lord which blesseth and doth prosper our labour.
Finally,they are not evil,but the good giftsof God, which he giveth to the maintenance of our lives, and not to our destruction: the fault is in ourselves,that richesare a snare to bring many men to evilends.
Moreover, the Lord himselfrequireth, and in his word commandeth us, to be thankful unto him for his good benefitsbestowed on us ; to use them with thanksgiving ; to praise his name for all things; and to rejoice hi his fatherly goodness shewed unto us.
For thus doth Moses, the servant of God, in Deuteronomy, charge the Israelites1:"When thou hast eaten therefore, and filledthyself,then thank the Lord thy God in that good land which he hath given thee.
Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not keep his commandments, his laws and ordinances, which I command thee thisday : yea, and when thou hast eaten, and filledthyself, and hast builtgoodly houses, and dwellest therein; and when thy beasts and thy sheep are waxen many, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied,and all that thou hast is increased; then beware, lest thine heart rise,and thou forgetthe Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and from the house of bondage.
Say not then in thine heart, My power and the might of mine own hand hath prepared me this abundance.
Remember the Lord thy God : for it is he that giveth thee power to get substance, "c."
[inm. ir.4.]Moreover Paul the apostle saith, that all the creatures of God are good, created to the good and preservation of us men; and biddeth us use them with the fear of God and [icor. x. 310 giving of thanks.
And again: "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
And in ^Heb. xiu. B, another place :
" Let your manners be far from covetousness ; and be content with the things that ye have : for he hath said, I do not forsake, nor leave thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I willnot fear what man can do unto me."
[lDominus Deus tuus dabit tibi terrain praestantissimam, in qua nulla re indigebis,Lat. omitted by the translator ; The Lord thy God shall give thee a most excellent land, wherein thou shalt not lack any thing.]
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] Let earthly goods also serve our necessity. Now necessityGoods serve requireth a commodious dwelling-place,so much victualsasn"***Fty.o are sufficient, comely apparel, and honest company-keeping with our neighbours and equals.
Let every man measure and esteem these circumstances,firstby his own person, then by his family or household.
For an householder must warily provide and foresee,that no necessary thing be wanting in his family.
Of thiscare of the householder there are sundry testimoniesof scriptureextant ; but speciallythat of St Paul, in the fifthchapter of his firstepistleto Timothy.
And here note, that by necessityall things are meant, which the body or lifeof man doth necessarilyrequire and stand in need of ; and finally,whatsoever the honesty and beseeming of every man doth crave or demand.
And thus far verily,and to this end or purpose, itislawful for any man to lay somewhat up in store against years to come.
The man, whose charge is much in keeping a great house, hath need of the more to maintain it withal : and he, whose family is not so big, needeth so much the less as his house is the smaller.
And one state of life,and a greater port, becometh a magistrate ; when another countenance, and a lower sail,beseemeth a private person.
But in these cases let every man consider what necessityrequireth, not what lust and riotingwill egg him unto.
Let him think with himself, what is seemly and unseemly for one of his degree.
And yet we do not in this treatise make so strict a Neoewity " excludeth definitionof necessity,as that thereby we do utterly condemn n"J^""wed allpleasure and moderate libertyfor sensualityand luxury.
For I know that God hath granted and given to man, not "
I mean, the use of those things only the use of necessity, " but also doth allow him all moderate pleasureswherewithal to delighthim.
Let which we as men cannot be without, no man therefore make scruple of conscience in the sweet and pleasant use of earthly goods, as though with that sweet pleasure which he enjoyeth he sinned against God ; but let him which maketh conscience,make itrather in the justand lawful use of those terrestrialriches. For the Lord hath in no place forbidden mirth, joy,and the sweet use of wealth, so far forth that nothing be done undecently, unthankfully, or unrighteously.
For the prophet Jeremy, alluding to the promises of God's law contained in the twenty-sixthof Levi-
THK THIRD DECADE.
[SERM.
" They ticusand the twenty-eighth of Deuteronomy, saith: shallcome and rejoice in Sion, and shallhave plenteousness of goods which the Lord shall give them, namely, in wheat, wine, oil,young sheep dnd calves ; and their soul shall be as a well watered garden ; for they shall no more be sorrowful.
Then shall the maid rejoice in the dance, yea, both young and old folks: for I willturn their sorrow into gladness,and will comfort them, and make them merry.
I will make drunken the hearts of the priests with fat, and my people shall be filledwith my goodness, saith the Lord."
Jeremy thirty-first.Moreover1 in the fourth chapter of the third book of Kings we read : "And under Solomon they increased, and were many in number, as the sand of the sea, eating and drinking,and making merry8."
Again, in the eighth chapter " And Solomon made a solemn feast,and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, of the same book we find: which came together out from among all the people, even from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord seven days and seven days, that is,fourteen days in all.
Afterward he sent away the people,and they thanked the king, and went unto their tents very joyfully, and with glad hearts, because of all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people3."
Like unto this is that which we read in the " And Esdras, eighth chapter of Nehemias, in these words : with the Levites, said to all the people which was sad and sorrowful,This day is holy unto the Lord your God : be not ye sorry, and weep ye not ; but go your way to eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send part unto them that have not, "c."
And the Lord, verily, doth not require us men to be without all sense and feeling of those pleasures which he of his grace hath given us to enjoy ; neither would he have us to be altogetherbenumbed, like blocks and stocks and senseless stones: for he himself hath graffed in us all the sense and feelingof good and evil,of sweet and sour.
And the same our God and Maker hath, of his eternal goodness and wisdom, ordained a certain natural excellency in his creatures, and in sacra historia,Lat. omitted ; in the sacred history.] [21 Kings (commonly called, The Third Book of the Kings, Auth.
Ver.)iv. 20. "
In Juda et Israela,Lat. omitted by the translator.] [3universe populo, Lat.] .!
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] hath adorned them, and made them so delectable,that we may delightin and desirethem ; yea, and that more is, our God hath planted in them a nourishing force and virtue to cherish us men, and to keep our bodies in fair and good liking. For David saith: "And (hemaketh grow out of the [P""I.dv. is, earth)wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make him have a cheerfulcountenance, and bread to strengthen man's heart.
The trees of the Lord are fullof sap, wherein the birds make their nests, and sing,"c."
Moreover, itis reported that Jacob, the patriarch,did drink to drunkenness ; " And in and of Joseph and his brethren the scripturesaith: drinking with him they were made drunken with wine4."
Now no man will take this drunkenness of theirs for that excessivebibbing,which the holy scripturedoth every where |ne,2h^^ condemn ; but for a certain sweet and pleasant measure in }heynwe?e drinking,wherewith being once satisfiedthey were made the made merry" merrier.
For that mad kind of drunkenness bereaves the senses, and is so far from causing men to be jocundand merry, that, clean contrariwise,it maketh them wayward, uncivil,out of order, beastly,swinelike,and filthy. A like phrase of speech useth Haggeus the prophet, where he saith: "Has-"" "1
" Consider your own ways in your hearts ; ye sow much, but ye bring littlein ; ye eat, but ye have not enough ; ye drink, but not unto drunkenness:" that is, not unto sweet and pleasant sufficiency, that, being filledand jocundtherewith, ye need desire no more, but for that plenty give thanks to the Lord, your good benefactor,for bestowing it on you.
This do I somewhat more largely declare, because of the Anabaptists5,and certain senseless Stoics,and other new sprung up hypocrites,the Carthusian monks6, who, as they go about to make men mere blocks, so do they, with most tragicaloutcries,condemn utterlyallallowablepleasure and [*There seems to be some oversight in the mention of Jacob.
" largely drank, Concerning Gen. xliii.34, Ainsworth, in loc. remarks : or drunk themselves merry : were drunken, which word is used for large drinking unto mirth, but with sobriety,Hag. i. 6 ; John ii.10".] [5Bullinger, adv. Anabap.
Lib. I. cap. 10, Tigur. 1560.] [6The Carthusian order of Monks, so called from their firstsettlement at Chartreuse, near Grenoble in France, arose in the year 1084 or 1086.
They were a branch of the Benedictines, and were the most "
Mosheim, Cent. xi. Part 2. Book 3. austere of all the religioussects. chap. 2. "27.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
lawful delights. They, to colour and commend their odd opinion to the ears of men, abuse many places of the sacred [LukeVLS"] scriptures:"Woe (saythey)to you which now are full,and do laugh now; for the time will come, when ye shall hunger and weep :" when as indeed thisand such like sayings were uttered of God against the wicked, and such as do unthankfullyabuse the benefitsand creatures of theirgood God.
And therefore,for a conclusionof that which I have hitherto said, I add this; that godly men must stilltake carefulheed, that they let not loose the reins to lust, and so exceed the golden mean1.
For mean and measure in these allowed pleasures also isliked and looked for,as well as in other things.
Richw must Furthermore, letgoods and earthly substance serve to do ifonour.and honour, and shew curteise8humanity in one man to another. shew cour- * ^or we ^" "^ ^Utyowe h"nour and humanity to our kinsfolks and alliance,our friends and acquaintance,our countrymen and strangers.
For we must not only do good to them that are familiarwith us, but to them also whom we did never see before,in keeping hospitalityfor wayfaring strangers,so far as our substance willstretch to maintain it. For ifotherwise thy wealth be slender,as that itwilldo no more but maintain thine own house and family, no parcel of God's law3 doth bind or bid thee to distributeto other men the wealth which thou thyself dost need as much or more than they.
It is sufficient forthee to providethatthey of thine own household be not a burden to other men's backs.
So then the man, whose wealth is small,isnot compelled to spend that littlewhich he hath4 in doing honour or shewing courtesy to other men : it is enough for him to bear with a valiant heart his own hard hap, and to take heed that his poverty procure him not to offendagainstright and honesty.
Let those who are indifferently stored6,and richer men who have wealth at will,be courteous and liberalto entertain strangers with frank hospitality.
Let theirminds be set to use liberalityto their own praise and honesty, and not given to filthygreediness and unhonest sparing of every odd halfpenny.
For some thou shalt find,who, though they be indifferentwell stored with f1no quid nimis, Lat.] [2i.e. courteous.] [3niillaDei vel sequa lex,Lat. ; no law of God or equity.] [*quod non habet, Lat ; that which he hath not.] [6mediocres, Lat.]
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] "wealth and possessions,are yet notwithstanding so wholly given over to the gathering of more, that neither for their own honesty's sake, nor for any shew of courtesy, they will once bestow a dodkin6 upon any man whatsoever, be he their own countryman, or a stranger unknown.
These kind of fellows are always chambered, and keep themselves closein secret counting-houses; their bags are their pillows whereon they sleepand dream of their ruddocks7; they are not seen to stir abroad, lestperadventure occasion should be offered them to give entertainment, or to shew some civilityto aliens and strangers. The scripturedoth give a far better report of the most holy and famous patriarchs,our grand predecessors.
Lot sat in the gates of Sodom to wait for strangers and The patnf " i i i " i i i i i " archs' hoswaytaring men, to the end he might take them home to his P^aty: house, and give them entertainment so well as he could.
And if it fell out that he met with a stranger,he did not desire him home to his house for fashion'ssake only, that is,with faintor feigned words ; but he used hi earnest allthe means he could to compel him perforce to take up his inn,and lodge with him that night.
Of our father Abraham ye read in Genesis, that in the very heat of the day, as he sat [Gen-xvm.1 in the door of his tent, he espied three men that were travellers, whom at the firstsight, although he knew them not, he entertainedvery lovingly,and bade them welcome heartily.
For he stayeth not to look when they should come and request to refresh themselves with him; but starteth up, and meeteth them before they come to the door of his tent, where he himself preventeth them in speaking firstunto them ; and, when he had courteously after his country-manner with obeisance saluted them, he biddeth them very lovingly " I beseech thee, my Lord, if home to his house, and saith:
I may find favour in thy sight,pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant."
Lo, here he calleth a traveller,and a we sayin stranger too, by the name of Lord (evenas we Germans, in the entertainingof strangers,are wont to say : Sind mir ["teruncium, Lat.
Dodkin, a small coin, the eighth part of a stiver,a littledoit : used as a contemptuous term for things of the "
Toone's Glossary.] [7This is a free translation of the original Latin," saccis insmallest value. dormiunt.
Ruddock, the bird called the robin red-breast : it is also "
Toone's Glossary.] metaphorically used to signifygold coin.
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
Gott wol kommen, lieben herren und guten freunde.)And although he were in the land, where he dwelt, a man of high authorityand very great name, yet notwithstanding he did, " Pass not, I pray thee, as it were, forgethimself and say : away from thy servant."
He calleth himself a servant of " Let a little strangers.
He goeth on moreover, and saith: water be fet1,and wash your feet,and refresh yourselves under the tree.
And I willfet a morsel of bread to comfort your hearts; and then shallye go on your way."
In these few words he containeth,in a manner, all the points of civil courtesy.
Neither did Abraham use these words to make a shew only of bounteous liberality : but when he had by entreaty requested them to stay, and by their grant obtained his desire,he bestirrethhis stumps to accomplish in deeds the thing that he had promised ; he maketh haste to Sara, " Make ready at once which was in the tent, and saith: or pecks, three measures of finemeal, knead it,and make cakes."
The " And Abraham, scriptureyet addeth further this clause: running unto his beasts, caught a calftender and good, and gave itto a young man, which hasted,and made it ready at once.
And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set itbefore them, and stood himself with them;" that is, did himself serve them, as they ate under the tree.
This is wonderful verily,and to be thought on deeply.
Those goods were well and worthily bestowed upon so bountiful,liberal,and courteous a man as Abraham was, which knew how to use his wealth so honestly and with so commendable courtesy. Neither was he alone in all his house so frank and liberal; as his wife and family were readily given and very willingto put that holy exercisein ure and practice.
All things therefore were ready with a trice. In making preparation,also,no diligence was wanting ; choice was made of all things; for riffraffeand refuse-gear was not served to these strangers,but the best and h'keh'estof allthat was found.
The good man himself taketh pains like a servant.
He himself bringeth in his country fare, which far doth excel allcostly cates and princelikedishes; and setteth his guests to meat with butter and milk, and serveth the lastcourse with veal,well fed,and housewife-likedressed.
Neither was he content with thiscourtesy and entertainment, [ifet: fetched.]
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] but humbled himself further yet, and waited at the table, while his guests were at meat.
The table, lo,was served by him, which had those great and ample promises made him by God ; which is the father of all the faithful,which is the root and grandsire of Christ our Lord, which was the friend of God and confederateto puissant kings, being himself the most honourable prince in all the land, as he that had in war overcome and vanquished four of the mightiestkings of allthe East, and brought them back again to slaveryand bondage, deliveringhis people whom they had taken captive.
This excellentand worthy man, I say, may well be a pattern for allwealthy men to follow,in bestowing honour, courtesy, and hospitalityupon strangersand men unknown.
For, lastly,beside his rare and seldom seen hospitality,he shewed moreover thispoint of courtesy,that, when they rose from meat, he bare them company some part of the way.
Let our wealthy pinchpence, therefore,at the last be ashamed of,and leave their niggish lives and insatiablecovetousness.
What pleasure, I pray you, have they of their riches? to whom do they good ? whom do they honour with theirclosekept coin?
Or what honour or honesty doth their money procure or get them, while they liveamong men ?
Why do not the wiser sort of wealthy men rather leave this crew of miserable wretches, and hearken to the apostle'swords, who saith,"Remember to keep hospitality;for by that means[Heb.xui.2.] many have lodged angels unwittinglyand unawares?"
And verily,he speaketh there of Lot and Abraham.
Neither is itto be doubted, but that we entertain the very angels of God, and Christ himself, as often as we shew courtesy and hospitalityto good and godly mortal men.
Lastly, let the goods of wealthy men serve, not to the ooodu must entertainment of men of creditonly, but to the reliefalso of reljeve the * poor. poor and needy creatures.
For that wholesome saying of Paul must be beaten into their heads ; " Charge them that n^"vi- " are rich that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to give,glad to distribute,laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold upon eternal life." With thisdoctrineof the apostle2doth the prophet Esay very well
[2congruit prophetica per omnia.
Isaias cnim "c.,Lat. ; the doctrine of the prophets agrees in all points.
For Isaiah "c.]
THE THIRD DECADE.
[sERM.
" Their occupying risai.xxiu. agree, where he saith touching Tyre : also and their wares shall be holy unto the Lord : their gains shall not be laid up nor kept in store ; but it shall be theirs that dwell before the Lord, that they may eat enough, and have clothing sufficient." Lo, here Esaias teacheth us the means to lay up treasure that ever shall endure.
Moreover, in the sixth chapter of Matthew the very same is repeated that was spoken of before. Let every one also callto his memory the other wholesome sentences of the Lord his God, to stirhim up to the giving of alms.
In " Beware that thou harden not thine heart, nor shut to thine hand from thy needy brother : but open thine hand liberallyunto him.
Thou shaltgive him, [Deut xv.] Deuteronomy Moses saith: and letitnot grieve thine heart to give unto him : because that forthisthing the Lord thy God shallenrich and bless thee in all thy works, and in all thou puttest thine hand unto.
The Lord1 shall never be without poor; and therefore I command thee, saying, Open thine hand liberallyunto thy brother that is poor and needy in the land."
In the ^Psai. cxii.s, Psalms we find:
" A good man is merciful,and lendeth ; and guideth his words with discretion. He disperseth abroad, and giveth to the poor : his righteousnessremaineth for ever
; his horn shallbe exalted with honour."
Solomon also saith:
" Let mercy, or well-doing,or faithfulnessnever part from [Prov.mo thee : bind them about thy neck, and writethem in the tables of thine heart ; so shalt thou findfavour and good estimation in the sight of God and men."
Again, " Honour the Lord with thy substance,and of the firstlingsof allthine increase give to the poor : so shallthy barns be filledwith plenteousness, and thy pressesshallflow over with sweet wine."
And y-rov.
" Whosoever stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor, he shallcry himself,and not be heard."
With these in all pointsdo the sayings of the apostlesand evangelistsplainly xx*. again, " Give to every one that asketh of thee."
Again : yKatt.
[Matt.v. 42.]agree.
" Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have shewed mercy to the least of these my brethren, ye have shewed itto me."
Which sentence surely is worthy to be noted, and deeply xxv. printed in the hearts of all Christians. For if the Lord Jesus reputeth that to be bestowed on himself, which thou bestowest on the poor ; then undoubtedly he thinketh himself
L1A misprint in all the editionsfor "the land."]
THE EIGHTH PRECEPT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
II.] neglected and despised of thee, so often as thou neglectest or despisestthe needy.
This is undoubtedly true and most surely certain: for the Lord and Judge of all people assureth us by promise, that at the end of the world, in that lastjudgment, he willgive sentence in thismanner and order:
" Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom, "c.
For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat ; I was thirsty,and ye gave me drink :" and so forward, as is to be seen in the twenty-fifthchapter of St Matthew's Gospel.
Hereunto also belongeth the words of St John the apostle,where he saith:
"Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have ^ John au need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"
And from hence, undoubtedly, did firstarisethe common voice of them of old,which were " If thou seest a needy body die with hunger, wont to say : and dost not help him, while thou mayest, thou hast killed him, and given consent unto his death2."
Let him therefore, which hath store of earthly goods, know for a surety, and in his heart be throughly persuaded, that he is bound especiallyto do good to the needy.
Moreover lethim that iswealthy do good to all men, so TO whom we " Give to every one that good, near as he can.
For the Lord saith: asketh of thee."
And Tobias givethhis son thislesson,saying :
"Turn not thy face from any poor man3."
But ifthou canst not, through lack of ability,do good to allmen, then succour them chieflywhom thou perceivestto be godly-disposed,and yet pinched with penury : for St Paul saith,"Let us do good CGaL vi-10-l to all men, but'to them especiallythat are of the household of faith." Let us thereforeaid,succour, and relievefatherless childrenand poor widows, old men and impotent people, those that are afflicted and persecuted for the professionof the truth,and such as are oppressedwith any misery and calamity.
Let us further and help forward good and holy learning,and all the worshippers and true ministers of God that live in want and scarcity. Finally, let us relieve strangers,and whomsoever else we may.
[2See Bingham, Antiq. of Christ. Church, Book xvi. chap.
10. sect. 15.] [3Tobit iv. 7.
This lesson is given by Tobit to his son, Tobias, according to the authorised Version ; but in the Vulgate the names of the father and son are alike Tobias ; as also in the earlier English translation of the Bible.]