A01956:277
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. The reason of this rejection, Mat. 25. 42. For I was hungry, and ye gave me no no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. They are not judged Ex malis commissis, sed ex bonis omissis; not by the evil deeds they have done, but by the good things they have not done. Christ says not, Ye took away my meat when I was hungry: but you gave me not your meat. You did not strip me of the clothes I had, but you gave me no clothes when I had not. lThe axe cuts up the tree which brought not forth good fruit; though it be not accused for bringing forth bad fruit. Innocency is good, but not enough: we see that not to have relieved, is an unanswerable indictment at that day. How heavy vvill this sentence fall upon many among us! What heaps have many in this City; perhaps some got without a tenter'd conscience, yield it no worse: yet would to God it were so well: for it is hard Bonum cito •uadere divitem; for an honest man to become rich on the sudden. They have it, and now may they not keep it? is it not their own? But O it is fearful, when for this keeping they shall be condemned. It is not a groat weekly, or monthly to the poor, and a small pension to the much-robbed Church, that can discharge you: but you must give proportionably. Plead what you can to the poor, Christ vvill not be so answered. Who can force me to give? none: but because thou wilt not give unforced, thou shalt justly be condemned.
2. The reason of this reiection, Mat. 25. 42. For I was hungry, and ye gaue mee no no meate: I was thirsty, and yee gaue me no drinke. They are not iudged Ex malis commissis, sedex bonis omissis; not by the euill deedes they haue done, but by the good things they haue not done. Christ saies not, Yee tooke away my meat vvhen I vvas hungry: but you gaue me not your meate. You did not strip mee of the clothes I had, but you gaue me no clothes vvhen I had not. lThe axe cuts vp the tree which brought not forth good fruit; though it bee not accused for bringing foorth bad fruit. Innocency is good, but not enough: vve see that not to haue relieued, is an vnanswerable inditement at that day. How heauy vvill this sentence fall vpon many among vs! What heapes haue many in this City; perhaps some got vvithout a tenter'd conscience, yeeld it no worse: yet vvould to God it vvere so vvell: for it is hard Bonum cito uadere diuitem; for an honest man to become rich on the sodaine. They haue it, and now may they not keepe it? is it not their owne? But O it is fearefull, vvhen for this keeping they shall be condemned. It is not a groat weekely, or monethly to the poore, and a small pension to the much-robbed Church, that can discharge you: but you must giue proportionably. Pleade what you can to the poore, Christ vvill not be so answered. Who can force me to giue? none: but because thou wilt not giue vnforced, thou shalt iustly be condemned.