The strong in Christ, look thou make ancient. To conclude, if thou be a true Bishop, a faithful overseer, a diligent Curate, a trusty shepherd, rather give thy life, & spend all the blood in thy body, than that one of the least of Christs flock should perish through thy fault. So mayst thou be sure,1 when that Prince of shepherds shall appear to receive the immarcessible crown of glory, if thou dost not these things, which hitherto I have rehearsed, than look thou for none other, but with that unprofitable servant to be cast into utter darkness, where weeping & gnashing of teth shall be.
Art thou a rich man?2 So hath God set the in a perilous state, except ⟨image 90⟩thou be ware. To avoid there fore all danger, look that with thy possessions & riches, thou helpest them that have need. For unto this end hath God endued the with y• goods of this world. Be not proud for thy riches sake,3 nor put not thy trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God. Be rich in good works. Be ready to minister unto the necessity of other, that want For God loveth a cheerful giver. Break thy bread to the hungry,4 & lead in the needy & poor wayfaring into thy house, wham thou seest a naked man, cover him, & thou shalt not despise thy flesh.5 Give to every one that asketh, & from him, that will borrow, turn not away thy face,6 but lend him thy money, yea & that without any usury. Join not house to house, nor land to land Covet not to reign alone in a town. Suffer other men to live by ⟨image 90⟩thee, yea & that of their own. Help them to make provision for their family, that they may keep the better hospitality & be the more able to help the comfortless. Let not out thy lands & houses on such price, that the farmers shall never be able to pay thee, or else to do no good upon them So let them higher thy farms, that they may not be impoverished, as they are now a days for the most part, but rather enriched, that they may be the more able virtuously to bring up their children in good arts & godly sciences, to help their poor neighbours, to keep hospitality, & to bear the charges of the common weal for their portion, when time requireth. For this shall make a flourishing & wealthy Realm, abundant in all things.
The strōg in Christ, loke thou make aūciente. To conclude, if thou be a true Bisshop, a faythful ouerseare, a diligēt Curate, a trusty shepparde, rather gyue thy lyfe, & spend all the bloud in thy body, than that one of ye least of Christes flocke should perysh thorowe thy faute. So mayst thou be sure,1 whan that Prynce of sheppardes shall appeare to receyue the immarcessible crown of glory, if yu dost not these thynges, which hytherto I haue rehearsed, than looke thou for none other, but wythe that vnprofitable seruaunt to be cast into vtter darkenes, where wepynge & gnasshynge of teth shalbe.
Arte thou a ritch man?2 So hath God set the in a perillous state, excepte ⟨image 90⟩thou be ware. To auoyd ther fore all daūger, loke that with thy possessions & rytches, thou helpeste thē that haue nede. For vnto this ende hath God indewed the wyth y• goodes of this world. Be not proud for thy rytches sake,3 nor putte not thy truste in vncertayne rytches, but in the lyuynge God. Be rytche ī good workes. Be redy to minister vnto the necessite of other, yt wante For God loueth a cherfull gyuer. Breake thy bread to the hongrye,4 & lead in the nedy & poore wayfaring into thy house, whā thou seest a naked man, couer hym, & thou shalte not despyse thy flesh.5 Geue to euery one that askethe, & from hym, that wyll borowe, turne not awaye thy face,6 but lende hym thy monye, yea & that without ony vsurye. Ioyne not house to house, nor lond to lond Couytte not to reygne alone in a towne. Suffer other mē to lyue by ⟨image 90⟩the, yea & that of theyr owne. Helpe them to make prouision for theyr family, yt they may kepe the better hospitalite & be the more able to helpe the confortles. Let not oute thy lō des & houses on such price, that the fermers shall neuer be able to paye the, or els to do no good vpon them So let them hyer thy fermes, that they maye not be empoueryshed, as they are now a dayes for the moost parte, but rather enryched, yt they maye be the more able vertuouslye to bryng vp theyr chyldren in good artes & godly sciēces, to helpe theyr poore neyghbours, to kepe hospitalite, & to beare the charges of the cō mon weale for theyr porcion, whan tyme requireth. For this shal make a florysshynge & wealthye Realme, abundāt in al thynges.
- 1i. Pet. v.
- 2The duty of a rich man.The dutye of a rytch man.
- 3Eccl xxxv. ii. Cor. ix.
- 4Esa. lviii.
- 5Luke. vi.
- 6Psal. xiiii. Esa. v.
