A10945:578
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happiness, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianity. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learn how to lead a godly and comfortable life every day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1603
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.
1They who have no other way to live, or to be maintained, but by receiving §Imens benevolence, have their proper duty assigned them of God, about their neighbours goods, first to know, that their poor estate is allotted them of God, as the rich mans is also: according to the Scripture, which saith,2 The Lord maketh poor, and he maketh rich: and therefore he is to live in it with contentation. As also he may do, if he know God to be his father through Christ his redeemer:3 for there is encouragement enough from thence, to live contentedly and comfortably in any condition, in the which God shall set him: For want of the which, it is, that neither poor nor rich are contented without hunting after that which is another mans. Now as it is the poor mans duty, to be contented with his portion: so it is in no sort §Ktolerable in him,4 to grudge at other mens abundance; for shall his eye be evil seeing God is good? Neither ought he so much as to wish the same, and so to injury his neighbour: but to receive thankfully that which befalleth him, acknowledging such to be Gods instruments,5 and as it were his hands, whereby he ministereth to his necessities. And because the people of God, which either sent relief to the poor of other Churches,6 as they of Macedonia, and ⟨p. 177⟩§ACorinth to Jerusalem; or who provided for their poor,7 as they in the Acts; they did it to encourage them, to remain and abide constant in the doctrine of the Gospel: therefore the poor which live with us, must know this, and look to perform this duty also, that having such encouragement, they make it their chief work to live godly and obediently: That is to say,