A20559:535
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Now that one might do this duty of mercy rightly so as it may be pleasing unto God, and bring comfort unto his own soul, these rules must be observed.
Now that one might doe this dutie of mercie rightly so as it may be pleasing vnto God, and bring comfort vnto his owne soule, these rules must be obserued.
First out of Micah. 6. deal justly and love mercy. Justice in getting must be joined with mercy in bestowing, that must be well gotten that is liberally given, or else it is but to rob one to give to an other, to take it from the right owner to whom God hath given it, to bestow it on an other whom we think good. To do as Samuel saith of the ill kings, that they would take away the peoples vineyards and olives and fields to give them to his servants and whom himself pleased; now this is not mercy, nor to be counted liberality, neither doth it deserve any better then theft. As many among us care not how unjustly they get, whom they pinch, whom they oppress and whom they wrong, but when the times come that they think to show their liberality, and to let all the world have a taste of bounty, no man shall be put back but every man shall have his fill for a time, and now they think they have quit themselves. Well, and you must account them very liberal & bountiful gentlemen, nay first let them be just and then they may be merciful, but till then all is oppression and robbery and spoiling. And may idle ministers that get many benefices into their hand, and make themselves fat with the peoples blood whom they starve and care not for feeding their souls at any ⟨p. 50⟩time, but that they may get them a name of bountiful men, once or twice in the year they will come to the people, and feast them, and great good cheer they must have; thus robbing their souls to feed their bodies and under pretence of hospitality & neighbourhood to make a pray of the people. But first, they should do as Zachaeus did first, restore the ill gotten goods, & then of the rest that is their own, they might be merciful & do good, but it is no liberality to be lavish of another mans.