A20764:353
The plea of the poor. Or A treatise of beneficence and alms-deeds teaching how…The plea of the poore. Or A treatise of benificence and almes-deeds teaching how…
The plea of the poor. Or A treatise of beneficence and alms-deeds teaching how these Christian duties are rightly to be performed, and persuading to the frequent doing of them. Necessary for these times, wherein the works of mercy are so much neglected, or so undiscreetly practiced. Published by John Downame Bachelor in Divinity.The plea of the poore. Or A treatise of benificence and almes-deeds teaching how these Christian duties are rightly to be performed, and perswading to the frequent doing of them. Necessary for these times, wherein the workes of mercy are so much neglected, or so vndiscreetly practized. Published by Iohn Downame Bachelour in Diuinitie.
London: printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mabbe, 1616
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.
Sect. 5. They differ in their manner of giving, 1. in respect of simplicity
Sect. 5. They differ in their manner of giuing, 1. in respect of simplicitie
Sixthly, they differ in their mind and manner of giving; §1For 1. the Christian giveth with a plain, simple and honest heart according to that Rom. 12. 8. 1He that giveth let him do it with simplicity. Not intending by his alms his own praise and profit, or yet to please men, but only to obey and please God; which our Saviour expresseth to be such a simple kind of giving, wherein the left 2hand knoweth not what the right hand doth. Whereby is meant that he doth not make show of his alms unto those who are next unto him. No nor often presenteth them to the view of his own conscience; least his mind should be too much exalted in the remembrance of them. Not that it is unlawful to give alms before others, for elsewhere he commandeth us, that our light of a 3godly life should shine before men, that they seeing our good works may glorify our father which is in heaven; but his meaning is, that we should not do them to this end to be seen of men, that so ⟨p. 155⟩we may have the praise our selves, and rob God of his glory. For our Saviour like a good Physician 4feeling our pulse, easily discerned how apt we are to be swelled with the dropsy of Hypocrisy and to be puffed up with the wind of vain glory, which caused him so carefully to press us strictly to the avoiding of the least occasions which might corrupt us with so subtle and dangerous a vice. But the worldling in his works of mercy hunteth after some advantage, or at least