A20764:366
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. 11. Of free lending
Sect. 11. Of freelending
Finally we relieve the poor by free lending. For as when their necessity is general, and their poverty so great, that their estate in it self is unrecoverable, we must give freely without expecting any return; so when it only pincheth them for the time present, and they are brought, in respect of their estate, but upon their knees, so that if we afford them our helping hand, they will be able in the strength of their own state to rise of themselves, and by having the only use of our goods for a while, will sufficiently repair their ruins, we are then bound to lend unto them. According to that Deut. 15. 8. Thou shalt open thine hand wide to thy poor brother, and shalt surely lend 1him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth. So our saviour Christ commandeth us, to give unto him that asketh, and from him that would borrow of us that we do not turn away. Math. 5. 42. The 2which must not be done with an usurious intent and expectation of advantage, but so liberally and freely, that we can be content, when we ⟨p. 162⟩lend, to loose the principal, if the necessity of our poor brother so requireth. Luk. 6. 35. which if we do, then shall we hereby have assurance, that we are those blessed men whom the Psalmist here describeth; for as it is verse 5. A good man showeth favour and lendeth; and though the poor