A20764:378
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. 4. That they who will not relieve the poor are guilty of theft sacrilege and murder.
Sect. 4. That they who will not releiue the poore are guilty of theft sacriledge and murther.
Finally, they grievously offend his divine majesty by committing those three fearful & heinous sins of theft, sacrilege and murder. For they play the thieves, who having received much riches from God to this end, that they should communicate them for the relief of others, do appropriate them to their own use. For as the steward of a Noble-mans house receiving great sums yearly of his Lord to this end, that he should disburse and lay it out for the keeping of his house and maintenance of his family; should therewith buy and purchase lands for himself, or prodigally mis-spend them in banqueting and belly-cheer, gaming and revelling, gorgeous apparel or sumptuous furniture, and in the mean time suffer his fellow-servants to starve and perish for want of food and apparel: or as the Kings Almoner should thus misspend the money and treasure entrusted unto him for the use of the poor, they would be counted no better than thieves amongst men: so if they who being placed in these offices by God do misspend his rich talents after the same manner, they shall one day be arraigned as notorious thieves before his judgement seat, and receive the sentence of condemnation, for robbing both their master and their fellow-servants. Yea they commit not only theft but also sacrilege; for that which we are commanded to give unto the poor is consecrated ⟨p. 169⟩to Gods service, and is in some sort a part of that portion which belongeth unto him, whereof it is that alms-deeds are called by the name of sacrifices which were alone to be offered unto God; and therefore seeing the Lord hath allotted this part of his portion for the use of the poor, it is not only theft against them, but sacrilege against God himself to rob and spoil them of it. Finally, if detaining from the poor that due relief which belongeth unto them, they suffer them to perish in their wants, they do stand guilty before God, not only of theft and sacrilege, but also of the sin of murder, because they deprive them of the means whereby their lives might have been preserved, according to that, Eccli: 34. 21. The bread of the needy is their