A26892:8983
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 4 › Chapter 19 › Section 4: Tit. 4. Cases of Conscience about Lending and Borrowing.
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.
Answ. As I said before, 1. When ever you have no more urgent, and necessary, and excellent work, to lay out that money on, which you are so to receive. 2. Yea, though another work may be in it self better, (as to relieve many poorer better men with that money) yet when you cannot take it, without the utter undoing of the debtor, and bringing him into as bad a case, as any single person whom you would relieve, it is the safer side to leave the other unrelieved, (unless it be a person on whom the public good much dependeth) rather than to extort your own from such a one to give another. Because that which you cannot get, without a scandalous appearance of cruelty, is quoad jus in re not yours to give, till you can better get possession of it: And therefore God will not expect that you should give it to another.
Answ. As I said before, 1. When ever you have no more urgent, and necessary, and excellent work, to lay out that money on, which you are so to receive. 2. Yea, though another work may be in it self better, (as to relieve many poorer better men with that money) yet when you cannot take it, without the utter undoing of the debtor, and bringing him into as bad a case, as any single person whom you would relieve, it is the safer side to leave the other unrelieved, (unless it be a person on whom the publick good much dependeth) rather than to extort your own from such a one to give another. Because that which you cannot get, without a scandalous appearance of cruelty, is quoad jus in re not yours to give, till you can better get possession of it: And therefore God will not expect that you should give it to another.
§. 27. In all this I imply that as you must prefer the lives of others in giving Alms, before your own conveniences and comforts, and must not say, I cannot spare it, when your necessity may spare it, though not your pleasure: So also in taking Use, of those that you are bound to show charity to, the same rule and proportions must be observed in your charity.
§. 27. In all this I imply that as you must prefer the lives of others in giving Alms, before your own conveniencies and comforts, and must not say, I cannot spare it, when your necessity may spare it, though not your pleasure: So also in taking Use, of those that you are bound to shew charity to, the same rule and proportions must be observed in your charity.