If it should be here more particularly inquired, What may be the quota of this that is to be bestowed? which must be understood of ordinary cases (for extraordinary cannot be stinted) It is hard to fix particular rules, because it must vary, 1. according to the givers estate, 2. according to their need who receive, 3. according to the several burdens of the ⟨p. 423⟩givers, who are to extend their Charity less or more accordingly; for it may be that they have their own poor children or friends, whom they must furnish, and so cannot give so much as others, who are free of the like burdens. Look therefore to these general Rules; 1. That Charity be liberal and in bounty, not in covetousness; too little is a fault, and too much also may be one, though not so great as the other; see 2 Cor. 8.12. 2. Let it be by Christian prudence, in a conscientious deliberation determined, as 2 Cor. 9.7. as every man purposeth in his heart, &c. If a man will put it to a conscientious deliberation, he doth well, and it will not want fruits; I think many could not judge their way to be conscientiously charitable and communicative, if they would thus simply and unbiasedly put it to the trial. 3. Folks would judge it by an equality, as it is 2 Cor. 8.13, 14. for one man cannot fully supply all. Now it is somewhat proportionable, if a man, considering the state of poor ones and other occasions, can discern so much to be useful and needful to them, and that his part of that would come to this much, and accordingly to give (even as all gave their proportion of tithes under the Law) whatever others did, only this sayeth that men would even go beyond their power sometimes, when others fail. 4. Folks would set aside the half of their needless superfluity, that they may be able to give out of their abundance, that is, when mens families are competently provided of meat, clothing, and estate, if there be still more, let there be as much laid aside to this use; For 1. this cannot burden them; 2. Less cannot be admitted of before God, then to bestow as much on the necessities of others, as on our own superfluities; and 3. this would amount to much, if so much were bestowed on Charity as we bestow on the superfluities of meat, wine, building of houses, household plenishing, vain apparel, laces, and other dressings of that sort. 5. The Lord in the Law stinted the people to a tenth, or thereby;
If it should be here more particularly inquired, What may be the quota of this that is to be bestovved? vvhich must be understood of ordinary cases (for extraordinary cannot be stinted) It is hard to fix particular rules, because it must vary, 1. according to the givers estate, 2. according to their need vvho receive, 3. according to the several burthens of the ⟨p. 423⟩givers, who are to extend their Charity less or more accordingly; for it may be that they have their own poor children or friends, whom they must furnish, and so cannot give so much as others, who are free of the like burthens. Look therefore to these general Rules; 1. That Charity be liberal and in bounty, not in covetousness; too little is a fault, and too much also may be one, though not so great as the other; see 2 Cor. 8.12. 2. Let it be by Christian prudence, in a conscientious deliberation determined, as 2 Cor. 9.7. as every man purposeth in his heart, &c. If a man will put it to a conscientious deliberation, he doth well, and it will not want fruits; I think many could not judge their way to be conscientiously charitable and communicative, if they would thus simply and unbyassedly put it to the tryal. 3. Folks would judge it by an equality, as it is 2 Cor. 8.13, 14. for one man cannot fully supply all. Now it is somewhat proportionable, if a man, considering the state of poor ones and other occasions, can discern so much to be useful and needful to them, and that his part of that would come to this much, and accordingly to give (even as all gave their proportion of tythes under the Law) whatever others did, only this sayeth that men would even go beyond their power sometimes, when others fail. 4. Folks would set aside the half of their needless superfluity, that they may be able to give out of their abundance, that is, when mens families are competently provided of meat, cloathing, and estate, if there be still more, let there be as much laid aside to this use; For 1. this cannot burthen them; 2. Less cannot be admitted of before God, then to bestow as much on the necessities of others, as on our own superfluities; and 3. this would amount to much, if so much were bestowed on Charity as we bestow on the superfluities of meat, wine, building of houses, houshold plenishing, vain apparel, laces, and other dressings of that sort. 5. The Lord in the Law stinted the people to a tenth, or thereby;
