pointed over his Church, which is the company of Christian people, for the quiet and conservation thereof: according unto that spoken long before; Isaiah 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queens thy nursing mothers. CHAPTER XX. That Christians may lawfully enjoy earthly commodities, and possess riches, and how they should be affected towards them. M AN consisting of two parts; the one earthly, the other heavenly: hath answerable hereunto means allotted him of God, for the preservation of either: that is, both for body and soul: and furthermore; temporal things for the state being, and in good time eternal things for the time to come. Before God created man, he first made him provision, and said: Adam, have dominion over the fish of the Sea, the Fowls of the Air; and every thing that moveth upon the earth. And again, Adam, I have given thee every herb bearing seed, and every tree in which is fruit and so every thing serves Adam, and Adam is only to serve God. Abraham's servant said, God hath blessed our Master Abraham marvellously, he hath given him Sheep and Oxen, Silver and Gold, Men-servants and Maid-servants. Jacob (speaking of his two bands or great herds of Sheep and Camels that went before him) saith: With my staff (or without any provision at all, a poor lone man as it were) Came I over this Jordan: Lord, I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies. As if Jacob should have said: These Kine and Bullocks, these Asses and Foals, all this substance round about me, They are the mercies of God, and so come from the great store-house of heaven. In the first part of the story of Job, we may see the description of a true Christian, as thus: Job was an upright and just man, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. The next thing mentioned of him is, His substance was very great; Yea, he was the greatest of all the men of the East; Wherein we may observe he did not forget GoD when he should most have remembered him, that is when he was blessed and prospered by him, but as he abounded in Riches amongst men, so did he also increase or abound in Devotion towards GOD, whom he feared. The Text saith, Job did sacrifice every day: Here was the right possessing of earthly substance, rich and godly together this was a rich man indeed, when both met together, rich in goods and goodness. If riches increase, says the Text, there is the increase of Riches, which are given from GoD himself, set not thy heart upon them, there is the use of riches, and with what proviso we ought to enjoy them. 2. To call in question, whether God's people may possess earthly riches, is an invention more strange than true: he which would have every tribe a part allotted for an inheritance, for them and theirs amongst his people, Joshua 14. 1, 2, did intend no other, but that they should successively have an inheritance to possess and why? He hath given the earth and earthly things unto the Sons of men. The Laws of nature and Nations tell us, that amongst all men there must be mine and thine: and the Gospel doth well accord with this, as requisite amongst Christians, take that which is thine, or that which God hath allotted thee out, and given thee to enjoy. The Disciples say to Christ Where shall we buy?5 So we see there was somewhat possessed wherewithal to buy. It was a mere irreligious, rapinous and scoffing device of Julian, to spoil the Church and people of God, and prey upon their goods, alleging the Text: If thou wilt be perfect, leave all that thou hast, only seek treasure in heaven," this is the fittest for men of your profession, who have renounced the world. The like said Felix, that was a great agent under the before-named Julian, beholding the magnificence and ornaments of the Church, with what sumptuous vessels is the son of Mary ministred unto? In short time this unhappy Felix did come to a wretched end. The like said Maxentius, when he would have the Church and Church possessions to waste and consume them as he list. But Saint Ambrose tells him; If Naboth would not leave his father's inheritance, should I (quoth he) leave Christ's inheritance? If it were a motion of God's Spirit, to give to his service, then from whence cometh that motion that would take from it? S. Peter saith to Ananias: Why hath 5 Mat. 25. 17 6 Naz. Or. Con. Juli. Satan filled thy heart, that thou shouldst lie unto the Holy Ghost, and keep away a part. There were shifts pretended when the greatest persecutors of Christians could formally tell them their God was no gatherer of money, or possessor of Riches, and that their account should not be for things transitory: wherefore they did them good, in unburthening them of these troublesome possessions; and as for greater revenues, down with them, down with them, even to the ground. 3. There was no fitter way (as these men thought) of ruinating Christ's religion, than by taking away those means whereby the exercise of Religion was continued: and surely it was so, for soon would the public practice of Religion decay, were there not some means by temporal commodities for the continuance thereof. To this end therefore, endowments were first allotted by God himself to the tribe of Levi, Joshua 13. 14. And since hath he stirred up good men, to shew great bountifulness this way. To set forth his worship, or worship him in the beauty of holiness, as the Prophet speaketh. The people never thought it a burthen to bring unto the Tabernacle Erodus 36.5. And the well disposed have been glad they had somewhat to dispose for the setting forth of the service of GOD: accounting it a mercy of GoD, they had the honour to do good, to be able to distribute somewhat to the maintenance of his service. For the use therefore and exercise of CHRIST'S Religion, we see in the first place not only how lawfully, but how Religiously these temporal and earthly possessions may be enjoyed, and that the Church may use lawfully those benefits, wherewith GOD hath blessed her. Secondly, for the state of Christians in general, both the hungry conceit of those (of whom Epiphanius maketh mention in former times) and the running fancy of the Anabaptists of latter time, who would bring in a mingle mangle, partly consisting of a Platonical community, and partly also of affected poverty, is most dissonant from the state and government of Christians, who should rather be helpful than chargeable to others, and by works of devotion, hospitality, and such like honour God. Pharaoh cries upon the Israelites to have them make their stint and number of brick, Exod. 5. 10, 11. and yet takes away that which should yield the means to accomplish their work: Christians must feed Christ in the hungry, clothe him in the naked, harbour him in the harbourless: Let these men shew how this should be done, if earthly riches be not possessed. But riches (say they) are the Mammon of iniquity, and the possession of them is the root of evil. True, some men hurt themselves with weapons, not using them as they ought, as these do in misapplying of holy Scriptures, will they therefore take away the use of both generally from all? This is a far-fetched inference, and from the rule of common reason. That Riches are called riches of iniquity; it is not so said, as if they were in themselves so, but the default is, that oftentimes they become so by the fault of those that possess them: It |