Finally, whenever the wealthy man doth those good virtuous deeds,
if we rightly consider the nature of them, we shall perceive that
in the doing of them he doth ever, for the ratio and proportion of
those deeds, diminish the matter of his worldly wealth. In giving
great alms, he parteth with a certain amount of his worldly goods,
which are in that amount the matter of his wealth. In labouring
about the doing of many good deeds, his labour diminisheth his
quiet and his rest, and to that extent it diminisheth his wealth,
if pain and wealth be each contrary to the other, as I think you
will agree that they are. Now, whosoever then will well consider
the thing, he shall, I doubt not, perceive and see that in these
good deeds that the wealthy man doth, though it be his wealth that
maketh him able to do them, yet in so far as he doth them he
departeth in that proportion from the nature of wealth toward the
nature of some tribulation. And therefore even in those good deeds
themselves that prosperity doth, the prerogative in goodness of
tribulation above wealth doth appear.
Now if it happen that some man cannot perceive this point because
the wealthy man, for all his alms, abideth rich still, and for all
his good labour abideth still in his authority, let him consider
that I speak only according to proportion.
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