Yet our Lord, well approving his good purpose, and
exacting no further of him concerning his worldly behaviour,
answered and said, "This day is health come to this house, for he
too is the son of Abraham."
But now I forget not, cousin, that in effect you conceded to me
thus far: that a man may be rich and yet not out of the state of
grace, nor out of God's favour. Howbeit, you think that, though it
may be so in some time or in some other place, yet at this time
and in this place, or any other such in which there be so many
poor people, upon whom you think they are bound to bestow their
goods, they can keep no riches with conscience.
Verily, cousin, if that reason would hold, I daresay the world was
never such anywhere that any man might have kept any substance
without the danger of damnation. For since Christ's days to the
world's end, we have the witness of his own word that there hath
never lacked poor men nor ever shall. For he said himself, "Poor
men shall you always have with you, unto whom, when you will, you
may do good." So that, as I tell you, if your rule should hold,
then I suppose there would be no place, in no time, since Christ's
days hitherto, nor I think in as long before that either, nor never
shall there be hereafter, in which any man could abide rich
without the danger of eternal damnation, even for his riches
alone, though he demeaned himself never so well.
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