But now, cousin, outside of such extreme need well perceived and
known unto myself, I am not bound to give to every beggar who will
ask; nor to believe every imposter that I meet in the street who
will say himself that he is very sick; nor to reckon all the poor
folk committed by God only so to my charge alone, that no other
man should give them anything of his until I have first given out
all mine. Nor am I bound either to have so evil opinion of all
other folk save myself as to think that, unless I help, the poor
folk shall all fail at once, for God hath left in all this quarter
no more good folk now but me! I may think better of my neighbours
and worse of myself than that, and yet come to heaven, by God's
grace, well enough.
VINCENT: Marry, uncle, but some man will peradventure be right
content, in such cases, to think his neighbours very charitable,
to the intent that he may think himself at liberty to give nothing
at all.
ANTHONY: That is, cousin, very true. Some will be content either
to think so, or to make as though they thought so. But those are
they who are content to give naught because they are naught! But
our question is, cousin, not of them, but of good folk who, by
the keeping of worldly goods, stand in great fear to offend God.
For the quieting of their conscience speak we now, to the intent
that they may perceive what manner of having of worldly goods, and
keeping of them, may stand with the state of grace.
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