Docilitas Diligentia 2. About instruction Instruction helps the natural and infused light so doth prayer and reading the word c. The Scholars duties answerable to these The particular duties of a Teacher The duties of those that are to be taught The resultant duties of both CHAP. VII Page 365 Of honouring spiritual fathers in the Church The excellency and necessity of their calling Four sorts of ministers in the Church 1. The thief 2. The hireling 3. The wolfe 4. The good shepherd whose duties are 1. To be an example to his flock 1. In himself 2. In his family The peoples duty answerable to this 2. To use his talent for their good Rules for doctrine and conversation The peoples duty 1. To know their own shepherd 2. To obey and follow him 3. To give him double honour 1. Of reverence 2. of maintenance CHAP. VIII Page 373 Of fathers of our country Magistrates The duty of all towards their own country God the first magistrate Magistracy Gods ordinance Power of life and death given to kings by God not by the people Addition 31. That regal power is only from God proved out of the authors other writings The ends of Magistracy 1. To preserve true religion 2. To maintain outward peace Magistrates compared to shepherds in three respects The duties of the supream power viz of Kings and of inferiour officers The duties of subjects to their Prince CHAP. IX Page 383 Of fathers by excellency of gifts The honour due to them is not debitum justitiae as the former but debitum honettatis 1. Of those that excell in gifts of the minde The honour due to them 1. To acknowledge their gifts Not to envy or deny them Nor to extenuate them Nor undervalue them Nor tax them with want of other gifts The duty of the person gifted 2. To prefer such before others to choose them for their gifts Reasons against choice of ungifted persons The duty of the person chosen c. 2. Of excellency of the body by old age and the honour due to the aged 3. Of excellency by outward gifts as riches Nobility c. Reasons for honouring such How they must be honoured 4. Excellency by benefits conferred Benefactors are fathers Rules for conferring of benefits The duties of the receiver CHAP. X. page 391 That this law is spiritual The duties of Superiours and Inferiours must proceed from the heart Special means conducing to the keeping of this commandement Signes of the true keeping of it CHAP. XI page 396 The second part of this Commandement a promise of long life Reasons why this promise is annexed to this Commandement How this promise is made good Reasons why God sometimes shortens the dayes of the godly and prolongs the dayes of the wicked The Exposition of the sixth Commandement CHAP. I. page 400 Why this Commandement is placed in this order How it coheres with the rest Of unjust anger the first step to murther how it differs from other affections Of lawful anger Unlawful anger how prohibited The degrees and fruits of it The affirmative part of the precept to preserve the life of another The life of the body and the degrees of it The life of the soul and the sinnes against it The scope of this Commandement CHAP. II. page 404 Of murther in general The slaughter of beasts not prohibited but in two cases Of killing a mans self diverse reasons against it Of killing another many reasons to shew the greatnesse of this sinne The aggravations of this sinne from the person murthered CHAP. III. page 407 The restraint of this Commandement 1. That Kings and Princes may lawfully put malefactors to death That herein they are Gods ministers Three rules to be by them observed Their judgement must not be 1. Perversum nor 2. 〈◊〉 patum nor 3. Temerarium 2. That in some cases they may lawfully make war In a lawful war is required 1. Lawful authority 2. A just cause 3. A just end And 4. A right manner Addition 32. Of the causes of a just war Some other cases wherein a man may kill and not break this Commandement First for defence of his life against sudden assaults Inculpata tutela Secondly by chance and without his intention CHAP. IV. page 412 The extent of this Commandement Murther committed 1. Directly 2. Indirectly A man may be accessory to anothers death six wayes A man may be 〈◊〉 to his own death diverse wayes Of preserving life CHAP. V. page 414 Of the murther of the soul. Several sinnes against the life of the soul. How 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be accessory to the death of his soul. This sinne may be committed both by them 〈◊〉 have charge of souls and by private persons That this law is spiritual according to 〈◊〉 third rule CHAP. VI. page 417 The fourth rule of avoiding the Causes of the sins here sorbidden Of unjust anger and the fruits of it It consists of 1. Grief 2. Desire of Revenge The effects and fruits of it 1. Towards Superiours Envy The causes of envy the greatnesse of this sin 2. Towards Equals 3. Towards inferiours The suppuration or breaking out of anger against Superiours 1. By the eyes and face 2. By the tongue 1. by murmuring 2. tale-bearing 3. backbiting Against Equals by 1. dissention 2. brawling 3. railing The fruits of anger in Superiours 1. Threatning 2. Scornfulnesse The last fruit of anger viz. murther of the hand CHAP. VII page 421 Of the means against anger How to prevent it in others How in our selves Anger must be 1. Just in regard of the cause 2. Moderated for the measure 3. We must labour for gravity 4. For love without hypocrisie The vertues opposite to unjust anger 1. Innocency 2. Charity In the first there is 1. The Antidote against anger which consists in three things 2. The remedy in three more How charity prevents anger The fruit of charity Beneficence 1. To the dead by burying them 2. To the living And that first generally to all Secondly specially to the faithful Thirdly to the poor by works of mercy Fourthly to our enemies CHAP. VIII page 424 Rules for the eradication of unjust anger 1. To keep the passion from rising 4. Rules 2. After it is risen to suppresse it How to carry our selves towards those that are angry with us 1. To give place 2. To look up to God 3. To see the Devil in it Of the second thing in anger viz. Revenge Reasons against it If our anger have broken out Rules what we must do Of the act viz. requiring one injury with another Rules in going to law The sixth rule of causing others to keep this Commandement The Exposition of the seventh Commandement CHAP. I. page 428 The scope and order of this Commandement Of Marriage The institution and ends of it explicated out of Genesis 2. 22 23 24. Married persons are 1. to leave all others 2. to cleave to one another Rules for those that are to marry Duties of those that are married
ascend and if it be hindred in its course it hath another quality viz. hear to burn through and make way whereby it will search and by its own strength 〈◊〉 to remove the impediment Such a thing is in the soul of man for God having given us light to know what we have to do giveth also a desire to do it so we make toward it we go up for therefore hath he given us that part of the minde which we call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is answerable to the lightnesse in the fire and then answerable to calor heat he hath given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the zeal of it we remove all impediments in our course 1. Now the first step or motive to murder is anger which is vindex laesae concupiscentiae the revenger of our desire impaired this being not satisfied there naturally follows ebullitio sanguinis a boyling of the blood for we commonly say when a man is crossed in that he desires His blood riseth upon which follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anger and a desire of removing the impediment But this we are to understand that anger is not of the same quality with some other affections as namely that of envy that doth sound ill assoon as it is named for it implies a grief at the good of another which is simply and altogether sinful as being directly contrary to the vertue of love but anger is not simply evil in regard of the act or object but when it fails either in the cause or the quantity or measure then our Anger may be faulty Be angry saith S. Paul but sin not So that there may be anger which is not sinful and when anger is a sin often it cometh not in regard of the object nor at any time in regard of the affection it self which is indifferent but when we are angry either without cause or upon a trivial and light occasion or when upon a just cause we keep no measure but our anger is extream To be moved with indignation in Gods cause or for the publick good is a vertue and it is called Nemesis indignation as when a man doth see a thing committed against Gods glory that ought not to be done or a thing that ought to be done not done to the glory of God or the good of the Church and Common-wealth This is ira per zelum a zealous anger and is called Ira spiritus sancti a holy anger Such an anger was that of our Saviour against them that prophaned the Temple And that of Elias when he saw the worship of Baal set up instead of the true worship of God And this anger venerable Beda commends to us Zelo domus patris Salvator impios 〈◊〉 Templo zelemus nos domum Dei quantum possumus ne quid in ea pravum geratur insistamus our Saviour in zeal to his 〈◊〉 house turned the wicked out of the 〈◊〉 let us be as zealous for that house and be 〈◊〉 and careful as much as in us lyeth that no wicked thing be done there c. The other is ira per vitium a faulty anger or ira 〈◊〉 a fleshly anger and that is when a man is angry without cause condemned by our Saviour who threatens him that is angry with his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause or when it is extra modum beyond all rules of moderation when a man gives place to wrath and lets it run out of all compasse contrary to the Apostles rule who bids us resist anger and not give place to it S. Gregory gives us a rule for this kinde of anger Ira cum delinquentium culpas insequitur non debet menti quasi Domina prire sed post rationis 〈◊〉 quasi ancilla fumulari when anger prosecutes the faults of Delinquents it should not go before the minde like a Mistresse but follow reason as an hand-maid and when the affection is not thus ruled by reason then it is no more Nemesis but radix amaritudinis a root of bitternesse or venenum serpentis the poison of the serpent that infecteth our nature Now this sinful wrath which is the spawn of those sins which S. James reckoneth up is either the first motion rising in us or else it is suppuratio vitii an impostume or inward ranckling of it and this if it be against a Superiour it is called a grudge if against an equal 〈◊〉 if towards an inferiour it is termed disdain and this grudge if it continue longer will grow into an impostume of envy and so will rancour into hatred and disdain into contempt After which they usually break out and have two issues 1. In the tongue 2. In the Countenance If it breaks out 1. in the tongue it is called spuma vitii the 〈◊〉 or froth of the vice which being against Superiours is called 〈◊〉 whispering or detraction of such S. Bernard saith 〈◊〉 portant in ling 〈◊〉 they carry the Devil in their tongue And when it is against equals it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contentious railing and brawling and lastly against Inferiours it is scoffing and reproaching or else 2. it breaks out in the countenance which is called Icterus vitii the jaundice of sin we shall know it if it be against Superiours per obliquos 〈◊〉 by the crooked and learing eye if to an equal by the whole face and to an Inferiour by high and lofty looks as the Prophet calls them 3. Besides these it breaks out in actum 〈◊〉 into execution into the hands and feet and then it is called Lepra peccati the leprousie of sin and produceth fighting and bloodshedding which Leprousie stayes not within our selves but infects others also Come let us smite him with the tongue These are all a kin to murder And this is a brief enumeration of those things which shall hereafter be set forth at large And as in this Commandment there is a prohibition of murder and its kindred so is there also an injunction in general to do all things that may conduce to the preservation of our Neighbours life of which also we shall speak hereafter The Hebrews have a saying that every man ought to be lignum vitae 〈◊〉 a tree of life to his Neighbour What it is to be 〈◊〉 vitae a tree of life to our Neighbour the Wise man tells us in sundry places fructus justi the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life to deal justly with him and offer him no wrong and in another place Desiderium expletum a desire fulfilled is a tree of life that is by 〈◊〉 and doing good and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gentle tongue which gives gentle speeches These are ligna vitae trees of 〈◊〉 for by these we make our Neighbour to have cor sanum a 〈◊〉 or joyful heart which is indeed the life of the flesh as he tells in another place for without
was a great part of our Saviours sufferings they had their fill in scorning him first the servants then 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 after him his souldiers then the High priests and all that went 〈◊〉 as we may read in the history of the Gospel and 〈◊〉 much for signes of anger in the countenance and tongue 3. After this in the third place as was shewen before comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the murther of the hand whereby the life or limmes of another are taken away wherein if many joyne it is a 〈◊〉 and such are called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumults in the common-wealth which if they proceed further are cald by 〈◊〉 seditions or rebellions whereby the civil body is 〈◊〉 and not onely that but the body of Christ the Church is also thereby 〈◊〉 and torne in pieces CHAP. VII Of the 〈◊〉 against anger How to prevent 〈◊〉 in others How in our selves Anger must be 1. Just in regard of the 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 3. We must labour for gravity 4. For love without 〈◊〉 The vertues opposite to 〈◊〉 anger 1. 〈◊〉 2. Charity In the first there is 1. The 〈◊〉 against anger which consists in three things 2. The remedy in three 〈◊〉 How charity prevents anger The fruit of charity 〈◊〉 1. To the dead by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the living And that first generally to all Secondly specially to the faithful Thirdly 〈◊〉 the poor by works of mercy Fourthly 〈◊〉 to our 〈◊〉 We come now to the meanes against anger TO prevent anger in others we must forbeare irritation or provocation Solemon speaks of some that will 〈◊〉 and be angry when no cause is given whom he condemnes and on the other side there are other to be condemned that give cause by irritating and provoking others as 〈◊〉 one of 〈◊〉 wives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they went up yearly to the house of the Lord and 〈◊〉 her with her 〈◊〉 whereby she continually 〈◊〉 her foul the wise man saith that as churning 〈◊〉 forth butter so is provocation the ordinary meanes of wrath Therefore he condemnes such as do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 im bitter the spirit of any We see by the example of 〈◊〉 the meekest man on earth 〈◊〉 it will work They 〈◊〉 him so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his lips take away provocations and anger will 〈◊〉 The badge of an 〈◊〉 man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stir up or provoke men to strife as we may see in diverse places of the proverbs 1. To prevent unjust anger in our selves there are divers 〈◊〉 to be laboured for 1. Just anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indignation or anger 〈◊〉 on a just cause for onely unjust anger is here condemned just anger is a vertue commanded Beangry saith the Apostle and sin not so that there is a lawful anger 〈◊〉 it be without sinne as in a superiour towards those that are under him and deserve punishment there may be magnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Solomon speaks which is a fruit of justice Our Saviour forbids anger 〈◊〉 when it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause for otherwise when there was cause he calls his disciples after his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fools and the Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolish 〈◊〉 and the fathers upon Luke 10. 40. say of those 〈◊〉 those many things that 〈◊〉 was troubled withal this was one the untowardnes of the servants of the house 2. As our anger must be just in respect of the cause so for the measure it must be moderated that it 〈◊〉 not when there is just cause and to this end that vertue of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is requisite for it moderates anger both towards those that are under us and all others we converse with so that al are the better for it It beginneth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humblenes of minde therefore the Apostle begins with humblenes and when he exhorts to meeknes he 〈◊〉 humblenes before it with all 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of minde 〈◊〉 c. These vertues and others of like nature he frequently exhorts to and where he mentions one of them he lightly sets down all the rest which belong to this commandment as we may see by inspection of the places 3. A third vertue is gravity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle exhorts to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things are grave or venerable This is a special vertue and therefore he puts in the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are venerable and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are just pure or lovely c But of this more hereafter because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a vertue specially belonging to the last commandment 4. A fourth vertue is mentioned by Saint James when he tells us that the wisdom which is from above is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without hypocrisie and by saint Paul when he saith let love be without dissimulation our love must not have a shew of love zeale c. and be frozen in effect as Absoloms courtesie which was not hearty but affected and that of the Pharisees to Christ who made a fair shew and calld him Rabbi and said that he was a man sent from God and taught the truth without respect of persons but all this was affected and hypocritical so had 〈◊〉 so had 〈◊〉 so had the devil take them together their 〈◊〉 the devil told the woman very honestly he was sorry God had dealt so hardly with them as to forbid them the tree of knowledge c. As if he had been greatly moved with their condition but it was affected and when this affecting is saith Solomon he will meet you early in the morning and salute and blesse you but I had as leive saith he he should curse me And thus much for unjust wrath and the means against it Besides these there are two other vertues opposite to unjust wrath 1. Innocency 2. Charity 1. Innocency takes order that we hurt no body And 2. Charity takes order to do them all the good we can both for soul and body The first hath two parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The preservative or the 〈◊〉 and the sanative or the medicine The first consists in three things 1. In Avoyding of offences endeavouring to have peace with all men as much as in us lies and not to think evil or carry our selves unseemly towards any as the Apostle exhorts 2. Not onely this but also in looking back and when any evil is done to us to take it in the best sence The Apostle speaks of a good and right interpretation of things as they are meant we must beleeve well interpret all in the best and so leave no place for suspicion
to the Priesthood which went to Levi. Possesse your vessels saith the Apostle in 〈◊〉 and honour Now the honour we are to give to them of our own flesh is that we do not approach or come neer them Other reasons 〈◊〉 are 1. The neernesse of education of those that are our 〈◊〉 or joyned in consanguinity with us is such that it would prove a great 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and a great occasion of this sin if such marriages were allowed with those that usually live together in the same house as parents and children brothers and sisters c. usually do 2. Because not onely a family within it self but also one family with another should have friendship and 〈◊〉 which is most especially procured by marriage Now if 〈◊〉 should be made within the same family every house would be a common-wealth within it self whereas by marriages abroad there is unity and familiarity contracted between one family and another It is true the consideration of Adams children who could marry with no other makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to decide how far that consanguinity or 〈◊〉 extends wherein marriage is prohibited yet this is agreed upon by all that in the right line it was never permitted nor allowed in any case as for the collateral it may be said as before of 〈◊〉 and divorces they were winked at for a time but never allowed as 〈◊〉 God saith that for this sin of incest or marrying within the degrees prohibited the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 because of such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was punished for 〈◊〉 as we shewed before and for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stood to it and 〈◊〉 in the quarrel that Herod 〈…〉 wife And the Apostle saith that one should have his fathers wife was a fornication not 〈◊〉 named among the Gentiles And the Prophet saith that a 〈◊〉 and his father 〈◊〉 go in to one maid is a 〈◊〉 to the holy name of God and that he will not spare them So though for necessity it were tolerated in the beginning yet of it self it is unlawful 2. Come 〈◊〉 to those that 〈◊〉 strangers and not allyed 〈◊〉 us and they are either 1. married 〈◊〉 or free and 〈◊〉 1. If married or 〈◊〉 which is all one it is adultery and forbidden by the law and punished with the death of both parties God is pleased continually to liken 〈◊〉 to this 〈◊〉 of adultery 〈◊〉 there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself against and under this name all kinde of pollution or uncleanness is contained that so the hainousnesse of this sin may be the more discovered And though the politick Laws of men have not made it so yet by the judgement of many Divines it is capital And good reason it should be so For it is the perverting of the whole estate of those two Families whereof the parties delinquent are members If it be not known which God seldom suffers to be kept secret for though he deal otherwise in other crimes yet here he stayes not for a legal accusation but gives the reins to the jealous man to put the womanto her purgation though he cannot directly accuse her then if it be kept close and the fault be in the woman there is a 〈◊〉 thest committed for the man nourisheth and bringeth up a childe that is not his and layeth up inheritance for it to the great wrong and prejudice of his other children If it be known to the parties then God giveth this sin a plain 〈◊〉 by taking away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natural affection both from the children to the parents contra from the parents to the children Besides this such children shall not take deep root they shall be rooted out at the last as appears by Augustus's dealing with his Bastards Medea with her issue by Absoloms and Adonijahs fall It fared so between 〈◊〉 and his brethren there was no natural affection between them In which soever of them the fault be there is a sin against the rest of the children yea and a sin against one that is not namely against him that is to be begotten for he shall be born a Bastard and consequently such an one as shall not be accounted or reputed one of the congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation It is also against the state of the Common-wealth for it polluteth the Land so that it will spue out the inhabitants and the Land cannot be quit of pollution without bloodshed And therefore it is certain that if adultery be not punished it makes way for the ruine of the Land rather then other things committed against the publick state as Murders Poysonings c. the fruits of this sin which yet were punished with death by the Lex Iulia the ground of which Law is because the adulteresse living with the lawful wife hath opportunity to mingle poyson with her meats and therefore every Common-wealth hath cause to make it capital David after adultery fals to murther and Herodias because John Baptist reprehended it could not abide him and never left till he had got his head off Whereas a good wife is a possession above pearls the heart of her Husband may safely trust in her as the Wise man saith Besides this two mischiefs more attend this crime 1. Incest where the fault is kept close for by this means those that marry not knowing how they are allied nor who is of their race or lineage it fals out that sometimes they may joyn themselves with those they are near unto and so commit incest 2. Frequent divorces or separations when one party knows or suspects the incontinency of the other from whence hatred and debate usually arise and it is plain by the whole course of prophane Histories that the greatest Wars both foraign and domestick in many Nations have from hence had their original because there commonly followeth an extream hatred of each other upon this occasion as Ammou hated Tamar exceedingly so that his hatred after he had knowledge of her was greater then his love was to her before To this we may adde the breach of the ninth Commandement Persidiam unfaithfulnesse and of the third Perjurium perjury For at the solemnization of mariage there 〈◊〉 a mutual and solemn Oath and vow unto God in the presence of the Congregation to keep the mariage-bed undefiled Besides God by the Apostle tels us that this sin shall darken the understanding of the wise and make them foolish which effect we see it wrought in Solomon and the Prophet tels us that Aufert cor it takes away the heart of the strong as it did in Sampson By all which we see that this vice is prejudicial to the Common-wealth for the curse of God for it is not onely against the parties offending but upon the Common-wealth too God saith They shall commit adultery but shall not increase and where there is defect of men to till the ground there must needs be barrennesse
water a Crocodile These he erected upon poles and placed them between his several provinces Posterity forgetting to what end these were erected conceived in them some Divine nature and power and thereupon he which lived by the plough worshipped the Ox calling it Apis the Huntsman the Dog calling it Anubis the Grasier the Clod calling it Isis c. And upon this this kinde of Idolatry had its original The next objection is If they were not Gods how came some of them to work Miracles and give Oracles 1. The first is thus answered That there is difference between true and false Miracles the one being profitable to mankinde as raising the dead to life and healing incurable diseases which not they nor their Magicians could ever perform but onely wrought such as were fictitions and imaginary and some of them were unprofitable such as were Simon Magus his making a mountain seem to remove and 〈◊〉 Manlius his cutting a whetstone in two pieces 2. Concerning the Oracles of the Gentiles Porphyrie saith that as great things were done by the Magicians of his time as by those whom they supposed to be gods Besides the Oracles which they uttered were ever either ambiguous being indeed not the Oracles of their Images but of Devils that spake in them as Eusebius affirmeth or oft times false and frivolous nay sometime contradicting one another and might have been as truely conjectured by politick or wise men from the disposition or concurrence of causes 3. And it is a strong argument to prove that these oracles were uttered by the Devil in that many of them were cruel and inhumane tending to the sacrificing of men unto them whereas if they had been from God they would have been rather to the preservation then to the destruction and defacing of Gods image and workmanship And when they would seem to be more milde upon deliverance from war or danger they commanded the institution of Gladiatores sword-fencers whereupon ensued much bloodshed and murder And if they were not the cause of cruelty yet of all kinde of obscenity for if they enjoyned not the sword-playes alwayes yet at other times they commanded Stage-playes the effects whereof Saint Augustine describeth at large whereby men grew to such a height of all lasciviousnesse that the Romans and Greeks banished them out of their territories and made a decree that all Stage-players should die intestate 4. Lastly it is common in Homer and Virgil and the Philosophers concerning their Gods that if they named but Styx or Cocytus they themselves would be afraid and tremble and all the images would be in a sweat jurato per Stygem terrorem Deorum having sworn by Styx the terrour of the Gods Now we know that no Prince is afraid of his own prison And Socrates said that a man might as well swear by an Onion or a Leek as by Jupiter and used much to inveigh against the Athenian Gods affirming them to be none for which he was convicted yet Laertius reporteth that not long after his death there happened such a plague that they never felt the like before or after And consulting with the Oracle about the cause they were answered that it was for putting the Innocent to death In recompence therefore to Socrates they erected an Image and ascribed divine honours to him that had dishonoured their Gods thereby condemning themselves their own Religion and their Gods For this cause some of them misliked the Heathen Religion but not finding a better they would not alter the old And so much of Paganism CHAP. IX Of Judaisme The positions of the Jews 1 That the Messias shall have an earthly kingdom at Jerusalem confuted 2. That Jesus is not the Messias The contrary proved by Jacobs prophecy Gen. 49. 11. By Daniels seventy two weeks Dan. 9. 25. By diverse other reasons 3. That the Messias is not yet come The contrary proved by sundry arguments THe second Religion is Judaisme or the Religion of the Jews The controversy between whom and us Christians is concerning Christ whom we professe and they deny And because they acknowledge the Old Testament to be Gods word as well as we our proofs to maintain our affirmation shall be out of it and those authors which are in most accompt with them The positions which the Jews hold are these 1. That the Messias shall have an earthly kingdom and that this seat of his court shall be at Jerusalem 2. That Jesus is not that Messias 3. That the Messias is not yet come 1. For the first if they would give credit to the Caldee paraphrast and al the antient Rabbins as Rabbi Jonathan Rabbi Simeon Rabbi Moses Rabbi Hakedosh that lived before the coming of Christ the controversy would soon be at an end but they give most credit to their late writers who were all moved with envy a-against Christ. 2 It was foretold by the Prophet that the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all But this they shift off saying it was meant of the whole people But in a few verses after the prophet saith Morietur pro populo suo he shall die for the people And it were absurd to say that the people should die for the people and therefore it must needs be meant of Christ. 3 It is said in the psalm They have pierced my hands and my feet They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture Which words cannot be understood to be meant of David but of Chrst. 4. The Prophet saith Rejoyce O Daughter Jerusalem behold thy king cometh unto thee meek and humble sitting upon an asse c. And the prophet Daniel saith After 62. weeks i. e. 70. seavens of yeares shall Messiah be cut off This the elder Jews could not conceive and Philo Judeus understood it of the sanctification of the High Priest but he might have easily gathered that this place was meant of the Massias by John Baptist sending two of his disciples to Christ to know whether he was the Christ or not But that place of Daniel so troubleth the Rabbins that Rabbi Moses Ben Nisa fell into blasphemous speeches and said that the Prophet was deceived and overseen 5. The prophet Agge calleth him the desire or expectation of the Gentiles but if the Messias should be onely king of the Jews what desire or expectation could the Gentiles have of him it being small comfort for a nation to have a stranger to rule over them and indeed it was a thing forbidden the Isralites in the Law 6. Forasmuch as it cannot be denied that the Messias should bring felicity to all the world how can Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the dead be benefited by him if his kingdom should be upon earth they being dead many hundred years before And in putting this off by saying that all true Jews shall return to life again they become more absurd then before for how could that little Land of Judea or
the fig-leaves were sowed together The cause is that after they had sinned the inferiour parts as the appetite grew to be irregular and unruly Whereupon as the Apostle speaks the devil takes occasion to tempt to 〈◊〉 and therefore he advises that to avoyd fornication every man have his own wife and every woman her own husband that so they may have Thorum immaculatum the bed undefiled This Solomon calls the avoyding of a strange woman which he accounts a special part of wisdom and so this end includes that duty of fidelity which the one owes to the other for unlesse fornication be avoyded there can be no mutual fidelity Therefore the Apostle saith that the one of the married persons hath not power over their own body but the other the third end then of this Nuptiae is to avoyd fornication So that the three general ends of this duty are first Mutuum auxilium mutual help denoted by conjugium secondly Proles yssue signified by Matrimonium thirdly The avoyding of 〈◊〉 implied in Nuptiae which includes fides 〈◊〉 to each other specified by Nuptiae This for the general ends Now for the particular duties of man and wife 1. Now for the particular duties the first duty of the husband to the wife is expressed in these word by Saint Peter to live with her according to knowledge he must know how to govern her Because as we see in the case of the first wife she was beguiled by the serpent and seduced her husband therefore in the sixteenth verse of that chapter God told her that her desire should be subject to her husband and that he should have the government and rule over her therefore she must never follow her own will hereafter but must be subiect to her husband His duty therefore is to govern her yet so that he must 〈◊〉 with her being the weaker vessel and not to be bitter to her as being heire with him of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindred and that thereby he may enjoy his own peace for who would trouble his own flesh That he may rule and govern he must be able to instruct her for when the Apostle saith that if the wives would learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home it is to be taken for granted that they must be able to teach them lest such as creep into houses and beguile silly women 2 Tim. 3. 6. Intrap the wife And if she shall be carried away with blinde zeale or affection or otherwise go astray he must be able by wise exhortations to rectify her We have an example for this of Elkanah when Hannah his wife murmured and took on for her barrennes he pacified her with this wise speech Am not I better to thee then ten sons withal he must so strengthen himself that he be not seduced as Adam was by Eve nor be too credulous of her reports as Potiphar was when he put Joseph in prison upon a false accusation of his wife nor omit any necessary duty required by God though she be offended at it as Zipporah the wife of Moses was at the 〈◊〉 of her son Nor hearken to her in a bad cause as 〈◊〉 did to Jezebel Or if she be like 〈◊〉 that scoffed at David for his zeal in dancing before the 〈◊〉 of God he must by his knowledge and wisdom be able to instruct and reform her in the spirit of meekenes And as in the first place government with knowledge is required in the 〈◊〉 so submission consequently belongeth to the wife not to stand upon her own wil or wit but to submit her self to her husband For seeing by her own confession she was not wife enough to resist the serpent but was first in the transgression therefore justly was it laid upon her that she should not stand upon her own will hereafter but should be subject to her husband and be governed and advised by him This the Apostle Saint Peter calls subjection and Saint Paul submission which must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Lord and in the same chapter he calls it fear let the wife fear or reverence her husband which shews that as he hath the government so he hath power and authority which she must fear and this Saint Peter vrgeth by the example of Sarah who obeyed Abraham and called him Lord. And this reason is given because as God is head of Christ and Christ the head of the man so man is the head of the wife Whereupon Saint Augustine saith that as the sense of seeing is by the head so a woman ought to seeby her husband who is her head yet withal he is to remember that as she was not taken out of his head because she must not be above him as his master so neither out of his feet because she is not to be his servant but out of his side a latere that she might be semper illi a latere as his fellow and companion almost his equal The Heathen king Ahasuerus and his counsellers saw this duty of wives by the light of nature when for 〈◊〉 disobedience they decreed that she should be put from her royal estate and see the kings face no more and that her 〈◊〉 should be given to another and that no woman should presume to do the like al this should be published by a royal decree and that every man should beare rule in his own house c. This for the first duty 2. The second duty though it concur with the general affection of love and be in effect nothing else yet it hath a peculiar respect whereby it differeth from all other love and therfore is to be specially mentioned It is described in Gen. by three things 1. That this conjugal love must make one abandon and leave those to whom he is most bound or which are otherwise most neer and dear to him viz comparatively for this cause shall a man leave father and mother 2. That as they must leave all others so they must constantly cleave and adhere to one another as is expressed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aahasit conglutinatus est to cleave or be glued together 3. This adhering must be such a neare union as makes them one yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one flesh of two so that the love and affection appropriate to this conjunction must exceed all other In all love there is a kinde of union but all other union must give way to this none so neer as this Neither must this love be onley carnal and outward of which Solomon speaks Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ever ravisht with her love but also spiritual according to the Apostles rule to love her as Christ loved the Church whose love as it resembled
to admonish the Israelites to refrain from this sin because it defiled the land and would be a cause that they should be 〈◊〉 out of it Lastly S. 〈◊〉 tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them for giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh were set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 4. For the particular good of private persons and that two wayes 1. That every one may enjoy that whereof he is Proprietary and chief Lord and that wholly to himself And this is occulta lex 〈◊〉 the secret law of nature Therefore if another partake or share with him or be but suspected so to do it drives him into jealousie which the Wise man calls the rage of a man and he accounts it such an injury as cannot be satisfied with any ransom 2. That his name may be perpetuated by legitimate children of his own We see that God would have no bastard enter into his congregation And by this also a man preserves the chastity of his wife And these four are the ends Now for the affection it self and ground of the Commandment as it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heat in the other Commandment so here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concupiscence that this dealeth withall not that every concupiscence is evil for the Apostle tells us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil concupiscence to intimate that there is some Concupiscence or desire which is not evil And in another place he willeth us not to have providence and care of the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it implying that there is a lawful care of the flesh to be had so that the lusts of it be not fulfilled More plainly there is in man as in all other creatures a desire first to preserve himself in 〈◊〉 and secondly in specie And therefore in respect that these are most necessary it pleased God to 〈◊〉 a bait for both that men might be allured to them for as there is a pleasure in eating and drinking for the one so is there for the other in the act of generation And there is a rule in maxime 〈◊〉 maxima 〈◊〉 as maxime allicit in things most necessary the greatest pleasure allureth most And another quod maxime allicit maxime corrumpit that which allureth most corrupts most And the reason is quia appetitus tendit ultra modum the appetite exceeds the due measure For we perswade our selves that if the doing of it once be good the doing of it often will be better and so we come at last to do it too much because the appetite knows not what is enough and so it falleth into corrupt custom For the course of our nature is when it avoids any evil it avoideth it so vehemently that sometime if there be any good with it it putteth out the good too and if 〈◊〉 desire any good it desireth the evil too that sticketh to it Therefore moderation and temperance is to be used for vertue stands in medio between two 〈◊〉 yet temperance is magis in 〈◊〉 more in the want then in the excesse as 〈◊〉 is mag is in 〈◊〉 more in the excesse then in the want This Concupiscence of the flesh as it is in us so it is in beasts and therefore it hath the lowest place and is as Plato saith alligata ventri tyed to the belly as a man would 〈◊〉 a horse or an asse to the manger Now being thus in the lowest place yet being of necessary use the rule is In maxime necessariis 〈◊〉 est maxime necessarius in things necessary order is most necessary and this order is that the lower desires should not take up a man wholly when the lower is most vehement the higher is most hindered but the lower faculties are to give place to the superiour and not to take up the whole man Chrysostome saith Dedit Deus corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illud in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non dedit animam corpori ut illam in terram deprimeret God gave the body to the soul to lift it up to the 〈◊〉 of heaven and heavenly things and not the soul to the body to presse it down to the earth Therefore Gods intent was that as we may have a lawful Concupiscence for the maintenance of our life and for propagation so we should use them no further then this necessity requires And this Concupiscence hath its purity Now that is called purum pure that hath 〈◊〉 alieni admixtum no mixture of any thing with it But because in this life there will be some mixture as the Prophet tells them their wine was mixt with water we must be careful that the mixture be not disproportionable as to have but a drop of wine in a vessel of water The Prophet saith that there was a time when man was in honor but certainly he is now so degenerate from that he was that he hath lost his understanding and is become like to the beasts that perish for he serveth his lust riches and pleasures For this cause it is that another Prophet saith of the people of his time that they were 〈◊〉 addicted to this evil concupiscence of the flesh that they were like 〈◊〉 admissariis to fed horses every one neighed after his neighbours wife Therefore as the Apostle speaks of the Law in general so we may of this Commandment that it is Poedagogus our School-master to instruct us that how sweet 〈◊〉 stoln waters are yet the end of them is bitter and deadly And that we should not use our liberty for an occasion to the flesh like brute beasts but as knowing that we were created for greater things and that we should have our mindes lifted up to overrule our bodies and not use our liberty as if we had no rule to walk by Having spoken of the ground of this commandment we come now to the fountain from whence this sin arises and then we shall speak of the means or occasions that draw us to it 1. For the first the Apostle reckons up the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5. 19. Adultery fornication uncle annesse 〈◊〉 c. which our Saviour saith proceed from the heart where they be considered either as they are ipsum venenum the very poison of our nature which the Apostle calls Concupiscentia carnis the lust of the flesh or 〈◊〉 suppuratio an inward festering of this desire an inward boyling of the pot with the scum in it as the Prophet calls it 2. The means that draw us to this sin 1. The first is subactum solum when we make our selves meet and apt ground to receive this vice The Physitians call it 〈◊〉 when a man is disposed by evil humours tending to diseases as those that are Plethorique have their bodies still fed with some bad humour Now this humour of wicked lust is fed by two means 1 Pergulam By intemperance
use of his punishment and know that all things worke together for good to them that love God And to this we may apply the speech of the Heathen man Patior ne patiar I suffer now that I may not suffer hereafter That Abraham make not that argument against us which he did to the rich man Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things therefore now thou sufferest pains but Lazarus who suffered pain shall for his patience have his reward That this conclusion may not be here we must suffer those pains that may be ended mitigated endured with patience and have hope of an end that we may not hereafter suffer those pains in which there is no patience in bearing no hope to be delivered no mitigation to be expected but the end will be without end And indeed this continuus cursus temporalium to have no misfortune or trouble nor to be plagued as other men is a dangerous signe of Gods disfavour to us And these for the corrective part The motives for patience in that affliction which is explorativa or probativa are 1. To consider before hand what troubles and crosses are incident to a Christian life Our Saviour upon this hath two comparisons of a builder and a king going to war both whom it behoveth to cast their accounts before hand what charge they may be at For the want of forecast of them that intend to live a Godly life what troubles what temptations they must go through makes them unprepared and unresolved when the crosse cometh and so they give over 2. The Apostle though it may be equally applied to other vertues tells us that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope that is in this point of patience we may see in scriptures what the Saints of God have endured and by considering their afflictions and sufferings what it cost them and what they suffered we may see what it will cost us and what we must endure and so we may be the better armed against the like and especially if we consider our Captain as the Apostle calls him and what he suffered Recogitate illum consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds This is a good preparative to patience Si paessio Christi saith Saint Gregory in memoriam revocetur nihil tam arduum quod non aequo animo toleretur if we would but call Christs passion to remembrance there 's nothing so difficult but we would willingly endure it He suffered so much in all parts of soul and body that its impossible for us to endure the like 3. Martyres 〈◊〉 flamma esse possumus si in anima patientiam retineamus we may be martyrs without fire if we endure Gods crosse with patience And to endure them we shall be enabled by Gods own promise in the words of the Apostle God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but with the temptation will also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it He will not trie us above our patience but either give us sufficient strength to suffer great afflictions or lesson our trials as our patience shall decrease And the consideration of this is also a great motive to continue in this vertue 4. Lastly The hope of the reward laid up for those that suffer in this world is a principal means to stir us to this duty Saint Paul saith I reckon not the sufferings of this present time worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us And he gives the reason in another place For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Here is a gradation of so many steps that a man cannot reach to the top of it The glory great the affliction light the glory exceeding the affliction for a moment nay the glory far more exceeding with an eternal weight added to it Here is Hyperbole upon Hyperbole and yet no Hyperbole can fully expresse it The Apostle could not expresse it and we cannot conceive it So much of the means The signes of patience are these 1. Tolerantia Crucis When a man findes upon examination that he is able and willing according to the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide under the crosse it is a good signe When a man is so affected to the Crosse that if it please God to take away his sinne the cause of punishment he is willing to beare the punishment Let me onely be assured of forgivenesse and let the Crosse lie on me still 2. The second is when we can Tolerare et amare beare and love too When our suffering turns not to murmuring or disobedience but so affecteth us that notwithstanding our chastisment we can love God with his chastisment and for it say with Job Blessed be the name of the Lord. When it is Benedictus Dominus in donis suis blessed be God in his gifts Jobs wife can say grace aswell as he but when it cometh in ablationibus suis blessed be God who takes away a true note ariseth of difference between true and counterfeit patience It is in this as in the affections when they arise from contrary objects they are true and not counterfeit as when justice which properly stirs up fear works love in us and when we can fear him for his mercy which properly stirs up love Wicked men may fear God for his justice and love him for his mercy but the true note of difference is if we love him for his justice and can say with David There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared So that when a man can love God as we count it post injuriam this is true love and is a signe of true patience The Heathen man said that 's true love cum amare possis post injuriam when one can love him that hath injured him 3. The third is when we finde our selves humble in our sufferings which is a distinction between true Christian patience and heretical The Fathers in the primitive Church had much to do to make the people observe the difference of patience between a true Christian and a Donatist and were forced to use these two notes of distinction 1. That in the suffering of a Donatist which is to be observed in our dayes they should finde a spirit of pride and vanity whereas true patience is humble And this humility appeared in the Martyrs sufferings which was without disputation with God about the cause or murmuring at the torments tolerabunt non gemuerunt or else respondent pro Deo they either bear them and mourn in silence or if they reply it is on Gods behalf like Job of whom the Holy
Ghost saith In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly And In all this did not Job sin with his lips He did nothing to bewray impatience True patience is humble and saith with David Tacui Domine quia tu fecisti I kept silence O Lord because it is thy doing 2. The other note is Alacrity It was observed by the Fathers that the Circumcelliones in their sufferings had no alacrity but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without passion it is true they were not moved but they suffered not cheerfully They bore them but they rejoyced not they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 overcome as those that in some diseases cure without pain or using Narcotick medicines do overcome the pain but Christian patience doth more In all these saith the Apostle Romans 8. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we do more then overcome It doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 overcome and more then so for it rejoyceth too So the Apostles after they had been scourged departed rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of Christ whereas the suffering of Hereticks though it discovered no fear or grief yet it wanted this rejoycing it had no alacrity in it Now concerning the sixth Rule as is in the former It is not enough for a man to say to his own soul Why art thou so impatient but we must say to others Sustine Dominum as the Psalmist wait and that patiently on the Lord. We do what we can by our comforts and exhortations to make them patient On the other side if there be any provocation to impatiency in others as Jobs wife we must answer them with him And this is the knowledge that every one should have and it is folly in them that have it not For Doctrina viri per patientiam noscitur the discretion of a man deferreth anger saith Solomon Proverbs 19. 11. and as S. Gregory addes Tanto minus quisque ostenditur doctus quanto convincitur minus patiens nec enim potest veraciter bona docendo impendere si vivendo aequanimiter nesciat mala tolerare every man shews himself the lesse learned by how much the lesse patient nor can he well teach to do well if he know not how to bear evill And thus much concerning the first Proposition Thou shalt have a God CHAP. XV. The second thing required in the first Commandment To have the true God for our God Reasons hereof Of true Religion This is the true pearl to be sought Three rules in seeking The extreams of Religion 1. Idolatry 2. superstition 3. Prophanenesse 4. novelty of which three degrees 1. Schisme 2. Heresy 3. Apostacy The means of true Religion The signes of procuring it in others The second Proposition THere remain two propositions more in this Commandment 1. Thou shalt have me the true God for thy God and this includes the vertue of religion viz. true religion which is the having the true God for our God All other religions are the extreams forbidden 2. The second is Thou shalt have no other Gods but me that is thou shalt have one God alone and thou shalt have me alone and this includes the vertue of sincerity which is opposite to all mixtures of true religion with any other Besides these propositions drawn out of the whole precept there are two other vertues included in the first and last words of this Commandment 1. Upon the last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coram facie mea before my face is grounded the vertue of integrity or uprightnesse opposed to hypocrisie and upon the first words Non erunt tibi thou shalt not the vertue of perseverance For the words are in the future tense and extend to the whole course of our life and these are the particulars that remain to be handled in this commandment The second proposition then is Thou shalt have me for thy God For it is not enough to have a God unlesse he be the true God And this is true religion Naturally our affections are bent and chiefly bestowed on some one thing above the rest and to this all our actions refer and this whatsoever it be is our God As some upon an Idol or false god which as the Apostle speaks is nothing Or some upon the god of this world that is the Devil Some have their belly for their god that is the flesh Some idolize their money and wealth the love where of is idolatry as the same Apostle Thus as S. Augustine saith unusquisque comeditur ab aliquo zelo every man is zealous for some thing or other And concerning all such the Prophet makes his complaint that there is a generation of men that turn the glory of the true God into dishonour that are not careful to render God his true honour and their religion is as the Apostle saith of knowledge scientia falsi nominis religion falsly so called For they follow vanity and lies and therefore eat the fruit of lies as the Prophet speaks that is grief of minde smart of body and confusion of soul. That which Plato saith of this is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Every soul if it hath not the truth it is not because it wants desire of the truth and if it finde it not out it is against the will of it unlesse it degenerate from its nature When Abraham had told Abimelech that Sarah was his sister not his wife he though a Heathen could tell Abraham that he had done that he ought not to have done And that which is more strange the Devil though the father of lies could say to the woman Yea is it true indeed Hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden He was desirous that Eve should give him a true answer So we see the force of truth that howsoever it is not practised yet in judgment not only the good but the wicked even the Heathen and the Devil himself would not willingly be beguiled with falshood One reason why God though he commands onely true religion yet permits the false is in respect of that which was named before the tryal of our faith which is more precious with God then all the riches of the world This tryal hath been the cause why God hath permitted and doth permit so many errours heresies and false worships we may allude to it by comparison that albeit God hath abundance of all things to make all men rich and so could have done yet for tryal of a liberall and compassionate minde in the rich he saith The poor shall never cease out of the land So it may be said in the case of truth It had been an easie matter for God to have taken order that every man should enjoy the true profession but on ly for this tryal Ideo oportet haereses esse inter vos therefore there must be heresies among you and why because they which are approved
wife to her husband whom Saint Paul requires to submit or be subordinate to the husband in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Let them be subordinate to their own husbands 4. Because though there be a natural relation or conjunction between father and son yet there is a neerer between man and wife she was made of his rib and God hath commanded a man to leave father and mother and cleave to his wife therefore we shall give to this the first place And because as the Ethnick said well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must first learn when we are yong what we must practise when we become men therefore though we be not now in the state of marriage yet the knowledge of these duties may be useful to us for the future And before we speak of this combination between man and wife it will be needful first to consider the special ends of Conjugal society which are two The first concern God the other the parties themselves 1. The first is that 1. Seeing God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed every paterfamilias father of a family ought to ayme at this that his family may partake of this blessing And secondly that he do monstrare pietatem shew piety at home and labour to make his family godly this being the way to attain the end blessednes 2. The secondary ends which concern the parties themselves may be gathered from three words in Latine which the bond of wedlock is expressed by 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimonium 3. Nuptiae whereof two signifie what was before sinne came into the world and the last what did follow after sinne and in these ends are some mutual duties implied also which concerne both 1. The first is Conjugium which is the fellowship of one yoke when two draw one yoke together Hence it appears that mutuum auxilium The mutual help benefit and comfort which the one ought to have by society with the other is the first end of this conjunction that they might be better then if they were alone And therefore as you may see it was Gods purpose before copulation was mentioned to provide a Help for Adam And hence it is that the word maritare to marry or to joyn a woman to a man came to signifie the setting of vines to elmes or other trees to make them grow and thrive better Now we must not conceive that God in this first institution accounted solitude to be a sin for then there was no sin but because it was a lesse felicity a lesse blessed estate then society therefore he thought fit to make sociam a fellow to Adam and in that respect he saith it is not bonum not good for man to be alone as also having regard to the time when the world was yet empty whereas in these times when the world is so well filled and in some places over full society is not so needful In which respect the Apostle seems to set down the plain opposite conclusion to this Bonum est 〈◊〉 non tangere it is good for a man not to touch a woman which is to be understood in a diverse respect because of the present trouble of the Church which was then under persecution and not otherwise for in several respects that may be good at one time which is not at another for otherwise when sin entred there was more need of the help of society in regard of sin to be avoyded the imperfections of old age diseases and infirmities c. It was very convenient there should be a yoke fellow And therefore it is that God saith that a man should for sake father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall be one 〈◊〉 which shews the necessity as well as the neernes of this conjunction and hence the Prophet termes the wife a companion and wife of the covenant There is a league between them wherein they promise mutual help This conjunction and the indissolubility of it our Saviour mentioneth in one verse they are no more twain but one flesh what therefore God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Now if they ought to be helpful to one another in the things of this life we may hence argue a minori ad majus that matches ought not to be made with Idolaters and unbeleevers because they will be rather hindrances then helpers in the best things which concerne the soul and therefore the Apostle exhorts not to be unequally yoked with unbeleevers but to marry onely in the Lord not but that such marriages being made are valid for as the same Apostle saith the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the beleeving husband and the beleeving man may save his wife and so e contra and therefore the same Apostle saith that the beleeving husband ought not to put away the unbeleeving wife nor the beleeving wife to leave her unbeleeving husband but when they are free and at liberty to chuse they should avoyd such unequal yokes for multa fieri non debent quae facta valent many things ought not to be done which yet being done are not void or null but are valid and firme 2. The second is Matrimonium which imports another end of marriage viz that foemina fiat mater the woman may become a mother This was part of Gods institution before Adams fall for he saith Crescite multiplicamini be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the Creatures yet the end is not barely propagation as of other things to replenish the world but there was a higher end aymed at to wit the propagation of a holy seed for the enlarging of the Church that there might be semen sanctum and for this cause God made but one woman though he could have created more as the Prophet speaks by the plenty of spirit he could have made more helps then one but he made but one that he might raise up to himself a godly seed And this is one especial end of matrimony not to fill the world and therefore the Apostle speaking of the woman and shewing that sinne came into the world by her yet saith this shoud be a subordinate means to save her that she shall beare children which may be semen sanctum a holy seed and even that sanctification shall result to her benefit as an under means and so not onely the increase populi but populi sancti the enlarging of the Church is the second end 3. The last is nuptiae which imports something which came aster sin had entred into the world For S. Ambrose saith that nubo in the first signification hath no other sense but tegere to cover as it is plain in obnubo and the rest of its compounds or it denotes to us that there is aliquid tegendum celandum some what to be concealed and covered and there was some cause of shamefastnes when
〈◊〉 Such a one was Abigail one that by her wisdom builded her house and was like a marchants ship a good huswife and provident If to these she be like a polished corner of the temple it makes her a meet one Such a one being found we must not presently adhinnire 〈◊〉 after her like Jeremies fedd horses there must not be conjunxit before adduxit which was Shechems case we must tarry till adduxit and that in Gods house Jesus must be at the mariage God must give her as parent and joyn both as priest by the hand of him that he hath appointed in his place And it must be in Gods house not clandestine and then they shall receive a blessing Now for the duties general and mutual between them they consist in two things 1. In fidelity and loyalty They must possesse their vessels in holines and purity and not defraud one another but keep the mariage bed undefiled They must draw both one way and beare each others burden 2. Love She was made of a bone meet to the heart and that was coupled with a fellow therefore their love must be hearty He must love her as a part of himself and she him as wounded for her Again she must love him as her head and he her as his crown He must be better to her then ten sonnes And she embrace him and his love tanquam 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 as a vine and not ivy 1. Now severally concerning their duties The man must dwell with the woman with knowledge to direct her Provide and take care for his house and family He must cherish her he must delight in her rejoyce with the wife of his youth Isaac sported with Rebekah Suffer and bear with her infirmities and not be bitter to her To end this he must love her fervently cooperate with her willingly provide all things carefully and though he be the nobler part not despise the lesse noble give good counsel seasonably admonish her opportunely and defend her faithfully 2. The woman in respect that she was not made first but Adam and that she was taken elatere out of his side therefore her duty is to submit and be subject to her husband and do her duty at all times to please him She is also to be adjutrix a help to him She is a bone part of a coupling or rafter in a building she must gird her loyns with strength she must not be trouble some for it were better for her husband to dwell in the wildernesse then with her if she be a contentious woman Nor must she undo him nor 〈◊〉 out his goods Not prove as Jobs wife curst but like to Abigail gracious and milde Not like Michal Davids wife a 〈◊〉 or taunter but like the Shunamite charitable and vertuous Not like Jezabel haughty and cruel but like the woman of Tekoah humble Finally she must love her husband ardently serve him obediently bear and educate her children carefully not oppose his government scornfully So much for the cause or thing upon which this Commandment was grounded Now to the Commandment it self CHAP. II. The dependance of this commandment upon the former The ends for wich it was given The object of this Commandment concupiscence or lust of the flesh The several branches and degrees of the sin here forbidden Diverse reasons against the sin of uncleannesse Non Maechaberis THis Precept is as the former in words very brief and under the name of Adultery forbids all degrees of uncleannesse and all those acts that dispose thereto thereby to shew what reckoning God makes of lust and all those acts that tend to Adultery and of all the lesser degrees of this sin viz. that they are all 〈◊〉 in his sight as rash and unjust anger is murder before him as we shewed in the last Now Adultery implies not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncleannesse but injustice too and that in a high degree by communicating that to many which is proper to one for the husband hath not power over his own body but the wife and econtra and therefore it is injustice to give that to another which is not in our power but is already given to another by marriage Thus we see by the word here used what account God makes of all those vices which are subordinate to Adultery The Commandment itself is expounded Leviticus 20. 10. in the law and in the Gospel by Christ in the fifth of S. Matthew vers 27 28. c. And by the Apostle 1 Corinthians 5. and 6. 15. and throughout the whole seventh chapter of the same Epistle The order and dependance is this The principal cause why murder was prohibited was because man is the image of God now the image of God consists especially in purenesse and chastity as one of the Heathen Poets could tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is a pure minde and therefore fitly doth this Commandment wherein purity of soul and body is commanded follow 〈◊〉 that wherein the defacing of Gods image is forbidden The truth of this may plainly be gathered by the contrary assoon as our first parents eys were opened they saw themselves naked being ashamed to see their nakednesse they got figleaves to cover their shame which argued that the purenesse of this image was lost and that they were ashamed of those irregular motions which began to arise in shew The ends of this Commandment are four 1. In respect of God who is of purer eyes then to behold evil therefore we must not 〈◊〉 be pure in heart if we will see him or have him to see us but we must possesse our bodies also our vessels in holinesse and sanctification not in the lusts of 〈◊〉 as the Heathen that know not God 2. In respect of the Church and the good of it God by the Prophet saith that he took order that one man should be joyned to one woman why that he might have a holy seed That the Church might be kept pure undefiled and unspotted for as the Apostle saith our bodies are the members of Christ and not our own And therfore he 〈◊〉 against Christ the head and the Church his body Who takes the members of Christ and makes them the members of a harlot 3. For the good of the Common-wealth wedlock being 〈◊〉 parens the Parent of the Common-wealth the 〈◊〉 of cities and kingdoms And in that respect it is that the Wise man in diverse places counselleth us to refrain from strange women Abimelech charged his people upon pain of death not to touch Abrahams wife And 〈◊〉 sentence upon his daughter in Law was no lesse when he heard that she had played the harlot So in the Law it was no lesse then death to offend in this kinde And God charged Moses