theevs and this is to love with judgement when though there is no other motive of love in the party yet we love him propter 〈◊〉 for God for when a man loveth a friend he loveth him propter aliud quam Deum for some other cause then for God alone but when he loveth his enemy there is no other cause but propter Deum for God onely Again when our love is ad 〈◊〉 onely to our friend it is debilis 〈◊〉 weak and slight work for as Christ saith if we love them that love us what great matis this the Heathnes and publicans do the like therefore God would have our love to be like his stretcht out usque ad 〈◊〉 to those that are fardest from us to our very enemies as he doth when he causes the sun to shine and the raine to fall upon the good and bad And this is no such hard matter as flesh and blood would make it Saint Augustine saith Dices non possum vigilare non possum jejunare numquid dices non possum 〈◊〉 perhaps thou wilt say I cannot watch nor I cannot fast but wilt thou say I cannot love And this indeed is a point of special consideration because it makes a difference betwixt the love of Christians and the love of Heathen for our love to men must flow from the fountain of our love to God Take away propter Deum and then as Saint 〈◊〉 saith our Christian vertues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common and vulgar such as were in the Heathen our fortitude nothing but the fortitude of Socrates and so of other vertues wherin ours and theirs differ in nothing but in this propter Deum for God And therefore our 〈◊〉 rule must be according to Saint Gregories excellent direction 〈◊〉 rinus justitiae 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 pietatis The river of our righteousnesse towards men must have 〈◊〉 original from the fountain of piety to God that is that our love to our brother must arise from our love to God and though we see how our love must be guided by our judgement in the cause or ground of it propter Deum for God And as our judgement must be rectified that we are not in the cause so consequently our affection which followes the understanding must be right and herein though we are not tyed to that high measure which was in Saint Paul who wished himself 〈◊〉 from Christ for his brethrens sake viz. for the salvation of the Jews yet thus far we are bound as to desire their salvation with our own and to will the same good to them that we will to our selves and to nill the same evill to them which we nill to our selves and consequently there must be those works or fruits of love mentioned by the Apostle which as they refer to our neighbour are especialy three 1. The first is Joy That as we wish our neighbours good so when any good hath befallen him we be glad and rejoyce at it yea after Saint Barnards rule gandere in bono alieno magno magis quam in proprio parvo rejoyce 〈◊〉 in the greater good of our neighbour then in the lesser good of our own Opposite to this is if either we repine that any should come to the participation of the same good which we possesse which is one part of envy and was the fault of the unfaithful 〈◊〉 in the Gospel that did not occupy his masters talent or if we stand thus affected that if we have it not our selves we will not be content that any other should have it And of this part of envy is it that Saint Chrsostom speaks thus 〈◊〉 pestiferum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in diabali conditionem in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Per 〈◊〉 venit in mundum propter ipsam Abal est interemptus c. Envy is a most pestilent evil it turnes and transformes a man into the nature of a most cruel devil By it came 〈◊〉 into the world for it was Abel stain It was the envy of 〈◊〉 toman which made him seek 〈◊〉 fall because he would have 〈◊〉 in better estate then himself And in this respect it is that S. Augustine said Invidia vitium Diabolicum quo solo Diabolus reus est inexpiabiliter reus Non 〈◊〉 Diabolo dicitur 〈◊〉 damnetur adulterium commisisti furtum fecisti villam alienam rapuisti sed homini stanti invidisti Envy is a Devillish vice of which onely the Devil is guilty and 〈◊〉 without expiation for it is not said to the Devils damnation Thou 〈◊〉 committed adultery or thou hast stollen or thou hast violently seized on anothers possessions but this is objected to him Thou hast envied man in his Innocency 2. The next is Peace a desire of agreement with our Neighbour plainly prescribed by the Apostle Have peace with all men And if at any time there happen a breach we should not pertinaciter aggredi obstinately set upon one another for this is the badge of Sathans Disciples as S. Gregory saith Si Dei 〈◊〉 filii qui pacem faciunt procul dubio Satanae sunt silii qui pacem confundunt If they which are the Authors of peace be called the sons of God without question they are the Devils children which disturb it When Christ came into the world the Angels sung at his birth Glory to God and peace on earth and yet himself saith I came not to send peace but a sword To reconcile which places we must conceive it to be discordia in 〈◊〉 war against that which is evil which Christ speaks of in that place for as Nazianzen well saith Melior est talis pugna quae Deo proximum facit quam pax illa quae separat a Deo that dissention is better which makes a man come 〈◊〉 to God then that peace which separates him from God Therefore as a Father saith As there is nothing more to be wished for then concordia in bono agreement in that which is good and nothing more to be laboured against then discordia in bono disagreement in the 〈◊〉 so nothing more to be desired then disagreement in evil and nothing more abominable then agreement in that which is bad And as our Saviour pronounceth them blessed that are Peace-makers in good so are they no lesse blessed that are Peace-breakers in evil that make discord in evil and they are no less the children of God then the other and threfore peace with hereticks and Schismaticks must not be held though in lesser matters which trench not upon the foundations of faith worship or government difference of opinions may be allowed For there may be a 〈◊〉 or disagreement allowable in questions and disputations that touch not upon those foundations and so that it go not so far as to trouble the peace of the Church but that the unity of the spirit be kept in the bond of peace For as S. Gregory
Canticles describes such an one well Vide magna praemitti suspiria you shall have him send forth great and deep sighs before and he will speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum quadam tarditate dimissis superciliis voce plangenti c. sic egreditur maledictio as if he were confounded and ashamed and then with an affected slownesse casting down his countenance with a whining voice and then cometh out the cursed venome of his heart you would think it were rather done dolenti animo quam malitioso with a mourning rather then a malitious mind he saith vehementer doleo quia vehementer diligo I am heartily sorrow for him because I heartily love him and then he saith compertus jam est it is now known otherwise I would never have spoken of it but seeing it is known I must needs say it is so and thus he breaks out his cursed speeches This is one extream CHAP. V. Of reproof or fraternal correption the vertue opposite to flattery Of flattery which is 1. In things uncertain 2. In things certain and those either good or evil Of boasting and vaunting a mans self and its extream THe other extream opposite to slandering and detraction is flattery of which before we speak we shall premise somewhat of the affirmative duties opposite to it which is Fraterna correptio fraternal admonition or brotherly reproof opposed to flattery and secondly the giving a true report opposed to detraction Because we are joyned together by the law of love or charity and for that as S. James saith In many things we offend all therefore God took order in his law that as we should not slander or speak evil of our brother so we should admonish and reprove him when he 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin to rest upon him This is as much to say that as the Heathen man said we should cum opus est contristari amicum when there is occasion even to make sad the heart of our friend by reproof If any be disordered by a bare admonition if the offence be small and without aggravating circumstances then to reprove him in the spirit of meeknesse but if it be otherwise to reprove him sharply and roundly if it be an open fault then openly and before all if secret then privately in the ear with this caveat except it redound to the damage and detriment of another for then it must be declared to the party whom it concerns So we see as S. Augustine saith that there is a double truth 1. Dulcis quae fovet a sweet truth which cherishes when we do well 2. Amara quae curat a truth which is bitter yet cures us when we have done amisse And therefore the Apostle writes to the Corinths Though I made you sory yet I repent it not though the example of the person punisht made you sorry for a 〈◊〉 Rather I do now rejoyce not for the act of punishment inflicted upon the offendor as for your amendment by that act Thus we see reproof is a way to bring men to repentance and therefore we are to perform this duty that thereby we may bring men to repentance and so having performed it we shall never repent us of it And this is the reason of that speech Non amo quenquam nisi 〈◊〉 I love not any till I have made him sad which is to be thus understood that by making him sad we bring him to repentance and so we testifie our love to him There are some such as the Philosopher saith who having done evil if a man come to deal with them he must either 〈◊〉 veritatem or prodere amicitiam betray the truth or lose their friendship they cannot abide this 〈◊〉 But though they be such yet we must not fear openly to rebuke them for as Solomon saith Open rebuke is better then secret love and vulnera diligentis the wounds of a friend are better then oscula blandientis the kisses of a flatterer as in Physick we know Amarum salubre a bitter thing whlosome is better then perniciosum dulce an un wholsome thing though sweet This duty must not be neglected though we shall be sure to meet with such as the Prophet Amos mentions who will hate him that reproves them For this was seen by the Heathen as appears by that speech Veritas odium parit truth brings forth hatred There are tres optimae matres trium filiarum pessimarum three very good Mothers which have three most wicked Daughters the first of which mothers is Truth quae parit odium which brings forth Hatred so there is mater optima filia pessima an exceeding good mother and a most naughty daughter Neverthelesse we must resolve to speak truth to our friend though we make him sad as Demaratus in Herodotus who speaking to Xerxes the King began thus Shall I speak truth or what will please you If I speak truth you will not like it and yet Non poteris uti me amico adulatore I cannot be both a friend and a flatterer therefore I will speak truth for though it be not to your liking yet it may be for your good The vice opposite to this duty of fraternal reproof is flattery which Hierom calls Natale malum our native evil for natali ducimur malo philantiae we are all transported with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and inbred evil of self-self-love and hence it is as Plutarch observed that every one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own chief and greatest flatterer And because we love our selves therefore we think we are good and that he that loves us doth his duty and is therefore good ipso facto in so doing And therefore he that speaketh in commendation of what we do we thereupon think him to be a good man 〈◊〉 that he doth but his duty and for this cause we love him On the contrary he that grieveth us we think him to be evil and consequently hate him This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this native evil and that good 〈◊〉 which we have of our selves makes us 〈◊〉 we do cito nobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 please our selves if any good be spoken of us as if any will say we are 〈◊〉 presently we believe him and willingly hear him for ubi propitia mens est where the minde is favourable propitiae aures the ears will stand wide open to receive any thing that is said Nay further as 〈◊〉 saith when men will deny what the flatterer saith and say it is not so with them they deserve no such praise yet etiam blanditiae cum excluduntur placent flatteries do please men though they be not believed or received And hence it is that a man having this good perswasion of himself is 〈◊〉 to say as those in Esay Prophecy not to us true things but prophecy pleasing things such things as we do love and like and
Ignorance 2. Infidelity 3. Security 4. Pride And this last taketh deeper root then all the other It is the highest mountain that stood in Christs way and except John Baptist take the pains to remove it he can never come to us This vice by the Fathers is called Morbus Satanicus the Devils disease from its first original as Morbus Gallicus is so called from the persons from whom first it sprang It is highly descended and taketh hold of them that are highly born for it was first born in heaven Ero similis altissimo I will be like the most High It was Lucifers vaunt he would have part of Gods glory and be above his degree and that made him fall The Devil hath knowledge and fear but wants humility And Adam took this infection from Satan and we as his heirs The Devil as he said of himself Ero I will be so he told Eve Eritis sicut Dli ye shall be as Gods He would not suffer them to be content with that honourable estate in which God had placed them but perswaded them ambitiously to seek an higher The Apostles came joyful and proud in a bragging manner to Christ and told him that the Devils were subject to them they gave not glory to God But that which Christ said to them may be an instruction to us Rejoyce not that they are subject to you c. for I saw Sathan falling from heaven like lightning c. Pride consisteth especially in two things Either 1. a nobis or 2. 〈◊〉 to our selves or for our selves our own glory And both these are comprehended in the speech of Nebuchadnezzar Is not this great Babylon which I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power there is the first and for the honour of my Majesty there is the second If we assume any thing either as our own act or for our ownglory that is pride Of which there are divers degrees 1. If we conceive that we have greater abilities then we have which commonly is when we have none at all as the Church of Laodicea that said she was rich and had need of nothing and knew not that she was wretched miserable blinde and naked None are so subject to this as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 novices that are green and shallow and therefore apt to be lifted up with pride and fall into the comdemnation of the Devil This is one degree Of this S. Chrysostome saith That it is no commendations for a servant to be humble but if a man either for place or parts have wherewithall to be proud and yet is humble this deserves commendations 2. The second degree is when we esteem that little we have more then it is worth when we conceive we are better then indeed we are when as the Prophet speaks we seal up great sums and think that we are full of wisdom and perfect in beauty Stretching our selves as the Apostle without measure This the Devil makes use of and either shewes us our selves by a false light or makes us look upon our selves through a mist whereby we seem greater then we are making us drunk with self love causeth us to see gemina objecta geminos soles every thing seemes double to us as to a drunken man 3. The third degree of pride is when we conceive that we are the causes of that good which is in us for it is a more excellent thing for a man to have a thing of himself then from another if we have it of our selves we conceive the glory is the more But the Apostle nips this conceit and abateth the edge of this degree of Pride by saying What hast thou that thou hast not received 4. The fourth degree of pride is when a man conceiveth that though he have it not yet he deserveth it and ought not to stand to the courtefie of another And this is also laid flat on the ground by Jacob who was as well deserving as any O Lord I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies All we have is of Gods mercy not of our own merit The Church of Rome is charged with the two kindes of pride mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar and for our selves we professe that we are so far from thinking that we have any good of our selves that we say we have received all from the Father of lights But how true it is that we so think will be tryed by these two things 1. If we take it into due consideration that whatsoever we have we are not Proprietaries but Dispensators and Stewards that we must not account of it as our own but that there is a Lord over us that doth commit them to our good and orderly usage of them and herein we fail by mispending our means and misimploying our gifts as if we were owners and not stewards and if we be reproved we are ready to say It is my own I may do what I will with it 2. And secondly if we know that we have no other propriety in them but that they are onely committed to our trust then if we consider that when the Owner calls for it we are willingly to restore it And this consideration comes not seriously into the mindes of many for let but God withdraw any of his gifts there is such murmuring and grudging that it shews plainly they are not willing to restore them freely and it is a hard task to perswade them that they were but Feoffees in trust onely to dispose of them as it best pleased the owner 5. Another thing there is which makes us guilty of this sin of pride If our gifts be but equall with other mens yet if we imploy them better then others do we conceive a greater excellency in us then others And this was the fault of the Pharisee who boasted of the use of those gifts which God had given him as abstinence justice chastity and withall acknowledged from whom he had them for O God saith he I thank thee this gratitude was good but then I am not as other men as this Publicane this spoiled the rest of his actions he reputed himself more excellent then others and in ascribing the use of these gifts to himself he fell into contempt of his brethren And this singularity hindered his prayer from being accepted it is a sin not onely odious in it self but a special impediment of Gods grace The common place of humility is very strange in these times and why Because the Papists use it but it were to be wished that we would make use of whatsoever good thing they use for the forbearance and disuse of it hath brought our religion to that passe it is come to Whether we consider those that live among us without any sense of God or those that have eminent parts yet want humility we condemn that opinion of the Church of Rome that any one man cannot erre they ascribe to man what is
a man have a taste of Gods mercy in the remission of his sins The Prophet David being before cast down presently saith Verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer S. Augustine asketh how David knew this and answereth himself habuit gustum aliquem divinorum he had some taste that God had forgiven him his sins 3. The third is when a man continueth in a patient waiting of Gods leisure as King David did 〈◊〉 till God came to him he would walk in a perfect heart and take no wicked thing in hand O when wilt thou come unto me saith he I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 1. The signes of true thankfulnesse likewise are diverse The first is when a man feeleth himself filled with marrow and fatnesse as rapt with consideration of Gods favours and benefits 2. When a man is jealous of his own ingratitude that after his cleansing he wallow no more in sin and lest he make himself uncapable of Gods hearing his prayer for any more mercies 3. When beneficia become veneficia when his benefits charm us and make us withstand strong temptations as Joseph did though his Mistris tempted him very strongly yet he answered her My Master hath done this and this for me how can I then do this great wickednesse and sin against God This is a great signe that a man is truely thankful unto God that when God hath bestowed his benefits upon him he is the more careful thereby not to break his law 4. The last signe is when we defer not our thanks A type of this was in the law The sacrifice of thanksgiving was to be eaten the same day not kept longer No procrastination of thanks Nihil citius senescit gratia nothing grows old sooner then thanks Now concerning the sixth rule as in the former we are to procure this duty to be performed by others 1. Saul when he should have betaken himself to prayer thought the enemies came too fast and not only layed away the ephod himself but willed the Priest to withdraw his hand it is noted by the holy Ghost to Sauls infamy Therefore as we are to avoid all impediments to our selves so are we not to discourage others with them in Job Who is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray to him One of the Fathers maketh this answer Beneficium projicitur ingrato collocatur grato a good turn is cast away upon an unthankful man but bestowed upon a thankful person He is kinde unto the unthankful and evil 2. And as we must not hinder others so for the affirmative part the invitation we have Davids and it is in the beginning of our Liturgie O come let us sing unto the Lord. O come let us worship and fall down And O praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his name together But especially in the hundred fourty eighth Psalm he is not contented onely to the company of men in this duty but dragons snow fire and all creatures not that they could praise the Lord but that there is not the basest creature of them all that had not cause enough to praise the Lord if they could And thus much for prayer CHAP. XII The seventh vertue required is Love of God That God is to be loved Of mercenary and free Love The excellency of Love The measure of Love The opposites to the Love of God 1. Love of the world 2 Self-love 3 Stupidity 4. Loathing of God All the motives of Love are eminently in God 1. Beauty 2. Propinquity 3. Benefits bestowed Six signes of Love Of drawing others to Love God THe next duty is Love The same which the Apostle saith of the Law to have been for a time till the promised seed came may be said concerning the other affections and their actions that they were onely till the love of God came of which the Fathers say that occupare amorem to have love in us drowneth all other affections For we have fear first and being delivered from that we feared we love and being heard in what we hope and pray for we love God and say with the Prophet dilexi quia audivit c. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice There is a coherence between love and prayer We have formerly said that to enjoy and have a thing we are first to know it and the knowledge of it breeds in us a true estimate of it and the estimate of a thing makes us love it so habere Deum est scire to possesse God is to know him and this knowledge breeds a true estimate of God whereupon we love him for according to our estimation our love is more or lesse to that we have These affections of fear and hope are for this end that when God hath bestowed on us the things we either fear to lose or hope to enjoy we may the better esteem of them For as cito data vilescunt we sleight those things which are easily got when we can but ask and have so the things we have felt the want of so long and for which we have been humbled when they come we will the better regard them and love him the better for them The object of love is bonum in which the very natural reason of man hath found two properties viz. that it is 1. Communicative 2. Attractive 1. Every good is desirous to communicate it self to as many as are willing and meet to partake of it As we see in the Sun and other celestial bodies in the natural elements so there is in God a quality of desiring to communicate his goodnesse and indeed it was the cause why he created all things to have a church and to shew his glory and mercy on it So that the minde of man seeing this nature in God consequently hath a desire to it and that desire goeth so far till it come to a conjunction and that to an union ita conjungi 〈◊〉 uniantur because by the union of two good things there will come good to the desirer which he had not before and whereby he is made better 2. Secondly it hath vim attractivam It hath been said that if inferiour things be coupled and united with things of more excellent nature they are thereby made more noble As a potsheard being covered with gold As on the other side things which are excellent being joyned with viler are made more abject as the minde of man with inferiour creatures And there can be nothing which can make the minde more transcendent then the conjunction of it with that which in it self is all good and containeth all good things and that for ever and from hence ariseth this attractive property and force for in every good there is that force which allureth And therefore to shew us this good it is nececessary that faith and knowledge precede
Bonum non amatur as the School-men say quod non cognoscitur the good that is not known cannot be loved For if it were known it being the natural desire of all to be better we should love it to be the better by it It is therefore well said That good things have no greater enemy then ignorance Knowledge and faith then as is said shewing us this good love will be stirred up in us and then follows unio affectus the union of the affection all that we can have here and in the life to come instead of this fruition by faith fruition by cleer vision There are two sorts of love 1. Amor mercenarius a mercenary love 2. Amor gratuitus a free love They are distinguished thus when a man loves his meat and drink and when he loves his friend or brother it is certain these loves are not all one in the one there is a desire to have the thing loved that he may make use of it for his own benefit for the present not caring what becomes of it after but his love to his friend is to do him good for himself or for his own sake and it includes in it bene velle bene facere to wish him good and to do him good in the former á man looks at himself and his own good onely in the other at his good whom he loves the first is amor concupiscentiae the other amor amicitiae The Philosopher distinguishes them by Vnde Quo whence and whither In the first love the question is made by Quo in the other by Vnde In the first we ask what good comes to us by it in the other what good it hath in it self though it be no benefit to us The one hath an eye that looks inward on our selves the other outward upon others Yet these two though they may be distinguished yet are not alwayes divided for the one oft-times is the beginning of the other both in our loves to God and man for those that have been beneficial to us though we love them at first for the benefits we receive by them yet afterwards we come to love them for themselves 1. The first ariseth from hope Because a man being cast down by fear conceives hope upon Gods promises then sending forth prayer receiveth fruit and saith Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voice of my humble petition And thou hast given me my hearts desire which fruit stirreth up the first love and this amor concupiscentiae the love of concupiscence which goes before 〈◊〉 gratuitum free love for as the Apostle saith that is not first which is spiritual but that which is natural or carnal and then that which is spiritual so free love of God for himself is not first but first we love him for his benefits and then for himself and this is true love Therefore it is said that 〈◊〉 vertues of clemency affability liberality c. were greater then Cato's of justice and fidelity in his dealings because the former looked at the good of others these reflected upon himself and his own good That which is natural will be first 〈◊〉 before amicitia or benevolentia and this is the inchoation of the other Perfect love is not attained at first for nemo repente fit summus now S. Chrysostome wondreth how men can slip themselves out of this love for if they will love any for his benefits none bids fairer for this amor mercenarius then God for he offereth for it the kingdom of heaven The Fathers compare fear to the wildernesse and these two degrees of love to the land of promise this mercenary love to that part of it which lay beyond Jordan and the other to that part upon which Sion and Jerusalem stood For amor gratuitus which looks not at reward Saint Bernard saith that Deus nunquam sine praemio diligitur our love to God is never unrewarded though sine intuitu praemii diligendus est he ought to be loved without looking at the reward The Apostle respected his own commodity so little that he wished himself accursed that the glory of God might shine in the salvation of Israel It is lawful to love God for his benefits for God uses them as motives to stir us up to love him and the best of Gods servants have so practised Moses looked at the recompence Hebrews 11. but we must not rest there nor love him onely or chiefly for them but for himself otherwise we love not him but our selves ratio diligendi est Deus ipse modus sine modo the cause of our love must be God himself and the measure without measure saith S. Bernard Some divide love into Quoniam Tametsi Because and Although 1. The first is that which is called mercenarius I love the Lord saith the Psalmist and why He is my defence Psalm 18. 1. And in another place Because he heard my voice yet seeing David did not love God onely or chiefly for his benefits his love was not properly mercenary but true though not perfect To shew the excellency of love S. Paul hath a whole chapter wherein he prefers it above all other vertues and saith in effect If a man for his knowledge and elocution might be compared with Angels and by his faith were able to remove mountains and by his liberality had relieved the poor with all his estate and for his constancy had suffered martyrdome yet were all these vertues little worth except they were joyned with the love of God And in the end of the Chapter after this general commendation of love he prefers it in particular above Faith and Hope 1. If we take the dimension of it it is greatest both in breadth and length of all other For whereas Faith and Hope are restrained within the bounds of mens persons and to singulars this dilateth it self and extendeth both to God and man in general to our selves our friends yea to our enemies S. Augustine saith Beatus qui amat te amicum in te inimicum propter te blessed is he that loves thee and his friend in thee and his enemy for thee And this is the latitude 2. In longitude also For whereas the other are but in us in the nature of a lease but for terme of life the gift of love shall be as a free hold and continue for ever in heaven Our Saviour maketh both the Law and Prophets to consist of one Commandment namely Love And the Apostle reduceth all to one head and if there were any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this of love And it is our Saviours mandatum novum admit that all the old Commandments were cancelcelled yet this new commandment ties us to the duties of all And indeed S. John saith commending this duty Brethren I write no new commandment unto you but an old Commandment for both the old and new are all one There is both in the
God and man Tho. 2. 2. q. 23. c. Saint Augustine exemplifieth it by the love and care a man beareth to the ungratious children of his friend for though they many times are not to be loved for themselves yet for the love he beareth his frend either alive or dead for his sake he overcometh that conceit and beareth affection to them aud thus in respect of similitude we are to love God for himself and man for God And for this we have received a Commandment from God That as we love God for himself so we love man for God the Commandment lieth upon us in both respects 2. And further this second is like the former because the love of our neighbour commanded in the second is a signe of our love of God commanded in the first table and therefore Saint John saith expresly that if any 〈◊〉 say that he loves God and hates his brother he is a lyer for how can he love God whom he 〈◊〉 not seen that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen and hence it is that Saint 〈◊〉 and Saint James say that all the law is fulfilled in this one Commandment thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self not properly and formally but ratione 〈◊〉 as the signe or effect argues the 〈◊〉 because the love of our brother is a signe of our love to God which is the cause of our obedience to all the other commandments for Saint Johns argument stands thus Things that are seen may sooner be beloved then those that are not seen If then our brethren cannot finde such favour at our hands as to beloved having seen them how shall we love God whom we never saw For as it is true downward whosoever loveth God must love his worke and the best of his work and therefore man so upward too it is necessary Whosoever loveth man of whom he oft times receives injuries must needs love God from whom he receiveth nothing but benefits Saint Gregory puts them both together Per 〈◊〉 Dei amor proximi gignitur per 〈◊〉 proximi amor Dei 〈◊〉 The love of a man to his neighbour is begotten by mans love to God and the love of man to God is nourished by his love to his neighbour and Amor Dei amorem proximi generat amorproximi cale facit amorem Dei which is all one with the other in effect and with that of Saint Augustine Diligendo proximum purgas oculum ad videndu 〈◊〉 Deum by loving thy neighbour thou makest thy sight the clearer to see God 3. Again this similitude holds in regard of the punishment or reward for keeping or neglecting of this second which is no lesse then for that of the first Inasmuch as ye did it not faith our Saviour to one of these ye did it not to me and econtra where we see the reward or punishment there mentioned to be given will be not for any duty done or omitted to God himself but as he cometh to be considered in the person of an afflicted brother for it is expressed both affirmatively v. 34 35. c. that what was done to them was done to Christ himself and negatively v. 42. 43 c. that what was denyed to them was denied to Christ. And thus we see the reason why Christ saith the second Commandment or second table is like the unto the first and withal the first end or scope of it viz. That God might be loved not onely in and for himself but also in our brother who is to be loved for his sake Another end of the second table is that as the first is the foundation and ground of all religious society as we are the Church of God and is therefore called the great Commandment so in the second should be laid the ground and foundation of all Common-wealths and Civil societies of men as the first doth perducere nos ad Deum as S. Augustine saith unite and bring us to God so the second unites one man to another by the matual duties they owe one to another this is a second end of this table and it is gathered from the creation of man at the first Gen. 2. 18. Where it is said that it is not good for man to be alone and therefore he must have a helper This second table therefore respects the perfecting of Gods purpose in the work of his creation that one man be an helpe to another The words Love thy neighbour as thy self contain three things 1. The duty or act Commanded Love 2. The object of this Love Thy neighbour 3. The manner of this Love 〈◊〉 diligendi As thy self In the duty Commanded which is the sum of the second table we must know first what is the sence of the words As there are in Latine so in Greek and Hebrew 〈◊〉 words that signifie to us the affection of love 1. The general word is Amor in latine it 〈◊〉 an affection that extends it self aswel to things unreasonable as reasonable whether it be Amor concupiscentiae or Amor amicitiae howsoever it be it comes under amor And in this respect we love al the creatures of God that is we desire to have them preserved which is to be in the state wherein God created them and thus we love not the Devil as Saint Augustine saith and his Angels but 〈◊〉 Dei judicium in 〈◊〉 his just judgement upon them in placing them in that estate and that they should continue in it 2. The second word to expresse love is benevolentia good will whereby we desire and seek the good of him we love and this is onely in reasonable creatures whereas that of 〈◊〉 may be in all creatures yet this is many times rash and accompanied with errour and not grounded upon sound judgement 3. The third is Dilectio which is without errour grounded upon judgement and upon a good and sufficient cause and that is when we love another in and for God for this distinguishes Christian love from all other love Saint Augustine saith that he that will be vetus amator a true lover must be verus 〈◊〉 astimator one that hath and can give a true estimate of things 〈◊〉 as Saint Ambrose saith quando errat judicium perit 〈◊〉 every good act is out of square and indeed is lost when our judgement 〈◊〉 Now in Christian love God is the ground for our love will decay if it be not propter Deum for Gods sake This makes our love extends even to our enemies whom we ought to love for God for though we be hated of those we love yet are we in no other case then Christ himself was who yet loved his enemies even Judas who betrayed him Therefore it pleased God to recommend unto us under the name of proximus neighbour all mankinde even strangers and enemies as our Saviour shewes in the parable of the Samaritan and the man that fell among
kindred or cohabitation but Mercy that 〈◊〉 a man to be a Neighbour and seeing every man even an enemy may be an object of mercy therefore every man even an enemy is a Neighbour And it is not Christs exposition onely but the Law saith the very same in the case of a stray ox or asse If thy brothers ox or asse go astray c. which brother in another place is said to be even an enemy for there is in the same Law 〈◊〉 23. 4 5. where it is said If thy enemies ox or asse go astray c. He that is the object of our love is expressed in Scripture by three words which are distinguisht in the Hebrew as well as in the Latine 1. Amicus a friend or fellow 2. Proximus a neighbour 3. Frater a brother which is used by S. John constantly in his first Epistle In all which are motives and grounds of love For 1. In brethren there is identitas naturae c. identity of nature which makes all creatures love one another one beast delighting in another of the same kinde and little children delighting in their image in the glasse shew this 2. Now as this similitude is a 〈◊〉 of love so is identitas originis identity of beginning therefore it is a natural thing for brethren born to love one another because they have the same original and nothing so unnatural as one brother not to love another 2. Between Friends love is the cause of love for it will be mutual and reciprocal 〈◊〉 amoris magnes love is a loadstone to love Our Saviour knew this well and therefore in the Commandment of love he expresseth it is thus That ye love one another it must be amor mutuus mutual love Another ground of love among friends is societas periculi 〈◊〉 when men partake of the same danger or deliverance as Captives under the Turk delivered by the same ransom This ground of love we have who being all in danger of hell and become captives of Sathan are delivered by the same ransome by Christ. This makes friendship and causeth love in men that never saw one another before 3. Now for proximus it is defined ab usn of the use and benefit that one hath by another God hath not given to any man such gifts but that he needeth the gifts of his brother God hath not given all his gifts to any one and therefore there is none but hath need of another and therefore 〈◊〉 utilitas use and utility are the grounds of propinquity and make men become proximi neighbours 4. Lastly there is 〈◊〉 instituti both amongst 〈◊〉 friends and neighbours all do tendere ad idem tend to one and the same end that is to be partakers of the blessednesse which the angels of God enjoy for this is institutum 〈◊〉 proximi 〈◊〉 amici nostrum omnium the end and scope of my brother neighbour friend and my self and of all of us These then are the reasons of Gods using those words and the reasons also of our love Now in this object of our love proximus our neighbour there are two things to be 〈◊〉 1. That we must beware we take not the sin of our neighbour for our neighbour for that which hath interposed it self and indeed is not de 〈◊〉 is sin and 〈◊〉 proximus a sinner It is sure that Omnis peccator quatenus peccator odio habendus est every sinner as he is a sinner is to be hated and omnis 〈◊〉 quatenus 〈◊〉 diligendus every man as he is a man is to be beloved Therefore Sic homines diligendi ut non errores diligamus diligendi quia facti sunt non quia fecerunt we are to love men so as not to love their errours and so to love them that are made as that we love not that they do so to love that which God made them as not to love what by sin they made themselves The reason is because we have all one 〈◊〉 or end we do therefore love one another because we shall be partakers of the same soveraign good of eternal happinesse and sin being an hindrance or obstacle to that end how can we love that which hindreth from that whereto we tend He that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul. And so we may say he that loveth the sin of his brother hateth his soul. 2. We must know that in proximitate neighbourhood there are degrees of neernesse whereby one is neerer then another In which respect that affection which causeth us to remember some before others in our prayers is not from any corruption of our nature because omission of duty to one is a greater sin then to another for the duty to a father is greater then to a stranger But as in natural things there is major 〈◊〉 a stronger motion where there is major 〈◊〉 a stronger inclination so where there is a greater duty owing there God will have a greater affection Because the earth is to come 〈◊〉 to the Center then the water therefore it hath majorem gravitatem a greater degree of 〈◊〉 to draw it thither and so where the greater actions or duties are required there greater affections or a greater measure of love which is a weight pressing to the 〈◊〉 is necessary not onely charitas but also ordo charitatis cadit sub 〈◊〉 as the 〈◊〉 determine As therefore the affection of love is required so our love must be ordered as the Schools speak The demonstration standeth thus If wheresoever there is principium a beginning there whatsoever is 〈◊〉 principio 〈◊〉 to it is 〈◊〉 first and so consequently there is an order and so every thing as it is 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 off must first or latter be intended Now there are two causes or principles of Love God and our selves and therefore the neerer any are to these principles as some men are neerer to our selves as Fathers Mothers c. so are neerer to God by grace the more they are to be loved Let us see then this order in our charity that it may be ordinata charitas charity well ordered To which purpose it must stand thus 1. God 2. Our own souls 3. Our brothers soul. 4. Our bodies 5 The body of our neighbour or brother 1. God is to be loved especially and in the first place because he is that chiefest good by the communication whereof we are all made good So saith S. Augustine 〈◊〉 vera summa vita in quo a quo per quem bona sunt omnia 〈◊〉 bona sunt God is the true and chief life in from and by whom are all good things And as another Cum 〈◊〉 Deum 〈◊〉 in ipso 〈◊〉 by loving God we finde all things God is the universal nature to whom all things give place He must have the first place in our love as in policie the publick good is preferred before all private respects and therefore a good Citizen will be
lovest thy self or for the same cause And thou lovest thy self because thou lovest God and so consequently all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei that are Gods because thou thy self art aliquid Dei something of God therefore thou lovest thy self and so consequently thou must love they neighbour propter 〈◊〉 for God and 〈◊〉 for this cause thou lovest thy brother thou 〈◊〉 him as thy self in respect of the end So also and in this 〈◊〉 thou must love thy brother 2. The second is the 〈◊〉 the applying this love to that end And that is that in asmuch as I love my self I wish my self good and that not in my 〈◊〉 but best part which is my reasonable soul and therefore I wish more especially the chiefest good of it 〈◊〉 bonum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is eternal blessednes and this is it which I must look to in my brother If I love him as my self I must love him ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partis for the good of his better part and that is the good of the inward man of which the Apostle speaks whereas the most love onely the outward man now the chiefest good of the inward man consists in 〈◊〉 Dei in the sight and fruition of God But because none can come to this except the impediments be removed which is sinne Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligit proximum hoc cum 〈◊〉 debet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipse 〈◊〉 toto corde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that truly 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 must work upon him so 〈◊〉 he also love God with all his heart Take care to remove his sinnes and as for a mans self 〈◊〉 his will do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to some sin non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it would hinder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 good so ought he to love his neghbour as not to consent to the evil will of his neighbour in any bad action because that would hinder his chief good The Scripture speaks of things not alwayes as they are but as they ought to be and so requiring us to love others as our selves it is not meant of our self love 〈◊〉 it is corrupt but as we ought to love our selves specimen naturae capiendum ex optima natura a pattern in nature must be taken from nature pure and 〈◊〉 in its integrity so that a man ought not to love his neighbour as he doth himself but as he should love himself For Saint Augustine saith when I love my self either I love my self because I am or should be blessed the very same rule we should observe in our brother I must love him aut quia est 〈◊〉 ut sit either because he is or because he should be good Which I cannot do unlesse I win him ab impedimentis from the impediments and set him in via in 〈◊〉 right way for as Saint Augustine saith Non 〈◊〉 proximum tanquam seipsum si non ad id 〈◊〉 ad quod ipse tendis adducis Thou lovest not thy neighbour as thy self if thou 〈◊〉 him not to that good to which thou thy self tendest And he saith in another place 〈◊〉 est regula 〈◊〉 it is the onely rule of love ut 〈◊〉 sibi 〈◊〉 bona pervenire illi velit that he would have the same good come to his neighbour that he wisheth to himself 3. The third is the manner In loving any thing that is good there are two motives first Either it is for the sole and alone good of him that loves it or 2. Secondly for the good of the thing it self that is loved He that loves any thing not for it self but for himself doth not love it as himself this is not diligere 〈◊〉 seipsum but propter seipsum this is not ut faciat bonum sed ut potiatur quis bono not to seek his good whom we love but to make use of what good is in him for our selves as men love their instruments meerly for the use they have of them and not otherwise thus a man loves his shooing horn to make use of it to serve his turn in the morning and casts it away all the day after but our love to our neighbour should be gratuitus without hope of recompence and that he that we love may have the sole good by it Otherwise if we love him not as our selves for no man loves himself ut se potiatur that he may make use of himself as he loves meat drink c. and therefore must he love his neighbour not to make use of him for his own ends but propter seipsum for himself seeking and desiring his good 4. The last is the order It is sicut teipsum not sicut 〈◊〉 as our selves not as we love God we must beware of loving him so for we must love our selves infra Deum in a pitch below God and by consequence we must love our neighbour infra Deum after God Therefore we must not 〈◊〉 the will of any man be he of never so great excellency before the will of God Gods will must not give place to ours God is not so unwise as to bring in the second Table to overthrow the first but his scope in it was that it should be a table to direct and help us in performing the duties of the first 1. So that if our love to our neighbour in the first place be for God alone then it is Sancta dilectio 2. If it be to bring him to that end we aim at our 〈◊〉 then it is amor justus a just love 3. If it be meerly for our neighbours without respect to our selves then it is verus amor true love 4. and lastly if we prefer the love of God in the first place then it is ordinata dilectio well ordered love Now God in both these tables proceedeth further then earthly priuces he taketh order for the regulating of the heart and soul even for restraint of concupisence that there be no entertainment of sin within us and that we conceive no delight in it And this is the internal obedience of the second table to entertain no concupiscence prejudicial to our neighbour and it is the sum or substance of the tenth Commandment which God hath placed last not first that those two the first Commandment and the last the one concerning the inward worship of God the other the inward love and duty to our neighbour might be the bounds of his law Thus far for the second table in general Now for the fift Commandment being the first of the second table CHAP. II. The division of the commandments of the second table Why this is set here between the first and second table The parts of it 1. A precept 2. A promise In the precept 1. The duty Honour 2. The obiect father and mother The ground of 〈◊〉 1. Excellency 2. Conjunction The order of honouring differs from that of love Why God did not make all men excellent and fit to be superiours All paternity is originally and properly in God In man onely instrumentally
publica infamia nor ex semiplena probatione upon publick fame nor upon probable grounds but were to make him accuse himself in such cases a man may not answer And again in some 〈◊〉 if there be two things in the accusation and both true he may answer to the one and occultare partem veritatis hide or conceal the other part as S. Paul did when he was accused for perceiving that part were Sadduces who denyed the resurrection and part 〈◊〉 who held the resurrection he cryed out that he was a 〈◊〉 and held the resurrection and for that was questioned which was true for that was one thing for which he was called in question but it was not that alone So if a man have diverse wayes to defend himself he may choose which he will as he that hath diverse weapons may use which he will for his own defence But if according to due form of Law he be proceeded against he must answer as Achan did when Joshua urged him to confesse the truth 2. Whereas the benefit of appeal is granted for a remedy of those that are oppressed if any shall use appeals meerly to protract the cause and avoid a just sentence this is a second fault in the Defendant for this is to delay 〈◊〉 contrary to Jethro's advise who would not have people wait long for justice but to be dispatcht that they might go home to their place in peace 1. The Defendant offends if when sentence is given he do not submit to it for Qui resistit Dei ordinationi resistit he that resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God 5. For the witnesse he may likewise 〈◊〉 guilty diverse wayes 1. If being lawfully required by a Superiour demanding his testimony and asking him nothing that is 〈◊〉 to the matter in question if he do not declare all that he knows for the Law is 〈◊〉 that a witnesse if he 〈◊〉 not utter 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 seen and known shall bear his 〈◊〉 2. Though one be not required by a Superiour yet if it be to 〈◊〉 an Innocent man in danger he is bound to bear witnesse and he 〈◊〉 if he be silent Solomon makes it no small sin not to give testimony for the preservation of an innocent person If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn to death and those that are ready to be slain if thou 〈◊〉 behold I knew it not doth not he that 〈◊〉 the heart consider and shall not be render to every one according to his works But out of these cases if one not be called to witnesse by a Superiour or if an innocent person be not 〈◊〉 by his silence and if he be not examined about other things which belong not to the matter in question he is not 〈◊〉 to answer 3. Besides these Solomon intimates another way whereby a witnesse may offend when he bears false witnesse to deliver the wicked for though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand yet shall not the wicked escape unpunished The Greeks have a Proverb Da 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jusjurandum lend me an oath This lending an oath is that which Solomon calls a joyning of hand in hand and he saith plainly that though they may escape the hands of men yet shall they not escape unpunished that is God will be sure to punish them 6. Sixtly and lastly for the Advocate he may offend two wayes 1. If he undertake an evil cause knowing it so to be This is a great sin God saith having first prohibited any to raise a false report Put not thy hand unto the wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse now he that pleads 〈◊〉 a bad cause puts his hand to the wicked And in the third verse it s added Thou shalt not countenance a poor man in his cause viz. if his cause be bad If a man might plead for any in a bad cause surely it might be for a poor man but even for a poor man he must not Jehu said to Jehosaphat Wilt thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord. And the Apostle saith that not onely the doers of evil things are worthy of death but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that take pleasure in them or consent to them such are they that plead for them they give their placet as we use to do at congregations in the Universitie Greeks used the same words and gave their suffrages by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it pleaseth me and therefore whosoever pleads for the wicked cryes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am pleased with it he helps him and is partaker of his sin with him 2. Another way is by the Wise man when a man for defence of a cause in difference though it be good perverts the Law or receives a bribe The wicked 〈◊〉 he takes a gift out of the bosome to wrest the wayes of judgement As it is evil to joyn with the wicked to help an evil cause for he that saith to the wicked thou art just him shall the people curse so to bolster any cause by wrong means and thereby to pervert the course of judgement is wicked And because judgement is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the bench but also in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the place of consultation therefore false witnesse or testimony must not be given in elections or in choice of men to places or preferments for there ought to be justice and truth in both and he that gives his voice for one unworthy bears false witnesse and goes against justice and truth 〈◊〉 justice as the Philosopher defines it well is rectitudo in affectu impressa a recta ratione a rectitude stamped upon the affections by right reason and as electio dicit excellentiam so excellentia dicit magis aut plus as Election or choyce imports excellency in the party elected so excellency imports the best or most eminent now that in our choyce the best is alwayes to be chosen is the second rule in moral Philosophy which he that follows not goes against the truth and so justice is broken CHAP. IIII. Of false witnessing out of judgement Four things to which the tongue may do harme The branches of this kinde of false witnessing 1. Contumelious speaking 2. Taunting 3. Backbiting Which is 1. By words 2. By letters 3. By deeds 4. In all these a man may be a false witnesse 〈◊〉 he speak the truth AND thus we have done with false testimony given in judgement Now for that which is out of judgement When a man is out of judgement he is not to say with those in the Psalm Ego sum Dominus linguae meae my tongue is my own I may speak what I will for nemo est Dominus sui nisi ad licita no man is Lord of his own further then to imploy it for a lawful use Solomon hath a strange speech Be not a witnesse against thy 〈◊〉 without cause
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
are many things that cannot be demonstrated by reason yet of necessity must be believed as a father to be a father A man that would travail to a place which he knows not must believe those that have been there And if a man returning from travail report that he hath seen such aman or such a place it were hard he should not be believed except he bring proof or witnesse it being impossible to make demonstration by reason of that 〈◊〉 the like So much for the necessity of belief In the way of Faith we are to observe four Rules 1. It was the Rule of the Heathen that into what art soever a Scholar was initiated Oportet discentem credere the Scholar must beleeve his Master for whatsoever good we receive at the first we receive it from our Teachers And this ground hath this principle Actio perfecti in imperfecto recipitur we are imperfect before we can come to any perfection first imperfect then perfect Wood receives heat from fire before it can burn and be fire So learners receive knowledge by faith from others before they come to be perfect themselves This is confirmed by the Prophet Nist credideritis non stabiliemini if you will not beleeve surely you shall not be established 2. When we have received by beleef then we may seek for demonstrations either a prieri or a posteriori to confirm our belief because ut virtutum 〈◊〉 ita religionis principia quaedam in nobis innata sunt some principles of religion as of other vertues are inbred and natural to us though much defaced and depraved by humane corruption and principia religionis non sunt inter se contraria the principles of religion are not contrary one to another for then we should never come to any certainty of true knowledge But reason and religion agree and the true worship of God is proved by the principles of natural reason True reason is 〈◊〉 help to faith and faith an help to reason but faith is the Lady reason her dutiful Handmaid Eaith and right reason are not contrary but as a greater and a lesser light yea faith is samma ratio 3. Having thus submitted our selves to belief and strengthened it with reason we must look for an higher teacher For though faith be a perfect way yet we being unperfect walk unperfectly in it and therefore in those things which transcend nature and reason we must beleeve God onely and pray to him that by the inspiration of his holy spirit we may be directed and kept in this way 4. Because this inspiration cometh not totally at the first all at once we must grow to perfection pedetentim by little and little and come up by degrees till it please him to send in full measure to us Festinandum lente we must hasten yet slowly and take heed of and avoid praepropera consilia rash attempts according to the Prophets rule Qui crediderit non festinabit he that 〈◊〉 shall not make haste but go on according to the Apostles gradation Adde vertue to faith and knowledge to vertue c. and so by degrees And thus much for this point of via ad Dominum the way to come to God 1. By beleeving 2. By strengthening that belief 3. By expecting the Spirit for our Directer 4. And lastly by proceeding by degrees in a right path CHAP. V. 3 That we must beleeve there is a God Misbelief in four things 1. Autotheisme 2. Polytheisme 3. Atheisme 4. Diabolisme The reasons of Atheists answered Religion upholds all states The original of Atheisme from 1. Discontent 2. Sensuality THe third point is that we must believe there is a God This is our third station or journey for our better preparation and strengthening wherein we are to note four obstacles or errors which the Devil layes in our way Misbelief seen in four points The first is Autotheisme When Adam was in the state of perfection it was impossible to perswade him either 1. That he was a God or 2. To worship any Creature as God or 3. To believe that there was no God 4. Or to worship the Devil as a God And therefore he used all his art to deceive him and perswaded him that by eating the Apple his eyes should be opened and that he should plainly perceive that he should be like to God And by his perswasion he departed from God by unbelief and presumption to whom he must come again by belief and humiliation but in the same day wherein he transgressed Gods command and followed the Devils counsel he confuted that opinion assoon as he had tasted the forbidden fruit by hiding himself behinde the bush So Alexander by his flatterers perswasions was drawn to believe himself to be a god but being wounded at a siege he cryed hic sanguis hominem denotat his blood shewed plainly to be a man And the Emperour Claudius that was in the same humour being scared with a clap of thunder fled into his tent and hiding himself could cry out Hic Deus Claudius non est Deus this is God Claudius is none The second is Polytheisme Because God was a help to Man after his fall in making him garments directs him how to dresse the earth to yield him food and gave him the use of the creatures and this was a help and stay to man the Devil by a false inversion struck into the mindes of his posterity that whatsoever was beneficial to man was his god and so saith the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which feedeth us is a god and so deriving that good to the instrument which was proper to the 〈◊〉 many gods were brought into the opinions of men as Men and Celestial Bodies and at last they came unto such an extremity of absurdity as that Cats Crocodiles and many other unreasonable creatures became to be worshipped as gods The third is Atheisme When this multitude of Gods grew so great as that the Poet said of them Quorum nascuntur in hortis numina they had gods growing in their Gardens it soon became a question and a doubt was made whether there were a God or no. And this was the cause as some conceive why Diagoras first broached this doubt Lastly Diabolisme After that the Devil had brought the World thus far it was impossible it should stay long there therefore to shew his Master-piece he brought himself by his lyes false and doubtful Oracles and the like first into admiration and then even to adoration causing the people to worship him as a god And he wanted not worshippers even of the most learned and greatest persons As Appollonius Tyaneus Jamblicus and Julian the Apostata who being of no religion fell to worship the Devil and proved Necromancers Sorcerers and Conjurers The like successe he had in the East Indies where the Gospel was preached by S. Thomas the Apostle The people in after ages falling into contention about religion they grew at length
God should be loved for his All-sufficiency in the highest degree and there is nothing that makes us love God more then for the enjoying of his benefits and his benefits are never more highly esteemed then when we want them for bonum carendo magis quam fruendo cernitur we discern and finde what is good for us more by being deprived of it then by enjoying it So that were there no defect we should not be so sensible of the good which we want 5. Nor would God ever permit evil but that thereby he can take occasion by his infinite wisdom and goodnesse that a greater good may arise As we plainly finde that from the greatest evil that ever was committed the betraying of our Saviour God took occasion to draw the greatest benefit that ever befell mortal men namely the Redemption of mankinde So much in answer to the first opinion Now to prove that there is a providence 1. In generals 2. In fingular and particulars 3. Not onely by the ordinary course of secondary causes but immediately from God himself There is a providence in general matters 1. It is natural to every one ut curet quod procreavit to have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a natural love and affection to that which it bringeth forth and this being the gift of God in his creatures cannot be wanting in himself Astorgia is a vice and to be reproved in man and therefore cannot befal God but when it seemeth to fall in God by his laying afflictions and troubles upon any of his creatures it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or want of love to them but a manifest providence over them for whom he loves he chastens and thereby furthers their chiefest good 2. No wise Artificer will give over his work before he have finished it and brought it to perfection but every day God bringeth forth some new thing some new effect things which are tending to perfection for things are yet daily in generation and therefore God hath his providence over them to bring them thereunto 1. In particulars We see with Aristotle that the sea is far higher then the land the waters far above the brims of the earth and water is an unruly element apt to overflow by its natare yet Philosophers being unable to render a satisfactory reason why it overflowes not the earth it followes that it is of Gods providence who limits the bounds thereof and commands it to passe no further And if any say that the water and earth make one sphere or globe and therefore the swelling of any part is onely in appearance that spherical figure being the natural figure of the whole yet herein providence plainly appears in that some parts of the earth are made hollow to be receptacles for the sea which otherwise should by order of nature cover the whole earth and so the dry land appear for the use of Men and Beasts 2 The next reason is from Plotinus fetcht from the Plants which if they stand between two kinds of soyle soyle of two natures one dry and barren and the other moyst and fruitfull they will naturally shoot all their roots to the fruitfull soyle As also from lilyes and marigolds and divers other flowres that of themselves naturally close toward evening with the Sun-set lest they should receive evil and corrupt moysture in the night and in the morning open again to receive the heat of the Sun 3. The next is from Birds Our Saviour in a sermon to his disciples concerning Gods providence bids them observe and mark well Consider faith he the ravens for they neither sow nor reape they have neither storehouse nor barne and yet God feedeth them And King David testifieth the like that the Ravens are fed of God And it is reported that their young ones being forsaken by the damme and left bare a worme ariseth out of their doung creepeth up to their bill and feedeth them 4. The fourth is from fishes Aristotle reporteth that the little fish Pinnothera entring league with the Crab taketh a stone in her mouth and when the Oyster openeth against the Sun swimmeth in with the stone in her mouth so that the Oyster not being able to close again the Crab pulleth out the meat and they both divide the prey 5. The next is from Beasts we see that the Providence of God hath taken order that wilde beasts should not be so generative as Tame least by their multiplicity they should doe much harm Secondly Though they be naturally desirous of prey yet God hath so disposed that when the Sun ariseth in the day time when they might best fit themselves they get them away and lay them down in their denns and Man goeth forth to his labour and worketh securely till the evening as the prophet speaks and when man goeth to his rest then go they to seek their prey Which must necessarily be a great argument of Gods grovidence 6 And so generally from all living Creatures by discerning their several places of nourishment As the silly lamb among a multitude of Ewes to choose out its own damme As also in avoiding things noysom and hurtfull to them as the Chicken to run away at the noyse of a Kite even almost assoone as it is hatched the lamb to flee from the wolfe and the like 7. From the extraordinary love of parents to their children though never so deformed in as great measure as if they had no defect in nature 8. Lastly from the sudden cry of every Creature in distresse for which no reason can be given but that it is vox naturae clamantis ad dominum naturae the cry of nature to the God of nature as some of the Heathen have bin forced to confesse And thus we see the providence of God in particular concerning which Theoderet hath written against those that were of opinion that providence was but as a Clock which after the plummets are plucked up goes afterward of its own accord The Third particular to be proved is that the effects we see come not meerly of second causes or by nature nor by chance but mediatly or immediatly from God First not by nature or second causes alone 1. We say that meanes work nothing of themselves no more then bread can nourish of itself For there is a staffe of bread as the Prophet tels us which if it be broken bread itself will do us little good Christ calleth it the word and the psalmist hidden treasure which without Gods blessing will be put but as into a bottomlesse bag as the Prophet speakes This the Philosophers acknowledged and called it Infusion of strength nature and efficacy into the Creatures And it must needs be from the first and not from the second cause 2. Sundry things are effected without meanes as because men should not think the Sun to be the sole cause of Light God created the Light before the Sun Likewise he
Therefore it must be for his honour for to that end did he create us that for his honour we should seek and serve him 2. The next is that he rewards such as seek and serve him Where there are two relatives there is a grounded mutual duty between them as between a father and a son love and obedience between man and wife mutual love between Master and servant care and service between the Creator and Creature providence and honour Now between God and his true servants that seek him faithfully there is reverence and love and reward for it And though we be but verna Domini Gods bond-men and are bound to keep his laws because he is our Legislator Law-maker yet he hath promised reward to them that keepe them and doth not as kings who give laws and yet give no rewards to them that keep them but punish the breakers of them Gods goodnesse is greater to us men And as God hath a reward for his children that seek and serve him so hath he retribution viz. punishment for them that neglect him and break his commandments which we might easily prove both by ancient and modern story So that we may conclude this point that Gods providence is manifest in rewarding the good And so much against the Epicure CHAP. VIII The four religions in the world Of Paganisme reasons against the plurality of gods That there can be but one God proved out of their own Philosophers That their religion was false How man came to be worshipped How Beasts Of the miracles and Oracles of the Gentiles THe next point to be handled is That the Scriptures of the old and new Testament are onely true and that all other either Oracles or Books of Religions besides those are false and erroneous The Apostle hath set this for a principle or ground That though there are 〈◊〉 that be called Gods But to us there is but one God And if but one God then but one true Religion In the search whereof we come into a Quadrivium or way that hath four turnings viz. the four principal religions of the world In which the greatest part of the world have sought God These are 1. That of the Heathen in America and in the East Indies and 〈◊〉 and in a great part of Tartary who worship the Creatures c. and this is called Paganisme 2. That of the Jews scattered through the world and this is called Judaisme 3. That of Turks and Saracens in Asia part of Africa and Europe and this we call Turcisme or Mahometanisme 4. That which Christians hold which is called Christianity Now seeing that according to the Apostles rule there can be but one true It rests to prove which of them is so The Amperours Embassador being at Constantinople with the grand Signior or great Turk and espying in a cloth of estate four Candlesticks wrought with four candles in them three whereof were turned upside down 〈◊〉 the sockets as if they were put out and the fourth of them burning with this Arabique inscription Haec est vera lux this is the true light questioned the meaning thereof and was answered That there were four Religions in the world whereof three were false and the other which was theirs was the true Let us therefore examine which is the true and which the false and first begin with 1. Paganisme And this had once spread it self over all the earth except one corner of Syria and it cannot be denied but that in the knowledge of arts policy and Philosophy the Heathen exceeded all other nations and their light shined that way brightest above others and that in these things we have all lighted our candle at theirs And yet as the wisest of us may wonder at them for their extraordinary naturall and humane knowledge so the simplest of us may laugh at them for their absurdities in the worship of God so dim hath their light burnt in matter of Religion The Apostle in the place last quoted hath two arguments against them to prove that there must needs be but one God and they erred because they had many gods many lords And indeed many they had Varro makes the number of them 30000 whereof there were 300 Jupiters besides a number called dii majorum gentium minorum dii tutelares tutelar gods c. and as S. Augustine speakeh Quis numerare potest the number was so great that no man could reckon them 1. He from whom al things are can be but one The reason is Inferiour causes are resemblances of superiour and they of the Highest but we see in all inferiour causes many branches come from one root many parts are ruled by one head many veins from one Master-vein and many rivers and chanels from one fountaine So in Superiour causes there are many causes from one as many lights from one and many motions from one motion therefore in the highest cause this unity must needs be after a most perfect manner 2. In quem omnia concurrunt in whom all things meet as lines in the center In the mutual order of nature all things depend upon one another Mutuus ordo in se invicem est propter conjunctum ordinem in uno that mutual order which is is from order joyned in one as all things flow from one so they return to one again Therefore one and but one God But their own reasons are sufficient to convince them for Pythagoras saith that there must be an infinite power in God else mans understanding should exceed its cause that is the Creator of it because it is able to comprehend and conceive a greater thing then its cause were it only finite for si potest as infinita est tum natura infinita quia accidentis capacitas non excedit capacitatem subjecti if the power be infinite the subject in which that power is must needs be also infinite because the capacity of the adjunct exceeds not the capacity of its subject And there can be but one infinite therefore but one God If we grant two infinites there must be a line to part them if so then they are both finite and have several forces and being divided cannot be so perfect as if they were joyned together and both one But there can be no imperfectnesse in God Therefore we cannot admit of two Gods Again as Lactantius argueth If there be two Gods and Gods attribute being omnipotency they must be both omnipotent of equal force and power or unequal If of equal then they agree or disagree if equal and both agree then is one of them superfluous but superfluity is excluded from the Diety If they disagree and be of unequal power then the greater will swallow up the lesse and so reduce all into one and so the lesser is not omnipotent and by consequent no god And howsoever the Heathen outwardly held Polytheisme or many Gods because they durst do no other in policy to maintain and uphold their Common-wealths
passe 13. Lastly that for the crucifying of our Saviour the prophecies of Amos and Zachary were fulfilled in the eversion of the City and desolation of the Jewes A thing so strange that the very Heathen seeing it said that the hand of God was against them For of it self Jerusalem was so impregnable as that it might 〈◊〉 with the strongest piece in the world Besides Vespasian was forced to forbeare the siege a long time for want of water to refresh his army in somuch as he offered them not onely large proffers of peace but that they should set down their own conditions so they would yield all which they stubbornely refused But it is observed and certainly it was because of Gods wrath against the Jews that in the greatest distresse of the Romans for want of water upon a sudden the little brook Silo which for many years had been so dry as that men passed over it on foot did so swell and rise with water without any natural cause that it served abundantly for Vespasians whole army And to afflict the Jews the more the Lord sent such a plague into the City that besides many thousands slain in the siege they wanted ground within the wals to bury their dead and were forced to cast them over and such a famine that they were compelled to eat their own children Titus hereupon made the first breach into the city and that at the brook Cedron where the Jews apprehended Christ and at the same feast in which he was taken to wit the passeover He caused them to be whipped as they scourged our Saviour and sold 30 Jews for a 〈◊〉 as they sold Christ for thirty denaria or pieces of silver In the prophecy of 〈◊〉 it is said For three transgressions of Israel and for foure I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver c. The Jews being urged to tell of whom the prophet meant this having no other shift say that it was spoken concerning Joseph who was sold by the Patriarchs for silver But this prophecy was never more fully accomplished then in our Saviour the true Messiah in themselves concerning the vengeance For therefore suffered they that misery before mentioned and never since have been released but scattered over the world almost these 1600 years hated of all nations and become little better then bondslaves forsaken and scorned by all insomuch that whereas thy were wont to hire Rabbins to teach them the Rabbins are now forced to hire the Jews to be their Auditors The last 〈◊〉 position or tenet of the Jews is that the Messias is not yet come To answer them in this point besides some of the arguments against their second errour which fit this also 1. It is said by the prophet but thou Bethleem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come sorth to me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting This hath been and is confessed by all to be a plaine prophecy of the birth of the Messias in Bethleem And now there is no such place as Bethleem nor any memorial where it stood which shews plainly that it could be prophecied of none but Jesus who was born there and that he is the Messias In which respect they are put to their shifts to make this answer That he was born there before the destruction of the second Temple but hath ever since layen obscure insome place God knows where for they know not but he wil at length manifest himself But this answer Saint Augustine and others have sufficiently confuted though it be in it self scarce worthy of confutation 2 Again Julian the Apostata thinking to worke despite to the Christians gave leave to the Jews to reedify the Temple and they attempting to lay the foundation of it were hindred by flames of fire that brake out of the earth which burnt their tymber worke and dispearsed the stones and though the Emperour to encourage them to it again supplied the Jews diverse times after with mony towards the redifying it yet shall the fire burst out of the earth and overthrew that they did 3. Since which time there arose one that took upon him to gather together again the dispersed Jews who called himself Moses Cretensis this man to make himself great in their opinions would take upon him to divide the sea and with four hundred of his fellows would go through it dry-shod but he and they were all miserably drowned their friends that stood upon the shore to see the event being not able to save one of them 4. Lastly the time prefixed by their Rabbins when their Messiah should come is expired and they frustrate of their expectation The time which some of them allotted to it was twelve hundred years some thirteen hundred and ninetie some more some lesse Some of them affirming that the world should continue but six thousand years which they thus apportioned Two thousand yeers before the Law two thousand years under the Law to Christs time and two thousand years after Christ under grace of which are past above five thousand five hundred and seventy years already and therefore the expectation of their Christ is now vain and so is their Religion So that now they are so ashamed of their former accounts and calculations by failing of and in them so grossely that they forbid all men to make any more and that on pain of death Thus are they given up and led spiritu vertiginis so that though their eyes be open yet they will not see and their hearts are hardened that they will not understand as was prophecied of them long since And thus much for Judaisme CHAP. X. Of Mahometanisme This Religion proved to be false by seven reasons The third Religion is that of the Turks and Saracens called Mahometanisme THese Sectaries though they agree with us that there is but one God yet in the main point they differ from us and say that Christ is not the last prophet but Mahomet is the last and must finish all Prophecies Against their Religion there are seven demonstrations to prove the falsity of it 1. Because it cannot abide the touch for they hold that it must not be disputed of on pain of death no question must be made of it it must be taken upon trust whereas Truth delighteth in nothing more then in tryal Veritas nihil veretur nisi abscondi it fears nothing more then that it should 〈◊〉 come to light And in this point Mahomets disciples are like men that pay brasse for gold saying it is good but will not suffer it to be tryed 2. If ever there were book stuft with those which are called Aniles fabulae old wives tales it is their Alcaron which is every where fraught with most ridiculous untruths Andreas Maurus a 〈◊〉 and a Bishop quoteth nine hundred
of Neconcupisces as that they thought Concupiscence no sinne and for the rest though they had some particular Laws respectively against the breach of some commandment as against adultery incest and the like yet they dispensed with them as persons time and place ministred occasion to them Which we may see in the story of a King of Persia who being desirous to marry his own sister and knowing that there was a Law against incest brake his minde to the Magi desiring their opinions they told him that though there were such a Law yet there was another that the King might do what he would Whereas our Religion is so far from dispensing either with that or other the Laws of God that the saints of God had rather suffer death then them to be broken as in the case of John Baptist who told King Herod Tibinon licet it is not lawfull for thee to have thy brothers wife though it cost him his head for saying so 4. Another argument to prove the truth of our Religion is that both it and the Scriptures by which we are guided go to the heart whereas other Religions pierce not the skinne These stop the streames theirs make the Lusts of the flesh but affections Adiaphora indifferent things to be avoyded or not ours by prohibiting Concupiscence stop the fountain of all sinnes 5. Again it is a necessary consequence that that which cannot come from man comes from God But there are some things in Scriptures which are truly Metaphysicall and exceed the capacity of man as that Jehovah Elohim is one God and three persons trinity in vnity that God should become man that God should take upon him to be the redeemer of Mankind and that by his stripes and suffering punishment man should be healed that God should create a world and out of that gather a Church to himself These things and more cannot be comprehended by man and are not to be conceived but onely by our Religion 6. Not to conceale the faults of a mans parents or friends or to speake against a mans own countrey stock kinred or his own self is a thing altogether unnatural and cannot come into any but by a supernatural power But we see that Moses when no necessity compelled him spared 〈◊〉 ot his own stock but spake against his brother Aaron for making the Golden Calfe nor his sister Miriam in the case of murmuring no nor his own selfe at the waters of strife and committed the same to writing that Posterity should take notice of these things Yea and dispossessed his own children from succeeding him in the Magistracy constituting Josuah in their stead these acts cannot agree with the natural man but must needs proceed from a higher cause therefore the writers of these Scriptures must of necessity be inspired by God himself 7. Whereas the whole scope of Philosophers and of the Law makers among the Heathen was to teach how Princes might enlarge their territories and taught it as a point of wisdom to win by all means the favour of princes and great men this Religion teacheth contempt of life the world and worldly honours in respect of God and such was the practize of the prophets who were so far from seeking the favour of Princes that they reproved them to their faces when Gods cause was in hand Therefore this Religion is spiritual and proceeds not from man 8. Again we know that as God is a spirit so must his worship be spiritual and this is the scope of the Scriptures that God be honored without Images or shadows And though in the vnity of God that there is but one God to be worshipped false Religion may agree with the true yet in this point it doth not their Religion and the worship thereof being onely corporeal not spiritual For though in the Old Testament there be many Ceremonial worships prescribed yet God disclaimeth them all yea he abhorreth them if they be performed without the inward worship and sets down the way of worship wherein he most delighteth namely in a broken and contrite heart and spirit Therefore as man is bodily and his motions fall within the compasse of the Body so is that worship which comes from him bodily whereas Gods worship is spiritual and not corporal onely 9. To these may be added by us that we had Miracles and Oracles to confirme our Religion as they did to strengthen theirs And those beyond theirs in divers respects 1. The Miracles mentioned in Scriptures were not done in a corner but openly as were they which were done by Moses upon Pharaoh in the sight of his servants 2. They were notfrivolous or vain but profitable and beneficial 3 They were not imitable nor 〈◊〉 by Magique or mans art for what Magician can divide the Sea or cause the Sun to stand as in Josuahs time or make the Suns shadow goe back as in the diall of Ahas or to rain Manna as in the wildernesse Jannes and Jambres are not able to stand against Moses 2. And for our Oracles they were not as the Oracles of the Gentiles that spake placentia pleasing things or as they themselves say did speak such things as their Kings would have them speake nor are they ambiguous or doubtfull such as theirs that needed Delium interpretem some Apollo to explain them and in that respect as Porphyrius testifies of them they ever had their Postica back-doors evasions to help them But ours are void of flattery and are certain some of them being fullfilled 500. some 1000. years some 3000. years after they were uttered as the enlarging of Japhets tents which hapned not till the calling of the Gentiles and the like So much to prove the truth of both Testaments as our religion agrees with that of the Jews Now follow some reasons proper to the confirmation of the truth of Christian Religion CHAP 12. Special reasons for the Christian Religion as diff ring from the Jewish It purgeth the soul shews that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The testimony of the Apostles and 〈◊〉 the knowledge of what they wrote their Honesty The credit of the story Testimony from Pagans The star at Christs birth The crosse sacred with the Egyptians The miracles at Christs death The progresse of Christianity by weake means opposed by power and learning contrary to flesh and blood the excellency of the promises power in conversions The truth of Christs Miracles The constancy of Martyrs The ends of the apostles The Divels testimony against himself Saint Augustine out of 〈◊〉 de regressu animae one of the greatest enemies that ever the Church of God had saith that there is no true Religion that confesseth not that the soul of man 〈◊〉 to be purged and addeth that the Platonists received from the Caldeans that the soul of man non potuit perfici 〈◊〉 per principia and we know that Platos principles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father the minde and love which
And Saint Chrysostome Manifesta sunt que sunt ad mores fidem necessaria c. those things are apparent which are necessary to faith and manners and Mclchior Canus saith that there are diverse places of which none can give any other then the literal sense or can wrest them except he have a minde to wrangle And Ireneus saith that the plain places make the principles by which all other of dubious understanding must be judged Now the means to finde out the true sense of the Scriptures are many but may be reduced to six 1. Some means there are wherein all agree as namely there is pietas diligentia adhibenda goodnesse and diligence must be used And in the first place Prayer S. Augustine saith Oratio postulet lectio inquirat meditatio inveniat contemplatio degustet digerat let us ask by prayer seek by reading finde out by meditation tast and digest it by contemplation 2. The second means is by conference of places Saint Augustine saith that the lesse plain place in Scriptures is to be referred to that which is more plain and the lesse in number to the more in number 3. The third seemeth to be according to the counsel of the holy Ghost Inspectu fontium the better to discern the signification of the words to consult with the Original tongue with the Hebrew for the Old Testament and with the Greek for the New 4. To be acquainted with the phrase of the holy Ghost and this is to be gotten by the knowledge of the Dialect Idiome or Stile of the holy Spirit as the Apostle speaks by use to discerne it as the crucifying of the flesh mortifying the concupiscence c. for sometimes the holy Ghost in Greek sends us to the holy Ghost in Hebrew And these three last are for understanding of words the two next are for understanding of sentences and chapters 5. The first is that which the fathers call Oculus ad scopum to have an eye to the intent as what was the intent of giving the law in setting down such a prophecy doing such a miracle and the like as Saint Paul to Timothie reasoneth from the end of the law against those that made evil use of the law So saith Hilary Ex causis dicendi habemus intelligentiam Doctorum we finde out the meaning of the learned by finding out the cause why a thing was spoken 6. The last is that which the wise men among the Jewes say we must look round about us behinde and before us that is we must well weigh the Antecedents and Consequents and every Circumstance to understand any sentence and chapters whereof we doubt To these may be added those of Ireneus and Augustine That every one of these rules serve not for every thing but to diverse things diverse wayes and means may be applyed for the true understanding of words and sentences in the Scripture And therefore Stapleton committed an errour 1. Because he perceiving that some of these rules were not necessary to all concluded that it was not necessary at all 2. Because we attribute not the interpretation of the true sense of every place to each one of these but to all together he therefore concludeth that they were not sufficient at all Now besides these means and those of prayer and diligent study wherein they agree with us they propound these four following as is before said and hold them infallible 1. The interpretation of Scriptures by the fathers 2. The exposition of them by Councils 3. The practise of the Church 4. The definitive sentence of the Pope Concerning the first and second of these in general we say that as there may arise some doubt or scruple in some places of Scripture so may there also in their expositions And for the two last a question may be made whether the Chuch they mean be a true Church and whether the Pope may not erre in his sentence Again as we unfeignedly hold and acknowledge that some of their means are commendable yet we say that they are not allowable where they are evidently contrary to our rules or without them And if ever they took the right course it was by using our means and if they erred it was by relying wholly on theirs and excluding ours But take their means without or against ours and they may erre As the word of God is the rule and ground of faith so it cannot be denied but that the expounding and applying hereof is in ordinary course left by Christ to the Church to whom he hath committed the feeding and government of his Flock for Christ commands all to hear the Church and the Prophet tells us the Priests lips are to preserve knowledge and they shall seek the law at his mouth Mal. 2. and if the duty of the Church be to teach and instruct her children no question but it is their duty to learn of her and to submit their judgements to hers yet this makes her not infallible in her determination but gives her this priviledge that she ought to be heard and beleeved unlesse it appear evidently that for some corrupt and sinister end she prevaricates from the truth It is not possibility of erring but actual erring which makes our faith uncertain for otherwise one that beholds the sun could not be certain that he sees it for there is a possibility of error in the sense in judging an object It is sufficient therefore to make our faith certain if the rule be infallible and that it be applied with moral evidence so that the propounder do not then actually erre though he be subject to a possibility of errour and that after the use of moral diligence fit in so great a matter there appears no probable cause why we should not assent nor any reason why in prudence we should doubt so Suarez himself Dsp. de fide 5 sect 1 num 5. non requiritur infallibilitas permanens in proponente sed sufficit quod actu non erret licet errare potest Obedience to the Churches decrees doth not necessarily infer her infallibility for then the civil magistrate natural parents and all superiours must be infallible because obedience is due to them by divine law and yet we know they ought to be obeyed unlesse the thing commanded be evidently unlawful And therefore none ought upon probable reasons to reject the determination of the Church or of a lawful Councel for besides that the command from God of hearing the Church is cleer and evident and therefore we ought not upon reasons that are doubtful or not evident to reject her doctrine but follow that rule tenere certum dimittere in certum besides this I say the Church and her governours have more and more certain means of finding out the truth then any private persons have as the prayers of the pastors their fastings disputations their skill in divine things wherein their senses are exercised
us three speeches from each of them one 1. Faith saith Repositasunt bona good things that passe the conceit of man are laid up for the faithful 2. Hope saith Mihi illa servantur they are laid up for me 3. Charity saith Curro ad illa and I so run to them that I may attaine them And thus out of the faith of the Gospel hope ariseth as fear doth from the faith of the Law And therefore hope is called by the Fathers the Isaac of faith This vertue of hope hath two uses The first is that it is our Anchor for our life is as a sea and our faith the ship Now when a man sailing in the sea of this life feels his ship tossed with the waves of a conscience terrified with the justice of God and is in the Apostles case when tackling and masts were spent then fearing to be cast upon the rock of despair he casts out this Anchor And it is called by some of the Fathers our Interim that which stayeth us in the mean time till God performs that which he hath promised to us 2. The second use is not onely to stay and support us but also to stay and retain Christ with us and accordingly the precept is Custodispem custodem Christi So the Apostle counselleth us to take fast hold of it and as when we are in danger of drowning or falling into a pit we cast from us whatsoever we hold in our hands and take fast hold of whatsoever cometh first to hand to stay us such an use hath hope 3. And under this use may be another that by hope thus holding and keeping Christ here we have a kinde of possession of heaven in this life as a man may be presens absens so a thing absent is present by hope and as it was said of fear that it wrought humility by removing all impediments so it may be said of hope that it fills the soul by making things absent and future to become present and in a manner enjoyed here And this is one thing which the Philosophers never knew that these which they called affections Hope and Love are become virtutes theologicae to Gods children and the excellentest vertues in Divinity the reason is because they make them good that possesse them For our nature not being able to be a rule to it self but directed by an higher and more excellent nature whatsoever that is which applyeth that rule to us must needs bring some part of goodnesse to us which hope partly doth in respect of the promises and therefore is a vertue to us This the Heathen man expresseth by Pandoras Boxe at the opening whereof all flew out and onely Hope remained under the lidde Therefore Philo Judaeus calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inbred Comforter which forsakes us not when all other things have left us dum spiro spero hope never makes ashamed And in the regenerate hope hath the same use as the Prophet affirmeth I should utterly have fainted but that I trust verily to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living and in another place be saith that his flesh resteth in hope And this spes vitae immortalis hope of immortal life as S. Augustine calls it is vita vitae mortalis the life of this mortal life and if we were without it we should want breath As the body lives spirando so the soul sperando and it is very true in the spiritual life Qui desperavit expiravit he that despaireth is dead Now to conclude this first affirmative rule we may say with the Psalmist O Lord God of hosts Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee which blessing in this life is the certainty that we shall enter in with the Bridegroom to the fruition of it in the life to come And thus we have seen the nature necessity and end of hope Now for the first rule concerning what is commanded and forbidden Our rule for faith and hope is not unlike to that of humility 1. As Nebuchadouozor Daniel 4. 27. ascribed the building of great Babel to his own power and made his own glory the end of it so on the contrary as we shewed of humility we also say of hope it makes God the Author of all the good it looks for and makes his glory the end of all For first it makes us go out of our selves and trust onely in God and wholly rely upon him as the sole efficient cause of good to us we must wholly depart out of our selves we must not conceive that there is any sufficiency in our selves but that all our sufficiency is of God not so much as to think a good thought therefore much lesse to have a will to do it but that it is God that works the velle and consequently the perficere both the will and the deed in us We must not ascribe any part or help to our selves for our Saviour saith Sine me nihil potestis facere without me ye can do nothing Upon which place S. Augustine noteth it is not nihil magni but nihil omnino not any great thing but nothing at all and not nihil perficere that we can perfect nothing but nihil facere do nothing at all And as it makes God the cause and first beginning so the last end too by giving the glory of his graces in us to him and the reason is plain in the Apostle That no flesh should glory in his presence but as it followeth That he that glorieth should glory in him In the exercise of hope two things are commonly seen 1. Grief 2. Joy Joy because we hope for that which is good and grief because the good we hope for is delayed Or rather 〈◊〉 1. joy and then grief If hope be true it never suffereth us to be secure but we shall be in a continual war The Apostle intimates to us that we are warriours when he adviseth us to put on the helmet of hope And in the Psalms King David is sometime beaten down and sometime raised again sometime hope and joy are victors sometime fear and grief And seeing delatio boni must have rationem mali and that hope deferred affligit animam afflicts the soul it must needs be a great affliction to the soul that when a man shall see that which was promised not onely deferred but sometimes to happen clean contrary as when he looks for peace then terrour and anguish to follow he shall finde not onely wicked men and enemies upbraiding him and saying as they to David ubi spes vestra where is your hope but even his own reason shall make a probleme with his spirit within him and tell him it is in vain to hope any longer Surely this must work upon men for it worketh even in dumb creatures though they shall not be partakers of the resurrection with us yet because the deliverance of man
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
they had need to be both holy and well qualified 1. They are to stand between the Lord and his people to shew them his word and what he required them to do 2. They are not onely to read it but to instruct them in it to make men wise to salvation and not onely the common people but the king also as was shewed before 3. They are to blesse the people in the name of the Lord. 4. They are to offer prayers to God for them upon all occasions as 1. In time of Pestilence when the plague raged among them 2. in time of war when the enemy threatened their destruction 3. In time of famine when the land yeelded not increase 4. In time of sicknes not onely for the life of the King or Prince bnt also when sicknesse laied hold on private men And lastly 5. They wereto be instead of Captains to encourage the people their souldiers to fight manfully and to resist the assaults of the Devill their Ghostly enemy these and many other things belong to the priests function Now as the Apostle speaks who is sufficient for these things surely if he that was so plentifully endued with the spirit of God doubted of his own sufficiency what may we in these times when many take liberty without the emission the Apostle had to themselves unsent to undertake this high calling certainly great care ought to be taken by those in authority especially by the Church governours that none should performe this office of themselves and that they who are ordained be able to undergo so great a work For if they that fight against us were onely bodily enemies as French and Spaniards there were no such great need of such men but seeing that as the Apostle tells us we are to fight a spiritual combat we must combat with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore such are necessary as can oppose spiritual wickednes such are Currus Aurigae Israelis the charriots and horsemen of Israel who must beat back this spiritual host The holy Ghost hath left it upon record that the life of 〈◊〉 the priest and his wisdom were the means to keep both king and people from Idolatry and consequently the whole kingdom from destruction And as the 〈◊〉 tells us that in his time the want of knowledge brought the foundations of the earth both of Church and commonwealth out of frame al humane laws were defective So as the wise man speaketh it is wisdome and knowledge of Gods law which is to be sought at the priests mouth that doth servare gregem ab interitu preserve the people from perishing And where there is no vision the people decay For if we will look backward into the estate of mighty commonwealthes we shall finde that though the wisdome and policy of them have been great for want of Prophets and priests to reclaim the vices of the soul they have all fallen to decay As fi st in the Assyrian monarchy what was the ruin of it but Gluttony and intemperance which brought diseased bodies and weaknes and Adultery which bred bastardslip as the prophet speaks and mingling of kindreds where by the Empire was translated out of the right line and so ruined and all this for want of good instruction Again looke into the 〈◊〉 monarchy and you shall see that Idlenes neglect of tillage mechanick arts and merchandise every one thereby becoming 〈◊〉 a gentleman caused the ruin of that Empire Nor did the Grecian Monarchy come to its period till Alexander for want of knowing God would himself be reputed a God and till his successours fell to covetousnesse whereby a needles dearth fell upon it and the greater began to oppresse the inferiour and the Prince to burthen his subjects And Lastly the Roman Monarchy came to that we see it is at this day from the most flourishing of all the former by their own pride envy emulation and heart-burning And these miseries befel al these four Monarchies by reason of these vices which the laws of God would not have suffered if there had been any to teach them and the laws of the Heathen could not correct If we come to our own nation in the time of the Brittains the often and frequent wrongs and injuries of great persons the perverting of the Laws which were made to be Cobwebs to catch onely the small flies while the great ones break through The Corruptions of Lawyers maintaining causes and suits for their fee by which the land was overrun with oppression Gods law being not heard in the mean time brought destruction upon the land Nor is it possible by any Act of Parliament Law or Statute to provide or take order that a man shall not be covetous or that there be no Idlenesse Ryot Pride Envy or the like sins in the soul though these as is said were the chief causes that these Monarchies and other Countryes came to destruction For Sobriety and all vertues must be begotten in the minde and that by such persons as shall be able to reach and instill them out of the Law of God otherwise politick justice will never continue among men Civil Acts are of no force except Religion be joyned with them We read that in the time of the Judges every man did that which was good in his own eyes Men could assure themselves of nothing they possessed Six hundred men of Dan came into Micahs house and took away his graven Image his Ephod his molten Image his Teraphim and his Priest And in the next Chapter what an unheard of example of lust have we and all this is attributed to the want of knowledge of Gods Law in those dayes And when the Priesthood was setled and they had a Judge yet the Children of Israel were brought under the yoak of the Philistins because that calling was corrupted by Hophni and Phinees the sons of Eli. In the time of the kings of Israel when that kingdome had been diverse years without the true God and without the Priest to teach the law in no nation can be found seaven such notable changes in so short a time as you may read in the book of the kings and this was ascribed to the want of the priest and the Law of God Therefore it was before that time the wish and desire of Moses that all the Lords people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit up-them And this was the desire of Saint Paul too that they could speak all with tongues but rather that all al could prophecie we see by experience that our adversaries take occasion to invade us in those places where the people are least instructed and most ignorant in the word of God All manner of sinne most aboundeth where least care is taken for their instruction in the wayes of God and the knowledge of his Laws It is our
professing that she would not forsake her till death And for the shame of those that shall neglect this duty we have an example of Caiaphas who though he were a wicked man yet honored his father in law giving him the preheminence in examining our Saviour first though he were the high Priest The second combination is between the father and the son the parent and the child And as the first duty of parents is generatio prolis the begetting of yssue so the first end of it is for the propagation of Gods church that there may be semen sanctum an holy seed a constant succession of Godly posterity to praise and glorifie God for as the Psalmist saith God appointed his laws in Israel that the fathers might make them known to their children that the generations to come might know them even the children that should be born and that they also arise and declare them to their children A second and subordinate end the wise man describes that children might be corona senum gloria patrum the crown of their age and the glory of their fathers that they may have comfort in their age We may observe divers excellent children in the Scripture when the parents looked up to God and regarded that first end of generation Isaac was born by promise as the Apostle speaks and his elder brother was but the son of nature In the next generation Joseph who was the blessing of Jacob was better then the rest of his brethren And so Samuel being vowed to the Lord and begot in his mothers lamentation was endued with wisdom and became a comfort to all Israel Solomon in all qualities the wisest of all none was ever like him among the sons of men And we may consider his birth David after he had composed the 51 Psalm in 〈◊〉 for his sins God bles'd him with this seed So that it is not generation but regeneration w ch is to be respected not the brutish appetite but the propagation of Gods Church which is principally to be regarded in begetting of children and the nurture and bringing them up being born in the fear of the Lord for there are other generations mentioned by Solomon of which parents can have little comfort if the end be neglected Now for the duty of children answering this they cannot paralel that of the parents in this point for the father begets the son the son cannot beget the father quoniam nisi per eos non fuissent because they had not had their being but for their fathers Therefore because they cannot perform any duty answerable to that of their parents in their procreation they must honour them as instruments of their being both by hearkning to their instruction as the Wise man counsels Hearken to the instruction of thy father and 〈◊〉 not the law of thy mother and by honouring them tanquam 〈◊〉 The father must be honoured in what low condition or estate soever he be We see the disobedient son called his father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sir or Lord. And the obedient son like wise professed how obedient and dutiful he had been to his father for many years though he had not done so much for him as for his prodigall brother Wicked Absalom coming to his father bowed himself on his face to the ground and King Solomon rose up and bowed to his mother And the reason why they are to perform the greatest honour to them next after God is because the greatest part of excellency is esse causam to be a cause of our being Now if any shall be so far gone as to reject his parents as ashamed at them or mock at his father and despise to obey his mother if he look with a scornful eye or with a crabbed countenance if he do vultu laedere pietatem mark what punishment the Wise man saith shall be fall such The ravens of the valley shall pick out his eyes and the young eagles shall eat them We may see this in the heavy punishment of Cham for deriding his father Noah a great curse was laid upon him The curse reached not onely to himself but to all his posterity being cast out of Gods favour for the blessings both of this life and the life to come If any shall go further and give evil language and reproach or curse them His lamp shall be put out in obscure darknesse that is he is filius mortis but a dead man It was Gods will by a special law enacted by him in this very case and much more he deserves to die if he be one that smites father or mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a person was accounted by the very Heathen to be a greater malefactor then a murderer of others 2. The second duty of parents is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to nourish them continually as the word signifies and not as beasts for a moneths space They are not onely to take heed of procuring abortive births which was a capital crime under the Law but if after the birth there be expositio an exposing of the childe to the world which Hagar was about to do when she cast the childe under a tree the bottle of water being spent if the Angel had not recalled her If through negligence it happen to die as the womans son which was overlaid in the night or if it come to be lame or to lose any limb as Mephibosheth who was lame of his feet by a fall of his nurse it is a sin contrary to that duty which parents owe to their children for nature teacheth every one to nourish their own flesh as the Apostle hath it which is implyed in that which he urgeth in another place of providing for their family and not be so unnatural as when they ask them bread to give them a stone which our Saviour counted an unnatural thing Not is this nourishment all that is required of them but they must also provide for them for the future according to that of the Apostle Children lay not up for the parents but parents for the children There is an inheritance mentioned under the law If a man be not able to leave an inheritance or means when he dies he must take order to leave him an Art which as S. Augustine saith is all one with an inheritance In the choice and fitting the children to which the discretion of the father must discern and judge of the 〈◊〉 of his children to what art or profession they are most apt and fit by nature as Jacob did when he 〈◊〉 his sons with this proviso 〈◊〉 that they allot not the 〈◊〉 to God who in his Law commanded the first-born to be sanctified to him which Hannah performed in her vow of Samuel The duty of a childe answerable to this is remuneratio requital of benefits This the Apostle 〈◊〉
at Mahanaim when he was in danger by 〈◊〉 rebellion for which David would afterward have rewarded him So when the king of 〈◊〉 came to invade the land of Israel 〈◊〉 the king gave him a thousand talents to 〈◊〉 him which was leavied as the text saith of all the mighty men of wealth of each man fifty shekels of silver and so by this means the land was preserved Thus rich men are and ought to be serviceable for the publick and for this cause they are to be honoured 2. A second reason is because men that are rich may exercise some vertues which others cannot do as Magnificence 〈◊〉 erality Alms c. and great men may 〈◊〉 and help forward good causes and therefore there is reason that such should come in partem honoris to have part of the honour Examples of this we have in those that offered liberally for the Temple which they could not have done unlesse they had 〈◊〉 so that there was much left which was employed for the maintenance of the Levites and in the woman that moved her 〈◊〉 to provide and furnish a chamber for the man of God which they could not have done unlesse they had been able and in those that cast in their wealth into the 〈◊〉 for the use of the Temple Thus rich men may and ought to be helpful to the Church to the 〈◊〉 to Schools Colledges c. Answerable to this the care of rich men ought to be as well good as great when 〈◊〉 sought to pervert Sergius 〈◊〉 the Deputy a great man in the Countrey S. Paul withstood him and laboured to keep the Deputy constant in the faith And the same Apostle after many lessons to Timothy tells him that the love of money is the root of all evil and that by lusting after it many erre from the faith and thereupon bids him take special care about rich men intimating the danger of rich men and the special care he should take about such that they may be instruments of good to others The Heathen man 〈◊〉 if he were to make Amphions harp he would take greater pains about it then in making a harp for a common harper Again the duty of the rich as is there further vrged by the Apostle is not to be high minded 〈◊〉 trust in their riches The wise man observed that they count their riches their strong tower And hence it is that when they have any cause or controversie with another though they have no right yet they will think to carry all by their wealth none must oppose them Such a one was Nabal so proud and surly that no body could speak to him But such should remember that as 〈◊〉 saith the rich and 〈◊〉 meet and the Lord is the maker of both this should make them humble And if they be thus towards others then their duty is like David to account themselves their sons and them their fathers 4. The last kinde of excellency for which men are to be honoured is Excellentia 〈◊〉 the excellency of a benefit 〈◊〉 are called fathers Job saith He was a 〈◊〉 to the poor and whatsoever is sub 〈◊〉 beneficii comes within the compasse of this Commandment and he that receives a benefit is bound to 〈◊〉 them from whom he receives it There are three duties of the Benefactor and as many required of him that receives a benefit 1. Rich men must be benefactors they must do good to some or other It s true they are not bound to any particular person none can challenge any thing exdebito from them for this is the difference between 〈◊〉 beneficium they may be bound to particular persons in 〈◊〉 but not in beneficio for here they may make their choice to whom but they must do good wheresoever they are They must not mark mens 〈◊〉 though their benefits be ill bestowed upon such for as the Heathen man said Melius est ut 〈◊〉 benefi ium 〈◊〉 illum 〈◊〉 apud te It is better thy benefit be lost in his hands then in thine A benefit must be freely bestowed though the party deserve it not we must not look at his 〈◊〉 to us for 〈◊〉 est decipi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum daret he is worthy to be deceived that when he gives thinks upon receiving again Like to those that in the course of giving benefits look not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not where they may place them upon the worthiest and most deserving but upon them that will be most beneficiall to them Such a benefactor is as a man to his gelding that when he means to vse him in a journey gives him so much provender because he is to vse him and he will not otherwise hold out in his journey And this takes away the honour of the Physitian and Lawyer that saves a mans life or his estate when they do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui dat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loses the honour of the benefit that looks at some reward It s true he cannot sufficiently be recompenced that saveth a mans life but if he prostitute his art for gain he doth buy and sell and so 〈◊〉 his honour yet this is the course of the world that it may be feared that in short time men will make indentures to 〈◊〉 mento be thankful when they bestow their benefits 2. Another rule is they must do it speedily It must not stick between their fingers for Ingratum est beneficium quod 〈◊〉 inter manus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt beneficia parata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a benefit little worth that sticks long in the givers hands and they are most 〈◊〉 that are most ready casie to be obtained and where there was nothing hindred them but the modestie and bashfulnes of the receiver for indeed such 〈◊〉 are not onely 〈◊〉 but costly Nulla res 〈◊〉 constat quam quae precibus emitur there 's nothing cost more then that which is obtained with much suit and petition And as it is cruelty to prolong the death of a condemned person and a kinde of 〈◊〉 as we say to rid him quickly out of his pain so the prolonging of a benefit tortures a man between hope and fear And therefore Duplex fit bonitas cum accedit celeritas minus decipitur cui negatur celerius that benefit is worth two that a man bestowes speedily and his expectation is lesse frustrate that hath a quick denial Therefore as he said Apage homines quorum lenta sunt beneficia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 away with those men that are quick to do one an injury but will consider on it before they will do you 〈◊〉 good for now prosunde odium simul instilla beneficium men will powre out their hatred all at once but a benefit must not be had but by degrees They must weary out a mans patience and then some little benefit Seneca saith well They must have longum
penes principes not onely Christian religion but even the Law of nature requires that the authority and command for war be from the Prince And therefore it stands all others upon to consider what they do when they 〈◊〉 any war without the Authority or 〈◊〉 of their Princes much more if it be against him for let the cause be never so good or specious though it be for religion or for God yet without his authority to whom God hath committed the sword all the blood they shed be the persons never so wicked is murder and they murderers Let them consider further what the Heathen man could see That omne bellum sumi facile 〈◊〉 aegerrime desinere nec in ejusdem potestate initium 〈◊〉 esse It is an easy thing to begin but a hard matter to end a warre the beginning and the end being not in one and the same mans power 2. It must be also in justa causa upon a just occasion and then it is like to speed the better Si bona fuerit causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exit 〈◊〉 malus esse non potest saith S. Bernard If the cause of battel be good the event seldom proves amisse supposing withall lawful authority to warrant it The causes of a just war are the same with the causes of a just action in Law for ubi judicia 〈◊〉 incipit bellum where courts of justice end war begins They are generally made three 1. 〈◊〉 defence against invasion 2. Recovery of what is unjustly taken from us 3. The punishing of some great injurie and wrong All which are mentioned in that 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 against the 〈◊〉 Omnia 〈◊〉 defendi repetique ulcisci fas sit to defend recover and revenge Thus Abraham undertook a war for recovery of Lot in whom an injury and wrong was offered to himself But here it must not be every light and small injurie for which war may be undertaken but great and notable or a continued course of injuries And even when there is just cause yet until necessity inforces war must be avoided for as S. Augustine 〈◊〉 gerere malis videtur 〈◊〉 bonis vero necessitatis evil men count it a happinesse to go to war but good men avoid it unlesse necessity enforce them Seneca could say Non 〈◊〉 homini homine prodige utendum one man ought not to be prodigal of another Though David fought the Lords battels yet God would not let him build his Temple because he had shed much blood The Heathen Greeks thought some expiation necessary even for them that had shed blood upon a just cause And in the Greek Church that ancient Canon was long observed which for some time restrained them from the Eucharist that had born arms even in the justest war 3. It must be ad 〈◊〉 justum There must be a just end proposed before a war be undertaken There must not be cupiditas nocendi a desire to destroy or libido dominandi a lust to reign over others But the main end must be the glory of God and the next 〈◊〉 in pace sine injuria vivatur war must be taken in hand that we may live in peace without receiving injury 4. And lastly It must be 〈◊〉 debito in a right manner according to that rule given by God to his people When thou goest out to war with thine host against thine enemies keep thee from all wickednesse How can men expect good successe in fighting against men when by their sins they war against God Abigail said of David that he fought the battels of the Lord and evil had not been found in him all his dayes Where this is wanting it may be said to such as David said of Joab to Solomon when he gave a charge concerning him that the blood of war was upon his girdle and in his shoes And thus we see what is required to make a war just and lawful and where it is thus qualified as in the Prince authorizing it it is an act of publick justice so in the souldiers it is an act of Christian fortitude when men fight for their religion their king and their countrey and as they said propter populum nostrum urbes Dei nostri for our people and the cities of our God There are other cases wherein a man may kill and yet not sin against this Commandment 1. The first is when a man is suddenly assaulted either upon the high-way or elswhere where he cannot make use of the power of the magistrate In this case when the necessity is extream he may cum moderamine inculpatae tutelae for saving his own life kill him that would take it away that is when he cannot otherwise preserve his own life In this case necessitas is not onely exlex without the Law but legem dicit legi prescribes a Law even to the Law it self But necessity must be taken as it ought that is not onely pro imminenti necessitate a necessity neer but pro termino indivisibili when at the Instant a man must defend himself or his life is lost in this case every man is a Magistrate This may be confirmed out of the Law 〈◊〉 minore ad majus The Law saith If a thief be found breaking up an house by night and he be smiten that he die there shall be no blood shed for him Then if I may kill a man for breaking into my house to steal my goods and not be within compasse of murther much more if he would take away my life And this was the cause as S. Augustine saith that gladius Petri S. Peters sword may be 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 to terrifie men from offering violence and to preserve one from danger And seeing the Law allows a man to carry his sword about him for his own defence it is not for nothing but implies that he may vse it in some cases otherwise it were in vain to wear it But when the terminus is divisibilis that the necessity is not without a latitude nor the danger present 〈◊〉 we are to follow S. Pauls example who when some had bound themselves by an oath to kill him but the necessity was not present but there was time to make use of the Civil power therefore in this case Paul doth not 〈◊〉 upon them and seek to kill them presently but caused it to be revealed to Lysias the chief Captain and so we must reveal it to the Magistrate but the danger being present a man is by the Laws of God and man allowed to defend his own life against the unjust invasion of another though thereby he kill another for this is not murther but inculpata 〈◊〉 a lawful defence which is when there is no purpose of shedding blood but onely to preserve a 〈◊〉 own life in order to which if blood be shed this is onely per accidens and not intended for every one ought by all law plus favere vitae 〈◊〉 quam 〈◊〉
that restrain onely the outward act are like those that apply plaisters to the armour or weapon Which will never cure the wound The reason given by God himself why man-killing is not sometimes capital is because he that killed his brother did not hate him before whereas he that hated his brother and slew him was to die without mercy and not to have any benefit of sanctuary And this briefly for the third rule CHAP. VI. The fourth rule of 〈◊〉 the causes of the sins here forbidden 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 Inferiburs The sappuration 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. rayling The fruits of anger in Superiours 1. Threatning 2. Scornfulnesse The last fruit of anger viz. murther of the hand THe fourth rule teaches us that all the means or causes which concur or conduce to any act forbidden or commanded are likewise forbidden or commanded Here come in all those sins formerly mentioned which are occasions or provocations to murther as unjust anger and all the fruits of it As it was said at the beginning when we entred upon this Commandment that pride is the 〈◊〉 of all the breaches of this Commandment so we say now that it is the fountain of unjust anger and of all those sins that arise there from Onely by pride saith the Wise man cometh contention and wrath and the Apostle dehorting from provocation and envy mentions vain glory or pride first as the cause of both Be not desirous of vain glory saith he provoking one another envying one another For as was said formerly every man sets down this with himself That he is good and therefore whosoever loveth him doth his duty as on the other side whosoever hurts or injuris him is necessarily evil and one against whom he may justly conceive anger for omnis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just a each froward man thinks his anger just according as we said before omnis iniquus mentitur sibi every wicked man deceives himself And from this proud conceit of a mans self arises unjust anger against all such as do any way offend him This anger is compounded of two things 1. Grief for some indignity offered to us 2. Desire to requite it 1. In the first is 〈◊〉 animi or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animosity or inward boyling of the blood or fretting from which through pride we condemn the party that injured us as evil and thence follows mala mens a malicious intent towards him the judgement being corrupted by the affections and therefore the Apostle joyns anger and malice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together and exhorting to put away all anger and wrath and clamour he adds with all malice because this makes us condemn all his actions as evil for hereby we become busie in other mens matters full of evil surmises and judices malarum cogitationum judges of evil thoughts and thus we come to have an evil opinion of him that offends us 2. Then follows the second thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire of revenge James and John 〈◊〉 in Christs companie and perceiving the Samaritans not willing to receive them would needs call for fire from heaven to consume them Now if this anger be towards Superiours or men in high place dignity and estate or eminent for vertue then it produces envy which is odium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectu superiorum quia eis non 〈◊〉 a hatred of another mans felicity in respect of Superiours because we cannot be equal with them For there is in this case as S. James saith a spirit in us that lusteth after envy and as Elihu saith in 〈◊〉 Envy flayeth the inferiour as some read it because that inferiours are apt to 〈◊〉 those that are above them or exceed them any way And hence ariseth in inferiours as the Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swellings towards others which either presently break forth or if they lie long and come to suppuration or impostume as 〈◊〉 calls them they prove rubigo 〈◊〉 the rust and canker of the soul which is a fearful thing and worse then anger for anger is cruel and wrath raging but who can stand before envy saith the Wise man this usually produces murther Pilate saw that it was out of envy that the Jews delivered Christ to be put to death Therefore Seneca saith that is casier for a poor man to escape contempt then a rich man envy We see it in Cain that envied Abels acceptance In Rachel that envied Leahs fruitfulnefse and Saul Davids happinesse 1. The occasion of this sin is grounded especially 1. Upon the merits and wel-deserving of others we envy them because they are 〈◊〉 then our selves S. John tells us it was the cause why Cain slew Abel because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous For every man desiring his own excellency thinketh that he which is more excellent then himself doth offuscare lumen ejus darken and eclypse his light stand in his way and if that man were 〈◊〉 he should be more esteemed therefore by this envie he seeks to bring him under water that he alone may swim above This we may see in the Princes against Daniel because Darius had preferred him above them And in Johns Disciples they thought that Christ stood in the Baptists way and got all from him because more people followed him And in the elder son against the younger who when he came home from the field and saw the entertainment of his younger brother he envied his brother and out of envy would not go in the reason was he thought himself better then his brother the fatted calf was never kild for 〈◊〉 c. though he had deserved better of his father Thus nothing can be done but envy will make it matter to work upon If David once come to his ten thousands Saul will never after be brought intueri 〈◊〉 rectis oculis to look aright upon him but the evil spirit will enter into him for so we read verse 10. that the next day there came an evil spirit upon him for there are none that the Devil can so easily fasten upon as upon such The making of a better coat for Joseph and a little more love of Jacob to him then to the rest was a marvellous moat in the eyes of his brethren and it is true that Jacob said though in another sence an evil or cruel beast hath devoured him for envy is fera 〈◊〉 pessima the worst of all wilde beasts S. Basil saith Canes 〈◊〉 cicurantur cultu mansuescunt 〈◊〉 invidi vero ad obsequium
Locusts that devour all where they come and the Fathers term them unprofitable and superfluous Creatures The Apostle alluding to this saith Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour 4. In regard of the breach of the sixth Commandment forbidding 〈◊〉 For idlenesse is the mother of many diseases For as there are none of Gods creatures but putrifie without motion as the air and water stagnantes 〈◊〉 stantes aque nec dulces nec salubres 〈◊〉 Seneca standing waters are neither sweet nor wholsom so ease in the body bringeth forth 〈◊〉 the gout and other diseases Computrescit in stercore saith the Prophet the seed rots under the clod And it were to be wisht that not onely the losse of time wasting the creatures and the hurt of the body were all the prejudice that came by idlenesse so that the soul might be kept untainted by it but that also is subject to detriment by it for from nihil agere doing nothing comes male agere doing ill Idlenesse teacheth much evil saith the son of Syrach and by this comes the disease which S. Basil calls podagram animi the gowt of the soul. Now idlenesse consists in two things Either 1. in too much sleep or 2. in not being exercised when we are awake in the works of our calling 1. For the first of too much sleeping After the Apostle had told the Romans it was high time to awake out of sleep he gives them a caveat to walk honestly as in the day not in gluttony vnd drunkennesse nor in chambering and wantonnesse after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drunkennesse then he comes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate 〈◊〉 but it is properly lying long in bed and there is joyned with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wantonnesse the companion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beginning of concupiscence The Prophet 〈◊〉 those of his time with stretching themselves upon their beds and not without cause for another Prophet tells us that by it men begin 〈◊〉 nequam to devise iniquity to have wicked thoughts We see the experience of it in David who after his sleep was disposed to take the air in his Turret and by that means was made fit for the impression of this vice upon the sight of a tempting object for which cause Solomon gives good counsel 〈◊〉 this purpose Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes and thou 〈◊〉 be satisfied with bread for having spoken verse 11. of young men that by their actions they may be known whether their work be pure and whether it be right and in the 12. verse that they may be known by this whether they apply their ears and eyes to knowledge as God created them he 〈◊〉 in the 13. verse that otherwise if they love sleep these effects of it shall come upon them For remedy hereof two things are to be observed in sleep 1. The Quantitie 2. The manner 1. For the quantitie Our sleep must not be too long Vsque quo dormis How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard ultra horam beyond the hour there is an hour when to arise Hora est jam saith the Apostle the hour is at hand or as we read it it is now high time to awake out of sleep but the sluggard when the hour cometh when he should arise lies still in his bed and is as a dore which turneth alwayes upon the hinges and yet remains in the 〈◊〉 place 2. For the manner of our sleep It must not be like that of Ionah who was in a dead sleep in a time of danger It must not be as S. Jerome calls it sepultura suffocati as the burial of one without breath but requies lassi the rest of one that is weary The Prophet threatens it as a great plague from God to be given up to the spirit of slumber which is true of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drowsinesse of the body as well as the soul. And as Ionah was in the midst of the tempest when he slept soundly so these are under Gods visitation who are possest with this spirit of slumber 2. The second point of idlenesse is when we are not exercised in the duties of our calling but give our selves to ease Desidiae est somnium vigilantis sloth is the dream of him that is awake and by want of labour and exercise and giving our selves to ease we come to the hanging down of the hands and the feeble knees of which the Apostle speaks and so become fit for no good thing For as all other creatures of God by standing still grow corrupt as we see in standing water which putrifies and being putrified ingenders toads and such venemous creatures so in man ease brings discases both in body and soul it produces in the body podagram the gout and it brings forth the like indisposition in the soul which made S. Basil call it podagram animi the gout of the soul. And therefore S. Ambrose calls idle persons creaturas Dei superfluas superfluous creatures of God which do no way profit the body politick where they live but are as the Heathen man saith of the 〈◊〉 such qui animam pro sale habent who have their souls instead of salt to keep their bodies sweet S. Paul measureth not idlenesse onely by doing nothing but also by not doing the duties of a mans place As he that is placed in the Vniversity and studies not though he hawk hunt or dance or uses other exercises that are laborious yet because he doth not that which he ought to do he is to be accounted an idle fellow If men be as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not working at all then they become busie bodies and if women be idle then wil they be pratlers or tatlers upon which cometh tale-carrying lying 〈◊〉 and forging whereby they disquiet others And not onely so but they are busie bodies medling out of their callings where they have nothing to do These are to be restrained And because hereby groweth a disposition from the body for evil motions in the soul therefore S. Peter enjoyns the vertue of abstinence and commands us to abstain from such fleshly lusts as do militare contra animam 〈◊〉 against the soul. The remedy against sleep is that which the Apostle calleth sobriety properly watchfulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sober be vigilant saith he in another place for sleep and drunkennesse are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 works of the night and we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children of light and of the day our desires therefore ought to be after the works of the light and of the day and we must walk accordingly 2. The remedie against idlenesse the Apostle gives us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set our selves to do our own businesse and the works of our calling And blessed shall
coherence of this with the foregoing Commandement and the dependance thereof upon it Some give this reason That whereas in the former all unjust wayes of getting are forbidden amongst which lying and false speaking is one For the Heathen man said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where a lye must be made let it be made And where must a lye be made he answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when any gain is to be got by it Therefore to meet with this common 〈◊〉 of men God restrains all lying and false testimony in this Commandement And this reason of the dependance hath some shew in it 〈◊〉 conceive that as God establisht authority in the fifth Commandement for the good of humane society and in the three next gave order for promiscuous duties which are common to all so here in this if there should be any breach of those three last whereby men must have 〈◊〉 to Judges and make use of their authority because those in authority must proceed upon evidence and proof by witnesses Therefore God sets this Commandement in the next place wherein he takes order for witnesses to speak the truth and not to give false testimony against any This seems to have 〈◊〉 from several places of Scripture for if any should violate the sixth Commandement the Elders of the City were to examine the matter and sentence was to bee given upon him by the testimony of witnesses So for the seventh If any man should 〈◊〉 his Wife the Elders of the City must judge of the matter and the father and mother of the woman shall witnesse of her virginity And for the eighth the like order is taken 〈◊〉 goods deposite stollen out of a mans house if 〈◊〉 thief could not be found the master of the house must be brought before the Judges to speak whether he put out his hand to the stollen goods So that we see for the rectifying of whatsoever is amisse in those three Commandements this was added It is not enough to have authority and Judges c. but there must be witnesses to prove matters of fact And therefore under the Law God gave special 〈◊〉 both for giving witnesse and for receiving the testimony of witnesses Others upon the comparison which the holy Ghost makes between credit or good name and wealth preferring that before this and because that honesta fama an honest report or good name is alterum patrimonium another patrimony therefore they give this reason of the coherence that because order was taken for other patrimonies in the next before this therefore here he takes order for the preserving of a good name which is that secundum or alterum patrimonium a second patrimony But the second opinion is most probable to which the best Expositors incline For the Prophet Esay reproving the people for departing from God by lying and uttering words of falsehood addes that judgement was turned backward and justice stood afar off because this was Germanus effectus the proper and natural effect of false witnesse to pervert justice and judgement and therefore it is that false testimony is abomination to God For lying lips saith the Wiseman are an abomination to the Lord. And therefore God took order that if a false witnesse should arise against any man to testifie falsely concerning the breach of any of the other Commandements the Judges should enquire and punish him with the same punishment whether pecuniary or corporal which the party wrongfully accused should have suffered Now for the scope and purpose of the Lawgiver in this precept it is four fold 1. In respect of himself his own glory which is manifested by truth for in himself God is truth and his Spirit is the spirit of truth his Mercy Justice and other Attributes are manifested by his truth and fidelity God therefore would have truth preserved truth in Religion makes for his glory Therefore Christ who aimed in all things at the glory of his Father saith For this cause he was born to bear witnesse of the truth and so by proportion it is the end for which every man is born to bee a witnesse to Gods truth If any shall speak or preach any falsehood or untruth as from God they dishonour him and therefore the Apostle saith that if Christ were not risen from the dead himself and others who had preached the same would be found false witnesses against God by preaching an untruth And not by truth in matters of Religion but also in civil judicatures God is honoured by speaking the truth And therefore when Achan was questioned about the 〈◊〉 Joshua sayes My sonne give glory to God when hee would have him for to confesse his fault So that confession of the truth brings glory to God as well in judicial matters as in matters of Religion 2. In respect of the Church saint Peter speaks of some as he cals them Magistri mendaces lying Masters or false Teachers who endangered the souls of them that heard them For besides the dishonour of Gods Name by false Teachers there is also a hazard of the peoples soules by their false Doctrine Quis est mendax nisi qui negat Jesum esse Christum saith Saint John Who is a lyar but he that denies that JESUS is the CHRIST He that affirms any Heretical false Doctrine is a lyar and by his lyes endangers the soules of the people The preserving of truth then not onely in regard of Gods glory but also for the safety and good of the Church is another end of this Commandement 3. In respect of the Common-wealth that 〈◊〉 and Peace might bee preserved by witnessing the truth Abraham called the Well which he had digged Beerjheba the Well of the Oath and that he might peaceably enjoy it gave Abimelech seven Lambs to witnesse that the Well was his and that Cumulus testimonii that heap of witnesse was a heap of stones placed as a witnesse of the covenant between Jacob and Laban that they would live at peace as friend and allyes So under the Law all proceedings of justice were to be establisht by truth which must be by the testimony of witnesses and therefore all publick acts 〈◊〉 justice were to bee grounded upon the truth of some witnesses Save onely in the case of Jealousie 4. In respect of every private man this Commandement is the fence of every mans name and credit which is of much worth For a good name fastneth a mans bones saith the Wiseman It doth him much good within and so it doth without also for it casts a sweet savour and therefore is compared to a sweet ointment poured forth and if it come to be prized it passeth gold and silver For a good name is rather to be chosen then great riches and loving favour rather then silver and gold as Solomon saith And indeed it is the cause of both especially of the latter
outward so in some sence that commandment which requires the one requires the other for every precept is given to the whole man though chiefly to the soul and to the body as the instrument of the soul yet in regard that worwip may be performed either by the heart alone or by the whole man therefore that distinction may be in some sort admitted and so it may be said that the first commandment looks chiefly to the heart though not excluding 〈◊〉 outward man and that the second looks more immediately at the outward manner of performance yet not excluding the heart CHAP. V. In the first Commandment three things are contained 1. We must have a God 2. We must have the Lord for our God 3. We must have him alone for our God The sin opposite to the first is profanenesse to the second is false religion to the third mixt religion How our nature is 〈◊〉 to those sins Reasons against them THis first precept is primae necessitatis and therfore first to be regarded it was never dispensed withal nor ever shall be And according to the first Rule of extension Praeceptum faciens non faciens It being a negative implyeth an affirmative The negative is Thou shalt have no other Gods The affirmative our Saviour quoteth to the Devil out of 〈◊〉 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve There are three propositions which naturally arise out of this Commandment 1. That a God we must have 2. That we must have the Lord for our God 3. That we must have him alone for our God 1. The meaning of the first is that we should not be Gods our selves which was the beginning of all mischief Dii eritis ye shall be Gods in judging good and evil at our own election but to acknowledge a superiour power from whence we are to take our rules and directions both in following good and abstaining from evil and not to be led by our own affections And to this superiour power so instructing us and promising to bring us to the full fruition of the chiefest good we should submit our selves acknowledge him and tye our selves to him which acknowledging and tying our selves to him is the proper act of Religion which is therefore called 〈◊〉 a religando as S. Augustine derlves it this is in the first place to have a God and a Religion and consequently to worship him as God 2. The meaning of the second is to inform us that the Gods of the Nations are but Idols no Gods and therefore the service and worship done to them is false and Idolatrous But 〈◊〉 our God who hath manifested himself many wayes to be the true God is the onely God and his religion true religion and therefore we are to shake off all worship and service to others and 〈◊〉 our selves wholly to him and his service 3. This third teaches us that there are no Idols nor Gods that can do as he doth either in rewards or punishments none can reveal or bestow eternall happinesse but he none can joyn with him or help him therein but he alone is both able and willing and therefore he alone will have all the glory to himself he will have none to participate with him Gloriam meam 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 my glory will I not give to another 1. Now the opposite sinne to the first is called Prophanesse when a man will be carried by his own affections in every thing and do that which seemeth good in his own eyes when he will be under no yoke or bands but breake them giving credit to nothing but what his own God corrupt reason 〈◊〉 him to doing nothing but by his own direction and what his own will stands affected to 2. The sinne contrary to the second is false worship and 〈◊〉 religion The holy Ghost is pleased here to call it the having of other Gods as in the Scripture he 〈◊〉 evill by the name of strange as a strange woman a harlot so strange worship Idolatry strange Gods false Gods And this is forbidden in the second proposition 3. The sinne against the third is that which Elias called mixt worship halting between two opinions mingling Gods religion with others following both God and Baal Like the Samaritans that feared the Lord when he sent lions among them and yet served the Gods of the nations whence they came they sware by the Lord and by Miclcom A sinne that divers of the kings of Israel and Judah were taxed with 2 Kings 13. 1 Now these are three things which the devil aymeth at and hath helps in our nature to set forward and bring to effect his purpose According to his own name Belial he is without yoke so would he have others to be also His argument in the first temptation was to have Adam cast off his yoke and be under no director Tast but the apple and thou shalt be a director to thy self and be able of thy selfe without any other guide to judge of good and evil And this vain desire of licentiousnesse whereby men by corruption of nature delight dissolutly to follow their concupiscence and in all things to sit Judge in defining good and evil is the high way which leads to the greatest transgression opening the door to prophanesse and Atheisme 2. So in the second place there is a marvilous itching desire in us of change which the Devil also nourisheth Stollen bread matters of secrecy strange flesh c. And where once prophanes 〈◊〉 he faileth not to adde a curious longing to search beyond the truth till at last he causeth them to finde a lie in stead thereof for there was never any error broached but it sprang from a desire of innovation and a wandring out of the beaten path And this he brought Solomon to who having the knowledge of true Religion as much as any yet not content fell to enquiring after forrein Religions mystries and conceits and so fell to 〈◊〉 3. In the third there is also a great desire in us to reconcile God and Mammon And though our Saviour said it was impossible to serve both yet are we desirous beyond measure to heape up temporal things and get eternal too to have a Paradise here and else where there is a desire in us to communicate our selves to all and to use a like freedom to good and bad thinking that while we are in the world the world will do us good and when we come to heaven God will do us good too And this the devil misliketh not for he runs not upon soli or 〈◊〉 for when he tempted Christ with promise to give him all the kingdoms of the earth it was not upon so strict a condition to worship him onely but to joyne him with God in his worship and service 1. Now the reasons whereby these are forbidden are these We must confesse that the nature of man hath recieved a great wound insomuch
as none can be partakers of true happinesse by his own guidance or conduct as other creatures attain in some sort and therefor the heathen confesse with us that there is a maime and a main defect in mans nature But we our selves were the cause of it as appears by the History of the Bible namely by dealing with the tree in being our own choosers And therefore this choosing of ours this making Laws to our selves must be left we must leave and submit our selves to the will and choyce of a superiour nature that knoweth what is best for us 2. Of the second the reason is evident that seeing a God we are to have we ought in all reason to desire a true God No man would willingly erre even they that bend themselves to deceive others cannot endure to be deceived themselves And no man desires to think that to be which is not nor that not to be which is The reason of the third is That there be sundry things that a man cannot have but he must have them alone without partner or competitor Of which number a master is one And God is our Master he is pleased to call himself so And our Saviour saith Nemo potest duobus Dominis servire no man can serve two masters the service to a master must be to him a lone else not And the prophet in the person of God faith I will 〈◊〉 thee unto me for ever and the Apostle I have espoused you unto one husband that is Christ now a husband also comes within the number and is to be had alone and the condition of having God is like to that of a husband one and a lone or not at all 4. Another reason may be added The joyning of God with any other thing must needs be much to his dishonour and derogation for he 〈◊〉 the most transcendent nature in the world 〈◊〉 no inferiour thing but being joyned with him doth much abase him and he will endure no dishonour his honour he is very jealous of and thereof his worship must be kept pure without intermingling it with the worship of any other for if any thing of a nobler nature be joyned with some thing of a viler substance the nobler nature is thereby adulterated and corrupted therefor Gods worship must be pure and not mixt or sophisticated CHAP. VI. In the 1. proposition of having a God is included 1. Knowledge of God wherein 1. The excellency 2. the necessity 3. how it is attained The contrary forbidden is 1. Ignorance 2. light knowledge What we are to know of God Impediments of knowledge to be remooved Rules of direction to be followed For the 1. consideration of the proposition S. Pavl saith that an Idol is nothing we know it and that ther is no other God but one And therefore it may seem strange that in respect that Idols nor ought elie be Gods he should command us to haue no other Gods We say though a man take armes against his Prince yet he is his Prince still and he hath no other and this having is onely true inrespect of the superiour yet the rebellious subject hath him not for his Prince or atleast will not have him because he accompts him not his Prince the like is between God and us He is our God and his law is lex ferrea it will hold us and have us whether we will or no. Yet in regard we rebel against him and endeauor to exempt our selves from his service and obedience in breaking his laws we have him not for our God It is the course of the holy Ghost to use this phrase They had Baal and Ashteroth not that they were Gods but that they in their accounts had them for Gods 2. Again as the Philosopher a thing is said to be had when it is known to be had for if a man have 〈◊〉 under his ground and knows not of it he hath it not Besides a man cannot be properly said to have that which he makes no account of as if he have rushes or cobwebs in his house and caring not for them he cannot be said to have them Therefore a man cannot be said to have that which he knoweth not of or knowing he hath them regards them not And so he that will be said to have God must both know and regard him and this is that which is meant by having a God It hath been formerly said that the spritual worship and having of God was the end and scope of this commandment The worship of the spirit is divided as the soul. The principall parts of the soul as God himself makes them are two 1. Reason or understanding called the spirit in a strict sence and sometimes the soul or mind 2. Affection or will called the heart Now as we know the parts of the minde so we must know that these parts have their order Vires annimae sunt ordinatae the powers of the soul are set in order saith the Philospher and the order is first to know then to regard and love that we know for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Saint Austine saith Invisa 〈◊〉 cupere ignota nequaquam we may desire things we have not seen but never those things that we have never heard of Therefore as they say well If two things be to be done in order whereof the second depends upon the first if the first be taken away the second can not be fulfilled So if we be ignorant of God we shall never desire or Love him and so we shall not have him at all God must first be known then Loved 1. Knowledge lieth in the understanding part The minde 2. Love is in the affection The heart 1. Cocerning knowledge the obect thereof is God and he cannot be known a priori therfore we must seek to know him a posteriori and that must be either by his Attributes ascribed to him in his word or by his effects and works His Attributes 〈◊〉 ten Exod. 34. 6. 7 Majesty Truth Vnchangeablenesse Will Justice Mercy Knowledge Power Vbiquity Eternity other things are attributed to God in scripture but they may be reduced to some of these as love patience c. may be referred to mercy anger or wrath to Justice c. Of these Justice and mercy are the two principal and concerne us most the other eight have influance upon these two parts to make them the fitter objects of our faith fear love and hope c. To work upon our knowledge or faith apprehending 1. Gods Justice 2. his mercy and beleeving them both if you adde the other attributes to his Justice 1. that he is infinite in majesty 2. infallible in his truth 3. without change c. and they make his Justice more perfect and consequently more fearfull In the second place adde the same also to his mercy that he which loveth us is 1. A King of eternal majestie and life 2. Infallible 3. Unchangable and the rest it makes his mercy more