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
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
ascend and if it be hindred in its course it hath another quality viz. hear to burn through and make way whereby it will search and by its own strength 〈◊〉 to remove the impediment Such a thing is in the soul of man for God having given us light to know what we have to do giveth also a desire to do it so we make toward it we go up for therefore hath he given us that part of the minde which we call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is answerable to the lightnesse in the fire and then answerable to calor heat he hath given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the zeal of it we remove all impediments in our course 1. Now the first step or motive to murder is anger which is vindex laesae concupiscentiae the revenger of our desire impaired this being not satisfied there naturally follows ebullitio sanguinis a boyling of the blood for we commonly say when a man is crossed in that he desires His blood riseth upon which follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anger and a desire of removing the impediment But this we are to understand that anger is not of the same quality with some other affections as namely that of envy that doth sound ill assoon as it is named for it implies a grief at the good of another which is simply and altogether sinful as being directly contrary to the vertue of love but anger is not simply evil in regard of the act or object but when it fails either in the cause or the quantity or measure then our Anger may be faulty Be angry saith S. Paul but sin not So that there may be anger which is not sinful and when anger is a sin often it cometh not in regard of the object nor at any time in regard of the affection it self which is indifferent but when we are angry either without cause or upon a trivial and light occasion or when upon a just cause we keep no measure but our anger is extream To be moved with indignation in Gods cause or for the publick good is a vertue and it is called Nemesis indignation as when a man doth see a thing committed against Gods glory that ought not to be done or a thing that ought to be done not done to the glory of God or the good of the Church and Common-wealth This is ira per zelum a zealous anger and is called Ira spiritus sancti a holy anger Such an anger was that of our Saviour against them that prophaned the Temple And that of Elias when he saw the worship of Baal set up instead of the true worship of God And this anger venerable Beda commends to us Zelo domus patris Salvator impios 〈◊〉 Templo zelemus nos domum Dei quantum possumus ne quid in ea pravum geratur insistamus our Saviour in zeal to his 〈◊〉 house turned the wicked out of the 〈◊〉 let us be as zealous for that house and be 〈◊〉 and careful as much as in us lyeth that no wicked thing be done there c. The other is ira per vitium a faulty anger or ira 〈◊〉 a fleshly anger and that is when a man is angry without cause condemned by our Saviour who threatens him that is angry with his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause or when it is extra modum beyond all rules of moderation when a man gives place to wrath and lets it run out of all compasse contrary to the Apostles rule who bids us resist anger and not give place to it S. Gregory gives us a rule for this kinde of anger Ira cum delinquentium culpas insequitur non debet menti quasi Domina prire sed post rationis 〈◊〉 quasi ancilla fumulari when anger prosecutes the faults of Delinquents it should not go before the minde like a Mistresse but follow reason as an hand-maid and when the affection is not thus ruled by reason then it is no more Nemesis but radix amaritudinis a root of bitternesse or venenum serpentis the poison of the serpent that infecteth our nature Now this sinful wrath which is the spawn of those sins which S. James reckoneth up is either the first motion rising in us or else it is suppuratio vitii an impostume or inward ranckling of it and this if it be against a Superiour it is called a grudge if against an equal 〈◊〉 if towards an inferiour it is termed disdain and this grudge if it continue longer will grow into an impostume of envy and so will rancour into hatred and disdain into contempt After which they usually break out and have two issues 1. In the tongue 2. In the Countenance If it breaks out 1. in the tongue it is called spuma vitii the 〈◊〉 or froth of the vice which being against Superiours is called 〈◊〉 whispering or detraction of such S. Bernard saith 〈◊〉 portant in ling 〈◊〉 they carry the Devil in their tongue And when it is against equals it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contentious railing and brawling and lastly against Inferiours it is scoffing and reproaching or else 2. it breaks out in the countenance which is called Icterus vitii the jaundice of sin we shall know it if it be against Superiours per obliquos 〈◊〉 by the crooked and learing eye if to an equal by the whole face and to an Inferiour by high and lofty looks as the Prophet calls them 3. Besides these it breaks out in actum 〈◊〉 into execution into the hands and feet and then it is called Lepra peccati the leprousie of sin and produceth fighting and bloodshedding which Leprousie stayes not within our selves but infects others also Come let us smite him with the tongue These are all a kin to murder And this is a brief enumeration of those things which shall hereafter be set forth at large And as in this Commandment there is a prohibition of murder and its kindred so is there also an injunction in general to do all things that may conduce to the preservation of our Neighbours life of which also we shall speak hereafter The Hebrews have a saying that every man ought to be lignum vitae 〈◊〉 a tree of life to his Neighbour What it is to be 〈◊〉 vitae a tree of life to our Neighbour the Wise man tells us in sundry places fructus justi the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life to deal justly with him and offer him no wrong and in another place Desiderium expletum a desire fulfilled is a tree of life that is by 〈◊〉 and doing good and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gentle tongue which gives gentle speeches These are ligna vitae trees of 〈◊〉 for by these we make our Neighbour to have cor sanum a 〈◊〉 or joyful heart which is indeed the life of the flesh as he tells in another place for without
subject to this passion he doth not sentire se percussum not resent a blow Now if this anger cannot be prevented that it break not out it is to be sorrowed for and repented and we mnst labour to stop it in regard of the measure we must look to the suppuration or 〈◊〉 to have it healed and dried up A man may sometime be angry but he must not requiescere in ira as is said before S. Paul setteth us the longest time for keeping it Ne occidat Sol and the reason is every Christian is to offer his evening sacrifice of prayer and before we pray we must forgive The charge of this is set down negative and affirmative by S. Matthew from our Saviours mouth 〈◊〉 shew the necessity of it If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not neither will your father forgive your trespasses And if we number our remissions or forgivings then ours shall be numbred to us by tally if we forgive sine fine numero we shall be forgiven in the like manner So much for Suppuratio Now for spuma the foaming of it out by the tongue He that doth this disquieteth his friends And yet we are to consider that we have to do with men and such men as sometime offend with the tongue though not with the will who is it that offendeth not with the tongue It is an unruly member no man can tame it David in his anger said All men are lyars Samuel and all because God had deferred that which Samuel told 〈◊〉 should come to passe the kingdom Seeing then that there is no man but offendeth with his tongue we should 〈◊〉 Davids practise esse tanquam surdus to be as it were deaf and give no regard to what we hear spoken in anger not to be deaf but tunquam surdus as one deaf is good in this case for when one hath heard evil 〈◊〉 words they are as the son of Syrach speaks like a coal of fire which if one blow on it it will kindle if he spit upon it it will go out The Heathen man considered this by the light of nature If he be thus angry without a cause quid faciet 〈◊〉 what will he be if I provoke him and requite one angry word with another And therefore the Philosopher when one reproached him cast up dust into the air and when the other asked him why he did so he answered Injicio pulverem vomitui tuo I throw dust to cover thy vomit and indeed it is nothing 〈◊〉 but vomitus bilis a 〈◊〉 of choler Solomon saith He that answers such a one whether he be in 〈◊〉 or in earnest he shall go by the worst If he be wise thou art yet wiser by forbearing him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wiser for not returning word for word Therefore he would not have a fool answered lest we become like him and be as he that reproving a sault in another commits a greater himself and so runs into a great absurdity for against a fools words magnum remedium negligentia the best course is to neglect them so that sometimes he must not be answered lest we make e stulto 〈◊〉 of a fool a mad man and yet again sometimes he must be answered when he is among such as himself that think well of him 〈◊〉 he seem wise but if he be among wise men answer him not for they will regard rather quid tu taceas quam quid ille dicat thy wisdom in silence then his 〈◊〉 in speaking The last thing in anger is the Act it self or requiting of one injury with another Now though this be no way lawful neither is revenge allowed under the 〈◊〉 by our Saviour though under the Law they were allowed eye for eye and tooth for tooth because a far higher degree of love is now required under the Gospel yet we may distinguish between revenge and reparation for the damage we have sustained in our 〈◊〉 person or name Revenge is when we seek the hurt of him with whom we are angry though we our selves receive no benefit thereby and this is utterly unlawful now either for private persons or any others as Magistrates c. But the other viz. reparation for the losse or damage we have sustained is no way contrary to Christian love nor forbidden by Christ but may lawfully be sought by the hands of the Magistrate when it cannot otherwise be had we are not to be as the Pope once said of England a good asse to bear all burdens A man may strive lawfully especially in Gods cause Strive for the truth saith the Wise man and that unto death and this is 〈◊〉 far from the sin of anger that it is accounted a vertue called zeal In the case of 〈◊〉 and tuum we see that Abraham said to Lot Let there be no strife between me and thee Abraham for 〈◊〉 departed something from his right But because by so doing we many times pluck upon us a more grievous burthen then we are able to bear and therby give occasion to men to work upon our good and quiet nature we are warranted to have recourse to the Magistrate to relieve us by Law And for this purpose were Magistrates appointed and Laws made 〈◊〉 earum 〈◊〉 humana 〈◊〉 audacia that mens insolencies might be restrained by fear of them Yet there are some rules to be observed in our going to Law 1. It must be for some considerable matter not for every trifle Not quod opus est but quod necesse not for that we may do but for that necessity drives us to not every trivial action but such as if it be not remedied will breed an inconvenience and 〈◊〉 as nothing but the Law can rectifie and redresse 2. Before we bring it into forum civile before the Magistrate we must endeavour to have it ended by Good Men as we call them some wise and understanding men to judge of it 3. Our Saviour being required to deal between two brethren in the case of an inheritance saith Who made me a judge And in the next verse adds Beware of covetousnesse we must not go to Law with a covetous minde that is another rule 4. We must not by presuming upon our wealth savour or 〈◊〉 with the Judge enter upon a suit and endeavour to take away the right from the poor that every mans suum may be 〈◊〉 must not go to Law with a corrupt minde as the Heathen man said to the Judge in the words of the Law Si 〈◊〉 est adversarii habeat ille if it be none of mine let mine adversarie carry it This is another rule 5. Our Prosecution of a suit must not savour of gall we are to preserve charity keep a charitable minde with our adversarie 6. The last rule is prescribed by Solomon Strive not hastily his reason is lest
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
1 For the first we may see it plainly in Diagoras who as Diodorus Siculus and Suidas report of him became an Atheist affirming that there was neither God nor Religion Because when he had written a book of verses which pleased him so well that he intended to publish it one stole the Poeme from him and when for this fact he was brought before the Senate of Athens and took his oath that he had it not yet afterwards put it forth to publick view not in Diagoras name but in his own And because this perjured person was not presently stricken with thunder for his perjury and abusing the name of their Gods and the authority of the Senate Diagoras immediatly turned Atheist The like is to be observed in Porphyrie and 〈◊〉 who at the first were Christians but for some wrong done to them by some of the Church as they conceived for which they were not punished became plain Atheists though they were termed but Apostata's For the second which is sensuality This motive drew Epicurus and his fellows to be come Atheists and to hold this brutish opinion that there came an extraordinary benefit to them because they might more freely enjoy their pleasures without restraint by any feare of future punishment At the first they held with Diagoras that there was no God The main reason of their brutish opinion was grounded upon this Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas there was no hope of pleasure after this life because the soul was not immortal But the very Heathen contemporary with them confuted them therein and thus proved the truth against Epicurus 1 In things that are corrupted together corruption takes hold of the one as well as the other both at once but in age when the body is weakest the soul is strongest therefore it is immortall 2 The perfection of the soule appeareth most when it abstracteth and separateth it self most from the body and therefore in the greatest separation of all others which is by death it will be most perfect 3. Saint Augustine saith that the soul is the subject of truth but no subject of truth can decay no more then truth it self therefore the soul is immortal But as Archesilaus a chief Academique seeing with what difficulty men attained to knowledge and with what pains small learning was gotten took a short course and held that there was no knowledge at all So these Epicures seeing that Religion restrained men from all licentious actions and pleasures and how hard a thing it was to lead a Godly life took a short course and held there was neither God nor Religion And as a Thief is desirous to have the light put out that being in the dark his doings may not be seen and thereby be quit and free from the reproof and check of men so do these desire to extinguish the light of Religion because they may take their pleasures more freely and not be lyable to the check of Conscience CHAP. VI. That there is a God proved 1. By reasons drawn out of the writings of the Heathens themselves 2. By the frame of the World objections answered 3. By the beginning and progresse of arts c. 4. By the necessity of a first mover The beginning of things cannot be 1. By Chance nor 2. By Nature 5. By prophecies fulfilled 6. By the artificial framing the bodies of all Creatures 7. By the soul of man Reasons why so many Atheists Natural notions of a diety The Conscience 8. From the miserable ends of Atheists That there is a God THus much for the Negative Now for the affirmative point That there is a God the belief whereof we may be confirmed in by uncorrupt reason even from the writings of the Heathen themselves 1. There is a first mover a first cause in all things else there should be before every mover another mover and so in infinitum And so of causes and if so this absurdity would follow that infinite causes must have infinite times to produce infinite effects 2. If there were no first cause all would be instrumental causes and no principal And seeing no inferiour cause worketh without a superiour and that if there were not a principal and supream mover of 〈◊〉 there would be no effects Therefore c. 3. There is a Devil therefore a God There is a spirit in the world set upon mischief which seeks to endamage men in their goods and quantum fieri potest as much as he can to bring all mankinde to destruction as is plain in sorcerers and witches And as he is bent to the utter ruine of mankinde so he would have effected it long before this time had there not been a superiour power to restrain his malice So that they were enforced to beleeve first that there was a Devil and afterwards esse Deum qui ejus potestati resisteret quasi jura daret Tyrannidi that there is a God who resists the Devils power and sets bounds to his tyrannous maliciousnesse 4. Another reason is from the frame of the world There was a founder of it the old Heathen Poets acknowledged a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a first Creator from which these reasons may be gathered 1. Though we dig long and cannot come to the root of a tree or finde out the head of a spring yet we know the one hath a head and the other a root so though we cannot easily come to the knowledge how the world had a beginning yet sure we are that a beginning it had And Damascen reasoneth very demonstratively that it had a beginning because it is alwayes in alteration and change 2. Where divers things of great discrepancy in nature are reduced and brought into a sweet harmony and concord as in a Lute we may argue and conclude that surely some skilful Musician hath tuned and accorded them So nothing being fuller of variety and contrariety of natures then the world and the creatures in it we must needs confesse when we see what agreement and sympathy and consent is among them that some excellent and skilful one hath made this harmoniacal consent 3. Of all things in the world as laws learning arts and the rest the beginning as well of them as of the Inventors of them are known for so the Heathen confesse And Plinie hath written much in his naturall history to this purpose Diodorus Siculus faith that laws came from the Jews and order in common-wealths from the Chaldeans but this doubtlesse came also originally from Gods people and by humane reason and different occasions was varied from the first institution Now whereas they object that Ex nihilo nihil fit of nothing can nothing be made The answer to 〈◊〉 is Alia est conditio rei dum fit alia cum facta est Nutritur quisque in utero per umbilicum post partum per os the condition of things in their creation and after their creation is different A childe in the mothers belly is
created fruit with the seed because we should not think seed alone to be the cause or means of fruit And we see in these dayes preferment cast upon some men that neither seek nor deserve it 3. We see also some effects wrought contrary to Nature As when Christ opened the eyes of him that was blinde with clay which naturally is more proper to put out the eyes then open them So likewise Elisha made the the salt water fresh and sweet by casting salt into it Josephs imprisonment was the means of his preferment And the unlearned Christians confounded the learned of their time Therefore the effects depende not on means or nature onely 2. not by chance Fortune hath not the command of the issue and event of war as some prophane men have given out Sors domina campi that Chance is the predominant Lady of the field but we Christians know that God is a man of war and fighteth for his servants and gives them victory or else for their sins and to humble them gives them into their enemies hands and maketh them Lords over them and the heathens themselves made their worthies Diomedes Vlisses c. prosperous by the assistance of some god and therefore in their stories vsually there went a vow before the war and after the victory performance In the very drawing of Lots which a man would think to be Chance of all other things we see it ordered some times by special providence against Chance so that it must be confessed that somewhat was above it as in the case of Jonathan and Jonas And therefore it is that the wiseman saith The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing of it is in the Lord. Hence the mariners in the ship where Jonas was vsed this casting of lots acknowledging a providence of God therein And upon that which they call Chance medley it cannot depend for there is also Providence Herodotus reports of Cambyses that being hated by his subjects for his cruelty the people not unwilling to have another vsurper in his absence it came to his ears he furiously alighting from his horse with entent to to have gone against the vsurper his sword fell out of the scabbard and run into his thigh or belly and killed him which this Heathen writer ascribes to Providence not to chance medley And the Philosophers conclude that chance is nothing else but an effect of causes far removed and if of them much more of things neer together which plainly are to be referred to the divine providence And it is a greater argument of providence to joyn things far asunder then those which are neerer and better known Therefore the various effects we see cannot be ascribed onely to Nature or Chance To all which might be added that unanswerable argument from the fulfilling of prophecies which necessarily proves a divine providence Thus we have seen that there is a Providence in general 2. That it worketh even when there are secondary causes 3. Now that this Providence reacheth and extendeth to particulars as it doth to generals and rewardeth each particular man is proved by Philosophy and reason thus 1. The philosophers make Providence a part and branch of Prudence and Prudence is a practical vertue and practical vertues have their objects in singularibus in particulars 2. Now it is certain that all the Attributes of God are every one of equal latitude and longitude His power is over all and extendeth to every thing for virtutis est maxime pertingere vel remotissima that is the greatest power that reacheth to things farthest off And his providence and goodnesse is of no lesse extent then his power 3. There 's no man but will confesse that it is a more commendable thing to provide for every particular then for the general onely And therefore it is that is storied for the commendation and honour of Mithridates who having many thousands in his army was able to call them all nominatim by their names then si quod melius est non agatur if the best be not done it must needs be out of some defect in the Agent but there 's none in God 4. Now for the rest of the Creatures If God have a care of heaven which hath not the use of its own light or motion but is to make inferiour things fruitful and cattle have use of herbs c. and man of cattle and all other things and the philosophers telling us that that which hath the use of all things is principal of all others man having the use of all must needs be principal therefore si sit providentia Dei in reliquas creaturas ut in principalem se extendat necesse est if the providence of God extend it self to the rest of the Creatures it necessarily follows that it extend it self to the principal 5. King David first considereth the glory of the Heavens then the eternity of them and wondreth how God could passe by those most glorious bodies and put the soul of man the most excellent creature into a most vile lump of clay and earth Man is the most excellent of all other of Gods artifice for other Creatures know not their own gifts The horse if he knew his strength would not suffer his rider upon his back therefore the occultation of the gift from that creature which hath it and the manifestation of it to man that hath it not is an argument that man is Gods Count-Palatine of the whole world and cannot be exempted from Gods providence 6 And this is that which made Saint Chrysostome in a godly zeal being displeased with man to say Appende te homo consider thy self well O man art not thou better then all creatures else Yet is Gods providence over the vilest of them and so from them to man and more especially to good men for if he have a providence and care of those that onely have his image by nature then where two images meet in one one of nature and another of grace by Christ much more for similitudo magnes amoris likenesse is the loadstone of love amoris providentia and providence of love If God care for all mankinde then much more for these who as it were hate themselves to love him those that lose themselves to finde him and that perish to live with him Therefore his providence is over particulars The second branch of this part hath two things considerable 1. That God is to be sought 2. That his providence is to reward them that seek and serve him 1. In the first place then God must be sought for facientis finis est ipsemet the end of the actor is himself and God being his own end it must necessarily follow that he wills all things for his own either profit honour or pleasure 1. For his profit we cannot seek him for none can redound to him from us 2. Nor for his pleasure for wherein can we pleasure him 3.
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
that after we have beleeved we may search after a reason that we may be able and ready as the Apostle bids us alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in us For grace doth not annihilate and make nature voyd faith is aboue and not contrary to right reason it is as a greater light to the lesse yea religio est summa ratio it is the quintessence of reason or reason exalted or elevated But we are to use reason as the hand-maid to faith for faith must bring the understanding of man into captivity to the obedience of Christ as Saint Paul saith and we must expect from the holy Ghost the teaching of these things which our nature neither can nor is able to conceive Now faith differs from science thus In science there is first an enquiry after the reasons and causes and then the assent follows But in faith there is first the assent and then the understanding of that to which we have assented Auditu 〈◊〉 by the hearing follows Assoon as they heare of me they shall obey me saith God It is conceptus cum assensu because the object of our faith is not propounded with such evidence to the understanding as to constrain us to beleeve but the will holdeth the understanding prisoner and keepeth it captive Thus faith becoms a free act an act of obedience whereas if things were propounded with that evidence that we could not distrust there could be 〈◊〉 place for freedom of obedience in beleeving God hath so ordered it that matters of faith are propounded as summe credibilia highly credible such that in prudence we may safely assent unto yet not with that evidence which necessitates assent for then there could be no trial of obedience in beleeving nor any pretence left for reward to beleevers or punishment to unbeleevers See the Schoolmen generally and master Hookers 〈◊〉 Of the certainty of saith added to his Eccles-politic With the heart man beleeveth faith the Apostle belief being an act of the understanding it should come first a mente but he saith there we must corde 〈◊〉 for the will hath an especial act in it Now the reason why it pleased God thus to order the matter in production of faith is because if reason of it self could have attained to the things pertaining to God little or no glory at all had come to God by it Again seeing matters of faith cannot be attained by reason this shews the vanity of the wisdom of the flesh and we may see how God doth confound and abase it For in Religion the ground is contrary to that in Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to beleeve is the way of Philosophy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beleeve of divinity at which Lucian scoffed For the warrant of beleeving or assenting before we know something hath been said before we will adde a little more in this place Saint Cyrill in his fift 〈◊〉 Cyprian Chrysostome and other of the ancient fathers prove against Philosophers that Quic quid fit fide fit whatsoever is done is done by faith This appeares in all civill affaires wherein men go upon a civill faith without certain knowledge of the things and therefore much more in matters of religion which are supernatural may we live by faith Thus we see the husbandman who though he sees the weather unkindly c. yet fits himself to till and sow his ground and bestows his cost though he have no demonstrative knowledge whether he shall reape any profit or no. And so the Merchants though their goods and ships are subject to storms pyrats c. yet they run the hazard and adventure upon this Civill faith So in marriage though some may be barren yet they marry in hope to have children and so in warfare though the victory be uncertain yet the souldier goes one to battel c. The Schoolmen after the fathers goe a subtiller way to work and hold that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fide scitur that we beleeve even those things we know for by our senses and understanding we know many things and herein they are our witnesses which we beleeve yet all confesse that these witnesses are very doubtfull in many things For the eye which is the most certain and chiefe of all the outward senses because it apprehendeth more differences and apprehends its object after a more special and spiritual manner yet they which are skilful in the Optiques reckon up 20 wayes how it may be deceived and what greatimperfections are in it And for our reason or understanding we see how uncertain it is in our younger yeers and how we correct former errours as we grow in years when we are children we speak as children reason as children and conceive as they do but when we are men we put away childish things Ploughmen cannot reason of the formall causes of things because they cannot see them but tell them of labour that they can conceive and so in respect of a more sublime understanding they come far short And therfore we also may be deceived in things that are above us and therefore the third way of knowledge that is by relation is necessary The certainty of faith is grounded upon the condition and qualitie of the relaters and hath onely two exceptions 1. Either against the authors that they want skill and are ignorant of the things they relate 2. Or else that they are such upon whose fidelity we cannot rely Now in either of these cases if the party relating want skill and cannot relate the truth or is not honest and will not his testimony is not to be taken So then there is no more certaine way then this that whereas the knowledge of faith and grounds of Religion are to be built upon such witnesses as want neither skill nor fidelity but for their skill can and for their faithfulnesse will deliver the truth we are to embrace what they deliver as certain truths The Apostle saith not I beleeve whom I know but scio cuicredo I know whom I beleeve We know that whom we beleeve is Amen just and true That cannot lie a faithful witnes it is a thing impossible for him so to do And for the manner of giving his testimony The termes in Scripture are 1. Dictum Jehovaeh and Dixit 〈◊〉 the word of the Lord and thus saith the Lord. And because mans stipulation and promise is more certain then his bare affirmation therefore God hath made promises to us and his promises are precious as the Apostle saith 3. And for our greater comfort and assurance hath confirmed his promise with an oath 4. Again because if we have a mans handwriting we give greater credit to that then toan oath we have his own handwriting written with his own finger 5. And for confirmation of that he hath put to his feal 6. And lastly beyond which no
great fault If I have made gold my hope or have said to the fine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great or because my hand had gotten much Or if our trust be in great men as the Prophet who denounceth a curse against him that trusteth in man or maketh flesh his arm And not onely in great personages but in Common-wealths and the strength of them and their chariots and horses Or in wisdom Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom Or in outward priviledges Trust not in lying words saith the Prophet saying the Temple of the Lord c. Or as Ezekiel in ordinary coming to sermons as the people did to his and so to rest doing no good works and reaping no fruit by them But to use these things well not trusting in them which may be done 1. By a right judgement of them 2. By a right use of them 1. For the first Moses saith It is not bread that man liveth by onely but by the word of God his will and decree In nature bread should nourish but it is withall if God give the staffe of bread with it His blessing gives a nutritive vertue to bread and this is the staffe The Psalmist look'd upon his bow and his sword and yet could not be confident in them I will not trust in my bow saith he it is not my sword that shall help me And except the Lord build with us and watch with us our building and watching will be to no purpose It is the Lord that must give the staff of building watching nourishing c. else all our means will be used in vain nothing can prosper without his blessing Every thing depends upon God both in esse and in operari as the Schools say and no second cause can work without the influence of the first cause and this must be our judgement concerning the means 2. The right use is the second and this because the means are of no force without a blessing annexed we are to seek for some thing further that may adde vigor and strength to them which as the Apostle saith is thanksgiving and prayer to sanctifie the means And this thanksgiving and prayer are not to be formall It was that which Job feared in his sons for he knew by his good education of them that they omitted not thanksgiving nor prayer every day but feared that they performed not those duties as they ought and therefore every morning he offered burnt offerings according to the number of them And in doing thus we shall make the right use of the means and be in the number of the Saints whose practise we shall finde in scriptures to be the same Jacob in reconciling himself to his brother used all the means that could be as in sending messengers before he met him thereby to feele his affection towards him not forgetting presents to make his way the better and withal instructing his servants to separate his wives and children and droves in several stations that if his brother should set upon one the other might escape yet for all this we see that in the first place he giveth himself to prayer thinking that all the means he used could be of little force except God blessed the means So in Exodus we finde that in the war with the Amalekites all things were provided Iosua made Captain and the battle set in order but knowing that all this was not available without Gods blessing Moses went up to the top of the mount with Aaron and Hur to pray and we see that no longer then Moses listed up his hands no longer did the Isralites prevail We finde in the fathers two several wayes whereby a man may know and certifie himself whether his trust be more in the means then in God the author and giver 1. Quid primum in mente venit cogitandum what first comes into a mans thoughts 2. Quid postremum what last 1. For the first say they when thou goest about any thing cometh thy wealth first into thy minde or thy mony or thy charriot or thy horse or thy arm of flesh or cometh he that hath the prerogative of all these the first that first offereth it self to thy minde trieth it and tieth it to it self and all other are but secondary means If there be first a calling to minde of God it is probable that he is the ground of thy confidence 2. And secondly what we set down in our minds as our last refuge and this is too commonly seen to be the means The wiseman saith The rich mans wealth is his strong city which the fathers expound thus when the Justice and goodnesse of his cause when God and good men and all else forsake him then will that stick to him as he conceives and help him at a pinch and he is perswaded that argento respondent omnia pecuniae omnia obediunt when we are like to them against whom the Prophet denounceth a woe that devise iniquity and worke evill upon their beds and when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hand And indeed our nature is such that as long as means prevail so long we trust in them But when a man in the plenty of his means can say I will do nothing against the truth but for the truth notwithstanding all my means wisdome freinds c. I will do nothing against a good cause if the event conduce not to the Glory of God non est faciendum I will not go about it when a rich man shall be poor to do evill and so a wise man foolish and ignorant in evill then he hath a good warrant that flesh is not his arme and that his trust is not in his meanes 〈◊〉 God though his means be many Nay when we can trust in God though means be wanting The Greeks have a proverb while the pot seetheth their love seetheth and so we can be content to hold out so long as our means hold out and no longer And this is the cause that provoketh God in his just judgement to give the means without the blessing as also to bring many things to passe without means For as where the blessing of God is there it falls out that mens bellies are filled with Gods hidden treasure there is thriving and growing no man can tell by what means So where he 〈◊〉 the means it fares with them as with those in the Prophet ye have sowen much and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough ye drink but ye are not filled with drink ye cloth you but ye are not warme and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes whatsoever means they use it prospers not And the experience of this we see in king Asa albeit Physick be the ordinary means to recover health yet
because he sought to the Physicians before he sought to God for help his physick was accursed and he pined away Achitophel the Oracle of wisdome and policy gave wise counsel but because he looked not up to God God did not determine to blesse it but as the text saith defeated it and made the Counsel of Hushai to be taken and his rejected and we see what became of him afterward he seeing his counsel was not followed sadled his asse went and set his house in order and hanged himself And so the wisdome of the Egyptian Counsellors became foolish infatuavit cos God besotted them the Lord made them give foolish counsel Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God they have stumbled and fallen but we are risen and stand upright Now as these ordinary means of clothing food Physick and wisdom are many times accursed so God to shew how little he dependeth on secondary means doth effect his purpose somtimes without means and somtimes contrary to means As in the fall of the walls of Jericho upon the blast of Rammes horns So Gideon encouraged by the exposition of a dreame of a barly loofe with three-hundred men with trumpets and empty pitchers in their hands and lamps within them put all the Midianits to flight and to run upon themselves As also the great host of the Syrians were put to flight none pursuing them but a panick terrour came suddenly uppon them and a certain imagination that they heard the noise of Chariots horses and a great army of the Hittites and Egyptians that came to aid the Isralites 1. Seeing then that God gives the means when he will and blesseth them when he will it is our parts to trust in him whether we have the meanes or no and to be affected as King David was though he were in the midst of ten thousand men armed and compassed round with them on every side yet he would not be afraid but as it is in the end of the next Psalm would lay him down and sleep trusting in Gods protection and as Moses counselled the children of Israel when the Egyptians pursued them with their chariots though their enemies were behinde them and the red sea before them and no way seen whereby to escape yet to stand still and put their trust in the Lord and they should see the power of the Lord which they accordingly found So the Apostle describing a true pattern of faith sets before us that of Abraham who had neither means in himself or his wife whereby to beleeve Gods promise of a Son she being barren by nature and having a dead womb and he a hundred years old past child getting by course of nature yet he staggered not but was strong in faith being fully perswaded that he which had promised was able to performe and therefore received the blessing in the birth of Isaac 2. And as we are thus to trust in God though we see no means so must we be far from the course of the wicked who if God once fail them do not onely despair of his help but cast him off and betake themselves to his enemy and to unlawful means and such are they that despairing of Gods assistance in their health leave him and the lawful means and flee to Sorcerers a thing utterly condemned by the Prophet We see that Saul lost both the favour of God and his kingdom for conversing with a familiar spirit 3. Besides there is a woe denounced against another sort of people that as the prophet speakes seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord that thinke by their policy and deep wisdom they can deceive God as they do men 4. There are others that take advantage of other mens weaknes and think that that which they get by over reaching others in bargains is their own but the Apostle tells such that God is an avenger of them 5. Another unlawful means is when we see other means failus and that a good man stands in our way then we do as those against Ieremy let us have devises against him and percutiamus cum lingua nostra let us smite him with our tongue that is let us raise slanders against him that none may credit his words In this case God will give eare to the prayer that Ieremy in the subsequent verses made against such men 6. There is yet another sort of people that are not in the right way and that is of those which are married In respect of themselves these men are confident but when 〈◊〉 comes to semen nosturm our seed there their confidence falls off and it is to be feared that many that might have been saved in the estate of single life have fallen from God and hazarded their own salvation by mistrusting that God will not provide for their children wheras God saith Ero deus tuns et seminis tui I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee In this point Saint Ambrose saith Plausibilis excusatio est liberis sed dic mihi 〈◊〉 homo an unquam a Deo 〈◊〉 ut pater fieres an etiam id petiisti da liberos ut deum amittam da liberos ut peccem propterliberos it is a fair excuse for children but tell me o man didst thou ever pray to God thou mightest be a father or didst thou make thy petition thus give me children that I may lose God give children that I may sinne for them I am sure saith he that you never said so and yet this is the common practise Gehazi said not to Naaman that his 〈◊〉 needed the Talent and two changes of rayment but that there were two children of the Prophets c. and they needed them And Abraham himself hath his blemish in this kinde in that he was so careful for Ismael Oh that Ismael might live in thy sight Therefore as we are to trust in God and his means for our selves so are we to rely upon his providence for our children also 5. The fift rule of our exposition directs to speak of the signes of faith it is not enough that a man can say Credo in deum I beleeve in God we must have more particular signes of it For as the Apostle saith all men have not faith therefore that of Saint Peter must be added the trial of faith is much more precious then gold 1. The first signe therefore of faith is according to Saint Chrysostome when a man is not ingeniosus ad causas ready to pick quarrels and to make excuses for not beleeving How many causes might Abraham have found out not to beleeve and that it was impossible for him to have had a son yet we see that true faith overcame all difficulties so that he neither excepted against the promise in respect of Saras barrennesse or his own weaknesse but
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
suffer us to be tempted above that we are able And either our strength shall encrease with the strength of our crosse or as our strength so our crosse shall diminish The enemy shall not be able to do us violence 2. We are to deprecate temporal dangers as Jehosbaphat did We know not what to do hoc solum restat ut ad te oculos dirigamus Domine Our eyes are upon thee O God And then in our trouble and distresse Nomen Domini shall be turris fortissime The Name of the Lord will be a strong tower to us But yet concerning temporal evil we must stand affected as the three children were who answer'd K. Nebuchadnezzar our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery fornace but if not because the promise and covenant is conditionall we will not serve thy God c. And thus far and no farther went our Saviour when he used deprecation Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse not my will but thine be done The second branch of Invocation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Precation which is the desiring of some thing that is good There is no one thing more common in the Psalms then this as 1. Give me understanding So 2. Establish the thing that thou hast wrought in us c. As the first prayer is to give what we want so the second is establish and confirm it in us when we have it 3. The third is that of the Apostles to our Saviour Lord increase our faith in us We must not keep at a stand in grace but desire an increment that we may grow in grace as the Apostle counselleth us Concerning this part of prayer petition of the good we want It is true our desires are not alwayes granted for as Christ answered the sons of Zebedee ye ask ye know not what so it may be said to us we often desire 〈◊〉 that which is agreeable to our own humours then to Gods will as Chrysostome reports of a Thief who purposing to continue in his sin orabat Deum ut non caperetur eo citius capiebatur he prayed that he might not be taken and was taken so much the sooner because he so prayed Therefore the rule we must follow and whereon we must ground our prayer is that promise Quicquid secundum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever we ask according to his will he will grant us such are the graces of his spirit and whatsoever is necessary to salvation as the Word Sacraments publique Worship c. These are that unum 〈◊〉 which the 〈◊〉 so earnestly begged unum petii a Jehovah One thing have I desired of the Lord. He desired many things but one thing especially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dwell in the 〈◊〉 of God all the dayes of his life to continue in the Church of God all his life where he might glorifie God and work out his own salvation Whatsoever is absolutely necessary to these ends we may safely ask and be sure God will grant and therefore our Saviour tells us that God grants his Spirit to those that ask him this is one thing which he will not deny us Now with these or after these we may pray for temporal things that is we may pray first for a competency not for superfluity The 〈◊〉 Jacob prayed onely for food and raiment and Agur the son of 〈◊〉 prayes Give me neither poverty nor riches but sufficientiam victus a sufficiency onely whereupon S. Augustine faith non indecenter petit quia hoc petit non amplius it is no unbeseeming prayer because he asks onely so much and no more 2. We must desire them with condition if God see it expedient submitting to his will as Christ If it be possible and if it be thy will so did David praying for restitution to his kingdom If I have found favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again c. if not here I am let him do what seemeth good to him He resignes all to Gods will and there is no more compendious way to obtain what we need then to resigne all to Gods pleasure whatsoever means we use or however we struggle nothing will avail without this Now that which was mentioned before concerning omnis omnia falls in best to be expounded here It seems strange that every one that asks shall have and that whatsoever he asks he shall have seeing it is certain that many ask and have not 1. We must remember that of S. Augustine that our duty is to pray however for as he saith Jubet ut petas si non petis displicet non negabit quod petis si non petes doth God command thee to pray and is he displeased if thou prayest not and will he not deny thee what thou prayest for and yet dost thou not pray 2. We must know that the cause why we receive not is not in his promise but in our asking Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse saith S. James For it is not a demonstrative signe of Gods favour to us to have all we desire granted for we see that the Israelites desired flesh and flesh God sent them but is was with displeasure for while the meat was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them and flew the mightiest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel And upon the peoples violent desire to have a king God gave them one but in displeasure Nay it is so far from a favour that God sometimes grants the Devils whom he favours not their requests as in the case of Job and the Swyne 3. And as this is not an absolute signe of favour so Gods denying of our requests is not alwayes a signe of his displeasure This we may see in S. Paul who obtained not that he desired concerning the prick in the flesh 1. One reason S. Isidore and S. Aug. give Saepc multos Deus non exaudit ad voluntatem ut exaudiat ad salutem God oft-times hears not many as they desire that he may hear them to their good 2 Another reason is given by S. Aug God denies not but only defers to grant that we might by his deferring them ask and esteem of them more highly Desideria delatione crescunt cito data vilescunt desire encreaseth by delay and things soon given are of light esteem and therefore he adds Servat tibi Deus quod non vult cito dare ut tu discas magna magis desiderare God keeps for thee that he will not give thee quickly that thou mayest learn with more affection to desire great things 3. A third reason is that we might the more earnestly ask for them which our Saviour intimates in two parables to us one of the unjust judge and the importunate widow and the other
Augustine saith that as he Qui putat se habere quod non habet temerarius est he is rash that thinks he hath that he hath not so he qui non 〈◊〉 quod habet ingratus est that confesseth not what he hath is unthankful And therefore we must acknowledge them as data not innata as of Gods gift not of our own acquiring 2. The second is contentment and complacency in Gods gifts by a gratefull acceptation of what it pleaseth God to bestow upon us complacui I am well pleased King David may be a pattern to us in this point The Lot is fallen to me in a fair ground yea I have a goodly heritage it liked him well he desired no more For as Saint Bernard saith Spiritui gratiae contumeliam facit qui beneficium dantis grata mente non suscipit The undervaluing of gods blessings by not being content with what he sends us is a reproach to the spirit of grace And it was the disease of the Israelites fourty years together Of which Saint Augustine saith De nulla re magis Deum offendisse ille populus Judaicus dicitur quam contra Deum murmurando The Jews offended God in nothing more then in murmuring against him Saint Paul learned better that is to be content in whatsoever estate he was And his counsel was be content with that ye have 3. The next is Promulgation or publishing to others the benefits we receive Anuntiabo I will declare I will tell you saith the Psalmist what God hath done to my soul and in another place he saith he will not onely tell it in private but publickly in the congregation and in magna congregatione in the great congregation and that being not enough to all the people and among all nations And yet higher to his seed and posterity and beyond that to all generations to come Which he hath done we see it For as Saint Chrysostom saith well Optima beneficiorum custos est ipsa memoria beneficiorum et perpetua confessio gratiarum The best preserver of benefits is the memory of them and perpetual thankfulnesse for them 4. The fourth and last is Incitatio a stirring up or provocation of others to do the like Venite O come let us sing unto the Lord c. Saith the Psalmist And praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Sion And again praise ye the Lord Sing unto the. Lord a new song and his praise in the congregation of Saints And his last Psalm is all incitation not onely to men but to the creatures to perform this duty Now as there is Deprecation or intercession for others so this duty of thanksgiving is to be performed not onely for our selves but also for others in which the first example we have in Scripture is Abrahams servant after he had found a wife for his masters son Gen. 2. 27. So did Daniel for the secret revealed Dan. 2. 20. Moses composed a song for the deliverance out of Egypt Exod 15. 1 Deborab and Barak for the victory over Sisera Judg. 5. and so Saint Paul usually begins his Epistles with thanksgiving for others as Rom. 1. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 4. and 2 Cor. 1. Ephes. 1. 3. To stir us up to this duty of praise King David hath the commendation above all other of the Patriarches for his exact performance of it in all the parts above mentioned and in this respect was called a man after Gods own heart as Samuel told Saul S. Chrysostom examining why he was so stiled rather then Abraham and Moses and the rest saith he could finde no other reason for it but this because God desires that his name should be exalted and praised above all he laboured more plenteously in this point then any other and in that respect deserved that title better then any other In the 55. Psalm he professeth that he will keep his hours for prayer In the Evening and morning and at noon day will I pray But for praises in the 119 Psalm Thrice a day shall not serve but seven times a day do I praise thee Yea he would praise God at midnight Psalm 119 62. Psal. 6. 7. and Psal 118. 17. and Psal. 39. 15. And the desire he had to have his life prolonged was to praise God O let me live saith he and wherefore and I shall praise thee and this the rather because he knew that it was not onely the end of mans creation but of Angels also whom he desired to imitate who continualy praise God It was is their song Glory be to God on high and in the Revelation Blessing glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power be unto our God for ever and ever And in this respect it was that David accounted his tongue the best member he had and called it his glory because he employed it to the glory and praise of God which was the end why God created both it and all the other members And as it was the cause why God created man so was it also of all the creatures and they as the Psalmist saith perform their duty herein The Heavens saith he declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work c. Insomuch as we see that he calleth upon the very worms to performe this duty upon which Saint Chrysostoms note is that they were in worse estate then worms that neglect it But for the Church there it is the most natural duty that can be performed In thy Temple every man speaketh of thy praise what is preaching predicare but to declare to all the world his benefits of creation redemption by Christ and other benefits we have by him in publishing whereof we praise and honour God and therefore the conclusion of all sermons is with a Doxology To whom with the Father c. be all honour c. As was usual with the Fathers For the Sacraments that great mystery which is the complement and perfection of all our service on earth is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thanksgiving for what is it but a solemne commemoration of that grand mercy and benefit of our redemption by Christs sacrifice upon the crosse and therefore it ends with a gloria Glory be to God on high c. and for prayer we pray that we may have matter of praise yea praise for benefits received must be joyned and goe along with our prayers els they are not acceptable so that we in all our church exercises tend to this The Psalmist saith of unity that it is good and pleasant The Fathers observe from hence the excellency of vnity for that some things are good but not pleasant others pleasant but not good but this is both The same may be said of praises the Psalmist tells us that it is both good and pleasant and addes a third thing for whereas some thinge may be both good and pleasant but not comely
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
have had no just cause of complaint if he had given us day for day we could not onely have no iust cause of murmuring but also ought to have opened our mouthes to praise him for it But seeing he hath dealt so liberally with us in granting us six dayes for our own 〈◊〉 and to do our work and reserving but one to himself we must acknowledge it to be a liberal proportion and so it is 〈◊〉 judice and therefore if we be not clean void of good nature it cannot but content us and keep us from 〈◊〉 We see in Adams case that when God had finished the Creation and put him in Paradise notwithstanding Gods bounty to him in granting him all the trees in the garden one onely excepted yet the devil was presently upon him and upbraided God with his niggardlines in that he had not given him freedom to eat of all the trees in the garden and no doubt but the same devil useth the same pollicy with us still in this 〈◊〉 May you not doe what you will with all the dayes of the week Now the consideration of Gods bounty to us should answer all such suggestions for we cannot say but that we are well dealt withall he having granted us two times and a time to his one time six dayes to one and therefore how careful should we be to give him that one This should draw from us an answer like to that of Joseph to his Mistris My Master hath kept nothing from me but thee how then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God All the dayes of the week hath God granted me onely one hath he reserved to himself how can I then be so unkinde and unthankfull as 〈◊〉 deny him that Let not David in this be our patterne who having many sheep of his own would notwithstanding pluck the one and onely sheep out of the poor mans bosom for if we having many dayes of our own take from God his one day and pluck that one sheep out of Gods bosom and make it common for our selves by doing in it our opus servile servile work we are worthy to 〈◊〉 1000. deathes and God being so liberal and dealing with us in so unequal proportion to himself as 6. to us for one to him taking of us but one for six if we do not his work on that day we are to be taxed of extream injustice and ingratitude This is the meaning of those words and do all thy worke that whereas God might have imployed us in his worke and musing on his will all the dayes of our life but he is content to forbeare and spare us the rest of the week that in that time all our own affaires might be dispatched and none left undone or to be done on this day God might say to us as Nathan said to David All this have I given thee and more I would have given thee if that had not been enough but certain it is that he saw in his wisdom that these six dayes were sufficient and therefore willeth us to remember and still be so carefull to order our affaires on these dayes that against his seventh day comes we may be at leasure to sanctifie it 2. The second reason implyed is in these words But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God which contain the second opposition and intimate to us that the seventh day is Gods own proper day with which we have nothing to do to imploy it as we please and that it is plain theft and sacriledge to rob God of this part of time which he hath reserved to himself For if God had thought fit to have given us the seventh day too then might we have wrought on that day also but seeing he hath reserved it to himself we cannot without plain theft or robbery breake in upon this day to which we have no right by doing our own worke upon it Render therefore unto God that which is Gods for it cannot be withheld from him without sacriledge It is as if a man should say you may wear those clothes which are your own and bought with your mony but this garment which is bought with mine you cannot without violence take from me so likewise because of Gods bounty to us we cannot without ingratitude and manifest injury to him take this day from him because it is his he will have it wholly to himself In it thou shalt do no manner of worke Those who are comprehended within the Prohibition stand in five ranks 1. Thou secondly Thy son and thy daughter thirdly Thy man 〈◊〉 and maid-servant 4. Thy cattel 5. The stranger that is within thy gates 1. First for the Paterfamilias the master of the family It is reputed to be an especial preferment to be set over the family by the Lord of the family And as it is honos an honour so it is onus too a charge for Cui plus datur ab eo plus petetur to whom much is given of him shall be much required and therefore the first charge is laid here upon him that is the chief For as long as man is in the condition of a son or a servant so long he may say Ego serviam I will serve but if once he come to have the charge of a family then he must say with Joshua Ego domus 〈◊〉 I and my house will serve the Lord. In reference whereto when Christ had converted Zacheus he said This day is salvation come to this house why because this man who is chief of the family is the son of Abraham and Abraham instructed his family He must say to his family as Christ did to his Apostles exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example For if Peter or whosoever is principal fall away then others yea Barnabas himself will be drawn away too So though he discharge the duty himself yet if he take not care that others under him discharge it also he is a debtor That is he ought to 〈◊〉 so far from giving occasion himself or suffering others to violate that day by working or setting them that are under him to servile worke that he together with them must see the day sanctified and take care that all joyn in those holy duties which are requisite to the sanctification of the day 2. The second is concerning children Saint Augustines argument is good upon that in Deut. 20. Where if a man had new built an house the manner was to consecrate it That if a man that hath built a house be carefull to consecrate it being but the fruit of his hands then much more lieth the care upon him of consecrateing the fruit of his loins We see this careful affection in Abraham that he would command his sons to keep the way of the Lord for where the greatest love is there is also the greatest desire of conjunction
possunt which cannot be performed by those that are busied with worldly or secular affairs So many of the Fathers that write upon this place vacate videte quia ego sum Dominus Be still and know that I am God shew that by the rule of natural wisdom the Philosophers held Postulandum esse secessum ut melius intendamus a vacation from worldly affairs is necessary that we may the better intend contemplate on heavenly things Our heads must not be occupied with worldly thoughts when we are about the affairs of the soul not that the works of the other six dayes are evil in themselves but because they are apt to distract the minde from that which is proper to this day Now Otium Rest being the first part it is a very strange thing that the nature of man should be altogether so averse from Gods will that when the Precept is difficult and laborious requiring some pains and travail then they will be idle and where this precept is not laborious but easy as this to rest they will rather then not break the Commandment take pains that is they will even against their nature make themselvs businesse and pick out that day of all the dayes of the week that he hath chosen so that it shall be a kinde of policy to make advantage of that day and to finde out some labour on that day on which he hath forbid us to labour And so much for the easinesse of the Commandment and the perversenesse of man We finde in Scripture six several kindes of prohibitions from working on this day 1. Before the Law given when the people departed from Elim and came to the wildernesse of Sin there was a prohibition from gathering Manna there was better food to gather of which he that eateth shall live for ever The Lord is to be tasted 2. A second is As there must be no gathering of Manna nor going out to gather it that day so there must be no buying of it though it should be brought to us So Nehemiah protested against buying and selling which sheweth the unlawfulnesse of it because on that day is Mercatura animae it is the market day of the soul buying and selling on that day is forbidden 3. A third is that which the Prophet Jerem. mentions that is the carrying of burthens on that day and the better to dissuade the people from that kinde of work the Prophet promiseth in the person of God great blessings to them if they forbear and threatneth great plagues upon them if they did not for if they made that their day of 〈◊〉 God would send upon them a burden which they should sink under viz. Captivity and desolation by the Enemy he would kindle a fire in Jerusalem and burn up the gates and palaces thereof verse ult 4. Another thing prohibited by the Law is working in harvest time because the inning of harvest and gathering of grapes might seem to be a matter of great necessity Six dayes shalt thou work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing time and in harvest time thou shalt rest so that the provision for the whole common-wealth must give place unto the rest of this day 5. A fifth thing prohibited is Travailing or Journeying on the Sabbath day Cras erit Sabbatum jehovae maneat quisque in loco suo neque egrediatur quisquam die septimo to morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord Abide ye every man in his place let no man go out of his place the seventh day 6. The last is above the rest For whereas God in the three Chapters before had given Moses a platform for the building of a Tabernacle and taken order that he should go presently in hand with it yet in the 31 Chapter he saith notwithstanding Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep whosever worketh on that day the same person shall be surely put to death Which is as much as if he had said Though that work may seem most lawful and tending most to my glory of all other yet ye shall not break the Sabbath to do it and so verse 15 he gives an universal restraint whosoever doth any manner of work on that day shall be put to death any manner of work an universal prohibition and the penalty threatned was accordingly executed upon him that gathered sticks Numb 6. 15. 35. he was stoned to death by Gods special appointment And the Lord tells the people that if they pollute the Sabbath by bearing burdens he would kindle such a fire in the gates of Jerusalem that should devour the palaces of it and not be quenched The Prophets generally urge the observation of this Commandment above the rest And we may observe that there hath seldom been any strange visitation by fire but where there hath some notorious prophanation of the Sabbath gone before So that when it shall please God to visit us with the like judgement we may conjecture what hath been the cause of it Concerning the rest now required on the Lords day and the difference thereof from the Jewish symbolical rest which was therefore more strict see the former Additional observation observation 6. Therefore to conclude this point let them that go out to gather Manna carry burdens buy and sell gather harvest journey and travail up and down or do any the most lawful work not think these things to be otium sanctum or Sabbatum Jehovae a holy rest or the Sabbath of the Lord but as Leo saith Sabbatum Tyri the Sabbath of Tyre The Councel of Mentz held in the time of Charlemain Anno Dom. 813 hath this Canon Omnes 〈◊〉 Dominicos cum omni veneratione decrevimus observari a servili opere abstineri ut 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 minime sit nec placitum ubi aliquis ad mortem vel poenam judicetur we have decreed that all the Lords dayes be observed with all reverence and that servile labour shall be forborne and that no market be kept on those dayes nor that any Courts be kept either to condemn men to death or punish them Those that offend are to be deprived of the communion for three years And the Council of Tyburis Anno 895. in the time of the Emperor Arnulph hath one Canon to the like purpose as well for the observation of other holy dayes as the Lords day In the second Council of Mascon held anno 582 severe punishments were to be inflicted upon those that should not observe the Lords day and that toto die all the day long As it was larger for the fault so it was milder for the punishment for they suspended those that violated this Canon from the Communion but for half a year so strict were they for the sanctifying of this day and that as one saith because God requires the rest not for the rest it self sed quia hoc die Deo tantummodo vacandum because we must this
may be said of the maintenance for Gods worship though natural reason dictates that a proportion must be allowed and that this proportion of the tenth is very congruous and reasonable yet there can no necessary reason from meer natural principles be given why a seventh part of our time or a tenth of our estate and no other proportion should be limited and therefore those that have laboured to urge either of them as a precept or dictate of nature have thereby wronged the cause they undertook and given occasion to some to make all 〈◊〉 arbitrary when they finde their reasons not to be concluding whereas both may be jure divino positivo and so may binde as firmly as if they were jure naturali Gods positive law binding as well as the laws of nature besides that this proportion being once consecrated to God as this hath been by all Christian Churches and kingdoms it is not in the power of any to take it away The first law for tythes then was not given by Moses for whereas Levit. 27. 30. it is said The tenth of all is the Lords this is not meant that it came so by a Law then made but that it was the Lords by ancient Law and custom long before and so refers to some Law made at the beginning yet then its true God transferred his right to the Tribe of Levi on whom the Priesthood was conferred and so as to them the Law of receiving tythes was new and began then And that the tenth is still due by divine right hath been 〈◊〉 judgement of the Christian Church in all ages testified in several Councels by their Canons 〈◊〉 Decrees and acknowledged generally by the Fathers Canonists and modern learned Divines and by our own Church in special which in matters of this nature as was said before of the Lords day ought to be sufficient to sway the judgement and settle the conscience of private persons But yet withall as was said also of the day though the payment of the tenth be by divine right in the general so that lesse then the value of a tenth ought not to be allowed and that therefore all customs or humane laws to the contrary are void and unlawful yet for the manner in particular of tything with the determining of all circumstances and 〈◊〉 that may arise or are incident thereto I doubt not but the Laws of the Church and place where we live ought to be followed and to them we ought in Conscience to conform provided that lesse then the value of a tenth be not paid for that I conceive were contrary to divine Law which as Lindwood saith in this case no custome can prescribe against and therefore the practise of our modern Common-Lawyers allowing a modus decimandi or custome where any thing is paid in certain though it be not the hundredth part of the value is most wicked and unjust and contrary to all laws both divine and humane even to their own common Law which makes tithes to be jure divino as is acknowledged by Cook himself in many places and therefore these practises have been maintained by them onely since the Alteration of Religion to ingratiate themselves with the people and to draw the more causes into their Courts and thereby the more money into their own purses Those that would be further satisfied may among many others that have written of this subject see Sir Henr. Spelmans larger work of tythes which is sufficient alone to resolve any judicious conscientious man in this matter The second sacred thing is Oblations That is when any man freely and voluntarily dedicateth or offereth something to God out of his own estate The particulars are set down in Leviticus Thus did Samuel and Abner and others So did they in the time of the Gospel that sold their estates and laid them at the Apostles feet And these things thus dedicated were accounted holy to the Lord to whom they transferred their right Render therefore to every one his due saith the Apostle To God the things which are Gods saith Christ. What is thus freely given to God is highly esteemed by him our Saviour counted it no wrong to the poor when the box of oyntment was spent upon his feet The poor ye have alwayes but me ye have not alwayes saith he John 12. 8. Though oblations seem in the general to be free and voluntary yet we must know that some oblations as well as tythes may become due by Law or custom There were some oblations or offerings under the Law limited and commanded by God himself which did not cease to be oblations because they were commanded and there were others which were free-will-offerings left to the free will and bounty of the Giver And so it is now some oblations may become due by Law custom or compact or by the necessity of the Church when other maintenance is wanting as Aquinas observes with whom agree the Canonists and the rest of the School onely Suarez addes for explication that whereas Aquinas saith the oblation may be necessary by command but the quantity or quality of the thing to be offered is left free that this is to be understood onely where there is otherwise sufficient sustenance for the Priest or no Law custom or contract to the contrary for otherwise in 〈◊〉 cases by the rule of justice even the quantity and quality may be necessarie and not left free And this is commonly received nemine refragante saith Covarruvius But now where no law custom or contract is for any oblations nor the necessity of the Church requires them there they are meerly voluntary and free-will-offerings and are the more acceptable to God because freely given But may not this which is thus given be taken away by the Magistrate No we see the Priests 〈◊〉 was not bought by Joseph If it be once dedicated it cannot be sold or alienated Upon the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and prophaning the vessels by Belshazzar we see what judgement God sent upon 〈◊〉 And that of the sons of wicked Athaliah that did bestow the dedicate things of the house of God upon Baalim is noted as a high degree of wickednesse If they be taken or alienated by any the Wise man tells us Laqueus est devorare sacra it is a 〈◊〉 to that man that devoureth that which is holy Nay it is flat felony before God Ye have robbed me in tythes and offerings Ananias and his wife suffered death for it If others suffer not in so high a measure yet it will bring a curse upon the rest of their estate Ye looked for much and lo it came to little and when you brought it home I did blow upon it saith God by the Prophet in another case which may be applied to this It will be like Zacharies book which should enter into the house of the Thief and consume
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
the fig-leaves were sowed together The cause is that after they had sinned the inferiour parts as the appetite grew to be irregular and unruly Whereupon as the Apostle speaks the devil takes occasion to tempt to 〈◊〉 and therefore he advises that to avoyd fornication every man have his own wife and every woman her own husband that so they may have Thorum immaculatum the bed undefiled This Solomon calls the avoyding of a strange woman which he accounts a special part of wisdom and so this end includes that duty of fidelity which the one owes to the other for unlesse fornication be avoyded there can be no mutual fidelity Therefore the Apostle saith that the one of the married persons hath not power over their own body but the other the third end then of this Nuptiae is to avoyd fornication So that the three general ends of this duty are first Mutuum auxilium mutual help denoted by conjugium secondly Proles yssue signified by Matrimonium thirdly The avoyding of 〈◊〉 implied in Nuptiae which includes fides 〈◊〉 to each other specified by Nuptiae This for the general ends Now for the particular duties of man and wife 1. Now for the particular duties the first duty of the husband to the wife is expressed in these word by Saint Peter to live with her according to knowledge he must know how to govern her Because as we see in the case of the first wife she was beguiled by the serpent and seduced her husband therefore in the sixteenth verse of that chapter God told her that her desire should be subject to her husband and that he should have the government and rule over her therefore she must never follow her own will hereafter but must be subiect to her husband His duty therefore is to govern her yet so that he must 〈◊〉 with her being the weaker vessel and not to be bitter to her as being heire with him of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindred and that thereby he may enjoy his own peace for who would trouble his own flesh That he may rule and govern he must be able to instruct her for when the Apostle saith that if the wives would learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home it is to be taken for granted that they must be able to teach them lest such as creep into houses and beguile silly women 2 Tim. 3. 6. Intrap the wife And if she shall be carried away with blinde zeale or affection or otherwise go astray he must be able by wise exhortations to rectify her We have an example for this of Elkanah when Hannah his wife murmured and took on for her barrennes he pacified her with this wise speech Am not I better to thee then ten sons withal he must so strengthen himself that he be not seduced as Adam was by Eve nor be too credulous of her reports as Potiphar was when he put Joseph in prison upon a false accusation of his wife nor omit any necessary duty required by God though she be offended at it as Zipporah the wife of Moses was at the 〈◊〉 of her son Nor hearken to her in a bad cause as 〈◊〉 did to Jezebel Or if she be like 〈◊〉 that scoffed at David for his zeal in dancing before the 〈◊〉 of God he must by his knowledge and wisdom be able to instruct and reform her in the spirit of meekenes And as in the first place government with knowledge is required in the 〈◊〉 so submission consequently belongeth to the wife not to stand upon her own wil or wit but to submit her self to her husband For seeing by her own confession she was not wife enough to resist the serpent but was first in the transgression therefore justly was it laid upon her that she should not stand upon her own will hereafter but should be subject to her husband and be governed and advised by him This the Apostle Saint Peter calls subjection and Saint Paul submission which must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Lord and in the same chapter he calls it fear let the wife fear or reverence her husband which shews that as he hath the government so he hath power and authority which she must fear and this Saint Peter vrgeth by the example of Sarah who obeyed Abraham and called him Lord. And this reason is given because as God is head of Christ and Christ the head of the man so man is the head of the wife Whereupon Saint Augustine saith that as the sense of seeing is by the head so a woman ought to seeby her husband who is her head yet withal he is to remember that as she was not taken out of his head because she must not be above him as his master so neither out of his feet because she is not to be his servant but out of his side a latere that she might be semper illi a latere as his fellow and companion almost his equal The Heathen king Ahasuerus and his counsellers saw this duty of wives by the light of nature when for 〈◊〉 disobedience they decreed that she should be put from her royal estate and see the kings face no more and that her 〈◊〉 should be given to another and that no woman should presume to do the like al this should be published by a royal decree and that every man should beare rule in his own house c. This for the first duty 2. The second duty though it concur with the general affection of love and be in effect nothing else yet it hath a peculiar respect whereby it differeth from all other love and therfore is to be specially mentioned It is described in Gen. by three things 1. That this conjugal love must make one abandon and leave those to whom he is most bound or which are otherwise most neer and dear to him viz comparatively for this cause shall a man leave father and mother 2. That as they must leave all others so they must constantly cleave and adhere to one another as is expressed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aahasit conglutinatus est to cleave or be glued together 3. This adhering must be such a neare union as makes them one yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one flesh of two so that the love and affection appropriate to this conjunction must exceed all other In all love there is a kinde of union but all other union must give way to this none so neer as this Neither must this love be onley carnal and outward of which Solomon speaks Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ever ravisht with her love but also spiritual according to the Apostles rule to love her as Christ loved the Church whose love as it resembled
pluris facienda est vtilitas communis quam propria the common benefit is to be regarded before a mans peculiar commodity And for matter of danger 〈◊〉 saluti privata 〈◊〉 est postponenda private safety is to be negelected when the common comes in competition And they go a little further that men are tied in such an obligation to their country ut nemo 〈◊〉 parem refert gratiam etiamsi vitam impendat a man can never be grateful enough to his country though he lose his life for the good of it And this they made good in deed as well as in word as appeareth by 〈◊〉 king of Athens that to save his country from the conquest of the Dorians willingly lost his life and by Horatius Cocles that to save Rome from Porsennas Army adventured his life to the admiration of all ages This being their Maxime in this point pro patria 〈◊〉 honestius ducitur quam vivendo patriam honestatem deserere That it was far more honourable to die in a good cause for the country then by living to leave the country and honour both Now concerning Magistracy it self we finde it to be properly and originally in God and that he exercised it by himself at first immediately as we may see in three several cases 1. In judgeing the Angels that kept not their first state 2. In sentencing Adam Eve and the serpent 3. In the doome of Cain for murdering his brother All which make it evidently 〈◊〉 that Magistracy properly is Gods own prerogative Afterwards it came to man by Gods institution and ordinance omnis enim potestas a Deo est there is no power but of God When Cain had been censured by God for his cruel fratricide and as the text saith went out 〈◊〉 the presence of the Lord his native country and began to encrease in his 〈◊〉 he built a City and the first that we read of and his posterity encreasing and inventing Arts they began to 〈◊〉 common-wealth in it Lamech by reason that his sons Jubal and Tubal were inventers of arts useful for the common-wealth grew to that insolency that he would beare no injury at any mans hands but would be his own judge and oppresse others at his pleasure This city of Cains where Lamech and his sons lived made the godly first to band themselves together and to take order for their defence for after Enos Seths son when Seth also began to be generative and to encrease they made open profession of the name of God being a distinct body by themselves so that here was City against City and this was the first occasion of civil government And indeed 〈◊〉 potestas the 〈◊〉 power had been sufficient to have governed the whole world but that as the Prophet speaks some men in processe of time were like the horse and mule whose mouthes must be held in with bit and bridle which produced another larger government which should be more powerful to rule such kinde of unruly people which was by giving 〈◊〉 vita et necis power of life and death to one man which because the people could not give for 〈◊〉 est Dominus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man hath power over his own life and therefore none can give that to another which he hath not in himself therefore it is that God who hath absolute dominion and power of life and death put the sword into the hand of the supreame Magistrate and appointed that the people should be subject to him which was wel liked by al upon this ground 〈◊〉 timere unum quam multos It is better to feare one then many Better one wolf then many to put mans life in continual hazzard And now came in magistracy with power of life and death to be Gods own 〈◊〉 For when after the flood people began to multiply and that God foresaw that wickednes would encrease among men even to cruelty he made an 〈◊〉 for Magistracy and gave the sword into one mans hand to execute vengeance and to do justice 〈◊〉 shedding his blood that 〈◊〉 the blood of other men which power of life and death we do not finde to be granted by God before the flood And soon after we read that Melchisedech whom diverse writers agree to be Sem took upon him the title and power of a king to defend Gods people from Nimrod and his fellow hunters This power of life and death manifestly proves that 〈◊〉 never had nor could have their power from the people or from any other but from God alone And that this was the positive 〈◊〉 of this learned Author is manifest by his late and accurate sermons perfected by himself in many of which he expresly proves this point and purposely insists largely and learnedly upon it especally in his sermon upon Pro. 8. 15. By me Kings raign P. 933. c. Which is nothing else but a large tract upon this subject Among other things he speaks thus Per me regnant and that is not per se regnant another person it is besides themselves one different from them And who is that other person Let me tell you first it is but one person not many per me is the singular number it not per nos so it is not a plurality no multitude they hold by That claime is one by per me one single person it is per quem The other a Philosophical conceit it came from from those that never had heard this wisdom preach In this book we finde not any soveraigne power ever seated in any body collective or derived from them This we finde that God he is King That the kingdoms be his and to whom he will he giveth them That ever they came out of Gods hand by any per me any grant into the peoples hands to bestow we finde not This per me will bear no per alium besides he that must say per me reges must say per me coelum terra After he saith There is a per of permission as we say in the Latine per me but you may for all me but this per we utterly reject for though the latum per may beare this sence yet the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will by no means the phrase the Idiom of the tongue will in no wise endure it How take we per then what need we stand long about it having another per and of the same person to pattern it by Omnia per ipsum facta sunt saith Saint John and the same saith Solomon by and by after in this chapter Then as by him all things made there so by him kings raigne here The world and the government of the world by the same per both one and the same cause Institutive of both That was not by bare permission I trust no more this Per ipsum then and if per ipsum per 〈◊〉 quia ipse est verbum For
a second end outward peace and 〈◊〉 That as the Apostle speaks we may lead a peaceable and quiet life Hence is the Magistrate called a Pastor or 〈◊〉 It is true the Minister is called a Pastor and much ado there is in urging thereupon great and extraordinary pains and diligence in him about his flock but seeing the title is as often or ostener given to the Magistrate it is strange that there should be no such diligence required of him for we finde that the Metaphor is given first of all to the 〈◊〉 as to Joseph and David in 〈◊〉 and generally to all rulers who are to be set over the people that they be not as sheep without a Shepherd Now this 〈◊〉 implies three things required in the Magistrates office 1. To gather and keep the sheep together for their 〈◊〉 safety against wolves that they may not stray and to this end to provide them good pasture where they may seed together 2. Because there may be dissention among the sheep and as the Prophet speaks there are fat and lean cattel and the fat do thrust with the side and push the diseased and having fed and drunk themselves do trample the grasse and trouble the water that the lean sheep can neither eat nor drink quietly therefore the shepherd must judge between them I will set up a shepherd over them and 〈◊〉 shall feed them even my servant David So that to keep the fat from hurting and oppressing the lean within the fold that all may feed quietly is the second part of the Shepherds office 3. Because there is a wolf without the fold an outward enemy therefore the Shepherd must watch and protect the sheep against the wolf as well as against the great goat that is the third part All these are to be in the Magistrate and they depend 〈◊〉 follow upon one another 1. Princes and Rulers must feed the flock and not themselves onely they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nourishers of the Church 2. They must procure peace at home by protecting the weak against the strong administring justice equally 3. They must keep out forreign invasion protect them against forreign enemies as appears in the example regis non boni of none of the best kings Saul He takes care 〈◊〉 quid sit populo quod fleat that the people have no cause to weep that they be be not di quieted by Nahash the Ammonite c. Thus we see the ends of Magistracie Now for the duties Of the duties of Subjects to their Princes read a learned discourse of the Author in his sermon on Proverbs 24. 21 22 23. Fear God and the king c. as also what Caesars right is which is due from the people on Matth. 22. 21. Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars c. And for the excellency of Regal government and how great a blessing it is to the Church and what miseries and confusions follow where it is wanting see the Authors sermon on 〈◊〉 17. 6. In those dayes there was no king in Israel c. 1. As there was 〈◊〉 in the Ministery by unlawful entrance and intrusion into that calling so is there also in the Magistracy It is said of the people of Laish that they lived carelesse because they had no Magistrate Therefore the Danites fell upon them and slew them and usurped authority over them But to prevent this men are not to take upon them a government 〈◊〉 for as our Saviour in the 〈◊〉 of the Ministerie said I am the door so in the case of Magistracy he saith Per me Reges regnant by me Kings reign and Princes decree justice If once it come to that which God speaketh by the Prophet Regnaverunt sed non per me they have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not If once God be not of their counsel and they assume this honour to themselves not being called of God as the Apostle speaks or as the Prophet take to themselves horns that is power by their own strength these are usurpers not lawful Magistrates An example we have of an usurper in Abimelech and of his practises to get a kingdom 1. He hireth lewd and vain persons 2. maketh himself popular and 3. committeth murder even upon his brethren And those that had right to it he either took out of the way or drove away for fear For these are the three practises of usurpers as Jotham tells them in his parable This then is the first duty of a Magistrate to come in by a just and right title not to usurp 2. In the next place being rightly setled in charge by God we must consider the division which S. Peter makes into 1. either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the king whom he calls 〈◊〉 or 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are under officers appointed by him as Captains in time of war and Judges in time of peace God gives the reason for under officers to Moses Because one man is not able to bear the 〈◊〉 alone And the very same reason doth Jethro give to Moses when he advised him to take under officers to help him to judge the people So did Moses to the people when the people were multiplied he confest he was notable to hear all causes himself Now concerning under Officers this rule must be observed that there be no more of them then is necessary that the 〈◊〉 of them exceed not so as that they be a burthen and clog to the Common-wealth We see in Nehemiahs time that it was not the supreme Magistrate but the under officers that dealt hardly with the people The more of them the more fees were exacted which becomes gravamen Reipublicae a grievance to the Common-wealth the people cannot bear it and therefore is it neither safe nor stands it with the policy or justice of the 〈◊〉 to admit too many of them 1. The peoples duty about the election of the king or supreme Magistrate where he is elective and not by succession must be such as Quem Dominus Deus 〈◊〉 elegerit thou shalt choose whom the Lord thy God shall choose According to the same rule must be the 〈◊〉 of inferiour officers if the choice be made otherwise it is vitious for the manner but not void Multa tueri non debent quae facta valent Bathsheba urged many reasons to David to declare her son Solomon to be his successor and David nominated him but it seems it was not so much by her perswasion or his own affection but in a solemn assembly of Peers he gives the main reason that as God had formerly chosen himself before all the house of his father to be king over Israel Judah so had God likewise of all his sons chosen Solomon to sit upon the throne of the kingdom And indeed the choosing of a man for his gifts is all
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 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 whisperers and condemns both 〈◊〉 Wise man saith that without tale-bearers strife and contention would quickly cease 〈◊〉 26 20. and verse 22. His words are as wounds he speaks with 〈◊〉 and seeming grief but they go down into the uttermost parts of the belly There are six things which God hates and the seventh is an 〈◊〉 to him and that is a whisperer or tale-bearer that soweth contention among brethren 3. Backbiting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 detractio a sin frequently forbidden and condemned such are like to 〈◊〉 that sting though they be charmed The Wise man shews how they must be dealt with a sowre countenance drives them away as the north winde doth rain The reason may be taken from that in Leviticus 〈◊〉 shalt not curse the deaf Now he that is absent is deaf and hears us not and therefore such as curse the deaf all the congregation shall curse them 4. When men are hindred that they cannot be avenged this way by detraction then they will wreak themselves by cursing This is a 〈◊〉 of anger which appears in the 〈◊〉 which as S. James saith is full of deadly poyson what that is he shews in the next words with this curse we men who are made after the similitude of God This is that poison the practise of it is forbidden They that are thus cursed need not care for God acquits them from curses without cause they shall not hurt them but like arrows shot against a wall of 〈◊〉 they shall return upon them that sent them And as these fruits of anger appear chiefly against superiours so there are other fruits which are seen chiefly towards equals 1. Wrath the first begotten as the Heathen said is no barren Gentlewoman she hath a daughter like her self called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dissention which if it be in the heart is called discord if it break out is called contention which is 〈◊〉 acrimonia an unseemly bitternesse taking of parts The Apostle speaking of the Heathen mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as were full of debate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debates and joyns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 variance and dissentions and exhorts them to live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in strife S. James condemns it as against the royal law of Christ and S. Paul saith that such contentious persons belong not to the Church for the Churches of God have no such custome It is the Churches honour to cease from strife and it is said of our Saviour that he endured much contradiction of sinners But now when we speak against discord we 〈◊〉 onely in 〈◊〉 in things that are good not in malis in evil things for as nothing is more to be wished then peace in good things so nothing is more to be wished then 〈◊〉 in malis for this is as necessary as concordia in bonis agreement in good When S. Paul knew that one part of the company were Pharisees and the other Sadduces he cried out that he was judged for the resurrection of the dead and so set them together and escaped himself this was not unlawful And not onely S. Paul but Christ himself saith that he came to set discord and dissention in the earth 2. Besides this we finde another Ephesians 4. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 envying or brawling This the Lord complains of by the Prophet He came down and looked for judgement and justice but there was crying and roaring It was said of Christ non 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 His voice shall not be heard in the street and such disposition as was in Christ must be in all his members The contrary we see in wicked men as in those Jews who when S. Paul said God had sent him to the 〈◊〉 made a 〈◊〉 and rent their garments and threw dust in the ayre c. 3. If 〈◊〉 must not be 〈◊〉 lefse the third which is contumelia railing and yet this taketh hold on most men soonest for as the Heathen man said Promptissima 〈◊〉 contumelia railing is the most ready and most easy revenge To this may be referred that of our Saviour to say 〈◊〉 to a brother or to say 〈◊〉 fool or when a man shall debase the gift of another or speak ad contristandum togrieve him We finde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despightful persons and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 revilers condemned by the Apostle Such do grieve the saints of God who thereupon have heavily complained The Prophet David counted it a great part of his calamities that he was railed upon and reviled Jeremy complains that he was railed at on every side S. Paul saith that at Philippi they were shamefully 〈◊〉 yet they went on and preached the Gospel at Thessalonica notwithstanding And in these consists chiefly the murther of the tongue Besides there are two other fruits of anger especially seen in Superiours and proceeding from contempt 1. Threatning Saul armed with authority breathed out threatnings against the Church and 〈◊〉 speech when he came to the crown was My father chastised you with rods but I will scourge you with scorpions my little finger shall be heavier then my fathers loins for as Solomon saith a 〈◊〉 viz. in government profundit spiritum suum sheweth all his power at once and therefore as was said before government must not be committed to a 〈◊〉 person for such a one is like a fool that puts a pellet into a crosse bow and shoots at random and therefore he 〈◊〉 stones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 both and that it is 〈◊〉 to meet a 〈◊〉 robbed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then a furious man Saint Peter saith of Christ that when he suffered he threatened not though he had power enough for he could have had twelve legions of angels to attend him if he had pleased 2. 〈◊〉 which is the proper fruit of contempt The faithful have complained that their soul was filled with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 counted the reproach of his enemy worse then death and therefore he desired his 〈◊〉 bearer to kill him lest the 〈◊〉 should fall upon him and 〈◊〉 him Therefore the wise mans counsel was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cease We finde it condemned in several places it is a special meanes to contristate the 〈◊〉 and bring down the hearts of good men when they see themselves made a 〈◊〉 to the very abjects and become as the Apostle speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spectacle to the world Consider that mirrour of patience Job this was one special thing that grieved him the very abjects came against him and derided him The prophet 〈◊〉 also complaines of it and it is 〈◊〉 as a high degree of desperate wickednes in the people that they 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 It
infirmities with himself 2. It is expedient not to joyne friendship with an angry man such an one as Nabal was if he have vesparum examen a swarme of waspes about him as the heathen said as such have who have shrewd memories to requite ill turnes he must be avoyded so also a scorner must be shunned who makes more account of his iest then of his friend and had rather 〈◊〉 quam dicteriam perdere lose his friend then his jest such must be cast out and then Contention wil cease 3. Reject the tale-bearer For where no wood is the fire goes out and where there is no tale-bearer strife ceaseth And therefore the wise man saith further though he speak fair yet beleeve him not for if he be beleeved he will utter the gall of Aspes there are abominations in his heart which he will not forbeare to vent 4. Strive not with a man without cause it he have done thee no harme saith Solomon and meddle not with contentions that belong not to thee except it be to reconcile brethren that are at variance as Moses did when he saw the two Israelites strive otherwise we may provoke anger and bring upon our selves the fruits of anger These are things which the Apostles Prophets and other holy men of God have exhorted unto before the affection be risen But now after it is risen we must take care to keep it in that it break not out a wise man will defer his anger for as Solomon saith the spirit of a man will beare his infirmity and more plainly The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe over a transgression He must not let it gush out but suspend his affections as one adviseth the Athenians to do in another case If Alexander be dead to day he will be dead to morrow and the next day and therefore do not make bone fires too soon This affection of anger must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed pedissequa rationis it must not out run but wait upon reason Therefore S. James exhorts us to be tardi ad iram slow to wrath and he gives a very good reason of it because this supersluity of mans wrath doth never operari 〈◊〉 Dei work the 〈◊〉 of God For as the Wise man saith the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water As when one cuts a bank it is easie to stop the water at 〈◊〉 but after it hath got way it carries all before it Now this anger of which we speak must be understood either of our selves towards others or of others towards us Of the first we have hitherto spoken and of our anger against others and the rule in general was Resistite resist it Of the other we are to speak when others are angry with us and here 1. The first rule is Cede Give place It is the Apostles counsel Give place unto wrath It was Abigails wisdom not to tell Nabal of his faults in the midst of his cups but to tarry till the next day for anger is momentane a insania a momentany madnesle And this may be done if we think not too much of it for cogitatio iram auget anger increases the more we think of it and therefore the Philosophers rule was that this affection must be smothered with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of joy fear or the like But there is another rule which the holy Ghost gives which is in our anger to see 1. God 2. The Devil Job ascribeth the taking away of his goods to God though the 〈◊〉 and Sabeans 〈◊〉 him yet he looked higher he saw further he saw Gods hand in it and therefore he bare all with patience because he knew God would never permit it but for his good So David when Shimei railed upon him said to his servants Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him So also the Devil may be seen in our anger as the Apostle intimates in that speech Be angry and sin not neither give place to the Devil because wicked men when they provoke us are but the Devils instruments herein Therefore Chrysostome saith It is a foolish thing in a dog to run after the stone that is cast at him and to bite that leaving him that threw it or when one is soundly beaten with a 〈◊〉 to demand that to break it and not turn upon him that gave the blow and it is sure that wicked men are nothing else but the Devils stones and staves our part therefore is to oppose the Devil and we cannot scourge him worse then by this vertue of patience for this is one of those bona opera good works which as we said before are flagella Daemonum whips for the Devil Thus much for repressing the inward motion of this passion either by keeping it from rising or after it hath risen to keep it from breaking out Now for the outward act which consists in revenge whereby we think to do to our adversarie as he hath done to us we must labour to restrain it by considering our Saviours example who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him that judgeth righteously and look to God that saith Vengeance is mine and I will repay We must be so far from assuming this to our selves that we must not rejoyce when our enemy falleth nor must our heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turn his wrath from him to us Job gives us a pattern for this He rejoyced not at the destruction of him that hated him But the most are here like the king of Israel who when the Syrians were brought into Samaria by the Prophet so that he had them at an advantage he asks the Prophet My father shall I smite them So if we have an advantage of our enemy we are readie to smite them But Davids practise was better which we should the rather follow when he had Saul at an advantage in the Cave so that he might have smitten him yet he did it not but onely cut off the lappe of his garment whereas if some had had him in this case they would have cut his skirts so neere that it is Chrysostomes saying efudissent e renibus ejus 〈◊〉 they would have let out the best blood in his body This should be far from us for we may observe that this desire of revenge is most incident to the weakest creatures we see the least are soonest angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habet musca splenem there is the Ants anger and the Flies anger and women more angry then men and among men those that are old sick and weak quo infirmiores 〈◊〉 is iracundi the weaker the more angry ever but he that is magnarum virium the ablest is least
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
what we may desire And that we may do after this order 1. Remember that which the Apostle directs us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haveing food and rayment be therewith contented A contented minde is a great treasure and if God bestow no more upon us then these we must not murmur fot want of super fiuities for God as he hath plenty of spirit so he hath plenty of wealth and could have made all men rich if he would And it was out of his great wisdome that he made some poor that as the rich might have 〈◊〉 benignitatis the reward of their 〈◊〉 so the poor might have mercedem patientiae the recompence of their patience as Saint Ambrose saith and so as Solomon saith the rich and poor meet together for the Lord is the maker of them both Therefore every man is to rest contented if God shall call him no higher nor bestow more upon him he must avoyd distracting cares which breed noysome lusts when he sees Gods will and pleasure and thus he must stand then as the Apostle alludes to the gathering of Manna he that gathereth much shall have nothing over and he that gathereth little shall have nothing lesse when they die This is therefore the first rule concerning the measure to be observed we must not desire more nor seek to rise higher then God will have us 2. Though we must be contented with our estate yet is it lawful to gather in Summer and to provide against winter which care the wiseman commends in the Ant and 〈◊〉 before us for our imitation to provide for the future by all honest and lawful means with a sober and 〈◊〉 minde 3. A man may 〈◊〉 more and take care for those that belong to him and thus when he seeth his houshold encrease his care in providing for it ought to be the more provided that his desires be still limited with the former conditions He must provide for his houshold with Jacob that so he and they may drink out of their own cisternes and not be chargeable to others but rather 〈◊〉 habeat 〈◊〉 qui deriventur foris ut tamen juste ipsorum 〈◊〉 sit that he may have wherewith to be liberal to others yet have enough to live of himself 4. Lastly a man may lawfully desire to have not onely for himself and his family but also wherewith to pay his half shekel his offering to the Lord to help the Church to pay tribute to the King to be beneficial to the common-wealth to relieve the poor Saints and others that have need Thus far if lawful means be vsed and a sober minde kept the measure is kept But if we go 〈◊〉 this then we come to that which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of mony which is the root of all evil from which root these branches spring 1. 〈◊〉 that others are in better condition then our selves As the 〈◊〉 when they wisht they had tarried in Egypt they preferred the life in Egypt before that in deserto in the wildernesse The flesh pots of Egypt before the Manna that God gave them from Heaven 2. 〈◊〉 and overcaring and taking thought Quid comedam quid edam quid 〈◊〉 what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewith shall I be clothed This distracting care this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which divides the soul is incident to rich men when they have much The rich 〈◊〉 in the Gospel thought within himself what shall I do 3. It breeds a nest of Horse-leeches and 〈◊〉 that have 〈◊〉 bisulcam a cloven or forked tongue that cry give give and unde habeant nihil refert sed oportet habere it skills not how we have it but have it we must and in this there consists that Suppuratio Concupiscentiae a festering of the desire Now in the next place for the making of 〈◊〉 solum the soyl 〈◊〉 the way is to carry a bigger sale then we are able to bear by soending more then we are able and wasting plus quamopus est more then needs For by this means men fall into want whereby they become fit soyl for the Devil to cast in his seed for the Devil finding a man to be thus fitted moveth him to stealth and other unlawful 〈◊〉 In the parable of the prodigal we see that the prodigal fell into riotous company among wasters sic dissipavit patrimonium and so he wasted his substance It a man 〈◊〉 such company they will set him supra analogiam above his allowance he must spend disorderly till all be gone and then he saith as they in the Proverbs Come with us let us lay wait for 〈◊〉 let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause 〈◊〉 us swallow them up alive as the grave c. We shall finde precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil c. The 〈◊〉 or Jaundise of this vice is likewise discovered by the eye Ahab saw a thing which served for his turn and lay well for him and he was sick till he had it though he had enough of his own and when he could not obtain it by lawful means he made a shift to get it by wrong even by the blood of an innocent For the foaming of it at the mouth there be many of the speaches of such men mentioned by the Heathen Menander is full of them and much to this purpose is in the book of Ecclesiastes and in the Wisdom of Solomon They say wisdom is good but with an inheritance and as wisdom so money is a defence c. Concerning the act it self of theft forbidden in this Commandment The several wayes whereby men become guilty thereof we may conceive by those several uses of wealth which we said were lawful which are by Lawyers and Divines reduced to those two 1. The attaining or getting of riches 2. The use of them In the first respect is to be had to justice in the second both to justice and charity for as we said before they are given us not onely for our selves but as the Apostle saith for the exercise of our liberality towards those that want and so we finde in the Law that God took order that out of the substance of the rich the Levite Stranger Widow and Poor should have their portion Thest therefore is committed 1. Either in the attaining and getting of wealth and riches from whence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquisitio possessio 2. Or in the use and dispensation of that we have gotten which is 〈◊〉 usus For he is fur 〈◊〉 qui male acquirit a thief to another mans estate that gets an estate unjustly and he is fur sui qui male 〈◊〉 a thief to his own that useth it 〈◊〉 And therefore in the getting there must be a respect of justice and in the use and dispensation there must be regard both of justice and
to worship him in an image called Thor and continue his worship to this day We shall insist especially upon the third Errour Atheisme They which have stood in defence of this errour set down these five Heads for their grounds 1. That there was a time when there was no society among them but that they wandred promiscuously like 〈◊〉 2. That by the wisdom of some excellent man they were reduced into society and became sociable being made a political body 3. That to contain men within their duties and to preserve this society lawes were enacted 4. That these lawes being not able to bridle them and keep them in order another course was invented which was to perswade men that there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an invisible power that took notice of mens secret actions and would punish them for their offences either in this life or hereafter and that severely as well in soul as body This they say but prove nothing and yet themselves will yeeld to nothing nor be perswaded to any thing without great proofs and demonstrations and so condemn themselves by their own practise Nor can they alledge reason or authority all these grounds being false For first if there were Nomades such kinde of people as they alledge yet they became so not generando by creation but degenerando by degenerating from that whereunto they were created either being outlawed by othere or 〈◊〉 themselves from society for some notable offence committed by them 2. That a society was made from these Nomades is as untrue for 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est animal politicum Of himself man is naturally a 〈◊〉 and sociable creature and political societies began first in Families and from Families they 〈◊〉 to Villages and from them to Cities c. 3. Lawes were made after Religion Religion was long before Lawes as the very Poets and other Heathen Writers testifie For in 〈◊〉 time there was Religion and yet no Laws other then the wils and pleasures of Princes known then and their own stories testifie that Lawes came into the World 1000 years after Religion But when men began to degenerate and that Religion became too weak not powerful enough to keep such bruitish people with in their bounds then were Laws enacted to be as bridles to untamed and unruly horses But more particularly of these 1. The universality of the perswasion of the worship of God is not onely written in the heart of every man but it is confirmed by the consent of all History for there is no History but it describes as well the Religion as the manners of the people and therefore it is impossible to be the invention of man As for instance The Nations and Countreys that have been discovered within these hundred years by the Spaniards and Portugals in the Americane part of the World both in the South and West which had no entercourse or commerce with any other Nations the Natives whereof though in a manner they seemed barbarous as having no apparel to cover them nor lawes to govern them yet were they not without a kinde of Religion and something they had which they called and worshipped as a god though they had nothing but either natural instinct to lead and direct them to it or general and unquestioned tradition continued from the first parents of mankinde 2. Nor can it be truly affirmed that these Nations should have learned their religion meerly from others bordering upon them in respect of the difference and 〈◊〉 of Religion among them there being as much variety therein as is possible and without the least proportion or likenesse of one religion to another though in conditions they be very like But all inventions will have some analogy with the 〈◊〉 For as soon as the Jewes came to worship an invisible thing God himself all the Gentiles worshipped things visible as the Heavens Stars Planets Elements Birds Beasts Plants Garlick and Onions some a piece of red cloath hanging upon a pole some the thing they first met with they worshipped all the following day Therefore it is evident that Religion came not meerly by Propagation from one Nation to another 3. Falsehood can claim no kindred with Time for truth onely is Times 〈◊〉 or rather we may say more truly that truth is beyond all time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delet dies naturae indicia confirmat Time obliterates the fictions of 〈◊〉 opinions but confirmes the right and true 〈◊〉 of nature Therefore whatsoever is besides truth and brought in by mans invention or any other way wears 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 is was and shall be perpetual never wears out 4 If it be objected that the reason why Religion continueth so long is because they are kept in awe by it that otherwise would be exorbitant This is an argument against them that make that objection For falsehood and truth are not competible cannot stand together And they will not say that policy is a fained thing in a Common-wealth Therefore if Religion uphold policie it must needs be true and not fained for truth needs no fained thing nor falsehood to maintain it The very Heathen confesse that Religion upholds all politique states and common-wealths and that it is the Back-bone of them And that it is so we may see it by three things 1 It preserves faith in mutuall transactions and commerce For take away faith or fidelity from among men and men would not trust one another There would be no dealings no commerce at all 2 It preserves temperance for without Religion the head-strong concupiscence and unbridled affections of men would not be kept in true temper and order 3 It preserves Obedience and submission to Government No people without Religion would be subject to Authority no one Country would obey one Prince and so no Kingdom would subsist Now concerning the Originall of Atheisme the very persons that forged it and the just time and place of that forgery cannot easily be shown The person or first broacher of it as some conjecture was Chaem the youngest son of 〈◊〉 whom the Heathen call Cambyses who upon the Curse of God and his father denounced against him began it Egypt was the place and the time accord-to Josephus was about Anno Mundi 1950. This man seeing himself deprived of all future joyes gave himself to sensualitie and brutish pleasures in this world and began to teach that there was no God but fell to worship the Devil from whence he was called 〈◊〉 the great Magitian This is the opinion of some But doubtlesse whosoever was the Author the time was ancient and not long after the deluge For then as the world encreased with people so it was fruitfull in sin and impiety So that neare to these times it must needs take its originall And surely those things that were the true causes of it afterwards doubtlesse gave it the first being Namely 1 Stomack anger and desire ofrevenge 2 Sensuality and delight in the pleasure of this life drowning all thoughts of a better life hereafter
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
Christ though he professed to love Christ. 4 The next signe is a care and anxiety to recover it when we have lost it not to give sleep to our eyes nor slumber to our eye-lids nor the temples of our heads to take any rest until we be in statu quo so did the spouse in the Canticles the like care is in worldly men to obtain what they love as in Balaam Numbers 23. who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse though God bid him not go and himself said verse 19. that God is not as man that he should repent yet he would go and try again whether God would let him curse Israel so careful was he to get a reward 5. Again when a man resolves though all the world forsake God yet he will adhere to him his liking is constant goeth not with other mens The Psalmist saith and complaineth that men forsake Gods law but what followeth Therefore I love thy commandments above gold and silver whatsoever other men esteemed of it yet his love was constant and firm 6. If we can love him cum cruce If our love be true water cannot quench it True love will abide tryal the fire cannot consume it It is not like false love of which the Heathen man said Falsus amor inde fugit unde probatur false love flyes from tryal But the other will endure the losse of all Love suffereth long saith the Apostle even to death And as our Saviour saith Greater love then this hath no man And now a little for the sixth rule as in the former As we must love God our selves so must we also be desirous to draw others to this love and in this there is a difference between amor mercenarius and gratuitus for in the first a man is loth that another should love that he loveth lest he be restrained in his liberty of enjoying and hence proceeds jealousie but in the other we wish not our own good onely but the good of him we love In the one quo quis vult bonum suum whereby a man seeks his own good the fewer that partake the better he thinks it is but in the other quo quis vult bonum alterius whereby he seeks the good of another the more that partake the better it is for Deus omnibus communis cuique totus God who is common to all is wholly possessed of every one Therefore the Prophet was of this minde and was desirous to draw all to the love of God and on the other side his zeal was so great that he hated all them that hated God and that with a perfect hatred and in another place who will rise with me against the wicked or who will take my part against the evil doers This argued the perfection of his love to God as he would rise against them himself so he laboured that others would joyn with him CHAP. XIII The proper effects of love 1. Obedience 2. Patience How obedience arises from the love of God It brings glory to God two wayes Is better then sacrifice in four respects Reasons why we should obaudire Deo There be three speakers 1. God who speaks 1. by his word 2. by his works 2. The world 3. Our selves These do obloqui gainsay what God sayes The measure and quality of Obedience Of Disobedience that it is a great sin The degrees of it 1. Neglect 2. Contempt Motives to obedience Signes of obedience Of Obedience THe two principal signes and proper effects of love are as we said before Obedience and Patience There is a saying of S. Gregory Probatio dilectionis exhibitio operis we shew our love by its work and it is a true signe indeed of love when it is operative when it worketh For the will being enflamed with love and having predominance over all the powers and parts of body and minde necessary it is that wheresoever desire taketh hold in the will it must elicere motum produce some action As if a man be given to love wine his love kindleth a desire in him to have it and desire doth elicere motum that he may work and earn so much money as will obtain it So is it in love Our Saviour saith if you love me keep my commandments And S. John saith that if a man obey not he is so far from the love that he hath not the knowledge of God if S. Peter love Christ he must feed his sheep We must know that where the parties are equal between whom love and mutual affection is there love is called amicitia but where one party is superiour then they are not properly called friends but this love in the inferiour is called observantia the natural act whereof is obedience for though a Prince will in speech or writing vouchsafe to call his inferiours friends yet are they but subjects And so though our Saviour was pleased to stile his Disciples and Apostles friends yea and by neerest names of consanguinity brethren c. yet S. Paul and the other Apostles presumed not upon these titles but acknowledged this observantia and in the beginning of their epistles and writings stiled themselves servants of Jesus Christ. And S. Paul shewing that this is infallible saith Know ye not to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are whom ye obey In the first petition of the Lords prayer we desire that Gods name may be glorified God being a King and bearing rule over us how can this kingdome and rule be established better then by fulfulfilling his commands and obeying him as the Angels do in heaven For in regard of the glory which God hath by our obedience Gods name is hallowed or glorified And therefore from the beginning in Paradise God commanded obedience to Adam in that estate that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge that in obedience to that precept his glory might be shewed Now by our obedience we bring glory to God two wayes 1. Directly by our selves as Psalm 50. 15. Call upon me in the time of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me 2. When we give occasion to stir up others to glorifie him therefore God is not content with the former but saith further Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matthew 5. 16. Thus God is glorified by our saith whereupon follows our first justification before God but then there must be a second justification also viz. before men and the world by our good works whereby God is glorified by others and so God will have glory of us both immediately by our selves and mediately by others Saint Augustine saith that nothing makes men good or evil but good or evill love and that Amor male inslammans timor male humilians that love which inflames but not aright and that fear which humbles but not aright are the
causes of all evill in the world And our love is never true but inter similes among men of like conditions therefore there must be between God and us recipocally idem velle idem nolle to will and nill the same And this is true obedience when our will is moved by his and when we yield to his will as the principal mover for where there are two wills the inferiour must be proportioned to the superiour or both to a third now there is no reason that Gods will should be proportioned to ours or to any others he having none above him and a straight line must not be subjected to a crooked piece of timber now our wills are crooked but Gods is straight Now the excellency and necessity of obedience is seen by this That whereas God had ordained sacrifice as an especial part of religion yet he prefers obedience before it To obey is better then sacrifice saith Samuel to Saul and that in these respects 1. He that desires to offer an acceptable thing must offer that which is his own rather then anothers because it is dearer to him And in obedience we offer propriam voluntatem our own will and in sacrifice carnem alienam the flesh of beasts nothing of our own 2. Again the better the thing is which is offered the better it is accepted but that which is offered in obedience is better then that in sacrifice because in the first a living thing is offered and the beast cannot be offered till it be dead besides in sacrifice it is but a brute beast which is offered but in obedience a reasonable soul and therefore the more acceptable 3. The more we offer the more acceptable is the offering and nothing can be added to the offering of obedience In sacrifice part of our fruit is offered but by obedience we offer both fruit and tree and all we give our selves One well saith Obedientia non potest plus dare quam dedit dedit enim se obedience can give no more then it hath given for it hath given a mans self 4. Lastly the longer of continuance that which is offered is the better it is but a sacrifice is but an hours work while the fire is kindled and the beast consumed to ashes now when by obedience we offer our selves unto God it is a continual sacrifice a perpetual mortifying of our will our reason and all our members Obedientia est juge sacrificium obedience is a continuall sacrifice Therefore it is plain that obedience is better then sacrifice not that sacrifice should be neglected or contemned for contemned it is not when a better is preferred God saith to the Prophet I spake not to your Fathers nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of Egypt concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices But this thing I commanded them saying Obey my voice That is I denied not the one but preferred the other because it was better The excellency of obedience appeareth further in this that whereas things in themselves may be neither good nor bad yet obedience hath power to make evil good and good evil either by observation or contempt For had not God forbidden Adam to eat the fruit the eating of it in it self had been neither good nor bad but we see his disobedience made it evil Another example we have in Scripture A Prophet comes to his neighbour in the word of the Lord and said Smite me and the man refused to smite him knowing it was unlawsul Then said the Prophet to him Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord Behold assoon as thou art departed from me a lion shall slay thee and assoon as he was departed from him a lion found him and slew him for his disobedience The great necessity of obedience is in the example of our Saviour in his dilemma O my Father if it be possible let me not obey but let this cup passe from me if it be not possible neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And one of these must needs be done either mori or non obedire to die or not to obey and elegit potius mori quam non obedire he chose rather to die then not to obey whereby he intimated that obedience is more necessarie then life it self and this his obedience recovered the world from eternal destruction as the obedience of the saints preserves it from temporal for it is the small number of obedient persons that are columne mundi the pillars of the world which otherwise would not stand And here then by the second rule obedience is commanded in general not as it is the execution of every particular command but as it respects the intent of the Commander all the commandments are the materiale or matter of our obedience but intuitus voluntatis divinae the looking up to Gods will as the motive is the formale or form of this vertue which distinguishes it from other vertues and duties commanded when a man hath an earnest endeavour and will to satisfie and fulfil whatsoever is prescribed And it is 1. unperfect inchoata or 2. perfect perfecta The first ariseth from fear of punishment onely as in Saul 1 Samuel 15. 24. the other from filial fear as in Abrahams Genesis 22. 12. 1. Obedience is a compound of ob and audio and imports to hear and obey and that before all others and in compositis et copulativis oportet vtrumque fiere non sufficit alterum in compounds one will not serve we must have both We will take the simple first audire to heare and then the compound obaudire First audire for audire and sequi to heare and follow are Gods words for obedience The Fathers in the Greek Church call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines obaudire both imply hearing and following 1. For hearing it is good reason to heare God if it be but in this respect onely Quia nos audit because he heares us when we cry de prosundis but there is another reason and that is because we can have no better guide to follow or counsellor to heare It is safe to follow Lot out of Sodom and Noah into the Ark. If we follow not them that can can lead and direct us we shall be punished with false guides and counsellors there was never any heretick but had some followers Qui xoluns regi a pastore incidunt in lupos They that will not follow the shepherd to the pasture either are a prey to the wolfe or shall be led by the butcher to the shambles Many are loth to heare because they would not follow they will devise and invent new wayes and be leaders themselves that they may be heard and followed but malus assecla ratio pejor voluntas our own reason is an ill lacquey our will a worse our reason is blinde and our will a tyrant before it be subdued by grace therefore we must be content to be led and to
content to lose his own goods thereby to redeem peace to the publick We see in nature that heavy things will move upwards contrary to their own particular nature propter salutem universi for the good of the universe as that ne detur 〈◊〉 so in Religion God and our love to him 〈◊〉 dilectionis in 〈◊〉 doth overcome and drown all other loves to our selves or any other particular object as wesee it did in S. Paul who out of his love to God that he might be glorified in the salvation of the Jews 〈◊〉 to be separated from Christ if it had been possible and not incompatible with his love to God which was as a motion against a particular nature for the good of the general or universe 2. The next is our selves and our selves before our brethren The reason is because in the one there is an unity in the other at the most is but an union and major 〈◊〉 habenda est unitatis quam 〈◊〉 there is a greater regard to be had of the 〈◊〉 then of the latter And again seeing it is not lawful for any to commit a sin to prevent his brother 〈◊〉 sinning nay not to save the whole world it shews plainly we are to prefer the love of our selves before our brother and in our selves our own souls before our brothers soul. Now in the case between the health or good of our own body and of our brothers soul it thus stands There can come no participation of the glory of God to our bodies nisi per redundantiam as it were by an overflowing when the soul being full communicates it to the body But the soul of our brother is capable of divine glory and the universal good immediately by it self and therefore ought to be preferred before the body of any which participates onely per redundantiam by the overflowing of the soul and so at the second hand as it were besides one soul is worth all bodily creatures in the world a man therefore may endanger his body for the saving his brothers soul. 3. Then in the next place we are to seek the good of our neighbours body and of neighbours 1. 〈◊〉 est omnibus we are generally to love and succour all that need any whomsoever if they be in extrema necessitate in extream necessity 2. And in the next place of those that be in need maxime 〈◊〉 especially we are to do good to them that are of the houshold of faith as the Apostle directs that are of the same Religion with us we are to relieve such before others if we cannot relieve both beleevers before infidels 3. And thirdly among the faithful to them that are of our own countrey before the children of strangers 4. Fourthly among those of our own countrey 〈◊〉 to our own to those that have some relation to us for he that regardeth not his own saith the Apostle is worse then an 〈◊〉 5. Fiftly of our own to them that are of our own house or kindred 6. Sixthly in the house to the wife on 〈◊〉 rather then to father mother or children for a man must leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and that the husband ought to be preferred before children appears by 〈◊〉 speech to 〈◊〉 am not I better to thee then many sons And therefore the children are not to lay up for the 〈◊〉 but the fathers for the children as the Apostle saith yet every one should have respect both upwards and downwards Now for strangers or those that are not nostri ours either they be rich or poor of which the poor are rather to be regarded then the rich and for the rich they are either such as we have received benefits from or to whom we have done good and because 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 maximum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work is the chief 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of any thing and bestowing of good is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which makes 〈◊〉 vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 visible and in that respect it is that a man is apt to love his own work or his own creature as we say yet we ought to prefer him of whom we have received benefits before him on whom we have bestowed any because a benefactor is more like a 〈◊〉 to us then the other like a son T 〈◊〉 2. 2. q. 26. a. 12 Ex. Arist. 9. Eth. But if as Saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it there are two persons who in all respects are equal and we have something that would help either of them and that it cannot be divided What is then to be done there being nothing in the one why I should pleasure him more then the other quid 〈◊〉 sorte eligerim nothing but to chose one by lot the same may be the case of every man that is to do good to another who in 〈◊〉 all are of finite nature and therefore are not able to do good to all or to satisfie all therefore when we are joyned in the like relation to us or the degree of 〈◊〉 or propinquity if we must help both there remains nothing but 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 it by 〈◊〉 Further we are to know that in love there is a double respect 1. Of the object or party loved 2. of the subject or party that loves 1. 〈◊〉 dilecti in 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 loved we are to respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to love him more in whom the more excellent gifts ofgrace appear so as to take more complacency in him and to wish him the more excellent good as the greater degree of glory because the more excellent any thing is the neerer it comes to God and if he be better we ought to wish him better Thus spiritual conjunction or neernesse is to be preferred 〈◊〉 objecti in respect of the object 2. Ratione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 loving and here natural and 〈◊〉 propinquity or conjunction may be preferred before spiritual as founded in nature and therefore more firme and immutable and hence it is that in temporal things a man may prefer one that is neerer by nature before one that is onely conjoyned with us by grace Thus if a man have money or estate to give he is not bound to bestow it upon the best man in the world but may prefer one that 's neerer in nature though not so excellent in grace And thus far de ordine 〈◊〉 of the order of our love The third general proposed is The 〈◊〉 of this love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As thyself This is ficut te as thy self not 〈◊〉 te as 〈◊〉 as thy self it signifieth a respect but not a quantity The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 as Job 12. 3. for as we said before every man ought to have a greater regard to his own soul then to his brothers Now this 〈◊〉 or manner of love must appear in four things 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order 1. The first in 〈◊〉 te 〈◊〉 is in respect of the end for which thou