12 2. 3. recorded to haue taken a pound of oyntment of spikenard very costly and to haue anoynted Iesus feete that all the house was filled with the sauour of the oyntment Temperance in marriage-matters is when we vse it soberly and with seemelinesse rather to suppresse then to satisfie the flesh which is one part of the z 1. Thes 4. 4. possessing of our vessell in holines and honor For this cause it is that the Apostle a 1. Tim. 434. teacheth vs our marriages and the liberty that God hath giuen vs therein are to be sanctified by prayer and thankesgiuing The contrary whereof among other is that forbidden in the Law Leuit. 18. 19. and reckoned vp as one of those sinnes that bring Gods heauie wrath Ezech. 18. 16. CHAP. XII Of the eighth Commandement THE three Commaundements following Those that respect the good things belonging to the person are vprightnes and contentednes Vprightnes is to hold a lawfull course in dealing about them and slandeth in right and truth concerne one common subiect or matter which they all bend vnto that is to say the outward good things of this present life of what nature soeuer the same be Lands Possessions Goods Good name Credit or the like wherein because the greatest part of our life is spent in tumbling and tossing about them it hath pleased the wisdome of God to allot vnto them three Commandements as men for the most part three manner of wayes offend in them comprehended by Iohn the Baptist in one Verse Luke 3. 14. in his answere to the Souldiers Shake no man in his estate by pilling polling rapine or other violence nor circumuent by guile and be content with your wages The two former which are the neerer in affinitie Dauid hath twice in b Psal 111. 7 8. one Psalme in two seuerall Phrases applyed vnto God First in the Phrase of c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth or Faithfulnesse and Iudgement then by d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth or Faithfulnesse and Rightnesse The first of those three wayes wherein men so offend Right which is in dealing iustly is by meere wrong forbidden in the eighth Commandement whether the same haue force and violence ioyned with it in which case the difference betweene this and the Commandement following is easie to be discerned or though it be without force and violence yet by meere wrong and iniurie without colourable shewes and shifts or other disguisings to hide it by whereby it is also distinguished from the ninth Commandement though the difference in this point lyeth not so plaine In the eighth therefore we are The Anabaptistical communitie of goods commanded First To deale vprightly and iustly in all things concerning goods both for the meanes of comming by them and in the vsing of them Wherefore our Sauiour Mat. 23. 22. noteth out this Commandement by the name of iudgement or right in doing that which is iust and equall betweene man and man as the word d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgement in the Hebrew Phrase doth signifie And Dauid doth so interpret it Psal 111. where that which in the seuenth Verse hee calleth Iudgement in the next Verse he calleth Rightnesse or Equitie as wee commonly translate it The contrarie whereof is meere wrong in such sort as before was opened The lawfull meanes of comming by goods is double First Lawfull purchase as e Ge. 23. 14 15 Both for the meanes of comming by them That it bee by lawfull purchase Abraham purchased of Ephron the Field and caue of Macpela for the full value that it was worth which Ephron himselfe had set And Dauid f 1. Chron. 21. 22 23 24 25. or Descent bought of ORNAN the threshing floore to build an Altar to IEHOVAH for sufficient money Secondly Descent when by course of Inheritance it is cast vpon vs whereof we haue a Law g Le. 25. 45 46 Of the children of the strangers that are soiourners among you of them shall you buy and of their Families that are with you whichthey beget in your Land These shall be your possession So ye shall take them as inheritance for your children after you to possesse them by inheritance ye shall vse their labours for euer When h Num. 27 8 9 10 11. a man dyeth and hath no sonne ye shall transferre his inheritance to his Daughter and if hee haue no Daughter ye shall giue his possession to his brethren and if he haue no brethren ye shall giue his possessions to his fathers brethren and if his father haue no brethren then shall you giue hi◠possession to his Kinsman the next vnto him of his Family and he shall inherit it The contrarie to these two are First Theft He i Ephes 4. 28. that stealeth let him steale no more but rather let him labour c. The speciall kinds of these are Sacriledge when it is of things consecrated to God in which sort k Iosh 7. 7. c. Achan offended And of this the Wiseman l Pro. 20. 25. speaketh It is a snare for a man to deuoure that which is sanctified and after vowes to inquire Robberie by the high-way The companie m Hosh 6. 8 9. of Priests is like vnto Troopes that waite for one by the high-way side Piracie vpon the Sea Burglarie in the night breaking of houses c. If n Exod. 22. 1. a Thiefe bee found breaking vp and bee smitten that he dye no bloud shall be shed for him Stealing mens seruants or children which sinne the Apostle o 1. Tim. 1. 10. wrappeth vp in the number of those things that are contrarie to wholesome Doctrine filching or pilfering the least Pinne or Point Secondly Oppression But p Esay 3. 14 15 yee haue eaten vp the Vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses What ayle ye that ye beat my people to pieces and grinde the faces of the poore Thirdly Extortion as q Luke 3. 14. Souldiers not content with their wages Counsellors with their Fees c. This was the sinne of Elies sonnes of whom it is said r 1. Sam. 2. 12 13 14 15 16 17 Now the sonnes of ELI were wicked men and knew not IEHOVAH For the Priests custome towards the people was this when any man offered Sacrifice the Priests Boy came while the flesh was a seething and a flesh-hooke with three teeth in his hand and thrust it into the Kettle or into the Caldron or into the Pan or into the Pot all that the flesh-hooke brought vp the Priest tooke vp for himselfe Thus they did vnto all the Israelites that came thither to Shiloh yea before they burnt the fat the Priests Boy came and said to the man that offered Giue me flesh to roste for the Priest for he will not haue sodden flesh of thee but raw And if any man said vnto him Let them burne the fat according to the custome then take as
that all corrections ought to leuell at The bluenesse of the wound serueth to purge the euill and the stripes within the bowels of the belly Secondly The terrifying of others to commit the like offences which God in the execution of his Lawes hath a speciall eye vnto That q Deut. 13. 11. all Israel may heare and tremble Lastly concerning Magistrates Let it bee knowne that the vse of the Sword standeth also in lawfull and iust Warre in fighting the Lords Battailes as shee speaketh r 1. Sam. 25. 28. vnto DAVID For IEHOVAH will certainly make for my Lord a sure House if my Lord fight the Battailes of IEHOVAH and euill bee not found in thee all thy dayes The Ministers Dutie is to attend publike teaching From the Ministerie publike teaching to be diligent therein I ſ Esay 62. 6. haue set Watch-men vpon thy wals O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night shall not cease the t Rom. 12. 7. 8. teacher let him continue in his teaching the exhorter in his exhortation c. The u 1. Pet. 1. 2. Elders among you I exhort c. Feed the Flocks of God that dependeth vpon you Take x Acts 20. 28. heed to your selues and to all the Flocke wherein the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops that you feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud The contrarie whereof are First Idoll shepheards that cannot teach at all such as the Prophet complayneth of Their y Esay 56. 10. watch-men are all blinde they haue no knowledge they are dumbe dogges they cannot barke Secondly Negligent Preachers which as Esay there saith lye and sleepe and delight in sleeping Wherefore God telleth z Ezech. 3. 17 18. EZECHIEL Sonne of man I haue appointed thee a Watch-man to the House of Israel and thou shalt heare the Word out of my mouth that thou maist giue warning vnto them from me when I say vnto the wicked man Thou shalt certainly dye and thou doe not giue him warning nor speake to warne the wicked man of his euill way to keepe him aliue that wicked man shall dye by his owne iniquitie but his bloud will I require at thine hand The Dutie of those that haue any charge or gouernment From priuate authoritie Prouision of Food and Rayment is First Prouision of food and rayment whereof the a 1. Tim. 5. 8. Apostle saith If any prouide not for his owne and specially for those of his owne house he is worse then an Infidell For this doth SALOMON commend the vertuous woman Prou. 31. 15. Rising whilest it is yet night she giueth meate to her houshold and the ordinarie to her Maides And b Verse 21. againe She feareth not the Snow for her Family For all her Family is clothed with double clothes And Pro. 27. 27. he saith not onely Let the milke of the Goates be sufficient for thy food but further also for the food of thy Family and for the sustenance of thy Maides Secondly Familiarly to teach their Inferiours as the c Ephes 6. 4. Familiarly to teach their Inferiours Apostle exhorteth fathers to bring vp their children in instruction and information of the Lord for which Abraham d Gen. 18. 19. is highly commended of God I know saith hee that he will command his Sonnes and his Family after him to keepe the way of IEHOVAH in doing righteousnesse and iudgement Thirdly To goe before them in Prayer so did e Gen. 25. 20. and in Prayer to goe before them Isack pray vnto IEHOVAH ouer-against his Wife that is in her presence and together with her and for her because she was barren The Dutie of Parents more particularly is From both the Parents To apply their children to that they are fit for First To apply their children to that they are fit for f Pro. 22. 6. Instruct a childe after the manner of his way euen when he is verie old he will not depart from it ADAM g Gen. 4. 2. in the first beginning of the World practised this Lesson for hauing two sonnes CAIN and HABEL HABEL was a Shepheard and CAIN an Husbandman Secondly To prouide for them For h 2. Cor. 12. 14. Children ought and to prouide for them From the Father to name the Childe not to store vp for Parents but Parents for their Children Speciall to the Father is to name the Childe which authoritie Zacharie Father of Iohn Baptist tooke vpon him when the Mother of the friends i Luk. 1. 62 63. striuing about the name hee decided the Controuersie and called him Iohn Of the Mother another Dutie is more specially to bee From the Mother to nurse it obserued that she nurse the Childe Holy women haue alwayes reckoned this to belong vnto them k Gen. 21. 7. Sarah a great Princesse maketh no doubt but that hauing a Childe she was to giue it sucke Who would haue said to ABRAHAM SARAH shall certainly giue sucke for I haue borne a Sonne In like sort l 1. Sam. 1. 23. Anna is recorded to haue giuen suck to Samuel as was the common course then of religious and godly Matrones whereupon the m 1. Tim. 5. 10. Apostle requireth this in the first place as one of the most special good workes which hee would haue that woman to bee well reported for that should be associate into the number of Widdowes that she haue nursed her Children From Masters due respect of their Seruants trauailes The Dutie of Masters is to haue a due respect of their Seruants trauailes whereof there is a speciall Law n Deut. 15. 12 13 14. When thou sendest out free from thee in the seuenth yeere thy brother an Hebrew that hath serued thee six yeeres thou shalt not let him goe away emptie but shalt giue him a liberall From Husbands cherishing of their Wiues with all entyre affection reward of thy Sheepe and of thy Corne and of thy Wine c. The Dutie of Husbands is that they cherish their Wiues with all entyre affection Ye o Eph. 5. 25. 29. Husbands loue your Wiues euē as Christ hath loued the Church for no man at any time hath hated his own flesh but nourisheth it cherisheth it The Dutie of Equals one vnto another is Secondly it is of equals one vnto another in louing honouring and First To loue and to honor each other Be p Rom. 12. 10. affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue In giuing honour go one before another submitting q Ephes 5. 21. your selues one vnto another in the feare of GOD. Wherefore wee are to testifie that our loue and respect to others by all holy tokens and outward signes of salutation or otherwise Greet r 1. Pet. 5. 14. ye one another with the Kisse of loue Salute ſ Rom. 16. 16. one another with an holy Kisse The Churches of Christ salute you
God hath vsed that haue not spared to lay open their owne nakednesse and shame the nakednesse and shame of their Wiues Children Families Tribes of whom they came Seuenthly The end and drift of all which is to giue glorie vnto God and to beat downe and abase the pride of man A second sort of argument is from the authoritie of the Church which may moue and well perswade vs of them The third and last without which all the rest whether humane testimonies or other arguments are nothing is the testimony of the Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse of them Esay 59. 21. My Spirit that is in thee and my Word that I haue put in thy mouth Therefore Esay 54. 13. the faithfull are said to be such as are taught of God And PAVL saith The spirituall man discerneth all things 1. Cor. 2. 15. Therefore it is not the iudgement of the Church which maketh vs beleeue the Scriptures but the Church is the same to the testimony of the Spirit that the c Ioh. 4. 39 40 41 42. woman of Samaria was to the preaching of our Sauiour Christ because of whose words many of the Samaritans were brought to beleeue in Christ but when hee himselfe came and preached amongst them they tell her plainely Now wee beleeue no more because of thy speech for wee our selues haue heard and know that this is of a truth That Sauiour of the World That Christ So the iudgement of the Church may well bee a motiue at the first and also bring great stay and confirmation to a mind that is once inlightned but the maine strength of all dependeth vpon the testimonie of the Spirit Thirdly In the ministery of the Prophets Apostles so as they could not erre I obserue the qualitie of their doctrine thus deliuered by diuine inspiration First It was not subiect to error for howsoeuer they were men subiect to sinfull infirmitie and in part onely regenerate whose seruice it pleased God to vse for this purpose yet in the deliuery of the Doctrine they were so extraordinarily gouerned and inspired with his Spirit that they d Ioh. 16. 13. could by no meanes erre Secondly It is holy both the whole and euery part whereupon grow these speeches e 2. Pet. 1. 21. The holy men of God f 2. Pet. 3. 2. The holy Prophets g Eph. 3. 5. Reu. 18. 20. The holy Apostles h 2. Pet. 2. 22. The holy Commandements i Rom. 1. 2. The holy Scriptures whereas all other bookes and speeches of men are prophane further then they fetch some holinesse from hence Thirdly That both their Sermons and these Bookes written by the Spirit of Christ are of soueraigne authoritie in the Church of God and haue the sole pre-eminence for the deciding of all controuersies the iudging and discerning of all sayings and writings of men for vnto them the holy Ghost doth alwaies call vs k Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them And this is it which Christ vsed as the weapon to foile Satan Math. 4. So the Apostle Paul 1. Corin. 15. 3 4. maketh the Scriptures to giue credit to his doctrine I haue deliuered vnto you that which I haue receyued that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he was raysed the third day according to the Scriptures c. The men likewise of Berhea Acts 17. 11. are commended for examining by the Scriptures the things which Paul taught Therefore our Sauiour l Iohn 5. 39. Christ referreth vs to the Scriptures as to the Touchstone of all truth Search the Scriptures and in m Matth. 22. 25 another place Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures For the authority of these Bookes is greater than the authoritie of the Church as the authoritie of God who cannot erre must needes be greater than the authority The Popish Doctrine which hangeth the authoritie of the Scriptures vpon the Church of men that may and doe erre Againe the Church hath her life and being from the Word inasmuch as faith which maketh a Church cannot bee without the Word So hath not the Word from the Church Thirdly It is aboue the authoritie of the Angels of heauen n Gal. 1. 8 9. who if they preach any other doctrine are to be held accursed How much more aboue the authoritie of the Church Fourthly Our Sauiour Christ attributeth this excellencie to his Word which men or Angels cannot challenge that in the latter Day it is That which shall iudge him that doth not receiue it Iohn 12. 48. But why then is the Church called the Pillar of Truth 1. Tim. 3. 15 Surely because the Truth of God dwelleth no where else and there is alwaies Truth sufficient to saluation Not that the Church eyther beareth and bringeth forth the Truth of God or is the chiefe and fundamentall ground to hold it vp for she her selfe hath another foundation to sticke vnto from whence shee fetcheth all her Truth which is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles o Eph. 2. 20. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Esay 28. 16. Christ himselfe beeing the head Corner-stone and is not the Mother but the Nurse of the Truth of God that cherisheth and preserueth the same and giueth testimonie thereof vnto the World To the true meaning of the Scriptures we are to reach by the Scriptures themselues the same Spirit that indited them suggesting and opening the sence vnto vs. So did the Leuites that taught the people Nehem. 8. 9. render the sense and giue the vnderstanding of it by the Scripture it selfe Our Sauiour also Matth. 4. beeing set vpon by Satan that clipped and wrested the Scriptures to serue his owne turne confuted his false glosses and expositions of it by the conference of other Scriptures The meanes we must vse for this purpose are these First we must come with a mind to profit and to bee made the better by them not to read them for knowledge onely or vaine ostentation much lesse to cauill at them Secondly Prayer is to bee vsed to God to open and enlighten our hearts that wee may see the wonderfull things that lye hid therein Thirdly We are to frequent the House of God and to giue diligent attendance vpon the Ministery and Preaching of the Word whereby the Doctrines deliuered in the Scriptures are beaten out and made familiar and plaine vnto vs the same being also the ordinarie meanes by which the holy Ghost doth vse to worke in our hearts all true and spirituall wisdome Fourthly the true sense and nature of the words euery one apart and the construction of them all together must be waighed Fiftly We must alwaies take the proper and naturall sense if the matter it selfe will beare it Sixtly The summe of the matter the scope and drift of the place the Arguments and their coherence the method