as he heard of 〈◊〉 welfare it is said that his spirit revived as we said before This killing of the spirit cometh three wayes in opposition to those three things wherein the life of the soul consists of which we spake before 〈◊〉 1. Joy 2. Peace 3. love Against the first is when men grieve others as the Egyptians did the 〈◊〉 when they brought them in amaritudinem spiritus into 〈◊〉 of spirit Against the second when they bring them as they did the Israelites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritus into anguish of soul so that they would not hearker to Moses when he brought a message from God when the heart is broken with sorrow the inward peace and harmony is disturbed for heavines in the heart makes it stoope as 〈◊〉 observed Against the third when a man is brought to a hating and lothing of himself and all other things so that he can take no joy in any thing None of these must be done to any neighbour but least of all to the godly It is a wicked thing to grieve the soul of a righteous Lot for by this means we bring him to the first death to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dulnes and deadnes of spirit whereby he is not fit to go about any thing that is good This is done by provocation or 〈◊〉 as they provoked God in the wildernes and therefore all irritation must be avoyded 2. The soul also may be murthered in respect of the life to come especially by him to whom the cure of it is committed And this may be done diverse wayes as sometimes by him that hath the cure as 1. By causing men to stumble at the law 〈◊〉 in lege 〈◊〉 the Prophet or by teaching as 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel which Christ taxes in some of the Church of Pergamus 2. Indirectly and by negligence in not doing his duty The prophet 〈◊〉 of such that if any perish through his default the Lord will require his blood at his hands Prosper upon these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is to say if thou shalt not tell a man of his faults that he may be converted and live I will condemn thee into everlasting fire that hast not rebuked him who by reason of thy silence hath sinned Saint 〈◊〉 saith Omnis qui male vivit 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forte qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that liveth ill in the sight of those over whom he is set as much as in him lies kills them and perhaps he that followes his example dies and he that follows not lives yet in respect of his cure they both die And therefore it is that Prosper tells them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 A minister ought to live piously for examples sake and to teach so in regard of the performance of his duty being assured that justice will not favour him from whose hands the soul of him that perisheth is exacted And Saint 〈◊〉 Penset ergo sacerdos qui ad satisfaciendum districto judicio de sua tantummodo anima fortasse vix sufficit quot regendis subditis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Deum rationis tempore 〈◊〉 ita dicam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animas habet let the priest therefore consider and lay to heart how he that perhaps can hardly tell how to satisfie or answer for his own soul at the day of judgement will be able to render account for so many souls as are committed to his charge 2. Though one have not the charge of souls yet as a private person he may be guilty of the spiritual death of anothers soul if either by counsel or otherwise 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 by word or deed by example c. He cause his brother to fall as Peter by his counsel was a scandal to Christ and would have prevented his suffering if Christ could have been disswaded and so the great work of mans redemption had been hindred So the same Apostle by his example gave offence and misled the Jews and 〈◊〉 The like did they whom Saint Paul reproveth who by their examples induced others weak persons to eat of things sacrificed to Idols with doubting consciences Let all such as prove scandals to others remember that woe denounced by our Saviour That it had been better for them that a milstone were hanged about their necks and that they were thrown into the sea And in the case of the souls murther a man may be accessory to the death of his own soul as he may to the murther of his body 1 By neglecting the meanes of his salvation for all must not lie on the minister we have our parts too Work out your own salvation saith the Apostle with fear and trembling If we neglect it we are accessory to our own perdition 2. By seeking after worldly things too much The same Apostle tells us in the next chapter that they that minde earthly things inordinately end in destruction 3 By giving himself over to sin without sense and working uncleannes with greedines and make no conscience of sinning 4. By deferring repentance from time to time till he finde no place for it it was Esaus case And it is the masterpiece of the devil where he worketh this neglect Saint Gregory describeth it excellently Cum in gravi 〈◊〉 miser homo labitur suadet ei 〈◊〉 ne 〈◊〉 ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in corde 〈◊〉 misericordiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 suggerit 〈◊〉 sic in 〈◊〉 Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pereat When a wretched man falls into grievous sinne the devil disswades him from repentance from confessing his sinne then tells him it is a small sinne then preacheth mercy to him and promiseth him long life and vrgeth him to continue in his sin till at last he brings him into Gods displeasure and desperation with himself and so he perisheth And this is by deferring repentance 3. The third rule for expounding the law is that it reaches to the heart for Gods law is spiritual and so this law reacheth not onely to outward murther in in regard of the act but to murther in the heart The Pharisees counted it not murther unlesse blood were shed and the life taken away but Christs teaches us that the law goes further it restraines not onely the arme and the blow that is given but the first motions and desires of the heart If any hate a man in his heart or be angry without a cause he is guilty of the breach of this commandment for the outward acts done or committed whereby any is murthered are nothing els but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruits of unjust anger which is that 〈◊〉 of bitternes from whence all outward acts spring and this root must be plucked up and therefore he pronounceth plainly that out of the heart proceed murthers c. Those
Religion whereof we are to treat is compared by our Saviour to a structure or building and the teacher to a Master builder by the Apostle and the Principles of Religion to a foundation Now in a building the principal care ought to be to make the foundation sure to dig deep enough and lay the foundation upon a rock and not upon earth or sand lest the Devil by undermining shake the foundation and ruine the whole structure And this laying of a slight foundation is the fault of the builders of this age Now to finde when we have a firm foundation we are to examine 1. Whether the grounds of Religion be true or false 2. Whether warranted by Scripture 3. How we know that there is a God 4. What regard God hath of Man But they which without further examination presuppose these for granted build no deeper then the earth leave advantage to the adversary And we know that many have undermined the very foundations affirming boldly that there is no God Insomuch as the Devil bringing his floods and storms hath shaken the dearest of 〈◊〉 children And therefore that we may begin at the hard Rock we will ask these four questions 1. An sit 〈◊〉 whether there be a God And this is against the 〈◊〉 2. An curam gerat mortalium whether he have a care of man and such a care as that he would give him his word to reward the good and punish the evil against the semi-Atheists the Epicures 3. An Scripturae 〈◊〉 sint 〈◊〉 verbum whether the Scriptures we use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true Word against Turks and Pagans 4. An ex hoc verbo vere sit fundata religio 〈◊〉 whether the Scripture being Gods Word our religion be truly grounded upon it against Jews and Hereticks For the first and second our warrant and direction is from the Apostle He 〈◊〉 cometh to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him Wherein three things are observable 1. That the end and fruit of our religion is to come to God 2. That the means to attain to that end or fruit is by beleeving 3. That we must beleeve concerning God these two things viz. First Esse Deum that there is a God Secondly Bonis bonum tribuere malis malum that he giveth good things to the good and evil to the wicked 1. That the end and fruit of our religion is to come to God is the first step There hath been much beating of the brain to finde out true felicity the reason is because naturally every man desires that which is good The 〈◊〉 tels us as much that it was that which men thirsted after in his time There 〈◊〉 many that say Who will shew us any good S. Augustine saith that Varro had observed in his book of Philophy such variety of opinions concerning this summum bonum chief good that they amounted to 288 Sects as he cals them And the reason that man is naturally 〈◊〉 of good is because no man of himself is happy The Epithets given to man makes this plain enough as Nudus Miser Naked Wretched 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a feeble creature a true embleme of infirmity and the like So that happinesse not being in man himself it must needs accrew to him by coming to some other thing that is to God It is true and undeniable that while man kept Gods Commandements and submitted his wisdom to Gods will he was partaker of Gods goodnesse and in the state of happinesse But disobeying his will and departing from him he became miserable many wayes For first he fell into sin Secondly into shame Thirdly into fear Fourthly into travel care and vexation of body and minde Fifthly and lastly into death lost all his former happinesse and fell into a sea of misery and infelicity which cannot be repaired but by coming again to God There are some of several opinions that think a man may enjoy true felicity in this world and of himself without having an eye to God They may be reduced to five sorts 1. Worldlings conceive true felicity to consist in wealth 2. Polititians in honour 3. Epicures in pleasure 4. Stoicks in moral vertues 5. Platonicks 〈◊〉 contemplation Against these severally in order we shall make some exceptions 1. Riches are not the Summum bonum 1. Wealth is not to be desired in regard of it self but onely to supply the 〈◊〉 of nature as food raiment c. to preserve Nature from sailing or decaying or to repair or amend it but not to bring it to a higher estate above Nature for that riches cannot effect but that which is true felicity can do both 2. The end of man is better then man it self but these are worse then man for a man for his life will give the whole world If he were possessour of all the wealth in the world he would part with it to save his life The devil could say skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life 3. It were strange that happinesse should consist in that of which much dispute hath ever been whether it be good or evil Seneca saith Semper eguerunt interprete the resolution is yet to make 4. They cannot make a man good that is possessour of them though they make him great 5. The Coelestial Creatures are blessed and happy though they enjoy them not 6. They are not alwayes profitable but sometimes hurtful 7. If it should be granted that true felicity consists in them then men should not be esteemed by what they are but by that they possesse and then a mans full bag is better then himself 8. The goodnesse of riches consists in the use and spending of them and by that reason summa esset foelicitas in discedendo a foelicitate a mans chief happinesse were to part with his felicity 9. As no man esteems the goodnesse of a sword by the richnesse of the 〈◊〉 or a horse by his trappings so neither can a man be judged good by the abundance of his wealth In these respects Wealth or Riches cannot be true happinesse 2. Happinesse is not found in Honour 1. For Philosophers themselves say that Honor est virtutis umbra Honor is but the shadow of vertue and we know that we ought to follow the substance which is vertue and leave the shadow 2. In Honour there must be as well the Honourer as the Honoured and of necessity there are more Honourers then Honoured so that there are many unhappy and but few in felicity if honour should be happinesse 3. As men may be honoured by some so they are despised and envied by others therefore men in honour are foelices in parte happy in part onely and therefore not truly happy 4. If it be objected that if men be not honoured by all that are honore digni worthy of honour it is their faults that should honour them this
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
diet Saint Paul 〈◊〉 Timothy to drink no more water but a little wine for his stomach By 〈◊〉 into excesse as into surfetting and drunkennesse a man may shorten his life 〈◊〉 Saint Hilary saith that this doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adimere mortem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it not onely takes away a mans reason but life too And 〈◊〉 saith that 〈◊〉 naturalem 〈◊〉 enervat 〈◊〉 generat mortem intempestivam adducit it weakens a mans natural parts begets infirmities and brings untimely death so that excesse in meat and drink kills by degrees Our Saviour gives a caveate against it take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennes and so that day come upon you unawares So in those things which the Physitians call non naturalia a man by the undue vse of them may shorten his life and by the moderate use of them lengthen it Therefore the 〈◊〉 exhorts that having food and raiment let us be therewith content And make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof So likewise in the case from rest and release of affairs Our Saviour took the Apostles with him apart that they might have leisure to eat and to rest a while for the Psalmist tells us it is but losti labour to hast to rise up early and take late rest and eat the bread of carefulnesse for a man may by the 〈◊〉 much bending of his minde to these earthly things bring death to him the sooner A broken spirit doth but dry up the bones and cause him to die before his time Tristitia mundi worldly sorrow brings death saith the Apostle Now as there must be no neglect in us in respect of preserving our own lives so neither must there be in regard of our neighbours God commanded the builder to put battlements upon his house lest another should fall from it And if a man knew that his oxe vsed to push he was to tie him up and if he failed if any were killed he was to die himself for it with the oxe And if the rule of the wiseman hold good as certainly it doth that we must not with-hold our hand from doing good we wust not forbear to deliver them that are drawne to death then must we not onely keep them from danger of death but by the rules of extension we must do what we can to help them and save their lives Pasce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith saint Ambrose Non pavisti occidisti feed that sheep which is ready to 〈◊〉 if thou feedest it not thou killest it Hence is the use of Physick necessary and those that are skilful are bound to use their skill to preserve the life of their brother Is there no Balm in Gilead is there no Physitian that the people be not healed saith the prophet which speech implies and supposes the use of physick The prophet Ezekiel saith that God hath ordained plants for mans use The fruit for meate and the leaves thereof for 〈◊〉 And under the law it was provided that if any man did 〈◊〉 inferre 〈◊〉 offer violence and wound his neighbour be should pay for his healing by which places is implied the lawful use of physick and the duty of the physitian which is to preserve the life of his neighbour whereas now by the negligence of physitians many patients are like the woman which had a bloody 〈◊〉 in the Gospel who had spent her whole estate upon the physitians and yet was never the better but rather worse such is the practise of some to their shame be it spoken As it is a great sinne in them so it is a great punishment for men to fall into their hands which made the son of Syrach say He that 〈◊〉 before his maker let him fall into the the hands of the Physitian But now as we must preserve the life of the body so also 〈◊〉 corporis the good plight and integrity of it as we said before If the least part of the body be hurt the whole complains and saith 〈◊〉 me why smiteth thou me Neither the whole nor any part must be hurt The law forbad the causing of any blemish upon our neighbour the giving of a wound if any rupture or vstulation by fire happen it is an injury and the like must be inflicted upon the party that was the cause for if there be 〈◊〉 partis a dismembring of any one part it is 〈◊〉 ad mortem 〈◊〉 it reflects upon the whole body And therefore the law requires eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burning for burning wound for wound stripe for stripe And he goeth further He that causeth but a blemish in a man so shall it be done to him again And as a wound is 〈◊〉 integritatem against the integrity and perfection of the body and plaga contra sensum a stripe against the sense so is a wound binding or imprisonment contra 〈◊〉 against the motion of the body David repeated it at Abners burial as a great honour that his hands had not been bound nor his feet put into fetters he died not as a malefactor for these also are accounted as injuries done without authority but lawfully inflicted by the magistrate they are as punishments and then justifiable So that next to life this 〈◊〉 corporis the preservation of the body in its integrity and perfection is to be regarded CHAP. V. Of the murther of the soul. Several signes against the life of the soul. How a man may be accessory to the death of his soul. This sin may be committed both by them that have charge of souls and by private persons That this law is spiritual according to the third rule Of the murther of the soul. 〈◊〉 come now to the murther of the soul which is forbidden aswell as the murther of the body And indeed the murther of this is so much the more grievous by how much the image of God is more in it then in the body and therefore if the blood of the body cry to God for vengeance it is certain that the blood of the soul will cry much lowder Now the life of the soul may be said to be taken away 1. In respect of the present 2. Of the life to come 1. If a man live not here with a contented minde if his soul be not filled with good as the preacher speaks an untimely birth is better then he that is he had as good never to have been born now he that ministers occasion to discourage as the Apostle or to discontent another and so makes his life odious to him he offends against this commandment We see in 〈◊〉 what griefe can do Simeon being detained in Egypt and Benjamin to be carried thither if any mischief should befall him he tells his other sons he should be but a dead man but assoone
Docilitas Diligentia 2. About instruction Instruction helps the natural and infused light so doth prayer and reading the word c. The Scholars duties answerable to these The particular duties of a Teacher The duties of those that are to be taught The resultant duties of both CHAP. VII Page 365 Of honouring spiritual fathers in the Church The excellency and necessity of their calling Four sorts of ministers in the Church 1. The thief 2. The hireling 3. The wolfe 4. The good shepherd whose duties are 1. To be an example to his flock 1. In himself 2. In his family The peoples duty answerable to this 2. To use his talent for their good Rules for doctrine and conversation The peoples duty 1. To know their own shepherd 2. To obey and follow him 3. To give him double honour 1. Of reverence 2. of maintenance CHAP. VIII Page 373 Of fathers of our country Magistrates The duty of all towards their own country God the first magistrate Magistracy Gods ordinance Power of life and death given to kings by God not by the people Addition 31. That regal power is only from God proved out of the authors other writings The ends of Magistracy 1. To preserve true religion 2. To maintain outward peace Magistrates compared to shepherds in three respects The duties of the supream power viz of Kings and of inferiour officers The duties of subjects to their Prince CHAP. IX Page 383 Of fathers by excellency of gifts The honour due to them is not debitum justitiae as the former but debitum honettatis 1. Of those that excell in gifts of the minde The honour due to them 1. To acknowledge their gifts Not to envy or deny them Nor to extenuate them Nor undervalue them Nor tax them with want of other gifts The duty of the person gifted 2. To prefer such before others to choose them for their gifts Reasons against choice of ungifted persons The duty of the person chosen c. 2. Of excellency of the body by old age and the honour due to the aged 3. Of excellency by outward gifts as riches Nobility c. Reasons for honouring such How they must be honoured 4. Excellency by benefits conferred Benefactors are fathers Rules for conferring of benefits The duties of the receiver CHAP. X. page 391 That this law is spiritual The duties of Superiours and Inferiours must proceed from the heart Special means conducing to the keeping of this commandement Signes of the true keeping of it CHAP. XI page 396 The second part of this Commandement a promise of long life Reasons why this promise is annexed to this Commandement How this promise is made good Reasons why God sometimes shortens the dayes of the godly and prolongs the dayes of the wicked The Exposition of the sixth Commandement CHAP. I. page 400 Why this Commandement is placed in this order How it coheres with the rest Of unjust anger the first step to murther how it differs from other affections Of lawful anger Unlawful anger how prohibited The degrees and fruits of it The affirmative part of the precept to preserve the life of another The life of the body and the degrees of it The life of the soul and the sinnes against it The scope of this Commandement CHAP. II. page 404 Of murther in general The slaughter of beasts not prohibited but in two cases Of killing a mans self diverse reasons against it Of killing another many reasons to shew the greatnesse of this sinne The aggravations of this sinne from the person murthered CHAP. III. page 407 The restraint of this Commandement 1. That Kings and Princes may lawfully put malefactors to death That herein they are Gods ministers Three rules to be by them observed Their judgement must not be 1. Perversum nor 2. 〈◊〉 patum nor 3. Temerarium 2. That in some cases they may lawfully make war In a lawful war is required 1. Lawful authority 2. A just cause 3. A just end And 4. A right manner Addition 32. Of the causes of a just war Some other cases wherein a man may kill and not break this Commandement First for defence of his life against sudden assaults Inculpata tutela Secondly by chance and without his intention CHAP. IV. page 412 The extent of this Commandement Murther committed 1. Directly 2. Indirectly A man may be accessory to anothers death six wayes A man may be 〈◊〉 to his own death diverse wayes Of preserving life CHAP. V. page 414 Of the murther of the soul. Several sinnes against the life of the soul. How 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be accessory to the death of his soul. This sinne may be committed both by them 〈◊〉 have charge of souls and by private persons That this law is spiritual according to 〈◊〉 third rule CHAP. VI. page 417 The fourth rule of avoiding the Causes of the sins here sorbidden Of unjust anger and the fruits of it It consists of 1. Grief 2. Desire of Revenge The effects and fruits of it 1. Towards Superiours Envy The causes of envy the greatnesse of this sin 2. Towards Equals 3. Towards inferiours The suppuration or breaking out of anger against Superiours 1. By the eyes and face 2. By the tongue 1. by murmuring 2. tale-bearing 3. backbiting Against Equals by 1. dissention 2. brawling 3. railing The fruits of anger in Superiours 1. Threatning 2. Scornfulnesse The last fruit of anger viz. murther of the hand CHAP. VII page 421 Of the means against anger How to prevent it in others How in our selves Anger must be 1. Just in regard of the cause 2. Moderated for the measure 3. We must labour for gravity 4. For love without hypocrisie The vertues opposite to unjust anger 1. Innocency 2. Charity In the first there is 1. The Antidote against anger which consists in three things 2. The remedy in three more How charity prevents anger The fruit of charity Beneficence 1. To the dead by burying them 2. To the living And that first generally to all Secondly specially to the faithful Thirdly to the poor by works of mercy Fourthly to our enemies CHAP. VIII page 424 Rules for the eradication of unjust anger 1. To keep the passion from rising 4. Rules 2. After it is risen to suppresse it How to carry our selves towards those that are angry with us 1. To give place 2. To look up to God 3. To see the Devil in it Of the second thing in anger viz. Revenge Reasons against it If our anger have broken out Rules what we must do Of the act viz. requiring one injury with another Rules in going to law The sixth rule of causing others to keep this Commandement The Exposition of the seventh Commandement CHAP. I. page 428 The scope and order of this Commandement Of Marriage The institution and ends of it explicated out of Genesis 2. 22 23 24. Married persons are 1. to leave all others 2. to cleave to one another Rules for those that are to marry Duties of those that are married
thing required in every law and so in this is the manner how it must be done which by learned men is much dilated We will reduce them all to three things We are to do it 1. Toti 2. Totum 3. Toto tempore or Semper 1. Toti as Jacob said to Rachel you know that with all my power I have served your father and no doubt but he would yeeld as much service to God as he did to Man 2. Totum with our whole souls and bodies we must endeavour to keep the whole Law not as Naaman did keep it by halfes but as Noah who did all that the Lord commanded him about the Ark. 3. Toto tempore not for a time onely but all the dayes of our life Noah was 〈◊〉 tempore justus righteous all his life and Abraham was juvenis senex idem the same man in his age that he was in his youth Now for the Reward or Punishment which are the two other things required in a law it stands thus That if a man break one part of the law the commanding part it is impossible that he should escape the other part the sanction which bindes over to punishment Therefore God hath taken order that though men can over-reach the law in one part that is in contemning it yet on the other part punishment shall over-reach them So saith S. Augustine Aut faciendum aut patiendum quod debemus we must either do what we should or suffer what is due And this was known before the giving of the law That God was righteous and the people wicked It was the confession of a wicked Egyptian King And both reward and punishment were set before Cain If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted And if thou doest not well sin lyeth at the door Like a savage Bear or Mastiffe-dog or a Blood-hound So long as thou keepest within doors that is as the Fathers expound it as long as thou livest thou mayest happily escape punishment for thy sin but whensoever thou goest out of the doors out of this life then vae tibi he will flye upon thee then this Blood-hound will never lose the sent till he have brought thee to perdition and destruction More directly for the Reward it s to them that doe well 1. For temporal benefits in this life Because Joseph feared God the Lord made all things prosper under his hand 2. And secondly for eternal benefits felicity after this life Enoch was 〈◊〉 to everlasting life because he walked with God For punishment t is to them that do evil First temporal punishment in this life as we see in the case of Adam Eve Cain and Josephs brethren but especially in Pharaoh which made him cry out as we heard before Justus est Dominus c. The Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked It was his sin drew those temporal plagues upon him 2. And secondly eternal punishment in the life to come So we read of the Spirits in prison for being disobedient in the dayes of Noah who preached repentance to them so that they were condemned for transgressing the law of God preached by Noah CHAP. XVI That the moral Law of God written by Moses was known to the Heathen 1. The act or work was known to them as it is proved in every precept of the 〈◊〉 yet their light more dimme in the 1. 2. 4. 10. S. Pauls three rules of Pie sobrie juste known to them 2. They knew the manner of performance Toti Totum Semper 3. They knew the rewards and punishments AND thus we see that Gods written Law which is Natures Law hath all those conditions that any Law should have For this Law which was before Moses was nothing else but Moses's Law in the hearts of men as if a man would get a thing by heart that is not written For what Laws then they had from GOD they kept in their hearts by tradition But now peradventure they will say that these Laws and the four Rules appear onely in the Scripture and were observed by the Jewes and those mentioned in the Scripture onely but other Heathen took no notice of them nor used them by the light of Nature and therefore think themselves not bound to them but are at liberty to use or not use them To this we say that by the writings of the Heathen themselves it appears that they had these rules written in their hearts and received many of them the son from the fathers ascending even to Noahs sons Sem Ham and Japhet though in some of the Commandements it may not seem so plain as in the rest for in every Commandement they introduced some corruptions of their own heads and declined diversly from Gods Law First for six of the Commandements it is manifest as the 3. 5. 6. 7. 8 9. the more obscure are the 1. 2. 4. 10. 3. For the third Commandement It was a law among the Egyptians Perjuri poena capitali plectentur let the perjured be punished with death as Diodorus Siculus reporteth And it was the law of Rome in the 12 Tables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swear not rashly And Sophocles saith that when an oath is taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul will be more cautions to sin against God and to injure man 5. For the fifth Homer saith of one that had a misfortune that it came quia parentes non honoravit because he honoured not his parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he would not render the duty of a childe to his father therefore his dayes were not prolonged and another saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 live well and nourish thy parents in their age And Menander saith that he which honoured his parents shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 live long and happily And for superiours Charondas said in his laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the neglect of our aged parents is extremity of wrong 6. For the sixth there is no question every Nation held it as a Canon of their Law Homicida quod fecit expectet Let a murtherer expect losse of life as he deprived another of it and therefore they all punished murtherers with losse of life 7. For the seventh it was the saying of Licurgus Fuge nomen Moechi si mortem fugies Avoid adultery so shalt thou avoid untimely death and Stephanus out of Nicostratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that will live in this city and not dye let him abhor adultery And Menander censureth adultery as a sin disgraceful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the price of it is death 8. For the eighth Demosthenes against Timocrates alledgeth plainly the Lacedemonian law in the very words of this Law Thou shalt not steal And He siods precent enjoyneth men not to possesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stolne goods but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by Gods providence 9. For the ninth it was one
all the nations of the world be blessed with diverse other of the like nature He also fulfilled the ceremonialls of the Law while he being Priest offered himself as a sacrifice Besides he spiritually circumciseth beleevers by substituting Baptisme instead of Circumcision He is our Passeover and appointed the Eucharist instead of the Paschal Lambe and indeed he is the full complement and perfection of the Law and the Prophets 2. Christ fulfilled the Law by satisfying in most absolute manner the will of God being the holy of holies without spot or sin at all for in him is the love of God most perfect and righteousnesse most absolute And this in regard of the merit and satisfaction thereof he communicates gratis freely to us most imperfect to us I say if we beleeve God was in Christ saith Saint Paul reconciling the world to him not imputing their trespasses to them for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So Abraham beleeved and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse For by faith we rely upon Christ whom we beleeve to have made satisfaction most fully to God for us and that God is so pleased with us in Christ that he accepts us as now become the Sons of God 3. But this faith by which we beleeve in Christ is not by our nature or merits but is wrought in us by Gods grace through the Spirit given into our hearts And this abiding there enflames them with love of Gods Law and desire to expresse the same by good works which though we do not perform as we ought by reason of the infirmity of our flesh yet God allowes our endeavours in Christ. Nor did ever any of the Saints though he strove and resolved to keep the Law as far as he could trust or rely upon his own merits but upon Christ. Saint Paul did not for he complained Who shall deliver me out of this body of death and presently addeth I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that is I thank him that he hath redeemed me from death by Jesus Christ. And it follows There 's now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus c. So that a faithful man moved by Gods Spirit to do that which is good as far as he is able and as the second covenant requires and that out of love of God and not onely for fear of the Curies threatned in the Law may be said to fulfill the Law in such manner that God in Christ accepts of him So much in answer to the first question To the second why God would promise life to them that should keep the Law seeing no man can keep it in a legal and exact manner we answer 1. First besides that it may be doubted whether God doth offer or promise life now otherwise then upon the conditions of the Gospel which may be kept some do further answer that God sheweth hereby that he abides the same and the Law still the same though we be changed from what he made us 2. Secondly Hereby man seeth his own weaknesse and is driven out of himself to seek Christ. For as the Apostle saith if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all men under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve 3. Because Christ took on him our nature and dying for us hath purchased the promised inheritance to be communicated to us by faith and new obedience or sanctification 4. Lastly Though man cannot keep the Law exactly yet upon his faith in Christ and his resolution and indeavour to keep the Law and actual keeping of it by the assistance of Gods grace so as is above declared God accepteth of him in Christ and takes the will for the deed in some things and accounts him righteous and makes good the promise unto him CHAP. XVIII Of the preparation before the giving of the Law 1. To make them willing by consideration of 1. his benefits 2. Gods right as Lord 3. Their relation as Creatures 〈◊〉 4. that they are his people His benefits past and promised Three 〈◊〉 to love 1. Beauty 2. Neernesse 3. Benefits all in God 2 To make them able by sanctifying and cleansing themselves That ceremonial washing signifyed our spiritual cleansing How we came to be polluted How we must be cleansed Why they were not to come at their wives Of the danger and abuse of things lawful 3. That they might not run too far bounds were set Of curiosity about things unnecessary Now concerning the Preparation to the hearing of the Law THough in the Preface something hath been said concerning the preparation of the Catechumeni upon the words venite auscultate yet before we come to the particular explication of the Law we shall further adde some thing in this place about our preparation to the hearing of it For we can receive no benefit at Gods hands if we be not prepared for it God himself commanded the people to prepare themselves before the hearing of the Law and so of the Gospel also Prepare ye the way of the Lord saith the Baptist And to these adde that the primitive Church appointed Vesperas diei Dominici Vespers of the Lords day and so they had for other holy dayes and solemn feasts and to the solemnest Sunday Easter day they prepared fourty dayes before And forasmuch as the Sacrament is an appendix of the word and the seal of it surely we cannot be excused if we prepare our selves for the one and not for the other The Preacher gives this advise Keep thy foot look to thy self when thou goest into the house of the Lord. And again we ought to know that preparation is as necessarily required of the Hearer as of the Speaker Now this preparation consists of three things or means The first means to preparation is to make the people willing to hear the Law and that is grounded upon the speech of God to the Israelites in Exodus Ye have seen saith he what I have done unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings And a little after Go to the people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloathes And let them be ready against the third day And Thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about the Mount saying Take heed unto your selves c. In which words there are three things prescribed and the fourth is implyed by circumstance 1. The will in every action is to precede the people were to be made willing to hear and receive the message that was to be delivered And therefore to make them willing God in the first place gives them a catalogue of his Benefits and goodnesse So that one way to stir us and our will
equality in respect of the bond of observing the Law of God not any one is excepted more then another As we see in that Commandment Non maechaberis Nathan said to King David Tu es bomo thou art the man And John Baptist to Herod though a King too Non licet tibi c. it is not lawful for thee c. So neither do the Commandments leave us in a generality that so we may slip our necks from them but they are in the second person that whosoever heareth or readeth them they shall be as strong to him as if there were as many Tues as persons that hear them Therefore every one upon reading or hearing the Law in the second person ought to apply it to himself and the speaking of it in this manner is as forcible as if God himself did speak to every particular man By the using a negative or countermand there is implicitely a confirmation of that which is contrary It is held in Logique that ad plura se extendit negatio quam affirmatio It was Gods purpose to have his commandments beaten out as far as the rules of extension used by Christ would permit and his intent is that affirmative duties should be done after the impediments are removed And though ad negationem non sequitur affirmatio oppositi yet the Rule of Logick holds onely in bare affirmative and negative propositions not in affirmative or negative precepts for in these Qui negat prohibens jubet promovens In Laws Qui prohibet impedimentum praecipit adjumentum he that forbids the obstacle commands the helps And this also serves to shew how full of weeds our nature is that it is not capable of a command but first of a countermand We are not capable of good before that which is ill in us be weeded out of us 1. That the future tense is so much used in the Commandments it is an implicite touch of our transgressions past and that for the time to come it is doubtful and uncertain what we will be for the time past it shews that we have been grievous transgre ssours and is withall a warning of the pronenesse of our nature to ill for the time to come that even then we will be as ready to do wickedly as ever before for as there is one that will say facies so there is another as ready to say faciam Evil suggestions evil examples our own corrupt natures and Sathan besides will egge us forward and therefore we must keep a diligent watch and abridge our selves of things lawful we must flee from the smoak abstain from all appearance of evil as the Apostle speaks that the body of sin reign not in us 2. And in the second place it imposeth a continual keeping of the Law so long as we live It is for to day to morrow and to our lives end and therefore our warfare against sin must be to blood and death and before such time we are not discharged from the obligation of the Law Now for the commandments themselves The end of the Law is to make a man good and here also are some things to be noted from the order here observed 1. Impediments are to be removed that we may keep the Law therefore this first Commandment runs negatively As when the frame of a building is to be erected if a tree be standing in the way it must be cut down or if the ground be not sure and dry it is not meet to 〈◊〉 an house upon or as in a cure in Chyrurgery if the whole Body be corrupt or some member be dead and the flesh 〈◊〉 that must first be cut away before any thing be applyed to the grieved part Ground must be fallowed before corn be sowen And so God hath provided by his Law running negatively and that in the front of it Non habebis c. false Gods must be renounced that the worship of the true God may take place 2. The second observation followeth that that be done first which is first in Order As in a building the foundation is first laid and in natural generation the heart is first this also is done here First Non habebis deos alienos coram me thou shalt have no other Gods before me This is the foundation of all worship inward or outward and therefore in the first place mentioned We are to observe our former rules fines mandatorum diligenter observandi sunt we must therefore know what intent God had in giving this Commandment One end of the Law as is said is to make men good And the ultimate end or scope of this and all other Commandments is the glory of God The whole first Table refers to Godlinesse Holinesse Religion Now Religion being an action it mvst needs proceed from some inward principle and so doth it which is from the soul of man and principally from the spirit of it which in this regard is compared to a Treasury out of which good men bring good and evil men evil things Our worship and service of God will be according to the treasurie of our hearts the spirit if that be good our outward worship will be so too We see then that inasmuch as the spirit is the chief and principal thing in Gods worship our chief and principal care too ought to be had for this spiritual worship And indeed it is the scope of this first Commandment It is said that according to the superiour end the Commandment is to be esteemed Quo prior finis 〈◊〉 prior necessitas hence it is that the first Table is to be preferred before the second because spiritual worship required in the first is before outward worship prescribed in the second Commandment So man was made the end of the Sabbath not the Sabbath the end of man Mark 2. 27. therefore the breach of the external part of the Sabbath must yeeld to the necessities of man Whereas the worship of God is commonly divided into spiritual and bodily or inward and outward and the one said to be commanded in the first the other in the second Commandment this must not be so understood as if they were several kindes of worship for the same act of Religion may be both inwardly and outwardly performed as we see in mental and vocal prayer but they import onely the different manner of performing as either by the heart alone which is onely spiritual or by the heart and outward man which is the same spiritual worship performed by the body and therefore called outward for the outward worship of the body proceeding from the heart or spirit may be truely called spiritual because the exteriour act proceeds from the spirit and God accepts such worship though it be outward in respect of the act as a worship in spirit and truth when it is accompanied with truth and sincerity of heart and therefore as all worship and obedience is the same both inward and
Credidit he beleeved But among all the rest there was one exception which might have tried one that had been very faithful and that was the long time he had been without a childe before and in his younger dayes and therefore there was little hope for him in his old age And therefore he might have concluded with them in the Prophet It is in vain to serve God what profit is it to trust in him I will beleeve no longer But this is against that rule of Esay Qui crediderit ne festinet hast and impatiency are no fit companions of faith he that will see the event in hast his faith is in vain Therefore our faith must not waver if we see not the fruit of it speedily but we must wrestle as Jacob did with the Angel and not let God go till we get a blessing from him as was said before We see that the woman af Canaan weake by sex and an alien from the promise though she received three repulses from our Saviour yet by not making hast she confirmed her faith to be true and received the reward of a true faith by obtaining what she desired 2. The second signe is our freedom from worldly cares and thoughts the ground of this is taken out of the great Scripture of faith when we run not a madding after worldly preferment the scraping together of wealth and seeking to have a portion in this life is an argument that we are born citizens of this world not as the Saints and Godly men that shewed themselves pilgrims in this world and that they sought another country a heavenly country and so God was not ashamed to be called their God But a more particular and special example is that there of Moses who being in great possibility to be a Prince for he should have been the onely son to Pharaohs daughter yet we see his coldnes to the world and to the preferment thereof was such that he waved it and chose rather to suffer affliction with his brethren the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a time for so he accounted the preferment of the world 3. The third signe is taken out of the 11. to the Hebrews from the definition of faith which is there called Hypostasis or a substance and thereupon the faithfull are called Hypostatici now we know that a thing which hath substance is able to receive a great waight without shrinking or crushing And such are the Saints of God David was hypostaticus he would not fear though the earth be moved and the hills caried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof rage and swell and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same yet the Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge as he concludeth that psalm And in another psalm he sheweth the true 〈◊〉 of a true beleever he shall never be moved he will not be afraid and his heart is stablished But the condition of him that wanteth faith is otherwise If there come but a gale of wind Saint Peter sinks when holy Job on the other side in the fullnesse of this substance of faith can say Etiamsi occiderit tamen sperabo in illum Though he kill me yet I will put my trust in him Though God should punish him in his wrath yet he would not leave his hold 4. The fourth signe of a true faith is to establish the Law as the Apostle speaks and it is a plain signe and demonstration of an ill faith to make void the Law it must be a working faith if not it is but like putridum 〈◊〉 a body without the spirit dead for as Saint Paul saith with the heart a man beleeveth unto righteousnesse The heart must kindle it from the heart saith the wiseman come the issues and springs of life and all the actions and operations of a man and if no action there can be no true faith If the heart be once possessed with this belief then as the Apostle speaketh I beleeved therefore have I spoken then it will come into the tongue and not onely so but as the Psalmist All our bones will speak every member will make profession of it for as it is said before according to the Physicians rule Judicium a corde fit per brachium the heart makes the pulse beat and that not by little and little or in a long time but presently and so is faith when it is in the heart it hath its effects presently eadem hora sanatus he that beleeved was healed the same hour The prophet saith who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things shall the earth be made to bring forth in a day or shall a nation be born at once for assoon as Zion travelled she brought forth her children The Prophet wonders at it yet it is a signe of true faith Therefore what is their faith that is not seen till they die 〈◊〉 then they must trust in God whether they will or no all their life they will not at their death ther 's no remedy But it is not said that the just shall die but live by his faith And I shall not pray with Balaam let my soul die the death of the righteous but let my soule live the life of the righteous 6. The sixth rule for exposition teaches us that we 〈◊〉 seek to strengthen the faith of others Saint Paul though strong in faith yet desires to be strengthened and 〈◊〉 by the faith of the Romans And the contrary which is seducing others is not onely forbidden but a punishment is also laid upon seducers As we may see in Deut. where we are commanded not to consent to such and not onely so but to be the first actors in his punishment And thus if we labour to grow in faith our selves and to confirm others then as Saint Peter saith we shall receive the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls and have this answer Vade secundum fidem tibi erit as thou hast beleeved so be it done unto thee This will be Gods answer to us and merces fidei est visio dei the reward of faith is the vision of God for in in rebus supra naturam idem est habere videre in supernatural things its all one to have and to see We shall enjoy it Credendo quod non vidimus videbimus quod credimus by beleeving that we have not seen we shall see that we have beleeved And thus much for the duties of the minde Now for the duties of the heart CHAP. VIII The third inward vertue is fear of God Addition 11. of the seat of faith Reasons why God should be feared Of 〈◊〉 and seruile feare how fear and love may stand ' together The sinns 〈◊〉 1. want of fear 2. worldly fear
he particularly exacts the dutie from five severall sorts of men in one Psalm that are there mentioned as more especially bound to God 1. They that wander in the wildernesse and are harborlesse and in distresse and want and are relieved 2. They that are at the point of death and are restored to life and health 3. They that are in prison and are delivered 4. They that are delivered from shipwrack 5. They that are preserved from the hands of their enemies These several sorts of men as he there speaketh when they cry unto the Lord he delivereth them out of their distresse and therefore he often reiterates this and saith Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnes and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men And this deliverance by prayer hath three effects whereby God is glorified 1. When an humble minded man upon his prayer finds this deliverance he is thankful and glad 2. By this sinners seeing Gods goodnesse in hearing the prayers of his servants shall be converted 3 The mouth of all wickednes shall be stopped By all these wayes prayer brings glory to God If then prayer bring such glory to God and that without it God is like to be defrauded of a great part of his honour 2. It concerns us necessarily to practise it and that not onely in respect of God but of our selves too Our Saviour sheweth this by the parable of the widdow and the unjust judge where her importunity prevailing with a wicked judge shewes a majori how powerful prayer is with God a father of tender mercies and that we ought to pray allwayes and not faint And therefore having a care that we should know how to pray he himself who never did any superfluous act and who is our advocate and daily intercessor with God set down a form to our hands to instruct how to pray daily In the use whereof that comes to minde which Chrysostom observes in his first book de orando Deum out of Dan. 6. 10. where bodily death being set before Daniel if he prayed during thirty dayes on the other side tanquam si as if the forbearance for that time would be the death of his soul he chose rather to hazard his life then to neglect his daily custome In the Law besides the observation of the Sabbath there was a morning and an evening sacrifice Which was a type and is explained by the Psalmist to be prayer Prayer as incense in the morning and lifting up of hands which is nothing else but prayer for the evening sacrifice The fathers have for the most part written largely upon the necessity of this duty and call it Clavem diei et seram noctis the key to open the day and the bar to shut in the night Saint Chrysostom calls it signaculum diei the seal of the day out of the Apostle who saith that the creatures are good being sanctified by prayer else not and so it is a seal to confirme a blessing of the Creatures for the day following And in this respect it is said that our Saviour blessed the loaves by looking up to heaven that is by praying as also the meat at supper by blessing it be fore and singing an hymne of thanksgiving after And this is no new thing but a custome as ancient as Abraham as the Jews record who continue it still the chief of the family first takes bread and blesses it by prayer and then breaks it and the last thing is to take the cup and then to give a second blessing this being so holy a practise the whole Church of the Jews to our Saviours time observed it as a thing most necessary from which custome Christ translated the use of it to his own supper The Apostle fits all the rest of the spirituall armour to some speciall part as to the head the breast the feet but specifies no part for prayer because it is to cover all over and to make all the other armour useful Therefore the fathers upon that place of Epes 6. 13. call it Armaturam 〈◊〉 the armour of all other most necessary as if all the other were of no more strength then if we were naked if we put not on this And they stile it also flagellum demonum the Devils scourg Athanasius is confident that the bare but faithful recital of this ejaculation Exurgat 〈◊〉 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered will make all the devils in hell to quake And Maximus another father affirms that he ever found this verse hast thee O God to deliver me make hast to help me O Lord effectual to deliver him from any temptation And Saint James prescribes no other remedy for afflictions then this Is any among you afflict d Let him pray even when humane hope fails yet 〈◊〉 for that which is impossible by our selves is possibile per alium possible by God to whom we pray And indeed it hath been ever of such power that it hath wrought miracles 1. In the ayre By it Elias the Prophet shut up the middle region that no rain could come down for three years and six moneths and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain c. 2. If we desire to see the like in other elements we may in Fire by the same Prophet for he by prayer brought down fire which consumed the captain and his fifty men 3. In the Earth At the prayer of Moses the earth opened and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram with their company 4. In the water At the prayer of Moses the red sea divided it self and the waters were a wall to the children of Israel and returned and covered the host of the Egyptians 5. And this efficacie it hath wrought not onely in the elements but in heaven also At the prayer of Josuah the Sun and Moon stood still 6. In putting to flight earthly powers also At the prayer of Moses when he lift up his hands Israel prevailed David stayed the plague By it Hannah of a barren womb became fruitfull The Ninevits escaped the severe judgements of God examples are infinite but these seem lesse because it hath power over spiritual powers death and hell and sathan 7. It hath power over death Ezechias having received a message of death by prayer obtained fifteen years addition to his life I have heard thy prayer and seen thy tears c. 8. Over hell and the devill Our Saviour tells his Apostles that by prayer and fasting the devills were to be cast out 9. And lastly which is the most remarkable it overcometh God himself we read that Moses used no other means but onely Prayer yet God saith Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot as though while Moses prayed God himself could do nothing against the Isrealites or as if Moses by prayer had offered violence to
who was his Master and whom he followed before they parted The sixth rule for procuring obedience in others is done per edificationem as the Apostle speaks by edifying one another and by avoyding that which they call scandalum let no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way CHAP. XIIII Of patience How it arises from Love of God The necessity and excellency of patience Afflictions are either corrections or tryals Reasons of patience in both Of counterfeit patience in Hereticks and others Stupidity no true patience Cause thereof Of fainting under the crosse Means of patience Signes of patience Of working patience in others THe second principal signe or property of Love is Patience and it might be comprehended under obedience for they use to call it obedientiam crucis It is a fruit of Love charitas patiens est saith the Apostle for if it be active it produces obedience if passive patience The Heathen man hath a strange speech to this purpose Non amo quenquam nisi offendat I love no man but he that offends me the reason is because bearing and sorbearing is an argument of love he that loveth will bear much if not he loveth not Qui desinit sustinere desinit amare saith S. Augustine leave of to forbear and leave of to love and S. Gregory Patientia vera ipsum amat quem portat true patience loves him who is a burden to him In respect of our selves being natural nothing can be trulier said then durum pati It goeth against flesh and blood to suffer and the object of patience is evil But the spiritual man glories in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience and why because patience worketh experience and that hope So that patience never bears evil propter se sed propter mag is bonum for it self but for a greater good The evil we suffer by it will be recompensed with the greater good Labour is durum a hard thing and ease good but if a better thing as learning may be attained by the privation of that good we will take pains and endure labour So the suffering of want trouble and the like conducing to a greater good puts a will into us to endure them Ardor desideriorum saith S. Gregory facit tolerantiam laborum the earnestnesse of our desires causeth us to endure labor This greater good is the glory of God and that as we said of obedience both directly by our selves when we glorifie him by our sufferings and also by others who take occasion by our patience in suffering to glorify God Though the Devil afflicted Job with sundry crosses yet he continued firm and endured them patiently and by his servants patience was God glorified even over the Devil God triumphs over the Devil by the patience of Job 〈◊〉 thou not saith God my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth c. Beatus Job quot voces patientiae in laudem Dei percussus reddidit quasi tot in adversarii pectore jacula intorsit et acriora multa quam sustinuit inflixit blessed Job by his often expressions of patience to the honour of God in his afflictions castas it were so many darts into the bosome of his adversary and inflicted much more upon him then he endured himself The Author to the Hebrews tells us that we need this vertue and our Saviour gives us the reason We cannot possesse our souls without it How Thus if any crosse befall us either it is too great for us to bear and so we fall into exceeding great worldly sorrow which worketh death as it hapned with Achitophel a wise man or else without this gift of patience we set our selves against that partie in passion that we conceive did offer us the injury and so fall to hatred and then to injurious dealing or if it be from Gods hand to murmuring and impatient reoining and so loose your souls But if with patience we bear the afflictions of this life and thereby overcome the last enemy which is death 1 Corinthians 15. 26. then we are sure to save our souls In consideration whereof as we said that in the Christian structure faith was fundamentum the foundation of all vertues so patience is tectum the roof or covering of all vertues to keep and defend them from the storms of afflictions without which storms would beat and rain would descend into the building and rot it And this may well be warranted by that of our Saviour in the Gospel where he saith describing the spirituall harvest that they brought forth fruit with patience The fruit is after the bud and blossome the fruit must come through both But more plainly in the Apostle that therefore patience must have her perfect work that we may be perfect and want nothing and the building be consummate And S. Paul joyns faith the foundation and patience the roof together To you it is given not onely to believe but also to suffer and in another place in side patientia by faith and patience we inherit the promise the first and last the beginning and the ending So that when we have this vertue and the roof be covered we may have good cause to rejoyce as S. Paul did He rejoyced in patience in suffering infirmities reproaches necessities persecutions distresses for Christs sake And patience working experience he then had spem solidiorem more solid hope and thence grew so valiant as to throw down gantlet and chalenge any thing that could separate him from the love of God and beginneth with the least first as tribulations ascending to the most potent as death Angels principalities c. Patience is distinguished according to the object which is affliction and that is of two sorts for it is either for punishment called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for tryal called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be patience in both and the reason is for that in every Law there is a directive and a corrective force if one misse the other will take hold Aut faciendum quod oportet aut patiendum quod oportet either we must do or suffer what we should we must be either active or passive 1. We submit our selves to the corrective force in respect of our deserts knowing the Law to be just for two reasons both which are mentioned by S. Peter It is the will of God of his secret will we cannot enquire the cause but when he hath revealed the reasons we may be bold to take notice of them for confirmation of our faith 1. The first is He will have all the world know that sin shall not be unpunished This is plain The waters of Meribah cost Moses his life his wavering because the waters came not at the first was his forfeiture of entring into the land of promise Numbers 20. 12. Many more instances might be brought but they are all obscured by
before him and arresteth with these his Serieants but are no whit amended Such are usually compared to Simon the Cyrenian who was violently laid hold on and forced to carry the crosle but are not crucified on it themselves a crosse they beare but profit not And the reason is because they ascribe it to other causes besides God inflicting and their sins deserving Divines call this coecum termentum or coecum dolorem a blinde grief a grief they have on the sudden but are not able to say for this or this cause is it come upon me they ascribe it humori naturae not rori gratiae and like purblinde men they cannot looke up to the hand that strikes them and so consequently they get them terrenas consolatiunculas earthly petty comforts as Saint Bernard pleasure and friends and so drive it away and if it comes from without then many times they do insurgere in instrumentum et omittere percussorem rise against the weapon and leave the striker which comes by not observing the two concurrents viz. God and his instrument and that the affliction is just with God though unjust in the instrument as the calamities of Job were just in God cui nil nisi justum placet who delights in nothing but what 's just and our Saviour saith Math 5. 11. we shall be blessed by God when we are injured by men the not distinguishing of these two breeds desire of revenge King David could distinguish better In the case of Savl and Doeg the instruments O Lord my God if I have done any such thing c. He ascribed it to God and yet knew he was wronged by them and in the case of Shimei he conceived that he was but Gods instrument to afflict and punish him 2. When we look not high enough that is the first the second is when we conceive not aright of the end for tribulation is of tribulus a bramble and Saint Augustine saith Ideo mittitur aut ut detineat aut ut revocet it is sent therefore either to restrain or to call back And Intelligat bomo Deum esse medicum et tribulationem medicamentum esse ad salutem non poenam ad damnationem Man should know that God is a physitian and tribulation a medicine for health not a punishment to condemne And Saint Gregory Adversitas quae bonis viris obiicitur probatio virtutis est non indicium reprobationis Tribulation that comes upon good men is a trial of their goodnes not a token of reprobation When men then mistake Gods aime in the end they fall into a numnes of soul. 2. The second extreame of Patience is the fainting under Gods correction The cause most commonly comes when men cannot distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between being shaken and cast down but imagine that God afflicts them in wrath and aymes at their destruction whereas the Apostle could say we are troubl d on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair And when a man cannot distinguish between these then a heavines seizeth on him that begetteth death The Psalmist maketh a dialogue between his soul and himself Why art thou so cast down O my soul but then comes in the other part put thy trust in God for the help of his countenance When men begin to be perplexed then either they feel their courage die the spirit is cast down and A wounded spirit cannot be born the spirit of a man will beare other infirmities and crosses and so the heathen have shewed great patience but when the spirit or conscience it self is wounded who can beare it Or else they fall a murmuring against Gods justice and say with Cain Their punishment is greater then they can bear or have deserved and so mistaking Gods Justice fall away by despair and not considering Gods mercy they come to be of Sauls minde If God will neither answer him by Prophets dreames nor voice he will go to the witch and if this succeeds not then he takes another course and so falls into the other extreame and lies flat on the ground with a brutish kinde of patience And all this is by misconstruing Gods justice or mercy that because he correcteth as a father he will condemne us as a Judge The general means to get Patience are these 1. It is truly said by Saint Jerome that quot sunt causae as many causes as God hath ad 〈◊〉 to punish there are so many for us ad patiendum to suffer with patience There are many examples of patience among the Heathen as of Scaevola Rutilius Regulus c. these had a shew of patience and their reason was Sis asinus quemcnnque asinum sors prospera fecit But there ought to be in Christians a more heroique courage seeing they know the causes from whence affliction comes and whereto it tends as was shewed before 2. They say that it is Tenuis patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas a small patience when a man cannot help it then to beare since we cannot help it were bestt o make a vertue of necessity It is hard to kick against the pricks A necessity being laid upon us let us do it willingly and so it will become a commendable vertue and let us not be like them that have no hope 3. The third is that which the heathen man confessed Quantum mercator pro lucro quantum venator pro ludo tantum ego non passus sum provirtute I have not suffered so much for vertue as the merchant for gain or the hunter for sport this he spake out of ambition that he had not suffered so much for his honour But let us adde Quantum ethnicus pro ambitione tantum ego non passus sum pro Christo meo I have not endured so much for my Christ as the Heathen for his ambition On the other side considering as we are Christians and afflicted either ad correctionem or ad probationem for our amendment or tryal these should be to make us patient of which two let us spake more particularly 1. In respect that afflictions come upon us justly for our sinnes The lesse dishonest thief could blame his fellow for murmuring and his reason was seeing we suffer justly all we suffer is justly deserved yea lesse then we deserve 2. The Psalmist saith that God in faithfullnesse had afflicted him That as the punishment is just in the first place so if we are afflicted we should ascribe it to God of very faithfulnesse Though he visit our offences with rods or our sinnes with scourges yet his mercy shall not utterly be taken from us nor his truth fail This affliction being sent in mercy either to retain us or to recall us either for prevention or for cure and we apprehending it so is a speciall means to procure patience in us For being strengthened by his promise we shall make
said of 〈◊〉 and his fellow that they did odisse tyrannum but not tyrannidem they hated the tyrant but not the tyranny whereas a sound heart hates sin most of all in it self even the least sin as we see in the Apostle when he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 4. The last is somewhat hard If we can with confidence say those two last verses of the pialmist Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead mein the way everlasting If any dare take this upon him and can speak it truely not deceiving himself his heart is upright in him but a gentler tryal then this is if a man can say in four particular cases as he in another place if there be any wickednesse in my hands c. let the enemy persecute my soul c. And when we with communing with our own hearts privately can say as my heart hath been upright with thee so I desire in my last gasp to be comforted by thee O Lord and to be holpen in my greatest need In these cases a man may perceive whether his heart be sound or not And this according to the sixth rule stayeth not in our selves but desires to have it in others also with S. Paul who prayed for the Philippians that they might be sincere And so did the friends of Job though they took a wrong course in their comforts yet they were right in this that they had a desire to make Jobs heart upright Thus far of integrity One point more rests to be handled within the last general Proposition and that is Non habebis Thou shalt not have The observation is that it is set down in the future tense which implies perseverance and this is the knitting up of all It standeth first in the text non habebis and non erunt thou shalt not have and there shall not be but in order of handling it hath the last place because it is the shutting up of all The words Non habebis must not be answered with non habeo or non habui but with non habebo I will have no other gods and this is perseverance This is a greater matter then many do imagine fui sum and ero are distinctions of the three times 1. For fui it is certain that whosoever shall consider what he hath been will be brought into a melancholick and sad passion S. Bernard saith Recordare praeterita erubesce it will confound a man to remember what he hath done 2. For sum Peradventure there my be some comfort inregard that we endeavour and strive to obtain 3. But howsoever it stands with us for the present our comfort depends chiefly upon ero what we shall be and if we persevere not in good ero must needs be terrible for a man to consider in what case he may be hereafter and considerare novissima to think upon his end whether God may not forsake him if he be not careful to persevere on his part as he hath done others that have been for the present in as good and peradventure better case then he is but were not careful to endeavour and to use the means required on their part to persevere and therefore were left of God and returned with the dog to their vomit therefore non habebis is a sharp and strict command and to be looked to In the common conveyances at Law there is Habendum tenendum to have and to hold we have formerly seen Quid habendum what we were to have now we are to see Quid tenendum what we must hold and keep It falls naturally into the last place by due order 1. First because as the Heathen say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisdom or knowledge is the beginning of vertue but constancy and perseverance is virtutis apex the pitch and perfection of vertue and as S. Bernard Perseverantia est unica filia summi Reg is finis virtutum earumque consummatio perseverance is the onely daughter of the great King the end and consummation of all vertues 2. Secondly because all other vertues are preserved by this or to use the Apostles phrase seasoned with this salt As God set David over Israel by a covenant of salt that is by an everlasting covenant and no sacrifice was under the Law without salt to shew that as the covenant is perpetual on Gods part so ought the condition to be on ours by perseverance and thereby is known the truth of our obedience without which an hypocrite may go for a true Christian. S. Bernard calleth it totius boni repositorium virtus the place where all good is preserved and kept and the strength and vertue of all other 3. Because as there is in every vertue a resemblance or conformity in us to some attribute of God as in our knowledge to his wisdom in our belief to his truth in our fear to his justice in our love to his mercy in our integrity to his ubiquity so in this of perseverance to his eternity 4. Because God is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end which is his book of perseverance So must we persevere according to our quandiu that is till we die usque ad mortem and not onely to natural but even to violent death The Apostle hath another usque usque ad sanguinem unto blood and so his own resolution was not onely usque advincula not to be bound onely but usque ad mortem to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus This must be our Omega Wheresoever our Alpha is placed this must be our Omega our eternity Otherwise as S. Bern. saith Quid levitate cum aeternitate there is no fellowship between God and man without perseverance Inconstancy hath no congruity with eternity On the other side backsliding is condemned Our nature is so corrupt that as in the last affection we spake of Sincerity we have a desire to seem rather then to be because it is easier and we naturally love ease so here we have a desire of falling away or starting back like a bow like a deceitful bow to which the Prophet resembles the Israelites We are naturally like a bow which being almost bent and let go never so little starts back Or as the Apostle no lesse excellently we are apt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 segnescere or to feel a grudging in our bones all the while we are doing good and are soon weary of welldoing 1. How necessary this vertue is is plain by diverse reasons First all the good we have formerly done is lost without it Incassum bonum agitur saith S. Gregory si ante vitae terminum deseratur quia frustra velociter currit qui priusquam ad met as venerit deficit all the good we do is in vain if we leave doing good before
head this we may remember by these things but the especiall pains and torments which inwardly he suffered his being sorrowful unto death his anguish of heart for the Jews obstinacy and rejection the bitternesse of the cup which his not onely most perfect bodie was most sensible of and his holy soul apprehended and suffered these are forgotten these cannot be depicted so the greatest part of his passion is un expressible 4. The last evasion of theirs is that by Images we remember or are put in minde of the Angels and Saints To this in breif may be answered that Saints are no better then Angels and seeing that an Angel would not suffer John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship him it is not to be vsed to them Saint Augustine hath a zealous wish vtinam velletis discere ab Angelis tum enim disceretis eos non adorare I could wish you would learn of Angels for then you would learn not to worship them And Saint Pauls charge was Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels c. And thus much of the controversy betwixt the Papists and us as it had dependance upon the former part of this commandment concerning Images These reasons shew that there are other means better and more effectual then pictures to instruct men in the knowledge of Christ viz. The scripture and the preaching of the gospel but they are not meant to prove it unlawful to paint or make any pourtraiture of Christ in his humane nature as at his passion c. Provided no religious worship be given to it that which is of 〈◊〉 use is not therefore unlawful or of no use at all So the author in his answer to Porron cap 18. p. 17. To have a story painted for memories sake we hold not unlawful but that it might be well enough done if the church found it not inconvenient for her children CHAP. VII The affirmative part of this precept concerning the manner of outward worship 3. Reasons for outward bodily worship Outward honour consists 1. in the signe 2. in the 〈◊〉 Of the signe by 1. uncovering the 〈◊〉 2. bowing the body Of the act or deed 1. By being at Gods command 2. By doing his worke or service Of the gesture of Reverence 1. in publick and private prayer 2. At 〈◊〉 the word 3. At the administration of sacraments 4. At discpline The sins against these In publick worship must be 1. uniformity 2. Fear 3. The heart must be present 4. Silence 5. constancy to tarry till all be done The 〈◊〉 outward worship The signes VVE are now to take a view of the affirmative part of this precept that is how we are to behave our selves in the external worship of God The worship enjoyned in the first Commandment as hath bin said is internal this in the second is outward or external honour or worship Honour being a testimony of excellency given by outward signe or deed and praise by word The honour of the signe is expressed by the word 〈◊〉 in bowing down and of the deed by the word 〈◊〉 in serving For the first as the negative was thou shalt not bow down to them the affirmative is thou shalt bow down to me And for the other as in the Negative thou shalt not worship or serve them the affirmative is thou shalt serve me 1. For the outward worship first in general Christ tells us that a candle is not lighted to be put under a bushel upon which the fathers have raised this note or Maxime that Bono debetur manifestatio our good must be made manifest and therefore candles that have bonum lucis the goodnesse of light must not be thrust sub 〈◊〉 tenebrarum under the evil of darknesse So then if the candle of light be in our soules that is if we inwardly worship God we must set it upon a candlestick our inward religion must apear in our outward worship and it must not be onely in a Chamber as our private Religion a close godlinesse that cannot be seen 2. The next reason for this point the Apostle gives Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and spirit glory being nothing else but an effect of conspicucu nesse the fair spreading and enlarging of honour and praise and therefore containeth honour in it Now in conjunctions copulative the rule is In copulativis non sufficit alterum In things that are coupled one is not sufficient but vtrumque faciendum both are to be performed And the Apostles conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in body and spirit sheweth that this honour must be done in both The devil knoweth this that God requireth both and therefore asked of our Saviour but one a little glorifying of him but the bowing of the body because he knew that if God have not the copulative body and spirit both he will have neither God will have all or none The third thing is that seeing God every where almost through the Scripture hath put a distinction and difference between his house and private houses as being in more special manner there then in other places and that as the psalmist speaketh holines becometh Gods house for ever therefore he will not onely have a manifestation of our worship towards him and that to be in body as well as Spirit but he assignes his house for the place where he will have this honour exhibited to him You shall keep my sabbaths saith God and reverence my sanctuary And therefore it is that the preacher gives us this rule when thou goest into the house of God observa pedem vtrunque Look to thy foot and if God have a care how we serve him in our inferior members in that place no question but he hath much more how we imploy our eyes ears and hearts there our external worship must be apparent and it must not be by halves and it must be in the house of God in themidst of the congregation 1. The outward worship of God according to the former division consists 1. In Signe 2. In deed And this Honor signi is twofold which the Apostle setts down in the example of Christ 1. Exinanivit se. He emptied himself or made himself of no reputation 2. 〈◊〉 se. He humbled himself 1. The empting of ones self is that which is called deponere magnificentiam to lay a side all titles ofhonour which holy Job expounds and calls spoliavit me honore a stripping one of glory it is that which the Elders did cast down their crowns before God King David laid aside his robes and made himself vile before the Lord in his service The Apostle tels us there must be Nudatio capitis our heads must be uncovered The wearing of a cap pileo donari among the Romans was peculiar to free men onely and an Hieroglyphick of honour for once if a man cepisset
hoc decipit qui ante tempus sapientes videri volunt ut jam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod non sunt quid sunt erubescere saith one many are deceived by this that they would willingly be accounted wise before their time and begin to counterfeit what they are not and are ashamed of what they are The conclusion of this point is that because as the Preacher tells us There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak and in that he placeth silence before speaking every one is to be a learner before he be a teacher We may see it in our Saviours example who was in the Temple among the Doctors how hearing first and then asking questions and both before he taught himself He that doth not take this course will in the end be forced to take up this complaint How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me 3. A third duty of the teacher is Tueri to defend his pupils according to the sense of the word their name Tutores 〈◊〉 being derived from tueri It was our Saviours practise as in the case of his Disciples not fasting when Johns disciples and the Pharisees fasted And in their plucking of ears of corn on the Sabbath day As also for their not washing their hands when they did eat In all which cases Christ made their defence thereby shewing he would be ready to defend them in all matters wherein they did not 〈◊〉 1. The first duty of the Scholar answerable to this is according to the law of the Nazarite He must bring his offering as 〈◊〉 is able So did Hannah when she dedicated her son Samuel that he might not be 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 When Saul sent his servant to the Prophet he made shift to finde the fourth 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 to give him Shall we come to the Prophet and bring him 〈◊〉 And Levi made a feast for our Saviour In a Council the Fratricelli were condemned for holding one opinion among the rest that our Saviour lived by begging and not of his own for he had of his own as we may gather by Judas bearing his bag 2. Another duty is to minister to his 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 Samuel did to Eli. And we read that Elisha though the eldest scholar yet poured water on Elias hands We 〈◊〉 that John Baptist sent two of his Disciples on an 〈◊〉 to Christ. And our Saviour himself sent his Disciples to make ready the passeover At another time he commanded his Disciples to provide a ship for him He also sent two of his Disciples when he was to ride into Jerusalem to provide an asse for him Lastly he sent them to provide victuals to eat So that the duty of ministring belongs to a Scholar 3. The last is 〈◊〉 officium Our Saviour being towards his end giveth charge to one of his Disciples that he knew was able to maintain his mother And not onely so but after his death some of them brought odours to embalm him Some bestowed a Tombe upon him and some buried his body So did the Disciples of John Baptist They buried his body And yet here ended not this 〈◊〉 officium for after Christs burial the Apostle forgate not his memory but spuke honourably of him Jesus of Nazareth was a Prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people shewing that death takes not this duty away from the Scholar to his Tutor he ought to speak honourably of him after death Besides all this there is a duty which all Scholars owe to Teachers though they be not under their charge If they be of that calling they are to honour them Sauls servant counted Samuel an honourable man and Gamaliel was honourable among all the people He was a Teacher of the Law and not onely those under his charge but all the people honoured him These things being performed that will come to passe which the Apostle aims at we shall have men faithful such as shall be able to teach others and the Universitie shall breed such as shall be fit to serve the Church and Common-wealth And indeed this was the end of the erection of schools and universities 1. To bring forth men able to teach in the Church 2. Men fit to govern the Common-wealth Of which we are now to speak CHAP. VII Of honouring spiritual fathers in the Church The excellency and necessity of their calling Four sorts of ministers in the Church 1. The thief 2. The 〈◊〉 3. The wolfe 4. The good shepherd whose duties are 1. To be an example to his 〈◊〉 1. In himself 2. In his family The peoples duty answerable to this 2. To use his talent for their good Rules for doctrine and conversation The peoples duty 1. To know their own shepherd 2. To obey and follow him 3. To give him double 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 2. of maintenante ANd first of those that are to instruct and govern the Church These are called fathers The Apostle calleth himself a father And so they are called not onely by the Church of Christ but by Mitah an Idolater He hired a Levite to be a father and a priest The Idolatrous Tribe of Dan use the very same words they bid the Levite to come and be their father And because as was said before all paternity is originally in God and from him communicated to Christ whose fatherhood towards the Church is no other but as he is the onely priest and prophet of the new Testament and because God is fons omnis boni the fountain of all good therefore he must needs have this property of goodnes to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicative that others may partake of his goodnes and therefore he made the world by creating it at the first and not onely so but by a second creation renewed and restored all by Christ into whom they that are mystically incorporated are admitted to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that coestial city or corporation where they shall be partakers of all that goodnes and glory which is in God And God having purposed to create the world for their purpose made it with three divisions or distinct places 1. Heaven to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or place of reward 2. Earth to be his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worke house And thirdly Hell his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prison To the end that men exercising themselves here in this world which is the worke house according to the grace received and the talent given them might either be rewarded with eternal felitity in Heaven or punisht with eternal misery in Hell So that the earth being made for a place of exercise and Heaven for a place of reward the world was made for the Church and consequently all those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural to
this this life is as the Heathen said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life without life It is a foolish opinion of some that think that the body and senses are the best things they possesse and thereupon infer that murder hath onely 〈◊〉 to the body but the truth is there is a murder of the soul as well as of the body So that murder is referred to two lives 1. The life present And 2. the life to come The world and the Common law account it an offence if the body or good estate of it be endammaged The good estate of the body is called incolumit as corporis the good plight and habit of the body and this consisteth in 3 things which are all included in murder as degrees to it 1. 〈◊〉 integritate corporis in the perfectnesse of each member of the body The body therefore is not onely prejudiced when life is taken away totally but when the body loseth an arm or a leg A maim will 〈◊〉 a good action 2. In incolumitate sensus in the soundnesse of the senses of our bodies when we are at ease without pain and therefore when a man is wounded hurt or stricken though no limb be taken away This bears an action of Battery 3. In libertate motus in freedom to go whither we will When a man is unjustly committed to prison and there wrongfully detained The law in this case allows the party so restrained his action against the person that deprives him of this liberty Now as there is inconlumitas corporis soundnesse of body so there is of the soul too called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tranquility of the soul and this may also be endammaged The good estate of the soul consists also in three things 1. In dilectione in love against which cometh in odium hatred with its crue and retinue 2. In 〈◊〉 joy Against this cometh that which so handleth a man that he falleth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Torporem 〈◊〉 a sloth or drousinesse of soul so that he taketh 〈◊〉 delight in any good thing or if he fall into envy 3. In pace Peace is the last which is twofold 1. Either within a mans 〈◊〉 quiet thoughts against which cometh scandalum scandal given or 2. without between him and others and the opposer of this is discord and contention So that not onely offences against the body or the incolumity and good thereof but offenders contra animam against the soul and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good plight thereof are comprehended within this Commandment as breaches thereof When Esau against the will of his parents had matched himself with strange women the daughters of Heth the text tells us that Rebecca professed She was weary of her life and this wearinesse of life Job calleth amaritudinem anima the bitternesse of his soul. Esau in this act was a trespasser against this Commandment On the other side Jacobs soul being as it were dead by the report of Josephs death 〈◊〉 imprisonment and Benjamins departure it is said of him when he was told that Joseph was alive that his spirit revived as if before it had been dead The Hebrews have a phrase 〈◊〉 animam to kill the soul and the English have the like to kill the heart and the Wise man hath one neer to it Spiritus tristis exsiccat ossa a broken spirit drieth the bones for grief is a cause of diminishing the natural heat so that he that ministreth this occasion to any man doth what he can to shorten his life and is within compasse of breach of this Commandment for whatsoever is contrary to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well-being is forbidden by this Commandment Thou shalt not kill The scope of this Commandment is not any private benefit but the publick good as was said before of the Law in general for the sin forbidden here is 1. In respect of God himself God will not have any man killed and his reason he gives because man is his own image and it is accounted a capital crime against earthly Princes to deface their image 2. In regard of the Church Christians are all one body in Christ therefore he that shall take away any member of it makes a rupture in that mystical body 3. In respect of the Common-wealth Peace is a great benefit and a great blessing when men shall live without fear besides Tutela singulorum the safety of every private person who as he hath received life from God so he hath received reason by the use whereof he is to preserve it For as the Psalmist saith God is the fountain of life from whom life is derived to every man and it is he that hath given man nobilem rationis usum whereby he may procure himself both incolumitatem corporis the good plight of body and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good habit or tranquillity of soul and with this he hath fenced him round So much in general Now for the particulars CHAP. II. Of murther in general The slaughter of beasts not prohibited but in two cases Of killing a mans self diverse reasons against it Of killing another many reasons to shew the greatnesse of this sin The aggravations of this sin from the person murthered THe Manichees held a fond opinion that because it is said Non occides Thou shalt not kill that a man ought not to kill a beast or 〈◊〉 or cut down a tree or 〈◊〉 up an herb because there is life in it But this errour may be confuted even from the Creation for before the flood God saith Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed and every tree c. to be to you for meat he gave all things for the use of man as alter the flood Every moving thing that liveth c. And under the Gospel we see it most plainly S. Paul tells the Corinthians that whatsoever is sold in the shambles that ye may eat 1. The reasons are evident First where there is not 〈◊〉 societatis right of society there cannot be societas juris not participation of right but they have no right of society with us because they want reason and therefore it can be no injurie to them to kill them for where there is no right no jui there cannot be injuria wrong 2. To use a thing to that end for which it is ordained is no sin but the lesse perfect was made for the more perfect therefore herbs were ordained for beasts and both for the use of man 1. Yet in two cases we are prohibited the killing of beasts first when it turneth to the detriment of our neighbour It is not the killing of the beast but the wrong and detriment done to our neighbour that is the sin 2. If we kill it in the 〈◊〉 of our wrath exacting or seeming to 〈◊〉 from it that power of understanding of which it is not capable S.
ones have been slain by her Or else Praeludia Previous actions that bring on the outward act As 1. Amplexus impudicus Immodest imbraces imbracing the bosom of a stranger impurum osculum an unchaste kisse The Harlot in the Proverbs had a stronge or impudent face she caught him the young man and kissed him 2. Touching with the hands those parts that ought to be kept secret the woman was to be put to death that puts forth her hand c. though it were to deliver her Husband from those that strove with him 3. By making them drunk that they may discover their nakednesse And above all these there are some things in naming whereof the Apostle is at a stand and saith that there are some things which he wrappeth in silence of which it is a shame even to speak Against these is opposed the vertue called 〈◊〉 shamefastnesse The Apostle saith God hath not called us unto uncleannesse but ad sanctimoniam to purity and holinesse and that every one ought to 〈◊〉 his vessel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sanctification and honour and instead of giving our selves to those things we ought to think upon such things as are honest and pure For as S. James tels us The wisdom which is from above is pure in the first place and therefore God took order under the Law that such unseemly parts might not be seen which Cham seeing and not turning away had a curse pronounced against him We come now to speak of the act it self Within the act of incontinency are comprehended 1. That with ones self which the Apostle cals 〈◊〉 or self pollution or defiling of ones own flesh or filthinesse of the flesh opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holinesse he makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this defiling of the flesh 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Thess. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lust of uncleannesse which includes the act for the act of this sin is nothing else but the bringing forth of those inward lusts But more plainly S. Peter calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lust of uncleannesse or the desire of polluting with which Jude speaking of wicked men saith Sopiti inquinant carnem these filthy Dreamers defile the flesh and not onely their flesh but their garments are polluted also and such hatred he would have against this sin that we should not onely hate the sin but even the garment spotted and defiled with it For besides the diseases and weaknesse which it brings upon the body it likewise by polluting the body is opposite to our Baptisme in which there is an outward washing of the body as well as an inward of the soul. Now because of these words of S. Iude here falleth in this particular Nocturna pollutio nightly pollutions If it be therefore 1. By reason of infirmity and weaknesse of nature 2. Or Ex 〈◊〉 vasorum from the fulnesse of the spermatick vessels 3. Or upon the laxitas partium loosenesse or dissolution of those parts upon violent exercise or heat by hard riding c. and not proceeding from lust in these and the like cases it is no sin yet with this proviso that though it proceed from some or all of these causes there be ingrata recordatio a regret and sorrow in remembring it otherwise it will be imputed as a sin but if it being not in his thought seed passe from him against his will and without his knowledge if he be grieved at it when he feeleth or knoweth of it in that case it is no sin But on the other side if a man be given to drunkennesse or other excesse and by reason thereof it issue from him though it be not sin ratione actus 〈◊〉 by reason of the act subsequent which is involuntary there being no purpose to commit the sin yet it is a sin and liable to punishment ratione actus praecedentis by reason of the precedent act that is drunkennesse for that which is not voluntary in the act may yet be voluntary and therefore sinful in the cause and thus if from surfetting there come 〈◊〉 seminis this is a sin or if by often rolling of wanton cogitations in the day time it be procured in the night or that willingly by day 〈◊〉 night he spill his seed as Onan did it is a great offence in Gods sight The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncleannes the fathers Mollitiem effeminatenesse and the law termes it the sin of Onan and the censure of it is it was exceeding wicked in Gods eyes 2. If it be cum alio with another then comes Bestiality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an abomination not to be named buggery with a beast forbidden by the law and punished with death both of man and beast and not onely with the death of the body but with that of the soul too Without shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abominable buggerers They which make a confusion as it is called between themselves and beasts shall be brought to worse then a beastly confusion in the end 3. If it be with mankinde it is either with consent of both parties and then it is a sin in both or if either party whether male or female be forced by violence and seeketh to resist but cannot that party is innocent but the enforcer committs a double sinne one in the violence which is against the former commandment and the other in the very act 〈◊〉 against this and therefore by the law he was to die 4. Of those that yield consent they are either males or females for so strong and strange is our concupiscence that any thing is sufficient to stir up the coals and kindle it and the heathen could say Quod in foeminis sexus facit id facit in puero aetas that which the sexe causeth towards women the age causeth towards boyes Thou shalt not lie with mankinde as with womankinde saith the law and why for it is an abomination And the offenders against this law are to be punished with death There are two reasons for it 1. It is an unfruitful worke of darknesse and contra bonum prolis against the benefit of procreation which is one of the principal ends of matrimonie 2. It is also against nature altogether unnatural the natural use being in the other sex therefore the Apostle makes it the signe of a reprobate minde And not onely a sin in it self but a punishment also of other sins For for this sin it was that God himself came down and sate in judgement against the five Cities which plot of ground is an unprofitable Sea to this day called Mare mortuum the dead sea because it nourisheth no living thing in it and it is also called Lacus Asphaltites of the unfruitfulnesse of it answerable to the sterility of this sin 5. With the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thought of his heart Pray saith he if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee 2. Propter Pharisaeos for those that Pharisee like are conceited of their own righteousnesse that as S. Augustine saith superbi peccatores proud sinners who are not sanati healed may by this Law be convicti convicted of their need of a Physitian for though a man may in regard of the full consent of heart hold out and justifie himself in some things and for some small time though few attain to this yet when he comes to this Commandment wherein the partus imperfectus the imperfect birth when there is no perfect consent but some pleasure and titillation onely in the motion is forbidden this will make him sweat and cry out as it is Rom. 7. 0 wretched man who shall deliver me from the body of death and so will make him see that he cannot acquit himself nor be a Christ or Saviour to himself but must fly out and seek to another without himself as it is in the next words I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. For the consent of the heart is forbidden by the other Commandments as they are expounded by our Saviour who saith that if a man look upon a woman hoc animo hoc fine with this purpose and to this end to lust after her that this concupiscence is Adultery but here the intention and desire though it have not plenum consensum full consent but be onely partus imperfectus is attainted by this Precept The distinction here is that in the former Commandments the intention of evil is forbidden etsi non consequaris though it be not executed here also etsi non prosequaris even though it be not prosecuted or resolved upon as when the motion is entertained with some approbation or delight though not fully consented to S. Augustine contra Julian explains the matter thus the one is Non concupisces thou shalt not lust forbidden by this Commandment the other is post concupiscentias tuas ne eas follow not after thy lusts as it is in Ecclus. 18. 30. and he that hath attained this latter not to go after his lusts magnum fecit saith the same Father hath done much sed non perfecit but hath not done all quia adhuc concupiscit because he lusts still The Apostle distinguishes them thus he calls the one peccatum regnans sin reigning in us when we follow it in the lusts thereof the other peccatum inhabitans sin dwelling in us when it lusts in us but hath not got perfect dominion here it dwells as a private person there it rules and hath got a kingdom for quando peccatum transivit in affectum cordis impetravit sensum rationis ut si adsit occasio facere disponat when sin hath so far prevailed both upon our affections and upon our reason that there wants onely an opportunity to act it there it reigns But when we have given some entertainment to it in our mindes but are not resolved so that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reasoning within us Faciam aut non faciam shall I do it or shall I not when we have reasons pro contra and are not fully resolved there is peccatum inhabitans it dwells in us and this is properly forbidden by this Commandment If we resolve once faciam I will do it then it is factum as good as done before God and may be referred also to the other Commandments as forbidden there CHAP. II. The thing prohibited Concupiscence which is two fold 1. Arising from our selves 2. From the spirit of God The first is either 1. from nature or 2. from corruption of nature Corrupt desires of two sorts 1. vain and foolish 2. hurtful or noisome The danger of being given up to a mans own lusts THE subject or matter of this Commandment is Concupiscence or lust which is here prohibited which that we may the better understand we must know that it is not every concupiscence which is here forbidden for there is a twofold lust or Concupiscence 1. There is a Concupiscence of our own of which S. Peter speaks There shall come men walking after their own lusts 2. There is a lust or concupiscence of the spirit of which the Apostle saith that it lusteth against the flesh this is holy and good for when our mindes are enlightned by the Spirit of God it stirs up in us good motions and desires and doth strengthen us to bring the same to effect and withal it arms us as S. Peter speaks against the opposition we meet with By this Concupiscence evil motions when they arise in the heart are checked as we see in the Psalmist Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in the Lord c. This Concupiscence is not condemned here but as it is in it self acceptable so by helping our infirmities it makes our prayers acceptable with God and so procuring audience whereby we obtain our desires of God it increases in us love to God and charity to men This is not therefore restrained by this Commandment but the other which is propria 〈◊〉 our own Concupiscence Now this Concupiscence of our own is of two sorts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first is natural the second is from the corruption of nature which S. Peter calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Concupiscence of corruption or Corrupt Concupiscence The first is in all men by nature as to desire meat when one is hungry or drink when he is thirsty and this is not forbidden for it was in Christ himself who was free from all sin he was sometimes hungry and desired meat and sometimes weary and desired rest c. But it is the other the corrupt lusts or desires which are forbidden in this place This Faculty of desiring or lusting was at first given to the soul to make it move towards those objects which the minde propounds aslevity or lightnesse is in some things to make them move upwards whereupon the Heathen called the minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eye of the soul and the desire or appetite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conatum the motion or endeavour of the soul after that which the eye discerns but this desire or 〈◊〉 being corrupt choaks the light of the minde that it cannot direct to what is good for the faculties of the soul being conjoyned do corrupt and infect one another as Ivy that cleaves to the oak and draws away the sap and makes it to wither and so the minde being blinded the will cannot move towards that which is good and thus our desires become corrupt Out of this corrupt concupiscence spring up desires of two sorts as they are distinguished by S. Paul some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain and
foolish others are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noisome and hurtful The first we may see in such men as the Apostle calls earthly minded who desire worldly things not for natural ends onely but do transilire fines 〈◊〉 passe and 〈◊〉 over the bounds of nature desiring more then is necessary for they still desire 〈◊〉 and more and as the Psalmist speaks when their riches increase do set their hearts 〈◊〉 them which as the precedent words imply is folly and vanity O give not your selves unto vanity such men do think speak and delight to discourse of nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earthly things and thus at length they corrupt themselves so that as the Prophet speaks their silver is become drosse and their wine mixt with water when they mingle their souls with earthly things which are of an inferiour and baser condition then the soul. The other desires which he calls hurtful are those properly between whom and the Spirit of God there is that opposition which the Apostle mentions And these do first hinder us from good things which the Spirit suggests because there is 〈◊〉 cordis a foreskin grown over the heart which shuts up and closes the heart when any good motion is offered and leaves it open when any evil would enter and also 〈◊〉 aurium a foreskin drawn over the ears O ye of uncircumcised hearts and ears whereby the like effects are wrought for it shuts the ears against any thing that is good and draws the covering aside for corrupt or unsavory communication to enter in for which cause God is said in Job Revelare aurem to uncover the ear when he reforms men effectually And 2. as they hinder us from receiving good so they corrupt that good which is already in us like the dead fly in the box of ointment And 3. they provoke to evil or which is all one ad ea ad 〈◊〉 consequitur malum to such things as are not in themselves evil but will 〈◊〉 us in evil if we follow after them for malum sive in Antecedente sive in consequente malum est evill whether in the Antecedents or in the consequents of it is 〈◊〉 and to be avoided therefore the Apostle would not have us to be brought under the power of any thing because the Devil doth sometimes kindle such an earnest 〈◊〉 and appetite in a man after some lawful indifferent thing that he will not forgoe it for any cause and then the Devil will quickly finde a condition to annex to it whereby he will draw a man to something simply unlawful as he thought to have done with Christ when having shewed him the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them wherewith he thought he had wrought upon his affections he presently seeks to 〈◊〉 him to idolatry 〈◊〉 tibi dabo c. All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Thus the desires of our concupiscence in malo in evil are either as S. Augustine saith per injustitiam or adjustitiam either to get things lawful by evil means or if by lawful means yet for an evil end and both these wayes of getting are justly condemned even in the very desire of the heart This 〈◊〉 and these desires proceeding from it are expressed in Scripture by other words Sometimes it is called the old man sometimes sin dwelling in us sometimes the law of sin and the law of the members sometimes the sting of death sometimes the prick in the flesh sometimes the cleaving sin which hangs so fast on sometimes the skirmishing sin which wars against the soul sometimes virus serpentis the poyson of the Serpent which the Devil instild into our nature at the first The Schoolmen call it fomitem infixum or fomitem peccati that inbred fewel of sin Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the disorder or irregularity of the faculties of the soul for whereas man had advanced his concupiscence above his reason against the order and will of God and so made it chief and for fulfilling his desire hazarded the favour of God Therefore as a just punishment God hath so ordered in his wrath that it should be stronger then reason so that it cannot be brought under that superiour faculty though a man would So that as God said by the Prophet and it is a fearful judgement because Ephraim had made altars to sin therefore they should be to him to sin so here because man would have his concupiscence superiour it shall 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 do what he can Thus God in great wrath sometimes deals with men as he did with the Israelites They did eat and were full and he gave them their own desire they were not disappointed of their lust and in another place He gave them up to their own hearts lusts and to follow their own imaginations Thus he dealt with the Heathen Romans as the Apostle saith after great disobedience and wilful sinning against the light of their own hearts there follows this Illative Ideo tradidit cos deus therefore God gave them up to their own desires counsels inventions and imaginations This is a fearful thing to be thus given up to a mans own lust It is much to be delivered over to satan Tradatur 〈◊〉 was a high censure yet tradatur 〈◊〉 had a return he that was so given up was regained But when a man is delivered up to himself it is certain that by ordinary means he never returns again For this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that reprobate sence as the Apostle cals it when God gives a man clean over and withdrawing his grace leaves him in his own hands to final destruction so that it is better to be delivered over to the Devil then to his own will And thus we see how well we are to think of our own will and how dreadful a thing it is to be given over to it and not to have Gods spirit to maintain a perpetual conflict therewith CHAP. III. How a man comes to be given up to his own desires Thoughts of two sorts 1. Ascending from our own hearts 2. Injected by the Devil The manner how we come to be infected Six degrees in sin 1. The receiving of the seed 2. The retaining of it 3. The conception 4. The forming of the parts 5. The quickning 6. The travel or birth NOw for the means whereby a man comes to be thus endangered it hath been partly handled already in the first Commandement which in our duty to God answers to this towards our Neighbour and shall partly be now touched A man comes thus to be given up to his own desires by degrees when he gives way to civil imaginations against his Neighbour Let no man imagine or think evil in his heart saith the Prophet against his Neighbor We must not give way to it at all though we suffer