he bids rest then we labour è contra Six works in particular forbidden the Jews Whether the same be absolutely now forbidden the Christians Rest necessary onely for the means of sanctification or the practise of it as in works of mercy or necessity Sabbatum Bovum Asinorum Sabbatum aurei vituli Sabbatum Tyri Sabbatum satanae CHAP. VI. page 285 The second thing commanded is sanctification which is the end of the rest The kinds of sanctification publick and private How the holy Ghost works in us sanctification The special acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists 1. Prayer 2. The Word read and preached 3. Meditation of what we have heard and upon the works of God out of Psal. 92. 4. Conference 5. Praise 6. Sacraments and discipline at special times The end of these means our sanctification and Gods glory CHAP. VII page 291 Works of mercy proper for the Lords day They are of two sorts 1. First Corporeal feeding the hungry c. Burying of the dead a work of mercy Such works proper for a festival Objections answered 2. Spiritual 1. To instruct counsel and exhort 2. Comfort 3. Reproof 4. Forgiving 5. Bearing with the weak 6. Prayer 7. Reconciling those that are at odds CHAP. VIII page 294 The second rule of Homogenea Fasting reduced hither Commanded under the Gospel 1. Publick fasts for averting of evil of punishment which is either malum grassans or impendens or of sin for procuring of good 2. Private fasts and the causes of them The parts of a fast 1. External abstinence from meat sleep costly apparel pleasure servile work almes then to be given Secondly internal humiliation for sin promise of reformation The third rule our fast and observation of the Lords day must be spiritual CHAP. IX page 298 The fourth rule of the means and helps to keep this Commandement viz. 1. Places 2. Persons 3. Maintenance 1. Of publick places for Divine worship The place as well as the time holy and both to be reverenced Addition 25. out of the Authors other works concerning the adorning of Gods house and against Sacriledge in prophaning it Addition 26. Further additions concerning Churches or places of Gods worship set places used from the beginning the necessity of them from natural instinct Their dedication and the use of it God is sole proprietor as of places so of all the Churches patrimony All humane propriety extinct by dedication the Clergy have only usum ac fructum no fee-simple by the Law Civil or municipal in any man but a quasi feudum onely CHAP. X. page 280 Of persons set apart for Gods service The mission choice the reverence due to them The benefit received by them spiritual and temporal Preservers of Kingdoms Humane laws and policies not sufficient without a teaching Priest c. Examples in divers Monarchies and Kingdoms CHAP. XI page 304 Of maintenance for such as attend at the Altar Schools and Colledges seminaries of the Church The ancient use of them among the Jews when they were in Egypt and afterward in Canaan In the Primitive Church care to be taken against admitting Novices or young men into the sacred Calling Maintenance due by the Ordinance of Christ is 1. Tithes Reasons that the tenth is still due under the Gospel to the Priesthood of Christ. Addition 27. About Tithes That the tenth part was sacred to God from the beginning by positive Divine Law obliging all mankinde and still in force The Law of Nature dictates not the proportion Humane Laws and Customs about the modus decimandi to be followed provided that they give not lesse then the true value of the tenth if otherwise they are void 2. Oblations alwayes in use in the Church Addition 28. about Oblations some may be due and limited by Law Customs Contract or necessity of the Church others voluntary and free No power in the Magistrate to alienate things dedicated to God CHAP. XII page 308 The two last rules 1. The signes of keeping the day 2. Of procuring the observation by others The conclusion The Exposition of the fifth Commandement CHAP. I. page 310 Of the sum of the second Table The love of our Neighbour How the second Table is like the first 1. Of the act Love How Christian love differs from other love The fruits of it The parts of it 2. The object our Neighbour Who is our Neighbour Degrees of proximity and order in love 3. The manner of love as thy self This must appear in 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order CHAP. II. page 318 The division of the Commandments of the second Table Why this is set here between the first and second Table The parts of it 1. A precept 2. A promise In the precept 1. The duty Honour 2. The object Father and Mother The ground of honour 1. Excellency 2. Conjunction The order of honouring differs from that of love Why God did not make all men excellent and fit to be superiours All paternity is originally and properly in God In man onely instrumentally The Hebrew and Greek words translated Honour what they properly signifie The necessity and original of honouring Superiours Government a Divine Ordinance Power Principality and Excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how they differ Honour due to them all To natural Parents to the Country where we live to Princes to spiritual Fathers to Magistrates In respect of excellency of gifts honour due 1. In respect of years 2. Of the gifts of the minde 3. Of outward estate 4. Of benefits received CHAP. III. page 325 The mutual or reciprocal duties of superiours and inferiours 1 Love 2. To wish well and pray for one another The duties of inferiours 1. Honour Inward and outward 2. fear 3. Subjection and obedience active and passive 4. The protestation of our subjection by honouring them with our estates The manner how this duty must be performed CHAP. IIII. Page 330. The duties of superiours in four things Addition 29. Of the end of government and whether the people be above their governours The manner how they must govern Whether honour be due to one that is evil Whether he must be obeyed in maio Of disobeying the unlawful commands of a Superiour Add. 30. Of obedience in things doubtfull CHAP. V. Page 341 The first Combination between man and wife The special end of Matrimony implied in three words 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimoniam 3. Nuptiae The office of the husband 1. Knowledge to govern his wife 2. Conjugal love 3. To provide for her and the family The wives duties answerable to these officia resultantia Duties arising from these The duties of Parents and children The duties of Masters and servants CHAP. VI. Page 355 Of Tutors or Schoolmasters and their Scholars or Pupils The original of schools and Vniversities Mutual duties of Teacher and Scholar as the choice of such as are fit and capeable The particular qualifications of a Scholar Solertia
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parendi my readinesse to obey makes me innocent when his 〈◊〉 comands make him guilty Concerning this point of obedience to superiours the resolution of all Casuists and other Divines is That as absolute obedience is due to God alone in all things without exception because his will is the rule of what is just so to other Superiours obedience is due in all things which are not evidently contrary to the Command of a higher power or evidently without the limits and bounds of their authority Thus Thom. 2. 2. q. 104 a 5. Cajet ibid. The Summists in verb. Obedientia Cessius de justitia jure lib. 2. cap. 6. dub 4 5 6. Valent. 2. 2. disput 7. q. 3. p. 2 c. whence it follows that the highest power under God being in Kings and Princes therefore Obedience is due to them in all things which are not evidently forbidden by God So that Subjects are not to busie themselves about the thing commanded to know particular reasons for the lawfulnesse but if after moral diligence fit to be used in all actions of weight it appear not unlawful or forbidden by God they ought to obey and the reason is evident because the Superiour hath his commission from God and so his commands are to be looked upon as proceeding from God whose Deputy he is and therefore they are sufficient ground and warrant for our obedience God having commanded us so frequently in Scripture to obey our King unlesse it appear cleerly that he exceeds his commission and that his commands are crosse to the immediate commands of God I say cleerly and evidently because in things doubtful we ought to obey the command of a superiour being a determining of the doubt for though its true that no man ought to do any thing with a doubting conscience for whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. yet the Command of a Superiour is sufficient cause to remove the doubt he being Gods deputy to resolve us in doubtful cases so that his command is a resolving of the doubt after which we ought no longer to doubt For as S. Bern. saith Ipsum quem pro Deo habemus in omnibus quae non sunt aperte contra Deum tanquam Deum audire debemus Him who is in Gods stead to us we ought in all things which are not plainly against God to obey as God himself And S. Augustine saith that a man may justly obey an unjust Prince commanding a thing doubtful he instances in war si quod jubetur vel non esse contra praeceptum certum sit vel utrum sit certum non est if either it be certain that his command doth not crosse any command of God or uncertain that it doth For herein we more certainly obey God himself when we obey the certain commands of his Deputy whereas obeying a doubtful command of God we certainly disobey his Deputy and by consequent God himself and therefore according to that rule in dubiis pars tutior eligenda est in doubtful things its best to go the safest way It s more safe to obey then disobey for it is certain the thing is commanded by Gods Deputie and uncertain that God hath forbidden it as is supposed in all doubtful cases and so by disobeying we run into a certain sin of disobedience to God in his Deputy to avoid an uncertain sin against God immediately Besides in dubiis melior est conditio possidentis possession is a good plea when the case is doubtful and therefore the superiour being in possession of his authority ought to be obyed in what he commands though it seem doubtful to us for Quisque praesumitur esse bonus donec constet de contrario and so the commands of superiours must be presumed to be lawful till the contrary plainly appear he that is not against us is for us Luke 9. 10. So that they take a wrong course and perplex their consciences that say this is unlawful for where is it commanded in Scripture when as they ought to say this is lawful being commanded by my superiour for where is it forbidden in Scripture For though the command of a Superiour cannot make that lawful in it self which is forbidden by God yet it may enable me in a doubtful case to do that lawfully and acceptably which without such a command had been sinful and lyable to punishment Conscience indeed is a judge immediately under God yet as Alex. Halen saith it is so onely in such things as are immediately commanded or forbidden by God but in other things which God hath left to authority it must be guided and regulated by authority and this doctrine is so necessary in praxi as Suarez well notes for the preserving of government and preventing of sedition that publick peace cannot otherwise be maintained Neither let any say It is against my Conscience for what is onely doubtful is no more against the Conscience then with it and when the scale hangs even as in doubtful cases if the weight of authority will not turn the scale either the authority is made very light or there is some fault in the beam as one saith Nay suppose they do not well in commanding yet so long as there appears no sin in obeying Tolle quod tuum est vade as S. Bernard saith take what is thine and go thy wayes thou shalt not be accountable for the evil that follows The excellency of Obedience is to look at Gods will represented to us in his substitute which may make the same act which it may be was sinful in him that commands become an act acceptable and rewarded by God in him that obeyes CHAP. V. The first Combination between man and wife The special end of Matrimony implied in three words 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimonium 3. Nuptiae The office of the husband 1. Knowledge to govern his wife 2. Conjugal love 3. To provide for her and the family The wives duties answerable to these officia resultantia Duties arising from these The duties of Parents and children The duties of Masters and servants Now concerning particular duties between superiours and inferiours first we shall handle the duties of those which constitute a family and then of others where in the family both Heathen and Christians make three relations or combinations 1. Of the husband and the wife 2. Of the Parent and the child 3. Of the Master and the servant 1. The husband and wife stand first in order 1. because the husband is paterfamilias the father of the family and the wife materfamilias the mother of the family 2. because God kept this order in the Creation he made man and wife before sons and daughters 3. Because not onely children and servants but Magistrates and al other superiours arise from this primitive combination between man and wife and the first subjection or subordination of an inferiour to a superiour from whence al other have their rise is that of the
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
wait as servants use to do on their masters we acknowledge there by a superiority and excellency in that party Thus far for honour which is due to excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. But now when the second thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power is added to excellency then there is another duty required in inferiours viz fear for as our Saviour speaks there is no power but from God it must be given from above and therefore by consequence there is due to them that have power from God part of that fear which we owe to men The honour given in this respect consists of the duty of fear This is a reverent awe and standing in fear of them that are placed in power over us Ye shall fear every man his mother and father saith God there is for our parents and Saint Paul commandeth servants to obey their masters with fear and trembling and Saint Peter servants be subject to your masters with all fear this is for masters Job saith that the people stood in such awe of him that when they saw him come forth they would convey themselves out of his presence as if they had done something not beseeming them the young men saw me and hid themselves This fear also is due to the king The people of Israel feared king Solomon and the same king gives the reason because his wrath is as a messenger of death 3. The third thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 government to which besides the former duties of honour and fear a third duty belongs viz. Obedience which the Apostle expresses by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be under a yoke That is when governours command this or that to be done except in things evidently contrary to the will of God we be content without disputing to put our necks under the yoak of their commands Saint Bernard saith verus obediens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quale sit quod 〈◊〉 hoc solo contentus quia praecipitur He that is truly obedient regardeth not what is commanded being content onely with this that it is commanded In the case of parents the Apostle gives this rule children obey your parents 〈◊〉 the Lord his reason for this is right As the Apostle used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjection to those more excellent then our selves as was shewe before Col. 3. 18. 1. Peter 2. 13. So here he vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be subject to set forth the obedience due to governours The like he gives to servants servants obey your masters c. And he commands Titus to put subjects in minde to obey magistrates The like charge of obedience he gives to Bishops and Governours in the Church obey them that have the rule 〈◊〉 you We have examples of dutiful children in this duty Of Isaac that obeyed his father even to the death Of the Rechabits in obeying their fathers commandment to drink no wine which act God himself by the prophet commendeth of our Saviour himself in the flesh And of servants we have the example of 〈◊〉 towards 〈◊〉 Lastly concerning subjects we have the example of the people of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 All that thou commandest us we will do Now for the protestation of our obedience wherein we expresse the truth of it order is taken for giving honour to our governours by imparting our substance by way of grateful retaliation for their care and pains for our good Honour the Lord saith the Wise man with thy substance and goods c. and so by consequent this kinde of honour is due to those to whom God hath given the government over us we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Stork and our Saviour makes this a part of the honour due to father and mother when he reproves those that taught the people that by consecrating their goods to the Temple they were free from the obligation of this law of maintaining and relieving father and mother Therefore the Apostle requires that we render to higher powers their dues tribute and custome to shew that our selves are not onely ready in our persons but our goods too at their commands The last part of obedience is to the other part of the Law for the Law hath two parts the one directive and the other coercive or corrective so that if we deny our obedience we must submit to correction and yet with reverence as the Apostle speaks we must honour the Magistrate though we be corrected Thus far for the act commanded now for the manner of 〈◊〉 The second thing to be considered is the manner how all these duties must be performed and this consists in three things 1. They must be done in conscience and from the heart not with eye-service as unto men but with singlenesse of heart as fearing God as the Apostle speaks 2. They must be done alacriter cheerfully and readily not with grudging murmuring and repining whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not as to men 3. They must be done perseveranter with continuance and perseverance yea though we suffer unjustly by them for this saith S. Peter is thank worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he endure and hold out though he suffer wrongfully And because we are not naturally given to perform these duties of obedience and subjection especially in this manner therefore expositors yield 6 reasons drawn from the duty as it is expressed and inforced in Scripture to induce men thereunto 1. Because God hath placed this Commandment before that of our goods yea and of our life to shew that the maintaining of authority ought to be dearer to us then goods or life it self 2. Because the name of father and mother is full of love and reverence insomuch as some unreasonable beasts perform this duty more exactly then many men Therefore God includes all superiours here as Kings Lords Masters c. under these amiable names of father and mother 3. In regard of the long life annexed to the true performance of this dutie long life being a thing desirable and death a thing most repugnant to the nature of man To live long and to prosper is all that men desire upon earth Therefore the Apostle urges this Commandment from the promise specially annexed to it above the rest That it may be well with thee and that thou mayst live long on the earth 4. Because as the Apostle tells us it is a thing good and acceptable to God and in another place it is well pleasing to God he is especially delighted and highly pleased in it It is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acceptable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well pleasing unto God What can we desire more then to be good acceptable and well pleasing to God in our actions 5. The Apostle goes further and saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
an accepter of persons So 2. if he be not just he will accept a gift It was the fault of Foelix In the first case he that respects persons will transgresse for a piece of bread In the latter he that receiveth gifts overthroweth a kingdom And thirdly if he want understanding every one will despise him and his authority will be contemptible therefore he must have all these qualities that so he may judicare justitiam and that justissime give judgement that most justly He must not pervert the law thereby to colour his oppressions like those the Pialmist speaks of who sit in the chaire of wickednes and frame misch 〈◊〉 by a law If he be such a one like the unjust steward that wastd his masters goods if he abuse his princes authority who hath intrusted him he ought upon complaint to be put out of his stewardship and that by him that put him in that so more fit may be in his place CHAP. IX Of fathers by excellency of gifts The honour due to them is not debitum justitiae as the former but debitum honestatis 1. Of those that excel in gifts of the minde The honour due to them 1. To acknowledge their gifts Not to 〈◊〉 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 Fourthly excellency by benefits conferred Benefactors are fathers Rules for conferring of benefits The duties of the receiver VVE said at the beginning in the explication of this precept That those duties which belong to any propter rationem 〈◊〉 excellentiae by reason of any special excellency may be referred hither and we did distinguish the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the excellency of the person from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principality and government for the former may be without the other two there may be excellency of gifts in some who yet have no authority nor power conferred upon them nor are put into any place of government and in some they do all concur as in good princes and governours Now where there is the first viz excellency of gifts though they have not power or principality there is an honour due to such by vertue of this commandment for honour is nothing else but testimonium excellentie a testimonie of that excellencie which is in another and therefore such ought to be honoured though they want the other two Dignitas sometimes signifies a state of dignity and honour and sometimes onely the merit or worth of the person whereby he deserves honour and dignity though he have it not Of the former we have hitherto spoken and the honour due to persons so dignified of the honour due to such as have onely the latter we are now to speak And according to this two fold consideration of dignity there are two degrees of debitnm duty to be performed which the Casuists and schools call 1. debitum legis and 2. debitum 〈◊〉 1. A legal duty or that which is required by law which cannot be denied to the party without injustice and to which a man may be forced such is the duty owing to parents Masters Tutours Ministers Princes and Magistrates of which hitherto 2. The other is due in honesty and though there be no compulsion to perform it yet if we would be such as we ought before God this duty must not be neglected such is the duty of honour which we owe to all men for their gifts of the minde body or fortune c. This being premised we come to those that have excellency separated from dignity who yet in regard of their excellency are to be honoured And here according to the threefold good there is a threefold excellency 1. Of Minde as knowledge c. which they call excellentiam doni excellency of gifts 2. Of the body as old age 3. Of fortune or outward estate as Nobility riches c. 4. To which we may adde the applying of any of these to others for their benefit whereby men are said benefacere to do good or become benefactors As when by the gifts of the minde from those that are gifted or from rich men by their estate or aged men by rules of experience we receive good they become then benefactors to us and so an honour is due to them from us co nomine for that cause 1. For the gifts of the minde They are called fathers who excelled others in any such kinde of excellency Thus are they called fathers in scripture that have the gift of invention of arts as Jubal who invented musick So likewise Joseph was called Pharoahs father for his wisdom and policy and art in governing Egypt And such gifts as these are called by the Schoolemen Gratiae gratis datae graces given freely by the spirit of God And upon whom these 〈◊〉 are bestowed they are to be reverenced and honoured in respect of the giver and the end for which he gives them which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the profit of the whole body And though these gifts be in some that want the true love of God which is that gratia gratum faciens the grace which makes a man accepted of God as a son and that the most able and sufficient men be not allwayes the most religious yet there may be use made of his gifts and his 〈◊〉 endowments must have honour for vaspropter donum the very vessel for the gift must have respect 1. The reverence to any such is first freely to acknowledge that to be in him which he hath and commend it and praise God for bestowing it on him as if he had imparted it to our selves and pray that God would increase it in him and make it become profitable to others Not to think it a derogation to our selves to honour him that hath it not to be of their minde that say Qui auget 〈◊〉 famam detrahit suae that he which honoureth another detracts from his own worth It was not Ezechiels opinion in commending Daniel for his wisdom as in that speech Art thou wiser then Daniel nor of Saint Peter that commended Saint Pauls Epistles and acknowledgeth a great measure of high and abstruse wisdom to be in him especially considering that Saint Paul had reproved him to his face Nor of Saint Paul concerning the other Apostles when speaking of James John and Peter he calls them pillars of the Church Nor of Saint John Baptist in the commendation of Christ not worthy to loose the latchet of his shoes And this is to be
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
lovest thy self or for the same cause And thou lovest thy self because thou lovest God and so consequently all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei that are Gods because thou thy self art aliquid Dei something of God therefore thou lovest thy self and so consequently thou must love they neighbour propter 〈◊〉 for God and 〈◊〉 for this cause thou lovest thy brother thou 〈◊〉 him as thy self in respect of the end So also and in this 〈◊〉 thou must love thy brother 2. The second is the 〈◊〉 the applying this love to that end And that is that in asmuch as I love my self I wish my self good and that not in my 〈◊〉 but best part which is my reasonable soul and therefore I wish more especially the chiefest good of it 〈◊〉 bonum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is eternal blessednes and this is it which I must look to in my brother If I love him as my self I must love him ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partis for the good of his better part and that is the good of the inward man of which the Apostle speaks whereas the most love onely the outward man now the chiefest good of the inward man consists in 〈◊〉 Dei in the sight and fruition of God But because none can come to this except the impediments be removed which is sinne Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligit proximum hoc cum 〈◊〉 debet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipse 〈◊〉 toto corde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that truly 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 must work upon him so 〈◊〉 he also love God with all his heart Take care to remove his sinnes and as for a mans self 〈◊〉 his will do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to some sin non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it would hinder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 good so ought he to love his neghbour as not to consent to the evil will of his neighbour in any bad action because that would hinder his chief good The Scripture speaks of things not alwayes as they are but as they ought to be and so requiring us to love others as our selves it is not meant of our self love 〈◊〉 it is corrupt but as we ought to love our selves specimen naturae capiendum ex optima natura a pattern in nature must be taken from nature pure and 〈◊〉 in its integrity so that a man ought not to love his neighbour as he doth himself but as he should love himself For Saint Augustine saith when I love my self either I love my self because I am or should be blessed the very same rule we should observe in our brother I must love him aut quia est 〈◊〉 ut sit either because he is or because he should be good Which I cannot do unlesse I win him ab impedimentis from the impediments and set him in via in 〈◊〉 right way for as Saint Augustine saith Non 〈◊〉 proximum tanquam seipsum si non ad id 〈◊〉 ad quod ipse tendis adducis Thou lovest not thy neighbour as thy self if thou 〈◊〉 him not to that good to which thou thy self tendest And he saith in another place 〈◊〉 est regula 〈◊〉 it is the onely rule of love ut 〈◊〉 sibi 〈◊〉 bona pervenire illi velit that he would have the same good come to his neighbour that he wisheth to himself 3. The third is the manner In loving any thing that is good there are two motives first Either it is for the sole and alone good of him that loves it or 2. Secondly for the good of the thing it self that is loved He that loves any thing not for it self but for himself doth not love it as himself this is not diligere 〈◊〉 seipsum but propter seipsum this is not ut faciat bonum sed ut potiatur quis bono not to seek his good whom we love but to make use of what good is in him for our selves as men love their instruments meerly for the use they have of them and not otherwise thus a man loves his shooing horn to make use of it to serve his turn in the morning and casts it away all the day after but our love to our neighbour should be gratuitus without hope of recompence and that he that we love may have the sole good by it Otherwise if we love him not as our selves for no man loves himself ut se potiatur that he may make use of himself as he loves meat drink c. and therefore must he love his neighbour not to make use of him for his own ends but propter seipsum for himself seeking and desiring his good 4. The last is the order It is sicut teipsum not sicut 〈◊〉 as our selves not as we love God we must beware of loving him so for we must love our selves infra Deum in a pitch below God and by consequence we must love our neighbour infra Deum after God Therefore we must not 〈◊〉 the will of any man be he of never so great excellency before the will of God Gods will must not give place to ours God is not so unwise as to bring in the second Table to overthrow the first but his scope in it was that it should be a table to direct and help us in performing the duties of the first 1. So that if our love to our neighbour in the first place be for God alone then it is Sancta dilectio 2. If it be to bring him to that end we aim at our 〈◊〉 then it is amor justus a just love 3. If it be meerly for our neighbours without respect to our selves then it is verus amor true love 4. and lastly if we prefer the love of God in the first place then it is ordinata dilectio well ordered love Now God in both these tables proceedeth further then earthly priuces he taketh order for the regulating of the heart and soul even for restraint of concupisence that there be no entertainment of sin within us and that we conceive no delight in it And this is the internal obedience of the second table to entertain no concupiscence prejudicial to our neighbour and it is the sum or substance of the tenth Commandment which God hath placed last not first that those two the first Commandment and the last the one concerning the inward worship of God the other the inward love and duty to our neighbour might be the bounds of his law Thus far for the second table in general Now for the fift Commandment being the first of the second table CHAP. II. The division of the commandments of the second table Why this is set here between the first and second table The parts of it 1. A precept 2. A promise In the precept 1. The duty Honour 2. The obiect father and mother The ground of 〈◊〉 1. Excellency 2. Conjunction The order of honouring differs from that of love Why God did not make all men excellent and fit to be superiours All paternity is originally and properly in God In man onely instrumentally
The Hebrue and Greek words translated Honour what they properly 〈◊〉 The necessity and original of Honouring superiours government a divine ordinance Power Principality and excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how they differ Honour due to them all To natural parents 〈◊〉 the Country where we live To Princes To spiritual fathers To Magistrates In respect of excellnecy of gifts honour due First in respect of years Secondly of the gifts of the minde Thirdly of outward estate Fourthly of benefits received HOnour thy father and mother The last commandment is the fountain from whence all the rest of the second table do proceed as streames from the conduite head for as the first commandment contains the inward love and worship of God from whence all the other duties of the second table arise so the last contains the inward love and dutie of the heart which we ow to our neighbour from whence all other duties to our neighbour do spring so that the tenth commandement is the fountain and the other five are the streams And the streams receive a second division thus for either they do equally and alike concern al men in general as the 6. 7. 8. 9. Or else they have special respect to some as the fifth The general duties in the 6. 7. 8. and 9. Commandments are subdivided into such as either concerne our neighbour in his person or in the exteriour gifts of wealth credit and good name c. And those which respect 〈◊〉 person are either as he is considered in himself in regard of his essence in the sixth commandment or as he is in neer 〈◊〉 with another by marriage which makes of two one flesh in the seventh commandment Those that concerne him in his exteriour gifts respect either his substance or estate which is provided for in the eight or his credit and good name in the ninth commandment Or if we take them all four together There is a restraint in them all In the sixth a restraint of wrath malice c. and the effects thereof for the preservation of the lives of the members of the commonwealth and in respect of God for the preserveing of his Images which is defaced by murder In the seventh a restraint 〈◊〉 lust concupiscentia carnis which is prejudicial to the good of wedlock in the civil body and in respect of God is a defiling of the body which is the temple of the holy Ghost and a member of Christ and therfore ought to be kept holy and chast In the eighth a restraint of covetousnes which is concupiscentia oculorum the lust of the eyes which in respect of man is an offence against the politick state by doing wrong to another in his goods and in respect of God perverts the rule of justice prescribed by him In the ninth a restraint of the spirit of lying and detraction which our nature lusteth after whereas the provision of the good name of our brother is required and in respect of God here is order taken for the preserving of truth As the other commandements respect all men in general so the fifth respects some in special viz. inferiours and superiours and other mutual duties This fifth commandment being placed in the front of the second table hath an eye also to the first commandment of the first table The one commanded the honour of God the other of his vicegerents It containeth a precept and a promise 1. The precept is Honour thy father and thy mother 2. The promise that thy dayes may be long c. Some think the first words contain the duty of the inferiour and the last words that thy dayes c. contain the duty of the superiour because it is the duty of parents by providing for their children and praying for them to 〈◊〉 their dayes and so they are joyned Deut. 5. 16. But because Saint Paul makes it a promise Ephesians 6. 1. and a precept and a promise are two different things therefore it is better to divide the words into a precept and a promise As God in his infinite wisdom disposeth all things in due order so here he 〈◊〉 his wisdom more particularly known to us in the disposition of these commandments for by setting this in the first place of the second table he would have us take notice that after he hath taken order for his own honour in the first table his principall and first care is for honour to parents from whom next under himself we receive our being and therefore Philo saith the honour due to parents is set before all other duties we owe to men and placed as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confinio in the confines of a mortal and eternal nature it is set in the middle betweenh the duties to God and man because this commandment is the preserver bot of the first and second table for take away honour and obedience to superiours and all duties to God and man are neglected and fal to the ground Besides we may observe that God delighteth in his charge to us to knit up whatsoever he especially commandeth in a short and narrow compasse pressing more especially in every commandment some one more remarkable word in the commandments negative he maketh choice of the most ugly and deformed word of that sinne which he 〈◊〉 to terrifie us even from the very handmayds and dependants of it And in this affimative commandment he makes choice of the best words he can as father and mother for the object and of honour to set out the duty unto us Now as we said before of the love of our neighbour so here we may say concerning honour there are two grounds of either 1. Excellency and neernes of the person in respect of God 2. Conjunction or 〈◊〉 to our selves In the ordering of our love we shewed how that we are to respect the conjunction by nature or grace in the duties of love which we freely performe and that we owe not so much to those persons with whom we have no such conjunction thus we should prefer a faithful man before an infidel because in the one there is onely the image of God by nature it is both by creation and regeneration and as Saint Ambrose saith with the faithful semper futuri sumus we shall live for ever And among the faithful we should rather do good to those of our own country 〈◊〉 to strangers because beside the bonds of religion there is also a second bond of proximityan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And among them to our acquaintance before those that are unknown to us because we have an 〈◊〉 entrance unto them to do them good by perswasion c. And among such to our kindred and alliance before others not 〈◊〉 because we are joyned and bound together as soon as we are born and this bond cannot be dissolved as long as we live And among strangers we should respect rather the poor then the rich c. This we shewed was the order of love
first signifie to be heavy on to make heavy grave esse or aggravari this is the proper and original signification of the word and indeed naturally it hath no other for by Metaphor onely it is drawn to signifie honour because things that are sold by weight and those things which are precious by nature as gold and silver c. the weightier they are the more precious they be and are the more esteemed whence it comes that the weight of a thing adds a price or estimation to it or as we call it 〈◊〉 Honour and thus superiours or persons in authority are to be esteemed and accounted of as things weighty and precious and so to be honoured It is true a magistrate considered in his natural capacity as he is a man is no heavier then another man but when God hath clothed him with part of his own authority or excellency whereby he represents his person then he becomes more heavy and precious and therefore is to be esteemed and honoured by us and not to be set light or accounted light in our eyes but we are to adde as much weight to the person as we can by our high esteem of him And because of this weight and high esteem of such persons it is little lesse then a miracle which the very Heathen wondered at to consider and see whole nations to be at the beck of one man that men should so readily lay their heads on the block or put their necks into the halter at the command of one person and of one sometimes unwise as Rehoboam was nay sometimes a woman or a childe which plainly sheweth that in persons vested with authority there is something more then man which draws this respect and reverence to them to wit a ray or glimpse of divine 〈◊〉 whereby they 〈◊〉 God upon earth who can over-rule the hearts and actions of people and draw them to an humble 〈◊〉 to his Vicegerent The same signification hath the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to weigh prize and esteem therfore is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used to signifie the price of a thing or the value of it and hence is this word and the latine Honor used to expresse the duty of Subjects and inferiours to their superiours as by Solon in his laws 〈◊〉 and the Roman writers and all that write of laws and of the obedience due to them and hence also in a special peculiar manner is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used to signifie power and authority by Aristotle with whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because honour is due to persons in authority That we may shew the necessity and withal the original of this Honour which is due to superiours we must consider what the Apostle speaks All things are for your sakes that is for the Churches sake The Church and its good is the end of all Gods works and dispensations there below for 〈◊〉 est propter Ecclesiam the state or common-wealth is for the Church and for its good as may be gathered from the Apostles discourse in 1. Tim. 2. 2. where he goes thus to work first he layes his ultimate scope and highest end next his own glory Now that they may be saved he would have them live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all godlinesse and honestie And that they may live thus he would have them taught the knowledge of God that they come to the knowledge of the truth for men cannot live Godly till they be taught to live so And both these do necessarily require outward peace rest and tranquillity that they may intend this knowledge the better and learn how to live godly for in wars and tumults there is nothing rightly administred no 〈◊〉 teaching or instruction and therefore he adds that it is good and acceptable and very expedient that they live in peace and quiet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a peaceable life in regard of outward invasions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quiet life in regard of inward tumults and intestine troubles Now if the natural father and mother could perform this alone as they did for some time in the infancy of the world and a little after the flood before mankinde multiplied and increased to greater numbers there should have needed no other office to be instituted for the attaining of these ends But shortly after the flood there comes one Nimrod with a company of hounds at his tail for the Metaphor of hunting used by the holy Ghost implies that they deserved no better name with these sons of Belial he takes upon him to be a Hunter that is a chaser of men up and down and disturbs their peace and quiet Hence then comes in a necessity of appointing a supream civil power over mens bodies and estates to restrain all outward force and violence and withall a spiritual power and authority to instruct and govern men in respect of their souls as God did afterward when he setled the Levitical priesthood in the tribe of Levi to continue till the coming of Christ and then the Evangelical Priesthood of Christ to be continued in the Apostles and their successors to the end of the world For because the natural parents could not so well perform both these as they did at the first therefore God appointed and ordained these two functions and dignities and for this cause Honour and Obedience is required to both Obey those that have the rule over you that is your spiritual governours and submit your selves for they watch for your souls c. and for this cause it is required that we pray for kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a peaceable and quiet life under them Thus God not onely allowed but also instituted outward government for resisting of outward enemies and suppressing of inward tumults for the Apostle saith that every soul must be subject or subordinate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the higher and supereminent powers because there is no power but from God the powers that be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ordained by God or set in their order and rank under God He being above all and the rest put in their rank under him So that we see though mans necessity required such a power for his defence yet the power itself whereby men are bound and united together into one society is from God and so ought to be accounted of us not as a humane invention found out by men for their own necessity but a divine ordinance instituted by God for the good of humane society and therefore it said verse 4. that God not the people nor multitude by their own inherent power hath put the sword into his hand that he might be vindex malorum an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil That disturbs the publick peace without which men cannot so well intend to
him a father to Pharoah and Lord of all his house Hence Deborah is called a mother in Israel Neither is this title and honour due to the supreme governour onely but also to the subordinate so Saint Peter commands to submit as to the king who is supreame so unto governours as those that are sent by him c. So that by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general of the army may be called the father of the Camp and whosoever hath any authority in any society derived from the king is thereby become a father and all honour belongs to him 5. Lastly if we come to that which we called excellency of gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when this is alone without the other two though there be neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principality nor power yet there is an honour due and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or excellency is of four sorts 1. Ratione 〈◊〉 in regard of years or age and an honour is due in this respect rebuke not an elder saith the Apostle but intreate him as a father the elder women as mothers 2. In regard of the gifts of the minde as wisdom and counsel whereby one is able to direct and advise others or to invent some things needful and conducing to the publick good thus Jabal is called the father of such as dwell in 〈◊〉 and of such as have cattle and Jubal the father of such as 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and the organ 3. In respect of outward estate and wealth for money is nervus politiae the sinnew of the commonwealth therefore rich and wealthy men are esteemed in a common-wealth and called to publick assemblies before others because if it be in need they are most able to help Thus Nabal though a man of no other gifts yet because God had enriched him David doth implicitey call him father by 〈◊〉 himself his son give I pray thee whatsoever cometh to thy hand to thy servants and to thy son 〈◊〉 And this honour given to rich men for their wealth must be given no otherwise then in a civil respect otherwise it is condemned by Saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respecting of persons 4. In respect of benefits which any have 〈◊〉 upon us Thus Job by shewing mercy to the poor had the title of father I was a father to the poor and the cause 〈◊〉 I knew not I searched out And thus for the meaning of these words Honour thy father and mother We come now to the duties here required under this word Honour Honour thy father and Mother CHAP. III. The mutual or reciprocal duties of superiours and inferiours 1 Loue. 2. To wish well and pray for one another The duties of inferiours 1. Honour Inward and 〈◊〉 2. fear 3. subjection and obedience active and passive 4. The protestation of our subjection by honouring them with our estates The manner how this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be performed THese duties are to be handled 1. In general which concerne all superiours and inferiours And secondly in special such as concern special ranks and orders of superiours and inferiours as in the family the Church and the common-wealth Every duty consists in two things 1. The action and 2. The manner of performance and both are to be handled And because there are some duties reciprocal which are mutually to be performed both by superiours and inferiours towards each other to avoyd needlesse repetition it shall be good to speak of them generally in the first place The duties which are reciprocal or mutual are 1. First love but in an higher degree then ordinary which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 affection of a higher degree then that which we owe to every one such as either ascends from the son to the father or descends from the father to the son and it is either naturaland proper between natural parents and their children or by analogie and proportion between others to whom the names of fathers and children are communicated as spiritual fathers in the Church and those that are begotten by them unto Christ of whom the Apostle speaking expresses the special love due to such fathers by a special emphatical word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have such in reputation or highly honour them Phil. 2. 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esteem them very highly in love for their works sake there is a particular love which we beare to our friends and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aboundant love but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superabundant and extraordinary in a more special and high degree the want of this natural affection is imputed as a great crime a signe of men given up to a reprobate sense Rom. 1. 29. And it is a prophecie of the end of the world when men shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without natural affection 2. The second mutual duty followes from the first and is the chief property of love to wish well to him we love and because Christianum votum est 〈◊〉 prayer is the Christians wish therefore it is that we comprehend prayer among the mutual duties of inferiours and superiours it must both ascend and descend for we are exhorted by the Apostle to pray for superiours The like for our countrey by the Prophet this is ascending Now downwards we have the example of King David for his people as also for Solomon his son And of holy Job who prayed for his sons and daughters every day So much for the duties reciprocal Come we now to the several duties of inferiours and superiours and first we shall speak of Honour which is the dutie of inferiours to their superiours In the strict sense whereof if we take it as our Saviour said of father there is but one father which is in heaven so may it as truly be said of honouer if we speak exactly and properly that as the Apostle saith it belongeth onely to God But God himself hath been pleased to communicate part of it to some men as the same Apostle he created some vessels to honour and consequently he calls some men from among the rest to be honorable for as the author to the Hebrews speaks no man takes this honour upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron Now God calls men when he bestows some gifts upon them whereby they excel their fellows for God dispenses his gifts variously as appears by the parable where the master called his servants and gave to some more talents then to others The scripture as was shewed before vseth three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excellency power and principalitie Now unto excellency honour properly belongeth and that is of two sorts Inward and outward Inward honour is when we have honestam opinionem a good opinion of a man in regard of some 〈◊〉 he hath above us for this good opinion is
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is due by the rule of justice to superiours so that it cannot be forborn without injurie and injustice to authority we cannot keep this honour and obedience from them without injurie And therefore it is that Christ saith to the Pharisees Reddite Caesari quae sunt Caesaris render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars He uses the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reddite render or restore to shew that it is his own God hath imparted it if you keep it back if you give it him not you do injustice and wrong to him 6. The last is in regard of the expedience of it for your own good expedit vobis it stands you in hand so to do The Apostle saith They watch over your souls Now where honour is detracted and withheld there the care of preservation is also diminished and by reason thereof the power of wickednes and the impudence of naughty men is increased and the more our estate is troubled the greater is our unquiet and vexation Therefore better it is that due honour be given to them the better to encourage them to apply themselves to our preservation Besides they that deny this to them that are of right invested with it and take it to themselves set themselves against God and go about to build another Babel which is nothing but bringing in of Anarchie and confusion This dothargue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a giant like nature such as was in them that would build a tower whose top might reach to heaven such do indicere bellum Deo bid defiance to God and therefore the Apostle saith expressely that such as resist lawful powers do resist the ordinance of God and so do fight against God himself and thereby bring damnation upon themselves So that by weighing these reasons we may happily be brought to obedience CHAP. IIII. The duties of superiours in four things Addition 29. Of the end of government and whether the people be above their governours The manner how they must govern whether honour be due to one that is evil Whether he must be obeyed in malo Of disobeying the unlawful commands of a Superiour Add. 30. Of Obedience in things doubtful VVE will now handle the duties of superiours in general These two things are alwayes joyned together in Gods Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have worth and to be honoured or esteemed worthy and therefore S. Chrysostome makes it an axiome upon that place 1 Tim. 5. 17. They that rule well are worthy of double honour The Honour as he saith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reward of the service they perform Therefore that honour may be due to them they must mereri be worthy and deserving men and worthy they are if they perform the part of fathers and mothers The neernesse of the two significations of the word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cabed which signifieth both weight and heavinesse and honour and of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is honor and 〈◊〉 or múlct and of the Latine word honoro and 〈◊〉 to honour and lay a burden sheweth that God would not that any should have honour unlesse they have meritum desert nor this meritum desert without a charge therefore they must have meritum and by consequent honour may be justly required by them at our hands 1. They are to know that they are Gods ministers for so S. Paul calls them and S. Peter saith They are sent by God And that as they are his Ministers and that he imparted some of his power and honour to them so they must know that their office is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lord and that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministers of God And therefore David saith Tibi canam Jehovah I will sing unto the Lord of mercy and judgement as they have received power from God and part of his honour which he hath put upon them so they must do all for God and their care must be that those under them may be Domini the Lords people as they are his Vicegerents They must follow the rule which Jehosaphat made for his Judges Take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord. Therefore whatsoever they do must not be for their own will and ends but in and for the Lord. We must not be of Jezebels opinion that Ahab could not be a king if he could not command and have what he should desire though it were wrongfully for this is a wicked maxime and semen omnium 〈◊〉 the seed of all evil Nor of Ahabs that hated Michaiah the son of Imlah the Prophet becavse he prophecied nothing good concerning him though it were the will of God that he should so do When men do not acknowledge that their authority is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God but blot that out and look onely at their own will then breaks in all injustice But they must know that God is not so unwise as to give them authoritie against himself and therefore they must not have an eye to their own but to Gods will for they are but his Ministers 2. Superiours must know that one end of their authority is the good and benefit of those that are under them as they are first to look to God and his honor whose Ministers they are so in the next place they must look to the good of those over whom God hath set them Their honour is conferred upon them not meerly for themselves and their own benefit but also for those that are under them not onely 〈◊〉 praesint but ut prosint to profit them that are under them as well as to be over and above them and this is it that makes their place the more weighty King David was taken from the sheepfold to be king and why ad pascendum Israel that he might feed and govern the word imports both Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance So children are not for parents but parents for their children The Heathen by the light of nature onely saw this that superiority was 〈◊〉 for inferiority and the Prince for the benefit of the people For God at the first considering that children were unable to help themselves by reason of their inability and defects when they are young and the danger that might befall them not onely in their infancy but even before they are born ordained a duty to be shown and an office to be done for them even before they are born there is a care of them to be taken by parents when they are in the womb before they are able to give them honour and for this care of parents they are afterwards to exhibit honour to them when they are able And under this head is that the Apostle mentioneth They must nourish and cherish and account them that are under
them as their own flesh as Moses who carried the people in his bosom as a nurse and made their welfare his scope and as our Saviour snews the example of an hen who gathereth her chickens under her wings to defend them from ravening and strong fowls And this loving nourishing and defending are special ends why superiours were ordained And therefore the reason is added to the Commandment in Exodus 20. and enlarged in Deuter. 5. 16. That thy dayes may be prolonged c. and that it may go well with thee which as was mentioned before is expounded by some not as a promise but as the duty and end of superiours viz. That they under God prolong mens dayes and are or ought to be means that it may go well with them This is one end of their superiority They are not set over the people colligere auream messem to scrape gold and silver for themselves their own profit and ease is not the end of their authority though many times rulers look at nothing else It was the sin of the Princes in Ezekiels time They accounted the city as a cauldron and the people the flesh to be sod in Evil Rulers take their own ease and security while the profit of the people and inferiours is no whit regarded Therefore not without cause are the two heads before named of defending and nourishing inferiours special duties of superiours towards them This which is commonly affirmed that the end of government is the good of the inferiours must be understood cum grano salis for from this principle misunderstood some have collected that because the end is above the means and more noble therefore subjects are above their governours and so may call them to account for their misgovernment and judge or punish them and remove them if they see cause from which false collections made by seditious and turbulent persons infinite troubles confusions rebellions and desolations have followed We must know therefore 1. That to procure the good of inferiours is indeed the duty of superiours and one end why God committed the people to them but not the sole or principal end of their authority for princes receive their power onely from God and are by him constituted and intrusted with government of others chiefly for his own glory and honour as his Deputies and Vicegerents upon earth for they are his Ministers Rom. 13. so that the principal end of their government is the advancement of Gods honour who is the supream King and Lord of all the world and therefore if they fail in performance of this trust they are accountable onely to him who intrusted them and not to the people whom he hath put under them and whom he never authorized to call them to account but to appeal onely to him 2. It is not generally true that all government is onely for the benefit of those that are governed for some government there is meerly for the benefit of the superiour as that of a Lord or Master over his servant for the profit of the servant is herein meerely extrinsicall and advantitious some governments are for mutual good of both as that of a husband over his wife and so some kingdoms may be for the benefit of kings as when they are obtained by a just conquest which are not to be accounted tyrannical because they are just for their may be a just title by conquest when the war is upon just grounds whereas all tyranny is essentially unjust and some kingdoms may respect the profit both of Prince and people as when a people not able to defend themselves commit themselves to a potent prince for protection and safety against potent enemies and so become his subjects 3. Although it be true that in some kingdoms especially elective the benefit of the people is principally regarded and as Cicero saith Fruendae justitiae causa Reges conftituti that kings are appointed for administring of justice yet it follows not hence that the people are above their king for the Tutor or Guardian is for the good of the Pupil and yet the Guardian or Tutor hath power and authority over the Pupil and if any say that the Guardian may be removed if he fail in his trust and therefore the same may be done in Princes L answer that this holds in Guardians because they have some above them but in kingdoms because there cannot be a progresse in infinitum there must of necessity be a stop in some who because they have no superior must if they offend be lest only to God who will either punish them if he see it needful or else suffer them for the punishment and tryal of his people for as Tacitus saith as we bear with the barrennes of the earth or intemperate seasons and the like natural accidents which cannot be avoyded so must they bear with the avarice and lust of rulers Vitia erunt donec homines sed nec haec continua meliorum interventu pensantur there will be faults in government so long as there are men but they are not alwayes nor lasting and besides they are ballanced by the change of good 〈◊〉 intervening And therefore M. Aurelius said that as Magistrates are to judge of private persons so are Princes to judge of Magistrates and God alone of Princes To which purpose is that speech of a French Bishop to their King mentioned in Greg. Turon Si quis de nobis O Rex justitiae tramites transcendere voluerit a te corripi potest si tu vero excesseris quis te corripiet loquimur enim tili sed si volueris audis si autem nolueris quis te damnabit nisi quise pronunciavit esse justitiam If any of us offend O King thou mayest correct us but if thou shalt exceed who shall correct thee we may speak unto thee and if thou wilt thou mayst hear us but if thou wilt not none can condemn thee but he who is justice it self And that of 〈◊〉 is as excellent as common Cujus jussu nascuntur homines hujus jussu Reges 〈◊〉 by whose command or appointment they are born men by his appointment are Kings constituted Nor doth it make against this that the people are sometimes punished for the sins of their Princes as 1 Kings 4. 16. 2 Kings 10. 17. for this was not because the people did not punish or restrain the exorbitances of their Kings but because by tacite consent or otherwise they did communicate in their sins and besides God having supream dominion over the lives of all may make use of it thereby to punish Kings by taking away their Subjects 3. Because God hath made by his Commandment a distinction and 〈◊〉 of degrees as some to be parents some children some superiours and some inferiours Superiours must take heed that none 〈◊〉 this order nor suffer a parity or equality or to submit to those whom God hath placed in a lower rank But why did not
the Prophet Nathan keep this order in his speech to King David but said 〈◊〉 thy servant and Zadok the Priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Solomon thy son there Solomon cometh last though the Kings son Nathan knew well enough in what order to place him But the businesse brought before David concerning Solomon whom David had promised and God had ordained to succeed in the kingdom he placed him last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he had said 〈◊〉 is about to usurp kingly authority and carried the businesse closely calling some private friends to him and not onely passes by Me and Zadok the Priest and Benaiah but even Solomon thy son beloved of God and by him destinate to sit on thy throne aster thee So that Solomon is put in the last place emphatically as if the neglect and contempt done to him were most offensive to God and David And yet take this by the way that the heir of all in his minority or during his fathers life differeth little from a servant though in possibility to be Lord of all Superiours must therefore keep that authority which God hath given them and not pervert that order which God hath set as some do by their sloth and negligence suffering their inferiours to be their equals and others by their wickednesse whereby they become vile in the peoples eyes and so as a just punishment from God lose that authority and reverence which the people ought to give them For thus God tells the prophets in Malachy that he had made them despised and vile before all the people the reason 〈◊〉 is given in the next words because they kept not his words but had been partial in his law And for the same cause God threatens Eli because he honoured his sons before God whereas 〈◊〉 should have honoured him he honoured them and when he should have sharply reproved them for their saults he intreats them them as an inferiour would do an inferiour though they had 〈◊〉 God by causing the people to loath the Lords sacrifice through their lewd carriage yet he was not sensible either of Gods honour or his own and therefore God threatens to take from him the honour of the priesthood and to make his house poor and base for those that honour me saith God I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed And we see also in another place that God tells the people by his Prophet that he will give children to be their Princes and babes to rule over them the reason is exprest in the next verse the child shall behave himself proudly against the innocent and the base against the honorable 4. As this order established by God must be maintained so must it not be a bare resemblance of authority without execution superiours must not be like dumb idols that have eyes but see not mouthes and speak not c. But they must use and exercise their authority they must take care with Saint Paul that they which are under them study to be quiet and to do their own busines And if any under him break or transgresse then to shew that he hath not his authority in vain but propter vindictam malorum to be a revenger of Gods wrath against them that do evil If they do not well he is to punish if they do well then to encourage them with an euge serve bone well done good and faithful servant The wise man tells us that a king that sitteth in judgement is not like an idol but scattereth away all evil with his eyes his very looks must expel evil That men may know he sits there for encouraging of the good and discouraging of the evil he must be a terrour to the workers of iniquity saith the Apostle and the wise man tells us that the way of the Lord whose deputies rulers are is strength to the upright man but fear shall be to the workers of iniquity Fear is proper for them they ought to fear but some do not fear because an idol is in place this is a shame to a ruler when he is not terror male agenti but much worse it is if he be terror bene agenti a terrour to him that doth well if he persecute such above others In this case we must know that potestas non datur 〈◊〉 adversus 〈◊〉 contra quae homines nolunt esse potentes no power is given from God but to correct vice he must not tyrannise God gave no power to destroy but to prefer mankinde These are the foure general duties which concerne superiours 1. The manner of government of a superiour is first that he be an example to inferiours in himself King David shewed it I will walk saith he with a perfect heart he would be an example to his people Saint Augustine in the place before quoted hanc potentiam plane oportet unusquisque appetat ut potens sit in seipso miro modo adversus seipsum pro seipso Every man should desire this power over himself and which is more against himself and yet for himself that is against the rebellious passions and affections of his own nature that thereby he may bring himself to goodnes 2. The next is 〈◊〉 he hath thus gifted himself to govern others with moderation It was Gods rule in the law to superiours thou shalt not rule with rigour He must know that as the Heathen man said this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rule was not given him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to look stately and to call men as he list and much lesse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to constrain men to his own minde in a proud nature by con tumelious words and tyrannical deeds in every Christian all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excesse of anger and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitternes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crying out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and railing ought to be far from the meanest and therfore from him that is in the highest place who ought to be an example to others Solomon counselleth the governour that he be not tanquam leo rugiens as a roaing lion over the people and the son of Syracides advise is Be not a lion in thy 〈◊〉 nor frantick among thy servants The Prophet compares evil rulers to roaring lions and corrupt 〈◊〉 to evening wolves which which leave not the bones till the morrow Therefore good governours must expresse moderation for as Saint Gregory saith Summum in regibus bonum est in subjectos non saevire It is the chief commendation of a governour not to be sharp towards his subjects The third 〈◊〉 is he must not like Saul begin well and ena ill It is said of Saul king of Israel that he had raigned two years over Israel when he had raigned far more because the 〈◊〉 two years he raigned well and after did degenerate and so now
the fig-leaves were sowed together The cause is that after they had sinned the inferiour parts as the appetite grew to be irregular and unruly Whereupon as the Apostle speaks the devil takes occasion to tempt to 〈◊〉 and therefore he advises that to avoyd fornication every man have his own wife and every woman her own husband that so they may have Thorum immaculatum the bed undefiled This Solomon calls the avoyding of a strange woman which he accounts a special part of wisdom and so this end includes that duty of fidelity which the one owes to the other for unlesse fornication be avoyded there can be no mutual fidelity Therefore the Apostle saith that the one of the married persons hath not power over their own body but the other the third end then of this Nuptiae is to avoyd fornication So that the three general ends of this duty are first Mutuum auxilium mutual help denoted by conjugium secondly Proles yssue signified by Matrimonium thirdly The avoyding of 〈◊〉 implied in Nuptiae which includes fides 〈◊〉 to each other specified by Nuptiae This for the general ends Now for the particular duties of man and wife 1. Now for the particular duties the first duty of the husband to the wife is expressed in these word by Saint Peter to live with her according to knowledge he must know how to govern her Because as we see in the case of the first wife she was beguiled by the serpent and seduced her husband therefore in the sixteenth verse of that chapter God told her that her desire should be subject to her husband and that he should have the government and rule over her therefore she must never follow her own will hereafter but must be subiect to her husband His duty therefore is to govern her yet so that he must 〈◊〉 with her being the weaker vessel and not to be bitter to her as being heire with him of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindred and that thereby he may enjoy his own peace for who would trouble his own flesh That he may rule and govern he must be able to instruct her for when the Apostle saith that if the wives would learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home it is to be taken for granted that they must be able to teach them lest such as creep into houses and beguile silly women 2 Tim. 3. 6. Intrap the wife And if she shall be carried away with blinde zeale or affection or otherwise go astray he must be able by wise exhortations to rectify her We have an example for this of Elkanah when Hannah his wife murmured and took on for her barrennes he pacified her with this wise speech Am not I better to thee then ten sons withal he must so strengthen himself that he be not seduced as Adam was by Eve nor be too credulous of her reports as Potiphar was when he put Joseph in prison upon a false accusation of his wife nor omit any necessary duty required by God though she be offended at it as Zipporah the wife of Moses was at the 〈◊〉 of her son Nor hearken to her in a bad cause as 〈◊〉 did to Jezebel Or if she be like 〈◊〉 that scoffed at David for his zeal in dancing before the 〈◊〉 of God he must by his knowledge and wisdom be able to instruct and reform her in the spirit of meekenes And as in the first place government with knowledge is required in the 〈◊〉 so submission consequently belongeth to the wife not to stand upon her own wil or wit but to submit her self to her husband For seeing by her own confession she was not wife enough to resist the serpent but was first in the transgression therefore justly was it laid upon her that she should not stand upon her own will hereafter but should be subject to her husband and be governed and advised by him This the Apostle Saint Peter calls subjection and Saint Paul submission which must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Lord and in the same chapter he calls it fear let the wife fear or reverence her husband which shews that as he hath the government so he hath power and authority which she must fear and this Saint Peter vrgeth by the example of Sarah who obeyed Abraham and called him Lord. And this reason is given because as God is head of Christ and Christ the head of the man so man is the head of the wife Whereupon Saint Augustine saith that as the sense of seeing is by the head so a woman ought to seeby her husband who is her head yet withal he is to remember that as she was not taken out of his head because she must not be above him as his master so neither out of his feet because she is not to be his servant but out of his side a latere that she might be semper illi a latere as his fellow and companion almost his equal The Heathen king Ahasuerus and his counsellers saw this duty of wives by the light of nature when for 〈◊〉 disobedience they decreed that she should be put from her royal estate and see the kings face no more and that her 〈◊〉 should be given to another and that no woman should presume to do the like al this should be published by a royal decree and that every man should beare rule in his own house c. This for the first duty 2. The second duty though it concur with the general affection of love and be in effect nothing else yet it hath a peculiar respect whereby it differeth from all other love and therfore is to be specially mentioned It is described in Gen. by three things 1. That this conjugal love must make one abandon and leave those to whom he is most bound or which are otherwise most neer and dear to him viz comparatively for this cause shall a man leave father and mother 2. That as they must leave all others so they must constantly cleave and adhere to one another as is expressed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aahasit conglutinatus est to cleave or be glued together 3. This adhering must be such a neare union as makes them one yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one flesh of two so that the love and affection appropriate to this conjunction must exceed all other In all love there is a kinde of union but all other union must give way to this none so neer as this Neither must this love be onley carnal and outward of which Solomon speaks Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving hind and pleasant Roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ever ravisht with her love but also spiritual according to the Apostles rule to love her as Christ loved the Church whose love as it resembled
parts 1. fide in faith or fidelity 2. Prudentia discretion Both these vertues are joyned together by our Saviour in that question who is a faithful and wise servant whom his master may make vuler over his houshold c. 1. The command of the master is to be performed faithfully the servant must frame himself thereto The Heathen man could say that he which is a servant is totus alterius wholly his whom he serveth Whatsoever he is able to do he must do it for his masters good The fathers upon the words of our Saviour No man can serve to masters give this for one reason of that speech Quia servi officium est infinitum Because the servants duty is infinite It is as much as he can do to serve one master as he should and he is totus heri wholly that masters whom he serves also his time all his strength is his masters and he cannot divide it to another He shall work all day in the field and at night his service is not ended the master saith not to the servant gird thy self and dresse thine own supper but gird thy self and make ready my supper and serve me according to the example of Abrahams servant who though he had travelled far and had meat set before him yet he would not eat till he had done his masters busines Opposite to this faithfulnes in a servant are two ill qualities 1. Purloyning 2 Lying For which servants heare ill in the Comedian 1. Saint Bernard saith De Domini substantia ne 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 sed transeant per te ne aliquid haereat in digitis Let not thy masters goods passe from but by thee left something stick to thy fingers This purloyning is utterly condemned by the Apostle And so is wasting of that which is committed to a servants charge and the ordinary means of it is set down by our Saviour eating drinking and keeping ill company 2. The other opposite is lying We see that the false suggestion of Ziba was very prejudic al to his Master Mephibosheth and though the first lie of Gehazi which he made to Naaman got him somewhat yet the last to his Master Elisha brought a leprosy upon him and his 〈◊〉 ever The Prophet tells us that God will destroy all them that speak leazing And therefore he would keep no servant in his house that should tell lies There are three other opposites from which the Apostles S. Paul and S. Peter would have servants free 1. Slothfulnesse 2. unwillingnesse 3. eye-service 1. And the first of these is a part of the first unfaithfulnesse 〈◊〉 he that is idle not faithful in using all his strength and mispending his time is a kinde of robbery And therefore it is that S. Paul counsels men not to be slothful in businesse The Heathen man would not have a servant to be glis a 〈◊〉 but acurate agere to do their work accuratcly as the word in Hebrew imports they must follow Jacobs example in his service The sleep departed from his eyes he could not sleep for the care he had to his Masters businesse as the careful woman that lets not her candle go out that is she sits up late upon action to do her Master service And therefore we know that the Master called that servant evil and flothfull that used not his talent well To 〈◊〉 up this take the Wise mans judgement upon both diligent and slothful The hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothful shall be under tribute 2. The second thing that a servant should be free from is an unwillingnesse to do his duty For there are some that serve indeed but how they serve with an ill will and so do their work by halves And in so doing they do very unwisely for seeing that serve they must it bing not every mans 〈◊〉 to be a Master they were better to do it cheerfully then to be forced to it and so lose their just reward and commendation Therefore it ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a cheerful will and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the heart as the Apostle counselleth as if they served the Lord not being responsores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerers again or replying or giving word for word but be like the Centurions servant that when his Master said to him do this and he did it 3. The last is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service or a deceitful diligence which must be far from servants Not to do their work but while their master stands over them and no longer assoon as their Masters back is turned then to give over This the Apostle calls eye-service and condemns it exhorting servants to obey with singlenesse of heart 〈◊〉 fearing God and he gives diverse reasons for it as that they shall by this means adorn the Gospel and that they shall receive from the Lord according to what they do whether they be bond or free and lastly that besides their reward by 〈◊〉 with their Master they shall by their hearty service receive the reward of an inheritance in heaven So much of their sidelity Now to their discretion 2. The Philosopher makes a distinction of two sorts of servants one that can do nothing but what his Master dictates him can go no further then he is directed and the other that hath forecast in himself to know what is to be done and can prevent his Masters commandments The first are but as lippi oculi blear eyes and but that they must see by them their Masters had as good be without such as have them The other are such as the Psalmist speaks of their eyes are upon their Masters hands they can perceive to what their Masters will enclineth to they know their Masters will and what he is best pleased with and what his humour is most enclined to And though he have this wit yet if either with him that had the Talent and knew his Masters humour he neglecteth to do his businesse or with the wicked Steward he employ his wit to his own advantage and not to his Masters benefit in either of these cases he breaks the rule of obedience They follow not the examples of prudent servants such as were Jacob to Laban and Joseph to 〈◊〉 they do not prudenter with discretion It is said of Joseph that all he did prospered under his hands The Hebrew word is significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prudenter egit or 〈◊〉 intelligentia he did all with prudence and wisdom and so all prospered for of wisdom comes prospering and therefore the same word signifies both 2. The 2 d rule or duty of the Master is not to govern aspere 〈◊〉 or rigerously but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to justice and equity It was Gods command under the law to Masters Thou shalt not rule over thy servants with rigour and
the Apostle adviseth to deal justly and equally with them and his reason is because they are conservi fellow-servants of God with their Master The Master hath a Lord too and Gods reason in the law was because Masters themselves had been servants in Egypt and thereby knew what it was to be under an hard service Therefore quod tibi non vis fieri alteri ne feceris do as you would be done by or as you would have other men do to your children when they happen to become servants It reflects upon the general before mentioned Diliges proximum sicut te ipsum thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Yet a Master is not so restrain'd hereby as that he may not use his power of correction upon servants that shall offend for the Wise man saith there is a servant that will not be corrected by words for though he understand he will not answer for such a one stripes are needful For there are three things needful for a servant Cibus opus disciplina meat work and correction when he is negligent and this last is as necessary as the other For as S. Bernard saith Impunitas est incuriae soboles insolentiae mater 〈◊〉 nutrix want of punishment breeds negligence is the mother of insolence and the nurse of offence And the Wise man saith that he that bringeth up his servant delicately that is without 〈◊〉 shall have him become his son at Length yea and his Master too And therefore tells us that stripes are for the back of fools they that will not learn and do their Masters will are to be corrected and qui blando verbo 〈◊〉 non corrigitur acrius necesse est ut arguatur saith Isidore he that amends not by fair means must of necessity be forced in a sharper way Now in this point of discipline three respects are to be had one to amend those which are disobedient the second to preserve the dignity of the Master lest the conniving at offences cause or breed contempt in the servant towards him and the last is for examples sake that others by fear of punishment may be terrified from the like disobedience And no Wise Master saith Seneca punit quia peccatum est sed ne peccetur punisheth onely because a servant hath offended but 〈◊〉 he offend again He therefore that thinks he loves his servant when he corrects him not for his faults is much deceived For S. Augustines rule is 〈◊〉 putes te 〈◊〉 servum quando non caedis non est ista charitas be not of opinion that thou lovest thy servant when thou sparest him for it is not love But take this caution by the way which we mentioned before Be not too rigid or severe in thy Discipline but according to S. Gregory Regat disciplinae virga mansuetudinem 〈◊〉 rigorem sic 〈◊〉 commendetur ex altero ut nec sit rigor rigidus nec mansuetudo dissoluta let the rod of discipline govern thy mildnesse and thy mildnesse moderate thy rigour so one shall be commended by the other that neither thy severity be rigid nor thy mildnesse too dissolute Rather offend in the best part and deal as gently as thou mayest for 〈◊〉 castigatus exhibet reverentiam castiganti asperitate nimiae increpationis offensus nec increpationem recipit nec salutem as Prosper lib. 2. de vi contemplat he that is gently corrected will reverence the correctour but if a man be exasperated with two much severity he will neither receive more correction nor be 〈◊〉 by it 3. The third duty of 〈◊〉 is to provide food and apparel things necessary and convenient for his servants according to the Wise mans direction and to prefer them according to their deserts And if one be a conductive or hired servant he is to pay him his wages duely and truely according to the law of God Besides if he have been a faithful servant he ought not at the expiration of his time to send him away empty but with a reward answerable to his service Nay the Wise man goeth further he ought 〈◊〉 much to consider of him as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum filiis give him part of the inheritance with his children at his 〈◊〉 in some cases The duty answerable to this is that the servant must return a thankful acknowledgement to his Master for his education instruction and whatsoever good he hath done unto him and that after he shall be 〈◊〉 for then 〈◊〉 this duty cleaves to him and he cannot think himself free from 〈◊〉 though from service Some servants being made free forget all for as he said a servant made free is a burdensome thing and Solomon makes this one of those things which disquiet the earth A servant when he raigneth and a fool when he is 〈◊〉 with meat c. Therefore a servant must be thankful and not do as 〈◊〉 did which 〈◊〉 proverbially foretold who thrust out his masters son 〈◊〉 He that delicately brings up his servant from his youth shall have him become his son at length This speech of his proved true for 〈◊〉 his servant became as his son when he deposed his son 〈◊〉 and got the 〈◊〉 of the son viz. the kingdom of Israel to himself And thus much for the duties of Masters and servants CHAP. VI. Of Tutors or Schoolmasters and their Scholars or Pupils The original of schools and Vniversities Mutual duties of Teacher and Scholar as the choice of such as are fit and capeable The particular qualifications of a Scholar Solertia 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 SO much for the duties of those within the familie now for those extra familiam out of the family whereof some concern the spiritual some the civil ordering and regulating of men The first whereof we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a divine ordinance because it immediately concerns the soul the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a humane ordinance as looking properly at the things of this life For the former there are two callings especially appointed and in them their duties to be handled 1. The Tutor or Schoolmaster 2. The Pastor or Minister And they which are to answer reciprocal duties to these are 1. The Scholar 2. The people in general The first of these is preparatory to the other for schools and universities are the seminaries both of the Church and Common-wealth and in that regard are compared to the optick nerve which conveys spirits and therewith sight to both the eyes for they give sight both to the right eye of the Church and to the left eye of the Common-wealth And therefore before we speak of the duties of those that govern in either of those
siccans fontem pietatis the bane of liberality and a dryer up of the fountain of goodnes Therefore if we can we must rependere majora requite them with greater if not that yet par pari do like for like if not that neither then we must transferre ad Deum commend them over to God by our prayers and desire him to requite them Yet by the way we are to take notice that there are some cases wherein a man is not to be said to be unthankful though the benefactor so account him 1. As first if a superiour bestow a benefit upon an inferiour expecting that he shall like what the other loveth and mislike as he misliketh and so to be at his command or els he will repute him as an unthankful person But unthankfulnes is res gratiae non officii a matter of grace not of duty and therefore t is no unthankfulnes not to follow him in his humour 2. Secondly If he require any thing of me by way of justice or duty it is no unthankfulnes in me to deny it for as in his benefits there was a licet dare 〈◊〉 non dare it was lawful for him either to give or not give so in matter of thankfulnes there is a licet 〈◊〉 aut non 〈◊〉 a lawfulnes to do or not do that he requires if he require it in re 〈◊〉 by way of thanks I will be thankful but if in re officii by the way of duty and justice or for that he hath done to me he must pardon me and yet I am out of the marke of ingratitude 3. Lastly he would have me to follow his appetite and do an unjust act and I refuse to consent to him in it is this unthankfulnes no surely For the rule is Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris a man must do as he would be done unto that love he beares to himself must be the square of his love to his neighbour nor is it required that I should do any more for my neighbour then for my self If any appetite then should leade me to any unjust thing should I consent to it no for so I should hurt my self in consenting to sin against my own soul. In like manner if my neighbour require m to do a thing unjust I must not consent for it is against the love I owe to my own soul which must be the rule of my love to him And so for the pleasure he hath done to me he would have me do my self and him a displeasure by my consenting to do evil at his instigation to hurt both his soul and mine own and so to do evil for good There may be in this case species ingratitudinis a shew of ingratitude at the first sight which a good man may be taxed withal but being weighed in the true ballance it is no unthankfulnes at all A good man per mediam infamiam bujus ingratitudinis will tendere ad officium this reproach of unthankfulnesse not deserved will make him look the more strictly to the duty of true gratitude And thus much for the special duties of Inferiours and Superiours required in this Commandment and the sinnes forbidden according to our first rule for expo uning the Decalogue CHAP. X. That this law is spiritual The 〈◊〉 of Superiours and Inferiours must proceed from the heart Special means conducing to the keeping of this commandment Signes of the true keeping of it FOr the second rule of extension that where anything is commanded or forbidden there all that are Homogenea of the same kinde or nature are commanded or forbidden we shall need to say nothing all the Homogenea being already handled under the first rule 3. The third rule tells us that the law is spiritual and reaches to the heart and so is this law it must be kept in heart and spirit as well as in the outward man both by superiours and inferiours 1. For the superiour We see that David fed his people not onely intelligentia 〈◊〉 but in simplici ate cordis with a faithful and true heart and Saint Peter expresseth the duty of superiours as it ought to proceed from the heart by two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ' willingly and readily And because as was toucht before there may be an usurpation of power without any just title aswel as an abuse of lawful power therefore none must in heart 〈◊〉 or desire to usurpe authority over others they must say with David non est exaltatum cor meum my heart is not haughty and remember the Apostles rule 〈◊〉 quis sapiat supra quam 〈◊〉 not to think more highly of himself then he ought but be sober minded for as the heathen observed it ost falls out that there is 〈◊〉 animus sub rudi 〈◊〉 an high mind under a beggers cloak some are like the bramble in the Parable that would be king over all the trees or like the thistle that would match with the Cedar of Lebanon 2. The spiritual duty of Inferiours is first with a ready and willing minde to obey their superiours as it is in the song of Barak and Deborah the people came willingly Not like 〈◊〉 who would have no governours Tumultuarii spiritus spirits of opposition nor yet like the Herodians the other extreme we mentioned before spirteus aulici servile flattering spirits the former obey no further then they are forced Job tells us 〈◊〉 some like these that assoon as the cord is loosed will loosen the bridle themselves these are the sons of Belial and the other sort are as far in the other extream who are servilis spiritus of a servile and base spirit To avoid both extreams we must obey as the people promised to obey 〈◊〉 All that thou commandest we will do and whither soever thou sendest us we will go tantum si 〈◊〉 fuerit tecum as some read the words onely if the Lord be with thee so long as thou dost not depart from him we will not depart from thee That tantum must be our direction we must obey so far as they go not contrary to Gods commands if they command contrary we may disobey and yet remain good Subjects This for the spiritual part of this Precept 4. The fourth rule requires the means conducing to be handled and these also have been partly handled before and therefore may be passed over here onely some more means we may observe for the Superiour in his duty out of the 101 Psalm 1. To think of his accompt Quando veniet ad me When will God come This must be his thought he must give an account how he hath executed his place God will demand ubi est grex 〈◊〉 Where is the flock that was given to thee 2. The next is in the same verse for the well ordering of a kingdom he will begin at his own Court if a king if a Master of his
own family he must begin at himself I will walk in my house with a perfect heart Our Saviour saith Qui 〈◊〉 peccatum servus est peccati he that committeth sin is the servant of sin and he is not 〈◊〉 to rule over others that is under the bondage of that from which he should deliver others 3. Thirdly his eyes must be upon such as are faithful in the land he must pick out those that are integri wise sound and 〈◊〉 which are worthy to be in place of government He must be careful to know such as are 〈◊〉 to be called ad 〈◊〉 to rule under him that so when there is occasion he may employ them in publick service 4. He must consider what they be which he ruleth over they are the City of God and therefore he must not esteem of them lightly It is Gods work and they are Gods people Citizens of Gods city The Heathen man could say to a 〈◊〉 Remember you are over 〈◊〉 men and over Athenians thereby admonishing him to be moderate and careful in his government much more should it make all Christian governours careful when they consider the dignity and worth of those they are set over that they are the city and servants of God and redeemed by the blood of Christ c. And as these are some means the consideration whereof may work in Governours a care to perform the duties of their places aright so again there are means to keep men from usurping authority and affecting without lawful title power over others or aspiring to higher places then they are fit for To this end they should labour to humble themselves as David did who accounted himself a dead dog a flea a 〈◊〉 and no man And seeing the defect of gifts in themselves to be content With the Apostle with what place soever they are called to and with David to say Ecce me Behold 〈◊〉 am I let God do with me what seemeth good to him Thus ought a man to stand 〈◊〉 to preferment and to say If I be fit for the place God can provide it for me If he do not what dignity soever it be I can be aswell without it as with it He ought to think with himself that though he be Dominus ingenii lingue have wit and 〈◊〉 at command yet if he be servus peccati a servant of sin there is matter enough to humble him And because there is in every man naturally a spirit that lusts and longs after honor as the babe longs for the breast therfore with David he should ablactare wean himself from aspiring thoughts by such considerations as these Nay the same king goeth a degree further Michal thought he abased himself too much by dancing before the Ark but he told her he would yet be more vile and base in his own sight so far he was from aspiring after an higher estate that he would prepare himself to be in a lower condition if God should please to set him lower Thus it would be good if we would prepare our selves before hand and to say as Balak did to Balaam though he were a Heathen king I thought to have promoted thee but God hath kept thee from honour he acknowledges it to be Gods hand to keep 〈◊〉 from preferment God disposes of honors and preferments as he pleases When the sons of Zebedee would needs sit one on the right the other on the left hand of Christ in his kingdom Christ tells them Those places must be for them for whom his Father 〈◊〉 prepar'd them In Ezekiel it is said the Prophets were like foxes in the desert and so in the Schools of the Prophets we finde every one like foxes hungry and ravening for preferment as a testimony of that excellency that is in him Thus we are ambitious still of higher places forgetting that lesson of our Saviours of taking the lowest places A good Steward as he saith will give to every one in the house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his portion and no man ought to expect more he that will have more then his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his portion requires an unjust thing of the Lords Steward 5. According to the fifth rule we are to speak of the signes of the performance of these duties 1. For Inferiours The signes of their honouring their superiours may be gathered from that speech of the Heathen Nec dicto nec facto aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have not neglected my duty either in word or deed or by so much as an ill look and as for 〈◊〉 the common saying of vultu saepe laeditur pietas shews that by a wry countenance a man may break this precept The signes in the next place when inferiours give honour to their superiours may be these and a man may be honoured or dishonoured Dicto Facto Vultu for these three wayes laeditur pietas 1. Facto We must shew our reverence to them by our deeds Our outward acts ought to be such as that they may rejoyce and take pleasure in their government and not griefe as the Apostle speaks Davids heart smote him when he had cut off Sauls skirt He did not hurt Saul in the Cave yet his heart toucht him because 〈◊〉 had toucht his garment and had thereby dishonoured him by spoiling his garment We must not then do the least act that may reflect upon our superiours but 〈◊〉 our honour by all acts of obedience and duty yea by doing more then we are bound to this is a good signe that we do truly honour them if we do not barely our duty but abound in every good work by doing more or oftener then law requires The Apostle speaking of a duty tells the Philippians that it was not so much the matter of the duty he esteemed or weighed the paying of tithes or maintenance but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit abounding that should be accounted as an overplus at the day of reckoning this was it he valued By this means we shall not be like Simeon and Levi that made their father stink among the inhabitants of the land but cast a comfortable smell that God and our superiours shall take pleasure and delight us 2. Dicto Honour must be shewn in words as on the contrary contempt may be shewn in words as we see in the example of the children that mocked 〈◊〉 and were destroyed by bears and of the Pharisees that derided Christ which is elegant in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naso suspendebant they took it in snuff and expressed their derision by drawing together the nose they made noses at him Therefore blessed is he that speaketh to an understanding ear an obedient ear will be willing to hear his faults without deriding or 〈◊〉 at his Superiour 3. Lastly vultu for the countenance Honour as well as contempt may appear by the countenance We see Cain liking
one another 〈◊〉 condemnes Zimri had Zimri peace which slew his Master And Absolom though he were rebellious to his father yet he could condemne Hushai for leaving David is this thy kindnes to thy friend 2. As the Prophet Esay hath it in the forenamed verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 their worm shall not die Conscientia ipsorum paena their very conscience shall be a punishment to them So that their life may be 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 long but without delight or joy 3. The third is out of the same verse ignis 〈◊〉 non extinguetur Their fire shal never be quenched Their misery shall never have end 4. And lastly there too they shall be an abhorring to all flesh They shall be odious to every good man Their name shall be forgotten God will root out the remembrance of them from the earth The name of the wicked shall rot And though God take away the righteous betimes yet in the way of righteousnes is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death as the wiseman speaks And to conclude with the words of the Preacher though the dayes of the wicked be prolonged yet it shall go well with them that fear the Lord But it shall not go 〈◊〉 with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he 〈◊〉 not before God THE EXPOSITION OF THE Sixth Commandement CHAP. I. Why 〈◊〉 commandment is placed in this order How it coheres with the rest Of unjust anger the first step to 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 The life of the body and the degrees of it The life of the soul and the sinnes against it The scope of this commandment Non occides Thou shalt do no murther or Thou shalt not kill WE have seen that whatsoever duty was between men as Superiours and Inferiours pertained to the fift Commandment which hath been handled at large Now the duties that are called 〈◊〉 which are common to all follow in the four next commandments This sixth concerneth the life of man and the preservation thereof The seventh respects chastity and the preservation of it in wedlock and out of wedlock The eighth takes care of meum tunm the goods propriety and estates of men And the ninth concernes the reputation and good name of a man This commandment conducing so much to publick and private peace is rightly and in its due order placed next to the 〈◊〉 whereby authority and government is established with due respect and honour And the lawgiver considering the frailty of mans memory hath in his infinite wisdom under one word murder comprehended a whole catalogue of sinnes and made choice of this word which signifies the highest degree of sinnes of this nature to shew how odious the other degrees are and that those affections of unjust anger hatred c. Are murder in his sight which otherwise would not perhaps have seemed so haynous to man if they had not been expressed by that word This commandment is expounded in the law by Moses where not onely murder itself is forbidden but all the degrees and causes 〈◊〉 men come to it as 〈◊〉 bearing standing against the blood of our neighbour hatred not rebuking a neighbour for his sin revenge grudges c. And as in the law so in the Gospel by our Saviour himself there is a large comment upon this law from the two and twentieth verse of the fift of Saint Matthew to the 27. And from the 38. verse to the end of the chapter where rash anger and malice is made murther in the heart and revenge even against enemies is severely forbidden The like is in Saint Johns Epistles almost throughout them all but especially in one place most plainly and especially whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer By which God sheweth that God rather gives his laws to the heart the fountain of the affections to the affections then to the actions as men do their laws And when we have well weighed these places we shall finde that to be true which the Apostle saith that Anger and hatred 〈◊〉 the gate of the 〈◊〉 whereby he enters into the soul Be angry and sinne not neither give place to the Devil for hereby is way made for strife and debate the proper work of the Devil as S. James speaks For the order and dependance of this Commandment upon the former it is very exact For 1. First the fifth was concerning parents the beginners and Authors of our life therefore no object cometh better to be treated on in the next place then life it self which floweth as an effect from the former and every man ought to prize and esteem it both in himself and others And as it ought to follow the fifth so ought it to go before the rest for we must first have life and being before we can partake of wedlock goods or good name 〈◊〉 do all depend upon life and therefore the Commandment for preserving of it ought to stand before these 2. The ground of the fifth Commandment was self conceit to restrain that conceit which men have of their own excellency whereby they assume honour to themselves and are unwilling to give honour to whom it is due Hence men are apt to hate those that are better and more honoured then themselves for omnis iniquitas mentitur sibi all iniquity deceives it self and we may observe that the first murder came from this Cain hated his brother because he was accepted and preferred before him and the text saith plainly that he slew his brother because he was better then himself for his brothers works were good and his own evil So was Esau's anger kindled against Jacob because of his prerogative of birth-right which he had bought and for the blessing which he stole from Esau. The like was in the Patriarchs against Joseph so that in both cases had they not been prevented they had proceeded even to murder when they hated them All this I say grows upon the conceit that we are not honored so much and others in our opinion are honoured more then they should be Thus then we being thwarted and crossed do as Ahab did fall into anger and revenge and to obtain our desires into murder And therefore in the placing of this Commandment before those that follow there is very good order observed It is true as diverse have well observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fervour of spirit or animosity proceedeth from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire and our affections are hence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violent and earnest We see in natural things fire whose natural place is to be above desireth to be there and therefore it hath the quality of lightnesse given to it whereby it is apt to