nothing is too much to be done And therfore happy is the condition of the righteous in his prayers Iames 5.16 for that is his cornucopia First wantest thou temporall good things then pray and they shall be given Secondly desirest thou freedome from evils then pray for there is no time too late for God to helpe Iames 5.16 Psal 90.3 Thirdly desirest thou to bee preserved from temptation then pray and the grace of God shall sustaine thee 2 Cor. 12.9 Fourthly desirest thou to be delive red from Satan then watch and pray Fifthly dost thou desire increase of grace peace of conscience then pray for it Sixthly dost thou from thy heart desire that thy heart were made a temple of the Holy Ghost then with thy heart pray unto God first to purge and then to possesse thy soule Prov. 21.1 Rom. 8.22 Sect. 5 § 5. And the glory Our Saviour in these words shewes that Gods Glory is to bee sought before all other things and we must labour to doe all things to his glory but of this wee have spoken before vers 9. § 6. Amen Sect. 6 What is the meaning of this Word Quest Answ It is used three manner of wayes namely First by way of asseveration and thus it is rendred Certè verily Thus Christ often Amen I say unto you that is verily I say unto you Secondly by way of professing and thus it is rendred fiat it shall be done or I beleeve it to be true Thirdly by way of praying and thus it is rendred fiat so be it and this is the meaning of Amen in this place VERSE 14. For Vers 14 if yee forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you For if yee forgive men their trespasses Why is this Petition of all the rest onely repeated Quest 1 First this Petition is repeated for the difficulty Answ 1 of the duty required It is so hard a thing unto flesh and blood to forgive that our Saviour doth second the Prayer with a promise of pardon from God in this verse Secondly this Petition is repeated for the necessity Answ 2 of the duty enjoyned When is this duty of forgiving necessary Quest 2 First it is necessary alwaies so long as we Answ 1 live because God requires it of us and because it is pleasing unto him Secondly it is particularly necessary in the Answ 2 Supper of the Lord and that in a double regard I. Because then we are to bee reconciled unto God and stand in neede that all our sins should bee abolished and blotted out now if we desire that God should bee reconciled unto us wee must be reconciled unto our brethren and if we desire to be forgiven of God we must forgive them II. Because then wee are to bee united into one body and to bee made one Bread And therefore reconciliation is then principally necessary How is this brotherly union and concord to Quest 3 bee wrought and continued First let him who hath done the wrong Answ 1 and injury humble himselfe and make restitution and satsfaction for his wrong done Secondly let those who are injured and Answ 2 wronged bury all injuries and wrongs in the grave of oblivion Thirdly let them imbrace and love their Answ 3 brethren with their whole heart that is I. The Saints and all holy men in the Lord. II. All men whatsoever for the Lord. Fourthly let both and all resolve these Answ 4 things for the time to come namely I. Not to remember what is by-past this belongs principally to the injured party II. Not to provoke any by injuries this belongs unto the injuring party III. Not to bee easily provoked unto revenge by wrong this belongs unto the person injured IV. Not to esteeme of earthly things before heavenly or spirituall that is not so deeply to apprehend a temporall injury that rather then suffer it wee will deprive our selves of a spirituall benefite and mercy like many who will rather forbeare comming to the Sacrament then pardon their brother yea rather let their owne sins alone unblotted out in Gods Booke then obliterate their brothers transgression out of theirs VERSE 15. But if yee forgive not men their trespasses Vers 15 neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses In this verse our Saviour shewes that there is no salvation without remission that is no mercy to bee expected from God without shewing of mercy unto our brother or there is no hope that God will forgive us except wee forgive him Why will not God forgive us except wee Quest 1 forgive others First because not to pardon our brother is Answ 1 an argument of a mind voide of charity Secondly because not to forgive those who Answ 2 injure us is a worke of Satan Thirdly because not to remit a wrong is Answ 3 an inherent sin which is not yet repented of And therefore such a one God will not pardon Will not God forgive us our trespasses except Quest 2 we forgive others perfectly without any reliques of anger dislike or revenge First we must not expect to pardon injuries Answ 1 perfectly we carry a body of sin about us and we have the reliques of sin in us which hinders us from perfection in any duty Rom 7 23. Gal. 5.17.20 Secondly but these two things wee must Answ 2 doe and then confidently hope for pardon from God namely I. Resist even all inward grudges and spleenes and disfavours and desires of revenge giving place to none of them but striving against them and withstanding them even unto blood d Heb. 12.4 II. Endeavour to corroborate and strengthen thy heart against all such corrupt reliques of anger dislike and revenge by fervent Prayer unto God Whether must the injured person pardon the Quest 3 injurie if the injurious seeke not reconciliation at his hands Answ He must for if his brother forget or neglect his duty hee must not therefore neglect his owne Object Our Saviour saith If thy brother trespasse against thee and turne againe unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him e Luk. 17.4 that is if he desire mee to forgive him and to bee reconciled unto him wherefore I need not forgive him without this submission and acknowledgement from him First certainly it is most true that it is his Answ 1 duty to desire remission and reconciliation who hath done the wrong Secondly but if he will not yet thou must Answ 2 be carefull of the salvation of thy owne soule and solution of thy debts which thou canst never procure but by pardoning thy brother and being reconciled unto him VERSE 16. Moreover when yee fast Vers 16 bee not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appeare unto men to fast verily I say unto you they have their reward When yee fast bee not as the hypocrites What benefit or commoditie doe wee gain by Fasting Quest Bellarmine lib. 2. de jejun cap. 2. Answ Shewes five utilities of fasting namely
respect of the greatnesse or smallnesse of the sinne is not to bee admitted and that for these reasons 1 In respect of the nature of sinne which of it selfe deserveth death Rom. 6.23 The wages of â—â—ne is death Yea sinne is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3.4 And every transgression of the Law is under the curse Gal. 3.10 2 In respect of the infinite Majesty of God which to violate can be no veniall sin of it selfe 3 In respect of the perfect and absolute righteousnesse of God which cannot abide the least blemish or imperfection And therefore in these regards no sinne committed against God can in it selfe be veniall t White s Exod. 20. Confut. 5 â—rac 6. f. 330. Fifthly this motion and passion of anger even when it is sudden and unadvised though there be no further purpose nor intendment to Answ 5 hurt is guilty of judgement as is plaine in this verse Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be guilty of judgement that is shall be guilty of damnation for so judgement is taken in Scripture David prayes that the Lord would not enter into judgement with him u Psa 143.2 And Paul saith Thou that judgest another condemnest thy selfe v Rom. 2.1 where to judge and condemne are taken for all one to be culpable then of judgment is to be guilty of condemnation Thirdly we admit this distinction of veniall Answ 3 and mortall sinnes if it be understood not in respect of the nature of sinne but of the quality of the persons for unto those that beleeve and repent all sinnes are veniall and pardonable through the mercy of God Rom. 8.1 But to the wicked and impenitent all their sinnes are mortall Sixthly the Fathers side with us in our opinions Answ 6 holding that all these three sinnes here mentioned are mortall yea the Papists generally make anger whereof the principall question here is one of the seven deadly and mortall sinnes as Canisius Pupilla oculi Manipul Curatorum and the rest Chrysostome upon this verse saith Christus dat ultionem homicidio irae supplicium aeteruum adulterio concupiscentiae Christ doth not punish murder and spare anger or condemne adultery and acquit concupiscence but condemnes and punishes both the one and the other St. Augustine s saith that all these three are to be arraigned before Gods judgement-Seate where Hell shall be the reward of all If any object why then are the two former degrees Iudgement and Councell named Hee answers because there are severall degrees of punishment in hell according to the degrees of sinne on earth Saint Hierome condemnes the first degree of anger to be worse than idle words but these we must give account for at the day of Judgement when and where no sinnes that we must answer for are in their owne nature pardonable w Mat. 12.36 Saint Hilarie Non minus ira rea Evangelie quam homicidium lege Anger under the Gospel is no more a veniall sinne than murder was under the Law And therefore I shut up this question with this assertion That to be angry with our brother unadvisedly to call him Racha or foole in our anger are all mortall sinnes and deserve in their owne nature eternall fire Bellarmine tom 3. fol. 113. objects Object to bee angry with our Brother or to call him Racha doth not exclude us from the Kingdome of heaven and therefore they are not mortall sinnes The Antecedent he proves thus That which is not properly a precept but onely a degree of a precept cannot exclude us from the Kingdome of Heaven but to be angry with our Brother or to call him Racha is not properly a precept but onely a degree of that Commandement Thou shalt not kill Therefore this will not exclude us from the Kingdome of Heaven First here is Petitio principii a begging Answ 1 of the question hee taking it for granted without proofe that these two to call our Brother Racha or to be angry with him are no precepts which is the thing questioned Secondly if this were granted that these two were onely degrees of that Commandement Thou shalt not kill yet it would not hence follow that they are veniall sinnes which will not exclude us out of Heaven For to call our Brother Foole is but onely a degree of that Commandement and yet the Jesuite himselfe doth confesse that to be mortall and to deserve condemnation Bellarm. de Purgat lib. 1. cap. 4. tom 1. 1809. Answ 3 Thirdly because they are degrees of the precept as is confessed by the Cardinall therefore it cannot be denied but they must belong unto the violation and transgression of the Commandement and consequently deserve death because cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law y Galath 3.10 There being no transgression so small but it shall be punished except it be repented of and washed away by the Blood of Christ Answ 4 Fourthly the Jesuite doth diametrally oppose Christ even in the very scope of the place Bellarmine saith the violation of the Commandement it selfe according to the letter excludes us from the Kingdome of Heaven but not the transgression of the degrees of the Commandement Christ here saith plainely that the Pharisees and Scribes did observe the Letter of the Law but that was not sufficient to bring them unto Heaven or to preserve them from Hell And therefore if we desire to be saved we must carefully observe the very degrees of the Commandements and therein our righteousnesse may exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees because otherwise wee cannot enter into the kingdome of God Sect. 4 § 4. Whosoever is angry with his Brother Quest 1 Why are all Christians forbidden to bee angry Answ 1 First because Anger comes from the Divell as the authour thereof Give no place to wrath give no place to the Devill Ephes 4.27 Answ 2 Secondly because anger comes from our inbred corruption and pride of heart Non ab illius injurià sed a tuà superbia Basil hom de ira Anger proceeds not from the injury of others but from the pride of our selves that being the moving cause thereof Many are wronged and yet but some are provoked and some are not Why because some are patient and others are proud Now we should labour not onely to withstand the assaults of Satan but also to subdue our owne corruptions and pride and impatiencie in the suffering of injuries because these are the causes of Anger Answ 3 Thirdly Anger is forbidden us in regard of a three-fold pernicious effect thereof namely First it pleaseth not God Iam. 1.20 Those which are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 But Anger is a worke of the flesh Gal. 6.20 And therefore cannot please God Secondly Anger is dangerous and pernicious to him that is angry for it hurts the heart it wounds the conscience it expels the holy Spirit and deserves to be
13.10 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thankes to his Name Heb. 13.15 Thirdly because the Fathers did conjoyne the Sacrament with other holy exercises of Religion And therefore this is a palpable perverting of the truth to wrest this place to an expiatory sacrifice § 2. That thy Brother hath ought against Sect. 2 thee Obser Our Saviour in these words includes the reason why reconciliation is necessarie because God doth not tolerate dissensions amongst brethren Teaching us that by the bond of Christian piety we are all brethren Quest Why are all Christians to be esteemed and loved as brethren Answ 1 First because we are called unto this fraternitie If any bee called a brother saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.11 hence Christ is called the first borne amongst brethren Rom. 8.29 And therefore all the members of Christ are brethren and should so be prized and esteemed Answ 2 Secondly because it is necessary and that in many regards that all Christians should be beloved as brethren First hence we may know that we are translated from death unto life if wee love the bethren q 1 Iohn 3.14 Secondly hence wee know that we are borne of God if we love one another r 1 Iohn 4.7 Thirdly because he that hateth his brother is in darkenesse but he that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him ſ 1 Iohn 2.9.10 Fourthly he that loveth not his brother is not of God t 1 Iohn 3.10 Fiftly he that loveth not his brother loveth not Christ v 1 Iohn 5.1 for he that loveth Christ will love those that are his Sixtly hee that loveth not his brethren loveth not God and if any say hee loves God and not his brother he is a lyer u 1 Iohn 4.20 Answ 3 Thirdly wee are to esteeme and love all men as brethren because the consideration and remembrance of this relation will preserve us from many evills as for example First this will make us carefull not to offend them If meat saith the Apostle make my brother to offend I will eate no flesh till the world stands w 1 Cor. 8.13 and Rom. 14. Secondly this will make us carefull to speake the truth one to another Put away lying and speake every man truth with his neighbour for we are members that is brethren one of another x Ephes 4.25 Thirdly this would appease jarres and mitigate contentions and abate suites and going to law one with another Ye are brethren saith Moses to the two Jsraelites and therfore you must not fight Brother must not goe to law with Brother saith Saint Paul for that is unseemely 1 Cor. 6. And therefore they are much to blame who deride this phrase of Brethren and note Schismatickes by that name for it is a terme which is proper to the Church of Christ and not to the Synagogue of Satan as wee may see Acts 10.23 and 11.1.12.29 But the new brotherhood of the Separatists excepted against Canon 9. I speake not nor allow not off Sect. 3 § 3. Have ought against thee Quest 1 What is the meaning of these words Answ If thou hast injured thy brother at all if thou hast called him Racha or foole or beene angry with him if thou hast wronged him in the least kinde confesse thy offence and bee reconciled unto him Quest 2 Why must we be thus carefull to abstaine from all wronging of our neighbours and to satisfie the least injury done unto them Answ 1 First because God is the avenger of all injuries and wrongs and therefore out of our feare unto him we should avoide all doing of wrong and be ready to satisfie for that which we have done Levit. 25.17 Secondly charity beginnes at home and Answ 2 therefore we should doe to others as wee would they should doe unto us and bee as carefull of wronging of others as we would have others of injuring us Thirdly it is the nature of Charity to doe no Answ 3 evill at all Rom. 13.10 neither to thinke evill 1 Cor. 13.5 and therefore where there is true brotherly love there will be a true care to keepe the bound of charity entire and to make up all breaches which occasionally may be made Must we satisfie our brother if hee know not the Quest 3 injurie or wrong done unto him Yes Answ But against this it may be objected If our Obiect 2 brother be ignorant of the wrong which is done unto him then we shall hurt him more by satisfying him for so he will be more provoked and incensed when he knowes what hath been done and by whom First if there were onely in thee a purpose of Answ 1 mischief towards thy brother or that thou wert onely angry with him in thy heart then thou mayest conceale it because the revealing of it may provoke him and exasperate him more against thee Secondly if thy brother be truely injured and Answ 2 wronged in deede or word it is necessary that thou shouldest make satisfaction although hee neither before knew that hee was endangered nor that he was harmed by thee lest that the Judge deliver thee to the officer and thou bee cast into prison What must the party offended doe if the offender Quest 4 will not make satisfaction or come and seeke reconciliation First Augustine here answers Answ 1 non est opus ad illum pergere there is no neede that the offended should goe unto the offender non veniam postulabis sed dimittes for it is enough for him to forgive the offence committed against him and this is his duty to doe he neede not goe to desire love and reconciliation Of this opinion in a manner is Hierome Secondly Chrysostome answers that our Saviour Answ 2 speakes here also to the party wronged that hee must seeke to bee reconciled if hee that hath done the wrong will not Why must he that is injured seeke amity and Quest 5 reconciliation at his hand who hath done the wrong First because thus wee imitate Christ who Answ 1 seekes first unto us We have greevously and gracelesly offended our Christ and yet hee is graciously pleased to seeke for reconciliation We in Christs stead desire you to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.19 Secondly because otherwise it is an argument Answ 2 that there is anger yet remaining in the heart of the offended towards the offender if he will not seeke for peace and ensue after it Thirdly without this there can be in the Answ 3 person injured no love unto the soule of the injurious partie The offended Christian should thus consult with himselfe He that doth wrong and will not acknowledge it yea satisfie for it and bee reconciled unto him whom he hath abused shall bee delivered unto the Judge and from him by the officers cast into Prison from whence there is no redemption But my brother hath injured
thee to returne backe a part thereof unto God againe Answ 2 Secondly Si de malè partis If thy goods bee evill come by then satisfaction is to bee made to him that hath beene wronged not unto God or the Church or the poore for that were to offer unto them a part of a spoyle unjustly acquired But wee shall have more direct occasion else where to cleare this more fully and therefore I thus here superficially leave it Sect. 2 § 2. Goe thy way Object It may here bee objected This departure could not be warrantable being contrary to the expresse law Ezech. 46.10 where the Prince himselfe might not depart till all were ended The Prince shall goe in when they goe in and when they goe forth he shall goe forth Answ This rule might be understood of departure out of the outer court of the Temple whether the people brought their sacrifices soone after they had presented thē before they were begun to be offered for untill the Priests had begunne this service it was lawfull for the people to depart especially upon this occasion which our Saviour here instanceth in Sect. 3 § 3. And bee reconciled unto thy brother and then offer The meaning of this is compose your jarres linke your selves together in the chaine and bond of Christian charity and then offer your sacrifices unto the Lord. Quest 1 Why must we not offer sacrifices unto God untill we be reconciled unto men Answ 1 First because God accepteth nothing but that which issues from a pure heart but wrongs and injuries doe corrupt and defile the Soule and therefore nothing is gratefull unto God which comes from such men Answ 2 Secondly anger hinders our prayers that is makes us unfit to pray and the petitions which we powre forth are unpleasing unto God And therefore it is necessary that we should be reconciled unto our brethren before wee offer up the sacrifice of prayer unto God Thirdly God loves concord and unity amongst his he himselfe not being the authour of confusion but of peace yea commands us Answ 3 to love one another to forgive those who injure us to blesse those that curse us to pray for those who persecute us c. And therefore both the person offending and offended should seeke for peace and reconciliation Fourthly wee are all brethren yea all members Answ 4 of one and the same mysticall body Now no man ever hated his owne flesh Ephes 5.29 but nourisheth and cherisheth it yea though the hand should harme the eye or foote the body will not therefore hate the hand but pardon it and prize it as highly as ever it did before Saint Peter useth this argument to perswade us to this duty Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as brethren bee pitifull bee courteous And therefore before wee can offer any acceptable sacrifice unto God wee must bee reconciled one unto another that is both the injurious person and the party injured He who hath beene unjustly injured and palpably Obiect 1 wronged by one who will not acknowledge his offence neither sue for pardon or reconcilement will here object that it is a very hard thing to forgive such an one but to seeke to him is so difficult that flesh and blood cannot endure it First flesh and blood shall never inherit the kingdome Answ 1 of heaven 1 Cor. 15.50 and therefore desperately miserable is that mans condition who can doe or suffer no more then flesh and blood can Secondly all good and holy duties are difficult Answ 2 and therefore if the difficulty of the worke discourage us wee must give over working the worke of God or walking in the waies of religion for no spirituall duty can be done aright with facility and case Thirdly the question is not what thy brother Answ 3 doth or what he is but what thou oughst to doe namely to be obedient to thy Lord and Soveraigne in whatsoever he requires of thee Now as hee commands thy brother to seeke peace and atonement at thy hands so he commands thee to forgive thy brother as often as he offends thee though it were 70. times 7. times that is 490. times in a day b Matth. 18.22 Fourthly suppose Christ should as hee doth Answ 4 indeed tell thee that it is a very hard thing to obtaine or to bee made partakers of him wouldest thou give him over for the difficulty of the worke if thou wouldest not as thou shouldest not then no more forbeare this Christian duty of pardoning and seeking for reconciliation at thy brothers hands Fifthly the worke indeed is not difficult because Answ 5 God will enable thee thereunto if thou from thy heart desire it and with thy heart endeavour it Sixtly it is an excellent signe of a mind truely Answ 6 humbled for the offended to seeke reconciliation and agreement from him that hath done the offence Mich. 6.8 Seventhly and lastly if thou wilt not pardon thy brother no more will the Lord pardon thee Answ 7 if thou wilt not seeke unto thy brother no more will thy Father seeke unto thee but leave thee unto thy selfe and thy proud perverse will Obiect 2 The party who is injured may against this yet object he hath done me wrong yea harme and therefore why should I either seeke to him or forgive him if he seeke not to me Answ 1 First hath he not formerly done thee more good then now hurt if he have then ballance the one against the other Answ 2 Secondly hast not thou wronged some other as much as he hath thee yea hast thou not formerly beene as injurious unto him as he is now unto thee if the former then think him to be an instrument of Gods anger unto thee for thy correction If the latter then there is no reason but thou shouldest forgive him as thou wouldest be forgiven by him Answ 3 Thirdly what evill hast thou done unto Christ how often hast thou transgressed his Lawes and thereby incensed his anger against thee how many talents dost thou owe unto him which thou art not able to pay And therfore if thou desirest to be forgiven and to be received into favour then doe so to thy brother Mat. 6.14 and 18.21 Obiect 3 But the unjustly injured person will yet object I did not deserve this wrong at his hands for I never did him hurt but good And therefore he neither deserves to bee pardoned nor sought unto Answ 1 First if thou hadst deserved those wrongs which are offered unto thee then thou deservest neither praise nor reward though thou shouldst pardon them For if a man doe evill and being punished for his evill take it patiently what reward shall he have Matthew 5.46 and 1 Peter 3.16 Answ 2 Secondly what hath Christ deserved at thy hands that so injuriously thou dost daily and hourely exasperate him he never deserved such dealing at thy hands thou never didst so much good unto thy brother as hee hath done for
and unto thee thy brother never wronged thee so much as thou hast wronged him thou canst never be so readie to forgive thy brother as he is to forgive thee And therefore when thou callest to mind how unthankfully thy brother deales with thee reflect upon thy selfe and remember how ungratfully thou hast dealt with thy deare Saviour who tooke thy nature upon him submitting himselfe unto the forme of a servant yea even unto death that he might purchase life and immortality for thee Quest 2 What is required of him that doth wrong unto his neighbour Answ 1 First he must aggravate and not extenuate his fault he must not goe about to excuse it or lessen it but rather amplifie it that it may seeme worse in his eyes then in the sight of his brother Answ 2 Secondly he must labour to make ample satisfaction for the wrong done that is 1. If he have beene angry with his brother in his heart hee must be heartily sorry for it 2. If he have injured his brother by his words hee must with his mouth confesse and acknowledge it 3. If hee hath wronged his brother in his estate he must make restitution as Zacheus did § 4. Then come and offer thy gift We see here that as soone as we are reconciled Sect. 4 unto our brethren our Father is reconciled unto us Why is the Lord appeased towards us as soone as our brother is pacified Quest and satisfied First because herein wee obey God wee are obsequious unto his will when we seeke peace Answ 1 and sue for reconciliation at the hands of our brother whom wee have offended and therefore the Lord will be appeased towards us Secondly because he that submits himselfe to Answ 2 his brother craving pardon for offences done promising restitution of all wrongs and purposing to injure him no more either in heart or word or deed doth stoppe the mouth of his brother who formerly cried unto God for revenge of the wrong done and therefore his brother being satisfied his Father passeth it by and is reconciled VERS 25 26. Vers 25.26 Agree with thine adversary quickly whiles thou art in the way with him lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliver thee to the Officer and thou be cast into prison verily I say unto thee thou shalt by no meanes come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing § 1. Agree with thine adversary Citò quickly Sect. 1 What is the scope and drift of our Saviour in Quest 1 this word Quickely First he hence would have us to observe the Answ 1 brevity and uncertainty of life Agree with him quickely because thou dost not know how quickly thou maist bee taken hence It is the Divells craft to make us blind insensible obdurate negligent and full of delaies in the worke of grace it is through the malice of our adversary that we put off our repentance crying we will repent us in our old age But our Saviour doth counsell advise us not to procrastinate our conversion and repentance because 1. many are dead before they bee sicke dying suddenly 2. many when they are sicke unto death are either so oppressed with bodily paine and anguish that they have no spare time seriously to call their sinnes to account or if they doe it is extorted from them through the paine of the body not the compunction of the soule 3. Because wicked men grow worse and worse and the more they are in yeares the more they are setled upon their lees Wherefore these things considered Christ exhorts us if we love our selves and soules to agree with our adversary quickly Secondly our Saviour hereby would teach us that reconciliation is not to be deferred or delay Answ 2 Agree with thine adversary quickly that is procraed stinate it not but be made friends out of hand and seek to be reconciled maturely betime remembring I. if thou deferre it then thou maist seeke it too late Yea II. the more quickly thou seekest reconciliation at thy brothers hands the more pleasing and acceptable thou art unto God for it argues that wee doe it willingly and readily without compulsion which the Lord loves Object Hee who hath injured his brother may object against this I have my whole life to turne me in and if I bee reconciled unto my neighbour whom I have offended before I die it is soone enough though it be many yeares hence and therefore there is no necessity of this hasty and quicke reconciliation Answ 1 First thou art not certaine whether thy life shall last untill to morrow or not and therefore agree quickly or thou maist deferre it too long Answ 2 Secondly the proposition is false that thou hast totum vitae spatium the whole time of thy life to be reconciled in for datur vita sola non tota thy life onely is given thee to be reconciled in but not thy whole life that is there is no reconciliation after this life and therefore either whilst thou livest or never thou must be atoned unto thy brother but thou canst not be reconciled unto him at any time when thou pleasest Wherfore our Saviour commands thee to agree quickly Answ 3 Thirdly thou must respect more then thy owne life to wit thy brothers Agree while thou art in the way with him that is while you are both alive for if he die before the breach be made up thou art in danger to be delivered up by the Judge unto the Officers and by them to be cast into prison Death makes a separation between thy brother and thee and therefore agree quickly because thou knowest not how quickly he may be taken away Quest 2 Who are faulty in this particular Answ 1 First those who unwillingly seeke reconciliation and though they have unjustly wronged their neighbours yet can hardly bee perswaded by their dearest and best friends to sue for pardon and peace at their hands whom they have offended Answ 2 Secondly they who never desire peace and unity but before Easter or when they are to come to the Table of the Lord. Answ 3 Thirdly they who will never seeke to be accorded unto their brethren untill they lie upon their death beds All these grossely and egregiously erre from this rule of Christ agree with thine adversary quickly Answ 4 Fourthly they who onely respect their owne lives not at all the life of their brethren I doe not altogether condemne the practise of those who when death is approaching unto them seek to be reconciled unto their brethren because it is better to doe it then than not at all but I doe not commend it for 1. it should be done quickly as aforesaid 2. before the death of thy brother lest hee should depart hence not being reconciled unto thee or having forgiven thee Quest 3 But the injurious person may here demand what danger is there or can there be unto me although he die before we are reconciled
worship and yet in his life and conversation disobey God 1 Sam. 15.22 But none are pleasing unto him but those who labour sincerely to obey him Thirdly because our sinnes doe so pollute our best actions that nothing is pleasing unto God Answ 3 so long as our sinnes are not purged by faith Agg. 2.15 Proverb 21.27 Who are here to be blamed Quest 4 First those who trust in the worke wrought Answ 1 or in the bare performance therof for this may be done both without faith and love Answ 2 Secondly those who perform outward profession without inward subjection who will both pray and hear and yet not submit their wils unto the will of God but continue to walk after their own hearts lusts Answ 3 Thirdly those who make a profession of Religion and in the mean time hate envie injure and oppresse their brethren Abak 2.4 Esa 61.8 Many think to hide their oppressions wrongs done under a pretence of Religion like the Pharisees who made longs prayers that they might the more unsuspectedly prey upon poor widows Vers 10 11 12. VERS 10 11 12. And behold there was a man which had his hand withered and they asked him saying Is it lawfull to heal on the Sabbath daies that they might aâ—use him And he said unto them What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day will he not lay hold of it and lift it out How much then is a man better than a sheep wherefore it is lawfull to do well on the Sabbath daies From these three verses two or three generall Questions may be considered of Quest 1 Why did the Lord appoint a Sabbath or day of rest and that too upon the seventh day Answ 1 First some Jews are of opinion That the Sabbath being the seventh day was appointed to be kept holy because it is Saturns day which is evill and unlucky to begin any work in But this is a heathenish superstition to seem to worship those things for fear which are thought to hurt as Tullius Hostilius the third King of the Romans made the Quartane Ague and Fear and Palenesse Goddesses The Lord taught his people otherwise that they should not be afraid of the Stars of heaven nor worship those things which God had given for the service of men Deut. 4.19 Answ 2 Secondly the speciall reason why the seventh day was kept holy was grounded upon the Lords example that rested upon the seventh day after the works of the Creation were finished Answ 3 Thirdly divers Reasons may be yeelded why it was necessary that a day of rest should be appointed for the people of God namely I. This day was appointed and given ad destructionem erroris for the destruction of errours because the Lord did foresee that divers in the world would make question of the beginning and creation thereof as they which say 2 Pet. 3. Where is the promise of his comming for convincing their errour the Lord commanded this day to be kept as a monument of the Creation II. It was given to instruct us in the faith of our Redemption to signifie that Christs flesh should rest in the Grave according to that My flesh shall rest in hope Psalm 16. III. It was given to prefigure the truth of the Promise both in our spirituall rest from sin Damasc de orthodox fid lib. 4. cap. 24. as also in our everlasting rest in the Kingdom of God Cyril in Ioan. lib. 4. cap. 51. Now in heaven we look for rest from three things according to Thomas namely First A laboribus hujus vitae from the labours of this life Secondly A tentationum concussione from the trouble of temptation Thirdly A diaboli servitute from the service of the devill IV. It was ordained Ad inflammationem amoris to inflame our love that being free from worldly labours we might the better attend upon God V. It was given Ad opera pietatis for the works of piety for otherwise some would be so covetous that they would never leave working for gain Thom. in opuscul VI. This day was ordained that the bodies should be refreshed by this rest for some through their unsatiable greedinesse could scarse have afforded any rest unto themselves especially unto them who were at the command of others as children and servants Simler s Exod. 20. What things in the Sabbath were Ceremoniall Quest 2 and Temporall and what Morall and Perpetuall and what Mysticall First these things in the Jewish observation of Answ 1 the Sabbath were Ceremoniall namely I. The prescript of the day The Seventh day II. The manner of keeping it with the sacrifices oblations and other rites III. The strict prohibition of all kinde of works even concerning their meat as in gathering and preparing of Manna Exod. 16. yea it was not lawfull upon that day to kindle a fire Exod. 35.3 and that under pain of death for he that gathered sticks was stoned Num. 15.4 The Sabbath was a shadow of our spirituall rest in Christ and of Christs rest in the grave In all these respects the Sabbath was Ceremoniall and bindeth not us now Secondly these things also in the Sabbath are Answ 2 Morall and Perpetuall namely I. The rest and relaxation of the creatures from their ordinary labour which was not the chief and principall but Accidentalis finis the accidentall end of keeping the Sabbath that so they might the better attend upon the service of God Calvin II. The Sabbath was instituted specially for the service of God for the remembrance of his benefits the setting forth of his praise and the meditating upon his works as the Creation of the world the Redemption and Resurrection of Christ Simler s Exod. 20. III. Conservatio Ecclesiastici Ministerii the conservation of the Ecclesiasticall Ministery was not the least or last end of the Sabbath that there should be in the Church ordained and so preserved Pastors and Doctors who should divide the word of God aright instruct the people and exhort them to Repentance Bastingius Vrsinus Thirdly Thomas maketh the Sabbath Ceremoniall Answ 3 in these four respects namely I. In the determination of the day II. In the Allegoricall signification as it was a sign of Christs rest in the grave III. In the Morall sense as it signifieth a cessation from every act of sin IV. In the Anagogicall signification as it prefigured our rest in the Kingdom of Heaven r Thom. 2.2 quaest 122. Art 4 But I rather with Vrsinus take this spirituall Sabbath which is begun in this life in ceasing from the works of sin and perfited in the next to belong unto the Morall and internall part of the Sabbath than to the Externall and Ceremoniall The two first indeed are Ceremoniall in the Sabbath the other two are not properly Ceremoniall seeing they are perpetuall but rather Morall Spirituall and Mysticall Answ 4 Fourthly As the Sabbath was unto the Israelites Typicall and