Testimonium excellentiae a testimony of that excellency which we acknowledge in him above our selves of this Solomon speaks when 〈◊〉 adviseth not to meddle with a strang woman lest we lose our honour that is lest we lose the good reputation and esteeme we have in the 〈◊〉 of others and in another case he tells us that a peaceable man shall have honour and good respect with men for by a good opinion of men we testifie there is an excellency in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have some what more then we have and both the Apostles 〈◊〉 Paul and Saint Peter expresse this duty by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjection or submission to be subject as we see Christ was subject to this father and mother in respect of his manhood acknowledging himself to be a child and so consequently thought some thing to be in them to receive this honour which was not in himself The 〈◊〉 will make this more plain In the case of Corah and his company they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron they would not give them honour God calls it afterwards a dishonouring of him and their 〈◊〉 was They were not more excellent then others all the congregation was holy and the Lord was amongst them Their thesis was All men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Lord and therefore Moses and Aaron had no more excellency then the rest of the congregation But we see how God by a special miracle confuted their position for the example of all that in future times should exalt themselves against their superiours The contrary to this sinne of theirs is when men do acknowledge and confesse that there is not an equality but that some do excel them and that this excellency above them is not as the Poet speaks by chance but by the appointment of God that as in creation and generation he is the special father that gives us being so for our well by government that he is our special governour and that those above us are his instruments appointed for our preservation when we acknowledge this exellency in others and that it comes from God who hath imparted his gifts to them This is the first and the inward part of honour But now as God told Samuel concerning 〈◊〉 God and man look several waves for God looks on the 〈◊〉 which man cannot see it is onely the excellency which outwardly apears which we can take notice of and honour and so likewise the inward honour of the heart of which we have spoken is seen onely by God man cannot behold it and therefore besides the inward esteeme or estimate of anothers excellency there must be also some exteriour signe or testimony whereby we acknowledge it to be others and this makes the second part of honour 〈◊〉 honour Such was that which 〈◊〉 desired of Samuel though the kingdom were taken from him as Samuel well knew yet honour me saith he before the Elders of the people and before 〈◊〉 c. And such was that which the 〈◊〉 looked after viz. The 〈◊〉 places at 〈◊〉 the uppermost 〈◊〉 and greeting in the market place This is the second part of honour What this exteriour honour is and after what manner it is to be exhibited in particular is best known by the manner of the countrey where men live because it is not alike in all places every countrey hath not the same signes of honour Holy men in scripture have exhibited outward honour by several gestures or ceremonies which may be reduced to these seven heads 1. To rise up when a person of excellency which either by nature or analogie and proportion is our 〈◊〉 in presence Job accounted it as an honour done to him when the aged arose and stood up when he was in presence And Solomon a king thought fit to expresse his duty to his mother Bathsheba by rising up to her when she came before him 2. The uncovering or making the head bear was accounted a token of honour in use with the Saints and a dishonour to keep it covered as we may gather by the words of the Apostle 3. The bowing of the knee or all or part of the body When 〈◊〉 would have 〈◊〉 honoured he thought no way better for the people to expresse it then by bowing their 〈◊〉 to him He caused them to 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 Abrech that is bow the knee King 〈◊〉 in the place before quoted to adde the greater honour 〈◊〉 his mother bowed himself to her Jacob meeting his brother Esau bowed himself 〈◊〉 times to the ground a great expression of this duty And Ruth no doubt thought she honoured 〈◊〉 when she bowed her self to the ground before him So for the bowing of the head it is mentioned in diverse places in scripture to set forth this duty The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 when they came before him bowed their heads and made obeysance These were signes of honour at the first meeting or salutation 4. A fourth expression is standing up not onely to rise before them we prefer in excellency but to stand up too we see the practize of it in the people of Israel Moses 〈◊〉 as a judge among 〈◊〉 but it is said that the people stood by him from morning till evening And 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 mayd when she went to attend upon king David was to stand before him The like did 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 And indeed it is the common expression of service 5. The next is to be silent in the presence of them we account our betters Job tells us that when he was in prosperity the Princes refrained talking in his presence and laid their hand upon their mouth Ths Nobles held their peace c. And in the same Chapter he saith unto me men gave eare and waited and kept 〈◊〉 at my counsel 6. The sixth is that when of necessity we are to speak we use words of submission It is Saint Peters note of Sarah her submissive speech to her husband she called him Lord. And the speech of Rachel to her father 〈◊〉 is a president of this kind for children to their parents 〈◊〉 it not displease my Lord that I cannot rise up before thee And of Josephs brethren for inferiours to men in authority Thy servant our father is in good health 7. The last is dispersed throughout the scriptures and comprehended under the word ministrare to minister and wait Luc. 17. 7. And it comprehendeth all such other duties of outward honour as are to be vsed by servants to their masters As our Saviour expresseth one in the masters command to his servant to make ready that he may sup And the maid waited on Naamans ' wife And so king Davids Generals are said to wait on him And Job in the place before mentioned saith that men waited on him in token of reverence and service to him so that when we
And when God would exalt Abraham from being father to the children of a bond woman Agar by whom he had Ismael to be the father of Isaac and the faithful and thereby to establish the Church in his house then because he was more glorious he gives him a more glorious name Thou shalt no more be called Abram but Abraham And the like we see in Jacob whose name was changed to Israel a name of more dignity when he had prevailed with God Now if a good name or good report be among private men so highly valued that as Solomon saith it is better then a precious ointment which was in great esteme for pleasure in those dayes yea then silver or gold or any precious treasure which was most esteemed for profit and if it be true which the Heathen said interesse famae est majus omni alio interesse that the weight and interest of a good name goeth 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 yea further as a Father saith Fama pari passu ambulat cum vita it goeth cheek by joul with life it self Of how pretious and high esteem ought the name of God to be and how highly ought we to reverence and esteem it seeing as the Psalmist saith God hath magnified his name and word above all things Therefore his glory and name is the chief thing we should look unto Thus we see what 's meant by the name of God The second is what is understood by taking the Name of God Non assumes c. The barrennesse of the English language makes the expression of the Original short for the word whence it comes signifies to take up and hath a double use to which may be referred whatsoever is borrowed in this sence 1. It is applyed to a standard or banner and hence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nose Armiger 2. To a heavy thing as a burden whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 massae pondus and these two kinde of things we take up or remove if a thing be glorious as a standard we take it and lift it up and if a thing be necessary and useful to us though it be heavy and weighty we take it up so that the one is in rebus gloriosis the other in rebus necessariis and if a thing be neither glorious nor necessary we let it lie the first includes the duties of praise in all that take Gods name upon them the second refers to the duty of swearing which is a weighty thing and under these two are comprehended all other takings of his name 1. It is in gloriosis as Moses called his Altar erected and set up Jehovah-nissi that is the Lord my banner or standard from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ness vexillum Or as the plate made for Aaron wherein was to be graven Sanctitas Jehovae Holinesse to the Lord was to be taken up and placed upon Aarons forehead visible as a thing glorious as the badge of a noble man is lifted up upon the shoulder of a servant to be seen This lifting or taking up of Gods name is a thing glorious As the taking of a name by a childe from a father is honourable It was an honour and a priviledge to Ephraim and 〈◊〉 to be called after their grand-father Jacobs name so is it an honor to a woman to have her husbands name It was all the ambition of the women in the Prophet that desired one husband to be called by his name And we see still that in marriage the woman taketh her husbands name and it is such a glory to her that she is content to loose her own name for his And it is our own glory that from Gentiles we are called Christians Of which Esay in sundry places foretold Every one shal be called by my name saith God for I have created him for my glory And Thou shalt be called by a new name And again And shall call his servants by another name All which was fulfilled in the primitive Church when the Disciples were first called Christians The glory of Christ was taken up by Christians when they were called by his name Now being Gods servants and servants taken up his banner or badg the duty commanded is that we must like good servants do all to his glory as the Apostle speaks God can receive no profit by us but glory we may give him and therefore all our actions must refer to it We must not be so ambitious as they were in the dayes of Peleg that sought by building Babels tower to get themselves a name for that is Gigantomachia which is bellare cum Deo to fight with God It is not good to contest with him in this kinde You may read the successe of their enterprise God overthrew their plot even by the confusion of that which should have gotten them their names the tongue Nor must we set a face or false colour upon our own evil acts under pretence of Gods glory as did Absalom If the Lord will bring me again to Jerusalem I will serve him here was a fair pretence when treason lay hid in heart against his own father So 〈◊〉 makes religion a 〈◊〉 proclaims a fast for the murder of Naboth These are so far from the glory of Gods name that they are wicked abuses of it Thus Gods name is to be glorified within us now for the outward duties 1. Having taken this name upon us we must not be ashamed of it nor afraid to confesse it Judah of whom came the name to the Jews was so called the word signifying praise because his mother said she would confesse or praise God so must we wear our name of Christians and Gods servants to the glory of God and Christ and not be ashamed of it The reason Christ himself giveth Whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my father And though the Church of Philadelphia was but of small strength and its works were not great yet because it had not denyed his name Christ promiseth to set open a door for it and other things as you may read But any that shall receive the name and mark of the beast wear any others livery he shall drink of the wrath of God and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 2. There is another degree beyond that of not denying his Masters name which every good servant is bound to and which his master expects from him that is standing for his name when it is blasphemed consessing and defending it to the death as the Martyrs have done Because there was none that offered to defend Gods name when judgement was turned backward and justice stood afarr of truth was fallen in the streets and equity could not enter therefore he thereatens terrible judgement he puts on the garments of vengeance saith the 〈◊〉 3. Lastly we must not forget Gods name but often make mention of it The Prophet David threatens a
Creation by positive Divine Law obliging all mankinde Instead whereof the Lords day is set apart for the day of publick worship by the Apostles as extraordinary Legats of Christ in memory of the Resurrection which is to continue unchangeable to the end of the World This as it is shewed out of the Authors other writings so for the more full clearing of all questions upon this subject there is added a large discourse containing the whole Doctrine of the Sabbath and Lords day laid down in seven Conclusions Chap. 7. in Com. 4. wherein I conceive there is some thing offered which may givc some satisfaction to those that are moderate of both sides 5. For the better help of the Reader every Commandment is divided into Chapters and the Sum or Contents of each Chapter with the method how they stand are prefixt to every Chapter or Section All which Contents together with the Supplements or Additions are set together at the beginning of the Book that so the Reader may at once have a general Idaea of the whole Book and of what is handled in each Precept and so may the more easily finde any thing he desires to read without much Labour or enquiry Thus the Reader may in part conceive what is done to render this work the more useful to him And if the stile be not so accurate and exact as in the Authors other sermons he must consider that as it was not polisht by the Author nor fitted by him for the Presse and that in the revising thereof there was more regard had to the matter then to words so having passed through diverse hands it cannot seem strange if some incongruities of speech do still remain Errours we know of one concoction are not easily corrected in an other and waters will contract some tincture from the Minerals through which they passe besides that the errours and mistakes of the Printer which could not easily be prevented may in many places obscure or pervert the sence Let this therefore be taken in good part which is intended for the publick good and what shall be found needful to be corrected as who can walk in so rough a path and never stumble shall God willing be rectified in the next Edition in the mean time make use of this and if it shall contribute any thing to promote the practise of Religion which is the scope of the work the Publisher hath the fruit of his Indeavours and ends of his Desires who desires further the benefit of their Prayers that shall reap any benefit by his Labours AN INTRODVCTION To the Exposition Of the DECALOGUE Containing certain Generall pracognita about Catechizing Religion the Law c. CHAP. I. 1 That Children are to be taught and instructed in Religion proved out of Heathen Philosophers out of the Law the Gospel 2 That this instruction ought to be by way of Catechism What catechizing is How it differs from Preaching Reasons for abridgements or 〈◊〉 of Religion Catechizing used in all ages Before the flood After the flood Vnder the Law Vnder the Gospel After the Apostles In the Primitive Church Reasons for this custome of Catechizing BEfore we proceed to the ensuing Catechism we will first premise something concerning the necessity of Catechizing Youth and the duties of the catechised by way of preface And for this we have sufficient warrant not onely humane but divine also Clemens Alexandrinus Tutor to Origen intending to write his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or three books of Pedagogy or instruction of Children prefixed before it his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or admonitory Oration And Cyrill Bishop of Jerusalem writing twenty four several Catechisms in the front of them hath a preface which maketh up the twenty fift which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Introduction or Preface And both these are built upon the example of King David who being at one time among others determined to catechize Children calls them to him saying Come ye children and hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord a plain preface before catechizing The like introduction did his Son make Hear O ye children the Instruction of a father and give ear to learn understanding So that you see our warrant for an introduction or preface Now out of these texts three points naturally arise 1. That it is a thing not onely pleasing to the Lord but also commanded by him that children be instructed in the fear of God 2. That their teaching must be by way of catechizing 3. What is required of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the catechized that the catechizing may be fruitful and not in vaine viz. to come and hearken or giue eare There have been some of opinion as may be seen as well in the writings of the Heathen as in the story of the Bible that Religion should not descend so low as to children but that they are to be brought up licentiously and allowed liberty while they are young and not to be instructed before they come to riper years and then they should be instructed in Religion 1. The heathen tell us of that 〈◊〉 is in the beginning of the Philosophers moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a young man is not a proper and fit Auditor of Moral Philosophy And it was the Orators opinion in his defence of Caelius Dandum est aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deferbuerit Liberty is to be given to Youth till its heat be abated And one of their Poets Qui deos voluptuarios contempsit juvenis is aut amabit aut 〈◊〉 senex He that despiseth pleasure while he is young will either dote or be mad when he comes to be old To answer this we say that if there were any weight or moment in the authority of the Heathen the whole consent and practise of them in general were to be preferred before some few mens opinions And for their practise it is certain that catechism or instruction of youth was ever in use among the Gentiles for we finde in Porphiries questions upon Homer this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things we understand by the instruction of our childehood And Salons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacred admonitions learn't by Eschines shewed that it was usual in Athens for youth to be taught The history also of the Heathen makes it plain that their children were instructed and so dealt with for it was a custome among them not to poll their childrens heads till they were instructed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sacred admonitions from which time they were allowed to carry tapers in their shows and festival solemnities then were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Torch or Taper-bearers Phocylides also saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is necessary to teach a childe while he is young to doe well And 〈◊〉 in his golden verses and Plutarch in his booke of the education of youth and Plato in Euthym. are all of the same opinion
a passage to the Corinthians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may catechize others We finde three eminent persons noted to us in Scripture that were catechumeni catechized The first was Theophilus of whom Saint Luke testifieth It seemed good to me saith he to write to thee in order that thou mightest know the certainty of those things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning which thou wert catechized or instructed The second was Apollos of whom also Saint Luke gives this commendation that he was mighty in the Scriptures and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this man was catechized or instructed in the way of the Lord. The third was Timothy of whom saint Paul testifies that he had known the the Scriptures from a childe And in one place mention is made both of the Catechist and Catechized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. After the Apostles times the first Catechist of any fame was the Evangelist Mark in Alexandria after him Pantenus then Clemens Origen Cyril of Jerusalem Gregory Nyssen Athanasius Fulgentius S. Augustine and others And that there were catechumeni in the Church in all ages may appear by the canons of diverse Councels Hegesippus converted from Judaism to Christianity in his Ecclesiasticall story reports that this work of catechizing wrought so great effect that there was no known commonwealth inhabited in that part of the world but within fourty years after our saviours passion 〈◊〉 superstition was shaken in it by Catechizing So that Julian the Apostata the greatest enemy that ever Christians had found no speedier way to root out Christian religion then by suppressing Christian schools and places of catechizing and if he had not been as a Cloud that soon passeth away it might have been feared that in a short time he had overshadowed true Religion 1 And when Catechizing was left off in the Church it soon became darkned and over-spread with ignorance The Papists therefore acknowledge that all the advantage which the protestants have gotten of them hath come by this exercise and it is to be feared that if ever thy get ground of us it will be by their more exact and frequent Catechizing then ours 3. Concerning the third quaere The reasons why this custome of catechizing by way of question and answer hath ever been continued seem to be these 1 Because of the account every one must give Our Saviour tells it us reddes rationem we must render an accompt And every man will will be most wary in that for which he must be accomptable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Because we are all young and old to give an accompt of our faith Be ready saith Saint Peter alwayes to give answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you a solid reason not a phanatique opinion And by this we shall be the better fitted to these four necessary duties 1 of examining the doctrine we heare 2 Of examining our selves before we heare the word and receive the sacrements 3 Of admonishing our brethren which we cannot doe unlesse we be fitted with knowledge 4 Of adhering to the truth Because being children we doe imbibere errcres ergo exuendi sunt et induendaveritas we drink in errours which must be shaken of and our loynes must be girt with truth The Heathen man adviseth us that in all our actions we propound to our selves Cui bono What good will arise by that we goe about In this certainly the fruit is great diverse wayes 1 It will be acceptable to God to spend our hours in his service 2 We shall learn hereby to know God and his son Jesus Christ. Whom to know is life eternal 3 It will procure length of happy dayes in this life 4 Lastly the fruit of it is holines and the end everlasting life Now 〈◊〉 the fruit is so great we are to take especial care that the hours we spend in this exercise be not lost and so we be deprived of the fruit For as in natural Philosophy it is held a great absurdity ut aliquid frustra fiat that any thing be done in vain or to no purpose and in morall ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there be a vain and fruitlesse desire so in divinity much more S. Paul useth it as an argument to the corinthians to prove the resurrection that if there should be none then both his preaching and their faith were in vain And in another place he did so forecast his manner of the conversion of the gentiles ne forte currat in vanum lest he might run in vain Therefore as the same Apostle desired the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain so are we to be careful that we heare nothing in vain lest we be like those in Jeremy that let the bellows blow and the lead consume in the fire and the founder melt in vain upon which place saith the glosse that all pains and labour which is taken with such people is in vain and lost But the word of God cannot be in vain in three respects 1 In respect of it self 2 In respect of the Catechist 3 In respect of the Catechized 1 In respect of it self it cannot be in vain For God himself maintaineth the contrary As the rain cometh down saith he by the Prophet and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and budd that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall the word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return to me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it 2 Nor can it be in vain in respect of the Catechizer or him that delivereth it I have laboured in vain saith the Prophet I have spent my strength for nought and in 〈◊〉 yet surely mark that my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God The paines which the Catechizer takes is not in vain because God seeing he hath done his part will accept of his endeavours though his 〈◊〉 reject and 〈◊〉 them And if the son of peace be there 〈◊〉 peace shall rest upon him if not redibit ad vos it shall returne to you again saith Christ to his disciples And the Apostle most plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish Therefore we ought to be very carefull how we behave our selves in hearing 3 Lastly it cannot be in vain to the Catechized If we come to heare with a good intent the spirit of God takes order that the word shall be profitable and fruitful like good seed sowed in good ground And to this purpose it is that Saint Gregory saith Cum verbiboni auditores 〈◊〉 pro reficiendis eis majora
the earth every where wandring 5. Lastly Auscultate ut retineatis Hearken to keep not to forget what you 〈◊〉 this virtus 〈◊〉 a retentive faculty makes a hearer compleat Blessed are they saith our Saviour that hear the word of God and keep it So saith saint John Blessed are they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things that are written therein On the contrary If any be a hearer of the word and not a 〈◊〉 he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glasse c. So may we say of them that hear and lay not the words up in their hearts A Rabbin compares such ears to an hour glasse that when one glasse is full of sand it is turned and the sand 〈◊〉 into the other These kinde of ears are ever the worst not worthy to participate the mysteries of God There must not be only a laying up in our memories but in our hearts too till the day starre arise in our hearts Among the Schoole-men there is an opinion quod cor non facit non fit that which the heart doth not is not done at all Pharaoh returned to his house but the thing he heard did not enter into his heart And therefore it was that God said The words which I command thee shall be in thine heart and in that place this order of 〈◊〉 is prescribed plainly We are in these dayes for the most part greedy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vain superficial kinde of knowledge but our knowledge should be to give to the simple sharpnesse of wit to the young man knowledge and discretion And when wisdom entreth into thine heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul discretion shall 〈◊〉 thee and understanding shall keep thee So that the writing committing to memory and talking of that which we hear should be to this end to work deeper impression in our hearts to practise it And that we may do this the better there are three things required in us 1. Examination 2. Meditation 3. Conference 1. For the first it is to be done by following our Saviours counsel Searching the Scriptures not running after Diviners and Soothsayers but the Law and the Testimony according to that of the Prophet Saint Luke testifieth of the 〈◊〉 that they were more noble then they of Thessalonica why because they searched the Scrpturs daily The Preachen or catechizer must not doe all for us something we are to doe for ourselves If we mean to 〈◊〉 to the knowledge of God let us search saith the prophet And the preacher gave his heart to search out wisdom that is by the holy scriptures That which I knew not saith holy Job 〈◊〉 searched out Saint Peter gave testimony of the Prophets that they searched and enquired diligently the things which concerned their salvation Thus must hearers search the scriptures not as if they could understand them without their teachers much lesse to judge their doctrine but to confirm their 〈◊〉 in what they hear Meditation is the second duty We are to meditate and ruminate as well upon the things we hear as upon those we read S. Paul after he had prescribed rules to Timothy how to order himself gives him this counsel also Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all And after a general exhortation to the Philippians he concludes with Finally brethren c. think on these things The reason is given by S. Augustine Quod habes cave ne perdas take heed thou lose not that which thou hast gotten by reading and hearing If we onely hear and reade and think not afterward upon it it is to be feared that we shall not be bettered by that which we have either read or heard This duty hath ever been in practise with the Saints of God Isaac went out into the fields to meditate And king David did often so as appeareth by the 119 Psalm in diverse places The last duty is conference And this is done either First by Auditors among themselves Or Secondly with the Priest and learned The first we have in the Prophet Malachi They that feared the Lord spake often one to another yet not in Conventicles And the other we have in the Prophet Agge Ask the Priests concerning the Law The reason is given by the former Prophet The Priests lips preserve knowledge because he is the 〈◊〉 of the Lord of Hosts If then in reading or hearing we be at a stand the Scriptures being a deep Sea to wade through repair to the Priest confer with him and desire his direction We see our Saviour while he was young took this course his parents found him not onely hearing the Doctors but conferring with them and asking them questions Though it be the common saying that Experience is the Mother of Knowedge yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conference is the Grandmother for it begets experience Now as the Prophet speaks Hic est omnis fructus ut auferatur peccatum this is the fruit and end of all these duties to take away sin As in diseases there are bastard Feavers which have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verarum febrium symptomes signes of true feavers so is there also 〈◊〉 pietas bastard religion which hath specious shews of true 〈◊〉 Seeing then that preaching and catechizing may fail and that as our Saviour tels Martha Vnum necessarium est there is one thing needful while we have the great blessing of the Word that 〈◊〉 necessarium let us hear it and God in it Lest it happen to us which the Wiseman and the Prophet foretold They shall cry unto the Lord but he will not hear them why because they hated knowledge And as it was with Elies sons they hearkned not to the voice of their father therefore the Lord did slay them Let us therefore labour by hearing to come to the knowledge of God and no doubt but God will have a respect to our hearing and of Catechumeni make us proficients give a blessing to our endeavours we will conclude this point with a saying of S. Cyril an ancient Catechist Meum est docere vestrum auscultare Dei perficere It is my part to teach yours to hear and Gods to perfect and give a blessing to that which I teach and you hear And so much for Venite auscultate CHAP. III. Of Religion in general and the foundations of it The four first steps 1 We must come to God as the onely way to true happinesse No happinesse in riches proved by divers reasons Nor in Honour Nor in pleasure Nor in moral vertue Nor in contemplation General reasons against them all that felicity cannot be in any of them 1 because they cannot satisfie 2 They are not perpetual but uncertain In God onely is true happinesse to be found THe work of
of having but three commandments in the first Table in reference to the Trinity as may be seen in his division of the Decalogue For the Councils which are divided into Action or Agitation of a point and Canon 1. In the Action commonly is such errour that they are forced to lay all upon the Canon and say that it matters not much what the premises be so the Conclusion be good 2. And for the Canon we may finde in some Councils that the Canons of one are flat and direct against another as in the case of marriages of Priests some for them some against them We see the two Councils of Constance and Basile both 〈◊〉 and both confirmed one by Pope Martin the fifth and the other by Eugenius the fourth The Bulls of which though the Canons agree be opposite to each other The one holding Concilium posse errare non Papam that the Council may but the Pope cannot erre the other Papam errare posse non Concilium that the Pope may erre but the Council cannot And the Canon of the Council of Ferrara holding against that of the Council of Florence one that the Pope is above the Council and the other that the Council is above the Pope All this shewes that Councils are not simply infallible but may erre now where it is evident that they erre being drawn into parties and factions by corrupt interests none is bound to beleeve their determinations but where there is no such evidence they ought to be obeyed as those authorised by Christ to direct and guide us in matters of salvation and even when we are not bound to believe their decisions yet for the peace of the Church their decrees tye us to external obedience that is not to oppose them if there be no fundamental errour For the Church and the practise thereof This is as uncertain as the other For the Churches of the East and West agree not in diverse points and among other in the case of the Popes supremcay the Eastern Church totally opposing it And if we urge the practise of the Church it will be found that at some time most of the Bishops were Arrians So that in this there 's both ambiguity and peril And Basile saith that in the case of Baptism the Children at the first were dipped but once and afterwards thrice and we know at this day they are but once dipped It is true these shew that the Church is not simply infallible especially in such points as these which touch not any fundamental article and that particular Churches may differ in some lesser points and yet maintain the same faith and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace but all this hinders not but that the Church is the ordinary interpreter of Scripture to her children and that they ought to submit to her because she is accountable to God for them Heb. 13. 17. and that none ought to reject her doctrine upon probable or doubtful reasons but upon such as are evident that is such as not onely seem evident to them for every contradicting spirit will affirm the most doubtful things to be evident to him but such as to other pious and learned men not interested seem evident Reginald l. 17. c. ult n. 234. This seems to have been the judgement of this learned Prelate in his latter thoughts As serm on Act. 2. 42. p. 27. where he hath these words fit to be written in letters of gold The ancient fathers thought it meet that they that took upon them to interpret the Apostles doctrine should put in sureties that their senses they gave were no other then the Church in former time hath acknowledged It is true the Apost spake from the spirit and every exposition of theirs was an oracle but that was their peculiar priviledge but all others after them are not to utter their own fancies and to desire to be beleeved upon their bare word but onely on condition that the sense they now give be not a feigned sense but such an one as hath been before given by our Fathers and fore-runners in the Christian faith Say I this of my self Saith the Apostle saith not the Law so too give I this sense of mine own head hath not Christs Church heretofore given the like which one course if it were strictly held would rid our Church of many fond imaginations which now are stamped daily because every man upon his own single bond is trusted to deliver the meaning of any Scripture which is many times nought else but his own imagination This is the disease of our age Thus he The last way they prescribe is that of the Popes And that they may erre in their interpretation may appear in that many of them were not sound in the faith Saint Jerome saith that Damasus Pope did consent ad subscriptionem hereseos to the subscription of heresy and Ambrose reporteth that Liberius the Pope though for a while he was orthodox and for not subscribing to the condemnation of Athanasius he was banished into Thrace but shortly after he became an Arrian and at one of their Councels subscribed to heresy Honorius the first after his death was accursed and condemned in the thirteenth Action of the sixth general Council of Constantinople held anno 680. under Constantinus Pogonatus the Emperour quia impia dogmata confirmavit for confirming wicked opinions which were those of the Monothelites But to shift off these things they have nothing to say but that the Councils were corrupt and not onely they but the writings of Beda shall be corrupt So that we see that none of these rules severally are infallible Let us see them a little together In the administration of the Sacrament of the Lords supper to infants we may see they fail for S. Paul saith Let a man examine himself and so eat c. which a Childe cannot do And in this and other things wherein they fail they are forced to say We beleeve not the Fathers because they say it but because they say it according to rules And if they beleeve it in respect of the person that speaketh not the quid the reality of the thing they erre much though Stapleton say that the interpretation of a Bishop though unlearned is to be prefer'd before that of a learned Divine because of his office and authority Andradius yet saith The Fathers are to be beleeved not in whatsoever they say but in whatsoever they say according to their rules and so say we And thus much for the Preface CHAP. XIIII Christian Religion divided into the Law and the Gospel Additions about the use of the Law That the Law of Christ is part of the second Covenant c. The judgement of the Authour out of his other Books That the Gospel is Lex Christi The Law handled first Reasons for this order What the Law teacheth and what the Gospel Summa Religionis IN the next place we are to
c. Evil men commend many things truly and reprove many things as justly but by what rules do they so whence have they it that men ought to live so seeing they live not so themselves why these rules are right and good though their minds be not so the rules are unchangeable though their mindes be mutable c. Yea he concludes that they finde them in libro lucis in the book of light and truth howsoever they are blinde and as S. John the light shone in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not which truth being in God as a seal makes the same impression in the minde of man yet keeps it self whole and where this print or impression is fet it can never be wiped out And thus we see that all men ever had and have the effect of the Law in them And this we will prove from the performing the duties required in the law before it was given this may appear before the written law in all the ten Commandements 1. For the first Commandement Though it be not very plain that Terah with Abraham Lot and Sarah departed out of Vr of the Chaldees into Canaan because of the idolatry of the inhabitants yet soon after there is a very plain place for it Jacob commanded his houshold to put away their strange gods 2. For the second Jacob buried the idols under an Oak and in that Rachel hid the images under the Camels litter in a godly zeal as some think 3. For the third Abraham caused his Steward to put his hand under his thigh and swear by the Lord of Heaven and Earth that he should not take a wife for his son of the daughters of the Canaanites And we may see a solemn oath taken between Jacob and Laban 4. For the fourth We may see the observation of it plainer before the giving of the Law in Exodus in speech about gathering a double portion of Manna of the Sabbaths Eve 5. For the fifth we may finde in one place how Esau cryed for his fathers blessing and in another how he stood in awe of his father though he were otherwise prophane for he would not kill his brother Jacob while his father was alive 6. For the sixth we see a plain precept Whosoever sheddeth mans blood by 〈◊〉 shall his blood be shed 7. For the seventh Judah would have burned Thamar for playing the whore and Shechem was slain for ravishing Dinah and the whole city spoiled by her brethren For their answer to their father Jacob was should he deale with our sister as with a harlot 8. For the eighth The putting of Josephs cup into the mouth of the sack was enough though among the Egyptians to clap his brethren in prison and God forbid 〈◊〉 they we should doe this that is steale 9. For the ninth Because Judah had promised to send a kid he performed it though as he thought to a harlot 10. For the tenth There was no act nor purpose of heart in Abimelech against Sara as appeareth yet the sinne of concupiscence was punished in him by God Behold thou art buta dead man because of the woman which thou hast taken Notwithstanding Abimilech had not yet come neer her So Pharaoh was plagued for her in the same case By this we see that there was a Law before the written Law The summe of the Law is this Ambula mecum walk with me or before me and the means to do this is Love Can two walk together saith the Prophet and not be agreed if they love they will not part So that love must be the ground and to love Christ is to keep his Commandements Now there is no Love but between likes so that we must be integrl perfect both in body and soule not outwardly alone but inwardly too The Law consists in two Duties 1 In avoiding or not doing Evill 2 Jn doing that which is good Both put together by the Prophet Cease to do evill learn to do good And by the Psalmist Eschew evil and do good The sinne against the first of these is called Peecatum Commissionis sinne of commission and the sinne against the second is called Peccatum Omissionis sinne of omission In regard of the first we are called 〈◊〉 Dei Gods souldiers against his enemies Sine and Satan and therefore are we said to be the Church Militant In respect of the second we are stiled Operarii Dei Gods labourers In regard of the first we are called innocentes guiltlesse And of the latter Boni et justi good and 〈◊〉 or viri bororum Operum men of good works But in any good work these two 〈◊〉 go together For the Jews were very observant in offering Sacrifices to God but because they burned in Lust and every one neighed after his neighbours wife their sacrifices were not accepted and it was in this respect that God to'd them he was full of their Libamina their sacrifices On the other side be we never so innocent yet if we doe not to our power pascere vestire feed and cloth do good works we sinne et 〈◊〉 bonum sit non secisse malum tamen malum est 〈◊〉 fecisse bonum as it is good not to do evil so is it evil not to do good For in keeping of the Law facere abstinere must concur Yet if we could keep the second we should not so greatly offend in the first Saint Paul in his directions to Titus giveth these rules that as we must deny ungodlinesse there 's the abstinere so we must facere too live soberly justly and Godly that is 1. Pie Godly towards God 2. juste justly towards our neighbours 3. Sobrie soberly towards our selves And for these three Saint Augustine hath three rules or natural principles 1. Deterius subiiciendum prestantiori quod commune habes cum Angelis subde Deo Let man subject himself to God and his Angel-like reason to God his best director This is pie 2 Quod commune habes cum brutis hoc subde rationi Let mens faculties common to them and brute beasts submit to reason And this is to live sobrie 3. Fac quod vis pati let every man do as he would be done by And this is juste And the corruption of these is by three contrary rules 1. The first as the Satan said to Eve Dii eritis ye shall be as Gods Be not subject 2. The second as the Tempter said to the sons of men videte nubite quod libet licet voluntas lex esto see and marry do what liketh you Let your will stand for a Law 3. The third Machiavels principle Quod potes fac bonum prestantioris bonum communitatis Do what you can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod potes that you can do is lawful So much of the first thing in the Law The Action or work 2. The second
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
it might But we finde that he was a transgressour of the Law before he received it and therefore was never partaker of the promise of the Law that is to enter into the land of Canaan Again his miracles often were destructive as to drown 〈◊〉 and to bring plagues to shew Gods wrath and justice and not to save Whereas the Ministers of grace raised the dead healed the sick cast out Devils c. So we see it is the Covenant of Grace that must perfect and save Lastly when Moses came down from the Mount his face did so shine that no man was able to behold him unlesse a veil were put over his face which shews that the cleannesse and perfection of that Law is rather to dazle the eyes then to enl ghten them but Christ came into the world with so milde an aspect and countenance as needed no veil 5. The next is of the Law it self The Tables were broken before they could be delivered which the Fathers expound to signifie how that covenant should be made void and another come instead of it 6. Of the Time In that very time that the people should have received the Law they were in the greatest transgression of it that could be namely in idolatry and worshipping the golden Calf and in that respect very unfit to receive a Law and so it was broken before it was given 7. Lastly of the Manner It was delivered by the terrible blast of a trumpet to terrifie the people shewing thereby that it was a Law of terrour and would require terrible things at their hands But the delivery of the Gospel was clean contrary for that was delivered in a comfortable song by a Quire of Angels praysing and giving glory to GOD a song of peace and joy whereas the trumpet serves rather to denounce war For the second end It was to be 〈◊〉 ad Christum a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ which will be shewen by these five circumstances of the Law 1. It was delivered by the ministery of Angels It was ordeined by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour saith the Apostle Now we know that a Mediatour hath power to end matters as he pleaseth either to establish or abrogate a Law So Christ our Mediatour because for our salvation it could not be otherwise took upon him in his own person to satisfie God and abrogate the old Covenant to establish a new So the Law brings us to this Mediatour 2. There was a charge given to Moses that the two Tables should be put into the Ark of the Testimony which was but a signe of Gods presence with them which signe was perfected in Christ in whom God is present with us for he is our Emanuel God with us indeed 3. Moses must have a veil which was but a Ceremony to shew the mitigation of the rigour of the Law by Christ for by him the veil is removed The veil also signified the ceremonies of the Law which referred to Christ and by him are done away 4. The time when the Law was delivered was fifty dayes after the celebration of the Passeover the time of first fruits And at that very time the same day fifty dayes after at Pentecost came the Holy Ghost in the Gospel And though we cannot perform all we should yet because those fifty dayes are the time of first fruits we may offer up our first-fruits and inchoatam obedientiam inchoate obedience accepted by Christ. And this inchoate obedience we shall have when we shall have new hearts not of stone but of flesh A new heart will I give you c. as the Prophet speaks which as the Apostle expounds it in the New Testament written not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of our heart whereby we shall be made able to offer up our first fruits 5. Lastly By the protestation which the people made against God and Moses that they would not hear them we see a plain dissolution of the Law 〈◊〉 sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mosen they spake against God and Moses Presently upon their murmuring came a type of Hell The Lord sent fiery Serpents among them and in the next 〈◊〉 follows their humiliation 〈◊〉 we have sinned and the verse after followes a declaration of the Gospel concerning the coming of Christ. Make 〈◊〉 a fiery Serpent faith God which Serpent Christ applyeth to himself As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of Man be lifted up Besides the 〈◊〉 had their types of the Sacraments in the Gospel as the passing through the Red sea foreshewed Baptism their Manna and the water out of the Rock the Lords Supper And thus we see that the Law was 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 a Schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. To make this more plain Christs wisdom in the Gospel must be ours for he saith a man must call himself to account how he hath used his talent for God is one that will take account of his servants how they have imployed the talents which he hath delivered them and we must expect to be called ad calculum to account for our talent and not hide them in the ground with the foolish servant This is the first use of the Law that it is tabula supputationum our book of Debitor and Creditor the tables that we must make our account by and lets us see how we stand in case of profit and losse and in that respect it is remedium ignorantia a remedy for ignorance Now because it sheweth us that our debt is greater then we are able to pay and so becomes our sting to death shewing us our miserable condition with a memento unde excideris a putting us in minde whence we are fallen from the image of God As also the horror of Hell into which we shall fall the first of which will procure grief and the other terrour within 〈◊〉 And when it hath brought us to this that wee may bee condemned in the whole summe when God and we have reckoned then hath he his 〈◊〉 the Conscience to 〈◊〉 the debt which brings in another use of the Law that it will be our humiliator humbler shutting us up in prison then it is remedium 〈◊〉 a cure of our pride Then cometh in another use of the Law That seeing our condemnation to be most just and that wee are never able to discharge so great a debt there can be no other way for us but to seek out a surety to discharge it for us and that leadeth us as it did the Israelites to the brazen Serpent that is to Christ. So that the one will keep in our remembrance our debt and deliverance and the other will teach us to say with the Psalmist Quid retribuam c. and so be converted to his testimonies and work a care in us that we lay no more debt upon Christ then we needs must by reason of our infirmity
we utter but vain knowledge therefore having no hope to learn the true knowledge of our selves and being as far from learning it from other natural men 〈◊〉 our selves we must look after another teacher that hath deeper knowledge then we have And who that is we shall finde in the book of Samuel Deus scientiarum Dominus The Lord is a God of knowledge it is he onely that can teach us and as he is able so is he willing too Our Saviour tells us that it is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God for so saith the Prophet Esay And thy Children shall be taught of the Lord. And the kingly Prophet David gives the reason Because that with him is the well of life and in his light we shall see light Though we be naturally blinde and have no light neither in nor of our selves yet in his light we shall see light And therefore he it is that must be our teacher and as he must be our teacher so we may be sure that this teacher is willing to instruct us Gods loving practise tells us that he is He began it with Adam and preserved it in the Patriarchs and then it beginning to decay he continued it by tradition After that people being corrupted and knowledge decaying more and more he wrote the Law which being broken he took order for a new writing and enjoyned them to hear it and appointed Priests and Levites who by interpreting it caused the people to understand it for as the text saith they read the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading When they failed and false interpreters came he raised up prophets to give the true sense of the Law and when this was not sufficient he sent his onely Son the last and most perfect teacher or doctor of the Church and he ascending to the glory of his Father gave gifts to men as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers whom he promised to send and enable with gifts for the instruction and edification of his Church and to continue a succession of them to the end of the world Now as God is the Author of this knowledge so he provides what is necessary for us to attain it viz. the outward ministery of man and the inward work of his Spirit 1. For the first we have the Eunuch sitting in his Chariot and reading a place in Esay and being desirous to know the meaning of the place God provides him a Minister Philip to expound it to him And so when Cornelius was continuing in fasting from the fourth hour to the ninth and falling to prayer God sent Peter to him 2. For the second Our Saviour hath promised on Gods behalf that God shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him So that the outward means being diligently performed on our part we may rest assured that God will perform his part Christ in the Gospel perswades the Pharisees and us in them to search the Scriptures to come to the true knowledge of him and so to life That which remaineth God will supply by the unction of his Spirit there will be no defect on his part provided that we look to ours But the fear is on our part and it appeareth by the commandment here laid upon us that we are not willing for a good man is a Law to himself but we have a commandment to stir us up to knowledge Now further in this as in all the other Commandments we are to consider two things 1. That which is commanded Knowledge of which we have now spoken 2. That which is forbidden Ignorance of which in the next place The affirmative and the negative part In the affirmative is commanded 1. Knowledge 2. A rich measure of it according as our vocation will permit non solum scire sed etiam bene scire And in this negative two things are forbidden 1. Ignorance 2. Light superficial knowledge for the rule in Divinity is Peccatum non tantum est appetitus malorum sed etiam desertio meliorum Where fulnesse is commanded not onely emptinesse but scarcity is forbidden also So not onely ignorance but a light fleeting and superficial knowledge is forbidden Ignorance The Church of Rome is taxed to justifie it though it cannot be found that they are Patrones of it but onely faulty in allowing small superficiall knowledge in the people yet if any man conceive that Ignorance of God is justifiable let this perswade him to the contrary 1. A sinne it must needs be else what needed a sacrifice for it 2. If it had been a light offence David had been uncharitable to pray to God to powre out his indignation on them that knew not his Name 3. It is not onely sin but first the cause of it and secondly the cause of punishment 1. It is the cause of sin for the Prophet saith The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land for that there was no mercy and the reason of that was because there was no true dealing and the reason of both was because there was no knowledge of God and presently after he tells them of their destruction for it So the Apostle after he had reckoned up the offences of the Heathen he concludes it was because of their ignorance of God 2. Ignorance is the cause of punishment 〈◊〉 Prophet faith That the captivity of Babylon was because the people wanted the knowledge of God And it is not the cause of punishment but as it is the cause of sin The Wise man asketh this question Do they not erre that imagine evil there is no sin without error therefore the planting of knowledge would be the rooting out of evil Non erratur saith S. Augustine nisi ignorantia men erre not but for want of knowledge Therefore to both these points S. Augustine hath a pertinent place Quia ipsa ignorantia in eis qui intelligere noluerunt 〈◊〉 dubitatione peccatumest in eis autem qui non potuerunt poena peccati ergo in utrisque non est 〈◊〉 excusatio sed justa damnatio because ignorance it self was a sin without doubt in them that would not understand and a punishment of sin in them that could not therefore in both are condemned neither justified Some there be that argue out of the Acts and excuse ignorance alledging that place That God winked at the times of ignorance and so make it no sin when it is as they call it invincible Ignorance excusable is fourfold 1. In children before they come to years of reason and discretion 2. In fools those that naturally want the use of reason 3. In those that by sicknesse or disease are bereft of the use of reason 4. Where the means cannot be had to take it away But this is not simply and altogether invincible for the
man goeth nor any man desireth more to strengthen a promise he hath given an carnest penny a true Gods penny as we call it 1. Now that which may be objected against this is that the immediate voice of God is not now amongst us and that which we heare is from Moses Esay Saint Matthew Saint Paul c. Yet this we must know that though we heare it from them being but men yet did they not speake of themselves not of their own braines but as they were inspired by the holy Ghost And this Saint Peter tells us the Prophecy saith he came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost For a Prince usually speaketh not to the people immediatly from his own mouth but by Edicts and proclamations published by others in his name And as the Scepter or mace which is delivered to them that publish those Edicts is a signe and token that they come from and for the Prince so the Scepter of Gods extraordinary power was committed to his Prophets Apostles c. The Jews required no more then a signe of our Saviour which with them was the Scepter And our Savionr desired no more of them then that if they would not beleeve him for his words yet they should for his works And that if he had not done among them the works which no other man did those were his miracles they mighe have been excused for their unbeleefe Upon which Saint Augustine saith that either we must grant that they were done or else that without miracles all the world was converted and became Christians which is a greater miracle then all the rest which he did and so we must grant miracles whether we will or no. And this is our warrant that these men the Prophets and Apostles came from God and that God hath spoken to us by them 2. The next quere is whether he is able to performe those things which he hath promised by them To that we say with the Angell that with God nothing shall be unpossible The Prophet saith His hands are not shortned it is able to reach all things When Moses mistrusted Gods providence to feed 600000 men saying shall all the flocks and the herds be slain or all the fish of the sea be gathered together to suffice them God answered is the Lords hand waxed short Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to passe or not 3. Lastly for his Will take a place of a Father for all Scio pcsse scio scire cupere velle for The Lord is good to them that trust in him to the soul that seeketh him That faith is necessary may be thus proved it is called the substance of things hoped for and the evidence ground or demonstration of things not seen both which argue the necessity of it for in totis ordinatis as Religion hath its order the first part is substantia reliquorum as the substance of a house is in the foundation of a ship in the Stern of a tree in the root The Apostle compareth it to a foundation and to a root and he saith there is naufragium fidei a shipwrack of faith and so consequently it is compared to the sterne of a ship If faith then be necessary as the root and foundation of all religion then without it nothing can be done by a Christian which is accepted of God ad salutem to salvation If we stand it is by faith If we walk we walk by faith whatsoever we do if we do it not by faith it is not pleasing to God ad salutem And it is in this respect that faith is called Mater obedientiae the mother of obedience because all duties arise out of it Luther hath a saying which is true if it be taken in a good sense that in faith all the Law is fulfilled before we have fulfilled any part of it in act because it is the root from whence all Christian obedience arises and wherin it is vertually contained and therefore in regard of the necessity of it it pleased God to reject all the high titles of the learned wise men of the world as Philosophers c. and to entitle his flock onely by the name of believers And Euseb. Emisenus gives a good reason for it for the first word of a Christian is credo and that which maketh him a Christian if we be not faithful then are we no Christians God giveth Christians no other name then he gives to himself Fidelis est Deus God is faithful And his Son is called the author and finisher of our faith and his word is called sermo fidelis the word of faith and his family the houshold of saith and prayer is called by Saint James the prayer of faith And Saint Paul calls the Sacraments the seals of faith So we see that faith leadeth us through all duties and not onely this but that which hath bin said of knowledge may be said of faith that it is the beginning of our blessednesse Our Saviour saith to S. Thomas Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have beleeved There is an apt similitude in the Prophet to express this I will betroth thee to me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. The inchoation of marriage is in sponsalibus when hands are given so are our sponsalia in fide in this life the marriage is consummate in heaven It is said Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that beleeveth not shall be damned nay further as S. John hath it his sentence is not deferred but it is gone already upon him he is condemned already Therefore for the necessity of it we may conclude with the Apostle Without faith it is impossible to please God And the reason is because there is no man but thinks it a disparagement not to be credited and the greater the person the more desirous he is to be beleeved A private man would be beleeved upon his honesty and a man of greater state upon his honour the Prince upon his own word he writes teste meipso to argue the sufficiency of his word and a disgrace he accounteth it to break it and if any of these persons should not be credited on these terms they would think that a great discourtesy were offered to them If then there be a God he must needs expect more then a Prince and consequently he may of greater right say teste meipso because he is above all Princes Job saith Is it fit to say to a King Thou art wicked or to Princes Ye are ungodly though they be so much lesse to a good Prince and least of all to God Now he that beleeveth hath set to his seal that God is true And on the contrary He that beleeveth not maketh God a Lyar and there can be no
greater disgrace to God then to say he is a Lyar. therefore S. Bernard upon that place Impossibile est sine fide placere Deo it is impossible to please God without faith saith Quomodo potest placere Deo cui non placet Deus how can that man please God who is not pleased with God and such is every one that believes him not And thus much for the necessity of faith Now we come to our Rules 1. As we have seen the affirmative and what is commanded so we must see the negative and what is forbidden that is unbelief It is a note of the reprobate to be children of unbelief whether it be by the lifting up of a mans soul as the Prophet calleth it by a proud imagination and conceit of our own reason or by contempt or any other kinde of wretchednesse or carelessenesse when we come to hold Machiavels position Non curandum quid boni credat sed quid faciat And in this case they must be punished with that the Apostle tells us God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie for rejecting the truth Quia Christum non crediderunt in nomine Patris venientem veniet alius nomine suo praevalebit eique credent because they beleeved not Christ coming in the Fathers Name there shall another come in his own name and prevail him they shall beleeve so shall it happen to those that will not cleave to the truth they shall be given over to the untruths of this world and in the world to come that punishment shall befall them as it did to the Lord on whose hand the King leaned that would not believe Elisba that prophesied plenty Videbis non gustabis thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof for when he had seen that come to passe which the Prophet foretold he was troden to death before he could eat or taste of that plenty So shall they that are incredulous see the glory of others but not communicate of it in the life to come S. Ambrose compareth such men to a coal covered with ashes Infidelitas non potest claram narrationem habere nam sicut carbo cinere suo coopertus obcaecatur It a hi erroris tenebris circundati luce carebunt unbelief cannot have a glorious narration for as a coal covered with ashes is obscure so the unbelievers shall want light being covered with the darknesse of their errour 2. And as unbelief is forbidden so is also resting in a small measure of faith The Apostle mentioneth a full measure of faith and if we want that or labour not to attain it at least we are not of the number of the faithful which our Saviour speaks of I have not sound such faith no not in Israel and in another place O woman great is thy faith There is a great faith And that of S. Peters was a little faith when for want of it he began to sink a faith mingled with many doubts Therefore we are to pray with him in the Gospel Domine credo adjuva 〈◊〉 meam Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief and secondly when it is setled that it may be brought to a good measure we are to pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith Our faith must be in a full measure we must endeavour for full assurance Interpreters think that it is a metaphor taken from a ship under full sails The holy Ghost resembles man in this life to a Champion and therefore for his better defence advising him what weapons to furnish himself withall puts faith instead of all weapons As Scutum fidei the shield of faith a special safegard against the Devil and his fiery darts And against the world he saith This is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith Lastly against the flesh he willeth us to be sober and put on the breastplate of faith And no marvel for the Author to the Hebrews attributeth all the great atchievements of the Saints to faith Besides we see that S. Peters faith made his body so light that he walked on the sea and sunk not and on the other side our Saviours hands were restrained so that he could work no more miracles among the Jews because of their unbelief So that it appears by this that by Gods own ordinance he will have helps of our faith or else he will do nothing among us not but that he can work miracles without it but that he hath so ordered and disposed it And this proveth the necessity of the concurrence of our faith with the mercy of God If thou 〈◊〉 beleeve all things are possible to him that believeth The want of faith hindred the working of the Apostles for whereas Christ had given them power to cast out Devils yet they could not dispossesse the mans son and asking the reason of our Saviour he tells them it was because of their unbelief And this is more strange seeing that in the case of the woman with the issue of blood we do not finde that Christ spake a word but her faith cured her as if it had been against his will she conceiving that if she could but touch the hem of his garment she should presently be cured and Christ not aware of it her faith as Origen saith Vim 〈◊〉 Christo got her cure by force from him And the same Father compares faith to the Loadstone that by a hidden quality and vertue attracteth iron to it Neither is this to be marvelled at for it prevaileth also even with God himself for the Angel when he perceived that Jacobs faith was so prevalent that he would not let him go nor he could prevail against him told him that his name should be no more Jacob but Israel because he had power with God and men Now if we be Jacobs and prevail with God thus we shall also prevail with men We see that the woman of Syrophoen gave our Saviour the foyl and he was forced to say O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt for indeed faith is so wonderfull a thing that it became wonderful to him to whom nothing else is wonderful Christ himself wondred at the Centurions faith To avoid errour we are to know that Divines make three kindes or degrees rather of faith 1. General 2. Legal 3. Evangelical And all these are necessary in their place and order 1. The general stands in beleeving that God is c. He that cometh to God must 1. beleeve that God is and 2. that he is a rewarder of them that seek him and that he will finde means to bring them to felicity And this was the faith of Adam in paradise and is supposed in the other two as the foundation of all Religion 2. The Legal stands upon the Law and the belief of the promises and
because he sought to the Physicians before he sought to God for help his physick was accursed and he pined away Achitophel the Oracle of wisdome and policy gave wise counsel but because he looked not up to God God did not determine to blesse it but as the text saith defeated it and made the Counsel of Hushai to be taken and his rejected and we see what became of him afterward he seeing his counsel was not followed sadled his asse went and set his house in order and hanged himself And so the wisdome of the Egyptian Counsellors became foolish infatuavit cos God besotted them the Lord made them give foolish counsel Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God they have stumbled and fallen but we are risen and stand upright Now as these ordinary means of clothing food Physick and wisdom are many times accursed so God to shew how little he dependeth on secondary means doth effect his purpose somtimes without means and somtimes contrary to means As in the fall of the walls of Jericho upon the blast of Rammes horns So Gideon encouraged by the exposition of a dreame of a barly loofe with three-hundred men with trumpets and empty pitchers in their hands and lamps within them put all the Midianits to flight and to run upon themselves As also the great host of the Syrians were put to flight none pursuing them but a panick terrour came suddenly uppon them and a certain imagination that they heard the noise of Chariots horses and a great army of the Hittites and Egyptians that came to aid the Isralites 1. Seeing then that God gives the means when he will and blesseth them when he will it is our parts to trust in him whether we have the meanes or no and to be affected as King David was though he were in the midst of ten thousand men armed and compassed round with them on every side yet he would not be afraid but as it is in the end of the next Psalm would lay him down and sleep trusting in Gods protection and as Moses counselled the children of Israel when the Egyptians pursued them with their chariots though their enemies were behinde them and the red sea before them and no way seen whereby to escape yet to stand still and put their trust in the Lord and they should see the power of the Lord which they accordingly found So the Apostle describing a true pattern of faith sets before us that of Abraham who had neither means in himself or his wife whereby to beleeve Gods promise of a Son she being barren by nature and having a dead womb and he a hundred years old past child getting by course of nature yet he staggered not but was strong in faith being fully perswaded that he which had promised was able to performe and therefore received the blessing in the birth of Isaac 2. And as we are thus to trust in God though we see no means so must we be far from the course of the wicked who if God once fail them do not onely despair of his help but cast him off and betake themselves to his enemy and to unlawful means and such are they that despairing of Gods assistance in their health leave him and the lawful means and flee to Sorcerers a thing utterly condemned by the Prophet We see that Saul lost both the favour of God and his kingdom for conversing with a familiar spirit 3. Besides there is a woe denounced against another sort of people that as the prophet speakes seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord that thinke by their policy and deep wisdom they can deceive God as they do men 4. There are others that take advantage of other mens weaknes and think that that which they get by over reaching others in bargains is their own but the Apostle tells such that God is an avenger of them 5. Another unlawful means is when we see other means failus and that a good man stands in our way then we do as those against Ieremy let us have devises against him and percutiamus cum lingua nostra let us smite him with our tongue that is let us raise slanders against him that none may credit his words In this case God will give eare to the prayer that Ieremy in the subsequent verses made against such men 6. There is yet another sort of people that are not in the right way and that is of those which are married In respect of themselves these men are confident but when 〈◊〉 comes to semen nosturm our seed there their confidence falls off and it is to be feared that many that might have been saved in the estate of single life have fallen from God and hazarded their own salvation by mistrusting that God will not provide for their children wheras God saith Ero deus tuns et seminis tui I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee In this point Saint Ambrose saith Plausibilis excusatio est liberis sed dic mihi 〈◊〉 homo an unquam a Deo 〈◊〉 ut pater fieres an etiam id petiisti da liberos ut deum amittam da liberos ut peccem propterliberos it is a fair excuse for children but tell me o man didst thou ever pray to God thou mightest be a father or didst thou make thy petition thus give me children that I may lose God give children that I may sinne for them I am sure saith he that you never said so and yet this is the common practise Gehazi said not to Naaman that his 〈◊〉 needed the Talent and two changes of rayment but that there were two children of the Prophets c. and they needed them And Abraham himself hath his blemish in this kinde in that he was so careful for Ismael Oh that Ismael might live in thy sight Therefore as we are to trust in God and his means for our selves so are we to rely upon his providence for our children also 5. The fift rule of our exposition directs to speak of the signes of faith it is not enough that a man can say Credo in deum I beleeve in God we must have more particular signes of it For as the Apostle saith all men have not faith therefore that of Saint Peter must be added the trial of faith is much more precious then gold 1. The first signe therefore of faith is according to Saint Chrysostome when a man is not ingeniosus ad causas ready to pick quarrels and to make excuses for not beleeving How many causes might Abraham have found out not to beleeve and that it was impossible for him to have had a son yet we see that true faith overcame all difficulties so that he neither excepted against the promise in respect of Saras barrennesse or his own weaknesse but
motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of feare VVE have seen out of the Apostle that saith must be in the heart and the heart must beleeve else there can be no righteousnesse there must be a mutual affection of the minde and heart for if the heart love not the minde will not long beleeve and if the minde beleeve not the heart will not love long Faith in regard of the actus elicitus assent is an act of the minde but in respect of the actus imperati as the Schools speak which flow from assent and belief as love fear obedience c. So it is in the heart and whole man so that the duty of a Christian may be called the work of faith because it is commanded and produced by faith though belief be the formal and onely proper immediate act of it Now the heart is the seat of the affections and the affections are about such objects as are partly agreable to our nature and such as we wish for and imbrace and partly such as we desire not but turn from Of the former sort are love hope joy and of the other are fear grief hate And God hath 〈◊〉 both of them to a double use as those of the second sort to restrain us from evil or after we have committed evil to torment and punish us So of the former either they are provocations to good or after we have done well to cherish and comfort us for so doing It is the work and office of faith to stir up these 〈◊〉 in us the first of which is fear towards God and the reason is because the word of God being the object of faith whether we take it in whole or in grosse the five books of Moses or the four Gospels in all we finde punishments 〈◊〉 to such as should transgresse which threatnings being 〈◊〉 by faith must needs work fear to 〈◊〉 and so they restrain from sin or fear of the punishment in those that have offended and so they stir up to repentance for in the very beginning we see faith had a word of threatning to apprehend In what day soever Adam should eat of the fruit of the tree he should die and this was before the promise that The seed of the woman should bruise the serpent head Now faith apprehended Gods justice which with his other attributes made it seem more fearful and the conscience telling that an offence was committed by eating fear must needs arise out of the consideration of it And this is it which was remembred before in our Saviours speach to the Jews If ye had believed Moses ye would also have believed me First Moses was to be believed then Christ first the Law then the Gospel The first is a faith in Gods justice There is a manifest example of this in the Ninevites Crediderunt Deo timuerunt they believed God and feared which is Moses fear a faith in Gods justice Among many motives to fear given by writers the chief is 〈◊〉 legis the knowledge of the Law and this works contritionem a grinding to powder by fear of that which the Law brings into their hearts And of this the Psalmist speaks telling us what is the true object of fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements This is the effect of faith upon the knowledge of Gods Justice The reason why it pleased God to set justice and fear in the first place is because before any thing can be effected the impediment and that which hindereth must be taken away We cannot possesse God and the reason is because as the Prophet tells us there is a separation between him and us our sins do separate between God and us a partition wall as the Apostle calls it Now seeing there is a necessity to have God and that this partition wall keeps us asunder in the first place we must not build this wall higher but we must cease to build sin upon sin and look for Christ to beat down that which is already built That which causeth us to cease from sin is the fear of God Expulsor peccati timor Domini saith the Wise man we must not say shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle And this is the reason why God commandeth fear because it maketh us to leave sin Besides fear there are two other affections which cause men to live well though it pleased God here to make choice of fear as 1. Shame 2. Pain and grief Make their faces ashamed O Lord saith the Psalmist that they may seek thy Name and for the other Vexatio dat intellectum affliction brings understanding If a man smart for any thing experience will give him understanding But we see that in the multitude of offenders there is no place for shame and for pain we have terrenas consolatiunculas poor worldly comforts at least if not to drive it away yet to season it and therefore God foresaw that neither of these would strike so deep as fear But fear which it pleaseth God to set before us and to require at our hands is that affection which toucheth us neerest and when other fail fails not Examples we have of it in offenders Adam being naked and clothed onely with fig-leaves might have been ashamed yet he walked up and down Paradise confidently and his humbling came not till he heard the voice of the Lord and then he was afraid Felix was a corrupt governour and made no conscience of it yet hearing Saint Paul discourse of Justice and Temperance and especially of Gods Judgements he fell into a trembling And this affection is not onely in men but predominant in beasts also and in those beasts which are most stupid and brutish 〈◊〉 asse fearing the angel of the Lord notwithstanding all his Masters beating fell down flat and would not stir a foot to run into danger Nay further the Devils which fear nothing else yet in respect of God S. James tells us Demones credunt contremiscunt the Devils believe and tremble And therefore this must needs be a prevalent means and that man is far gone and in a fearful case that feareth not But it may be objected That since God speaketh so much of love why should we not be brought to obedience by love rather then by fear It cannot be denied but that were a more acceptable way but our case is so that love will not prevail with us for he that loveth a good thing must have knowledge of it and that comes by a taste of it Now if his 〈◊〉 be corrupt as theirs is that are feavorish nothing can please him but that wich pleaseth the corrupt taste wholsome things are distasteful to him yet though they love not those things that are good for their disease this reason will prevail against their liking that if they take it not their fit
Another is humility Jacob fell seven times to the ground before he came to his brother The Philosopher saith Timor contrahit non intendit fear shrinks up the heart it maks it not to swell The wiseman hath a good medicine against Pride Be not wise in thine own eyes but fear the Lord. 4. The surest signe of fear is the fear of sinne which is all one with the fear of God Come ye children saith King David and hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. And both these fears are joyned by holy Job of whom it was said Job was an upright man and one that feared God and eschewed evill and as it was his practise so was it his opinion The fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evill is understanding Timor est fugitivns fear bids us not resist but fly and he that fears cannot be armed sufficiently though he put never so much harnesse on his back A thief being pursued fear will make him demittere furtuns drop that which he hath stollen or at least not have it about him So if we fear God we will be sure not to have sinne found about us we will be afraid of that lest it condemne us And this is a sure signe 6. The last is given us by Moses And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in all his wayes to love him and to serve him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. And as we are to have this signe of fear in our selves so are we to wish with the Prophet that all the earth may have this fear Let all the earth fear the Lord stand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the world and it is a fault where this desire is wanting The want of this desire argues the contrary affection that is turning others from the fear of God which God condemns by the prophet and calls it strengthening the hands of the wicked Thus then we see that fear is the end of the Law CHAP. IX The fourth inward vertue is humility The nature of it The properties of it Of Pride The nature and degrees of it signes of pride The punishments of pride Of forced humility Of Counterfeit humility The means of humility The signes of humility IT is the property of him that feareth to shrink Humility ariseth out of fear Saint Peter hath a place which fits this well Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God upon which one of the fathers saith Tanquam sub securi vehementi loquitur the Apostle speaks as if Gods hand were lifted up with his Axe ready to strike us and we shrink down for fear And so should a man do cast himself down and be content with whatsoever it shall please God to lay upon him and such a dejection of our selves is the effect of fear And this as it humbleth us towards God My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements so the like effect it produced towards men even from good men when they were in fear of men Jacob bowed himself seven times before he came to his brother The like we read of the wicked Benhadad King of Syria and his nobles being stricken with the fear of Ahab girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes upon their heads and came to him and said Thy servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let thy servant live And if the fear of mans wrath work so upon us much more ought the terrour of Gods justice that by it we should be presently cast down until we can say with Prophet Adhesit anima mea pavimento pulveri my soul cleaveth to the ground yea to the dust We see also that the Patriarchs and Prophets have shewed this humiliation by putting on sackcloth as judging themselves not worthy to be better clothed and in throwing dust and ashes upon their heads thereby professing themselves fitter and worthier to be cast under the earth then to tread on the ground any longer We must have that in truth which they signified by those types and emblemes we must be even with the ground and as the Psalmist speaks lay all our honour in the dust When we are thus humbled and have given all glory to God and none to our selves then followes our exaltation for when God hath brought us to the nethermost pit and as it were to deaths and hels door when we are at the very bottom of humility and can go no lower then are we fit to begin a foundation to build upon We must first set our selves in the lowest room and the Master of the feast will bid us sit up higher And this should be the true Myrrour of every Christian the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self knowledge which is to be commended not in the sense the Heathen took it to know and see the excellency of himselfe and so be puffed up but to see the imperfections of our soules and know our wants Pride never gets footing of us but either for want of knowledge or upon a false knowledge And therefore the Heathen considering the excellency and nobility of man and having a false apprehension of Gods Justice it was that which made them fall into that proud conceit that the preaching of Christ was foolishnesse and for the same reason it became offence also to the Jews insomuch as when Christ came to exalt and heal them they were high and sound enough already And therefore S. Augustine saith Superbis Phariseis viluit Christus Christ seems vile to the proud Pharisees Their pride made them have a base esteem of him Not that we deny but that the nature of man is most excellent yet withal remembring that the more excellent a thing is the worse it is if it degenerates And therefore seeing our estate is so vile and that it hath pleased God to vouchsafe us Christians a better way we are to follow it And this is by the true knowledge of a man himself wherein there must be 1. Humilitas mentis humility in the minde or understanding which is when the minde apprehends the infinite excellency of God and our own basenesse and this belief of the minde will raise a sutable disposition in the heart for from hence follows the second 2. Humilitas cordis voluntatis affectuum the humbling of the heart and will c. whereby a man thinks himself not worthy of food apparrel or any comforts of this life but is abased in his own sight This restrains the appetite of pride which is to be measured by that which is in every man and makes him not to exalt himself seeing there is no excellency in him and to say with the Psalmist O Lord I am not high minded I have no proud looks c. We see then that the end and use of humility is to bring
proper to God and yet in our practise nothing is more common then to ascribe infallibility to our selves and others whom we admire and thus that pride which we tax in them we practise our selves So likewise it is usual among great men They will speak in Gods phrase and as God saith I will be gratious to whom I will be gratious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy So they will prefer whom they will prefer and whereas God hath appointed to prefer whom he will without gifts they will prefer without gifts and lastly whereas there are no merits with God but all is ex gratia out of favour they will have no merits but all favour and so in all things they behave themselves not as men but Gods and that comes because our hearts are lifted up as the Prophet there speaks Come we to the common sort and in them we shall finde S. Bernards seven notes or signes of pride two whereof are in the soul. 1. Pursuing our own counsel 2. Following our own will and pleasure Two in the mouth 1. Grudging against our betters 2. Disdaining and vilifying our inferiours And three in outward things 1. Superbia habitus pride of apparel 2. Superbia habitus pride in our table and 3. Superbia supellectilis pride in our furniture In the means of grace which God gives us to beget in us humility and other graces we shew much pride as when we take a pride in praying hearing c. and do herein affect the praise and applause of men but an higher degree is when men reject those means of grace especially when they resist the good motions wrought in them and quench those sparkles which are kindled by the word when it comes home to their hearts as if they could have the motions of Gods spirit when they please whereas they know not whether God will ever offer them the like again and so this may be the last offer of grace Nay not onely in the means of grace but even in the graces themselves will pride appeare and whereas the objects of other sins are base and vile even the best things and most excellent graces are made the object or matter of pride Cineres 〈◊〉 peccatorum fomes superbia when other 〈◊〉 are consumed to ashes even out of those ashes will pride spring up yea we are apt to be proud even of our humility There is a pride in the crosse when we are humbled under Gods hand we may be proud in that we are not proud or not so proud as other men or as we have been before Thus the greater our gifts are the more secure we grow and the lesse jealous and suspicious of our selves and so are overtaken as 〈◊〉 David 〈◊〉 and others Therefore where the greatest gifts are there is greatest danger and therefore the greater watch ought to be kept and where the richest prize is there the devil will use his greatest power and subtilty to rob us of it Therefore the more any man hath received the more ought he to humble himself and watch that he be not overtaken with pride 1. We will adde a little to that we have said and that shall be concerning the punishment of this sinne Gods glory as one well saith is fiscus regalis his chief treasure and exchequer into which the proud man breaks robbing God by extenuating his glory and taking it as much as he can to himself But as the wise man speaks the Lord will destroy the house of the proud as he did Pharoah Haman Herod and many others who were taken away even when they magnified themselves most of all 2. Or else God punisheth him by depriving him of the guist which was the cause of his pride His tongue shall cleave to the roof of his mouth or his right hand shall forget her cunning 3. Or when he thinks he hath gotten strength enough that he is able to leane upon his own staff God suffers him to fall under every small temptation because he seeks not to God for supply of his spirit whereas by humility he might have withstood the greatest assaults Thus some of great parts when they will be singular as vnicorns that will have no match they break the net of humility which should bring men unto God by pride and so God leaving them to themselves they become the authors of heresies and errors 4. Or though it pleaseth God to let the gift remain whereof they are proud yet he gives not a blessing to it but leaves it fruitlesse Some have been endued with excellent graces but without fruit they haue made no returne to God of his Talents not a soul gained unto him by them whereas a man of mean endowments joyned with humility hath gained more then the golden tongue of an eloquent Tertullus 5. Or Lastly which is the greatest punishment there is in the minde as ost times in the body as towards the end of a mans dayes a Palsy or an Appoplexy a certain stupidity or numnesse so that neither threats can terrifie them nor perswasions allure them to repentance but passe out of this world without the fear of God or sense of his judgements so that they die and perish like beasts And God punisheth their pride with this dulnesse lest they should feel as Saint Paul did a thorn in the flesh which as the best interpreters expound it was a wrestling against pride 1. Another thing forbidden is forced humility coacta humilitas And such was that of Pharoah So long as Gods hand was upon him and his people and that he was sensible of the plagues sent by him so long he humbled himself and promised to let the people go but when he perceived that the plagues ceased he and his servants hardened their hearts and grew to that height that he said who is the Lord that he should let his people go Saint Bernard describeth these kind of humble men thus vidimus multos humiliates sed non humiles we see many humbled few humble 2. Counterfeit or bastard humility spuria humilitas for in every vertue besides the two extreams there is that which hath the likelihood of vertue which they call spuriam virtutem wherewith many are deceived Thus some are naturally of a low servile disposition which some take for humility though it be nor neither is it true humility to give in Gods cause and not to be stout in maintaining it for detrimentum veritatis non est ornamentum humilitatis that which brings detriment to the truth can be no ornament of humility So to deny the gifts or graces of God in our selves is not true humility Saint Paul would have the Ephes. understand his knowledge in the mysterie of Chist Ephes. 3. 4. 5. and preferres the Jews of which himself was one before the Gentiles Gal. 2. 15. and all this without pride In every one there is somewhat of God somewhat of nature somewhat of sinne now it s true every man
us three speeches from each of them one 1. Faith saith Repositasunt bona good things that passe the conceit of man are laid up for the faithful 2. Hope saith Mihi illa servantur they are laid up for me 3. Charity saith Curro ad illa and I so run to them that I may attaine them And thus out of the faith of the Gospel hope ariseth as fear doth from the faith of the Law And therefore hope is called by the Fathers the Isaac of faith This vertue of hope hath two uses The first is that it is our Anchor for our life is as a sea and our faith the ship Now when a man sailing in the sea of this life feels his ship tossed with the waves of a conscience terrified with the justice of God and is in the Apostles case when tackling and masts were spent then fearing to be cast upon the rock of despair he casts out this Anchor And it is called by some of the Fathers our Interim that which stayeth us in the mean time till God performs that which he hath promised to us 2. The second use is not onely to stay and support us but also to stay and retain Christ with us and accordingly the precept is Custodispem custodem Christi So the Apostle counselleth us to take fast hold of it and as when we are in danger of drowning or falling into a pit we cast from us whatsoever we hold in our hands and take fast hold of whatsoever cometh first to hand to stay us such an use hath hope 3. And under this use may be another that by hope thus holding and keeping Christ here we have a kinde of possession of heaven in this life as a man may be presens absens so a thing absent is present by hope and as it was said of fear that it wrought humility by removing all impediments so it may be said of hope that it fills the soul by making things absent and future to become present and in a manner enjoyed here And this is one thing which the Philosophers never knew that these which they called affections Hope and Love are become virtutes theologicae to Gods children and the excellentest vertues in Divinity the reason is because they make them good that possesse them For our nature not being able to be a rule to it self but directed by an higher and more excellent nature whatsoever that is which applyeth that rule to us must needs bring some part of goodnesse to us which hope partly doth in respect of the promises and therefore is a vertue to us This the Heathen man expresseth by Pandoras Boxe at the opening whereof all flew out and onely Hope remained under the lidde Therefore Philo Judaeus calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inbred Comforter which forsakes us not when all other things have left us dum spiro spero hope never makes ashamed And in the regenerate hope hath the same use as the Prophet affirmeth I should utterly have fainted but that I trust verily to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living and in another place be saith that his flesh resteth in hope And this spes vitae immortalis hope of immortal life as S. Augustine calls it is vita vitae mortalis the life of this mortal life and if we were without it we should want breath As the body lives spirando so the soul sperando and it is very true in the spiritual life Qui desperavit expiravit he that despaireth is dead Now to conclude this first affirmative rule we may say with the Psalmist O Lord God of hosts Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee which blessing in this life is the certainty that we shall enter in with the Bridegroom to the fruition of it in the life to come And thus we have seen the nature necessity and end of hope Now for the first rule concerning what is commanded and forbidden Our rule for faith and hope is not unlike to that of humility 1. As Nebuchadouozor Daniel 4. 27. ascribed the building of great Babel to his own power and made his own glory the end of it so on the contrary as we shewed of humility we also say of hope it makes God the Author of all the good it looks for and makes his glory the end of all For first it makes us go out of our selves and trust onely in God and wholly rely upon him as the sole efficient cause of good to us we must wholly depart out of our selves we must not conceive that there is any sufficiency in our selves but that all our sufficiency is of God not so much as to think a good thought therefore much lesse to have a will to do it but that it is God that works the velle and consequently the perficere both the will and the deed in us We must not ascribe any part or help to our selves for our Saviour saith Sine me nihil potestis facere without me ye can do nothing Upon which place S. Augustine noteth it is not nihil magni but nihil omnino not any great thing but nothing at all and not nihil perficere that we can perfect nothing but nihil facere do nothing at all And as it makes God the cause and first beginning so the last end too by giving the glory of his graces in us to him and the reason is plain in the Apostle That no flesh should glory in his presence but as it followeth That he that glorieth should glory in him In the exercise of hope two things are commonly seen 1. Grief 2. Joy Joy because we hope for that which is good and grief because the good we hope for is delayed Or rather 〈◊〉 1. joy and then grief If hope be true it never suffereth us to be secure but we shall be in a continual war The Apostle intimates to us that we are warriours when he adviseth us to put on the helmet of hope And in the Psalms King David is sometime beaten down and sometime raised again sometime hope and joy are victors sometime fear and grief And seeing delatio boni must have rationem mali and that hope deferred affligit animam afflicts the soul it must needs be a great affliction to the soul that when a man shall see that which was promised not onely deferred but sometimes to happen clean contrary as when he looks for peace then terrour and anguish to follow he shall finde not onely wicked men and enemies upbraiding him and saying as they to David ubi spes vestra where is your hope but even his own reason shall make a probleme with his spirit within him and tell him it is in vain to hope any longer Surely this must work upon men for it worketh even in dumb creatures though they shall not be partakers of the resurrection with us yet because the deliverance of man
Bonum non amatur as the School-men say quod non cognoscitur the good that is not known cannot be loved For if it were known it being the natural desire of all to be better we should love it to be the better by it It is therefore well said That good things have no greater enemy then ignorance Knowledge and faith then as is said shewing us this good love will be stirred up in us and then follows unio affectus the union of the affection all that we can have here and in the life to come instead of this fruition by faith fruition by cleer vision There are two sorts of love 1. Amor mercenarius a mercenary love 2. Amor gratuitus a free love They are distinguished thus when a man loves his meat and drink and when he loves his friend or brother it is certain these loves are not all one in the one there is a desire to have the thing loved that he may make use of it for his own benefit for the present not caring what becomes of it after but his love to his friend is to do him good for himself or for his own sake and it includes in it bene velle bene facere to wish him good and to do him good in the former á man looks at himself and his own good onely in the other at his good whom he loves the first is amor concupiscentiae the other amor amicitiae The Philosopher distinguishes them by Vnde Quo whence and whither In the first love the question is made by Quo in the other by Vnde In the first we ask what good comes to us by it in the other what good it hath in it self though it be no benefit to us The one hath an eye that looks inward on our selves the other outward upon others Yet these two though they may be distinguished yet are not alwayes divided for the one oft-times is the beginning of the other both in our loves to God and man for those that have been beneficial to us though we love them at first for the benefits we receive by them yet afterwards we come to love them for themselves 1. The first ariseth from hope Because a man being cast down by fear conceives hope upon Gods promises then sending forth prayer receiveth fruit and saith Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voice of my humble petition And thou hast given me my hearts desire which fruit stirreth up the first love and this amor concupiscentiae the love of concupiscence which goes before 〈◊〉 gratuitum free love for as the Apostle saith that is not first which is spiritual but that which is natural or carnal and then that which is spiritual so free love of God for himself is not first but first we love him for his benefits and then for himself and this is true love Therefore it is said that 〈◊〉 vertues of clemency affability liberality c. were greater then Cato's of justice and fidelity in his dealings because the former looked at the good of others these reflected upon himself and his own good That which is natural will be first 〈◊〉 before amicitia or benevolentia and this is the inchoation of the other Perfect love is not attained at first for nemo repente fit summus now S. Chrysostome wondreth how men can slip themselves out of this love for if they will love any for his benefits none bids fairer for this amor mercenarius then God for he offereth for it the kingdom of heaven The Fathers compare fear to the wildernesse and these two degrees of love to the land of promise this mercenary love to that part of it which lay beyond Jordan and the other to that part upon which Sion and Jerusalem stood For amor gratuitus which looks not at reward Saint Bernard saith that Deus nunquam sine praemio diligitur our love to God is never unrewarded though sine intuitu praemii diligendus est he ought to be loved without looking at the reward The Apostle respected his own commodity so little that he wished himself accursed that the glory of God might shine in the salvation of Israel It is lawful to love God for his benefits for God uses them as motives to stir us up to love him and the best of Gods servants have so practised Moses looked at the recompence Hebrews 11. but we must not rest there nor love him onely or chiefly for them but for himself otherwise we love not him but our selves ratio diligendi est Deus ipse modus sine modo the cause of our love must be God himself and the measure without measure saith S. Bernard Some divide love into Quoniam Tametsi Because and Although 1. The first is that which is called mercenarius I love the Lord saith the Psalmist and why He is my defence Psalm 18. 1. And in another place Because he heard my voice yet seeing David did not love God onely or chiefly for his benefits his love was not properly mercenary but true though not perfect To shew the excellency of love S. Paul hath a whole chapter wherein he prefers it above all other vertues and saith in effect If a man for his knowledge and elocution might be compared with Angels and by his faith were able to remove mountains and by his liberality had relieved the poor with all his estate and for his constancy had suffered martyrdome yet were all these vertues little worth except they were joyned with the love of God And in the end of the Chapter after this general commendation of love he prefers it in particular above Faith and Hope 1. If we take the dimension of it it is greatest both in breadth and length of all other For whereas Faith and Hope are restrained within the bounds of mens persons and to singulars this dilateth it self and extendeth both to God and man in general to our selves our friends yea to our enemies S. Augustine saith Beatus qui amat te amicum in te inimicum propter te blessed is he that loves thee and his friend in thee and his enemy for thee And this is the latitude 2. In longitude also For whereas the other are but in us in the nature of a lease but for terme of life the gift of love shall be as a free hold and continue for ever in heaven Our Saviour maketh both the Law and Prophets to consist of one Commandment namely Love And the Apostle reduceth all to one head and if there were any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this of love And it is our Saviours mandatum novum admit that all the old Commandments were cancelcelled yet this new commandment ties us to the duties of all And indeed S. John saith commending this duty Brethren I write no new commandment unto you but an old Commandment for both the old and new are all one There is both in the
said of 〈◊〉 and his fellow that they did odisse tyrannum but not tyrannidem they hated the tyrant but not the tyranny whereas a sound heart hates sin most of all in it self even the least sin as we see in the Apostle when he cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 4. The last is somewhat hard If we can with confidence say those two last verses of the pialmist Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead mein the way everlasting If any dare take this upon him and can speak it truely not deceiving himself his heart is upright in him but a gentler tryal then this is if a man can say in four particular cases as he in another place if there be any wickednesse in my hands c. let the enemy persecute my soul c. And when we with communing with our own hearts privately can say as my heart hath been upright with thee so I desire in my last gasp to be comforted by thee O Lord and to be holpen in my greatest need In these cases a man may perceive whether his heart be sound or not And this according to the sixth rule stayeth not in our selves but desires to have it in others also with S. Paul who prayed for the Philippians that they might be sincere And so did the friends of Job though they took a wrong course in their comforts yet they were right in this that they had a desire to make Jobs heart upright Thus far of integrity One point more rests to be handled within the last general Proposition and that is Non habebis Thou shalt not have The observation is that it is set down in the future tense which implies perseverance and this is the knitting up of all It standeth first in the text non habebis and non erunt thou shalt not have and there shall not be but in order of handling it hath the last place because it is the shutting up of all The words Non habebis must not be answered with non habeo or non habui but with non habebo I will have no other gods and this is perseverance This is a greater matter then many do imagine fui sum and ero are distinctions of the three times 1. For fui it is certain that whosoever shall consider what he hath been will be brought into a melancholick and sad passion S. Bernard saith Recordare praeterita erubesce it will confound a man to remember what he hath done 2. For sum Peradventure there my be some comfort inregard that we endeavour and strive to obtain 3. But howsoever it stands with us for the present our comfort depends chiefly upon ero what we shall be and if we persevere not in good ero must needs be terrible for a man to consider in what case he may be hereafter and considerare novissima to think upon his end whether God may not forsake him if he be not careful to persevere on his part as he hath done others that have been for the present in as good and peradventure better case then he is but were not careful to endeavour and to use the means required on their part to persevere and therefore were left of God and returned with the dog to their vomit therefore non habebis is a sharp and strict command and to be looked to In the common conveyances at Law there is Habendum tenendum to have and to hold we have formerly seen Quid habendum what we were to have now we are to see Quid tenendum what we must hold and keep It falls naturally into the last place by due order 1. First because as the Heathen say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisdom or knowledge is the beginning of vertue but constancy and perseverance is virtutis apex the pitch and perfection of vertue and as S. Bernard Perseverantia est unica filia summi Reg is finis virtutum earumque consummatio perseverance is the onely daughter of the great King the end and consummation of all vertues 2. Secondly because all other vertues are preserved by this or to use the Apostles phrase seasoned with this salt As God set David over Israel by a covenant of salt that is by an everlasting covenant and no sacrifice was under the Law without salt to shew that as the covenant is perpetual on Gods part so ought the condition to be on ours by perseverance and thereby is known the truth of our obedience without which an hypocrite may go for a true Christian. S. Bernard calleth it totius boni repositorium virtus the place where all good is preserved and kept and the strength and vertue of all other 3. Because as there is in every vertue a resemblance or conformity in us to some attribute of God as in our knowledge to his wisdom in our belief to his truth in our fear to his justice in our love to his mercy in our integrity to his ubiquity so in this of perseverance to his eternity 4. Because God is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end which is his book of perseverance So must we persevere according to our quandiu that is till we die usque ad mortem and not onely to natural but even to violent death The Apostle hath another usque usque ad sanguinem unto blood and so his own resolution was not onely usque advincula not to be bound onely but usque ad mortem to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus This must be our Omega Wheresoever our Alpha is placed this must be our Omega our eternity Otherwise as S. Bern. saith Quid levitate cum aeternitate there is no fellowship between God and man without perseverance Inconstancy hath no congruity with eternity On the other side backsliding is condemned Our nature is so corrupt that as in the last affection we spake of Sincerity we have a desire to seem rather then to be because it is easier and we naturally love ease so here we have a desire of falling away or starting back like a bow like a deceitful bow to which the Prophet resembles the Israelites We are naturally like a bow which being almost bent and let go never so little starts back Or as the Apostle no lesse excellently we are apt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 segnescere or to feel a grudging in our bones all the while we are doing good and are soon weary of welldoing 1. How necessary this vertue is is plain by diverse reasons First all the good we have formerly done is lost without it Incassum bonum agitur saith S. Gregory si ante vitae terminum deseratur quia frustra velociter currit qui priusquam ad met as venerit deficit all the good we do is in vain if we leave doing good before
God and not to any Creature whatsoever Therefore the learneder sort among them having studied the tongues better seeing the absurdity of these conclusions found out another shift and say that they neither do adorare nor colere imagines neither bow down to nor worship the images themselves but Christ and the Saints by the Images This distinction doth little avail them the records of Antiquity can tell them that this was the shift of the Heathen Idolaters of old even in the Primitive Church Lactantius taxeth those of his time for it Quae igitur amentia est c. what madnesse is it saith he to answer that you worship not the Idol sed Numen aliquod cui Idolum fabricatur but some God to which the Idol was was made and Chrysostome Adoratis simulachra non simulachra sed Venerem Martem per simulachra Veneris Martis you adore images and not images but Venus and Mars by their images lastly S. Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis disputator c. there starts up I know not what disputer and he seems to thee to be a learned man and sayes I worship not that stone nor that senselesse Image I know like a subtill Prophet that it can neither speak nor see but I serve that Deity which I see not I worship not that Image but I adore what I see and serve him that I see not And what is that why a certain invisible Deity To which the Father answering saith Hoc modo reddendo rationem de Idolis optime factum putant c. by this means they think they do well by rendring a reason for their Idols And in another place he saith of another sort videntur sibi purgatioris esse religionis qui dicunt nec simulachrum nec 〈◊〉 colo sed per 〈◊〉 corporalem ejus rei signum intueor quam colere debeo but they seem to be 〈◊〉 a more refined Religion that say I neither worship the Image nor the Devil in it but by that corporeal shape I behold the representation of that which I should worship But what saith he to this Itaque Apostoli una sententia poenam c. one sentence of the Apostle testifles their punishment and damnation for such kinde of acts God gave them up c. But indeed this error is as ancient as the Calf in the wildernesse and if we examine it well we shall finde this of their's all one with that of the Israelites for they did not think the Calfe to be a God for these reasons 1. For first they desired a God to go 〈◊〉 them and their reason was because they could not tell what was become of Moses who formerly had bin a visible representation to them of God and not a God himself therefore they would have somewhat made instead of him and this must hold for one reason or else we must say that they took Moses for their God before 2. The assent of Aaron for if he had not had somewhat in his minde besides flat Idolatry in consenting and complying with them he had not bin favoured as he was but destroyed with the rest And therefore it cannot be understood that they conceived the calf as a visible Representation onely but that in that calf God might be worshipped for Aaron said to them that they should keep a feast to the Lord therfore they intended that the Calf should represent God in their solemnity Exo. 32. 5. And it is likely that it was so because that while they were in Egypt they knew no other God then Apis an Oxe And it is recorded that Aaron upon these words of the people These be thy Gods 〈◊〉 that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt took hold of them and built an altar and proclaimed a fast to 〈◊〉 which they must needs know could not be ascribed to the Calf So that this was the Elench that deceived him that they might worship God in the Calf though Moses could not be deceived so for he brake it in pieces and burnt it to ashes 3. The third evasion of the Papists is That these Images are not erected either to adore or worship them or God by them but that ignorant people might have something to put them in minde of God and therefore Images are called by them libri laicorum the books of lay-men This is no new device but vsed of the old Idolaters as we may see by the 〈◊〉 of Symmachus There must be something to put the ignorant in minde of God Which Ambrose and Prudentius answer thus Omnia Deo plena all things have God to manifest him and put us in remembrance of him And by Arnobius These that stand so for Images saith he vse to say that they made no account of the Image but onely in respect of the ignorant sort of people that are put in minde of God by it And 〈◊〉 in an oration saith Istiusmodi 〈◊〉 esse pro libris quae dum legunt cognitionem dei dediscunt c. That while they read these books of Images in stead of learning God they loose the knowledge of him and therefore calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moralizing upon 〈◊〉 not teaching true divinity So that we see there is nothing said in this canse that was not said before Now if we aske the Papists that if the people must be put in minde of what it must be Not of the deity for they themselves are weary of maintaining that and though they were wont often and in many places do still to represent God and the Trinity in humane shapes yet Hosius now confesseth that such things came in Dormientibus 〈◊〉 praepositis while the gouernors of the Church were a sleep 2. Not of Christ as he is God for his attributes are 〈◊〉 but as he is man onely and in so doing in representing him by picture as man and not God seeing that person in the deity cannot be delineated they imitate Nestorius who did divide the natures of Christ and so consequently may seem to run into the Anathema of the council of Ephesus because in some sort they divide in their picture the manhood from the Godhead which they cannot expresse therewith 2. Not of Christ as man and now glorified for against this the saying of Eusebius may serve well that the glory of Christ in heaven is now far greater then it was when he was 〈◊〉 in the mount where the disciples could not look upon him and therefore cannotbe pourtrayed by any pensil 3. Nor of Christ as he was in the flesh for that were as the Prophet speaks to teach us lies and rather to forget then to remember what he suffered for us for in his picture as in that upon the crosse for example we can be put in minde we see no more then the piercing of his hands and feet a wound in his side by a spear and the thorns on his
pileum he was free and when he laid aside his cap he was said deponere magnificentiam to lay aside his honour and priviledge whereby he was distinguished from a servant So then as servants are to be uncovered in their masters service so are we to be in Gods and therefore Saint Paul in the place before cited tells us that it is a shame for a man to have his head covered at that time That 's the first signe 2. The other signe is humiliare nosmetipsos to humble our selves which is nothing else but to make a man neerer the ground to bow himself as low as he can and this was it which the devill required of Christ and it is a posture which God expects at our hands and was vsed from the beginning We may see it by that which God said to Elias I have yet left me 7000. in Israel all the knees which have not bowed to Baal by which he signified that bowing was a signe of them that worshipped him aright and it was his quarrel against them that bowed themselves to Idols for which he would not forgive them 2. But Honor signi is not enough there must be Honor facti too The first was Reverence this is service and worship which we call properly devotion or the devoutnes and readines of the will to serve God And this Honor exhibitus facto hath also two parts 1. To come and go at Gods command 2. To do his worke 1. Both of these we have in the Centurions servant approved by Christ himself 1. In going and coming when he is bidden I say go and he goeth come and he cometh 2. In doing his Masters will or service Do this and he doeth it And in these two respects it is that Christ will say to some Nescio vos I know you not 1. Either for not comming at all to his house so that he cannot take notice of them for his servants 2. or for coming unwillingly with an ill will to do his work and so they do not perform service to him and in this respect are not known to him neither We see that Gods servants did both Abraham was no sooner spoken to by God but he was presently at his call and answered Ecce ego behold here I am The kingly Prophet before he was called had a longing desire to go into Gods house but when he was called he presently answered Lo I come It is Gods threat-Because I called and ye refused c. I will laugh at your calamity And in the Gospel they which were invited to the Supper and came not were thought unworthy none of them shall tast of it And as we are to come so in our coming two things are required to make us welcome 1. The first is we must come mature betimes they that seek me early shall finde me and secondly we must come quotidie daily Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates We must wait and be desirous to be called 2. The second 〈◊〉 the Act. Service to do his will It is the property of a good servant to do his masters work and to preferr it before his own We see the practize of it in Abrahams servant he refused to eat before his masters work was done and here falls under this the commandment of the great service the service of the altar which that we may think it no dishonour to be Gods servants we finde that he chose the Tribe of Levi to serve him at the altar so that this service is the service of choice and howsoever some account but lightly of it yet it was the greatest honour to be chosen to perform this service Now to apply these things to the point in hand There is in the 95. Psalm which is vsed as an antipsalm or Introduction as it were to the service of God by our Church 1. A coming 2. A worshipping 3. A falling down and 4. a kneeling before the Lord whereby we may see that in the precept of worship in the substantial parts of the service of God prayer preaching the Sacraments and discipline especially in the former there is a due gesture and behaviour required And in this we are to follow the rule prescribed by Saint James which is to take the Patriarchs and prophts for our guides and directors and it is Saint Peters rule too for women to follow the steps of holy women of old So that laying this for our ground and withal taking the approved practise of the Church with it we cannot go amisse Now we shall finde in this outward worship of God that they never came together to serve the Lord nor departed from it without exhibiting some reverend external worship and behaviour both in 〈◊〉 recessu in coming in and going out In accessu in their coming together it is plaine Solomon in the consecration of his Temple at the beginning before his prayer kneeled upon his knees And in recessu we see that when Hezekiah and his people had ended their service they bowed their heads and worshipped We have seen what our gesture must be in accessu and recessu Let us now see what it must be while we are present at Gods service in the particulars of it 1. First for our outward gesture in prayer which is either publick or private And in both these since we are to remember that they are to proceed partly from Humility partly from hope our external signes must be answerable to both these 1. In publick prayer the signes are first that which we called before depositionem magnificentiae with our heads 〈◊〉 2. The other which we called Humiliation by bowing our selves to the ground or kneeling as Abraham did and his servant too bowed and worshipped the Lord. So did the people at the institution of the 〈◊〉 So did king Solomon praying upon his knees The Prophets Daniel 6. 10. After the first temple Ezra 9. 6. Our Saviour himself upon the mount of Olives kneeled down and prayed lastly Saint Paul and the whole Church prayed kneeling Saint Peter Act. 9. 40. Thus we see our pattern if we look at the 〈◊〉 or Prophets at Christ or his Apostles or at the whole church True it is because we onely kneeling but also standing before another is a signe 〈◊〉 service and reverence therefore we read in many places that the gesture in prayer was standing and that some prayed standing as Gehezi stood before his master Elisha So Abraham stood before the Lord and Abrahams servant stood by the well of water when he prayed The people rose up and worshipped every man in his tent door 〈◊〉 said to 〈◊〉 stand by thy burnt 〈◊〉 and I will go c. Thus Samuel stood before the Lord and the Psalmist saith Ye that stand in the house of the Lord c. The king stood by
before them such do wound the name of God by their evil coversation and cause others to sin 2. We make his name glorious by free and voluntary vows made and performed so the Psalmist Accept I beseech thee the free-offerings of my mouth and teach me thy judgements and what he practised himself he exhorts others to perform Vow and pay unto the Lord. Seeing God doth freely bestow so many things upon us we should glorifie him not onely in the duties commanded but in vowing and making frec-will offerings of something in our power The contrary to this when men will give nothing to God but what necessity of law or eminent danger sorces from them Like those in the psalm that when God slew them they sought him and like the marriners in Jonas they prayed and made vows but it was not till they were in a storm The third thing in the prohibition is what it is to take Gods name in vain In every action three things are considerable The end The Agent The work These three duly weighed we shall soon see what it is to take Gods name in vain 1. That which hath no end proposed or is done to no end may truly be said to be done in vain As the sowing of seed without reaping the fruit the planting a vineyard without a vintage or feeding a flock without eating the milk of it These are labours in vain So he that taketh the name of God to no end neither to Gods glory nor the private or publick good taketh it in vain Cui bono is a good question in all undertakings If to no good as good and better not undertaken at all it is to no end it is in vain If a man have well fashioned legs and they be lame frustra pulchras 〈◊〉 tibias claudus the lame man hath them in vain The chief end therefore of taking this name must be 1. the glory of God otherwise we open our mouthes in vain as it is in Job God is willing to impart all his blessings to us and requires nothing of us again but Glory which if we returne not he may say as David did of Nabal for whom he had done many good turns in securing his shepherds and slocks c. And when he desired nothing but a 〈◊〉 meat for the young men he denied it All that I have done for this fellow is in vain in vain have I kept all he hath So God having done so much for us and expecting nothing but the glory of his name if we be defective herein he may well say all that he hath done for us is in vain 2. Next to Gods glory is the good of our selves and others and so to take God name without reference to this end if we neither promote our own good nor the good of others it is in vain ex privatione finis because it wants a right end therefore Saint Paul rejoyced having by his preaching laboured the saving of souls I rejoyce saith he that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain 2. In the Agent the heart and soul is to be considered which in the person acting is the chief mover If the soul be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rachah vain and light as when we take Gods name without due advise and reverence though we propound a right end yet we take his name in vain therefore the Wise man advises not to be rash with our mouth and the Psalmist professeth that his heart was fixed when he praised God the heart ought to be fixed and stablisht by a due consideration of Gods greatnesse when we speak of him This is opposed to rashnesse inconstancy and lightnesse such as are in chasse and smoak which are apt to be carried away with every blast and such as are so qualified do take Gods name in vain 3. In the work it self may be a two fold vanity which must be avoided 1. Falshood 2. Injustice 1. If it be false then is it also vain as theirs in Esay We have made falshood our refuge and under vanity are we hid And this is that actio erroris work of error of which Jeremy speaketh Vanitas opponitur veritati vanity is opposed to verity and truth therfore a thing is said to be vain when it is false or erroneous They are vanity the work of errours saith the Prophet and as there is truth in natural things so is there a truth in moral things which if it be wanting our speech is vain 2. If unjust it is vain too If I be wicked why then labour I in vain saith holy Job and the very hope of unjust men perish saith the Wise man and they walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain shadow and disquiet themselves in vain If justice be 〈◊〉 in our actions 〈◊〉 truth in our assertions and promises they are vain and to use Gods name in either is to take his name in vain So that if either we take the name of God to no end but make it common and take it up as a 〈◊〉 till it come to a habit not for any good end or if our hearts be not stable and fixed but light and inconstant when we take it or if we take 〈◊〉 colour or bolster out any fashood or any unjust act we take it in vain and break this Commandment CHAP. III. Of taking Gods name by an oath The causes and grounds of an oath The parts of it Contention Execration How God is glorified by an oath What is here commanded 1. To swear In what cases For Gods glory Mans necessity For the publique good The oath ex officio whether lawful or no. Of private and voluntary oaths 2. To swear by God not by Idols or creatures 3. Not to take his name in vain but to swear in 1. Truth in oaths assertory promissory 2. Judgement 3. Justice Against voluntary oaths whether lawful Of swearing from the heart The means to be used against vain swearing The signes of keeping this Commandment Of drawing others to keep it Of the taking Gods name by an Oath VVE said before that the word which we translate taking the name of God signified in the original to take up and that in a double use 1. In gloriosis as a banner with which we have now done The other use is in necessariis as a burden of which now If there be any thing which we stand in need of for the use though it be heavy and weighty yet we will take it up So did Jacob the great stone before the well when upon the coming together of the flock necessity urged him to it Now as the first use in gloriosis was solely to the glory and praise of God by taking up his name as a standard or banner by praise so this in necessariis the taking his name up as onus a burden by lawful swearing or taking an oath looks also at mans benefit to end controversies for an oath for confirmation to men is an end of
be placed among the ten Commandments One of the Fathers upon the words Nunquid Saul 〈◊〉 inter Prophetas Is Saul also among the Prophets saith that Saul being no Prophet by profession est heterogeneus of another kinde and an irregular person among the Prophets so it will fall out to be against order for a meer ceremonial Precept to stand in the midst of moral Commandments For every ceremony or type of the Law is as it was a foretelling of something in the Gospel so it must be referred to the Gospel as the shadow to the body And indeed no typical ceremonies are in their own nature for the type or ceremony is to cease when the substance comes as the shadow when the body appears But this Commandment for the substance of it continues in the time of the Gospel 3. Thirdly this being a principle that the Law of Moses expressed in the Decalogue is nothing but the Law of nature revived and the Law of nature being a resemblance of Gods image If we say this precept is in its substance ceremonial then we must also say that in the image of God something is ceremonial not to abide but for a time onely but all things in him and in his image are eternal according to his Nature 4. In the Law of grace Christ delivering the sum of the ten Commandments to the Scribes and Pharisees Thou shalt love the Lord c. there 's no question but that it is the sum of the Decalogue and therefore therein is included the religious observation of the Sabbath and so it will be for the substance moral as the love of God is in which it is contained or else our Saviour had delivered an imperfect sum 5. Again it is dangerous to hold that any precept in the Decalogue is ceremonial for by this the Papists as Parisius and Politianus will bring another of them to be so and will say that the second Commandment concerning images is ceremonial and then why not three as well as two and so four and five and all The best way therefore to hold the duties eternall and to keep them without blemish is to deny that any of these ten precepts is ceremonial in the substance or nature of the Commandment but that they are plainly moral 6. To come to the time of the Gospel We hold that all typical ceremonies of the law are ended and abrogated by Christs death Then if the day of rest be not abrogated by his death it is not a meer Ceremony or ceremonial And that it is not is plain by our Saviour himself for his denouncing the destruction of Jerusalem bids them pray that their calamity fall not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Now we know that Jerusalem was destroyed many years after Christs death when all ceremonies were ended Therefore if Christ knew that the Sabbath as a ceremony should be wholly abrogated by his death his counsel might well have bin spared that they should pray that their flight might not be on the Sabbath day Matth. 24. 20. which if it had been quite abolished should have been no day Again in things meerly ceremonia ' there is not commutatio a change but abrogatio an abrogating of them wholly but we see in this matter of the Sabbath there is commutatio not abrogatio the Lords day is appointed instead of the Sabbath but no total abrogation of the Sabbath Thus the seals of the Covenant though they had something typical yet being in their general nature moral therefore they are changed but not quite abrogated whereas in things meerly typical there 's no maner of commutation but they are clean taken away for Christ having broken down the partition wall Ephes. 2. 14 15. hath wholly taken away the law of ordinances c. But it is manifest that instead of the Jews seventh day another seventh day was ordained in the Apostles dayes therefore as the ministery and seals of the Covenant and the chief place of it to wit the Temple were not abolished but changed as having a moral 〈◊〉 in them so also was the day of the Covenant for we read Acts 20. 7. that the 〈◊〉 and Disciples came together on the first day of the week to hear the word and to break bread and in 1 Corin. 16. 2. the Apostle wills them in their meetings on the first day of the week to lay aside for the poor and Revel 1. 10. it is plainly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day So that we see in the whole time of the Apostles it was not taken away but changed by them and therefore cannot be a meere ceremonie nor of the nature of the types of the Law But when the old Covenant ceased then ceased the Ministery thereof the Priesthood of Levi was changed and given to choice men of all Tribes and instead of it is our Ministery And as the seals of the Covenant ceased as of Circumcision and the Paschal lamb and in place thereof came our Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords supper so the day of the old Covenant is taken away and instead thereof is put the Lords day none of them in the first end being ceremonial but having a continual use and to last as long as the Church militant The reasons which might seem to have moved the Apostles to change this day may be fitly taken from the Institution of the Sabbath in the time of the law For as then nothing was more memorable then the day of the creation so when it pleased God that old things should cease and that there should be a new creation and that there was a benefit that did overshadow the former the benefit of redemption therefore when that was accomplished by Christs resurrection from that day we celebrate the memorial of it on the first day of the week and whereas that other great work of the sending the holy Ghost which was fifty dayes after concurd on the same day whereby that inestimable benefit of sanctification and speaking with strange tongues was conferred upon the Church and because the memory of the benefit of the creation may also be kept on the first day of the week as well as on the last Hence we may see upon what great reasons this day is establisht wherein do concur the three special works and benefits of the three persons to be for ever thankfully remembred viz. that of Creation by the Father Redemption by the Son and Sanctification by the holy Ghost And so much for the clearing of that point ¶ CHAP. III. Additionall considerations upon the doctrine of the Sabbath laid down in seven conclusions 1. It is certain some time is to be set apart for publick worship 〈◊〉 by School-men Canonists and reasons 2. Certain that the law of nature doth not dictate the proportion of seven or any other in particular 3. It is most probable that the seventh day was appointed by God from the beginning as a day of publick worship in
the essential part of it as a day of publick worship and praise to the honour of the Creator and that the ceremonial and symbolical part by a typicall rest from labour was that ' which properly concerned the Jews then it wil necessarily follow that the sabbath onely in this latter respect expired at the death of Christ and that the other part which was the observation of the seventh day as a day of publick praise in honour of the Creatour of all having no reference to Christ for wherein did the observation of a certain day for divine worship typifie Christ or his benefits but being grounded upon moral reasons and not given onely to the Jews ought to continue still unlesse it were altered by the same authority to wit divine and therefore the day being altered de facto as appears by the perpetual practise of the Christian Church to the first day of the week it will clearly follow that this could be done by no lesse then divine authority and so the observation of the Lords day may be truely said to be Jure divino as enjoyned by him who is Lord of the sabbath and therefore had power to alter the day which he did by his Apostles Neither is it needful which some vrge that a cleere precept of Christ should be brought for this out of the new testament It is sufficient if by necessary consequence it can be deduced from scripture and though in matters of faith which are of absolute necessity to salvation for all to know it may be granted that they are all expressed in scripture yet for other matters that concern the discipline order and government of the Church it was not necessary to have them expressed in writing though many of them be occasionally mentioned it was sufficient that they might be known by the daily practise of the Church wherein every one might read them written in large and Capital letters which universal practise and traditio of the Church in these matters he that shall denie or question may by the like reason question the authors and number of the books of Canonical scripture and whether they were written by men divinely inspired and so by consequence may question the authority of the scripture it self which is conveyed to us no otherwise then by the universal and Catholick tradition of the Church Besides how dangerous it is that the publick exercise of Christian religion should depend upon so week a foundation as authority humane wch may alter its own constitutions is subject to manifold errours I leave to the prudent and judicious Christian to consider The Lords day then I conceive to be grounded upon divine authority not onely in regard that all authority is from God and so divine for so all humane laws might be said to be by divine authority for it is true which learned Breerewood saith there may be divine authority for humane decrees and as Molina saith well Licet quae a regia aliis legitimis inferioribus potestatibus rite praecipiuntur sunt de jure positivo quod tamen illis post quam it a constitutae sunt pareatur est de jure divino cum legitime omnes potestates a Deo sunt Deique vices suo ordine tenent dumque illis obedimus earumque precepta servamus Deo pariter in illis paremus Deique praeceptum voluntatem exequimur though the commands of Kings and other inferiour lawful powers are onely by positive law yet that their constitutions be obeyed is by divine law for all lawful powers are from God and are his Deputies in their order so that when we obey them and keep their Commandments we do also obey God in them and fulfill his will and Commandment But I mean by divine authority that which is immediately divine in regard of the subject God or Christ himself who ordained and appointed this day though it were publisht to the world by the Apostles as the messengers of Christ as they publisht the Gospel and those things for which they had commission from Christ. It is true that the Apostles instituted other things as ordinary governours of the Church which are in themselves changeable as cannot be denied as their orders about widows saluting with a holy kisse and the like which are now antiquated But that the Lords day was not of this latter sort but of the former besides the former reasons which are stronger then any I have seen to the contrary may be likewise evinced by the testimony of the Church and of the most learned and eminent Doctors of it in several ages whose testimony in matters of fact and things of this nature is the best way that I know to prove what is not cleerely and evidently set down in scriptures and that wherein the conscience may most safely rest That text of Psal. 118 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made let us reioyce and beglad in it is generally by the fathers applied to the Lords day as made or instituted by the Lord so among others Athanasius Ambrose Chrysostom Augustine expound it Justin Martyr in 2 Aponl Antonim saith Apostolus a Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 celebritatem accepisse That the Apostles received from Christ himself the celebrity of this day Athanasius saith 〈◊〉 sabbati Dominus in diem Dominicum transtulit that the Lord himself hath transferred the solemnity of the sabbath to the Lords day Hom. de semente and in the forementioned Hom. upon these words all things are delivered to me by my father Infers the Lords day to be of divine institution Cyrill l. 12 in John Cap. 58. speaking of the apparitions of Christ upon this day saith that Christ thereby sanctified this day for solemne assemblies Chrysostom on Gen. 2. 3. saith here God from the beginning intimates this doctrine to us to lay aside and separate one day in every week for spiritual exercises Saint Augustine Epist. 119. seems to say the same that the Lords day was declared by the resurrection of Christ ab illo not ab illa caepit habere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from him that is from Christ it began to be made a festival Lactantius and others tell us that the primitive Christians expected Christs returne to judgement on that day by general tradition which shews they thought it unalterable and so no humane constitution Besides particular testimonies we have the publick testimony of the Church in her canons generally received in the the Christian world Cap. 〈◊〉 Feriis where it is said tam veteris quam 〈◊〉 testamenti pagina septimum diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both the old and new Testament have appointed the seventh day for mans rest In that famous constitution of Leo the Emperor 〈◊〉 54. for the keeping of the Lords day it is said we ought not to encroach upon that one day which God hath chosen for his own honour Among the canonists some of the chief are expressly for the divine right
possunt which cannot be performed by those that are busied with worldly or secular affairs So many of the Fathers that write upon this place vacate videte quia ego sum Dominus Be still and know that I am God shew that by the rule of natural wisdom the Philosophers held Postulandum esse secessum ut melius intendamus a vacation from worldly affairs is necessary that we may the better intend contemplate on heavenly things Our heads must not be occupied with worldly thoughts when we are about the affairs of the soul not that the works of the other six dayes are evil in themselves but because they are apt to distract the minde from that which is proper to this day Now Otium Rest being the first part it is a very strange thing that the nature of man should be altogether so averse from Gods will that when the Precept is difficult and laborious requiring some pains and travail then they will be idle and where this precept is not laborious but easy as this to rest they will rather then not break the Commandment take pains that is they will even against their nature make themselvs businesse and pick out that day of all the dayes of the week that he hath chosen so that it shall be a kinde of policy to make advantage of that day and to finde out some labour on that day on which he hath forbid us to labour And so much for the easinesse of the Commandment and the perversenesse of man We finde in Scripture six several kindes of prohibitions from working on this day 1. Before the Law given when the people departed from Elim and came to the wildernesse of Sin there was a prohibition from gathering Manna there was better food to gather of which he that eateth shall live for ever The Lord is to be tasted 2. A second is As there must be no gathering of Manna nor going out to gather it that day so there must be no buying of it though it should be brought to us So Nehemiah protested against buying and selling which sheweth the unlawfulnesse of it because on that day is Mercatura animae it is the market day of the soul buying and selling on that day is forbidden 3. A third is that which the Prophet Jerem. mentions that is the carrying of burthens on that day and the better to dissuade the people from that kinde of work the Prophet promiseth in the person of God great blessings to them if they forbear and threatneth great plagues upon them if they did not for if they made that their day of 〈◊〉 God would send upon them a burden which they should sink under viz. Captivity and desolation by the Enemy he would kindle a fire in Jerusalem and burn up the gates and palaces thereof verse ult 4. Another thing prohibited by the Law is working in harvest time because the inning of harvest and gathering of grapes might seem to be a matter of great necessity Six dayes shalt thou work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing time and in harvest time thou shalt rest so that the provision for the whole common-wealth must give place unto the rest of this day 5. A fifth thing prohibited is Travailing or Journeying on the Sabbath day Cras erit Sabbatum jehovae maneat quisque in loco suo neque egrediatur quisquam die septimo to morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord Abide ye every man in his place let no man go out of his place the seventh day 6. The last is above the rest For whereas God in the three Chapters before had given Moses a platform for the building of a Tabernacle and taken order that he should go presently in hand with it yet in the 31 Chapter he saith notwithstanding Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep whosever worketh on that day the same person shall be surely put to death Which is as much as if he had said Though that work may seem most lawful and tending most to my glory of all other yet ye shall not break the Sabbath to do it and so verse 15 he gives an universal restraint whosoever doth any manner of work on that day shall be put to death any manner of work an universal prohibition and the penalty threatned was accordingly executed upon him that gathered sticks Numb 6. 15. 35. he was stoned to death by Gods special appointment And the Lord tells the people that if they pollute the Sabbath by bearing burdens he would kindle such a fire in the gates of Jerusalem that should devour the palaces of it and not be quenched The Prophets generally urge the observation of this Commandment above the rest And we may observe that there hath seldom been any strange visitation by fire but where there hath some notorious prophanation of the Sabbath gone before So that when it shall please God to visit us with the like judgement we may conjecture what hath been the cause of it Concerning the rest now required on the Lords day and the difference thereof from the Jewish symbolical rest which was therefore more strict see the former Additional observation observation 6. Therefore to conclude this point let them that go out to gather Manna carry burdens buy and sell gather harvest journey and travail up and down or do any the most lawful work not think these things to be otium sanctum or Sabbatum Jehovae a holy rest or the Sabbath of the Lord but as Leo saith Sabbatum Tyri the Sabbath of Tyre The Councel of Mentz held in the time of Charlemain Anno Dom. 813 hath this Canon Omnes 〈◊〉 Dominicos cum omni veneratione decrevimus observari a servili opere abstineri ut 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 minime sit nec placitum ubi aliquis ad mortem vel poenam judicetur we have decreed that all the Lords dayes be observed with all reverence and that servile labour shall be forborne and that no market be kept on those dayes nor that any Courts be kept either to condemn men to death or punish them Those that offend are to be deprived of the communion for three years And the Council of Tyburis Anno 895. in the time of the Emperor Arnulph hath one Canon to the like purpose as well for the observation of other holy dayes as the Lords day In the second Council of Mascon held anno 582 severe punishments were to be inflicted upon those that should not observe the Lords day and that toto die all the day long As it was larger for the fault so it was milder for the punishment for they suspended those that violated this Canon from the Communion but for half a year so strict were they for the sanctifying of this day and that as one saith because God requires the rest not for the rest it self sed quia hoc die Deo tantummodo vacandum because we must this
an exemption the Lord hath resigned his right into our hands but not upon an imminent peril or necessity which may be prevented or avoided On the other side we are to observe another Proviso We must be careful that because God seeth the heart and we are to deal with him we be sure the danger could not be prevented nor the work be deferred but that present danger and necessity enforceth us to it For we must not draw a necessity upon our selves or pretend a necessity when there is none because God will not be mocked though we may delude the eyes of men This is to be remembred because of the practise of some who Inne their harvest on the Sunday pretending that it is not Gods will that any of his creatures should perish which is true and might lessen the offence if they did it onely for preserving the creature and not for their own gain and profit which if they pretend let them know that God sees their hearts and knows their intentions Therefore for tryal of men in this case it were good if to put a dfference between their works on that day and upon other dayes they would do as they did 1 Cor. 16. 2. lay up on the first day of the week whatsoever they gain or save by their work on that day and give it to the poor by this means it would appear with what hearts they wrought on this day whether onely to save the Creature or out of a desire of lucre and gain Thus we see what rest is commanded and how these cases may be resolved 3. But here ariseth another question When we have rested is that all we are to do Surely no. It is not sufficient that we rest if we do not sanctifie too Leo said of the people of his time that on this day their care was bene vestiri nibil agere keep holy day by wearing gay clothes and doing nothing Now as S. Paul said of bodily labour that it profitteth little so we may say of bodily rest that it profiteth lesse This rest is to holinesse and not to idlenesse We must not be 〈◊〉 on that day of rest To keep a Sabbath therefore and not be able to give accompt of some good thing done by us in it is that which the Fathers call Sabbatum boum asinorum the oxen and asses keep as good a sabbath as such do Besides these Idle sabbath keepers there are two other sorts of people that are neither idle nor well imployed 1. Of the first sort Augustine speaks and they were either 1. such as did vacare 〈◊〉 theatris spectaculis choreis spend their time in pastimes shewes stage-playes and dancing or else those that 2. gave themselves on the Sabbath venationi to hunting To which Leo addes such as did vacare chartis rationibus commessationibus passed the day in playing at Cards and in revelling and so addicted were they to these things as that they were not at al occupied in any work ofsanctification These mens Sabbath as Augustine well observeth is like that of the people in Exodus Cras observabimus 〈◊〉 Jebovae To morrow shall be a sabbath to the Lord they would keep a sabbath to him but it should be as in the next verse to eat and drink and play this sabbath I say was kept to the Calf and therefore he calleth it Sabbatum vituli 〈◊〉 the sabbath of the golden Calf For as we may not keep open markets go to plough or to Law on that day so neither should we spend the time in hunting nor yet in dancing and sporting Nor spend our time ordained for sanctification in beholding sights stageplaies and the like Not because these are in themselves evil or unlawful but in that they hinder our sanctification against such prophanation of this day severe order was taken by diverse councels as Concil Gangr 5. Can. 8. Concil Agath 38. Can. 1. Some christians in the primitive times were so far from this that they would sit in the oratory all the Lords day praying and hearing without eating or drinking insomuch as by their long fasting diverse diseases grew among them wherupon the same council of Gangra in Paphlagonia held 〈◊〉 Dom. 327. Was forced to make a Canon with an Anathema annexed to it against those who thenceforward should fast upon the Lords day But though we shall not need to fear such zeal in our times yet it sheweth to us the great and excellent examples of abstinence used in the Primitive Church to make them more fit for the service of God 1. The other sort are they that spend their time this day in gluttony Lust drunkennesse and such like vices which ought not at any time much lesse on that day be practised For if the affaires of our calling or the sports lawful on another day must not be used on this day much lesse any vice which is unlawful at any time for hereby a double iniquity is committed 1. first because the commandment is violated and this day seemes to be picked and singled out of all other dayes despitefully against the Majesty of God 2. Secondly because it is an abuse of the Creatures of God and a breach of other commandments And therefore as the other was Sabbatum Tyri so these do celebrare sabbatum 〈◊〉 keep a sabbath to the devil CHAP. VI. The second thing commanded is sanctification which is the end of the 〈◊〉 The kindes of sanctification publick and private How the holy Ghost works in 〈◊〉 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 TO what end then must this rest be why to holines we must apply it to that end to which God hath appointed it and use that holily which God hath sanctified The right sabbath is called Deliciae 〈◊〉 the delight of the Lord wherein he taketh pleasure and that is truly observed when we not onely cease from our own work as those of our calling but of those of our corrupt nature and will by ceasing from that which is pleasant in our own eyes this is to keep Sabbatum 〈◊〉 a sabbath the delight of the Lord to make it a day honour God and to learn Gods wil and having learnt it to practise it whereby he may blesse us and bring us to the inheritance of our heavenly rest Whereas on the contrary if the high-wayes of Sion complain that none come to her sanctuary or that if we come we so behave our selves in it that the adversary mock at her sabbaths Then God himself will take acourse as the prophet speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostrarum he will cast dong upun our faces even the
witnes of the truth Sain Paul attributeth sanctification of every thing to prayer premised and therefore it is termed the preparative to all the duties of a Christian more plainly Our Saviour very early before day went out into a solitary place and there prayed and afterward came and preached in the Synagogue which is very probable to have been on the sabbath day whereby we may observe that Christ himself took prayer to be the first means of sanctification 1. Now for the times of this exercise of prayer on the Lords day they are two 1. Before the other publick duties and 2 After 1. That before is either private as of a master and his family 2. Or else in the congregation which is publick Both which the psalmist comprehendeth in one verse I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithful there 's the first And in the congregation there 's the last 1. Concerning the first we see in the place before quoted that our Saviour went out into a solitary place as also elsewhere As soon as he had sent the multitude away he departed into a mountain to pray 2. For the other we may gather out of that place in the Acts that amongst the very Heathen the religious Hellinists which were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were a kinde of proselytes that worshipped the God of Israel vsed to assemble themselves to pray by a rivers side But more plainly the Apostle saith that to the prayers of the congregation every one should joyn his own Amen Again prayer is to be vsed after For as we are not fit to receive any spiritual grace before without it so neither to keep it after the devil will take the word out of our hearts after we have heard it unlesse we desire of God that it may remain with us and seek his blessing that the seed may fructify And this was in the law to come from the Priests mouth The Lord blesse thee and keep thee By vertue whereof the devil wil lose his power in taking the word out of our hearts but it shall continue with us and fructifie in us 2. The second is the word which is magnified or sanctified by God for our sanctification for as the prophet saith God hath magnified the law that is his word and made it honorable and else where plainly the hearing of the word is made one end of publick assemblyes gather me the people together saith God and I will makethem hear my words Now the word upon the sabbath hath a double use 1. First as it is read and heard read onely 2. And secondly as it preached or heard preached 1. For the first the Church in great wisdome alwayes thought it most convenient and necessary that reading should precede preaching that when it should be preached it might not seem strange to them that heard it But as that is thought a thing fit by the Church so would it be no lesse expedient that before we come to church we would meditate on it yet such is our wretchlessenesse in matters spiritual that we think we have done enough if we can apprehend it when it is read whereas if we would meditate on it before hand we might make the better 〈◊〉 of it when it is read and be the better confirmed in what we hear preached The Jews had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preparation to the sabbath and about the ninth houre of it which is our three of the clock in the after-noon they usually met and spent their time in reading of the scriptures that they might be the better fitted against the sabbath The publick reading of the word in the congregation on the sabbath day is warranted by diverse passages in holy writ as by that in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that when Paul and his company came into the synagogue at Antioch on the sabbath day the rulers of the Synagogue after the 〈◊〉 of the Law and the Prophets sent to them saying ye men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation say on And by another passage in the same Chapter where it is said that the Prophets were read every sabbath day And by another a little after which saith thus that Moses that is the law was read in the Synagogue every sabbath day And lastly Saint Paul gives a special charge by the Lord to the Thessalonians thathis Epistle to them be read unto all the holy brethren There is a vse also of private reading and that of great consequence for Christ saith plainly that his witnesses be the Scriptures and therefore will he have them searched because they testified and prophecied of him That this exercise is profitable the prophet maketh plain by a question Should not a people enquire at their God which he explains in the next verse by seeking To the law and to the Testimony And again Seek in the book of the Law and read And therefore we see that the Bereans were much commended and storied for wiser and nobler 〈◊〉 other people why because they searched the Scriptures daily to confirm their faith in the points preached to them There are other vses also in reading In the Revelation there is a blessing pronounced to those that read or heare the words of that prophecy because it might excite men to praise God when they see all fulfilled Man seeing the prophecies fulfilled may thereby give him praise And for this cause there were anciently Monuments kept in Churches which preserved and set forth the accomplishing of Gods promises or threatnings As the memorials of the warres of God on the behalf of the Israelites which was called liber bellorum Dei the book of the battels of the Lord and their verba 〈◊〉 or Chronicl es of Nathan Gad Shemaiah c. these they permitted in a holy use to be privately read that seeing his promises and his threatning denounced in them to have been fulfilled men might the better be stirred up to the praise and fear of God 2. Another use was the understanding of hard places in the Scripture It is recorded of Daniel that while hs was reading the book of 〈◊〉 about the accomplishment of the number of the 70 years captivity mentioned by the same prophet God sent an Angel to him to informe him in that great 〈◊〉 about the time of Christs sufferings So the Eunuch while he was reading in the book of Esay had the exposition of Christs sufferings from the Apostle Philip sent for that purpose by God and because God doth not now by such extraordinary means informe us in the true sence of Scriptures therefore we are to read such as have written 〈◊〉 upon such places and so no doubt but if Philip had written any thing at that time upon Esay that the Eunuch would have read it and made use of
sanctification of the day and works of mercy The Prophet tells us that God refuseth all sacrifice and requireth Mercy so that sacrifice without Mercy was rejected Let us compare this with the Ritual sanctification in the Law As anoynting was the first part of typical sanctifying of which we spake formerly so was there also a second If it were a Person his hand was filled by Aaron Implevit manus ejus Aaron If it were an Altar then was there some what offered on it So that Oblation or filling the hand was the second way of legal sanctifying In the Law there was a charge to Aaron that whensoever men came to appear before the Lord none should appear empty And therefore in another place there is mention made of a basket of sanctification at the door of the Tabernacle in which was reserved the bread offered by the people which the Priests were to eat with the flesh of the sacrifices And the very same order was taken in the time of the Gospel that on the Lords day there should be collections for the poor But there is no place that setteth this out more plainly then the 26 Chapter of Deuteronomy the whole Chapter throughout where the manner is particularly set down how the people were to bring their baskets of first fruits to the tabernacle and offer them there to the Lord in token of thankfulnesse and as an acknowledgement that they received all from God And likewise every third yeer besides the ordinary tythes they were to bring the tythe of the remainder to the Tabernacle for the use of the Levite the poor the fatherlesse and stranger that they might rejoyce together c. Now mercy as misery is two fold 1. Corporeal and 2. Spiritual Either outward and such as are for the good of the body of him that is in misery or inward and such as concerne his soul or spirit 1. For the first of these our Saviour himself mentions six works of mercy in 2 verses of one Chapter which as sure as he is Christ he will acknowledge and take special notice of when he comes to judge the world and as he will pronounce those happy and blessed that have exercised them so he will denounce a curse upon those that have neglected them three of them are in the first of the two 1. Feeding the hungry 2. Giving drink to the thirsty 3. Merciful dealing with and entertaining the stranger And the other three are in the next verse 1. Clothing the naked 2. Visiting the sick 3. And succouring them that be in prison To which may be added a seventh which is the care of the dead we see that King David pronounceth a blessing from God to the men of Jabesh Gilead because they had buried the body of Saul And our Saviour commendeth the work of Mary in her anointing him as having relation to the day of his burial We finde also Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus recommended to posterity for their work of mercy in this kinde the one for begging the body of Jesus to bury it and the other for assisting him in the charge of interring it Augustine gives a reason why the burial of the dead ought to be accounted a work of mercy It is done saith he Ne pateat miseria that this misery of rotting being both lothsome to the eye and nose should not appear to every man As also because every one loveth his own flesh so well that he would have it after his death well and honestly used and therefore this is a benefit done to him when he cannot help himself And in these respects it is a work of mercy That the works of mercy are most requisite and especially upon our feasts appears by that which is related of David who upon his sacrifice on a festival day dealt to everyman and woman the poorer sort no doubt a loaf of bread and a good piece of flesh and a flagon of drink And by that which is storied of Nehemiah who upon the Sabbath day after the law read and expounded commanded the better sort to eat the fat and drink the sweet and to send portions to them for whom nothing was prepared And certainly there is a blessing or sanctifying proper to them and their actions that shall be mindefull of the poor and shew mercy to them S. Paul tells the Milesians that it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive especially seeing God so accepteth works of mercy as that he imputeth not sin to the truly charitable Therefore it was that Daniel gave that counsel to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 iniquity by mercy to the poor And our Saviour gave the like in his sermon Give Alms of such things as you have and all things are clean to you Whereas he that stoppeth his ears at the cry of the Poor he also shall cry himself and not be heard But it is an easy matter for flesh and blood to finde objections against performing these works of mercy As how know I whether a man be hungry or not I see none go naked and so of the rest To this we answer with the fathers potius est occurrere necessitati quam succurvere It is better to prevent or keep a man from misery then to help him out of misery And for the practise of that they 〈◊〉 taught the monuments of their charity which they have left behinde them shew that they were more frequent in works of mercy then we And their rule was In die domini ne extende manus ad 〈◊〉 nisi extendas ad pauperem if you stretch not your hands to the poor on the Lords day it will be in vain to stretch out your hands to God And indeed when God requireth thy Almes to the poore he asketh but his own and that which he gave thee and but that which thou canst not keep long He requireth but pauxillum a very little from thee for them meaning to repay thee Centuplum a hundred fold for it He asketh of thee but Caducum that which is fraile and transitory to reward thee in aternum eternally 2. And as there were in their time some so are there now more that plead their inability to releeve the poor Our answer to this must be as theirs was si 〈◊〉 non sufficient restuae ad 〈◊〉 Christianos parcendum est ut tu sufficias illis if thou hast not sufficient for pious uses be the better husband that thou mayest be enabled to do some good though never so little for God regardeth not the quantum how much thou givest 〈◊〉 ex quanto out of what thou hast to give The widowes mites were more accepted by God then the gifts the rich men cast into the Treasury why Quia multum obtulit quae parum sibi reliquit she offered much that left but little to her self Lastly there
they had need to be both holy and well qualified 1. They are to stand between the Lord and his people to shew them his word and what he required them to do 2. They are not onely to read it but to instruct them in it to make men wise to salvation and not onely the common people but the king also as was shewed before 3. They are to blesse the people in the name of the Lord. 4. They are to offer prayers to God for them upon all occasions as 1. In time of Pestilence when the plague raged among them 2. in time of war when the enemy threatened their destruction 3. In time of famine when the land yeelded not increase 4. In time of sicknes not onely for the life of the King or Prince bnt also when sicknesse laied hold on private men And lastly 5. They wereto be instead of Captains to encourage the people their souldiers to fight manfully and to resist the assaults of the Devill their Ghostly enemy these and many other things belong to the priests function Now as the Apostle speaks who is sufficient for these things surely if he that was so plentifully endued with the spirit of God doubted of his own sufficiency what may we in these times when many take liberty without the emission the Apostle had to themselves unsent to undertake this high calling certainly great care ought to be taken by those in authority especially by the Church governours that none should performe this office of themselves and that they who are ordained be able to undergo so great a work For if they that fight against us were onely bodily enemies as French and Spaniards there were no such great need of such men but seeing that as the Apostle tells us we are to fight a spiritual combat we must combat with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore such are necessary as can oppose spiritual wickednes such are Currus Aurigae Israelis the charriots and horsemen of Israel who must beat back this spiritual host The holy Ghost hath left it upon record that the life of 〈◊〉 the priest and his wisdom were the means to keep both king and people from Idolatry and consequently the whole kingdom from destruction And as the 〈◊〉 tells us that in his time the want of knowledge brought the foundations of the earth both of Church and commonwealth out of frame al humane laws were defective So as the wise man speaketh it is wisdome and knowledge of Gods law which is to be sought at the priests mouth that doth servare gregem ab interitu preserve the people from perishing And where there is no vision the people decay For if we will look backward into the estate of mighty commonwealthes we shall finde that though the wisdome and policy of them have been great for want of Prophets and priests to reclaim the vices of the soul they have all fallen to decay As fi st in the Assyrian monarchy what was the ruin of it but Gluttony and intemperance which brought diseased bodies and weaknes and Adultery which bred bastardslip as the prophet speaks and mingling of kindreds where by the Empire was translated out of the right line and so ruined and all this for want of good instruction Again looke into the 〈◊〉 monarchy and you shall see that Idlenes neglect of tillage mechanick arts and merchandise every one thereby becoming 〈◊〉 a gentleman caused the ruin of that Empire Nor did the Grecian Monarchy come to its period till Alexander for want of knowing God would himself be reputed a God and till his successours fell to covetousnesse whereby a needles dearth fell upon it and the greater began to oppresse the inferiour and the Prince to burthen his subjects And Lastly the Roman Monarchy came to that we see it is at this day from the most flourishing of all the former by their own pride envy emulation and heart-burning And these miseries befel al these four Monarchies by reason of these vices which the laws of God would not have suffered if there had been any to teach them and the laws of the Heathen could not correct If we come to our own nation in the time of the Brittains the often and frequent wrongs and injuries of great persons the perverting of the Laws which were made to be Cobwebs to catch onely the small flies while the great ones break through The Corruptions of Lawyers maintaining causes and suits for their fee by which the land was overrun with oppression Gods law being not heard in the mean time brought destruction upon the land Nor is it possible by any Act of Parliament Law or Statute to provide or take order that a man shall not be covetous or that there be no Idlenesse Ryot Pride Envy or the like sins in the soul though these as is said were the chief causes that these Monarchies and other Countryes came to destruction For Sobriety and all vertues must be begotten in the minde and that by such persons as shall be able to reach and instill them out of the Law of God otherwise politick justice will never continue among men Civil Acts are of no force except Religion be joyned with them We read that in the time of the Judges every man did that which was good in his own eyes Men could assure themselves of nothing they possessed Six hundred men of Dan came into Micahs house and took away his graven Image his Ephod his molten Image his Teraphim and his Priest And in the next Chapter what an unheard of example of lust have we and all this is attributed to the want of knowledge of Gods Law in those dayes And when the Priesthood was setled and they had a Judge yet the Children of Israel were brought under the yoak of the Philistins because that calling was corrupted by Hophni and Phinees the sons of Eli. In the time of the kings of Israel when that kingdome had been diverse years without the true God and without the Priest to teach the law in no nation can be found seaven such notable changes in so short a time as you may read in the book of the kings and this was ascribed to the want of the priest and the Law of God Therefore it was before that time the wish and desire of Moses that all the Lords people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit up-them And this was the desire of Saint Paul too that they could speak all with tongues but rather that all al could prophecie we see by experience that our adversaries take occasion to invade us in those places where the people are least instructed and most ignorant in the word of God All manner of sinne most aboundeth where least care is taken for their instruction in the wayes of God and the knowledge of his Laws It is our
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
conjugal love in the three particulars before mentioned in forsaking what was dear to him father and mother c. In cleaving constantly to his Church and uniting himself with it so as his Church is the body and he the head so this love of his was spiritual towards the Church By which he made it without spot or wrinckle and so the husbands chief care ought to be to keep his wife sine macula ruga without spot or sinne in the sight of God And as this is required on the mans part so the woman to make her self amiable ought to resemble her that the wiseman speaks of Many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all for favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised This commendation had Lydia whom the Apostle sets forth for a pattern to other women that she was one that feared and worshipped God whose heart God opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul This makes a woman truly amiable for as there must be love in the husband so there must be Amibilitas amiablenes on her part thereby to draw love which consists in modesty and other vertues for as Salomon saith A gracious or as some read it a modest woman obtaineth honour for beauty or favour without grace and fear of the Lord is but as a ring of gold in a swines snowt And therefore immodest outward allurements ought to be far from them according to the Apostles rule they ought to adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastnes and sobriety not with broydered haire or gold or pearles or costly array but which becometh women professing godlines with good works And S. Peter requires that their adorning be not in plaiting the haire or wearing gold c. but in the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price And the Apostle Paul in another place commands that young married women beare children guide the house and give no occasion of offence And lastly Saint Peter would have them be of such conversation that even without the word the adversaries beholding them may be won and converted So much for the second duty 3. The third duty of the husband or Paterfamilias is oeconomical To provide for his wife and them of his family which if he do not he is worse then an infidel as the Apostle saith There must be in him an honest care by just and true dealing per 〈◊〉 oeconomicam by oeconomical prudence to provide sufficient maintenance for his wife and family It was the Patriarch Jacobs care as we may see in his conference with Laban for when Laban vrged him to tarry still with him his answer was that he had done sufficiently for him already he had by Gods blessing encreased his estate from a little to a great deale and if he should still follow his busines when should he provide for his own house It is the Apostles counsel that men should labour for that which is good that they may have not onely for themselves but also to give to others and so rather to be beneficial to others then chargeable And the wiseman in a Metaphorical way adviseth the like He would not have a man to come alwayes to his neighbours well when he is dry but to drink waters out of his own cisterne fontes 〈◊〉 deriventur foras let thy 〈◊〉 be aisper sed abroad and to this end in the next chapter he urgeth the example of the Auts wisdome in laying up against the hard winter to whom he sendeth the sluggard for a pattern and calleth him wise that gathereth in Summer that is while he hath time We have an example of it allowed by God and rewarded by man in the Patriarch Joseph who laid up against a dearth while the years of plenty lasted What a man obtains this way by his honest labour and industry is accompanied with a blessing from God even this blessing that he hath true peace of conscience in what he enjoyes his conscience shall not trouble him for unlawful gains according to that of Solomon The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it viz. no inward grief of 〈◊〉 but rather peace and comfort And for the wives duty it is answerable to that of the husband The Apostle saith that he would have her guide the house not so much to provide for the house which is chiefly the husbands part but to order and dispose well of what is brought into the house which is in effect the same with that which Christ commanded the Apostles to gather up that which remaineth that nothing be lost And this is a good quality in a woman for though our Saviour reprehendeth Martha for being too much addicted to worldly cares yet it is said by another Evangelist that he loved her well And it is well said by a Father Foelixest domus ubi de Martha Maria conqueritur sed none converso ubi Martha de Maria that house is happy where Marie complains of Martha but it is not so on the other side where Martha findes fault with Maric The Wise man at large describeth the several duties in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to qualifie a woman in this kinde and saith that he that shall finde such a vertuous woman is happy for her price is far above rubies And to the same purpose doth the Apostle advise women and in the midst of his lessons to them as a special means to observe the rest he bids them to be as snails 〈◊〉 domi-portae kcepers at home In this point following the example of Sarah of whom we read that she was for the most part either in the tent or at the tent door 4. The last thing is There must be from each of these duties officia resultantia duties resulting and arising to be performed to others viz. to each others kinred for by reason of this conjunction between the parties themselvs there is mutual love and honour to be given to each others kinred We see the example on the mans part for this duty in the man of God Moses who when his wives father Jethro came to him went out to meet him and made obeysance to him and entertained him and Aaron and all the Elders of Israel And at another time we finde what kindnesse he offered to Hobab his wives brother that if he would go with him into the land of promise be should partake of what good soever the Lord should do to him Come with us and we will do thee good And for the womans part we have an excellent example in Ruth toward her mother in law Naomi that by no means would be perswaded to leave her but would accompany her into her countrey
he be for his belly as the first or degenerate to a wolf as the last they are both distinguished from the good shepherd Yet they are to be obeyed as pastors because they come in the right way obediendum est male an evil man must be obeyed though not ad malum in that which is ill of which before in the Magistrate But the end of these is wosul acording to the prophet wo unto the shepherds that feed themselves Ye 〈◊〉 the fat and cloth you 〈◊〉 the wooll yee kill them that are fed but yea feed not the flock 4. The good shepherd is the last sort who as he comes in the right way Math. 22. 12. So he is not to abuse his place after he is entred as the evil shepherd doth but to perform the duties of it which duties are 1. To shew his flock a good example 2. To employ his talent for their good 3. To converse with them as he ought 1 He must be an example He must lead the flock as our Saviour expresseth it after the manner of the Easterne countries who drave not their sheep before them but the sheep followed them The Apostle describeth it more plainly by the word Typus he must be Typus as the iron that gives a forme to the mony by making an impression on it As the iron hath the same forme in it which it stampes on the coyne so must the minister by his example represent what by his doctrine he would have the 〈◊〉 to be The same word is vsed in other places it is used by Saint Peter bidding such men to be ensamples to the flock It was Moses his order in the first place the priest was to have 〈◊〉 integrity of life and then Vrim light or learning And it pleased God to make it a signe of Aarons cal ling to the Priesthood That his rod was virga 〈◊〉 a fruit bearing rod to shew that the priest when he uses the pastoral rod for government and discipline must not be unfruitful himself but must be an example in holy life and good works which are the fruits of the spirit So was it in Christ our Prototype as Saint Luke speaks Cepit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docere 〈◊〉 began both to do and to teach to do first and to teach after The like Saint Paul when he handleth this point ex professo tells both 〈◊〉 and Titus that a minister must be blamelesse by his example without spot and unreproveable So then he must be ex mplam or dux gregis he must be typus a pattern or example he must do and then teach This example he may be two wayes 1. In himself which is as you see before in S. Pauls direction to Timothy and Titus to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spot which hath relation to that in the law No man that bath a blemish or is mishapen in his body of the seed of Aaron the Priest was to come nigh to offer the Lords offering This was required under the Law to preserve the outward honour and dignity of the Priesthood the better and though in that regard it may be of moral use yet withal hereby was typified that innocency and freedom from all spiritual blemishes of sin which should be in the Ministers of the gospel They should be free from all spot because no offence should be given that no scandal should be given to the weak brother within nor to the adversary without This made the Apostle so careful to avoid not onely scandal but all occasion of scandal that when alms were sent to poor brethren by the care of the Apostles he would not carry it alone but would have one go with him that there might be no suspicion of fraud that so he might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 provide things honest not onely in the sight of God but before men also and that the adversarie might have no occasion to speak evil Therefore the Disciples marvelled when they found Christ talking with a woman alone because it was not his custom to do any thing which might cause slander or suspicion Thus much for the ge 〈◊〉 We will now set the four vertues which the Apostle requires to be in him and the four spots which are opposit 1. The first is that he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temperans or continens temperate and chast whether in a married or single estate The opposite to this is in Tim. 3. 2. not to be content with one Wife so continency or single life is the vertue incontinency or polygamie the thing forbidden 2. The second is that he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vigilant or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not given to wine The opposite is in the next verse one given to wine transiens ad vinum a tavernhunter for the lust of the body and the pleasure of the taste must both be qualified in him 3. The next is he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sober which Chrysostome distinguishes from the former and is opposite not to the inordinate desires of meat and drink but to the passions of the soul which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irascible it moderates the passion of anger The vertue required is mentioned 2 Tim. 2. 24. mildenesse he must be no striker not furious but one that will bear injuries and labour with meeknesse to reclaim those that erre 4. Lastly he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grave and modest of good behaviour which the Councils refer to habitum his apparel gestum his gesture incessum his gate he must not be light in his behaviour The opposite to which is not to fly youthful lusts and light carriage To these four we must adde that which the Apostle mentions he must so carry himself that he may have a good report of them that that are Without for it is not enough to be commended by those of his own profession or religion by birds of his own feather but so that his very enemies may say He is a man fit for this sacred calling and may be converted by his example 2. He must be an example in his houshold by his example for according to S. Paul he must rulewell his own house which must be in 3 points 1. They must be brought up by him in the true faith 2. He must keep them in subjection that they be not unruly but obedient for if he be not able to keep his own under but that they will be refractory it argueth that he is either negligent or remisse and fainthearted and therefore unfit to rule the Church 3. Lastly he must make them examples of reverence gravity sobriety and modesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they be not accused of riot surfet and excesse And in these two respects the Pastor must be exemplum gregis The duty of the people must be conformable and answerable to that of the Pastor If it be
order which was never 〈◊〉 though now it be neglected and though men ask the counsel of the Lawyer for their 〈◊〉 and of the Physitian for their bodie and follow their directions yet the Minister is not thought fit to 〈◊〉 them for their fouls but here every one can give counsel as well as the Minister 3. They must give the Minister honour double honour They which labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which take extraordinary pains in the word and doctrine for the emphasis lies in that word let them be counted worthy of double honour 〈◊〉 the Apostle 1. The honour of reverence which extends both to our judgement and 〈◊〉 In our judgement by having a reverent 〈◊〉 of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. 29. honour them highly and then in our affection a singular degree of love is due to them The Apostle saith they must be 〈◊〉 highly in love We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and 〈◊〉 you and to esteem them very highly for their works sake 2. The honour of maintenance Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things faith the Apostle God threatens in Zachary that whereas he had broken one staff if the 〈◊〉 wages were not 〈◊〉 he would break both and what can then follow in the Church but Barbarifine and Ignorance and by consequence Epicurisnie and Atheisme When men are sick they can send for the Minister to comfort them then they think of Heaven when they must leave the Earth but when they are recovered there is no 〈◊〉 use of him or when they are in health they regard him not It is well expressed by the Prophet when there were great droughts or rains or 〈◊〉 weather they remembred God and called to him but when they had what they desired when they had got in their corn wine they rebelled against him But God protests against this dealing he wil not be so mocked Remember me in the dayes of thy youth and in thy wealth els 〈◊〉 shalt have no answer of me when the evil dayes come S. Augustine commenting upon the words before recited they which labour in the word and doctrine let them be counted worthy of double 〈◊〉 saith Scilicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obediant exteriora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 sed et terr 〈…〉 This double honour is not onely to obey in spiritual things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them in temporals For good 〈◊〉 of the word ought not to be 〈◊〉 with high honour onely but with earthly 〈◊〉 too that 〈◊〉 may not be 〈◊〉 sad and 〈◊〉 in the want of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 their charge and may also 〈◊〉 in their 〈◊〉 obedience in 〈◊〉 matters 〈◊〉 not saith Saint 〈◊〉 that they which minister about holy things 〈◊〉 of things of the 〈◊〉 and they which wait at the Altar are 〈◊〉 with the Altar even so hath the Lord 〈◊〉 that they which preach the 〈◊〉 should live of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 ordinance not our benevolence We are not at our liberty but tied to it by 〈◊〉 and the minister hath power from God to demand it 〈◊〉 his own And thereupon it is that Saint 〈◊〉 speaking of Saint 〈◊〉 in this very point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 surpata sed 〈◊〉 that though the Apostle chose rather to work with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and did not require milk from his sheep yet he told the 〈◊〉 that he had power to have taken it and that his fellow Apostles vsed this 〈◊〉 not as usurped 〈◊〉 as given them 〈◊〉 by God And 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 but reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostle saith If we have so vn unto you 〈◊〉 things is it a 〈◊〉 thing if we reape your carnal things But to conclude this point The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour performed is from the want of 〈◊〉 It was Saint 〈◊〉 hope of the Corinthians that when their faith 〈◊〉 his means would be 〈◊〉 And so 〈◊〉 it be of ours if your faith encrease we shall be crowned and 〈◊〉 and where this is wanting we cannot expect it Concerning the difference of Bishops and 〈◊〉 that they are 〈◊〉 orders and that the Bishop is superiour not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 and that by divine right the reverend author hath fully proved it in his 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first in latine and lately translated into English wherein any 〈◊〉 man may finde full satisfaction And 〈◊〉 the power of the Priest or Minister of the Gospel in binding and loosing read a learned sermon made 〈◊〉 the Author on this subject on John 20. 23. published among his other sermons CHAP. VIII Of fathers of our country Magistrates The dutie of all towards their own country God the first magistrate Magistracy Gods 〈◊〉 Power of life and death givento kings by 〈◊〉 not by the people Addition 31. That regal power is 〈◊〉 from God proved out of the authors other writings The 〈◊〉 of magistracy 〈◊〉 To preserve true religion 2. To maintain outward 〈◊〉 Magistrates 〈◊〉 to shepherds in three respects The 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 power via of kings and of inferiour officers The duties ofsubjects to their Prince AFter the fatherhood of the Church order requireth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of those whom even nature and the Heathen by the light of 〈◊〉 have reputed and termed Patres 〈◊〉 fathers of the country which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sort the chief as hath been shewed are in Scripture called fathers as 〈◊〉 and the women mothers as 〈◊〉 a mother in Israel And because their 〈◊〉 is Pater 〈◊〉 God hath commended the countries care especially to every 〈◊〉 For this end it was that when God commanded 〈◊〉 to leave his fathers house he gives the country precedence and sets it before kindred and fathers house and we see what tears the people of God shed when they 〈◊〉 carried out of their own country into a strange land and when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 required them to sing the Lords song in a strange land 〈◊〉 would not And 〈◊〉 hearing of the misery of Jerusalem and his country men sate down and 〈◊〉 On the other side when the Lord 〈◊〉 again the captivity of 〈◊〉 when the people were restored to their country they were so over joyed that they seemed to be in an extasie they were like to them that dreame they would scarce beleeve that which they saw And indeed a mans country and the good of it being bonum totius every mans good a general blessing it ought to be preferred before bonum partis a particular good every man especially the prince and Magistrate ought to have a chief care over it We see that when the body is in danger men are willing to endure the 〈◊〉 of a member opening of a vein or scarifying for the health of the whole We may see this care in the very Heathen both in word and deed as first what they say in matter of profit unicuique
Depart from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their sins But on the other side if they require things directly and evidently contrary to the commands of God Deo potius quam hominibus we must not obey them our selves nay we also must exhort others not to obey them if their authority be lawful though abused we must rather suffer then resist but if it be usurped and without any colour of title we may resist them if we be able for 〈◊〉 without title while the lawful Governour hath not 〈◊〉 his claim are to be accounted as publick theeves and robbers its lawful for any to destroy them and thus we may say with David Quis consurget mecum who will rise up with me against the evil doers We must get as many as we can to joyn with us to deliver us from the oppression of such as 〈◊〉 or invade the authority of our lawful Soveraign CHAP. XI The second part of this Commandment A promise of long life Reasons why this promise is annexed to this Commandment How this promise is made good Reasons why God sometimes shortens the dayes of the godly and prolongs the dayes of the wicked VVE are now come to the second general part of this Commandment which is the Promise That thy dayes may be long 〈◊〉 a prolongation of dayes In the second Commandment there is a general promise to them that love God and keep his Commandments In this there is a particular promise for them that observe this Commandment and therefore its true which the Apostle observed that this is the first Commandment with promise that is with a particular promise Now the reasons why God adds a promise and reason to this Commandment may be these 1. Because according to the proverb Adorant plures 〈◊〉 solem quam occidentem there are more that worship the rising then the setting Sun and old men are compared to the sun going down Job saith that a man towards his end is like a candle burning within the socket or a lamp despised So consequently our fathers having one 〈◊〉 in the grave are neglected because there is no further hopes of receiving benefits by them whereas if they were still growing up with us there were further expectation of good towards us Therefore God adds this reason or motive to stir us up to give due honour to them even when they are old because we shall be rewarded our selves with honour and long life 2. Secondly here is a convenient proportion between the promise and the duty which is most 〈◊〉 The Heathen man saith Si acceperis 〈◊〉 gratis tuere if thou hast received a benefit preserve it We received a benefit in our birth from our parents that is our life be thankful to them and so maintain it for God then will have our life preserved by them from whom we had it and that is by their benediction if we shall continue in our honour to them Pietas saith S. Ambrose in parentes grata Deo merces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this piety towards parents is acceptable to God and is the just reward from children to parents c. And S. Paul saith it hath not onely the promise of this life but of 〈◊〉 to come And therefore this second reason is explained ut bent 〈◊〉 sit that it may 〈◊〉 well with us For as it is said that if all the Adverbs as diu c. were linked together and bene and male were left out they were nothing worth And therefore God makes a comment upon this Commandment after he hath said that thy dayes may be prolonged he adds that it may 〈◊〉 bene well with 〈◊〉 ut non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit longa sed 〈◊〉 that thy life be not onely long but happy Now parents blessing much conduceth unto this that by their blessing we may prolong our dayes The blessing of Noah to Sem reached to life eternal and of Japhet to this life that he should dwell in 〈◊〉 terra be enlarged and dwell in the tents of Sem and a curse fell upon Cham both for this life and the other and that upon 〈◊〉 and his posterity This blessing of the parents is effectual because it is a fruit of faith as the Apostle tells us in the case of Isaac blessing Jacob and of Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph and as their blessings so their curses are effectual we see it in the story of Isaac He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fetch him venison that he may blesse him Rebecca counsels Jacob to prevent 〈◊〉 he dares not lest his father curse him yet at his mothers instigation he adventures and Isaac blesseth him with a blessing which afterward proved effectual for when 〈◊〉 came to be blessed Isaac told him dedi fratri tuo benedictionem erit 〈◊〉 I have blessed him and he shall be blessed yet 〈◊〉 loved 〈◊〉 better then Iacob but this was the work of Gods providence that Isaac should give the blessing to Jacob. So likewise in Jacobs blessing of Ephraim the younger before Manasses the elder the younger should be greater then the elder though he should be great too a strange blessing it was for the manner and mighty for the 〈◊〉 and when Jacob blessed Joseph because he had fed his father a part of the honour here commanded as was shewed before therefore he blessed him with the blessings of the heavens of the aire and of the deep and this blessing proved effectual for that Tribe continued longest in prosperity and remained with Judah when the ten Tribes were carried captive and never returned Thus the parents are the instruments which God chooseth to convey his blessings by you are the blessed of the Lord as the 〈◊〉 speaks The blessing is Gods and parents the instruments Before we leave this a question must be answered How is this promise fulfilled since we see by daily experience the contrary we see that dutiful children have died in the strength of their years and disobedient and stubborn have prospered and lived long and therefore that is very true which the Preacher tells us all things come alike to all c. 1. We say that riches honour long life and other outward things are but gifts of Gods left hand and are common alike to all as well to the bad as to the good Isaac in his blessing gave the fat of the earth to Jacob and after verse 39. He gives it to his brother 〈◊〉 and prosperity is the lot of the wicked aswell as the godly ne boni nimis cupide prosequerentur lest the good should be set too eagerly upon it and adversity is common to the godly aswell as the wicked ne 〈◊〉 turpiter effugiatur lest the godly should 〈◊〉 it basely 2. Again the reason why adversity is common to both is because if it should sall upon all the wicked in this life question would
have more respect to his own life then the life of another 2. Another division is here to be considered a man may be slain either ex 〈◊〉 or praeter 〈◊〉 either of purpose or besides it In natural things we do not 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 to nature which is onely per 〈◊〉 by accident and not per se. Now answerable to this distinction of per se and per accidens in things 〈◊〉 is that of ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeter 〈◊〉 in things Moral and therefore if blood be shed praeter 〈◊〉 without any purpose of shedding it this is not to be accounted murder For God himself appointed Sanctuaries to be built for them to fly unto that shed blood praeter 〈◊〉 and God would not build Sanctuaries for any sin If one be hewing a tree in the wood and his hatchet fall and by chance kills his Neighbour he having no such intent or purpose the 〈◊〉 must deliver him from the avenger of blood and restore him to the city of refuge S. Augustine goes further and proves that the intention is so necessary in murder that if we take what is praeter intentionem for murder then we must cease to have or use any thing that may be an occasion of hurt a man must not have 〈◊〉 instruments of husbandry as spades axes c. because with these a man may be killed nor must one have trees in his orchard or 〈◊〉 to plow withal because a man may hang himself on one of the trees or the ox may gore nor have any windows in his house because one may be cast 〈◊〉 of a window and be slain thus by this means a man must have nothing because almost every thing may be used praeter intentionem besides his intention But absit as he saith God 〈◊〉 when they are kept for another end Yet to make a man innocent in this case that kills 〈◊〉 praeter 〈◊〉 besides his intention there must be two qualifications 1. He must have been imployed in re licita in a lawful businesse otherwise he is not to be excused If men strive saith the law and hurt a woman with childe that she die then life for life must be paid This in case of contention which is res 〈◊〉 an unlawful act The like may be 〈◊〉 in gaming 〈◊〉 and the like 2. There must be debit a 〈◊〉 a due and just care taken to have 〈◊〉 his death as in casting timber stone or tile from a house to give warning the case is set down in Exodus of a man opening or digging a pit and not covering it again as he might have done CHAP. IIII. The extent of this commandment Murther committed 1. Directly 2. Indirectly A man may be accessory to anothers death six 〈◊〉 A man may be accessory to his own death diverse wayes Of preserving life THus much for the restraint of the Commandment and in what cases the death of a man comes not within the compasse of murther Now for the extent of it There are diverse cases wherein a man is guilty of wilful murder and that either 1. Directly 2. or Indirectly A man may commit this sin 1. Directly as Joab killed Abner and Amasa If one man smite another with any instrument of 〈◊〉 stone wood c. whereby he kills him he is a murtherer saith the law and 〈◊〉 die for it 2. Indirectly and this is of three sorts 1. When it is not openly 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some colourable way as 1. by poyson as they in Jeremy Mittamus lignum in panem ejus let us put some poysoned wood into 〈◊〉 meat 2. By 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under the Law 3. By killing children in the womb by medicamenta 〈◊〉 a grievous murther 〈◊〉 by two Councils If a woman take strong purgations 〈◊〉 partum 〈◊〉 cause abortion she is 〈◊〉 a Murtheresse 4. If a man be Cooperator Accessorie as 1. Judas was accessory to Christs death by betraying him with a kisse he coloured the 〈◊〉 with a kisse So did Joab when he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Amasa He tooke Amasa by the beard and kissed him and then smote him under the fist 〈◊〉 2. By bringing one into danger as 〈◊〉 did David who made him captain against the Philistims to what end my 〈◊〉 shall not be upon him but the hand of the 〈◊〉 shall be upon him As Saul dealt with David so did David with 〈◊〉 when he wrote letters to Joab to set 〈◊〉 in the forefront for though the enemies slew him yet it was Davias murther 〈◊〉 hast 〈◊〉 Vriah the Hittite saith Nathan 3. By bearing false witnesse as those that testified against Naboth 4. By advising the death of the innocent thus 〈◊〉 was guilty 5. By exhorting and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up others the Scribes and High Priests did not put Christ to death yet they stirred up the people and perswaded Pilate c. And therefore were murtherers of Christ. 6. By consenting to the death of another as 〈◊〉 did to the death of Steven 7. By not hindring when a man is in authority and may and ought to hinder it Pilats washing his hands would not acquit him The not punishing of 〈◊〉 for the blood he unjustly shed troubled David when he was neere death and therefore he gave order to 〈◊〉 to take a time to punish him 2. A man is indirectly guilty by unnecessary exposing himself to danger when he may by ordinay means prevent it in this case he that doth the first an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last is accessory to his own death Qui amat periculum periculo 〈◊〉 saith the wise man Our Saviour would not thrust himself into it we must not tumble down when there are staires to go down For prevention of danger we see God prescribeth a law to prevent infection of leprosie The Leprous man was to be shut up and if any would go to him and endanger himself this was presumption and And Saint Paul though he had Gods promise to come 〈◊〉 to land yet he commanded the Centurion to use the means when he was in a storm to avoyd the danger by lightening the ship c. 3. By neglecting the means which God hath given for the preservation of life as Diet Physick moderate labour and recreation When a man is sick the Son of 〈◊〉 gives good counsel In thy sicknes be not negligent why what must a sick man do but in the first place send for the physitian No he prescribes a rule contrary to the practize of the world first pray unto the Lord leave off from sinne order thy hands aright and cleanse thy heart from all wickednes here is prayer and repentance first then give place to the physitian for the Lord hath created him let him not go from thee there is his place not the physitian of the body first and of the soul last And we see that in the case of
was a great part of our Saviours sufferings they had their fill in scorning him first the servants then 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 after him his souldiers then the High priests and all that went 〈◊〉 as we may read in the history of the Gospel and 〈◊〉 much for signes of anger in the countenance and tongue 3. After this in the third place as was shewen before comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the murther of the hand whereby the life or limmes of another are taken away wherein if many joyne it is a 〈◊〉 and such are called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumults in the common-wealth which if they proceed further are cald by 〈◊〉 seditions or rebellions whereby the civil body is 〈◊〉 and not onely that but the body of Christ the Church is also thereby 〈◊〉 and torne in pieces CHAP. VII Of the 〈◊〉 against anger How to prevent 〈◊〉 in others How in our selves Anger must be 1. Just in regard of the 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 3. We must labour for gravity 4. For love without 〈◊〉 The vertues opposite to 〈◊〉 anger 1. 〈◊〉 2. Charity In the first there is 1. The 〈◊〉 against anger which consists in three things 2. The remedy in three 〈◊〉 How charity prevents anger The fruit of charity 〈◊〉 1. To the dead by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the living And that first generally to all Secondly specially to the faithful Thirdly 〈◊〉 the poor by works of mercy Fourthly 〈◊〉 to our 〈◊〉 We come now to the meanes against anger TO prevent anger in others we must forbeare irritation or provocation Solemon speaks of some that will 〈◊〉 and be angry when no cause is given whom he condemnes and on the other side there are other to be condemned that give cause by irritating and provoking others as 〈◊〉 one of 〈◊〉 wives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they went up yearly to the house of the Lord and 〈◊〉 her with her 〈◊〉 whereby she continually 〈◊〉 her foul the wise man saith that as churning 〈◊〉 forth butter so is provocation the ordinary meanes of wrath Therefore he condemnes such as do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 im bitter the spirit of any We see by the example of 〈◊〉 the meekest man on earth 〈◊〉 it will work They 〈◊〉 him so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his lips take away provocations and anger will 〈◊〉 The badge of an 〈◊〉 man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stir up or provoke men to strife as we may see in diverse places of the proverbs 1. To prevent unjust anger in our selves there are divers 〈◊〉 to be laboured for 1. Just anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indignation or anger 〈◊〉 on a just cause for onely unjust anger is here condemned just anger is a vertue commanded Beangry saith the Apostle and sin not so that there is a lawful anger 〈◊〉 it be without sinne as in a superiour towards those that are under him and deserve punishment there may be magnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Solomon speaks which is a fruit of justice Our Saviour forbids anger 〈◊〉 when it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause for otherwise when there was cause he calls his disciples after his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fools and the Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolish 〈◊〉 and the fathers upon Luke 10. 40. say of those 〈◊〉 those many things that 〈◊〉 was troubled withal this was one the untowardnes of the servants of the house 2. As our anger must be just in respect of the cause so for the measure it must be moderated that it 〈◊〉 not when there is just cause and to this end that vertue of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is requisite for it moderates anger both towards those that are under us and all others we converse with so that al are the better for it It beginneth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humblenes of minde therefore the Apostle begins with humblenes and when he exhorts to meeknes he 〈◊〉 humblenes before it with all 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of minde 〈◊〉 c. These vertues and others of like nature he frequently exhorts to and where he mentions one of them he lightly sets down all the rest which belong to this commandment as we may see by inspection of the places 3. A third vertue is gravity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle exhorts to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things are grave or venerable This is a special vertue and therefore he puts in the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are venerable and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are just pure or lovely c But of this more hereafter because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a vertue specially belonging to the last commandment 4. A fourth vertue is mentioned by Saint James when he tells us that the wisdom which is from above is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without hypocrisie and by saint Paul when he saith let love be without dissimulation our love must not have a shew of love zeale c. and be frozen in effect as Absoloms courtesie which was not hearty but affected and that of the Pharisees to Christ who made a fair shew and calld him Rabbi and said that he was a man sent from God and taught the truth without respect of persons but all this was affected and hypocritical so had 〈◊〉 so had 〈◊〉 so had the devil take them together their 〈◊〉 the devil told the woman very honestly he was sorry God had dealt so hardly with them as to forbid them the tree of knowledge c. As if he had been greatly moved with their condition but it was affected and when this affecting is saith Solomon he will meet you early in the morning and salute and blesse you but I had as leive saith he he should curse me And thus much for unjust wrath and the means against it Besides these there are two other vertues opposite to unjust wrath 1. Innocency 2. Charity 1. Innocency takes order that we hurt no body And 2. Charity takes order to do them all the good we can both for soul and body The first hath two parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The preservative or the 〈◊〉 and the sanative or the medicine The first consists in three things 1. In Avoyding of offences endeavouring to have peace with all men as much as in us lies and not to think evil or carry our selves unseemly towards any as the Apostle exhorts 2. Not onely this but also in looking back and when any evil is done to us to take it in the best sence The Apostle speaks of a good and right interpretation of things as they are meant we must beleeve well interpret all in the best and so leave no place for suspicion
infirmities with himself 2. It is expedient not to joyne friendship with an angry man such an one as Nabal was if he have vesparum examen a swarme of waspes about him as the heathen said as such have who have shrewd memories to requite ill turnes he must be avoyded so also a scorner must be shunned who makes more account of his iest then of his friend and had rather 〈◊〉 quam dicteriam perdere lose his friend then his jest such must be cast out and then Contention wil cease 3. Reject the tale-bearer For where no wood is the fire goes out and where there is no tale-bearer strife ceaseth And therefore the wise man saith further though he speak fair yet beleeve him not for if he be beleeved he will utter the gall of Aspes there are abominations in his heart which he will not forbeare to vent 4. Strive not with a man without cause it he have done thee no harme saith Solomon and meddle not with contentions that belong not to thee except it be to reconcile brethren that are at variance as Moses did when he saw the two Israelites strive otherwise we may provoke anger and bring upon our selves the fruits of anger These are things which the Apostles Prophets and other holy men of God have exhorted unto before the affection be risen But now after it is risen we must take care to keep it in that it break not out a wise man will defer his anger for as Solomon saith the spirit of a man will beare his infirmity and more plainly The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe over a transgression He must not let it gush out but suspend his affections as one adviseth the Athenians to do in another case If Alexander be dead to day he will be dead to morrow and the next day and therefore do not make bone fires too soon This affection of anger must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed pedissequa rationis it must not out run but wait upon reason Therefore S. James exhorts us to be tardi ad iram slow to wrath and he gives a very good reason of it because this supersluity of mans wrath doth never operari 〈◊〉 Dei work the 〈◊〉 of God For as the Wise man saith the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water As when one cuts a bank it is easie to stop the water at 〈◊〉 but after it hath got way it carries all before it Now this anger of which we speak must be understood either of our selves towards others or of others towards us Of the first we have hitherto spoken and of our anger against others and the rule in general was Resistite resist it Of the other we are to speak when others are angry with us and here 1. The first rule is Cede Give place It is the Apostles counsel Give place unto wrath It was Abigails wisdom not to tell Nabal of his faults in the midst of his cups but to tarry till the next day for anger is momentane a insania a momentany madnesle And this may be done if we think not too much of it for cogitatio iram auget anger increases the more we think of it and therefore the Philosophers rule was that this affection must be smothered with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of joy fear or the like But there is another rule which the holy Ghost gives which is in our anger to see 1. God 2. The Devil Job ascribeth the taking away of his goods to God though the 〈◊〉 and Sabeans 〈◊〉 him yet he looked higher he saw further he saw Gods hand in it and therefore he bare all with patience because he knew God would never permit it but for his good So David when Shimei railed upon him said to his servants Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him So also the Devil may be seen in our anger as the Apostle intimates in that speech Be angry and sin not neither give place to the Devil because wicked men when they provoke us are but the Devils instruments herein Therefore Chrysostome saith It is a foolish thing in a dog to run after the stone that is cast at him and to bite that leaving him that threw it or when one is soundly beaten with a 〈◊〉 to demand that to break it and not turn upon him that gave the blow and it is sure that wicked men are nothing else but the Devils stones and staves our part therefore is to oppose the Devil and we cannot scourge him worse then by this vertue of patience for this is one of those bona opera good works which as we said before are flagella Daemonum whips for the Devil Thus much for repressing the inward motion of this passion either by keeping it from rising or after it hath risen to keep it from breaking out Now for the outward act which consists in revenge whereby we think to do to our adversarie as he hath done to us we must labour to restrain it by considering our Saviours example who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him that judgeth righteously and look to God that saith Vengeance is mine and I will repay We must be so far from assuming this to our selves that we must not rejoyce when our enemy falleth nor must our heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turn his wrath from him to us Job gives us a pattern for this He rejoyced not at the destruction of him that hated him But the most are here like the king of Israel who when the Syrians were brought into Samaria by the Prophet so that he had them at an advantage he asks the Prophet My father shall I smite them So if we have an advantage of our enemy we are readie to smite them But Davids practise was better which we should the rather follow when he had Saul at an advantage in the Cave so that he might have smitten him yet he did it not but onely cut off the lappe of his garment whereas if some had had him in this case they would have cut his skirts so neere that it is Chrysostomes saying efudissent e renibus ejus 〈◊〉 they would have let out the best blood in his body This should be far from us for we may observe that this desire of revenge is most incident to the weakest creatures we see the least are soonest angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habet musca splenem there is the Ants anger and the Flies anger and women more angry then men and among men those that are old sick and weak quo infirmiores 〈◊〉 is iracundi the weaker the more angry ever but he that is magnarum virium the ablest is least
what we may desire And that we may do after this order 1. Remember that which the Apostle directs us to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haveing food and rayment be therewith contented A contented minde is a great treasure and if God bestow no more upon us then these we must not murmur fot want of super fiuities for God as he hath plenty of spirit so he hath plenty of wealth and could have made all men rich if he would And it was out of his great wisdome that he made some poor that as the rich might have 〈◊〉 benignitatis the reward of their 〈◊〉 so the poor might have mercedem patientiae the recompence of their patience as Saint Ambrose saith and so as Solomon saith the rich and poor meet together for the Lord is the maker of them both Therefore every man is to rest contented if God shall call him no higher nor bestow more upon him he must avoyd distracting cares which breed noysome lusts when he sees Gods will and pleasure and thus he must stand then as the Apostle alludes to the gathering of Manna he that gathereth much shall have nothing over and he that gathereth little shall have nothing lesse when they die This is therefore the first rule concerning the measure to be observed we must not desire more nor seek to rise higher then God will have us 2. Though we must be contented with our estate yet is it lawful to gather in Summer and to provide against winter which care the wiseman commends in the Ant and 〈◊〉 before us for our imitation to provide for the future by all honest and lawful means with a sober and 〈◊〉 minde 3. A man may 〈◊〉 more and take care for those that belong to him and thus when he seeth his houshold encrease his care in providing for it ought to be the more provided that his desires be still limited with the former conditions He must provide for his houshold with Jacob that so he and they may drink out of their own cisternes and not be chargeable to others but rather 〈◊〉 habeat 〈◊〉 qui deriventur foris ut tamen juste ipsorum 〈◊〉 sit that he may have wherewith to be liberal to others yet have enough to live of himself 4. Lastly a man may lawfully desire to have not onely for himself and his family but also wherewith to pay his half shekel his offering to the Lord to help the Church to pay tribute to the King to be beneficial to the common-wealth to relieve the poor Saints and others that have need Thus far if lawful means be vsed and a sober minde kept the measure is kept But if we go 〈◊〉 this then we come to that which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of mony which is the root of all evil from which root these branches spring 1. 〈◊〉 that others are in better condition then our selves As the 〈◊〉 when they wisht they had tarried in Egypt they preferred the life in Egypt before that in deserto in the wildernesse The flesh pots of Egypt before the Manna that God gave them from Heaven 2. 〈◊〉 and overcaring and taking thought Quid comedam quid edam quid 〈◊〉 what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewith shall I be clothed This distracting care this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which divides the soul is incident to rich men when they have much The rich 〈◊〉 in the Gospel thought within himself what shall I do 3. It breeds a nest of Horse-leeches and 〈◊〉 that have 〈◊〉 bisulcam a cloven or forked tongue that cry give give and unde habeant nihil refert sed oportet habere it skills not how we have it but have it we must and in this there consists that Suppuratio Concupiscentiae a festering of the desire Now in the next place for the making of 〈◊〉 solum the soyl 〈◊〉 the way is to carry a bigger sale then we are able to bear by soending more then we are able and wasting plus quamopus est more then needs For by this means men fall into want whereby they become fit soyl for the Devil to cast in his seed for the Devil finding a man to be thus fitted moveth him to stealth and other unlawful 〈◊〉 In the parable of the prodigal we see that the prodigal fell into riotous company among wasters sic dissipavit patrimonium and so he wasted his substance It a man 〈◊〉 such company they will set him supra analogiam above his allowance he must spend disorderly till all be gone and then he saith as they in the Proverbs Come with us let us lay wait for 〈◊〉 let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause 〈◊〉 us swallow them up alive as the grave c. We shall finde precious substance we shall fill our houses with spoil c. The 〈◊〉 or Jaundise of this vice is likewise discovered by the eye Ahab saw a thing which served for his turn and lay well for him and he was sick till he had it though he had enough of his own and when he could not obtain it by lawful means he made a shift to get it by wrong even by the blood of an innocent For the foaming of it at the mouth there be many of the speaches of such men mentioned by the Heathen Menander is full of them and much to this purpose is in the book of Ecclesiastes and in the Wisdom of Solomon They say wisdom is good but with an inheritance and as wisdom so money is a defence c. Concerning the act it self of theft forbidden in this Commandment The several wayes whereby men become guilty thereof we may conceive by those several uses of wealth which we said were lawful which are by Lawyers and Divines reduced to those two 1. The attaining or getting of riches 2. The use of them In the first respect is to be had to justice in the second both to justice and charity for as we said before they are given us not onely for our selves but as the Apostle saith for the exercise of our liberality towards those that want and so we finde in the Law that God took order that out of the substance of the rich the Levite Stranger Widow and Poor should have their portion Thest therefore is committed 1. Either in the attaining and getting of wealth and riches from whence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquisitio possessio 2. Or in the use and dispensation of that we have gotten which is 〈◊〉 usus For he is fur 〈◊〉 qui male acquirit a thief to another mans estate that gets an estate unjustly and he is fur sui qui male 〈◊〉 a thief to his own that useth it 〈◊〉 And therefore in the getting there must be a respect of justice and in the use and dispensation there must be regard both of justice and