by 1. his power 2. his jealousie How jealousie is ascribed to God Why humane affections are ascribed to God CHAP. IX page 224 Of the Commination wherein 1. The censure of the sin 2. The punishment 1. In the censure The sin viz. of Idolatry Is called 1. Hatred of God How God can be hated 2. Iniquity The punishment visitation upon the children The 〈◊〉 of this punishment by 1. The greatnesse 2. The multiplicity 3. The continuance Of Gods justice in punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children That it is not unjust in respect of the father nor 2. of the sin The use of all CHAP. X. page 228 The third part of the sanction a promise of mercy Gods rewards proceed from mercy which is the fountain of all our happinesse His mercy is promised to the 1000 generation the threatning extends onely to the third and fourth The object of his mercy such as love him Our love must be manifested by keeping his Commandements How they must be kept The benefit they will keep and preserve us The Exposition of the third Commandement CHAP. I. page 231 The general scope of the third Commandement Of glorifying the name of God by praise The manner how it must be done Several motives to stir men up to the duty CHAP. II. page 234 What is meant by Gods name The use of names 1. To distinguish 2. To dignifie Gods name in respect of his Essence Attributes and works and how they are to be reverenced What it is to take his Name as glorious as necessary Glorifying his Name inwardly outwardly by confessing defending it remembring it honourable mention of it threefold it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerable Applyed to our own actions by prayer and to others by blessing c. Of glorifying it in our lives What it is to take Gods Name in vain in respect of 1. the end 2. agent 3. the work CHAP. III. page 239 Of taking Gods Name by an oath The causes and grounds of an oath The parts of it Contestation 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 publick good The Oath Ex Officio whether lawful or no. Of private and voluntary oathes 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 oathes assertorie promissorie 2. Judgement 3. Justice Against voluntary oathes whether lawful Of swearing from the heart The means to be used against vain swearing The signes of keeping this Commandement Of drawing others to keep it CHAP. IV. page 250 What a vow is Whether a bare purpose without a promise Whether a thing commanded may be the matter of a vow The necessity and use of vows in respect of God of our selves What things a man may vow se suos sua Vows in the times of the Gospel Of performing vows Qualifications in a vow for the person the matter The time of vowing Of paying our vows CHAP. V. page 255 Of glorifying Gods Name from the heart The means of glorifying it The signes Of causing others to glorifie it The second part of this precept the Commination Reasons why such a threatning is here denounced Gods punishing the breach of this Commandment by visible judgements God is jealous of his Name The Exposition of the Fourth Commandement CHAP. I. page 259 The excellent order of the Commandements Why God himself appointed a set time for publick worship Why this Commandement is larger then the rest Six special things to be observed in this Commandement which are not in the rest The general parts of it 1. The precept 2. The reasons In the precept 1. The affirmative part what is meant by Sabbath what by sanctifying How things sanctified differ from other things God sanctified it not for himself but for us We must sanctifie it 1. In our estimation of it 2. In our use of it CHAP. II. page 262 What is commanded here 1. A rest 2. Sanctification Rest is required not for it self but for the duties of sanctification Reasons that the Sabbath is not wholly nor principally remonial Addition 21. out of the Authors other works declaring his meaning in two things 1. That the Lords day is Jure Divino 2. That the Jewish Sabbath is abolisht by Christs death proved by him at large out of Scriptures and Antiquity in his Speech against Trask in Star-Chamber CHAP. III. page 268 Additional 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 proved by Schoolmen 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 memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely This proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick Declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some Schoolmen late Divines 5. The fourth Commandement is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the Iewish-sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expired How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of the Sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the Sabbath 7. The Sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Councel of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner CHAP. IV. page 276 Reasons of this Commandement 1. Gods liberality in allowing us six dayes and requiring but one for himself 2. The seventh is his own proper day Who are comprehended in the prohibition 1. The Master of the family 2. Children 3. Servants 4. Cattel 5. Strangers The general reasons of this precept 1. Gods rest from the creation Addition 22. Moral reasons sometimes given of a ceremonial precept The reason why a rest and why on this day are different things out of Maimon Abenezra 2. Reason the benefit coming to mankinde by the creation 3. Reason God blessed the seventh day CHAP. V. page 280 How far this rest is to be kept Why this word remember is prefixed Such work to be forborn which may be done before or after Necessity of a vacation from other works that we may attend holy duties Mans opposition to God when
prayer word c. As a thing may be said to be holy as the place where Moses stood as also all that belonged to the Tabernacle because they were applied to the means of holines 2. Effective in regard of the fruit of holines which is wrought in us on that day and practized in our selves Sanctificamini et sancti estote Be sanctified and be holy So that all which hath bin said amounteth to thus much God hath set apart or sanctified this day to the end that it may be applied wholly either to the means of sanctification as hearing the word prayer meditation and other religious duties or to the practize of sanctification by these means wrought in us And he sanctified it or gave it a blessing that what means we use this day of sanctification shall be two fold blessed and of more effect and force to us then what we do upon another day not sanctified and set apart as this is Now seeing God hath so sanctified it it is our duties that as he hath sanctified it with is blessing we must do the like and sanctifie it too which consists in two things 1. In our estimation and accompt of it which is for our judgement 2. Secondly in the use of it which is for our Practize 1. We must account of it in our judgement as a day holy unto God not as a common day but as a Prince is sacred among men so this is to be reputed holy among dayes a day of dayes that of God to S. Peter must be our Rule What God hath sanctified make not thou common 2. For use that we so use it This use is well set down by the Prophet We must not do our own work No common thoughts are to exercise our brains and as our thoughts must be taken up with common affairs so neither must our communication be of such things nor our practise but our thoughts words and actions must be sanctified and such as tend to the practise of holinesse For according to that of the Prophet If that which is sanctified touch that which is common it imparteth not holines to the thing prophane or common but the common polluteth the thing which is sanctified so that the touching or dealing in any unholy action that day is a polluting of the day This we must take heed of else as our Saviour saith in another case A woman may be chast yet adultery may be committed if a wicked eye look upon her to lust after her so though holy things remain holy in themselves yet we may pollute them and make them unholy as much as in us lieth by our polluted actions CHAP. II. What is commanded here 1. A rest 2. Sanctification Rest is required not for it self but for the duties of sanctification Reasons that the Sabbath is not wholly nor principally ceremonial Addition 21. out of the Authors other works declaring his meaning in two things 1. That the Lords day is jure divino 2. That the 〈◊〉 Sabbath is abolisht by Christs death proved by him at large out of Scriptures and Antiquity in his speech against Trask in Star-Chamber NOw here are two things and both commanded but not alike or equally but the one for the other 1. The first is Sanctification which is the last end and drift of God in this commandment and that which is required for it self 2. The other which is the means subordinate to it is Rest without which sanctification of the day cannot be had as God requireth To make it plain The heathen by the light of nature could see that every thing is then best ordered when it hath but one Office and is ordained to do but one thing at once for whatsoever would be throughly done would be done alone the reason is because we are res 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creatures and if two things be done at once and together one will be done imperfectly because our thoughts will be distracted between both for part of our thoughts will be taken of when they are set upon several objects so that we cannot wholly intend two things at once It was Adams case in the state of Inno cency for he having a natural soul and finite was not able to intend the dressing of the garden commanded him and the sanctification of the sabbath together and therefore God would have him imploy six dayes upon the first and blessed the seventh day to be bestowed in his worship And this was the end why God instituted blessed and sanctified the seventh day for a remedy against distraction especially in the solemne worship of God which is enough to take up the whole man and ought to be without all distractions and therefore permitteth none to be intent to any other thing during the performance of it Now if Adam in that estate could not be free from distraction much more have we need of remedy against it And therefore is this rest and ceasing from servile work commanded to free us from it and to further our sanctification and thus cometh in this rest because this total sanctification cannot be performed without ceasing from labour and doing our own works for without rest we cannot sanctifie and if our rest should hinder our sanctification it ought to be taken away and omitted And indeed our Saviour Christ acknowledgeth that man was not made for the rest but for sanctification Sanctification was his end and man was created and made for that Rest is but a subordinate end and man was not made for it but rather rest was made for man Rest is but the means to attain to sanctification which is mans end and that for which he was made For as the Apostle saith of bodily exercise it profiteth 〈◊〉 so it may be said of bodily rest that bodily rest profiteth little or indeed nothing at all except it be applied to sanctification which is the end nor doth God approve of it without this but wholly disliketh it The scope of this reverend Author is not here to prove that the command of the sabbath is wholly Moral and in no part ceremonial but to prove against the Anabaptists Familists aud other sectaries who denie all distinction of dayes under the Gospel that it is not wholly or principally ceremonial as his reasons do plainly shew for that it is so in part is confessed afterwards where the Author saith that the strict rest enjoyned the jews of not 〈◊〉 a fire nor dressing meat on the sabbath was ceremonial and obliged onely the jews Nor can it be imagined but that he know very well that as the sabbath was a type of Christs rest in the grave of our daily rest from sinne and of our eternal rest Heb. 4. And as it signified a rest from the Egyptian servitude Deut. 5. That in these respects it was ceremonial and is abolisht And although his opinion seems to be that the Lords day which we observe instead of the sabbath is
them Exod. 31. 13. of which opinion seem to be Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 30. and Euseb. hist. 1. cap 4. And thus that of Genesis 2. of Gods blessing and sanctifying the seventh day may be expounded cleerly and litterally without any forced interpretation that God did then sanctifie and appoint that day to be kept holy by a joyful remembrance of the creation and by other holy duties solemnly to be performed to him as Creator of all that being the birth day of the world which God the Lord of all would have observed as Princes who appoint the birth-day of their sons to be kept by their subjects For though I know diverse learned men both ancient and modern do otherwise expound the words either of Gods sanctifying the day in himself by a rest or cessation from those emanations of his power and goodnesse or by destinating the day to be observed afterwards or that the words are spoken by anticipation viz. that Moses writing that history after the Sabbath was given saith that Gods resting on the seventh day was the cause why afterwards viz. when the Law was given he sanctified that day yet the other exposition seems to be more cleer and genuine that the sanctification by holy duties was commanded then and that the rest from all labours was one of the ceremonies given afterwards to the Jews And to this those words of Moses Deuter. 5. 12. seem to relate when after the Commandment of sanctifying the Sabbath day he addes As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to wit long before from the beginning of the world and in Exod. 20. 10 I take the same to be the meaning of the words the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God that is the day consecrated to God from the beginning Therefore 〈◊〉 collects from those words in Job 38. 4. 7. where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth when the morning stars sung together and all the sons of God shouted for joy that upon the seventh day when the world was finisht the Angels who who are stiled the sons of God kept the sabbath And though I will not peremptorily affirme that the Angels kept it yet I take it to be very probable that the people of God the Patriarches and other holy men as they had publick sacrifices and forms of worship so they had some set times for the ordinary performance thereof which is most likely to have been on this day it is hardly credible that in the time of Enoch men should separate themselves from the sons of Cain by calling upon the name of the Lord that is by some publick worship and as learned Drusius thinks by some publick forms or liturgies without some set and solemn time for the performance thereof And Calvin himself though far from the sabbatarian errors yet thinks that the frequent sacrifices performed by Abraham and the other Patriarches were usually upon this day and therefore concludes it probable that the sanctification of it was before the Law And seeing there never was any nation in the world but had some certain and set dayes for their religious exercises can it be imagined that the people of God for those many hundred years before the flood and after even when they were grown into great multitudes in Egypt when they lived for divers hundred years should all that time be without any certain time when to worship God that they should have their sacrifices their priests viz the eldest of the family their altars and consecrated places their tithes which was Gods portion appointed by divine positive law from the beginning as may be elswhere proved and yet have no certain dayes for solemne worship this seemes to me altogether incredible especially if we consider that it is morally impossible that religion should long continue and be preserved among any people without some certain time for the publick exercise thereof And therefore though there be no expresse mention of any such dayes yet I make no question but they observed some and if any then surely this day Besides the ceasing of the manna to fall upon the seventh day for some time before the Law was given is an argument that the sabbath was known before as a day sacred to God though it begun then first to be kept as a day of rest which was afterwards prescribed by a law And hence it was that some relicks of this day were found among the Heathen though much obliterated because not written in their hearts by nature and a high esteeme they had of the seventh day as appears by Clem. Strom. 5. Euseb. praepar l. 13. c. 12. who out of Hesiod mencions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lux septuma sancta 10 Septius Adv. Appi. l. 2. circa finem Philo de die septimo shew that there was no nation so barbarous but that they honoured the seventh day and that it was the holy day not for one nation but for all the world The same is gathered from Homer and Callimachus by Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. The like we finde in Theophilus Ant. lib. 2. ad Autolicum Suetonius in Tiberio 32. Philostratus l. 3. c. 13. Dion Carthus l. 33. Lucian Tibullus and others And wheras Iustine Martyr Tertullian and others of the fathers say often that before the law holy men pleased God without keeping the sabbath they understand by sabbatizing not the publick praise and worship of God but the Jewish rest upon the sabbath which its true was proper to them and symbolical and was not observed by the Patriarchs And that they mean this may gathered from Tertull. l. 4. contra Marcion Hoc priviliigium donatum sabbato a primordio quo dies ipse compertus est veniam jeiunii dico where we see he derives the sabbath as a day of rejoycing from the beginning of the world and thereupon grounds the custom of not fasting on that day and yet the same man denies that the Patriarchs kept the sabbath that is the Jewish symbolical 〈◊〉 4. The fourth conclusion which I shall propound likewise as probable at least is that the Lords day which the Christian Church observes instead of the sabbath is of divine institution that as the seventh day from the Creation was instituted by God himself by a positive law obliging all the world so the Lords day is by positive Law obliging all Christians to the end of all the world instituted by authority from Christ who changed the day by his resurrection from the seventh to the first day of the week and that the Apostles published and ordained it not as ordinary rulers and gouernours of the Church but as speciall extraordinary legates of Christ by order from him and therefore the Church now hath no power to alter this day This assertion follows upon the former for if the sabbath was instituted by God before the Law and did oblige all mankinde as we have shewed already for
of the Lords day as Abbas Panormit in c. 3 de Feriis Anchor and others and of the latter canonists 〈◊〉 at large proves the festivtiy of the Lords day ab Apostolis divina institutione edoctis 〈◊〉 fuisse that it was appointed by the 〈◊〉 instructed therein by divine institution Variar 〈◊〉 l. 4. c. 19. n. 5. and that to make it a humane institution were nimis indecorum wch he makes to be the opinion of some men and not generally received And though most of the Schoolmen following Aquinas herein make it onely an ecclesiastical constitution of the Apostles which they do upon this ground that Christ gave no special precepts but onely about faith and the sacraments which if it could be here insisted upon might ealsiy be proved false yet even of them some are for the divine right as Augr. l de verbo Feri e. ss 3. and Sylvest verb. Dominica who affirmes it to be the common opinon in his time and for the rest who are for the jus ecclesiasticum diverse of them say that though the day be absolutely alterable yet morally and practically it is immutable because this change can never be put in practise as Suarez saith and that it is so fixed and deeply rooted and so agreeable to right reason that it can never be changed ob defectum causae because there be no such cause to change it as there was to fix it on this day and that therfore the holy Ghost would never permit the Church to change it because such a change could not be for edification so Fileucius tract ' 3. cap. 2. n. 16. 17. and Ballarmine saith 〈◊〉 divinum requirebat ut 〈◊〉 dies Hebdomadis dicaretur cultui divino that by divine right one day of the week ought to be consecrated to divine worship Decultu sanct lib. 3. cap. 11. de die Dominico If we come lower down divers eminent divines of the reformed Churches go this way though its true that both of Luthers and Calvins followers some seeme to encline to the other opinion as Peter Martyr loco citato Junius in his notes upon 〈◊〉 in cap. 16. Apol. And in his lectures on Gen 23. Piscator in Apoc. 1. 10. Tylnus syntag loc 44. p. 276. to whom diverse others may be added If we come to our own church The homily of the time and place of prayer is full and copious expressely affirming and that often that God hath commanded the observation of the Sunday or Lords day which being the publike voice of the Church ought in points doubtful to have so much weight with every son of the Church as to turn the scale when it hangs in aequilibrio to which we may adde our learned Author that great light of this Church in the places forequoted and that judicious and 〈◊〉 Hooker that Malleus Schismatieorum who is very peremptory in the point as having studied it throughly Eccles. Polit. lib. 5. n. 17. to whom may be added Doctor Fullk on Revelation 1. Doctor Hackwell 〈◊〉 with many others of great learning and judgement not to mention that Rabble of our disaffected Clergie whose Schismatical and factious practises together with that ignorance and pride which is generally seen in most of them and their Jewish principles which they go upon may justly render their judgements suspected so that their authority can be of little weight with judicious pious and peaceable men and therefore I should suspect this opinion if it were not 〈◊〉 by better reasons and authority then these men bring Now to these reasons and testimonies if we adde How Christ honoured that day with his resurrection his apparitions to his Disciples after and sending the Holy Ghost on that day the practise of the Apostles and the first Christians having their religious meetings on that day the title of the Lords day which it had given in S. Johns time together with those high titles and encomiums of the day given by Ignatius Chrysostome Athanasius 〈◊〉 S. Augustine Leo and others of the Fathers calling it the Queen and Princesse of dayes the Royal day the most holy Festival the first and chief of all dayes the venerable day c. we may well conclude both that it was the will of Christ that day should be kept holy to him and that the Church esteemed it no lesse then divine not a humane constitution 5. Fiftly concerning the fourth Commandment whether it be in force or what we are tied to by vertue of the fourth Commandment I answer 1. It is certain there is a moral equity in the fourth Commandment which extends to us under the Gospel viz. that some time be set apart for publick worship and that not lesse then a seventh part for if God thought it fit in his wisdom to require a seventh part before Christs coming in all reason we that live now after his coming ought to give him as much at least we having received greater benefits then they that lived before Christ by Christ now exhibited and having better and clearer promises with a greater measure of the 〈◊〉 now ordinarily given so that a greater measure of mortification to the world is now required and therefore we ought as little or rather far lesse then they to minde worldly affairs and to have our thoughts more raised up to heavenly things In regard of which moral equity this precept extends to all times and persons and is therefore put among the other Commandements which are purely moral and so retaines its power of obligation and therefore the Church hath just cause to retain it in the Liturgie and by that usuall Antiphona at the end of this Commandment as well as of the rest to pray Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law 2. Secondly in regard of the particular day litterally enjoyned by this Commandment it is certain it doth not oblige any since Christ for the special day here required is the seventh from the Creation not a seventh day in general as some without any ground affirme but that seventh day in special which was then observed which was no other then the seventh from the Creation for though the first part of the Commandement specifies not the day but requires onely to sanctifie the Sabbath yet the reason added doth plainly limit the day to the seventh day from the Creation and cannot be extended to the Lords day without manifest absurdity for who would not think this reason ridiculous God made heaven and earth in six dayes and rested on the seventh therefore we ought in imitation of him to rest on the first day when he began to work besides that the text saith expressely that the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it that is not a seventh day but that seventh day viz. the seventh from the Creation And therefore those who would ground the Lords day upon the letter of the fourth Commandment must of necessity fall into Judaisme and observe the Saturday Sabbath which was the errour
he bids rest then we labour è contra Six works in particular forbidden the Jews Whether the same be absolutely now forbidden the Christians Rest necessary onely for the means of sanctification or the practise of it as in works of mercy or necessity Sabbatum Bovum Asinorum Sabbatum aurei vituli Sabbatum Tyri Sabbatum satanae CHAP. VI. page 285 The second thing commanded is sanctification which is the end of the rest The kinds of sanctification publick and private How the holy Ghost works in us sanctification The special acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists 1. Prayer 2. The Word read and preached 3. Meditation of what we have heard and upon the works of God out of Psal. 92. 4. Conference 5. Praise 6. Sacraments and discipline at special times The end of these means our sanctification and Gods glory CHAP. VII page 291 Works of mercy proper for the Lords day They are of two sorts 1. First Corporeal feeding the hungry c. Burying of the dead a work of mercy Such works proper for a festival Objections answered 2. Spiritual 1. To instruct counsel and exhort 2. Comfort 3. Reproof 4. Forgiving 5. Bearing with the weak 6. Prayer 7. Reconciling those that are at odds CHAP. VIII page 294 The second rule of Homogenea Fasting reduced hither Commanded under the Gospel 1. Publick fasts for averting of evil of punishment which is either malum grassans or impendens or of sin for procuring of good 2. Private fasts and the causes of them The parts of a fast 1. External abstinence from meat sleep costly apparel pleasure servile work almes then to be given Secondly internal humiliation for sin promise of reformation The third rule our fast and observation of the Lords day must be spiritual CHAP. IX page 298 The fourth rule of the means and helps to keep this Commandement viz. 1. Places 2. Persons 3. Maintenance 1. Of publick places for Divine worship The place as well as the time holy and both to be reverenced Addition 25. out of the Authors other works concerning the adorning of Gods house and against Sacriledge in prophaning it Addition 26. Further additions concerning Churches or places of Gods worship set places used from the beginning the necessity of them from natural instinct Their dedication and the use of it God is sole proprietor as of places so of all the Churches patrimony All humane propriety extinct by dedication the Clergy have only usum ac fructum no fee-simple by the Law Civil or municipal in any man but a quasi feudum onely CHAP. X. page 280 Of persons set apart for Gods service The mission choice the reverence due to them The benefit received by them spiritual and temporal Preservers of Kingdoms Humane laws and policies not sufficient without a teaching Priest c. Examples in divers Monarchies and Kingdoms CHAP. XI page 304 Of maintenance for such as attend at the Altar Schools and Colledges seminaries of the Church The ancient use of them among the Jews when they were in Egypt and afterward in Canaan In the Primitive Church care to be taken against admitting Novices or young men into the sacred Calling Maintenance due by the Ordinance of Christ is 1. Tithes Reasons that the tenth is still due under the Gospel to the Priesthood of Christ. Addition 27. About Tithes That the tenth part was sacred to God from the beginning by positive Divine Law obliging all mankinde and still in force The Law of Nature dictates not the proportion Humane Laws and Customs about the modus decimandi to be followed provided that they give not lesse then the true value of the tenth if otherwise they are void 2. Oblations alwayes in use in the Church Addition 28. about Oblations some may be due and limited by Law Customs Contract or necessity of the Church others voluntary and free No power in the Magistrate to alienate things dedicated to God CHAP. XII page 308 The two last rules 1. The signes of keeping the day 2. Of procuring the observation by others The conclusion The Exposition of the fifth Commandement CHAP. I. page 310 Of the sum of the second Table The love of our Neighbour How the second Table is like the first 1. Of the act Love How Christian love differs from other love The fruits of it The parts of it 2. The object our Neighbour Who is our Neighbour Degrees of proximity and order in love 3. The manner of love as thy self This must appear in 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order CHAP. II. page 318 The division of the Commandments of the second Table Why this is set here between the first and second Table The parts of it 1. A precept 2. A promise In the precept 1. The duty Honour 2. The object Father and Mother The ground of honour 1. Excellency 2. Conjunction The order of honouring differs from that of love Why God did not make all men excellent and fit to be superiours All paternity is originally and properly in God In man onely instrumentally The Hebrew and Greek words translated Honour what they properly signifie The necessity and original of honouring Superiours Government a Divine Ordinance Power Principality and Excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how they differ Honour due to them all To natural Parents to the Country where we live to Princes to spiritual Fathers to Magistrates In respect of excellency of gifts honour due 1. In respect of years 2. Of the gifts of the minde 3. Of outward estate 4. Of benefits received CHAP. III. page 325 The mutual or reciprocal duties of superiours and inferiours 1 Love 2. To wish well and pray for one another The duties of inferiours 1. Honour Inward and outward 2. fear 3. Subjection and obedience active and passive 4. The protestation of our subjection by honouring them with our estates The manner how this duty must be performed CHAP. IIII. Page 330. The duties of superiours in four things Addition 29. Of the end of government and whether the people be above their governours The manner how they must govern Whether honour be due to one that is evil Whether he must be obeyed in maio Of disobeying the unlawful commands of a Superiour Add. 30. Of obedience in things doubtfull CHAP. V. Page 341 The first Combination between man and wife The special end of Matrimony implied in three words 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimoniam 3. Nuptiae The office of the husband 1. Knowledge to govern his wife 2. Conjugal love 3. To provide for her and the family The wives duties answerable to these officia resultantia Duties arising from these The duties of Parents and children The duties of Masters and servants CHAP. VI. Page 355 Of Tutors or Schoolmasters and their Scholars or Pupils The original of schools and Vniversities Mutual duties of Teacher and Scholar as the choice of such as are fit and capeable The particular qualifications of a Scholar Solertia
means 4. Observe the rules for getting and using of riches CHAP. X. page 488 Rules to be observed 1. in just getting 1. By Donation 2. By Industry 3. By Contracts wherein must be considered 1. The need we have of the thing sold. 2. The use Three degrees of a just price 1. Pium. 2. Moderatum 3. Rigidum 2. In just using wherein are rules 1. Concerning our selves 1. For preserving our estate 2. For laying it out 2. Concerning others giving 1. to God from whom we receive all 2. to the poor Rules for the measure and manner of giving Motives to stir us up to give to the poor Of procuring the keeping of this Commandment by others The Exposition of the Ninth Commandment CHAP. I. Page 493 The words expounded What is mean tby Non respondebis in the Original Addition 34. about the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respondere What is meant by witnesse Four witnesses 1. God 2. The Conscience 3. Men and Angels 4. The Creatures What is meant by false what by contra against what by Proximum Neighbour The coherence and dependance of this Commandment The scope and use of it 1. In respect of God 2. Of the Church 3. Of the Common-wealth 4. Of private persons CHAP. II. Page 498 The necessity of a good name The sin forbidden in general Wherein 1. The root of it 2. The suppuration or rankling of it 〈◊〉 by false surmises and suspitions 3. The fitting of the soyl by readinesse to hear false reports 4. The watering of the soyl by busying our selves in other ones affairs CHAP. III. Page 501 The outward act of which two branches 1. False words 2. Idle and vain words Of false speaking in general this is two fold 1. In judgement 2. Out of judgement In judgement by false witnesse Of lyes in general Six persons in every judgement who may be guilty of false witnessing 1. The Judge 1. By cherishing Law suits 2. By deferring justice 3. If his judgement be 1. usurped 2. rash 3. perverse 2. The Register by making false records 3. The Accuser 1. by accusing falsly 2. upon uncertain grounds 3. by prevaricating 4. The defendant 1. by not confessing the truth 2. by appealing without cause 3. by not submitting to the sentence 5. The Witnesse 1. by not declaring all the truth when he is lawfully called 2. by not delivering the innocent though he be not called 3. by delivering the wicked by false testimony 6. The Advocate 1. by undertaking an evil cause 2. by perverting the Law Of giving false testimony in Elections CHAP. IIII. Page 507 Of false witnessing out of judgement Four things to which the tongue may do harme The branches of this kinde of false witnessing 1. Contumelious speaking 2. Taunting 3. Backbiting which is 1. By words 2. By letters 3. By deeds 4. In all these a may be false witnesse though he speak the truth CHAP. V. Page 509 Of reproof or fraternal correption the vertue opposite to flattery Of flattery which is 1. In things uncertain 2. In things certain and those either good or evil Of boasting and vaunting a mans self and its extream CHAP. VI. Page 512 Of a rash lie an officious lye a merry lye Four cases wherein a man seems to speak contrary to the truth but doth not Of Mendacium Facti the real lye by 〈◊〉 CHAP. VII Page 514 The second general branch of the sin forbidden viz. Vain speech Three ends of speech 1. Edification 2. Profit 3. Grace and delight Of the means whereby this Commandment may be kept Of suspition Rules about it 1. For the manner The Exposition of the Tenth Commandment CHAP. I. Page 521 Reasons against the dividing of this Commandment into two The dependance of it The scope and end of it CHAP. II. Page 523 The thing prohibited Concupiscence which is two fold 1. Arising from our selves 2. From the spirit of God The first is either 1. from nature or 2. from corruption of nature Corrupt desires of two sorts 1. vain and foolish 2. hurtful or noisome The danger of being given up to a mans own lusts CHAP. III. Page 525 How a man comes to be given up to his own desires Thoughts of two sorts 1. Ascending from our own hearts 2. Injected by the Devil The manner how we come to be infected Six degrees in sin 1. The receiving of the seed 2. The retaining of it 3. The conception 4. The forming of the parts 5. The quickning 6. The travel or birth CHAP. IV. Page 528 The wayes whereby a man is tempted of his own lust 1. There is a bait 2. A hook The same wayes used by the Devil and the World The affirmative part of this precept Renewing the heart and minde The necessity of this Renovation The meanes of Renovation A Table of the Supplements or Additions Wherein the sence of the Author is cleered in some places where it was obscure or doubtful and some things are handled more fully which were omitted or but briefly touched c. Introduct CHAP. XIII 1. Concerning points cleer and controverted p 52 2. Of peoples submitting to the judgement of the Church p 55 3. Of the Churches power to interpret the Scriptures p 57 CHAP. XIV 4. That the Moral Law is an essential part of the Gospel or second Covenant p 58 CHAP. XVII 5. About mans ability to keep the Law of Christ by his Grace p 71 Com. 1. CHAP. I. 6. That the 4 fundamental articles of all Religion are implyed in the four first Precepts p 88 CHAP. III. 7. Of the force of Church Customs p 95 CHAP. IIII. 8. About the distinction of inward and outward worship p 100 CHAP. VII 9. Concerning the evidence of faith and freedom of assent p 111 10. Concerning the nature of Faith p 115 CHAP. VIII 11. Of the seat of faith p 121 Com. 2. CHAP. I. 12. That the making of Images was absolutely forbidden the Jews and in that respect that the precept was partly positive and reached onely to them p 193 13. Whether all voluntary and free worship be forbidden under the name of will-worship p 194 CHAP. III. 14. Of S. Chrysostomes Liturgie p 202 15. Of the second Councel of Nice p 203 CHAP. IV. 16. How preaching is a part of Gods worship p 205 17. About the Eucharist whether it may be called a Sacrifice p 207 CHAP. V. 18. Concerning customs and traditions of the Church p 210 19. Of Images for memories sake p 214 Com. 3. CHAP. I. 20. What is litterally meant by taking Gods Name in vain p 231 CHAP. IV. 21. Concerning the nature of a vow p 250 Com. 4. CHAP. II. 22 The Jewish sabbath ceremonial the Lords day unchangeable p. 263 23 Of ceremonies p. 265 CHAP. III. 24 The whole doctrine of the Sabbath and Lords day largly handled in seven conclusions p. 268 CHAP. IIII. 25 That moral reasons are sometimes given of ceremonial precepts p. 279 CHAP. IX 26 Of adorning Churches p. 299 27 Of
Moses upon mount Sinai he gave him two Tables of Testimony Tables of Stone written with his own finger which had a signe and resemblance and indeed contained summarily the Law of nature But after they were broken in pieces by Moses moved to wrath against the Israelites for their idolatry to the Molten Calf then were two Tables made again by Moses but the Law was written in them by God this Law was called Moses Law because it was delivered to the Israelites by his ministery ever since it hath been delivered to succeeding ages by the ministery of Man Now it was necessary that this Law should be given at this time in these respects 1. Because now not onely the Gentiles walked in the vanity of their own hearts but the Israelites the seed of Abraham to whom God had bound himself by promise were addicted to the Idol-worship of Egypt and having lived long in Egypt had almost lost the knowledge of sacrificing to and tru ly worshipping of of God So that had not God at this time taken his people apart from other Nations into the wildernesse and there as it were schooled them apart and taught them his Law and given it to them written to be preserved for posterity the whole world in probability would have been if dim before stark blinde at length and wholly ignorant of Gods Law 2. Nor did God give his Law to all the world at once nor write it in the manifold and different tongues of the Nations but first imparted it to Moses and Aaron and the Elders of the Jews that by them it might be communicated to the whole body of that people in the ancient tongue kept ever since Adams time by the Patriarchs as is commonly thought And then did God make this his people so famous in regard of the wonderful miracles wrought amongst them his admirable dealings with them his temple and worship granted to them that the world before Christs coming could not plead ignorance Besides whereas the Gentiles had departed from God yet such was his mercy that he left the way open for the Israelites to call them again to the truth and for their reentrance into the true Church and becoming Pr selytes Now then come we to shew that in this written Law of Moses are all the four properties which are in all Laws 1. Preceptum a rule for our actions 2. Modus the manner how to observe that Rule 3. 4. Praemium poena The reward for keeping and the punishment for breaking it 1. First that it is a Rule and precept for our Actions The Psalmist saith The Law of the Lord is a perfect Law c. Every Law else is unperfect 2 For the Manner It requireth that Toti we be whole observers of the Law it commands that we do it with our whole soul and body For we consist but of those two parts And the soul likewise hath two parts the Minde and the Heart Now God must be perfectus mentis scopus the mark at which the minde must wholly ayme the end of all our actions there must be plena intentio 〈◊〉 Deum look wholly to God in them And the heart which is the will must be tota inflammata wholly inflamed As for the Body every Member of it must be vsed and all the strength of it to perform the Law and be instruments of Righteousnesse toto corde totis viribns all our heart and all our strength must be imployed therein For 〈◊〉 all the Law Its Gods own wish concerning the people O that there were such a heart in them that they would keep all my commandments alwayes and it were very absurd to except any For whereas God is perfectly wise if some of his precepts were needlesse then might he be taxed with folly in not leaving out them which were superfluous And as none of Gods Laws must be left unkept so none but his or what is grounded upon them or not repugnant to them and imposed by lawful authority derived from him must be kept for then his wisdom would be likewise impeached if any thing thing besides his Law or without subordination to his were to be kept and the Law it self would be imperfect but it is neither defective nor hath any thing superfluous in it and therefore God saith Whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto or diminish from it Nothing must be commanded in Gods name as immediately from him but what he hath prescribed For the Continuance Tota in vita est 〈◊〉 It is to be kept alwayes all the dayes of our life The place before quoted sheweth by the word alwayes that to continue all our lives in his obedience is a part of the Law And the same in effect he commandeth elsewhere Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God and keep his charge and his statutes and his judgements and his commandments alway And in all places too for though the place includeth not the time yet the time includeth the place and therefore the house of Rimmon is not nor can be excepted Thirdly for reward If the Law be kept there is promise of reward This Saint Paul confirms Godlinesse saith he is profitable to all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come And our Saviour saith that they that have done good shall come forth of the grave to the resurrection of life Saint Paul testifieth before Agrippa that the twelve Tribes do rest in hope of a Resurrection And the opinion of the Sadduces that held the contrary was ever odious to the best Jews Fourthly for punishment If the Law be not kept after this manner first wholly but in a double heart then comes the Curse which the prophet denounceth Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently And for the Totum He that keepeth not the whole Law is accursed Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the law to do them and all the people shall say Amen which very words Saint Paul reciteth to the Galatians 〈◊〉 he hath in stead of confirmeth not continueth not and that is for the Semper or Toto tempore the keeping them alwayes all our life And these being Gods Curses they are sure for as when he said fiat lux let there be light and it was so so if he say Cursed it will be so too And as there is a fulnesse of blessing to them that can keep this Law so there is a fulnesse of his wrath to them that break it a Curse without a blessing for the one and a blessing without a Curse for the other Curses for these in this life Si non obedietis c. If ye will not harken to do all these commandments all these Curses shall come upon thee As they follow there And for the life to come Their
So much for the Preparation THE EXPOSITION OF THE First Commandement CHAP. I. Of the Preface to the Decalogue Two things required in a Lawgiver 1. Wisdom 2. Authority Both appear here Gods authority declared 1. By his name Jehovah which implyes 1. that being himself and that all other things come from him 2. His absolute dominion over all the creatures From which flow two attributes 1. His Eternity 2. His veracity or truth 2. By his jurisdiction thy God by creation and by covenant 3. By a late benefit Their deliverance out of Egypt How all this belongs to us THe Lord spake c. From the second to the eighteenth verse of this Chapter the words which inded are the body of the Law contain in them two things 1. The Stile I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage 2. The Charge Thou 〈◊〉 have no other gods before me c. To the perfect enabling of every Law-giver to make Laws is required 1. Wisdom 2. Authority 1. For the wisdom of God it appears in the Laws themselves Moses justifieth it and challengeth all the Nations of the earth to match them What Nation saith he is there so great that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this Law And the wisdom of a Law is best seen in the equity of it But a little before to shew more plainly his wisdom he tels them that it was their wisdom to keep them for the Nations which should see that they were kept would presently conclude and say Surely this Nation is a wise and understanding people which they would never do if they had not conceived wisdom in the framing of them So that certainly we must needs confesse with the Prophet that it came from the Lord who is wonderfull in counsel 2. For his Authority which is rerum agendarum telum it is plainly demonstrated by God himself in the second verse and manifested by the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt by strong hand In every Edict and Law proclaimed the beginning is with the stile of the Prince intimating thereby his Prerogative Royal to make Laws and to publish and see them obeyed And therefore his authority is annexed as to the Law in general so to those particular Laws which have a reason annexed As to the second For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God c. To the third For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse c. To the fourth For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth c. and it is the Sabbath of the Lord. Now if it be true that men expect no reason to perswade them to lay hold of a benefit then there needs none to make them observe the Law because it is a benefit for the Psalmist so accounts it He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither have the Heathen knowledge of his Laws Yet it pleased God to adde his reason from his own person though indeed profit be a sufficient Orator And thus doth God in divers places as Levit. 21. 8. 12. 15. 23. As also S. Paul mentioneth it for the New Testament As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God which words are taken out of the Prophet In this stile or authority are three points according to the titles 1. Of name Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt 2. Of jurisdiction Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt 3. Of benefit Jehovah Thy God which brought thee c. the last benefit they had received out of Egypt And such Prefaces do earthly Princes use in their writings 1. Of Name as Caius Caesar. 2. Of jurisdiction Imperator 3. Of the last benefit Caesar Germanicus for conquering Germany the last triumph obscuring the former 1. For the title of his Name it is I Jehovah not I am Jehovah which argueth 1. His Nature 2. His Power 1. That it is the name of his Nature it cannot be denied They shall know saith the Psalmist that thou whose name is Jehovah art onely the most highest over all the Earth Concerning the word Jehovah which is Tetragrammaton consisting of four letters much hath been written and many speculations have been gathered from it As namely that there are three distinct letters according to the number of persons in the Trinity and of these three the first signifieth power the proper adjunct of the Father the second wisdom and knowledge proper to the Son and the third love the proper adjunct of the Holy Ghost And that the second letter is doubled to denote the two natures of the second Person But this may be sufficient for us that it is a name from being or a name of existence and that he is of himself and from none 〈◊〉 but that all things are through and from him Omnia beneficio illius ipse beneficio nullius Bern. And as it 〈◊〉 his being of himself so his absolute dominion and power over all and therefore we translate it Lord following the Septuagint who render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. And as there is no exception in his title as to be commanded of or by any other All earthly Princes derive their power from him as his Delegates by commission As our Prince hath in his title Dei gratia Angliae By the grace of God King of England c. and is ab aliq from another viz. from God Onely God rules without commission from any but is within and of himself a supream head commandeth simply and absolutely hath no dependance upon any other either of being or power but all things depend on him as their essence powers or faculties and operations This the Prophet sheweth forcibly that streams proceed from him to every creature which being stopped they perish When thou hidest thy face saith he they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they dye and are turned again to their dust And in the next verse he saith that he is the onely breath of the world his breath giveth life When thou lettest thy breath go forth they shall be made Now if we did conceive that any man in the world had our life at such an advantage that with his very countenance he could make or destroy us certainly we would be marvellously cautelous to offend him and very obsequious to please and observe him Yet such is our dependance upon God The word Jehovah as it hath these two significations so hath it two consectaries that follow thereupon in Scripture 1. The eternity of God 2. The truth of God in giving a being to his promises by his performance of them 1. For his Eternity he calleth himself I am Say I am Ero hath sent thee unto them and howsoever there
jure divino in which point learned men do differ and of which we shall speak something hereafter yet that the 〈◊〉 sabbath which as it concerned the jews in a perculiar manner is litterally injoyned by the fourth Commandment is abolisht by the death of Christ is his opinion clearly expressed elswhere Of the 〈◊〉 he speaks in one of his sermons of the resurrection on 1 Cor. 11. 16. where labouring to prove the feast of Easter to be as ancient as the Apostles among other arguments he brings one from the Lords day in these words But we have a more sure ground then all these The Lords day hath testimony in Scripture I insist upon that that Easter day must needs be as ancient as it For how came it to be the Lords day but that as it is in the Psalm The Lord made it And why made he it but because the stone cast aside that is Christ was made the head of the corner that is because then the Lord rose because his resurrection fell upon it Where he plainly affirmes the Lords day to be so made by the Lord himself and that because Christ rose upon that day Now for the other point that the jews sabbath was ceremonial and abrogated by Christs death is proved at large by his speech in star-chamber against Trask published inter opera posthuma where among other things he speaks 〈◊〉 The Apostle inter alia reckoning up diverse others concludes with the sabbath and immediately upon it addes Which all are but shadows of things to come Sabbath and all but the body is Christ. The body had the shadow to vanish that which was to come when it is come to what end any figure of it it ceaseth too That to hold the shadow of the Sabbath is to continue is to hold Christ the bodie is not yet come It hath been ever the Churches doctrine That Christ made an end of all Sabbaths by his Sabbath in the grave That Sabbath was the last of them and that the Lords day came presently in place of it Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione declaratus est Christianis ex illo caepit habere festivitatem suam saith Augustine The Lords day was by the resurrection of Christ declared to be the Christians day and from that very time of Christs resurrection it began to be celebrated as the Christian mans festival For the Sabbath had reference to the old creation but in Christ we are a new Creature a new creation by him and so to have a new Sabbath and vetera transierunt no reference to the old We. By whom he made the world saith the Apostle of Christ. So two worlds there were The first that ended at Christs Passion saith Athanasius And therefore then the Sun without any eclypse went out of it self The second which began with Christs resurrection and that day initium novae creaturae the beginning and so the feast of them that are in Christ a new creature It is diduced plainly The Gospels keep one word all four and tell us Christ arose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 una sabbatorum that is after the Hebrew phrase the first day of the week The Apostles they kept their meetings on that day and S. Luke keeps the very same word exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to exclude all errour on that day they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is held their synaxes their solemn assemblies to preach to pray to break bread to celebrate the Lords supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords supper on the Lords day for these two onely the day and the supper have the Epithet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominicum in the scriptures to shew that Dominicum is alike to be taken in both This for the practise then If you will have it in precept The Apostle gives it and in the same word still that against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of their assembly every one should lay apart what God should move him to offer to the collection of the Saints and then offer it which was so ever in use that the day of oblations so have we it in practise and 〈◊〉 both even till Socrates time who keeps the same word still 〈◊〉 5. cap. 22. This day this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came to have the name of Dies Dominicus in the Apostles times and is so expressely called then by Saint John in the Revelation Revel 1. 10. And that name from that day to this hath holden still which continuance of it from the Apostles age may be deduced down from father to father even to the Council of Nice and lower I trust we need not to follow it no doubt is made of it since then by any that hath read any thing I should hold you to long too cite them in particular I avow it on my credit there is not any ecclesiastical writer in whom it is not to be found Ignatius whom I would not name but that I finde his words in Nazianzen Justin. Martyr Dion sius Bishop of Corinth in Euseb. lib. 4. Irenaeus Clemens Alexandr Tertull Origen Cyprian every one And that we may put it past all question Justine Martyr who lived in the very next age to the Apostles and Tertullian who lived the next age to him both say directly 〈◊〉 solemn assemblies of the Christians were that day ever on Sunday 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justine die solis saith 〈◊〉 and leave the 〈◊〉 to their Saturn either in their Apologies offered by them to the Emperours Justine made two in his second Tertullian but one the sixteenth chapter of his that of the true day there can be no manner of doubt A thing so 〈◊〉 so well known even to the Heathen themselves as it was in the Acts of the Martyrs ever an usual question of theirs even of course in their examining What Dominicum servasti Hold you the Sunday and their answer known they all aver it Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot intermit it not the Lords day in any wise These are examples enough I will adde but an authority and a censure and so end The authority I will refer you to is of the great Athanasius great for his learning for his vertue for his labour and for his sufferings but above all great for his Creed Tertullian had written a book de cibis Judaicis which we have so another de 〈◊〉 Judaico which we have lost but it is supplied by Athanasius his book de sabbato circumcisione for he puts them and so they must go together Circumcision and the Sabbath In which he is so clear and so full for the abolishing of the 〈◊〉 day and the succeeding of the Lords day in place of it as no man can wish more and the treatise is no long one neither Now as in the other of meats so in this will I end with censure It is
of the Councel of Laodicea more ancient then the first of Nice and of so special account as we finde it cited by S. Basil nay as we finde four of the Canons made in this Council taken out of it and transferd and made four of the Canons of the great Council of Nice such was the Authority it was had in It is in the twenty ninth Canon and of the authentical great book acknowledged in that of 〈◊〉 the 133. Thus it is That Christen men may not 〈◊〉 or grow 〈◊〉 that is not make the Sabbath or Saturday their day of rest but they are to work that day this comes home giving their honour of celebration to the Lords day And if any in this point be found to 〈◊〉 let them be Anathema a Deo christo to God and Christ both Thus far this learned 〈◊〉 by which discourse made and penned in his latter years it appears fully what his opinion was in this point of the Sabbath and how his meaning is to be expounded in this point of the morality of the day See more of this subject in the third Chapter per totum There is here besides in the Commandment another word Remember which because it is properly of a thing past it referreth us to some time or place before and there is no mention of the sabbath but in two places before the one of them is in Exodus but that is not the place here meant for God in the end of the Commandment adding God 〈◊〉 it c. referreth us to that other place where those words are namely to Genesis 2. 3. And by this occasion falleth in that first question about the morality of the day many think the sabbath is meerly a ceremony and are perswaded that it is so and therefore hold that men are not bound to sanctifie it since Christs time it being abrogated by him In answer whereto we are to follow our Saviours rule who in the case of Polygamie bids us inquire how it was ab initio from the beginning to call it to the first institution for the first institution is that which will inform our judgements best and the first end which appears by the institution is the true end A thing is not said to be meerly ceremonial if a ceremonial use or end be annexed to it for then scarce any of the ten Commandments but should be ceremonial for they have many of them some ceremony annexed to them But that is to be accounted ceremonial whose first and principal end is to be a ceremony and to type out something which this day of rest cannot be said to do The reason is because Paradise and mans perfection cannot consist with ceremonies a ceremony cannot agree to the state of mans innocency This is to be understood of such Ceremonies as had reference to Christ as a Redeemer and so the ensuing words expound these for otherwise ceremonies which have a moral signification or were instituted for other ends might stand with mans estate in Paradise for what was the tree of life but a ceremony And the reason of that is because that before there was a Saviour there could not be a type of a Saviour as ceremonies were and before there was sin there needed no Saviour and so consequently needing no Saviour there needed no ceremony and needing no Saviour nor ceremony it could not be ceremonial But this was it that Adam having in the six dayes a natural use in his body of the creatures should for the glory of God on the seventh day have a spiritual use and consideration of them in a more special manner And although there might be a worship performed to God on other dayes yet that it might be more solemn publick and universal and the heart of man more free from distraction and wordly avocations God therefore would have a speciall day dedicated to his honour and service wherein the Creature should solemnly performe his homage to the Creator and this was the first generall end though other ends were after added as in Deuteronomie it pleased God to adde this reason that the People should remember their Delivery out of Egypt but this was but finis posterior a particular and after end and accessory And it were well if we might adde to our dayes of rest the memory of benefits received And in Exodus God yieldeth a reason taken from a politick end that our family and cattel may rest and return more fresh to their labour And if any will say that besides these ends there was prefigured by this rest that rest we shall have from sin It s true but yet that is but an accessory end As in the Sacraments of Circumcision and Passeover besides the general ends of their institution which were to seal and signify Gods preventing and following grace there were other ends typical and accessory as that of Circumcision did signifie the Circumcision of the heart and the Passover the sacrifice of Christ offered upon the cross In which respects though those two Sacraments are abolisht yet the Sacrament of initiation and another of our confirmation in grace are still continued to wit Baptism and the Lords supper according to the general ends of the two former Sacraments which ends do still remain So though the Sabbath or seventh day from the Creation be ceased yet there is another day still remaining because the end of keeping a day is immutable from the beginning to wit that God might be honoured by a solemne and publick worship This reason of it self is so forcible and plain that without bringing in a manifest absurdity it cannot be denyed and avoided When they see these ends carry us to the Institution and that in Paradise where no type or Ceremony was they seek to avoid it by saying It s true that God sanctified it in Paradise but Adam never kept it neither was it kept till immediately before the Law was given which may seem to be a very absurd thing that God should sanctifie a thing two thousand years before it was to be put in practise This is like to that assertion of those Hereticks that held the materia prima to be made by God many years before the world it self and that it abode by him till the world was made But they are confuted by the Fathers thus That no wise man will make any thing to be many years by him before he shall have occasion to put it to any use And therefore much lesse would God bless this day before there should be any use of it to make rem ante usum 1. We must understand that God in Deuteronomy seemeth to make a distinction between Ceremonies and the Moral Law Deuteronomy 4. 13 14. as that the one proceeded from himself immediately the other by the ministery of Moses so also Deuteronomie 5. 31. 2. Again it breeds confusion and breaks order a thing which God misliketh if any thing meerly ceremonial and not in some sort moral should
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
memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely this proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some School-men late Divines 5 The fourth Commandment is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the Jewish sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expir'd How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of Iewish sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the sabbath 7. The sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Council of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner The whole doctrine of the sabbath and Lords day handled in seven conclusions FOr the more cleare understanding of this point of the sabbath and of the reasons which are here produced and of this discourse upon that subject I shall briefly lay down that which I conceive most agreeable to the truth in certain propositions or conclusions distinguishing things certain from such as are onely probable and submitting all to the iudicious and learned reader 1. It is certain that some time ought to be set apart for publick worship and that this is required by the law of nature which dictates to every one that as God ought to be worshipped so some special time must be set apart for that imployment and therefore as when God created the world he is said to have concreated time with it so when he commands a publick worship he commands withall some time for that use without which it cannot be performed and therefore it is confessed by all divines ancient and modern and by men of all professions except familists and such fanatick spirits that some time ought to be set apart for holy duties as due by the immutable law of nature morale est quantum ad hoc quod homo 〈◊〉 aliquod tempus ad vacandum divinis c. saith Aquinas secunda secundae q. 112. It is moral that every man depute some time for religious duties and with him joyntly agree all the rest of the Schoolmen modern divines and others The very law of nature saith our learned Hooker requires no lesse the sanctification of times then of places persons and things for which cause it hath plased God heretofore as of the rest so of times likewise to exact some part by way of perpetual homage And so we finde the Heathen which had no other then the law of nature to direct them had their solemne feasts and set dayes appointed for the worship of their supposed deities This therefore I lay down as certain because questionedby none 2. I conceive it to be likewise certain that the law of nature doth not in particular dictate what day or time ought to be set apart for publick worship but that the determination of the time or dayes in special is from positive laws either of God or men and therefore that the limitation of a seventh day or the 7 th day from the creation or any other particular proportion cannot be deduced necessarily from any natural principle but must be referrd to some positive law either divine or humane This appears in that there can no natural reason be given why one day more then another or why a seventh rather then a sixth or eighth should necessarily be consecrated to God all dayes being in themselves alike and none in themselves more excellent then others those things which are natural and simply or purely moral are evident to all by the light of nature or may by necessary consequence be deduced from some principle which is evident such laws concern things good or evil in themselves and therefore do immutably binde all persons in all places alike but the limitation of a special day is not it is neither a principle evident in it self nor can by necessary consequence be derived from any such principle and therefore cannot be referred to any natural law or dictate of reason Therefore not only the schoolmen generally nemine contradicente with the Casuists and Canonists but the most modern divines some few excepted do generally agree in this as well as in the former conclusion and though some make the observation of the Lords day under the Gospel to be unchangable and so in some sort moral as the sabbath was under the law yet this they ground not upon any natural law but upon positive divine Law and those that seem to make it a dictate of nature mean nothing else but that there is a congruity in reason and that this time being fixt by Christ is unalterable by any humane power The reason given by some why a memento is prefixed before the fourth Commmandement and none else is because that Nature doth not dictate any particular day and therefore men need to be put in minde of the day appointed by God Filencius tract 27. cap. 1. n. 4. Ex Thom. 1. 2. q. 100. a. 7. 2. 2. q. 122. a. 4. ad 3. Bonavent Richard aliis in 3. Sent. Dist. 37. and before them S. Chrysost. saith that the Sabbath is a precept not made known to us by our Consciences as the other precepts are and that God therefore gives reasons of this as because he rested the seventh day and because they were servants in Egypt c. whereas in those that are purely moral as Thou shalt do no murther c. he gives the Precept barely without any reason at all and that because our consciences had taught us this before and because he speaks to those that knew reason sufficient Tom. 6. p. 542. Edit Savil. 3. It is probable that the seventh day was appointed by positive divine law from the begining as the day for publick worship to praise God for the creation of the world c. and so did oblige all mankinde though as a Sabbath or day of symbolical rest it was afterward particularly given to the Jews by Moses For it is the opinion not only of some Jewish Doctors but of learned men among our selves that in the 4 h Commandment the sanctifying of the seventh day and the rest then commanded are several distinct things and that the first refer to the creation of the world as the cause the other to the Egyptian bondage out of which they were delivered and that therefore the one belonged to all men the other onely to the Jews for which cause the Sabbath is said to be a signe between God and
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
of Brabourn and 〈◊〉 who were censured the one in the high Commission the other in Star-chamber and were learnedly confuted by two learned Bishops of Winchester and Eli the one in a speech in Star-Chamber now extant the other in a full tract of this subject But though the day be altered from the last to the first day of the week yet I do not therefore say that the seventh day from the Creation was ceremonial or expired as a ceremony at Christs death as is commonly said by some Divines for wherein could the keeping of a seventh day typifie Christ or his benefits but it was observed as a positive Law yet of divine institution and being no natural Law but depending upon Gods will and pleasure might therefore by the same authority when the new creation was finished by Christs resurrection which overshadowed the first creation be altered to another day in memory of that greater benefit and so accordingly it was 6. Concerning the rest observed by the Jews it is certain t was partly moral and partly ceremonial moral in regard that the duties of publick worship cannot be performed without a cessation from other labours and ceremonial as it looked backward and forward backward as a signe of Gods rest after the creation and of their deliverance out of the Egyptian servitude forward as a type of Christs rest in the grave Hebrews 4. of our rest from the servile works of sin in the time of grace as S. Augustine faith and of the eternal rest in heaven 〈◊〉 4. Besides all which it was also a signe to distinguish them from other people Exodus 20. 12. Now for the rest required of us on the Lords day it is not the same with that of the Iews but differs 1. Because rest is now required onely in reference to the holy duties which cannot otherwise be performed not for it self as if it were pleasing to God or the works of mens callings unlawfull but that they might give way to works of a higher nature to sacred duties which if they be not performed the rest is a meere mockery Sabbatum asinorum whereas the rest of the Iewish Sabbath was required for it self they were to rest in their rest and hence it was that the Iewish sabbath is reckoned by S. Paul among the shadows that vanisht at Christs coming and the Fathers generally make the Commandment of the sabbath ceremonial which if any should now observe he should thereby revive Judaisme and in effect deny that Christ the body is come as S. Augustine in the place alledged and elsewhere Quisquis diem illum 〈◊〉 observat 〈◊〉 litera sonat carnaliter sapit whosoever observes that day according to the flesh is carnally wise and hence it is that generally the Fathers 〈◊〉 to call the Lords day by the the name of sabbath for we shall hardly finde in any ancient writers the Lords day called the sabbath till some of late in our Church sprung up who usually stile it by that name against all antiquity and reason whom some others of learning have 〈◊〉 followed being carried by the stream and not foreseeing the evils that have since followed and were then intended by those men 2. Another difference which follows from the former is that because the rest now is not required for it self but as it may further holy duties therefore it is not so strictly required of us as of them They might not do some works which were neither against 〈◊〉 or charity they might not kindle a fire or dresse meat or bury the dead on that day which no doubt are now lawful and the reason is because their rest was symbolical and figurative and therefore that it might the more exactly answer to the thing figured must be the more exact for as Bellar. saith Figurae 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 alioquin non bone significant figures must be exact else they do not well represent the thing signified Now if any shall ask what labours and works we must abstain from and how long seeing to rest onely in the time of publick worship may seem to be enough in reference to the performance of holy duties I conceive it the most probable answer that herein we must be directed in particular by the Laws Canons and Customes of the Church wherein we live and that by divine Law as the sanctifying of the day is required in general so the resting from our ordinary labours in reference to that end is onely required in general by the Law of God but the particular determination of what works and how long and in what manner with 〈◊〉 circumstances of which no general Law could be so fitly given is left to the Bishops and Pastors of the Church for as God hath commanded publique worship by prayer and praises c in general but the modification of it for form order time and manner of performance hath been left to the Church who hath alwayes ordered these things and altered them as there was occasion so for the abstinence from labours what rest may be necessary not onely in the time of publick duties but before and after as preparatives thereto and means of better profiting thereby by meditations and other exercises and for the more solemnity of the day for these and the like I do not finde that Christ hath given any particular rules but that every one is herein to submit to the Canons and orders of the Church and to conform himself thereto and that this conformity in obedience to God who requires us to hear the Church and obey our Pastors is acceptable to God and therefore those that will not rest herein but look for particular directions out of Scripture for every thing which indeed they cannot finde by writing what ever they finde about the Sabbath and applying it to the Lords day do unawares sall into Judaisme and perplex mens consciences into inextricable Laborynths as daily experience shews whereas the constant practise of the Church of Christ in all ages shews that in these things she did use that authority which Christ hath given her as appears by the several constitutions both Ecclesiastical and Civil sometimes enlarging and sometimes restraining the liberty of people in these matters And hence it is that though the Fathers usually say that all the glory of the Sabbath is transferred to the Lords day and though it be commonly said that the Lords day succeeds the Sabbath yet the truth is that it succeeds not properly as the Heir doth his Father at least it is not Heres ex asse as Civilians speak but as the light follows darknes and the substance the shadow in regard that the rest of the Jews Sabbath as it was symbolical is expired and onely what was grounded upon moral equity in it is continued in the Lords day in which for the particular manner of observing we must look to the canons and customs of the Church which are of such force in these things
that though by the common Canon-law all festivals are from evening to evening Cap. 1. 2. de Feriis 〈◊〉 cap. 13. n. 5. Covar in 4. variar resol cap. 19. n. 9. yet where the custom is to observe them from midnight to midnight or from morning to morning such custom ought to be kept if there be lawful prescription for it as Panorm resolves 7. Before we conclude this observation about the Sabbath it may be fit to consider why it was so long observed after our Saviour together with the Lords day for we finde that for many years after the Apostles times the Sabbath was kept as well as the Lords day until the Councel of Laodicea which was not long before the Councel of Nice and that it is still observed among the Abyssines and that Balsam saith that the holy Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did in a manner equall the Sabbath with the Lords day Gregory Nyssen calls those two dayes fratres brethren Clem. constit l. 7. cap. 24. Diem Sabbati Diem Dominicam festas habete quoniam illa creationis altera resurrectionis memoria dicata est observe those two festivals the sabbath and the Lords day the one in memory of the creation the other of the resurrection hence was that old Custome of not fasting upon the sabbath or Saturday because it was a day of rejoycing and therefore those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 festival dayes in the 53 Canon of the Apostles are expounded by Zonaras to be the Sabbath or Saturday and the Lords day and in the 65 Canon it is prohibited to fast either on the Sabbath or Lords day 〈◊〉 onely the Sabbath before Easter Ignatius in Epist. ad Philadelph saith If any fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords day or on the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is a murderer of Christ. Tertul de jejuniis saith Sabbatum nunquam nisi in Pascha jejunandum est none must fast on the Sabbath or Saturday save before Easter And from this cause it was that Constantine whose Edict we may read in Eusebius for the free exercise of Christian Religion forbids that they should be impleaded on the Sabbath or Saturday as well as on the Sunday because both dayes were observed with publick meetings And in the Synod of Laodicea it was appointed that besides the Law which was anciently read upon the Saturdayes the Gospel should be also read on that day By all which it may seem that the Jewish Sabbath and the Lords day are both to be kept and by some learned men it is hence urged that the sunday doth not succeed the 〈◊〉 but wassuperadded to the sabbath But to this I answer 1. That the sabbath was for some time used as a thing indifferent as were some other legal rites in favour of the Jews and that they might be the lesse offended and more easily gained to the Christian Church as S. Paul circumcised timothy and S. Peter abstained from some meats c. not as things necessary but 〈◊〉 2. That though the legal rites were void at 〈◊〉 death and then expired yet as S. Augustine saith some time was required for their decent burial 3. That though holy duties were performed in public on the Saturday for many years yet the symbolical and typical rest which was proper to the Jewish sabbath was not allowed or practised in the Church and therefore when some began to 〈◊〉 on the Saturday by resting on that day it was forbid by several Councels as that of Laodicea cap. 29. the Councel of Lyons in cap. 1. de consecr d. 3. and the Sabbatarians were generally condemned for Hereticks And therfore the observing of Saturday as a half holy day as it is still in a manner kept in many places with us was not with reference to the Jewish sabbath but for the more honour of the Lords day as a preparative to that great festival and therefore though the Church did allow some publick meetings on that day in the Church yet we never finde that the symbolical rest which is the proper and characteristical difference of the Jewish sabbath from Christian festivals was ever allowed but generally condemned And thus I have done with these observations and positions which I conceived necessary to insert concerning the 〈◊〉 to give some light if possible to this so much agitated question submitting all to the judgement of my superiours in the Church and ready to yield to what any judicious and learned man shall upon better reasons propound CHAP. IIII. Reasons of this Commandment 1. Gods liberality in allowing 〈◊〉 six dayes and requiring but one for himself 2 The seventh is his own proper day Who are comprehended in the prohibition 1. The Master of the family 2. Children 3. Servants 4. Cattel 5 Srangers The general reasons of this precept 1. Gods rest from the creation Addition 22. Moral reasons sometimes given of a ceremonial precept The reason why a rest and why on this day are different things out of Maimon Abenezra 2. Reason the benefit coming to mankinde by the creation 3. Reason God blessed the seventh day IN the three next verses namely the ninth tenth and eleventh God first explaineth his meaning or gives an explication or further exposition of this Commandment verse 9. 10. and then gives a reason of the Commandment verse 11 why they should yield obedience to it In the explication there is order taken as well concerning works as persons First for works Six dayes shalt thou labour c. verse 9. Secondly for persons Thou and thy son c. verse 10. And again in the same verses there is 1. An Affirmative Six dayes thou shalt labour c. verse 9. and 2. secondly A Negative Thou shalt do no manner of work c. verse 10. Again there is 1. a Permission Six dayes God hath given thee wherein thou mayest labour and do all that thou hast to do 2. And secondly an Opposition or Antithesis But the seventh day he hath reserved to himself Six dayes are thine but the seventh his He hath bestowed six dayes on thee but the seventh he hath reserved to himself In the six dayes thou shalt do all but on the seventh no manner of work Now in the opposition there are two by-reasons included for the main reason is in the 11. verse for in six dayes c. The first is That because God hath dealt so liberally with us as to give us six dayes for our selves and to reserve onely one to himself therefore we should be the more ready to give him that day for by right of Creation we and all ours are the Lords for he made us of nothing and in that regard he might justly challenge 〈◊〉 and our service all our dayes and we being but his Creatures could not justly challenge to our selves one day In so much as if it had pleased God to have given us but one day and reserved the other six to himself we should
both must concur S. Pauls three rules of pie juste sobrie S. Augustine his three rules contrary to three rules of corrupt nature 2. The manner of doing riquires 1. totos 2. totum 3. toto tempore 3. The reward 4. The punishment CHAP. XVI Page 83 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 Decalogue yet their light more dim 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 CHAP. XVII Page 68 Questions about the Law 1. Why it was written by Moses seeing it was written before in mens hearts How the light of Nature became dim three causes of it it was deserved in three respects Why the Law was given at this time Why onely to the 〈◊〉 All the four parts of a Law are in the Law written 1. The Act. 2. The Manner 3. The rewards 4. The punishments 2. Whether any can keep the Law How God is just in requiring that which we cannot perform An Addition about power of keeping the Law evangelical Adam lost his ability not efficienter but meritorie God alwayes gives or is ready to give power to do what he requires if we be not wanting to our selves How Christ hath fulfilled the Law how we keep it by faith 3. Why God promises life to the keeping of the Law if we cannot keep it CHAP. XVIII Page 73 Of the preparation before the giving of the Law 1. To make them willing by consideration of 1. his benefits 2. Gods right as Lord 3. Their relation as Creatures c. 4. That they are his people His Benefits past and promised Three motives to love 1 Beauty 2. Neernesse 3. Benefits all in God 2. To make them able by sanctifying and cleansing themselves that ceremonial washing signified our spiritual cleansing how we came to be polluted how we must be cleansed Why they were not to come at their wives Of the danger and abuse of things lawful 3. That they might not run too far bounds were set Of curiosity about things unnecessary CHAP. XIX Page 79 The manner of delivering the Law 1. With thick clouds 2. With thunder and lightning 3. With sound of a trumpet The terrible delivering of the Law compared with the terrour of the last judgement when we must give account for the keeping of it the comparison in all the particulars The use of this CHAP. XX. Page 80 The end of the Law as given by Moses 1. It brings none to perfection and that by reason of mans corruption as appears 1. by the place a barren wildernesse a mountain which none might touch 2. by the mediatour Moses by the breaking of the Tables c. 2. It brings us to Christ because given by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour It Was to be put into the Ark Given fifty dayes after the Passeover Moses had a Veyl the fiery Serpent our use of the Law to know our debts as by a book of accounts then to drive us to seek a Surety to pay the debt viz. Christ amd to be thankful and take heed of running further into debt The Exposition of the first Commandment CHAP. I. Page 83 Of the Preface to the Decalogue Two things required in a Lawgiver 1. Wisdom 2. Authority both appear here Gods Authority declared 1. By his Name Jehovah which implyes 1. that being himself and that all other things come from him 2. his absolute dominion over all the Creatures from which flow two attributes 1. His Eternity 2. His Veracity or truth 2. By his Jurisdiction thy God by Creation and by Covenant 3. By a late benefit their deliverance out of Egypt How all this belongs to us CHAP. II. Page 87 The division of the Decalogue how divided by the Jews how by Christians Addition 6. That the four fundamental Articles of all Religion are implyed in the four first Precepts Of rules for expounding the Decalogue Six rules of extent 1. The affirmative implyes the negative and e contra 2. When any thing is commanded or forbidden all of the same nature are included 3. The inward act of the soul is forbidden or commanded by the outward 4. The means conducing are included in every precept 5. The consequents and signes 6. We must not onely observe the precept our selves but cause it to be kept by others left we partake of other mens sins which is 1. Jubendo by commanding 2. Permittendo by tolleration 3. Provocando by provocation 4. Suadendo by perswasion 5. Consentiendo by consenting 6. Defendendo by maintaining 7. Scandalum praebendo by giving scandal CHAP. III. Page 94 Rules of restraint in expounding the Law False rules made by the Pharisees Of Custom Addition 7. Of the force of Church Customs 3. Three rules of restraint 1. By dispensation 2. By the nature of the Precept 3. By conflict of Precepts Antinomia wherein these rules are to be observed 1. Ceremonial Precepts are to give place to moral 2. The second table is to give place to the first 3. In the second table the following Precepts are to give place to those before Rules to expound in case of 1. Obscurity 2. Ambiguity 3. Controversie CHAP. IIII. Page 98 Three general observations in the Decalogue 1. That the precepts are all in the second person 2. All but two are Negative All but two are in the future tense Observations general from the first precept 1. Impediments are to be removed before true worship can be performed 2. The worship of God is the foundation of all obedience to the rest 3. That spiritual worship is chiefly commanded in the first precept Addition 8. About the distinction of inward and outward worship CHAP. V. Page 100 In the first Commandment three things are contained 1. We must have a God 2. We must have the Lord for our God 3. We must have him alone for our God The sinne opposite to the first is 〈◊〉 to the second is false Religion to the third mixt Religion How our nanture is inclinable to those sins Reasons against them CHAP. VI. Page 102. In the first proposition of having a God is included 1. Knowledge of God wherein 1. The excellency 2. the necessity 3. how it is attained The contrary forbidden is 1. Ignorance 2. light knowledge What we are to know of God Impediments of knowledge to be removed Rules of direction to be followed CHAP. VII Page 110. The second inward vertue commanded in the first precept is faith Reasons for the necessity of faith Addition 9. Concerning the evidence of faith and freedom of assent The certainty of faith Of unbelief Addition 10. Concerning the nature of faith Means of believing Of trust in God for things temporal The tryal of our trust Six signes of Faith CHAP. VIII Page 120. The third inward vertue is fear of
to 〈◊〉 at a stay but proceed and profit every day and make progresse in our knowledge for as there are places in scripture as is before said where every lamb may wade so are there also deeper places where an 〈◊〉 may swimme We shall never be so perfect as to be free from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Search the scriptures For teaching children by way of Catechizing is no new thing 1. It is warranted even before 〈◊〉 flood The offerings and sacrifices of 〈◊〉 and Abel are a strong argument to induce our 〈◊〉 that they had been instructed by their father Adam in matter of Religion And though the word was yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written from the Creation till after the flood yet Gods worship could not have continued had instruction ceased and not been used 2. After the flood in the time of Abraham the scripture beareth witnesse that he taught his children and family the fear of the Lord. Ab condam 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 saith God shall I hide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing that I will doe for I know him that he will command his children c and they shal keep the way of 〈◊〉 Lord. And what he would teach them is evident by the summe 〈◊〉 the Law delivered to him by God Ambula coram me c. Walke before me and be perfect As also by the summe of the Gospell In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Th fruits of this catechizing and the effects thereof appeared first in his son Isaac The tex saith Et exiit Isaac ut oraret in agro vesperi and 〈◊〉 went out to pray in the field at eventide And secondly in his servant who 〈◊〉 he undertooke his masters businesse 1. began with prayer 2 he ended with prayer and thanksgiving for his 〈◊〉 successe 3 shewed his care in performing his Masters busin sse he would not eat though he had travelled far untill he had declared his message 3. And as this appears in Adam concerning the instruction of his children before the flood and in Abraham after it and 〈◊〉 the Law so it is not to be doubted but that there were divers other godly men in both ages that successively instructed their children receiving it as a duty by tradition so to do For there is no writing extant till Moses time though it appears by Saint Iude that something was proph sied by Enoch who was the 7 th from Adam and that the story of Job seems to be more ancient then that of Moses life and actions though the Church place Moses first to whom by tradit 〈◊〉 was conveled the story of former times and perhaps Moses his story might be first written 4. Besides the divine goodnesse so disposed that no age from the 〈◊〉 to the time of Moses should want some godly men successively to deliver his will to their child en As before the flood 〈◊〉 Seth Enos Kenan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enoch Methusalem Lamech of which number Adam and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole time from the Creation to the flood which fell in the year of the world 1656. For Adam lived 930 years And Methusalem 969. and 〈◊〉 in the year of the deluge So that Methusalem living 243 yeares with Adam must needs be well instructed by him concerning all points of Religion and that no doubt 〈◊〉 his youth as also were they that were born between them 5. After the deluge God sent into the world many excellent men also before the Law As Noah Sem Arphaxad Sale Heber Peleg Reu Serug Nachor Thare Abraham Isaac and Jacob. and no doubt 〈◊〉 it appeares that Abraham instructed his family but that he also receiued instruction from his Parents 〈◊〉 his from theirs before them For Noah lived 950 years and was 600 years old at the time of the flood and no question but he was well instructed by conversing with so many fathers of the first age of the world And his son Sem lived many years with him being born 98 years before the deluge and therefore wanted no documents Now for the posterity of Abraham we finde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was grandchild to 〈◊〉 by Levi as Jacob was to Abraham and li ved many years with his father Levi and his grandfather Jacob and benig grandfather to Moses it is Probable that he with his son Amram 〈◊〉 Moses in God service as their predecessors had instructed them And thus much for the time before the Law written 6. Under the Law immediatly after it was given God gave command to the 〈◊〉 to instruct their children And that foure severall wayes 1 They were to teach them diligently The word teach there in the original signifies to whet or sharpen which by the learned is expounded to 〈◊〉 rehearsing 2. They were to conferre and talke with them about the Law in the house morning and evening and when they walked with them abroad 3. They were to binde the commandments for signes upon their hands and as frontlets before their eyes that their children might continually take notice of them 4. Lastly for the same intent and purpose they were commanded to write them upon the gates and posts of their houses 7. The practise of this after the law made we may see in David who in the Text before quoted saith Come ye children hearken unto me and I will teach you c. and more particularly towards his son Solomon as he professeth himself I was my fathers son saith he tender and onely beloved in the sight of my mother and he taught or catechized me And this he did not onely as he was Pater-familias the father of a family but as a Catechist in publike before the people And thou Solomon my son know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart Nor did Solomon discontiue this practise for he instructed his son Rehoboam at large as may be seen in his first seven chapters of his Proverbs So was young king Jehoash instructed by Jehoiada the high Priest 8. Under the captivity and after because there are no examples in writing extant in the Scriptures but that Apocryphall of Susannae of whom it is said that she was instructed by her parents in the law of Moses we must repair to the records of Josephus who affirms that there were never lesse among the Jews 〈◊〉 four hundred houses of catechizing where the law and the Talmud were expounded And it is recorded that there was an act made at Jerusalem that children should be set to catechizing at the age of 〈◊〉 yeers whereunto Saint Paul seemeth to have relation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 catechised out of the Law 9. Under the gospel there is an expresse precept or commandment to Parents not onely to enter their children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to bring them up in nurture and admonition And it was Saint Pauls practise as you may see by
all the nations of the world be blessed with diverse other of the like nature He also fulfilled the ceremonialls of the Law while he being Priest offered himself as a sacrifice Besides he spiritually circumciseth beleevers by substituting Baptisme instead of Circumcision He is our Passeover and appointed the Eucharist instead of the Paschal Lambe and indeed he is the full complement and perfection of the Law and the Prophets 2. Christ fulfilled the Law by satisfying in most absolute manner the will of God being the holy of holies without spot or sin at all for in him is the love of God most perfect and righteousnesse most absolute And this in regard of the merit and satisfaction thereof he communicates gratis freely to us most imperfect to us I say if we beleeve God was in Christ saith Saint Paul reconciling the world to him not imputing their trespasses to them for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him So Abraham beleeved and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse For by faith we rely upon Christ whom we beleeve to have made satisfaction most fully to God for us and that God is so pleased with us in Christ that he accepts us as now become the Sons of God 3. But this faith by which we beleeve in Christ is not by our nature or merits but is wrought in us by Gods grace through the Spirit given into our hearts And this abiding there enflames them with love of Gods Law and desire to expresse the same by good works which though we do not perform as we ought by reason of the infirmity of our flesh yet God allowes our endeavours in Christ. Nor did ever any of the Saints though he strove and resolved to keep the Law as far as he could trust or rely upon his own merits but upon Christ. Saint Paul did not for he complained Who shall deliver me out of this body of death and presently addeth I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that is I thank him that he hath redeemed me from death by Jesus Christ. And it follows There 's now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus c. So that a faithful man moved by Gods Spirit to do that which is good as far as he is able and as the second covenant requires and that out of love of God and not onely for fear of the Curies threatned in the Law may be said to fulfill the Law in such manner that God in Christ accepts of him So much in answer to the first question To the second why God would promise life to them that should keep the Law seeing no man can keep it in a legal and exact manner we answer 1. First besides that it may be doubted whether God doth offer or promise life now otherwise then upon the conditions of the Gospel which may be kept some do further answer that God sheweth hereby that he abides the same and the Law still the same though we be changed from what he made us 2. Secondly Hereby man seeth his own weaknesse and is driven out of himself to seek Christ. For as the Apostle saith if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all men under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve 3. Because Christ took on him our nature and dying for us hath purchased the promised inheritance to be communicated to us by faith and new obedience or sanctification 4. Lastly Though man cannot keep the Law exactly yet upon his faith in Christ and his resolution and indeavour to keep the Law and actual keeping of it by the assistance of Gods grace so as is above declared God accepteth of him in Christ and takes the will for the deed in some things and accounts him righteous and makes good the promise unto him CHAP. XVIII Of the preparation before the giving of the Law 1. To make them willing by consideration of 1. his benefits 2. Gods right as Lord 3. Their relation as Creatures 〈◊〉 4. that they are his people His benefits past and promised Three 〈◊〉 to love 1. Beauty 2. Neernesse 3. Benefits all in God 2 To make them able by sanctifying and cleansing themselves That ceremonial washing signifyed our spiritual cleansing How we came to be polluted How we must be cleansed Why they were not to come at their wives Of the danger and abuse of things lawful 3. That they might not run too far bounds were set Of curiosity about things unnecessary Now concerning the Preparation to the hearing of the Law THough in the Preface something hath been said concerning the preparation of the Catechumeni upon the words venite auscultate yet before we come to the particular explication of the Law we shall further adde some thing in this place about our preparation to the hearing of it For we can receive no benefit at Gods hands if we be not prepared for it God himself commanded the people to prepare themselves before the hearing of the Law and so of the Gospel also Prepare ye the way of the Lord saith the Baptist And to these adde that the primitive Church appointed Vesperas diei Dominici Vespers of the Lords day and so they had for other holy dayes and solemn feasts and to the solemnest Sunday Easter day they prepared fourty dayes before And forasmuch as the Sacrament is an appendix of the word and the seal of it surely we cannot be excused if we prepare our selves for the one and not for the other The Preacher gives this advise Keep thy foot look to thy self when thou goest into the house of the Lord. And again we ought to know that preparation is as necessarily required of the Hearer as of the Speaker Now this preparation consists of three things or means The first means to preparation is to make the people willing to hear the Law and that is grounded upon the speech of God to the Israelites in Exodus Ye have seen saith he what I have done unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings And a little after Go to the people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their cloathes And let them be ready against the third day And Thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about the Mount saying Take heed unto your selves c. In which words there are three things prescribed and the fourth is implyed by circumstance 1. The will in every action is to precede the people were to be made willing to hear and receive the message that was to be delivered And therefore to make them willing God in the first place gives them a catalogue of his Benefits and goodnesse So that one way to stir us and our will
to embrace Gods Law is the meditation and consideration of the benefits which either We or our Countrey Parents Friends or kinred have received at his hands for the remembrance of them will stir up a love in us and love will make us do our duties with delight 2. Another way to prepare us is by taking notice of the right and interest God hath in us as he is our Creator and so hath power to command us absolutely We are as Pots in his hands either to be made or broken as he pleaseth we are his servants or born subjects and he may command us to do what he pleases for which he needed not to reward us if e had not tied himself by promise to reward us as the Subjects of Nebuchodonozor who if they performed his will had no reward if not the fornace was heated seven times hotter We are Dei Vernae Gods bondmen and as the Poet saith Quae premiae Vernae what rewards may bond-men expect we are bought with a price Ther 's nothing that takes so deep an impression in us as the consideration of Gods benefits to us and interests in us and dominion over us 3. If we consider our selves as we are his Creatures The Dragons the snow winde storm hail are as it is in the psalm to praise him so that if it had pleased God to have made us but winde or snow yet being his Creatures we were bound to praise him how much more then for that he hath given us a living soul and secondly the vse of natural faculties in every member the value or estimate whereof may be made by the want of an eye or an arme for the supply whereof how much would we think our selves beholding to any that should restore us the use of them and therefore seeing God gave us all our Limbs how much more ought we to be thankful to him for the use of all But thirdly when we shall enter into consideration that God hath given us a reasonable soul it should procure a third degree of thankfullnesse The value of which is such that as Saint Augustine saith that every man had rather 〈◊〉 cum ratione Lamentari to Lament ever with understanding then ridere sine ratione to laugh without reason 4. But the fourth transcends all the rest If we consider the goodnesse of God in choosing and preferring us above all other people to be his Church and to pertain to him in the New Covenant and the death of his Son all other benefits will seem as miseries without this And this benefit we shall the better value If we consider the Saints of God who were wiser then the sons of men how they have Laboured to be of the number of this Church Gods elect people enduring infinite calamities and rejecting the preferment of this world and with Moses rather induring to suffer affliction then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Again we may divide Gods benefits as God divideth them himself in the verses before mentioned Into them that are past and them that are promised 1. Deliverance 2. Eagles wings 1. Them that are past Deliverance For this we need no other argument then that which God himselfe 〈◊〉 Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians In which as in a Type we have seen how God hath delivered us from the spritual Egypt the kingdom of sinne and Satan and this deliverance from the shadow of death ignorance blindnesse and Gods judgements doth incomparably passe that from 〈◊〉 and his servants And though the Hunter hath set a snare yet the Lord hath delivered us from it and all his snares as from the noysome pestilence a terrore nocturno sagitta diurna from terrour by night and the arrow that flieth by day multi undique ceciderunt nos autem stamus many have fallen round about us but we stand A thousand fall beside us and ten thousand at our right hand and yet the danger comes not neer us 2. I have not onely delivered you from the Egyptians but I have carried you on Eagles wings saith God In the Revelation saith he to the woman that is to the Church that he gave her two wings of a great Eagle which according to the interpretation of the learned are 1. His providence 2. His especial grace Dei providentia in 〈◊〉 seculo ala una gratia dei specialis ala ecclesiae altera his providence in this life and special grace which brings us to a better life are the two wings whereby God protects his Church 1. His providence is thus proved That he being infinite and eternal yet condiscendeth to care and provide for every particular thing we need He is said to make our bed And in the Gospel to number our haires He hath allotted to us poor worms being but ashes as Job speaks the most excellent guard of Angels commanding them to wait upon us Lastly he hath created this goodly Theater of the world and all creatures therein for our use and hath made us Lords thereof And this providence of his is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bonitatis a fountain that can never be drawn dry 2 For his especial grace preventing and following appears 1. In vouchsafing his onely Son for the worlds redemption and remission of sins 2. In giving us a measure of Sanctification and vertue in some degree to live well 3. In giving us the ministery of his Word and Sacraments as seals of his promises which the Prophets Apostles and Saints esteem so highly 4. In giving us pulsationes spiritus standing at the doors of our hearts and knocking inspiring into us good motions to do well So that if we would in particular weigh these good guifts of nature and grace which God hath bestowed upon us we could not but think that he who doth thus for us must needs love us and that if he love us he will command us nothing but that which shall be acceptable to him and profitable for us But to make his providence appeare full adde to these the benefits promised which are yet to come We have them in the fifth and sixth verses If ye will heare my voice ye shall be c. and as they had their promises under the Law so have we under the Gospel better promises for the life to come In respect of which all the rest are as nothing When we have the kingdome of heaven and the blisse thereof no more can be added to us These cannot be valued by the Eye nor by the ear nor by the heart The Prophet tels us The eye hath not seen nor the ear hath not heard nor can the heart under stand the joyes that are provided for them that seek God Now we know that the eye may see much for our Saviour saw all the kingdoms of the world at once and the Eare may hear many things but the heart may conceive infinite things in comparison of the senses
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
the end of our life because he runs swiftly to no purpose that gives over before he comes to the goal It is God by the Prophet that saith when a righteous man turneth from his righteousnesse c. all the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned 2. In regard of the benefit that comes by it He that continueth to the end shall be saved saith our Saviour Upon which S. Bernard Non qui inceperit sed qui perseveveravit usque ad finem hic salvus erit not he that beginneth but he that persevereth to the end this is the man that shall be saved 3. Again as it is with faith our first covenant is nisi credideritis non stabiliemini if ye will not beleeve ye shall not be established so in this if thou continue not thou shalt be cut off Upon this persevering or discontinuing standeth the getting or forfeiture of all behold the goodnesse of God to thee if thou continue otherwise thou shalt be cut off 4. In the reason and laws of man it is a point in all contracts that nihil praesupponitur esse actum donec aliquid restat agendum nothing is said to be done while any thing remains to be done As in a building a house is not said to be finished until the last stone be laid and the building covered That which is here commanded is perseverance set down in Matthew 24. 13. and in many other places metaphorically it is called watching till the Bridegroom come and so the contrary viz. falling away or defection is called sleeping in the parable of the Virgins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they all slumbered and slept and in the next Chapter it is reproved without a parable in the Disciples that they could not watch with Christ one hour they could not persevere the heavinesse of their eyes shewed the heavinesse of their souls and made them unfit in the duties then required Perseverance is distinguished from patience thus the object of patience being tristitia crucis the sorrow of the crosse and of the other taedium diurnitatis the wearinesse of continuance It is called perseverance in regard of the length of time and the tediousnesse which accompanieth it which must be overcome And therefore in regard of the necessity of it we are to take the Apostles caveat Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God But exhort one another daily while it is called to day And this hodie S. Jerome calls quotidie when we have done this day it is not blotted out but when the morrow comes there is hodie still and so every day is hodie as long as we live usque ad mortem 1. That which is forbidden is in the first rule of extent excesse To continue wilfully in an evil course There are some that can rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink and continue till night till the wine enflame them And as the Wise man saith Tarry long at the wine till they have red eyes yea and red faces too And as it is in the drunkard so in the glutton who continues til his skin is ready to break and the Adulterer as long as his loyns last the contentious man as long as his pursc lasts S. Angustine saith upon that place Judas festinavit Petrus dormis tu non dormit Judas sed festinavit dost thou sleep Peter and doth Judas make haste And S. Jerome saith Infoelix populus Dei qui tantam perseverantiam non habet in 〈◊〉 quantam improbi in malo O unhappy people of God which have not as great perseverance in good as the wicked in evil 2. The second is in defect and it is an extream more rife and usual now a dayes Inconstancy in good The Romanes were so glorious professours as that S. Paul said of them I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is published through all the world Yet when he was at Rome at his appearing before Nero he complained No man stood with me but all men forsook me And this is the custome of those that want perseverance for a while they are hot and zealous but afterwards they forsake Saint Paul and may justly be resembled to Nebuchadnezzars image whose head was gold but the feet were clay they begin in gold but end in dirt Certainly there 's none so bad in the world but hath his beginning in some good for God is the light that lightens every one that cometh into the world there 's not the worst of men but is enlightned in part sometimes he seemeth good and then falleth back and these revolters are of two sorts 1. For they do first as Demas did He at the first was reputed so in the church that Saint Paul joynes him with Saint Luke But afterwards S. Paul saith Demas hath forsaken me having followed this present world And these are of two sorts for either they fall quite away at once without any signe of returning or else in the second place they are such as may be compared to Pharoah from the 7. of Exodus to the 11. of whom we read that he had many beginnings and many interruptions come a shower of rain or hail or any new plague he crieth the Lord is righteous and I and my people are sinners and then pray for me that this plague may be taken from the land and I will let you go So there are some that have many beginnings every day a beginning and never go forward It is fitly called Religio lateritia a religion of bricks or that cometh by fits and continues not Such are like that beast in the Revelation that had 7. heads many beginnings but never go on to bring any thing to perfection 2. The second sort are such as set themselves out of malice to oppose the truth which they formerly professed with a resolution never to returne again which is high Apostacy 1. Forasmuch as patience is joyned with perseverance one of the best means to attain this duty is to cast before hand to foresee what troubles may and will befall us that we may be armed against them and how long the time may be It may be the Lord may come in the first watch it may be not till the second nay not till the third though sooner or later yet we must not be found a sleep whensoever he comes God commanded joshua and reiterates it often to provide and strengthen himself against all crosses which should happen to him before he came to the land of promise Esto fortis be strong faint not And it is the Apostles counsel be strong in the Lord. So that this fore-arming our selves against the assaults of our enemies is a very good means to make us hold out in times dangerous or difficult 2. If we consider with our selves
in this point of the inward worship of God we agree in many things with Turks and Pagans but the outward service of God is it which makes the difference between us and will ever distinguish the true Church from the faise Christs Church from Satans Synagogue And thus we see the Reason why God did so enlarge these two Commandments because they were in most danger to be neglected We will now come to the opening of the Commandment It is said before that the Commandments make use of Synechdoche that is under one fault include many that are homogenea of the same kinde So that in each Commandment the principal or general sin is named and the rest implied for if every particular sin should be mentioned which were within the compasse of the prohibition the Commandment would be infinite Now that which is forbidden principally in this is not meerly the making of Images for Images or pictures are not absolutely prohibited either here or in any other place of Scripture for painting and graving are warrantable and profitable Arts and the gifts of God We see Bezaleel commended by God himself for his wisdom and understanding in them and the reason is because these Arts conduce to the preservation of the memory of things past as also for the delight of the minde Non Simulacrum non Imago damnatur sed non facies tibi saith S. Jerome An image or the likenesse of a thing is not condemned but the Emphasis or Energie of the Commandment is in Non facies tibi bi thou shalt not make to thy self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Invented and will-worship devised by man not agreeable to the general rules prescribed by God but contrary to what is by God prescribed Like to that of Saul when he was commanded to destroy the Amalekites and spared the king c. his excuse was The people took of the spoil to sacrifice to the Lord. They would have a worship of their own with a direct breach of Gods command Whereas God had formerly told them Whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it and in that particular had commanded them to spare nothing of Amalek but to destroy all Notwithstanding the judgement of this learned Author whith whom many expositors agree it is the opinion of divers learned men both Protestants and others that the very making or having of any graven image of any living creature was forbidden the Jews in this Commandment and that therefore this precept as well as the fourth is partly positive obliging onely the Jews and not wholly moral or perpetual The prohibition is general not onely for worshipping but for making any Deut. 4. 16. for the general opinion of the Heathen was that some divine power was included in their images after they were consecrated by some magical superstitious rites as appears in Tertul. de idolatria Minutius Faelix Cyprian de Idolorum vanitate and others as also by the Jewish writers Aben-Esra Maimonides Kimchi c. and hence are those strange relations of what was done by those images mentioned in Heathen writers as that divers of them did speak as Memnons statue in Egypt the Images of Juno Moreta Fortuna Silvanus c. mentioned by Valerius Maximus and others by Trismeg in Dialogo and to this that place of Zach 10. 2. may infer God therefore that his people might not come neer the corrupt customes of the Heathen and to prevent the danger of Idolatry the more as also that they might the better conceive the invisible and spiritual nature of God forbade not onely the worshipping but even the making of such images of living creatures as also of the starres because they also have their motion as most dangerous to induce men to Idolatry in those times and so the custome which is the best expositor of laws among the Jews was against all use of such representations as appears in Josephus in Decal explic Hist. Antiq. lib. 17. Maimonides Tacitus Leo Modena and others yet though this were prohibited the people God might make exceptions in this as he did in other precepts which were positive as in erecting the brazen serpent and in placing the cherubims upon the ark and in the Holy of Holies before which it was lawful to worship God without Gods special appointment had not been warrantable and that Solomon had the like warrant for the lions and oxen that upheld the brazen Laver is probable or else that this was a step to those sins which he fell into afterward as Josephus and other Jewish writers think As for pictures or such representations by painting they being not so apt to nourish the opinion of an inherent diety in them as in statues or imagines extantes were the making or using them if no divine honour were given them was not absolutely prohibited and therefore we finde them used among the Jews as appears by their banners and ensignes wherein were the representations of diverse creatures yet in other places though not here they seem to be forbidden if they were used by Idolaters about their false worship Levit. 26. 1. Numb 33. 25. See Scal. in posthumis ex Cosmogr Arab. Grot. in explic Decal p. 33 34 c. And as God forbade the Jews the making of Images and commanded them to break them in pieces if any were made Exod. 34. 13. Numb 33. 52. Deuter. 7. 5. so if they came into any strange countrey where they had no power to demolish them he forbids not onely their religious worship which is intrinsecally evill but even all reverentiall gesture of the body before an image by bowing kneeling c. though it were with no intent to honour the image for to bow to them and worship them is all one with to bow or worship before them as the Jewish Doctors expound and may appear by collation of Matth. 4. 9. with Luke 4. 7. in the Greek and Jer. 22. 9. with 2. Chronicles 25. 14. and Leviticus 26. 1. in the Hebrew not that it is simply evil to bow or kneel before them when it is with no relation to them but because God would prevent all occasions and shews of complying with the Heathen and therefore forbade his people many things not evil in themselves because they were practised by the Heathen So much then of this precept as forbids things morally evil or forbidden by any law of Christ obliges us as well as the Jews but what was purely positive and not continued by Christ obliged them onely This invented or will-worship Cultus arbitrarius hath two specious things in it as the Apostle saith 1. The first is a kinde of wisdom and carrieth with it a trim shew thereof when a man shall be thought so wise as that he is able to devise and invent a worship for God especially when men consider not what God hath already prescribed whereby their rites prove contrary
as tending to an encouragement to the breach of this commandment But to answer it more fully we say that Punishment may be inflicted three several wayes 1. By way of satisfaction 2. Of medicine 3. Of Correction And we may safely hold that by these one may be justly punished though no offence be committed by him 1. By way of satisfaction as in point of suretyship When one man is a principal Debtor and a friend taketh the debt upon him is it injustice in this case to punish the surety with the payment of the debt God forbid we should think so For then that which Christ hath satisfied for us might be accounted unlawful and consequently of no effect So that voluntarily one may fatisfie for another and yet no violence offered to justice 2. By way of medicine or cure If the eye be ill affected or the head ake the arm may well bleed to cure them otherwise the whole body may be in danger and in this case it is not onely just but necessary so then if the punishment of another man be propter medicinam for cure and the evil inflicted be lesse then the evil prevented as to wound the finger to save the eye and the like this is not unjust and so when the temporal punishment of the son is to cure and redeem the father from eternal then punishment may be inflicted by God without any impeachment to his justice 3. By way of correction In which there is respect to be had in repairing equality broken A man should require no more then suits with the will of God but we see daily he doth and therefore breaketh equality and is to make amends for it and therefore nimis must be punished with nimis which must be either in the father or the childe and if equality be not broken in them there is no injustice The Fathers say frustra requirit debitum qui non rependit indebitum to require a debt and not to pay that which is due is no justice as God saith Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not he thy father that bought thee and Qui contristat patrem suum juste contristatur a filio he that brings sorrow upon his father shall have the like brought on him by his son and that justly too Again in regard the covenant of blessing was made with Abraham and his seed God will be the God of our seed therefore when the father breaketh the Covenant he may justly be punished in his seed They knew it well that said His blood be upon us and our children 2. Thus we see it is not unjust in respect of the father now that it is not unjust in respect of the son appears 1. Children may be temporally punished because filius est res patris part of the fathers possessions and substance Again in regard that the son may be guilty by nature The Church in the Cant. finds a nest of young soxes that as yet have destroyed no vineyards nor worried any lambs but if they grow up they will do both The question is whether the church may say Take us those little foxes And so because there is a poysonous nature in the Scorpions or Cockatrices egge we may tread them under feet and it stands with justice The summe of all is God never punishes one for the sin of another but he may ex jure Dominii as absolute Lord inflict any temporal evil on the son for the fathers sin without any injustice for it is onely an affliction to the son which God can turn to his good but a punishment it is to the Father who is punisht in his son To these we may adde two considerations more 1. The first is jus meriti for commonly education follows propagation Men usually bring up their children like themselves Children have traditions from their fathers As our fathers worshipped so will we and having kept our Religion so many years let us keep it still Sin propagates like to Gehezies leprosy if it take hold of the father it cleaves to his posterity commonly And therefore this punishment may come upon them ex jure meriti and that justly because they follow their fathers sin And herein God when he punishes the son exequitur chirographo suo non paterno it is for his own debt not for his fathers 2. The second is jus beneficii and this is the court of mercy God may shew mercies to whom he will the son cannot claim any thing at Gods hands for the fathers sake Gods covenant is free we can challenge nothing as due but all from grace S. Augustine said well that godly fathers have wicked children ne virtus videretur haereditaria lest vertue should be thought to be hereditary Again wicked men have good children and why ne malitia serpat in infinitum lest there should be no end of wickednesse But first this is certain there is no punishment for the grapes that are in the fathers mouthes they remain in his own mouth onely 2. And secondly this punishment is in respect of his justice onely yet miseretur 〈◊〉 vult misereri he will shew mercy on whom he will shew mercy His mercy may exempt whom in justice he might punish and besides his justice takes hold onely on those that follow their fathers sins and so the threatning is conditional Gregory saith 〈◊〉 imitatur gravatur he that follows his fathers example shall feel the burden of it God saith by the Prophet At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation to destroy it if that nation shall turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them And when a son shall turn from his fathers evil wayes he shall 〈◊〉 and not die His threatnings are of justice his exemptions of mercy Jonas saith from God that Nineveh shall be destroyed but by a new decree the former sentence was reversed These come from several courts 1. The use of all this is to breed a mutual care betwixt the father and the son for we see Eli the father punished for the children and in another place the childe punished for the father David 2. Secondly to acknowledge that we are sons of sinful Parents and to say with him in Deuter. A Syrian ready to perish was my father c. and with David peccavimus cum patribus we have sinned with our fathers and with Daniel to deprecate the punishment due to us for our fathers transgressions 3. And lastly with Abraham to be careful to command our children to keep the way of the Lord there must be a mutual care of building up one another And so we go from mount Ebal the commination to mount Gerizim the promise and reward CHAP. X. The third part of the sanction a promise of mercy Gods rewards proceed from mercy which is the fountain of all our happinesse His mercy is promised
his soul was filed with marrow whilest he praised God we shal get by it honorificantes honorificabo therefore necessary it is in respect of the reward 10. It being a more excellent thing to give then to receive dare quam accipere and to make then to be made facere quam fieri as in all other things we are made and we receive in this we are giving we give God glory and become makers we make him glorious and great by glorifying and magnifying of him 11. Though Christ command the contrary and will not have his name glorified as he seemed to the Leper the blinde man and others in the Gospel yet the necessity of this duty lies so hard upon us that as they so we must publish his fame for in this case no precept or prohibition will lie against this commandment 12. The wise man saith A man shal be satisfied with good things by the fruit of his mouth And our Saviour saith not that it is the work of the hands but the words of the mouth that a man shal be justified or condemned by The wel ordering of the tongue will either produce fruit to life and salvation or gall and wormwood to confusion It followeth then that a necessity lies upon us to vse the tongue well and in what better can it be vsed then in hallowing Gods name We see then what is here commanded the same which we desire in the first petition of the Lords prayer viz that Gods name may be hallowed 1. Inwardly by our intention making it the end and scope of all our actions 2. Outwardly by making it the matter of our speech and that herein our tongues must be the instruments of his praise and as the psalmist speaks like the pen of a ready writer and our mouth the trumpet to sound out his praises and not onely so but also 3. by our outward actions which must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that light which must shine before men to stir them up to glorifie God So that we see necessitas incumbit there is a necessity that our mouth and lips shew forth his praise that they be the pen of a ready writer to that end to utter the praises of the great king and our actions must shine that others may glorifie him too And lesse we cannot do then the heavens and firmament that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gloriae CHAP. II What is meant by Gods name The use of names 1. To distinguish 2. To dignifie Gods name in respect of his Essence Attributes and works and how they are to be reverenced What it is to take his name as glorious as necessary Glorifying his name inwardly outwardly by confessing desending it remembring it honourable mention of it threefold it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerable Applyed to our own actions by prayer and to others by blessing c. Of glorifying it it in our lives what it is to take gods name in vair in respect of 1. the end 2. agent 3. The work IN the Prohibition it self there are 3. things considerable 1. What is meant by the name of the Lord thy God 2. What is meant by Taking it 3. And lastly what by taking it in vain The Name of God The name being a word proper to the tongue the dutie of the tongue is commanded in it now a name according to the general definition is per quod cognoscimus cognoscimur that by which we know and are known invented to distinguish men and other things by There is a two fold use ofnames 1. Meerly for distinction that one may be known from another which is the most proper and first use 2. Names are used sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for dignities sake that men may not onely be distinguisht from others but reverenced above others now God makes use of names in both respects 1. For distinction so the name of God is diversly set down in Scripture to distinguish him from all other things as Jehovah the principal name of his existence El of his strength Lord of hosts Schuddai of his all-sufficiency in his covenant with Abraham and the like as Jerome hath it in an Epistle to Marcella But most fully in Exodies Now his names are of threesorts 1. In respect of his Essence as Jehovah 2. Of his Attributes which are of two sorts Affirmative as merciful gracious c. and Negative as infinite invisible c. by which Dionysius Areopag proceeds in his Theologia mystica as the best way to know God per viam negationis 3. in respect of his works Creatour Redeemer Sanctifier c. and to those three may be referred whatsoever we read of his name The very litteral names of God are to be reverently used and of every one of them it may be said as the Angel said to Manoah enquiring after his name Search not after my name for it is fearful yea much more fearful is the name of the Lord and not to be known as appears in Deuter. If thou wilt not do all the words written in this book that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name The Lord thy God the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful c. But that distinction of the Pharisees must be avoided That unlesse one did swear by the name Jehovah and take the very word in his mouth he was not guilty of the breach of this Commandment although he sware by Heaven or earth or Jerusalem for such oaths they made no account of when as our Saviour shews that to swear by them is to swear by God because his name and glory is seen in them 2. For as we said in the second place names are used to dignifie some above others and to shew thereby that some duty or honour is due to them which is not due to others so Gods name is seen in his attributes and in his works in Heaven and Earth as well as in those proper names of Jehovah Elohim c. This we use to call in English a good name which in private persons is called credit but in those of higher place is called glory majesty highnesse c. which is the Dialect of Prince whose aim is as the Prophet saith that they may have a name and praise and glory The phrase in the Hebrew is to call one of great credit a man of name that is a man of cred it and renown or a famous person Now if Gods proper and litteral name ought to be reverenced much more ought his other name his good name and fame ought to be dear to us for the good name of any ought to be honoured according to the glory and greatnesse of the person as the Author to the Hebrews reasoneth that Christ was so much above the Angels in glory by how much he hath attained a more excellent name then they
terrible punishment to such The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the people that forget God Take heed saith Moses that you forget not the Lord. Deut. 4. 9. A man would think it were impossible that any should forget him but Saint Jerome tells us how a man may forget him if we behave our selves so in our speech that nothing comes from us that savoureth of God then we may be truly said to forget him A man is said to forget Gods name when he breaketh the first Commandment as it is in Jeremy Their fathers have forgoten my name for Baal and so for the rest And therefore they that truly take up this banner meditate day and night how they may do that which shall be to their masters glory They speak as king David did of his glorious honour and majesty Solomon saith that a just mans mouth doth 〈◊〉 sapientiam speak of wisdom he speaks something which may redound to the glory of Gods name and therefore he calls the tongue of the wise man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsam salutem a vein of life and health it self out of which comes glory to God and health to himself but we may now say Rarum est nomen 〈◊〉 the reverend mention of Gods name is 〈◊〉 in some mens mouths they seldome speak of him unlesse it be to dishonour him by prophane swearing and cursing Or else they do like Solomons fools ebullire 〈◊〉 belch out folly or babble and some out vanity The p actise of king David was to shew forth Gods righteousnes and make mention of it and of it onely And in the Prophet Esays song ye shall finde We will make mention onely of thy Name God would execute his Judgements upon Pharoah that he might get him a name or that his name might be declared or spoken of through all the world This mention this honorifica mentio is of three sorts 1. In speaking often of it of which hath been formerly spoken 2. In speaking well of his Name 3. In speaking reverently of it 1. We must speak often of it his name must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often and much to be talked of this is the end of all his great wonders to have his name famous and spoken of in the world as is already shewed 2. His name must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessed or well spoken of The speaking well or blessing of Gods name we have a pattern from the 〈◊〉 and Saints of God It was their Epiphonema or close after mercies and judgements They shall say alway saith the Psalmist The Lord be praised as himself saith elsewhere Blessed be his glorious name for ever 〈◊〉 for the deliverance of Moses and the Israelites from 〈◊〉 Blessed be the Lord who hath delivered you c. And of King David Blessed be the Lord that hath not given us over for a prey So for Gods favour as the women to Naomi Blessed be the Lord which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman So was Davids thankfulnesse Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications and blessed be the Lord from everlasting And Nehemiah and the people Blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise As also for his preservation from sinning as David being prevented by Abigail from shedding Nabals blood Blessed be the Lord God of Israel And lastly for Gods chastisements and crosses as Job The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. This speaking well of God and converting his blessings and judgements into an honourable mention of his name is commanded Contrary to this it is when a man receiving some mercy thinks it not great enough and therefore grudges and is unthankful or being under some affliction or judgement thinks it too great and so murmurs and complains and converts all to the dispraise of God 3. His name must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reverend and venerable We must speak reverently of Gods name not make it common as if we did account of it no better then a stone in the street and of his service as that of a common person Ye shall not prophane my holy name saith God that is not use it commonly for to the sanctifying of his name is opposite the prophaning of it or making it common Thus when men speak of Gods nature of his decrees and judgements and of the great mysteries of Religion without fear and rerevence as if they were discoursing of ordinary matters they do not reverence his name much lesse when it is abused and prophaned as Witches do in sorcery and evil arts or as blasphemers that use it irreverently or by way of execration when men ascribe to God what is contrary to his nature as to make him unjust cruel the author of sin c. Besides these there is another way of applying Gods name to our actions and that both to our own and other mens 1. To our own for this we have a precept Whatsoever ye do saith the Apostle in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord and how is that by calling upon his name for a blessing when we say with the Psalmist our help standeth in the name of the Lord. 2. To others thus God commanded the Levites to put his name upon the people and blesse them How that is the Psalmist sheweth by wishing them good luck in the name of the Lord. The contrary to this is to curse when with the same tongue as S. James saith we blesse God the Father and curse men This is a terrible abuse to use the name of God as a curse to our selves or others which is given for a blessing onely as when men wish that God would confound them and so as S. Augustine saith faciunt Deum carnificem suum they make God their own executioner whereas God hath given his name for a strong tower of defence Thus much for sanctifying his name in our words now for our actions We must make his name glorious in our actions which is 1. when our actions are such that men seeing our good works may glorify our father which is in heaven Therefore the Apostles precept is Let every one that calleth upon the name of the Lord depart from iniquity Gods name is polluted and prophaned by the wickednesse of them that professe it The wickednesse of the childe pollutes the father The Law saith If the daughter of a Priest commit fornication she polluteth her father Now God is our Father when we take his name upon us and if we do not glorifie him in our actions nor depart from iniquity we do what we can to make him polluted Therefore God threatens those that take his law into their mouths and yet hate to be reformed that he will set their sins in order
Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all things men set most by their faith much more then is Gods faith and fidelity to be 〈◊〉 wherein we take sanctuary when all other people fail 2. An oath proceeds from faith it argues a great faith in God which is the ground of all honour given to any for in the former part of an oath which is contestation a calling God to witnes we professe with our tongues that God is every where present that we beleeve he is omniscient that he seeth even the secrets of the heart and will lighten all things that are done in secret and in regard of the second part calling God to avenge we professe that we beleeve that he is a just avenger that he will not suffer sinne to go unpunished that he may say mihi vindicta ego retribuam vengeance is mine and I will repay Thus we beleeve that he hath power to punish and to execute vengeance which is a part of his glory and thus we see that an oath brings glory to God in which regard God is content to lend us his name to swear by thereby to make an end of all our controversies Thus we see the nature of an oath with the meaning the parts and end thereof Now according to former method we are to see what is commanded and what is forbidden which is the first rule of of extention formerly mentioned and withall the Homogenea of the same according to the second rule The Affirmative part is that we take up his name to end our quarrels and controversies his name must be a sanctuary to flie to by which we must be acquitted or condemned that whereby we do enclose and hedge in our selves and satisfie the adverse party 1. Herein the first thing commanded is 〈◊〉 to swear this is flatly commanded It is set close to that which was the affirmative part of the second Commandment Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and searve him and swear by his name But more effectully and vehemently it is required in Esay I live and have sworne by my self that every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall swear by me therefore God hath not onely taken order that an oath should passe between parties at variance and that upon the oath of the party accused he shal be acquit as Exod. 22 11. which some call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary oath but also if the party be not willing there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oath of imposition an 〈◊〉 shall be laid upon him he shall be made 〈◊〉 to swear punctually and precisely to what is required of him 2 Chron. 6. 22. And if a man hear an oath between parties whereby truth might appear to Gods glory and do not utter it but conceal it it shall be accounted to him for a sin so that we see here Gods will and what he commands that in respect of these great ends of his own glory and mans necessity an oath is a thing subprecepto expressly Commanded in these cases For example the Psalmist saith 〈◊〉 omnes et laetabuntur every one that sweareth by him shall be praised and shall rejoyce And therefore all the Saints of God have part of this commendation in vsing it Besides men we have the example of God and his holy Angels God himself swears I have sworn by my self that because thou hast done this I will surely blesse thee And after God the heavenly spirits for the Angel lifted up his hand and swore by him that liveth for evermore In these two cases already mentioned of Gods glory and mans necessity we have diverse examples 1. First for Gods glory There was a famous oath taken by K. Asa and the people they sware with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets to seek the God of their fathers The like we read of Nehemiah and the people to keep the Law of God Si quis ea saith Origen quae vidit in proximi sui delicto vel non jndicat vel in testimonium vocatus non quae vera sunt dixerit peccaium quod commisit ille qui celat ipse suscipiet poena remissi revertitur ad conscium if any man doth not either reveal of himself or being called as a witnesse shall not speak the truth of that he knoweth concerning his neighbours offence he which concealeth it takes it upon himself and the punishment for the offence committed turns upon him that knows it As for Gods glory so for mans benefit and necessity as 1. For the publick good As first in the case of a league and confederacies as that between Abraham and Abimelech 2. In a publick conspiracy The men of Israel sware saying None of us shall give his daughter to the Benjamites to wife 3. For receiving or 〈◊〉 nation to nation as in that of 〈◊〉 the Princes and people of Israel with the Gibeonites the breach of which though it were surreptiously gotten yet was severely punished because it was confirmed by an oath 2. Or for reciprocal duties between Prince and people Of the Prince to the people that of 〈◊〉 in the behalf of the young King 〈◊〉 to the people And in the same Chapter of the people for their obedience to 〈◊〉 Of the Subject to the King that of David to King Saul And of the people for preservation of King Davids life And of the people in confirmation of Solomons succession to the Crown 3. Or lastly for the safety and benefit of our neighbour as in case of preservation of life and goods as was that of the Spies with Rahab the Harlot And for just and true dealing in mater of trust as was that of Abrahams servant to his Master And in deciding controversies between man and man for Meum Tuum The very word 〈◊〉 for an oath being derived from Law or right for indeed in case of controversie where each party for his own advantage to maintain that he hath gotten will conceal the truth from the Judge then by the mouths of two or three witnesses shall the matter be established and confirmed more sure it cannot be then by the oaths of such witnesses But though in these cases an oath be allowed by most yet diverse make doubt whether a man may be lawfully enforced to answer upon oath in matters that concern himself which we commonly call the oath ex officio which we called before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an 〈◊〉 of imposition such as that 2. Chronicles 6. 22. The lawfulnesse and necessity of it we shall see the better if we consider the reason whereupon it is grounded namely the removing of evil which ought to be the scope and end of all Courts of justice Interest Rei-publicae saith the Heathen man ut 〈◊〉 tollantur the Common-wealth should take care to cut off Malefactors It being
the Angel saith Saint John sware by him that liveth for ever and ever And God himself in his promise of blessing to Abraham by my self I have sworn saith the Lord. And in Esay I have sworne by my self And in his denuntiation of vengeance upon Eli and his house I have sworn unto the house of Eli c. And in his promise to David I have sworn to David my servant And I have sworn once by my holines that I will not fail David with diverse other And all these make against the vain conceit of the Anabaptists and if there be any other of that fond opinion that hold it unlawfull to sweare at all upon that speech of our Saviour sweare not at all When as his meaning in that place was not to abrogate the Law for he testified that he came not to take it a way but to fullfil it but to give them the true interpretation and meaning of it and to reduce them to the true and sound sence of it If his meaning had been to forbid swearing upon any occasion he would have said Non assumes nomen ei 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord at al but as he forbids all rash vain and unnecessary and voluntary oathes so he confutes the doctrine of the Scribes and Pharifees who thought that if one sware by any thing but the name of God as by heaven and earth c. That such oathes did not binde nor were to be regarded when our Saviour teaches that to swear by any of the creatures of God is to swear by God himself The first thing then commanded is to swear and the contrary practise of Anabaptists is here forbidden 2. The second thing commanded in the affirmative part may be gathered from the next word nomen 〈◊〉 Dei tui the name of the Lord thy God which implies that we ought to swear by the name of God and by no other name I have sworn saith God that every tongue shall swear by me It is his prerogative royal one of his priviledges and it is therefore often called Jusjurandum Jehovae An oath of the Lord shall be between them And the oath of the Lord thy God and the preacher I advise the to keep the kings commandment and that in regard of the oath of God Therefore 〈◊〉 vouchsafe this honour to others or to transfer this prerogative to others is prohibited and this is done two wayes 1. When men leave out the name of God in their oathes and swear by other things for a wofull vengeance is threatened to such by the Prophet They that swear by the sinne of 〈◊〉 and forget God c. even they shall fall and never rise up again 2. When we joyne any other thing or name with it For God threatens to cut off them that shall swear by the Lord and by Malcham And Joseph is discommended by many for swearing by the life of Pharoah this joyning others with God whether it be a false god or any creature both are forbidden 1. We must not swear by them that are no gods Idols it was Josuahs charge to the people upon his death-bed that when they should come among other nations they should not so much as mention the names of their gods nor cause any to swear by them king David observed this rule He would not mention their names within his lips It was Gods expresse command ye shall make no mention of their gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth And for the breach of this God thought himself so disparaged by Judah that he knew not how to let them go unpunished How saith he should I spare thee for this Thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods The Psalmist saith that they which run after other gods shall have great trouble and that he would not offer their drink-offerings and sacrifices nor make mention of their names within his lips and God threatens that he would take the name of Baalim out of their mouth that they should forget him 2. And for the second to swear by any creature though such oaths being made do binde because of the relation to God yet they ought not to be for if any swear by that which is not God it is an abomination The reason why we should not joyn any other thing in an oath with Gods name is in respect of a threefold injury that will arise by it 1. To God himself who requireth this honour to be exhibited to him alone and being his prerogative is not to be communicated to others He hath magnified his name above all things 2. To our selves for he that sweareth sweareth by him that is greater then himself Now he that sweareth by the Creature preferreth it before himself 3. To the Creature that is content with that place that honour which God hath placed it in and if it could would be avenged of us for giving to it the honour due to its Creator 3. The third thing comanded may be gathered from the next words In vain viz. that we ought to swear in a right manner otherwise we take Gods name in vain though we swear onely by the name of God And this dutie of swearing aright with due qualifications in an oath is gathered by S. Jerome out of Jeremy 4. 2. and after him by other expositors where the Prophet saith of a people that should swear aright They should swear in veritate judicio justitia in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse Animadvertendum saith he quod jusjurandum hos habet comites veritatem judicium atque justitiam si ista defuerint nequaquam erit juramentum sed perjurium we are to observe that an oath hath these Concomitants Truth Judgement and Righteousnesse if these be wanting we cannot any way call it an oath but perjury 1. Against transgressing the first you may see Gods absolute Prohibition Ye shall not swear by my name falsly and S. Augustine saith that he that sweareth falsly seemeth to be a man but indeed is no better then a beast yea detestanda 〈◊〉 a beast to be detested Diodor. Siculus the Heathen Historian saith Perjuri poena capitis plectuntur doth he swear falsly let him loose his head And the Wise man saith If a man swear in vain falsly he shall not be innocent but his house shall be full of plagues And God himself commanding that he that sweareth should swear by the God of truth seemeth to intimate that we are not to swear but in truth 1. A man may swear falsly either in juramento assertorio or promissorio 1. In assertion when either in re cognita upon our certain knowledge we testifie a falshood or in re dubia when we doubt the matter will fall out otherwise then we swear yet we will affirm it upon oath for we
other Imperat suadet it both commands and intreats 4. And whereas the reasons of the former Commandments are terrible fearful and threatning in this they are easy and reasonable the main reason of this being that no more is required to be done by us then was done by God himself we ought to do it because God hath done it 5. Whereas none of the rest have above one reason to perswade and move us to the duty this hath besides one principal tria statumina three other props or reasons so that it exceeds them all in the multitude of reasons to perswade us to the observance of it 6. Lastly to move and stir up our regard to this Commandment in a more especial manner and that it might not be thought a light matter either to break or keep it as we are apt to think God hath in the very 〈◊〉 of it set notas non leves no slight notes Recordare remember and observa keep it We must have a special care of the keeping of it and to that end we must remember it The Commandment hath two parts 1. A Precept 2. The Aetimologie that is the Reasons or the perswasions to keep it The Precept contains in it an affirmative part and a negative The affirmative in the eighth verse Remember the sabbath day to keep it 〈◊〉 The Negative in the ninth and tenth verses in it thou shalt do no manner c. For the first that we may understand it the better we must know what is meant by sabbath and what by sanctifying 1. Sabbath in the original signifieth rest and such a rest which some labour hath gone before a rest after labour 〈◊〉 a ceasing or intermission from labour Such a rest is described in the law When the land had been laboured and tilled six years before God gave the people charge that it should lie fallow and rest the seaventh year and this was a politick law So after the labour of six dayes God requireth here a cessation from work the seventh day let that be a day set apart rest on that day 2. The word Sanctifie is twice used in this commandment in the beginning and in the end and is applied to two 1. To God in the end verse 11. The Lord blessed and sanctified it 2. To man vers 8. remember the sabbath to sanctifie it Now it is a rule in divinity that when any word is given to God and man both it is to be applied in a different respect and so here this word ascribed to God is to be understood sub modo destinandi by way of appointing it so to be and to man sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of applying it to that it was appointed So when God appointeth any thing to an holy vse he is said to sanctifie it and when man applieth it to the use to which God hath so appointed it he is said also to sanctifie it As it is sure that by nature all men are alike before God and differ not by nature so may it be said of bread water wine dayes c. by nature all are alike and one is not more holy then another Yet in the law saith God concerning the Israelites I have separated you from other people that you should be mine When God setteth man a part that he should be his either as a minister in the Church or as a Magistrate in the commonwealth then this his separation or putting a part is the beginning of his sanctifying So water which is separated from common uses and destinated to 〈◊〉 and the Creatures of Bread and wine in the administration of the Lords supper there is naturally no more in them then in the other of the like kinde till they be so separated and set apart from the other and appropriated to God and holy vses So may we likewise say of dayes naturally there is no more holines in one then in another onely Gods ordinance by separating one day from another for himself makes it to be more holy then the rest Now it is the nature of such things whether it be man or beast so separated from common vse and thereby sanctified to the Lord that they must continue so and be neither bought nor sold nor other wayes alienated Therefore we finde that under the Law the Tabernacle and whatsoever was vsed in it about the service of God must be put to no other use the fire-pans flesh-hooks 〈◊〉 made for the sacrifice yea the basest instruments to stir the fire and the meat in the caldron whereof a libamen or offering was to be should not be put into any other nor the pots on no other fire nor the snuffers to any other lamp but to these in the Tabernacle So this is the nature of a thing sanctified and it therein differeth from other things that what is sanctified or separate for God must not be converted or applied to any other use and so for dayes such as are sanctified or set apart for God must be applied to no other use unlesse God himself or his church by authority from him and that upon grounds warranted by God dispence therein in some special cases Other things may bedone in part upon other dayes but not upon this The Psalmist as before saith he will meditate every day and night and every day he wil praise God and give thanks to him and in the evening morning and at noon day thrice a day he will pray Nay seven times a day he will praise God yet all these are but on part of the day for in the six dayes other things may be joyntly done with those holy exercises and may lawfully take up a part of the day but this day being a most holy day as separated to Gods use and service must be sanctified not in part or joyntly with other imployments but must solely be kept to his service and use Now a question may arise whether God sanctified this day to himself or to us Certainly the Apostle tells us that omnia munda mundis all things are cleane to the clean and God is most pure and holy and therefore needs nothing to be sanctified to him therefore this sanctifying must needs be for us And the same Apostle 〈◊〉 this is the will of God even your not his sanctification for without holines none shall see God and therefore to the end that we might be holy did he sanctifie this day his word and other things c. And so by the second part of sanctification by annexing a blessing to this day he blessed it and made it holy as in the Sacrament of the Eucharist he blessed the bread and his dicere is facere he gave it power to increase holines in us And as to the bread there so to this day here he hath annexed a special blessing whereby it is sanctified to us and that in a twofold respect 1. Relative as applied to the means of holines
have had no just cause of complaint if he had given us day for day we could not onely have no iust cause of murmuring but also ought to have opened our mouthes to praise him for it But seeing he hath dealt so liberally with us in granting us six dayes for our own 〈◊〉 and to do our work and reserving but one to himself we must acknowledge it to be a liberal proportion and so it is 〈◊〉 judice and therefore if we be not clean void of good nature it cannot but content us and keep us from 〈◊〉 We see in Adams case that when God had finished the Creation and put him in Paradise notwithstanding Gods bounty to him in granting him all the trees in the garden one onely excepted yet the devil was presently upon him and upbraided God with his niggardlines in that he had not given him freedom to eat of all the trees in the garden and no doubt but the same devil useth the same pollicy with us still in this 〈◊〉 May you not doe what you will with all the dayes of the week Now the consideration of Gods bounty to us should answer all such suggestions for we cannot say but that we are well dealt withall he having granted us two times and a time to his one time six dayes to one and therefore how careful should we be to give him that one This should draw from us an answer like to that of Joseph to his Mistris My Master hath kept nothing from me but thee how then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God All the dayes of the week hath God granted me onely one hath he reserved to himself how can I then be so unkinde and unthankfull as 〈◊〉 deny him that Let not David in this be our patterne who having many sheep of his own would notwithstanding pluck the one and onely sheep out of the poor mans bosom for if we having many dayes of our own take from God his one day and pluck that one sheep out of Gods bosom and make it common for our selves by doing in it our opus servile servile work we are worthy to 〈◊〉 1000. deathes and God being so liberal and dealing with us in so unequal proportion to himself as 6. to us for one to him taking of us but one for six if we do not his work on that day we are to be taxed of extream injustice and ingratitude This is the meaning of those words and do all thy worke that whereas God might have imployed us in his worke and musing on his will all the dayes of our life but he is content to forbeare and spare us the rest of the week that in that time all our own affaires might be dispatched and none left undone or to be done on this day God might say to us as Nathan said to David All this have I given thee and more I would have given thee if that had not been enough but certain it is that he saw in his wisdom that these six dayes were sufficient and therefore willeth us to remember and still be so carefull to order our affaires on these dayes that against his seventh day comes we may be at leasure to sanctifie it 2. The second reason implyed is in these words But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God which contain the second opposition and intimate to us that the seventh day is Gods own proper day with which we have nothing to do to imploy it as we please and that it is plain theft and sacriledge to rob God of this part of time which he hath reserved to himself For if God had thought fit to have given us the seventh day too then might we have wrought on that day also but seeing he hath reserved it to himself we cannot without plain theft or robbery breake in upon this day to which we have no right by doing our own worke upon it Render therefore unto God that which is Gods for it cannot be withheld from him without sacriledge It is as if a man should say you may wear those clothes which are your own and bought with your mony but this garment which is bought with mine you cannot without violence take from me so likewise because of Gods bounty to us we cannot without ingratitude and manifest injury to him take this day from him because it is his he will have it wholly to himself In it thou shalt do no manner of worke Those who are comprehended within the Prohibition stand in five ranks 1. Thou secondly Thy son and thy daughter thirdly Thy man 〈◊〉 and maid-servant 4. Thy cattel 5. The stranger that is within thy gates 1. First for the Paterfamilias the master of the family It is reputed to be an especial preferment to be set over the family by the Lord of the family And as it is honos an honour so it is onus too a charge for Cui plus datur ab eo plus petetur to whom much is given of him shall be much required and therefore the first charge is laid here upon him that is the chief For as long as man is in the condition of a son or a servant so long he may say Ego serviam I will serve but if once he come to have the charge of a family then he must say with Joshua Ego domus 〈◊〉 I and my house will serve the Lord. In reference whereto when Christ had converted Zacheus he said This day is salvation come to this house why because this man who is chief of the family is the son of Abraham and Abraham instructed his family He must say to his family as Christ did to his Apostles exemplum dedi vobis I have given you an example For if Peter or whosoever is principal fall away then others yea Barnabas himself will be drawn away too So though he discharge the duty himself yet if he take not care that others under him discharge it also he is a debtor That is he ought to 〈◊〉 so far from giving occasion himself or suffering others to violate that day by working or setting them that are under him to servile worke that he together with them must see the day sanctified and take care that all joyn in those holy duties which are requisite to the sanctification of the day 2. The second is concerning children Saint Augustines argument is good upon that in Deut. 20. Where if a man had new built an house the manner was to consecrate it That if a man that hath built a house be carefull to consecrate it being but the fruit of his hands then much more lieth the care upon him of consecrateing the fruit of his loins We see this careful affection in Abraham that he would command his sons to keep the way of the Lord for where the greatest love is there is also the greatest desire of conjunction
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
little before viz. page 294 The Scripures record as a good work that that was laid down at the Apostles feet no lesse then this that was laid on Christs own head And in them Ananias a Church robber and Judas a Christ robber both in one case Satan is said to have filled their hearts in that Act. And the like end came to both and both are good remembrances for them that seek and say as thy did yea that would not be content to detain a part Ananias and Judas went further but would seize on all gladly if a gracious Lady did not say sinite In another Sermon on John 2. 19. page 483. To reform Churches and then seek to dissolve them will be counted among the errours of our age Christ was far from it he that would not see it abused would never endure to have it destroyed when he had reformed the abuses After in the same Sermon page 485. Solvite Templum is no Commandment be sure in no sence He commands not any Temple not that they themselves meant to be destroyed It were sacriledge that and no better and sacriledge the Apostle ranks with Idolatry as being full out as evil if not worse then it But indeed worse for what Idolatry but pollutes sacriledge pulls quite down and easier it is to new hallow a Temple polluted then to build a new one out of a heap of stones And if to spoil a Church be sacriledge as it is granted yet that leaves somewhat at least the walls and roof so it be not lead to leave nothing but down with it is the cry of Edom the worst cry the worst sacriledge of all and never given in Charge to any we may be sure For God himself said to David with his own mouth Whereas it was in thine heart to build me a house thou didst well that thou wast so minded Didst well well done to think of building then e sensu contrario evil done to think of dissolving and that which is evil Christ will never enjoyn Against destroying of Churches much more may be read in that Sermon where he 〈◊〉 that it is the proper work of a Pharisee to destroy Temples for to them it was spoken John 2. 19. and that to destroy the Temple is to kill Christ and that Christ comparing his body to the Temple his meaning was to shew he would have us to make account of the Temple and so to use it as we would his own very body and to be as far from destroying one as we would be of destroying the other c. To erect and set up certain places for the exercise of the rites of Religion is derived from the instinct of nature and approved by God from the beginning It begun not as a learned man saith with that Tabernacle or ambulatory Temple which Moses caused to be made by Gods appointment at Mount Sinai but was much more ancient Noah built an Altar as soon as he came out of the Ark. Abraham 〈◊〉 and Jacob wheresoever they came to pitch their tents erected places for divine worship that is Altars with their septs and enclosures without any special appointing from God To this purpose that profound and judicious Hooker Polit. lib. 5. sect 11. saith That solemn duties of publick service to be done unto God must have their places set and prepared in such sort as beseemeth actions of such regard Adam even during the space of his small continuance in Paradise had where to present himself before the Lord. Adams sons had out of Paradise in like sort whither to bring their sacrifices The Patriarchs used Altars mountains and groves for the self same purpose In the vast wildernesse when the people of God had themselves no setled habitation yet a moveable Tabernacle they were commanded to make The like charge was given against the time they should come to settle themselves in the land which had been promised to their Fathers You shall seek that place which the Lord your God shall chuse When God had chosen Jerusalem and in Jerusalem Mount Moriah there to have his standing habitation made it was in the chiefest of Davids desires to have performed so good a work His grief was no lesse that he could not have the honour to build God a Temple then their anger is at this day who bite asunder their own tongues with very wrath that they have not as yet the power to pull down the Temples which they never built and to level them with the ground Thus and much more to this purpose that learned and devont man who amongst others learnedly handles the several points considerable in this subject viz. the conveniency and necessity of having set places for publick worship the consecrating and dedicating of such places to God the honour and reverence due to them and the conveniency and fitnes of adorning them in the most sumptuous manner and that it savours nothing of Judaisme or superstition but becomes even the most spiritual times of the Gospel Sect. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. The solemn dedication of Churches serves not onely to make them publick but further to surrender up that right which otherwise the founders might have in them and to make God himself the owner as that learned Author speaks Sect. 12. p. 204. I may adde that hence it is that not onely the Civil and Canon Laws but euen our Common Laws do account such places together with the Churches Patrimony and whatsoever is dedicated to God to be Gods right and that he is the sole Proprietor all humane propriety being extinguished by the consecration and that all that the Clergie have is usum fructuum as Administrators or Trustees from God who hath given them the use reserving the Dominion and right in himself And therefore our Lawyers resolve that there is no Fee simple of a Church either in the Bishop Patron or Incumbent though all other lands are resolved into a Fee simple which is in some or other but there is a Quasi feudum in the Incumbent during life the Law gives him something like a Fee for life whereby he may sue for the rights of the Church but a proper Fee is in none but in God alone Those that would see more of this subject may read among many other two learned Tracts by two reverend and learned men of this Church The one an answer to a letter written at Oxford to Samuel Turner concerning the Church and the Revenues thereof The other entituled CHURCH LANDS NOT TO BE SOLD Among the Schoolmen Thom. 2. 2. q. 91. and the Commentators on him The Canonists in cap. sacrilegium 17. q. 4. The Summists verb. Sacrilegium Especially Suarez de Religione lib. de Sacrilegio per totum Thus briefly for the Places now for the Person CHAP. X. Of persons set apart for Gods service The mission choice the reverence due to them The benefit received by them spiritual
it with the timber and stones of it But if they be reserved to the right use then a blessing follows God gives good encouragement and his promises never fail Bring ye al the tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it CHAP. XII The two last rules 1. The signes of keeping the day 2. Of procuring the observation by others The Conclusion THus much for the fourth rule concerning the means of keeping this Commandment There are two things more which are required by the two last Rules 1. The signes that the Sabbath hath been rightly kept 2. The procuring of the obsertion of it in others of which very briefly 1. Of the signes we need say little having already shewed in what duties the sanctifying of the day consists the performance of which are signes that this Commandment is kept In general these two signes manifest the same 1. Our careful frequenting the house of God that day for publick service and worship this we finde in Esay 66. 23. from moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come and worship before me saith the Lord. 2. Our private sanctifying the day in holy duties if every city be like mount Sion every house 〈◊〉 templi like a Temple and every man instar 〈◊〉 like a priest offering up the spiritual sacrifice of 〈◊〉 and praises to God 2. The last rule is for procuring the keeping of the sabbath by others This is Plainly expressed in the letter of the commandment Thou and thy son and they daughter c. And the stranger that is within thy gates Where we see the charge is given to the master of the family not to let the day be prophaned by any within his 〈◊〉 Examples we have for a family in Job who sanctified his sons and offered sacrifices for them For a publick person in the Commonwealth in Nehemiah who caused the gates of Jerusalem to be shut and would not suffer the Merchants to come in and sell their wares upon the sabbath day That which the father is to the family that is the Magistrate to the City as the one should command those of his houshold so the other is to look to them that are within his jurisdiction that they neglect not their duties in this point Nehemiah testified against the people for breaking the sabbath God makes the magistrate Custodem utriusque 〈◊〉 an overseer that men breake no commandment either of the first or second table And he is to take care aswell for the keeping of the sabbath as the maintenance of the Minister He is to call to account those that are under him if the sabbath be broken What evil thing is this that you do and profane the sabbath day Nehemiah commanded his servants and the Levits that no burdens should be brought into the City on the sabbath day and a strict charge is given to the kings and Princes of Judah concerning the observing of the day with a severe threatening if they sufferd it to be prophaned Jer. 17. 18. 19 20. c. Now to conclude when a man hath observed all these rules concerning the sabbath by his own practise and his care over them that belong to him he may in humble manner with Nehemiah after his care herein say to God Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatnes of thy Mercy Remember saith God in the beginning of this Commandment Remember saith Nehemiah in the end So should we end the sabbath and all our actions think of me O my God for good according to all I have done That I have with my family observed the sabbath that all we have been present before God to hear all things that are commanded by him that I and my house have served the Lord. Lord remember me in this Yet let us not be proud of that we have done for at the best we are but unprofitable servants And we have our tenebrosa intervalla fits of darknes too the best of us And in this case as we may say Lord remember us so also we are to say with the same Nehemiah and spare us according to thy great mercy It will be well with us if we can be able to say remember me in hoc in this thing if we have done well but withal we must say spare me in this and that offence committed by me and in the defects that are in my best performances spare me in thy goodnes spare me in the greatnes of thy mercy spare me for the merits of our Saviour That which is here added in the former edition concerning some sins forbidden in this precept is 〈◊〉 here inserted contrary to the Authors method and the same things are formerly handled more fully in their proper places according to the first rule of extension that the negative is included in the affirmative Finis precepti quarti THE EXPOSITION OF THE Fifth Commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. CHAP. I. Of the sum of the second table The love of our neighbour How the second table is like the first 1. Of the Act love How christian love differs from other love The fruits of it The parts of it 2. The obiect our neighbour Who is our neighbour Degrees of proximity and order in love 3. The manner of love as thy self This must appear in 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order THis fifth Commandement beginneth the second Table It is called by some the Table of justice As the other taught us the love and duty of man to God so this the love and duty of one man to another which gives us a Testimony of Gods love towards us that he made man after his own image like to himself and allows him a Table for his good and that with more precepts then that of his own The sum or contents of this Table is delivered Mat. 22. 39 out of Levit 19. 18. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self In which place of Saint Mat. Our Saviour saith that the second is like the first for indeed when we come to the second Table we depart not from the love and honour of God it being no lesse in the second then in the first nay rather somewhat more The similitude mentioned by our Saviour consisteth in this that whereas he hath taken order for his 〈◊〉 love in the first so he hath taken order for the love of man for 〈◊〉 in the second and though it come not so directly to God yet indirectly it doth for our love to man must be grounded uponour love of God we must love him in and for God therefore the Schoolmen make but one Theological vertue of love to
wait as servants use to do on their masters we acknowledge there by a superiority and excellency in that party Thus far for honour which is due to excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. But now when the second thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power is added to excellency then there is another duty required in inferiours viz fear for as our Saviour speaks there is no power but from God it must be given from above and therefore by consequence there is due to them that have power from God part of that fear which we owe to men The honour given in this respect consists of the duty of fear This is a reverent awe and standing in fear of them that are placed in power over us Ye shall fear every man his mother and father saith God there is for our parents and Saint Paul commandeth servants to obey their masters with fear and trembling and Saint Peter servants be subject to your masters with all fear this is for masters Job saith that the people stood in such awe of him that when they saw him come forth they would convey themselves out of his presence as if they had done something not beseeming them the young men saw me and hid themselves This fear also is due to the king The people of Israel feared king Solomon and the same king gives the reason because his wrath is as a messenger of death 3. The third thing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 government to which besides the former duties of honour and fear a third duty belongs viz. Obedience which the Apostle expresses by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be under a yoke That is when governours command this or that to be done except in things evidently contrary to the will of God we be content without disputing to put our necks under the yoak of their commands Saint Bernard saith verus obediens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quale sit quod 〈◊〉 hoc solo contentus quia praecipitur He that is truly obedient regardeth not what is commanded being content onely with this that it is commanded In the case of parents the Apostle gives this rule children obey your parents 〈◊〉 the Lord his reason for this is right As the Apostle used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjection to those more excellent then our selves as was shewe before Col. 3. 18. 1. Peter 2. 13. So here he vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be subject to set forth the obedience due to governours The like he gives to servants servants obey your masters c. And he commands Titus to put subjects in minde to obey magistrates The like charge of obedience he gives to Bishops and Governours in the Church obey them that have the rule 〈◊〉 you We have examples of dutiful children in this duty Of Isaac that obeyed his father even to the death Of the Rechabits in obeying their fathers commandment to drink no wine which act God himself by the prophet commendeth of our Saviour himself in the flesh And of servants we have the example of 〈◊〉 towards 〈◊〉 Lastly concerning subjects we have the example of the people of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 All that thou commandest us we will do Now for the protestation of our obedience wherein we expresse the truth of it order is taken for giving honour to our governours by imparting our substance by way of grateful retaliation for their care and pains for our good Honour the Lord saith the Wise man with thy substance and goods c. and so by consequent this kinde of honour is due to those to whom God hath given the government over us we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Stork and our Saviour makes this a part of the honour due to father and mother when he reproves those that taught the people that by consecrating their goods to the Temple they were free from the obligation of this law of maintaining and relieving father and mother Therefore the Apostle requires that we render to higher powers their dues tribute and custome to shew that our selves are not onely ready in our persons but our goods too at their commands The last part of obedience is to the other part of the Law for the Law hath two parts the one directive and the other coercive or corrective so that if we deny our obedience we must submit to correction and yet with reverence as the Apostle speaks we must honour the Magistrate though we be corrected Thus far for the act commanded now for the manner of 〈◊〉 The second thing to be considered is the manner how all these duties must be performed and this consists in three things 1. They must be done in conscience and from the heart not with eye-service as unto men but with singlenesse of heart as fearing God as the Apostle speaks 2. They must be done alacriter cheerfully and readily not with grudging murmuring and repining whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not as to men 3. They must be done perseveranter with continuance and perseverance yea though we suffer unjustly by them for this saith S. Peter is thank worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure grief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he endure and hold out though he suffer wrongfully And because we are not naturally given to perform these duties of obedience and subjection especially in this manner therefore expositors yield 6 reasons drawn from the duty as it is expressed and inforced in Scripture to induce men thereunto 1. Because God hath placed this Commandment before that of our goods yea and of our life to shew that the maintaining of authority ought to be dearer to us then goods or life it self 2. Because the name of father and mother is full of love and reverence insomuch as some unreasonable beasts perform this duty more exactly then many men Therefore God includes all superiours here as Kings Lords Masters c. under these amiable names of father and mother 3. In regard of the long life annexed to the true performance of this dutie long life being a thing desirable and death a thing most repugnant to the nature of man To live long and to prosper is all that men desire upon earth Therefore the Apostle urges this Commandment from the promise specially annexed to it above the rest That it may be well with thee and that thou mayst live long on the earth 4. Because as the Apostle tells us it is a thing good and acceptable to God and in another place it is well pleasing to God he is especially delighted and highly pleased in it It is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acceptable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well pleasing unto God What can we desire more then to be good acceptable and well pleasing to God in our actions 5. The Apostle goes further and saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
great benefit to them for when he himself had received the seal of the covenant the Sacrament of Circumcision the very same day he made all his servants partakers of it So that though their bodies were in subjection their sculs were made free and were set at liberty by it and therefore it was a good exchange for them And in this respect it was that it was prohibited the Jews to take any bond-servants of the Isiaelites but out of the heathen that thereby more might be brought into Gods covenant Afterwards this kinde of service was established upon other respects which drew Godly men to it and made it lawful for though that other servitude by war whereby one is forced to be a servant may be unjust so that such servants if they can escape they may with a safe conscience especially when they are taken in an unjust war and have not bound themselves by a free promise as those that are slaves to the Turkes yet no doubt but a man may by his voluntary Covenant make himself a servant and this Covenant binds him as Jacob was by covenant to serve Laban seven years for his wife and seven years for sheep and cattel Thus in 〈◊〉 of poverty a man may make himself a servant that he may have a subsistence and in case of ignorance he may serve to learne an art or trade it being all one as was said before to have an art and to have a portion and thus did God allow servants among the Jews even of their brethren And thus came service into the world first by the justice of God as a punishment of sinne though afterwards this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by Gods goodnes become a benefit and vseful for mankinde and therefore God hath taken order for duties to be performed both by Masters and Servants In general the Apostle speaking of servants requires every man to abide in that vocation wherein he is called and at the 21. Verse he comes to speak of servants and gives this rule art thou called being a servant care not for it but if thou mayest be made free vse it rather yet let it not trouble thee be willing to heare the yoke of this service A servant if he be a Christian is the Lords freeman 1. Cor. 7. 22. And Jew and Gentile bond and free are all one in Christ. Gal 3. 28. They that do service to their masters in the Lord therein serve the Lord who hath placed them in that calling yea though the masters were not beleeving yet they must think them worthy of all honour and obedience Yet in the Epistle to Philemon Saint Paul having sent Onesimus whom he had converted back to his master Philemon whose servant he was and from whom he had run away he exhorts his master to receive him now not as a servant 〈◊〉 above a servant as a brother beloved c. Shewing the unfitnes and inequality of that servitude introduced at first by war among beleevers and hence it was that as the Gospel prevailed in any kingdom because Christians were all brethren and among the Jews none were forced to be bondmen to their brethren therefore this state of bondmen began to weare out and vanish among Christians though the other two services by nature and covenant still remained Now for the particular duties of master and servant and first of the Master 1. The first is that he have artem 〈◊〉 Skill in governing art to enjoyne his servants what they should do This Skil the fathers have placed and limited to these four heads His commandments must be 1. Lawful 2. Possible 3. Profitable 4. Proportionable to their abilitie 1. They must be lawful according to the will of God as the Apostle speaks No obedience must be commanded preposterous for as there is Pater in Coelis as well as in terris a Heavenly and an Earthly father so ther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masters according to the flesh and according to the spirit as Saint Paul distinguishes a master in Heaven as well as masters on earth a spiritual as a temporal master and the last ought not to command any thing derogatory to the first for if he depart out of his line his series therein he is not to be obeyed we have an example of this in Joseph who refused to performe the command of his Mistris when she tempted him to lie with her How can I do this and sin against God not against 〈◊〉 but against God And therefore Davids conditions with his servants were that they that were to be his servants must lead a godly life and walk in a perfect way This is to be observed for we see that in the worship of God the fourth Commandment requires obedience from the master as well as the servant Thou and thy servant it makes them pares in this the servant hath an interest as well as the master and the master no priviledge or exemption in Gods worship above the servant Though they be subordinate and under one another in the Civil society yet in respect of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Heavenly Commonwealth they are both equal 2. Their Commandments must not onely be lawful but possible too A thing may be lawful yet not possible for a servant to effect The command of Abraham to his servant to get a wife for his son was lawful but the servant wisely objected to his master how if she will not come and therefore Abraham in that case acquits him in these words If the woman will not be willing to follow thee then thou shalt be cleare of this oath 3 Their commands ought to be profitable or useful not vain and impertinent It is said that David being in war against the Philistims longed for water in Bethlehem and it could not be obtained but by breaking through the host of his enemies Now there were three of his host so ready upon this bare intimation of his desire which they took for a kinde of command that they ventured through the enemies camp and brought him water but he considering what an unprofitable thing he had commanded and how dangerous also because there was no profit in it and yet it was gotten with the price of blood would not drink it but powred it out before the Lord acknowledging thereby that it had been better he had 〈◊〉 disobeyed 4. They must be proportionable that nothing be commanded above his servants strength above that which they are able to do nor any thing that is prejudicial to their health or at unseasonable times It was a great fault in Pharoah and his Taskmasters to enjoyne the Israelites their tale of bricks which was hard enough of it self for they were opprest with that but a greater it was to force them to performe that and yet they must finde straw themselves which was wont to be brought to them The 〈◊〉 duty answerable to this consists of two
siccans fontem pietatis the bane of liberality and a dryer up of the fountain of goodnes Therefore if we can we must rependere majora requite them with greater if not that yet par pari do like for like if not that neither then we must transferre ad Deum commend them over to God by our prayers and desire him to requite them Yet by the way we are to take notice that there are some cases wherein a man is not to be said to be unthankful though the benefactor so account him 1. As first if a superiour bestow a benefit upon an inferiour expecting that he shall like what the other loveth and mislike as he misliketh and so to be at his command or els he will repute him as an unthankful person But unthankfulnes is res gratiae non officii a matter of grace not of duty and therefore t is no unthankfulnes not to follow him in his humour 2. Secondly If he require any thing of me by way of justice or duty it is no unthankfulnes in me to deny it for as in his benefits there was a licet dare 〈◊〉 non dare it was lawful for him either to give or not give so in matter of thankfulnes there is a licet 〈◊〉 aut non 〈◊〉 a lawfulnes to do or not do that he requires if he require it in re 〈◊〉 by way of thanks I will be thankful but if in re officii by the way of duty and justice or for that he hath done to me he must pardon me and yet I am out of the marke of ingratitude 3. Lastly he would have me to follow his appetite and do an unjust act and I refuse to consent to him in it is this unthankfulnes no surely For the rule is Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris a man must do as he would be done unto that love he beares to himself must be the square of his love to his neighbour nor is it required that I should do any more for my neighbour then for my self If any appetite then should leade me to any unjust thing should I consent to it no for so I should hurt my self in consenting to sin against my own soul. In like manner if my neighbour require m to do a thing unjust I must not consent for it is against the love I owe to my own soul which must be the rule of my love to him And so for the pleasure he hath done to me he would have me do my self and him a displeasure by my consenting to do evil at his instigation to hurt both his soul and mine own and so to do evil for good There may be in this case species ingratitudinis a shew of ingratitude at the first sight which a good man may be taxed withal but being weighed in the true ballance it is no unthankfulnes at all A good man per mediam infamiam bujus ingratitudinis will tendere ad officium this reproach of unthankfulnesse not deserved will make him look the more strictly to the duty of true gratitude And thus much for the special duties of Inferiours and Superiours required in this Commandment and the sinnes forbidden according to our first rule for expo uning the Decalogue CHAP. X. That this law is spiritual The 〈◊〉 of Superiours and Inferiours must proceed from the heart Special means conducing to the keeping of this commandment Signes of the true keeping of it FOr the second rule of extension that where anything is commanded or forbidden there all that are Homogenea of the same kinde or nature are commanded or forbidden we shall need to say nothing all the Homogenea being already handled under the first rule 3. The third rule tells us that the law is spiritual and reaches to the heart and so is this law it must be kept in heart and spirit as well as in the outward man both by superiours and inferiours 1. For the superiour We see that David fed his people not onely intelligentia 〈◊〉 but in simplici ate cordis with a faithful and true heart and Saint Peter expresseth the duty of superiours as it ought to proceed from the heart by two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ' willingly and readily And because as was toucht before there may be an usurpation of power without any just title aswel as an abuse of lawful power therefore none must in heart 〈◊〉 or desire to usurpe authority over others they must say with David non est exaltatum cor meum my heart is not haughty and remember the Apostles rule 〈◊〉 quis sapiat supra quam 〈◊〉 not to think more highly of himself then he ought but be sober minded for as the heathen observed it ost falls out that there is 〈◊〉 animus sub rudi 〈◊〉 an high mind under a beggers cloak some are like the bramble in the Parable that would be king over all the trees or like the thistle that would match with the Cedar of Lebanon 2. The spiritual duty of Inferiours is first with a ready and willing minde to obey their superiours as it is in the song of Barak and Deborah the people came willingly Not like 〈◊〉 who would have no governours Tumultuarii spiritus spirits of opposition nor yet like the Herodians the other extreme we mentioned before spirteus aulici servile flattering spirits the former obey no further then they are forced Job tells us 〈◊〉 some like these that assoon as the cord is loosed will loosen the bridle themselves these are the sons of Belial and the other sort are as far in the other extream who are servilis spiritus of a servile and base spirit To avoid both extreams we must obey as the people promised to obey 〈◊〉 All that thou commandest we will do and whither soever thou sendest us we will go tantum si 〈◊〉 fuerit tecum as some read the words onely if the Lord be with thee so long as thou dost not depart from him we will not depart from thee That tantum must be our direction we must obey so far as they go not contrary to Gods commands if they command contrary we may disobey and yet remain good Subjects This for the spiritual part of this Precept 4. The fourth rule requires the means conducing to be handled and these also have been partly handled before and therefore may be passed over here onely some more means we may observe for the Superiour in his duty out of the 101 Psalm 1. To think of his accompt Quando veniet ad me When will God come This must be his thought he must give an account how he hath executed his place God will demand ubi est grex 〈◊〉 Where is the flock that was given to thee 2. The next is in the same verse for the well ordering of a kingdom he will begin at his own Court if a king if a Master of his