wherein they are preferred and making our vse of them them the principall whereof are these that follow First Rising vp before them Thou h Leuit. 19. 32. The notes of which Reuerence are rising vp before them shalt rise vp before the hoarie haires and giue honour to the face of the aged Secondly Giuing them the place and honour of speaking first I am i Iob 32. 6 7. the youngest in yeeres and yee are aged Therefore I was afraid and feared to shew my opinion among you I said Men of yeeres shall speake and the aged shall declare wisdome Thirdly To meete them comming towards vs. So Gen. 18. 2. ABRAHAM lifting vp his eyes and looking lo Giuing them the place and honour of speaking first c. three men stood by him and when he saw them hee ranne to meet them from the Tent doore 1. King 2. 19. When Bathsheba came to speake with King Salomon the King rose to meete her Fourthly To bow vnto them as both Abraham and Salomon did in the places aboue mentioned ABRAHAM ranne to meete them bowed himselfe to the ground The King rose to meete his Mother and bowed himselfe vnto her Of this kind is the bowing of the knee Mark 10. 17. When Iesus was gone out of the way there came one running and kneeled to him Fifthly To stand by them whilest they sit downe And of this also Abraham is there set for an Example k Gen. 18. 8. He tooke Butter and Milke and the Calfe that he had prepared and set before them and stood himselfe by them vnder the Tree and they did eate l Exod. 18 13. Exod. 18. 13. When Moses sate to iudge the people the people stood about him from morning vnto euen Sixthly To giue them the chiefest seates as m 1. King 2. 19 Salomon did to his Mother when himselfe setting downe on the Throne caused a seate to be set for her and shee set at his right hand So the n Gen. 43. 33. children of Iacob eating Meate in Iosephs house sate before him the eldest according to his age and the youngest according to his youth Insomuch as the Egyptians maruailed among themselues Seuenthly To vse Titles of Reuerence when hee talketh with them As o 1. Pet. 3. 6. SARAH obeyed ABRAHAM called him Lord whose Daughters yee are whilest you doe well Ye p Iohn 13. 13. call me Master and Lord and yee say well for I am so Eightly To keepe silence in Courts and places of Iudgement till we haue leaue to speake which modesty is noted in PAVL Acts 24. 10. who after that the Gouernour had beckened vnto him that he should speake and not before answerd c. The contrarie of this reuerence is First Contempt and Vnreuerent behauiour in deriding or speaking euill and reuiling them When q Gen. 9. 22. HAM the father of Canaan saw the nakednes of his father he told his two brethren without The r Pro. 30. 17. eye that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother let the Rauens of the Valley picke out and the young Eagles eate it Hee Å¿ Gen. 21. 17. that curseth his father or mother shall dye the Death Secondly Extolling our selues aboue our betters as Abimelech did who being a Concubines sonne would needes raigne before the lawfull sonnes of his father I udges 9. To those in any Authoritie whatsoeuer whether the To them in authoritie Subiection in a readie submission to their gouernment and Obedience voluntarily to doe what they command same be publike or priuate doth belong First Subiection in a readie submission to their gouernment Secondly Obedience in a voluntary doing of that commanded For these two are to bee performed to all in authoritie and that not onely to the good and courteous but also to the froward as the Apostle exhorteth 1. Pet. 2. 18. First It must be from Seruants to Masters t Eph. 6. 5 6 7. Seruants bee obedient vnto them that are your Masters according to the flesh Secondly Fom Children to their Parents u Ephes 6. 1. Children obey your parents in the Lord for that is right Thirdly From Wiues to their Husbands x Ephes 5. 22 23. 4. 14. Wiues submit your selues vnto your Husbands as vnto the Lord for the Husband is the Wiues head euen as Christ is head of the Church and the same is the Sauiour of his bodie Therefore as the Church is in subiection vnto Christ euen so let the Wife be to her Husband in euery thing Fourthly From the People to the Ministers y Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soule as those that must giue an account that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vprofitable for you Fifthly From Subiects to Magistrates both the supreme Magistrate subordinate ones Submit z 1. Pet. 2. 13 14. your selues vnto all manner erdinance of man for the Lords sake whether it bee vnto the King as vnto the Superiour or vnto Gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him Let a Rom. 13. 1. euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordayned of God Contrary to this subiection are First Contempt as that of b Gen. 16. 4. Hagar Sarahs Hand-maid who when shee saw her selfe to conceiue her Mistris was set light by in her eyes Secondly Shaking off the yoke of subiection to Princes as the Papists doe Thirdly The resisting of lawfull power whereof the Apostle c Rom. 13. 2. saith Whosoeuer resisteth authoritie resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement Contrary to the other is disobedience which is one of the sinnes the Apostle reckoneth vp Rom. 1. 30. disobedient to Parents But this obedience is not absolute without bounds or limits It must bee Or when it cannot with a good conscience be done in the Lord for that which the Apostle writeth vnto Children Ephes 6. 1. Children obey your Parents in the Lord reacheth farther and hath a place in all Therefore Coloss 3. 22. hee maketh the feare of God the Rule of Seruants obedience Seruants obey your Masters c. fearing God And the like is to be said of Magistrates as we are taught Acts 4. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye What must be done then if they command things vnlawfull such as with a good conscience wee cannot yeeld vnto Verily in such cases wee are patiently to abide the punishment patiently to beare the punishment In which doing we no way violate the obedience due vnto them To this patient suffering of the punishment the Apostle doth exhort vs 1. Pet. 2. 19 20. For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God endure griefe suffering wrongfully for what
famous examples one in the Family of Abraham who hauing two sons Isack and Ishmael Isack onely was accounted for his Seed and that by Gods owne appointment to make it appeare that the Fountain of Predestinatiō is the pleasure of God not the goodnesse of man The other of two Twins in the Family of Isack Iacob Esau both borne of the same father of the same mother and at the same conception whereas neuerthelesse onely Iacob was chosen Esau reiected and that before their birth that neither any good thing in Iacob could bee the cause of the choosing of him nor any wickednesse in Esau of his reiecting but the onely will and pleasure of God for if men were not more brutish then the beasts themselues their owne sence would teach them that since the Will of God is God himselfe a higher and a further reason then his owne Will cannot be sought for vnlesse there were some higher then hee to goe vnto And when Christ himselfe the Wisdome of GOD resteth in this reason Euen l Mat. 11. 26. so O Father because so is thy good pleasure why should wee wretches enquire any further Worthily therefore doth the Apostle there conclude What m Ro. 9. 2◠23. if God willing to shew forth wrath c. haue suffered the vessels of wrath framed to destruction and to make knowne the riches of his Glorie vpon the Vessels of Mercie which hee hath before prepared vnto Glorie As if hee should say What hast thou O man to doe with it if such bee his pleasure But if cursed men will needes ransacke the secrets of the blessed God and inquire a reason of his most holy counsels let them heare how the Apostle n Rom. 9. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. answereth these Cauillers cleering the Lords Iustice First in regard of the subordinate meanes which hee hath appointed to bring those his counsels to passe namely towards the Elect Mercy comprehending an effectuall Calling through faith whereby they attayne Righteousnesse and Sanctification vnto the Reprobate hardening the fruites whereof are Incredulitie and sinne the proper and immediate causes of their Damnation so that no way can the Lord be accused as vnrighteous either in sauing the Elect vpon whom he first bestoweth Faith and Holinesse of life or in destroying the Reprobate whose incredulitie and sinne doth come betweene And if he should deale with all men so who could complaine of wrong Againe if you looke to the end of Gods counsels in the damnation of the wicked the Apostle saith it is not absolutely and simply their destruction as if God were like an vnmercifull and a cruell hard-hearted Tyrant that taketh pleasure in other mens ruines but it is as he setteth out in the example of PHARAOH to shew forth his power and to haue his Name published in all the Earth making his Glorie to shine in their deserued punishment whilest thereby hee doth declare himselfe an Enemie and Reuenger of sinne Mightie in the execution of his Iudgements Wonderfull in the riches of his Mercie towards the Elect as one contrarie doth set forth another Lastly for the thorow iustifying of Gods most righteous Decree especially of Reprobation which prophane Dogges doe most of all barke against hee both alleageth the Will of God as the rule of all Righteousnesse and his Soueraigntie as the Lord and Creatour of all things in whose hands wee bee as Clay in the hands of the Potter to deale with vs as seemeth good in his owne eyes and to conclude his wonderfull lenitie and mildnesse not onely in so long suffering and forbearing of the wicked but besides in the aboundance of blessings wherewith hee loadeth them which bring vpon them a more iust Damnation Wherefore that which some obiect out of the Prophet that God will not that Ezech. 18. and else-where is delighteth not nor taketh pleasure in the death of a Sinner hath a readie answere for God so farre forth as it is the ouerthrow and destruction of his Creature hath no pleasure in it but as it is a punishment of sinne and a meanes to declare his Iustice Neither can God therefore be said first and of himselfe to hate his Creature for he hateth none which haue not in themselues the cause of hatred euen their own sin being that for which alone he actually hateth any thing his Decree to destroy them was not because hee hated them for the cause of this Decree is his owne most holy pleasure that so he might manifest in them the glory of his Iustice Fourthly Predestination is from euerlasting Ephes 1. from eternity 4. Hee hath chosen vs before the foundations of the World were laid And of o Rom. 9. 11. Iacob and Esau it is said that before that they had done good or euill or before they were the one was hated the other loued In the Epistle to TIMOTHIE p 2. Tim. 1. 9. that the purpose and grace of God to saue vs was giuen to vs that is prepared for vs in Christ before the euerlasting times meaning the whole course of yeeres which hath runne on euer since the beginning of the World in one word before the World was Which saith hee is now made manifest vnto vs by the appearance of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Therefore it is called Predestination as if you would say The fore-determinate counsell of God When before Euen before all ages So Paul q Rom. 9. 23. saith Whom he hath before prepared vnto glorie And r Iude v 4. Iude addeth that the Reprobate are before of old euerlastingly ordayned to Damnation ſ 2. Pet. 2. 3. PETER also that Damnation since of olde expecteth for them So then our Election being from Eternity is certaine and immutable so as none of the Elect can euer come to perish no more then a Reprobate can euer come to bee saued the Decrees The Papists make Gods Predestination mutable of God being all vnchangeable as he himselfe is So doth Paul strengthen the t Ephes 1. 4. Ephesians in the assurance of Gods loue towards them in that being eternall it was not subiect to any change Who hath chosen vs saith he before the foundation of the World This Doctrine is plentifully layd downe in the Scripture comfortable is the place u Rom. 9. 12. Before they had done good or euill that the purpose of God might remayne firme according to the election not by workes but by grace it was said The elder should serue the yonger As many words so many Arguments for the vnchangeable hold of our Election first because it was the Decree and Purpose of Whom Of God particularly made of Iacob and Esau For what cause Not of workes but of his owne grace Therfore doth the Lord after a most wise and wonderful manner cause all things to fall out vnto the best to those that loue God which are called according to his purpose by afflictions by diuers lets
giuen vnto much wine but teachers of honest things that z 1. Pet. 5. 3. they may instruct the younger women to be sober-minded that they loue their Husbands that they loue their children Not as though yee were Lords of Gods Heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke a Iob 29. 8. The young men saw me and hid themselues and the aged rose and stood vp his wise and graue carriage procuring reuerence and credit to him Secondly Vsing of the things wherein they are preferred And vsing of the things wherein they are preferred to the others benefit to the others benefit being content to yeeld vnto them when they are in the right as to their brethren So Deut. 17. 20. it is specially commanded to the King That his heart bee not lifted vp aboue his brethren And b Iob 31. 13. Iob professeth his care to practise this Lesson If I did condemne the iudgement of my Seruant and of my Maid when they did contend with mee Thus did c 2. King 5. 13 14. NAAMAN harken to the aduice of his Seruants and returning washed in Iordan and was made whole The Dutie of such Superiours as are in authoritie From them in authoritie First instruction of their Inferiors in the things of God and of their speciall callings whatsoeuer the same be is Instruction of their Inferiours in the things of God and of their speciall callings as Ioshua did the d Iosh 24. Israelites And in this respect Iob e Iob 29. 15. saith of himselfe that he was eyes vnto the Blind and feet vnto the Lame Secondly Due recōpence of good or euil actions which Peter f 1. Pet. 2. 14. Then due recompence of good or euill actions sheweth to bee the cause why Magistrates are erected for the punishment of euill doers and prayse of them that doe well And g Ro. 13. 2 3 4 Paul saith that Princes are not to be feared for good workes but for euill Wilt thou then be without feare of the Power Doe well so shalt thou haue prayse of the same for he is the minister of God for thy wealth In h Col. 4. 1. another place Ye Masters saith hee doe vnto your Seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that yee also haue a Master in Heauen Thirdly Protection from wrongs for whither should And lastly protection from wrongs the eyes i Psal 123. 2. of the Seruant looke but to the hand of the Master and the eyes of the Mayden but to the hands of her Mistris Hereupon Gen. 20. 16. Abimelech telleth SARA that ABRAHAM her Husband was the couering of her eyes and the man that was to protect her Iosias also Lam. 4. 20. is said to be vnto the people the breath of their nostrils The Dutie of Magistrates From publike authoritie that is to say from Magistrates maintenance aswell of true Religion as of peace and honestie of life Anabaptists which reiect Magistracie The Papists which teach that it belongeth not to the Magistrate to deale in matter of Religion And also exempt their Clergie from the Iurisdiction of the Ciuill Magistrate is First Maintenance of true Religion Secondly Maintenance of peace and honestie of life for to him hath God committed the maintenance of both the Tables So the k 1. Tim. 2. 2. Apostle teacheth that the Ciuill Magistrate is raysed vp of God vnto that high estate of Dignitie that we might liue vnder them a peaceable and a quiet life in all godlinesse and honestie A part of this Dutie is the deciding of Controuersies betweene man and man and the true ministration of Law and Iustice as Moses did Exod. 18. 13. For the performance of both these God hath furnished him with power and to this end put the Sword into his hands which hee may not suffer to rust in the Scabbard but must draw it out to punish all offenders l Rom. 13. 4. If thou doe euill feare for hee beareth not the Sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill In all which punishments a proportion is to be obserued That euery one be according to the nature and qualitie of the offence Those against the first Table most seuerely and sharply after the example of God himselfe whom the Prophet m Ier. 5. 7. bringeth in saying How should I spare thee for this Thy children haue sworne by them that are no Gods In the second Table Murder Incest Rape with death Trespasse with the recompence of the hurt c. In all which the Iudiciall Lawes of Moses albeit wee are not tyed to the precise and strict forme of that Common-wealth are notable precedents to goe before vs for the equitie and substance of them The contrarie whereof is the not punishing or light censuring of capitall crimes and letting them escape whom God bringeth into our hands Of the first we haue a Law Numb 35. 31 33. Ye shall take no recompence for the life of the Murderer which is worthy to dye but he shall be put to death for bloud defileth the Land and the Land cannot be clensed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it And 1. Kin. 20. 42. A Prophet telleth the King of Israel as from the Lord Because thou hast let goe out of thy hands a man whom I had appointed to dye thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people For the second ELI is reprooued 1. Sam. 2. 23. who for foule and shamefull faults committed by his sonnes such oppressing of the people as made men abhorre the Seruice of the Lord lying with the women that assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation c. reprooued them onely with a few words and that in a milde sort Why doe you such things for of all this people I heare euill reports of you Doe no more so my sonnes for it is no good report which I heare of you that you make the Lords people to trespasse Take here-with-all some cautions First That the Magistrate being Gods n Rom. 13. 1. Minister in this behalfe doe all things holily and reuerently as in his presence whereof we haue Ioshua o Iosh 7. 19. 25. for a worthie patterne who said vnto ACHAN My sonne I beseech thee giue glorie to IEHOVAH the God of Israel and make confession vnto him and shew me now what thou hast done hide it not from me Afterwards when the fact was confessed by him IOSHVA said In as much as thou hast troubled vs IEHOVAH shall trouble thee this day And all Israel threw stones at him and burnt them with fire and stoned them with stones Secondly He must propound a right end before him that is to say first the parties good and reformation not his shame and destruction for that the p Pro. 20. 30 Wiseman teacheth vs to bee the scope and marke
praise is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults you take it patiently But if when ye doe well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God The contrarie whereof is First Answering againe when wee are reprooued which the Apostle condemneth Let d 1. Tit. 2. 9. Seruants be subiect to their Masters and please them in all things not answering againe Secondly Flying from them as Hagar e Gen. 16. 6. did The dutie we owe to Magistrates and Ministers are First Ministring of charges and other necessaries for To publike authoritie of Magistracie the Ministerie Supplying of charges and other necessaries for the execution of their office the execution of their Offices Giue f Rom. 13. 7. vnto all men therefore their dutie tribute to whom you owe tribute custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom yee owe honour The g 1. Tim. 5. 17 18. Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the Word and Doctrine for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzel the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne and the Labourer is worthy of his wages Haue h 1. Cor. 9. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 14. not we power to eate and drinke Or haue we not power to leade about a Wife being a Sister as well as the rest of the Apostles and as the Brethren of the Lord and CEPHAS or I onely and BARNABAS haue not we power not to worke Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Or who feedeth a Flocke and eateth not of the Milke of the Flocke Say I these things according to man Saith not the Law the same also for it is written in the Law of MOSES Thou shalt not muzzell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne Doth God care for the Oxen Eyther saith hee it not altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt it is written that he which eareth should eare in hope that he that thresheth in hope shuld bee partaker of his hope Doe ye not know that they which minister about the holy things eate of the things of the Temple And they which waite at the Altar are partakers with the Altar So also hath the Lord ordayned that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell Secondly A defending them in their good and honest and a defending of them in the same Actions as the people did i 1. Sam. 14. 45. Ionathan against the crueltie of his father Saul telling SAVL Shall IONATHAN dye who hath so mightily deliuered Israel God forbid As IEHOVAH liueth should one haire of his head fall to the ground since he hath wronght with God this day So the people deliuered IONATHAN that hee dyed not The like did the Princes vnto Ieremie the Prophet Ier. 26. 24. The Dutie of Children to Parents is Touching thē in priuate authoritie To Parents not marrying without their consent First That they marrie not without their consent which the light of Nature teacheth And the k 1. Cor. 6. 36 37 38. Apostle giueth this honour to Parents to haue power to keepe his Virgin and not to giue her forth to Marriage Secondly When need requireth to releeue them If any l 1. Tim. 5. 4. and in their necessities to releeue them Widdow haue Children or Nephewes let them first learne to shew godlinesse towards their owne house and to recompense their Parents for that is an honest thing and acceptable before God This was Iosephs m Gen. 45. 9 10 11. Pietie who sent word vnto his father Come downe to mee tarrie not And thou shalt dwell in the Land of Geshen and shalt bee neere mee thou and thy children and thy childrens children and thy sheepe and thy beasts and all that thou hast Also I will nourish thee there for yet remayne fiue yeeres of famine lest thou perish through pouertie and thy houshold and all that thou hast Contrariwise our n Mat. 15. 5 6. Sauiour taxeth the Scribes and Pharises for the violating of this Dutie But yee say Whosoeuer shall say to father or mother By the gift that is offered by me thou maist haue profit though he honour not his father or his mother shall be free Thus haue yee made the Commandement of God of no authoritie by your tradition To Masters is due faithfull seruice whereof we haue To Masters faithfull seruice two worthy Examples one of o Gen. 24. 33 36. Abrahams Seruant sent to get a Wife for his Masters sonne who would not so much as eate till hee had done his Message and when but some stay was made of the Maidens going with him Hinder p Verse 56. me not saith hee seeing IEHOVAH hath prospered my iournie send mee away that I may goe to my Master The other of Iacob q Gen. 31. 38 39 40. who speaketh thus of himselfe to LABAN This twentie yeeres I haue beene with thee thine Ewes and thy Goats haue not cast their young and the Rams of thy Flocke haue not I eaten whatsoeuer was torne of Beasts brought I not to thee but made it good my selfe of mine hand didst thou require it stolne by day or stolne by night I was in the day consumed with heate and with frost in the night and my sleepe departed from mine eyes The contrarie whereof is deceitfulnesse and wasting of their Masters goods which the r Tit. 2. 10. Apostle specially biddeth Seruants to take heed of not to bee Pickers but to shew all good faithfulnesse that they may adorne the Doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things Betweene Man and Wife are due First mutuall helpe The woman as ſ 1. Pet. 3. 17. Peter saith being subiect to her Husband and the Husband liuing with his To Husband and Wife each from other mutuall helpe Wife as a man of knowledge giuing honour to the woman as to the weaker vessell both being heires together of the grace of Life Secondly due beneuolence Let t 1. Cor. 7. 3. and due beneuolence the Husband giue vnto the Wife due beneuolence and likewise also the Wife vnto the Husband The Wife shee oweth this to her Husband First that shee represent his vertues being therefore called u 1. Cor. 10. 7. The Wife also to represent her Husbands vertues The glorie of man as man is the image and glorie of God Secondly to saue that which hee bringeth in wherevpon the x 1. Tim. 3. 11. and to saue that which he bringeth in Apostle willeth them to bee faithfull in all things The dutie of all Superiours to their Inferiours is First Good example of graue and wise carriage The y Tit. 2. 3 4. Againe from all Superiours A good example of graue and wise carriage elder women let them be in such behauiour as becommeth holinesse not false accusers not