know themselues and holdeth that for a dishonouring of his name whereof they make no reckoning will both charge them and punish them too vnlesse speedily they repent for their grieuous transgressiō Q. You told vs in the beginning that the fourth Commandement if it bee well obserued is a very good meane to instruct vs how wee may performe these duties vnto God and to furder vs in doing the same A. It it most true for it commandeth the sanctifying of the Sabbath that is vpon that day the occupying of our selues about such holy exercises as might rauish our hearts with a consideration of Gods goodnesse towards vs and his wisedome in all his works Q. This Commandement as it is repeated by Moses in the fift of Deuteronomy is this Keep the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as the Lord thy God commanded thee and so forth from the beginning of the 12. verse to the end of the 15. wherein I obserue some things that seem not to belong vnto the first table of the Commandements wherof as yet we speake A. That is truely obserued And for your better vnderstanding of this commaundement you must remember that first the commandement it selfe is giuen in these words Keepe the Sabbath day Then is the chiefe and principall end why it should bee kept mentioned Afterwards the commandement it selfe is explained namely what God requireth of vs or what hee meaneth by these words Keepe the Sabbath In it thou shalt do no maner of worke thou thy son c. And by this occasion is shewed a second end of giuing this Commandement That thy man seruant and thy mayd seruant may rest as well as thou Fourthly diuers reasons are scattered here there in these words some inducing to obedience in respect of the principall end which is the sanctifying of the Sabbath others in regard of the second end of this day of rest for the Sabboth day in the true signification of the word and the day of rest is al one namely that seruants might haue a day of rest as well as their masters Q. That I may particularly bee instructed in this Commandement I pray you first to teach mee the precept it selfe what is thereby meant Thou shalt keepe the day of rest Are all workes forbidden in these words A. The Prophet Moses is informed from God himselfe concerning this point Leuit. 23 8 The seuenth day is a holy conuocation in it thou shalt doe no seruile worke Q. But what are those seruile workes A. The works of euery mans seuerall vocation wherein he is to bestow his labour either for the good of the common-wealth wherein hee liueth or the maintenance of his owne estate and of his family Which workes because they are especially wrought in respect of this present life that here wee liue in comparison of those that aime at the euerlasting life are worthily called seruise because that curse of God belongeth to these our bodily labours In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread Gen. 3.19 vntill thou returne to earth And seruile also they may be called because for the most part they are not wrought with such sincerity respect to Gods glory as they ought but sauor somewhat of our corruption and are too much inthralled to either our gréedy desire to inrich our selues by painful trauel or ambitiously seeking prayse of men or are otherwise sowred with some such leauen and so serue in some part at the least our polluted and naughty affections Q. But being commanded to keep the day of rest we are not forbidden all kind of workes A. No. For there are workes of Religion such as were circumcising the children which if the eight day wherein by Gods Law they were to be circumcised fel vpon the Sabbath was to bee performed without transgression of this Law Ioh. 7.22 as our Sauiour Christ affirmeth And the killing of the Sacrifices vpon the Sabbath day must be done Mat. 12.5 So the paines or labor in comming to Church vpon the Sabbath day is a labour not only lawful but commanded and necessarily required of all Christians as a duety that they must performe Some other are workes of necessity as if an Oxe be fallen into a pit vpon the Sabbath day it is no breach of this Commandement to pull it forth Luke 14.5 But here we must deale wisely and sincerely For if any businesse may without great danger bee put off vntill another time then this is not a work néedfull to be done that day so that euery occasion cannot make a worke of necessitie but only danger of great hurt or losse There are also works of charitie whereof Christ giueth this example Luk. 13.15 Doth not euery one of you loose an Asse or Oxe from the stall and lead him to the water on the Sabbath day Such workes are the visiting of the sicke comforting of them that are in heauinesse and such like works Q. Among the workes of charity many reckon this that they make drinkings gather great companies together vpon the Sabbath day to benefit som poore man as their pretence is may not this be truly accounted among the works of charitie that this day may be performed A. No. For when a worke that seemeth to proceed from a charitable affection toward man is crossed by some commandement of the first table all which belong to the immediate honor of God thou must rather shew thy loue to God then to man And indeed they who will not choose other daies wherein they may performe duties of loue towards their neighbour then that which God appointeth for to honour him in doe plainly shew they loue their owne profit better then either God or their neighbor because they take such time only to do good to their neighbour as God challengeth to be honoured in being loth to leese the work of a day appointed for labour Q. Is there then great necessity in consecrating the Sabbath day to a day of rest A. Very great as may appeare by the charge that is giuen For the word Kéep the Sabbath the word I say vsed in the Hebrew requireth oft a great and diligent care in kéeping that which is there commanded as Deutero 8.11 24.8 1. Kings 2.3 2. Kings 11.5 In all which places and many such like the selfe same word is vsed that here Moses hath to shewe the watchfull care wee should haue to kéepe this day of rest Yea God himselfe in giuing this commandement Exod. 20 giueth it with a memento Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day Remember not onely when it commeth to keepe this day of rest from bodily labour but thinke of it before hand As a wise builder wil prouide his stuffe néedful for his building that when the work is in hand nothing bee wanting Or a discreet Captaine purposing to fight with his enemy will muster his Souldiers appoint his Captaines and Officers furnish them with armour weapons and victuall and all
to perform this duty Q. Wee haue heard what persons should be furtherers to this worke of sanctifying the Sabbath Now let vs heare what duties are required of vs to the sanctifying thereof A. If wee will holily as wee ought apply our selues to this holy seruice wee must beginne with our selues for vnlesse wee be first sanctified Mat. 7.18 our seruice cannot be holy An euill tree cannot bring forth good fruit saith He that cannot lye The Priests in the Leuiticall Law when they went about that holy seruice that belonged to their office must first themselues bee sanctified Exod. 28.41 And therefore Iosiah that good King minding to haue the feast of the Passeouer kept 2. Chro. 35.6 commanded the Priests to sanctifie themselues for that seruice And God commanded the people of Israel to be sanctified Exod. 19.10 when he appointed to declare to them his Law Good Ezechia therfore intreated God to be mercifull to some that came out of some Tribes of Israel to the feast of the Passeouer that prepared their whole heart to seeke the LORD 2. Chro. 30.19 although they wanted the Legal sanctification This good foundation of sanctifying our selues beeing thus layd all that wee doe will bee better accepted with God Then must wée carefully follow all the holy exercises of that day such as are these hearing of the Word attentiuely and as men greedy to learne Praying to GOD feruently for the assistance of his holy Spirit in all our godly indeuours yeelding to him most hearty thankes for his graces bestowed vpon vs godly conference when wee are out of the Church one with another of the lessons that we haue heard by the Ministery of the Word company with such as can and will instruct vs either by reading to vs good Bookes or by godly talk either of Gods goodnes to our selues or his mercy shewed to others or his fearefull iudgments against the wicked for contempt of Him and his truth or generally of his wonderfull works in creating all things in such order as they are and all for our vse Q. I perceiue they that are sanctified and with sanctified hearts doe keepe the Sabbath day may find much comfort in such holy exercises but how may wee sanctifie our selues A. It is a harder worke then wee are able to performe yet if we heartily call vpon God for his grace intreating Him to worke that in vs which wee of our selues are no way able to doe and then keepe a carefull watch at the dore of our lips that we speake not vnaduisedly and haue a watchfull eye vnto our waies that we walke warily if I say in sincerity of heart wee thus seeke to prepare our selues to sanctifie our selues to this holy rest no doubt God wil giue a blessing to these our good indeuors Q. Alasse then how lamentable is the case of many in our dayes who spend scarcely one hower of the day in the Church and thinke that time also how short soeuer long and tedious But in the Ale-howses or the vngodly feasts and meetings which too many resort vnto they willingly tarry very long yea the whole day seemeth too short when it is bestowed so rebelliously against Gods expresse Cōmandement A. In truth the carelesnesse and supine security of men in these our dayes is much to be pittied wherein many who haue the name of Christians would scorne to be deemed not to be so haue onely heard of GOD and are acquainted with the name of Christ and so by continuall company among Christians haue some generall knowledge of good words but yet are so carelesse to attaine to any true knowledge by the light of Gods word so godlesse and irreligious in prophanation of the Sabbath day so wholy deuoted to such vnchristian méetings and so loose lewd in behauiour when they are there that if any Turkes or Infidels should behold their conuersation at such times they would then detest the very name of Christianity such staines are they to the very profession Q. But God forbid all that resort to such meetings were so vnruly some are more moderate and come but at the intreaty of their friend or for company of their neighbours or fellowes not delighting much in drinking A. True some are more moderate but he that is most moderate if he trust too much in himselfe that he can in such dangerous meetings carry himselfe soberly may soone bee deceiued and therefore may seeme by his ouerboldnesse to tempt God as presuming of his own naturall disposition And let all men assure themselues heereof that God in his iust iudgement forsakes them and leaues them to themselues who contemptuously do breake his Law And therfore if their friend intreat them to disobey Gods Commandement in resorting vpon the Sabbath day to such feasts it is the part of a good Christian rather to moue his friend to detest his wicked prophanation of the Lords Sabbath but in any wise let not the seruant of God consent to his wicked perswasion Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do euill much lesse one seducing friend And since they say they go with their friend and thinke that should serue to make their fault lesse I would all Christians should remember 1. Thes 5.11 their duty is to exhort one another to good and to edifie one another in the things that belong to godlinesse but to suffer thy selfe to be drawne away to wickednesse is a token of great weakenesse and to consent to such perswasion procureth Gods wrath to bee short séeing the godly must abstaine from all shew of euill 1. The. 5.22 and must in all their doings as the third Commandement teacheth glorifie God it is most certaine that the resort to such vngodly méetings vpon the Sabbath day how moderately soeuer they carry themselues is a breach of Gods Commandement and therefore God in his iustice may and will in his good time punish such offenders vnlesse they repent and take a new course Q. What are the reasons whereby the Israelites are mooued to obey this Commandement A. The first reason is the Commandement of God which Moses heere in repeating the Law setteth forth and strengtheneth partly in respect of the authority of the Commander in calling him Lord partly hee allureth them to performe vnto this Commandement willing obedience because he hath many waies declared himselfe to bee their good and gracious God whom they cannot disobey without great note of vnthankfulnes Secondly in giuing them 6. daies to supply all wants of their body and for dispatch of their worldly affaires hee reserueth onely one to be wholy imploied in his honor and seruice the bestowing of which day in such sort as wee ought to doe is also most to our owne good because it is the gaining our soules to God I say by this his large allowance of so many daies for bodily labours they iustly are to be charged with a staine of ingratitude if they willingly giue not
this one day to holy and spirituall exercises Q. Are we so tied in the sixe daies to labour in our calling that we may not in them resort to places where Gods word is preached and taught A. No For the knowledge and seruice of God must chiefly be sought for of vs Mar. 6.33 First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse saith our Sauiour Christ Wée sée GOD himselfe who gaue this charge to the Israelites commanded also his holy seruice to be performed of them somtime on the sixe daies as namely it may appeare Leuit. 23. and Numb 2. but most plainely in the story of Ester the fourteenth and fifteenth daies of the Moneth Adar with feasting and ioy were kept by Mordecai his commandement no doubt Ester 9.22 their ioy and reioicing was seasoned with thanksgiuing to God for their deliuerance from so imminent danger and is left vnto vs as a patterne to follow in like case and is also obserued of vs on the 5. of Nouember in giuing thankes to our most gracious God who saued vs from the most vnnaturall Gunpowder-Treason And they who in sincerity of heart seeke after the knowledge seruice of God at such times will also the more diligently early or late follow the works of their calling to supply their wants and such faithfull care of seruing GOD shall not want a blessing from God Q. But may a pretence of following such holy exercises be any excuse to such as will perchance bestow a little time that way and then the rest of the day they imploy in idlenesse A. It seemeth there were some such whereof the Apostle admonisheth Timothy 1. Tim. 5.13 and they were young widdowes but Saint Paul liked not of their doings and would not in any wise that such should be tolerated among Christians Q. But what thinke you of these words Sixe dayes shalt thou labour They seeme to be a Commandement and to require the labour of sixe daies euery man in his calling A. They are vnto the godly a toleration or permission to follow their vocation and to worke for the maintenance of themselues and their families But they haue also the force of a commandement to the condemnation of the vngodly that spend their life in loitering and idlenesse and may worke in them a sting of conscience when they shall remember that God saith Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and their own heart telleth them they haue not wrought but loitered For séeing God hath after mans fall set this downe as a Decrée that may not be altered vnlesse we spend our time in some religious exercise as before I sayd In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread Gen. 3.19 good and godly is the exhortation that the Apostle maketh to the Thessalonians to worke with their hands as hee also before had commanded them 1. Thes 4.11 that nothing bee lacking to them Verse 12. And iust cause hee hath to giue that heauy charge which hee afterwards giueth vnto them 2. The. 3.10 If there were any that would not worke that he should not eat So hateful is the idle life to God and good men and so vnséemely for any Christian Q The Commandement of God if there were no other thing to moue GODS people to obedience in this thing ought to be sufficient but much the rather seeing God hath dealt with them so fauourably as to haue consideration of their wants that they might haue time to supply them A. There is yet a third reason to moue them then and vs also now to sanctifie the Sabbath in these words But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God For God challengeth this day as his due and not to be spent but as he appointeth that is in holinesse and sanctification Q. But the seuenth day which is here commanded is not that which now we call the Sabbath day so that it seemeth wee transgresse this Commandement howsoeuer we keepe our Sabbath A. Indéede the day here commanded as that also wherein God rested was the seuenth day of the wéeke and the day that we keepe and indeuour to sanctifie is the first day of the wéek For that seuenth day being ceremoniall and so by the comming of Christ abolished for he was the end and fulfilling of all the ceremoniall Lawe needefull it was that the chiefe and most substanciall end of that ceremonie should bee still retained that is that one day should bee wholly consecrated to Gods seruice And this day which we now solemnize being the first day of the wéeke was vpon good ground thought to be fittest because as God rested the seuenth day from his worke of creation and therefore that day was then thought most conuenient to bee vnto his people a day of rest So Christ rising againe from his worke of redemption vpon the first day of the wéeke the Apostles being directed by the Spirit of God vpon this first day of the wéeke had their holy assemblies as is most plaine Ioh. 20.19.26 Acts 23.7 and in other places and of the worke that Christ wrought in rising againe it is called The Lords day Reu. 1.10 And by this is there as it was fit a difference put betwéene the Sabbath of the Iewes and that which we kéepe Q. Almost in the very beginning of handling this fourth Commandement you sayd that there was a principall end why wee should keepe this day of rest which I think is this that you haue spokē of already the sanctifying it Declare then if there be any other end of keeping the Sabbath though not of such importance as this is A. Moses a true expositor of Gods meaning expresseth it in these words That thy man-seruant and thy mayd may rest as thou dost Deu. 5.14 Not giuing therein liberty to any seruants to rest from bodily labour and spend their time in idlenesse but their rest must be such as their masters rest ought to be a rest from seruile work that they may the more carefully and seriously bend themselues wholly to the sanctifying of that day I am not therefore of that minde that this part of this commandement belongeth to the second table as some thinke but rather that Moses expounding those former words Thou shalt do no work therein c. giueth them to vnderstand that the rest which in these words God commandeth them to giue their seruants must be to that very end that themselues also must rest that is to sanctifie that day And to the end they might more willingly giue this time of holy rest vnto their seruants hee putteth them in minde of their seruitude in Egypt Deut. 5.15 wherein they liued in such thraldome that they could not haue liberty to serue the Lord from which if they acknowledged truly as they ought confessed Gods great goodnesse in that he deliuered them then must they also thinke that their seruants must not alway bee tyed to their worke but that they as
could not heare or be acquainted with their wants And as prayer so giuing of thanks for such good things as wee receiue is due to God only Dauid assuring himselfe of help from God in his distresse promiseth to prayse the name of God with a Song Psal 69.30 and magnifie him with thanksgiuing And hee confesseth this will please God better then a sacrifice So elsewhere the Prophet exhorts Gods people to offer sacrifices of prayse to God Psal 107.22 Chap. 14.3 which are called by the Prophet Hosea The calues of our lips and by the Apostle to the Hebrewes The fruite of the lippes to confesse Gods name Chap. 13.15 and must alwaies be offred to God as there the Apostle exhorteth Q. It seemeth then that God challengeth as due to him all religious seruice outward and inward of the body and of the mind so as wee must loue the Lord our God Deut. 6.5 with all our heart soule and might so must wee serue him too What seruice then is that of Dulia which the Saints must haue For all this that is spoken of is Latria and therefore by their owne confession is due to God only A. I know not any religious worship that their saints can haue much lesse their Images vnlesse they rob God of his honour as they haue done hitherto and Christ of his office or els that they must returne to Gentilisme or Iudaisme to borrow some rites and obseruances of theirs as their lights their censing and many such like But the true honour that wee can giue vnto the Saints is to commend as patternes of godlinesse and religion their vertues to others and our selues to imitate the same Thus howsoeuer they please themselues in this distinction when it is examined wee finde that they are all one and there is no difference betwéene them but that indifferently they are vsed to set forth the seruice of GOD but neuer for Saints in Scripture yea and the word it selfe vsed in the originall because it is generall and signifieth all kind of seruice euen that which is done vnto men and not only that which we performe to God may plainly teach vs that Gods meaning was not to allow of any such distinction as now is vsed for maintenance of Idolatry by Popish teachers far otherwise then euer St. Augustine vpon whom they father it did meane Q. This is then the summe of that which hath been sayd that any religious seruice whether outward or inward that is done to any Image or the likenesse of any thing is a breach of this second Commandement And because they say it is not done to the Image but to the Saint thereby represented therein they doe against the first Cōmandement of which though we haue heard before in expounding the first Commandement yet vpon occasion somewhat also hath beene sayd in teaching the things required in this second Commandment of that too And is there not any thing els forbidden in this second Commandement then this making and seruing of Images A. Yes for we may make Idols of our owne fancies or of such doctrines as God hath not commanded or taught but because my meaning is briefly to touch the most plain matters of this Precept although I might iustly haue spoken against all doctrines and traditions of men not grounded vppon Gods vndoubted word yet I meane rather to omit them for this present time and to follow the words of the Commaundement and point vnto that only that may plainly be gathered out of them Q. What may we learne out of the reason that is added in the end of this Commandement A. It séemeth to be a general inducement to obedience of Gods lawe terrifying the sinners by feare of Gods terrible iudgements and withall letting them knowe that by their sinne they shewe themselues to bee such as hate God And incouraging and comforting such as by their holy obedience shew that they loue God Q. But what more speciall reasons are in the Scriptures to worke in vs a detestation of all transgression against this Lawe A. Diuers and first the great care that God did shew when he gaue them his lawe in that hee did not appeare in any likenesse so that they only heard his voice but sawe nothing to the end as Moses himselfe doth testifie that they should not corrupt themselues Deut. 4.15 16. and make them a grauen Image or representation of any figure Secondly whereas the Image-worshippers would tell vs that Images are Lay mens books which they learned of the Gentile Idolaters the Spirit of God which can more truly iudge of them what these are then any popish Idolater telleth vs that The stocke is a doctrine of vanity Ier. 10.8 and an image is a teacher of lyes And must not they who looke vpon such bookes be led into errour Thirdly the men of God speake of them so scornefully in the Scriptures as if they disdained that such as professe themselues to be Gods seruants should esteeme of them as that they are the worke of mens hands eyes haue they but see not eares and heare not such like Yea the Prophet Esay telleth vs that men are in their Idolatry so besotted and witlesse that hauing rosted their meat by one piece of a trée and warmed themselues by another piece of it of the third they make a god Lastly if there were no other reason yet this one may make vs to detest them because that wheras God is a Spirit and they who will worship him Ioh. 4.24 must worship in Spirit and truth for so Christ teacheth vs the beholding of their painted Images or otherwise richly decked doth not a little withdraw the mind from heauenly and spiritual meditations and so hinder our true and spirituall seruice Q. The third Commandement hath in it I see a prohibition or forbidding of that which is vnlawful and a reason why we should obey A. It is true Q. But may wee not in diuers things transgresse against this Commandement A. Yes verely we haue so many by-waies to leade vs out of the right path of holy obedience that it is very hard to walk in it without wandring for in those things wherein Gods name should be glorified such is our corruption wee many times dishonour him for swearing if it be in such sort as it ought to be is a thing commended vnto vs and God is glorified thereby And therefore God himselfe by his Prophet Esay prophesiing of the calling of the Gentiles and that they shall set forth Gods honour saith Es 45.23 Euery tongue shall sweare by mee and elsewhere They shall sweare by the Lord of Hostes Es 19.18 but yet it is but too true and greatly to be lamented that by swearing the name of the Lord is taken in vaine and so this Commandement broken Q. But some ancient Haereticks thought and the Anabaptists now maintaine an Oath to be vnlawfull A. It is so but their errour may well bee confuted by diuers
What are the duties of Pastors to their flocke A. Saint Peter setteth out their duties thus The Elders which are among you I beseech 1. Pet. 5.1.2 which am also an Elder feed the flocke of God which dependeth vpon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but with a ready mind Now this feeding must be partly by doctrine and instruction partly by example of life and conuersation Q. By doctrine you mean not only deliuering of godly lessons but also exhortation admonition reprehension commination and all such means whereby godly lessons may be applyed to the people A. It is very true And all these things must be done according to that rule If any man speak 1. Pet. 4.11 let him talke as the words of God Keepe the true patterne of wholsome words saith S. Paul teaching Timothy how he shuld feed with the word the flocke of God 2. Tim. 1.23 The same Apostle also moueth Timothy 1. Tim. 4.12 to be vnto them which beléeue an ensample in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith and in purenes And he thus chargeth Titus Aboue all things shew thy selfe an ensample of good workes with vncorrupt doctrine Tit. 2.7 with grauity integrity But because al the food that man can giue either by words or déeds wil nothing nourish the Soules of the people vnlesse our gracious GOD giue a blessing therewithall a faithfull Pastor will carefully follow the Pastor-like patterne that Paul setteth before him in many places and namely writing to the Ephesians when hee assureth them Eph. 1.16 17 that he maketh mētion of them in his prayers that God would giue them his Spirit of wisedome And againe Phil. 1.3 4 I thanke my God hauing you in perfect memory alwaies in all my prayers for al you praying with gladnesse For Prayer of the Righteous S. Iames telleth vs auaileth much Iam. 5.16 if it be feruent to drawe downe from heauen a blessing vpon the people for whom the faithfull Pastor is an humble suter This duty because in a Minister it is so necessary both for himselfe that God wil giue him wisdome and vtterance and for his people that God will giue them attentiue eares to heare and faithfull harts to receiue the Word I could not but mention it in this place although I said before in speaking of the duties of Gouernours that all superiours and inferiours must offer this sacrifice of Prayer one for another Q. Now let vs heare somewhat of such duties as masters owe to their seruants A. Out of that which hath beene sayd of the duty of Gouernours toward them ouer whom they are set that may well be gathered For euery houshold is a little Common-wealth as a Common-wealth is as it were a vniuersall houshold So that to traine them vp in godlinesse and to be watchfull ouer them for their honest peaceable liuing among themselues and their faithfull discharge of their duty should be the chiefe care of the Masters And as old men haue honour due to them in respect of their age so must they take good héed that they giue no ill example to the younger by staining their gray haires with lewdnesse of life Col. 3.19 and in a word Husbands must loue their wiues and not be bitter vnto them 1. Pet. 3.7 And dwell with them as men of knowledge ruling them with discretion and kind behauiour not with cruelty or bitternesse Q. Now that wee haue heard of the reciprocall duties of superiours and inferiours and that a great piece of duty that inferiours owe to superiours consisteth of obedience It is I thinke very needfull to inquire whether Parents Princes Pastors or Masters must in all things bee obeyed For it is plaine Dan. 3. that the three children obeyed not the Kings Commandement for they would not worship the golden Image and that which they did therein GOD deliuering them so miraculously from the fiercenesse of the fire did well approue and the Apostles being commanded to preach no more in the Name of IESVS sayd plainely Acts 5.29 Wee ought rather to obey God then man and preached Christ not regarding the commandement of their gouernors A. As it is reason that the Prince should rather be obeyed then the Master so is it our dutie rather to serue the Commander of all Princes and Potentates then any Prince or Magistrate whatsoeuer Q. May Subiects then if Princes command things which they thinke vnlawfull repine and murmure May they as our new masters of Rome now teach vs the Iesuites those bloudy politicians rebell depose and kill them A. In deed so they teach and so they indeuor to practise too but God forbid wee should not detest their wicked doctrine and doings heerein let vs leaue such Atheisticall axiomes to the wooers of that purple harlot drunken with the bloud of the Saints Apoc. 17.6 who care not what Countries and Kingdomes they ruinate so they may haue any hope to effect their sauage designes but in all vnlawfull commandements wee obey God in not obeying them and we obey men in patient induring their punishments rather then wee would doe that which God forbiddeth Neither are wee to stir vp mutinies or incite to rebellions as the popish Clergie doth continually but the weapons wherewith wee must resist the violence of vngodly Princes when they command vnlawfull things are first Patience whereby sometime euen sauage Natures are tamed and Prayer both that God wil giue vs strength to continue in his holy obedience and that he would mitigate the rage of all such cruell persecuters Q. What reasons doth Moses in repeating this Law vse to induce our corrupt nature to obey A. Two the first in respect of the Commandement which should be of great force to such as account themselues to be the seruants of God For if mens Commandements be obeyed though wee are not sure alwaies wee do well in obeying them how much more must wee frame our selues to do what the Lord our God commandeth in which there can bee no danger of sinning The second in respect of the good that GODS people should get thereby For as the Israelites now ready to take possession of the land of promise are warned that if they will long inioy that land and prosper therin they be obedient to their Parents so if wee will long and happily haue vse of Gods temporall blessings wée must truly yeeld this obedience to our Parents whether by nature as Father and Mother or by calling as Gouernours Pastors and Masters or by age as old men that they may be mooued by such our dutifull carriage toward them to pray vnto God for continuance of his fauour toward vs. Q. But because this promise is sometime more generall vnto all obedience Deut. 32.47 as By this word you shall prolong your dayes 1. King 3.14 and to Salomon If thou walk in my Commandements I will prolong thy dayes Why is it
reasons For first there are many good vses of an Oath as the ending of strife and controuersies Exod. 22.8 11. that might arise among neighbours as in such cases as are set downe Therefore the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith Eb. 6.16 that an Oath for confirmation is among men an end of all strife Secondly it hath beene vsed for assuring of bargaines and couenants as betweene Abraham and Abimelech Gen. 21.31 And when Iacob bought Esaus birth-right hee made Esau to assure the sale thereof vnto him by an Oath Thirdly Gē 25.33 an Oath hath been vsed to bind more strongly the seruant to faithfull seruice Gen. 24.9 as Abraham swore his seruant when he sent him to get a Wife for his sonne Isaak and the Subiects to loyalty alleagance So did Nebuchad-nezar take an oath of alleagance of Iehoiakin king of Iuda and God called that oath his Oath 2. Chro. 36 13. and threatneth grieuously the King and people for breach of that Oath Ezech. 17.18.19 But besides these good vses of an oath we sée it is often commanded in the Scriptures which should rather be forbidden if it were vnlawfull Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God Deut. 6.13 and serue him sweare by his name Againe Deu. 10.20 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and shalt cleaue vnto Him and shalt sweare by his Name Yea the Prophet doth testifie that they shall bee praysed that sweare by his name Ps 63.11 If vnto these I would ad examples of godly men who vpon good occasions did sweare besides Abraham and Iaacob already spoken of Gē 47.31 I might alleadge Ioseph Moses Iosh 14.9 and many moe who if an oath had been vnlawfull would not haue sworne Q. But they make shew of reason for this their errour alleaging the words of Christ Mat. 5.34 Sweare not all after whome also Saint Iames the Apostle taught the same lesson A. These words being truely vnderstood make nothing to maintaine their errour Christ reproueth in the words alleadged two corruptions of those times concerning Oathes The first that if they swore by the creatures though in them Gods Maiesty doth shine they did imagine they took not the name of God in vaine But Christ telleth them that his honour is so tyed vnto his creatures that without diminishing his glory they cannot sweare by them The second corruption was that they had these Oathes in their common talke and as it seemeth were of that mind that many now are that so they swore truly they sinned not Christ therefore teacheth them that in their communication or ordinarie talke they should vse no swearing but they should simply affirm a truth or deny an vntruth which hee meaneth by these words that their communication should bee yea yea nay nay and whatsoeuer is more commeth of euill Mat. 5.37 And S. Iames thus expoundeth these words of our Sauiour Christ that their yea should be yea and their nay nay that is whether they affirme or deny it should be true that they say But against other Oathes then such as are vsed in ordinarie or common talke and in déed are too commonly vsed among vs there is nothing in these words Q. I see then it is lawful to sweare but teach me how in Othes the name of God may be taken in vaine A. First by false swearing for the end of an Oath should be to lay open the truth and to make it known that might otherwise lie hidden within vs. If then the taking of the name of God worke not this effect it is taken in vaine God therefore by his Prophet Ieremy teaching his people how they might keepe themselues in this point from breaking this Commandement Iere. 4.2 saith Thou shalt sweare The Lord liueth in truth in iudgment and in righteousnesse And by the same Prophet reprouing his people for their hypocrisie Ier. 5.2 saith thus Thogh they say The LORD liueth yet they sweare falsely Yea he giueth a plain Commandement Leuit. 19.12 Thou shalt not sweare lyingly by my Name Q. If then the end of an Oath bee to discouer a truth what shall wee thinke of the doctrine of aequiuocation which teacheth not onely to deny a truth but to do it vpon an Oath and thinke they do well that so forsweare themselues A. I say it is a doctrine very fit and sutable to the Priests Iesuits who mainetaine the same for as they striue as much as they can to take all truth out of the Church so do they heereby what in them lyeth to take away all Faith honest dealing from among men For when men may not be trusted vpon their word no not vpon their Oath but that still they may suspect some secret reseruations to be hidden in their deceitfull hearts what safety can there bee in dealing with such men Q. Let these Aequiuocatours then passe as wilfull transgressours of this third Commandement and as wilfully deceiuing others by their most irreligious doctrine is this Commandement broken only by false swearing A. It is broken also by all vaine swearing for as wee must sweare in truth so in Iudgement also as out of Ieremie I shewed before And this word of iudgment doth signifie Iere. 4.2 either that the Oath must be taken before a Iudge as in the cases formerly mentioned out of Exodus Exod. 22.8 11. it was commanded or at the least iudicially in matters of great importance and for ending of waighty controuersies as the Oathes that the godly of whome I spoke before were made but to cal God to witnes in matters of no moment is a great dishonouring of Him and his name Much like as if a king or mighty Prince of grauity and wisdome should bee called to be a Iudge among children of their push-pin or blow-poynt or such toyish games Q. Besides the vaine matters that men sweare for many times such othes bring men to a custome of swearing whereby this Commandement must needs bee broken and they who vse such oathes are in danger to be snared thereby A. The sonne of Sirach giueth very good counsell for this matter Accustome not thy mouth saith he to swearing for in it there are many falls neither take vp for a custome the naming of the Holie one for thou shalt not bee vnpunished for such things A man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with wickednesse Eccle. 23.9.11 and the plague shall neuer goe from his house And if he sweare in vaine he shall not be innocent but his house shall be full of plagues Againe to talke with him that sweareth much Eccl. 27.14 maketh the haire to stand vp and to striue with such stoppeth the eares Q. Wee must needes accuse our times then of great corruption wherin too many scarce can speake but with oathes yea swearing if it bee done with a grace in so grieuous gracelesse sinne many pride themselues too much in as