which hée had in his cel Totus in Imaginem eius intentus Being wholly deuoted to her Image thus to say Thou holy Mother of God take care of this thy candle and as I would haue it keep it that it goe not out and so when he had beene away fiue or sixe months at his return hee found the candle burning And there is also another such like tale of a woman that was at great charges to digge a Well and could get no water vntill shee had put an Image into the Wel and then she had plenty of water Acts 5. Much such good stuffe there was in that second Nicen Councell giuing much honour to the Images themselues as if they knew not that olde Verse Hoc Deus est quod Imago docet sed non Deus ipse That which thou seest stand in Gods steed This Image is not God indeed Q. It seemeth then howsoeuer they now would seeme to giue no honour to the Image but to that which is thereby represented yet the contrary appeareth so plainly both by their words and deedes that they must bee holden guiltie of the breach at the least of this part of the Commandement wherin external seruice of Images is forbidden A. You iudge truly And that spirituall worship also which God prohibiteth in this word Thou shalt not serue them they giue to other the Images contrary to this commandement or to the Saints thereby represented to them and that is contrary to the first commandement For if we trust in any thing but in God looking for help from them it is as before is sayd a plaine breach of this commandement Thou shalt haue no other god before mee Q. The Romish teachers make vs beleeue that there is one worship that they giue vnto God another wherewith they honour the Saints and therefore will not confesse themselues to be transgressors either of the first or this second Commandement in worshipping the Saints A. It is true that they speake of two sorts of worships one belonging vnto God another say they may be giuen to the creature the first they call Latria the second Doulia which distinction howsoeuer it may séeme to haue some shew of antiquity yet if it bee truely examined it hath no colour of verity For first the words themselues differ not in signification but both signifie seruice vnlesse Doulia which seruice they reserue for the Saints be more base seruice and therefore more fit to giue to God because reason would wee should more humble and subiect our selues vnto God then to any creature Secondly it is hard for a simple man to put any difference between these two seruices because howsoeuer their teachers say the one seruice belongeth to God the other to Saints yet if thou looke vnto the outward behauiour they are alike to both We knéel to God they to their Saints if not to their Images wee lift vp hands and eyes to God in our prayers so doe they to their Images or to their Saints at the least yea they set lights before them and offer vnto them incense which is more then wee doe to God because hee néedeth it not To be short with greater solemnity by far they obserue their Saints daies then the Lords day So that the seruice to the Saints in outward ceremonies is in euery thing equall to that of Gods with them in some things much greater Q. But in the spirituall honor they tell vs there is great difference For these acknowledge God to be the giuer of all good things As for Saints they make them but Aduocates to God for them A. If this which they say were true yet it were intolerable wrong so to rob Christ of his office For if any man sinne 1. Ioh. 2.1 we haue an Aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ the Iust And hee is the propitiation for our sinnes It is he also that is at the right hand of God Rom. 8.34 and maketh request for vs. But they content not themselues thus to rob Christ of his office of mediation but that also they rob God of his glory and that mo wayes then one That appoint to euery Country their peculiar Saint to be as it were their Patron as to England Saint George to Scotland St. Andrew to Spaine St. Iames and to other countries other Saints wherein they imitate the Gentils who had for euery Country and City their seueral gods as Tertullian in his Apologie for Christians and Theodoret writing against the Idolatries of the heathen in his third booke doth charge them Q. It seemeth they haue forgotten that it is God who disposeth of the greatest Monarches at his pleasure and bringeth their kingdomes to an end when hee will If that watchfull keeper of Israel Psal 121.4 who doth neither slumber nor sleepe doe not protect not all the Saints in heauen can worke security and if God be with any Kingdome or Citie or house to defend it not all the powers of the earth nor all the diuels in hel shal any thing annoy it So that the godly may with much ioy comfort say Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that trust in the Lord And Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord Psal 33.12 the people that hee hath chosen for his inheritance But the simple may iudge that without all doubt in this the Romish Church giue that honour to the Saints that belongeth to God onely yea and that in much greater aboundance to them then to God For the seuenth day which God himselfe commanded to be sanctified vnto him which is now vnto vs the Sabbath or the Lords day is nothing so solemnely kept as those Saints dayes are vnlesse they fall vpon the Lords day and then God for their sakes shall bee serued after their best maner not they for his sake But you said that sundrie waies they rob God of his glory I pray you let vs heare more of this A. Praier belongeth to God only first because hee commanded so Call vpon mee in the day of thy trouble Psa 50.15 then also it is a spiritual sacrifice one of them that the Apostle St. Peter speaketh of 1. Pet. 2.5 Wee are saith he a holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to GOD by Iesus Christ and sacrifices were not to bée offered to any but to God Thirdly the practice and examples of al the godly whose praiers we read of in the scriptures teach this And the reason is because they did know it was Gods office onely to heare our prayers O thou hearer of praiers sayth Dauid to thee shall all flesh come Psal 65.2 And the Godly confesse that Abraham was ignorant of them and Israel knewe them not yet I hope these were as good Saints as any that the Romish church can affoord vs Thou O Lord say they art our Father and Redeemer Esa 63.16 shewing hereby for what cause they came to God for helpe euen because other
if it were a token of valor yet such men howsoeuer they seeme perchance many of them to feare no man yet the lest breath of GODS mouth Psal 76.12 who cutteth off the spirit of Princes and is terrible to the Kings of the earth shall make them tremble and quake as the Aspe-leafe Dan. 5.6 as did Bellshazzar in all his royalty But may Gods name be taken in vaine any other way then by swearing A. Yes If wee thinke or speake of Gods works with lesse reuerence and due consideration then we ought to do thereby is the second Commandement broken For as men by their names so is the glory and Maiestie of GOD apparant vnto vs by his works so that his power and might his wisedome his mercy may easily bee seene to them that reuerently consider of his creation of all things of nothing of the order wherein hee hath made and appointed them how he hath made all his creatures for our vse And in his gouerning the world as hee doth both his iustice and his greatnesse may be seene So that to talke of his works and not worthily to praise the workemanship or not to giue honour to the worker thereof is to take his name in vaine because that which may be knowne of God is not so reuerently esteemed of vs as it ought to be Deut. 23.21 Q. Wee read that if the people of God to rouze vp their slouthfulnesse and to reforme their negligence in Gods seruice should vow any thing to God they might not be slacke in performing that they promised doth this any thing belong to this third Commandement A. Very much For a vow is as it were a holy promise not made only before God and whereof hee is a witnesse but also made to him and therefore not without great dishonouring of his name can bee broken or left vnperformed Num. 30.3 Whosoeuer voweth a vow vnto the Lord or sweareth an oath to bind himselfe by a bond he shall not breake promise but do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth Therefore the Psalmist aduiseth thus Psa 76.11 Vow and performe vnto the Lord. Q. You meane not heere to commend to the godly the popish vowes wherein they who haue vowed do so much reioyce as if they were the chief professors of Christianity A. No those Popish vowes are commonly to abstaine from things lawful in themselues to be vsed with such a bond of cōscience as that howsoeuer vnable to performe it they find themselues yet must they still striue though altogether against the stream to do that they haue promised Again they thinke to merit thereby and so robbe Christ of the glory of his meriting for vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the fruit of his sacrifice which onely could make the atonement with God for vs. These and many other such superstitions or rather blasphemies do so staine their Popish vowes that they are in the sight of God and all good men most abominable Yet I commend as godly helps against our weakenesse and infirmitie that we shall easily find in our selues in our indeuour to serue God such purposes and promises as with our selues we make vnto God of dayly praying reading abstinence and all other godly exercises whereby wee may grow in knowledge of God and all true obedience For such exercises do not only kéepe vs wel occupied and so are a redéeming of the time from the vaine conuersation that wee haue had in times past but are as a continuall manuring and watering of the godly thoughts which God by his grace hath now planted in our hearts And for such vowes or promises if wee make to God and performe them not wée shall be found guilty of taking the name of the Lord our God in vaine Q. What say you to such godly wishes as are ordinarie in our mouthes godly I say in outward shew Good morrow God speed or such like is there no danger of breaking this Commandement in vttering them A. Yes very great for wee vse them but too often as words of course rather for fashion then with any true deuotion wée tumble them out of our mouthes before wee thinke in our heart of that we speake Nay the solemne Prayers that wee purpose to make vnto God are by this meanes becom as the Preacher termeth them Eccle. 4.17 The sacrifice of fooles for when wee should talke with God if our affections be wandring and our thoughts carry vs sometime to pleasures somtime to profit or to any other worldly things wee performe not heerein our purpose to God and therefore wee take his name in vaine Q. Wee learne then that we haue great need when wee haue a purpose to sue vnto God to free our selues as much as possibly wee can from all thoughts that may hinder vs or cause our hearts to wander from heauenly cogitations Yea do what wee can our heart wil not so be knit vnto God in prayer as it ought to be and therefore it behoueth vs not only to watch and pray Mar. 13.13 Ephe. 6.18 but also to watch vnto prayer that spying the time when we see our selues best inabled thereto by the spirit of God Rom. 8.26 which helpeth our infirmities then wee should take hold of that grace that is offered to vs. A. You say true Q. But what say you of our profession of Christianitie and that wee are the children of God May not this our profession bee a transgression of this Commandement A. Yes and is but too often God complaineth of his people of the Iewes thus Esay 52.5 My Name is all the day continually blasphemed Againe When they entred vnto the Heathen whither they went Ezech. 36.20 they polluted my name And therefore Saint Paul is bold to charge the Iewes to the end hee might humble them and make them know themselues thus The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you Rom. 2.24 declaring thereby that profession of seruing God without conuersation somewhat answerable is a taking of Gods name in vaine To this end tend these exhortations Ephe. 4.1 I pray you walke worthy of the vocation whereunto you are called Phil. 1.27 Let your conuersation bee as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Walke worthy of the Lord. Yea Col. 1.10 the Apostle Saint Iames saith plainely If a man thinke himselfe religious Iam. 1.26 and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart this mans Religion is vaine If the not-guiding of the tongue may make vaine all our profession of Religion then much more if our life be polluted and stained with sundry sinnes In what case then are they who go forward in all kind of vncleannesse and wickednesse not in one but in almost all kind of sinnes do not they howsoeuer they professe themselues to bee Gods seruants dishonour him in taking vpon them the name of Gods seruants or Gods children and care not how in life they dishonour
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
daies so little regard the Ministerie of the Word as themselues might see if they had grace to marke how often and how fearefully Gods Iudgements are threatned against them that will not hears throughout the Scriptures Q. Let vs now heare what honour seruants owe their masters A. Saint Paul teacheth it plainely Eph. 6.5.6.7 Seruants be obedient vnto your Masters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of your hearts as vnto Christ not with seruice to the eye as men pleasers but as the seruants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will seruing the Lord and not men Which commandement of the Apostle requireth such seruice as is not now commonly done to Masters for it must bee hearty and sincere being more carefull to do the duty of a seruant then to require reward yea striuing rather to deserue well then to aske recompence The Apostle saith it must bee with feare and trembling Saint Peter likewise Seruants 1. Pet. 2.18 bee subiect to your Masters with all feare not that their meaning is that seruants should alwaies be afraid of anger or punishment but their feare should be such as the Wife-man speaketh of Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies that is that alwaies mistrusteth his owne doings that neuer thinketh that he hath serued God sincerely enough but suspecteth his owne waies not wholy to be guyded by Gods Spirit euen so seruants should feare lest they be short in performance of their duty or doing their seruice to be short they should rather feare the Lords Eye then their masters wrath And where this hearty seruice is and so seasoned with feare of Gods All-séeing-Eyes and a true view of our owne vnability to serue so perfectly as wee should there doubtlesse will be a faithfull indeuour to serue truely And such seruants for a good supply of their own wants will carefully intreat the Lord both better to inable them to doe their duty and to giue such blessing to their desire to serue truely as may be to their Masters good Q. But many times Masters are froward and too too rigorous insomuch as such seruice may seeme a very grieuous bondage are such masters to be honoured also A. Saint Peter answereth this question commanding seruants to be subiect to their Masters not onely to the good and courteous but to the froward also For this is thank-worthy 1. Pet. 2.18 if a man for conscience toward God indure griefe suffering wrongfully So that a true Christian seruant must doe his duty towards his Master remembring that so doing he serueth the Lord as Saint Paul in the place alleaged teacheth who howsoeuer their master cannot be pleased yet will take in good part and plentifully reward their faithfull seruice Therfore must seruants striue to bridle herein the corruption of their nature and to serue as S. Paul would haue vs to do al things Phil. 2.14 without murmurings and reasonings for as before I said concerning honouring of Parents so here also and in all duties that wee owe to our superiours an honourable and reuerent affection printed in our hearts towards them must bee the roote from whence true seruice must grow that it may bee willing Q. Besides these superiours that now you haue spoken of there are others also as olde folke husbands Schoolemasters which are accounted superiours to whom also honour belongeth A. Most true concerning aged folke God hath giuen this Commandement Leuit. 19.32 Thou shalt rise vp before the hoare head and honour the person of the old man especially if godlinesse be ioyned with many yéeres then age is a Crowne of glory Pro. 16 3. when it is found in the way of righteousnesse As for Wiues Saint Paul teacheth them obedience Ephe. 5.22 Wiues sub your selues vnto your husbands as vnto the Lord. And that more willingly they might performe this duty he yeeldeth this reason for the Husband is the Wiues head verse 23. Now it were a monstrous thing for the body not to be vnder the head Againe Wiues submit your selues to your Husbands as it is comely in the Lord teaching that it is a foule and vncomely thing if the wife bee not in subiection to the husband And for the comfort of all inferiours wée must note that they must be subiect vnto the Lord and for the Lords sake as is to bee séene in the subiection of children subiects and seruants that their mind beeing still fastened vpon their heauenly rather then vpon their earthly Master or Husband they may with lesse griefe beare the yoke of obedience Yea Schollers if they knew what good they get by their Schoolemasters who traine them vp in knowledge and lay in them the very ground-worke of Learning whereby they are made fit to serue most profitably in the Church or Common-wealth willingly also would confesse that they should defraud them of their due if they doe not honour and reuerence them Q. We haue now heard of the honour that inferiors owe to their superiors whether by nature as Parents or by publike place in the Common-wealth as gouernors or in the Church as Pastors and Ministers or by age as Elders or by voluntary subiection and that either in priuate households as to Husbands or masters of families or to Schoolemasters as profitable to the youths of many places but do not these superiors also owe to their inferiors some duties A. Yes and first to begin with Parents as they of their children must bee honoured so must they also giue cause of honour Parents owe to their children diuers duties wherof some are to be done in the childhood of their children some when they are come to riper age and some at all times must be performed Q. What are Parents bound to do to children in their childhood A. First in their infancy they must haue care that they may haue things necessary for the sustenance of their life when they are not able to helpe themselues and this the fathers and mothers may learne of the beasts of the field and birds of the ayre who leaue not their young ones vntil they be fit to shift for themselues 1. Sam. 1.23 as Anna gaue her childe sucke vntill shee would weine him Secondly when they are come to any vnderstanding they must not prolong the time to instruct them first in the very principles and grounds of Religion For if Thou teach thy childe in the trade of his life Pro. 22.6 when hee is old he will not depart from it And therefore the Apostle admonisheth thus Fathers Ephes 6.4 bring vp your children in instruction and information of the Lord. In the booke of Deuteronomy it is a charge very often giuen vnto Parents to teach their children Gods Law Yea it is worth marking how in all their extraordinary ceremonies or actions the children were instructed what was meant thereby As if the children should inquire when they saw their fathers to eate in