worm shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched as the prophet speaks which words our Saviour quoteth also So that the Law of Moses for the moral part of it agreeth with the Law of Nature and what God commanded Moses to write for the instruction of the Israelites was in great part written in the hearts of the Heathen and in some measure practised by the better sort of them Now if the question be asked which of us nay doth the best of us fulfil the Commandments or who hath so clean a heart that never lutted or indeed that lusteth not daily We answer confidently None And to prove this Saint 〈◊〉 shall tell you in the first seven chapters to the Romans that both Jew and Gentile were defective and came short herein Saint James saith In mult is offendimus omnes in many things we all offend The prophet David by way of question saith Delicta quis intelligit who is there that understandeth how 〈◊〉 he offendeth So that Septies in die cadit justus The best of us fals seven times a day which diverse take as meant of falling into sin though others very learned take it of falling into afflictions And holy Job confessed that he could not answer one for a thousand Lastly to omit many K. David speaks positively in regard of fulfilling the Law that In Gods sight shall no man living be justified that is if God should proceed according to strict justice If then the case of the best be so another question ariseth Whether God be just in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things to be kept and promising that whereof no man can be capable because no man can keep the Law We answer that God is most just and there is no injustice in his proceedings Though the matter be never so crooked yet the rule ought to be straight not like a 〈◊〉 rule For God being perfectly just his Law must needs be perfectly just 〈◊〉 for else if he had left out any part of the Law he might have seemed to 〈◊〉 sin And if it be demanded why we were not made able to fulfill and perform it Some answer thus That Adam was at first made fit and able and received strength to keep it in that perfection which was required but he lost it For Adam was like an evil 〈◊〉 that receiving money of his Master to do his busines spent it riotously 〈◊〉 became drunk by the way and so was not able to perform that work which his Master expected yet the Master might lawfully exact it of him because he had before enabled him unto it So God gave us ability at the first to do what he commanded but we having lost that ability vainly God may lawfully exact of us what he let us to do But against this some object that seeing man lost this ability not efficienter but 〈◊〉 by Gods penal act depriving him of it it can no more stand with Gods justice and wisdom still to require the same obedience without new abilities then for a Magistrate having cut off a mans feet for some offence yet to require him to go to such a place and then to punish him for not going and therefore it may be said that God never requires any thing of us but he either gives or is ready to give ability to do it if we be not wanting to our selves And therefore as God requires obedience under the gospel so he enables us by his grace or is ready to enable if we seek to him to do what he requires as to avoid every known and wilful sin and to perform the substance of every good duty though we are still subject to sins of Infirmity which we must labour against and though we come short of perfection in some degree yet we must aim at it and not rest in a perfection of parts Thus euery Christian may and ought to keep the law of God as it is qualified and moderated in the Gospel so as to be free from all raigning sin and to perform every act commanded in sincerity and as this is possible by the grace of the gospel so it is necessary to salvation in all after their conversion and Repentance As for that absolute perfection or freedom from all sin it is commanded too but not as actually necessary to salvation but onely in our true and constant endeavour as that which we must aim at and come as neer to as we can though we do not attain it in this life And thus it may be truely said that the Law though it cannot be kept in that absolute and exact manner which is required in the Covenant of works that is without the least omission or intermission in which sense God doth not now require it of us to salvation yet as it is required in the second Covenant according to the equity and moderation of the gospel it may by the grace of Christ be kept and must be kept by every true Christian so far as God requires it of us now and this is 〈◊〉 Christian perfection which the Scripture often 〈◊〉 to and the Catholike Church of Christ ever acknowledged God having made a second Covenant wherein there is a Law to be kept as well as promises to be beleeved requires obedience now not by vertue of the first covenant which is void but according to the second which is still in force whereby he is alwayes ready by such means and various dispensations as are agreable to his wisdom and justice to enable us to do what in this covenant is required But an answer to the first question and that more fully you shall have in the words of the Apostle Romans 8. 3. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit In which words are two things principally to be observed 1. That the Law cannot now nor ever could justifie men yet he layes not the fault on the Laws weaknesse it being most perfect but on our corrupt flesh It is the flesh that cannot do that which the Law requires 2. The second ariseth out of the former that is seeing that neither the Law could justifie us nor we perform what the Law required God rich in mercy and goodnesse sent his Son into the world that being incarnate here should die for us and by that means take away the guilt and dominion of sin in us and enable us to keep his Laws by faith and love which is the perfection and fulfilling of the Law To shew more plainly how Christ did this and that was two wayes 1. By fulfilling whatsoever was promised and prefigured in the Law and the Prophets As semen mulieris the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent and In thy seed shall
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
equality in respect of the bond of observing the Law of God not any one is excepted more then another As we see in that Commandment Non maechaberis Nathan said to King David Tu es bomo thou art the man And John Baptist to Herod though a King too Non licet tibi c. it is not lawful for thee c. So neither do the Commandments leave us in a generality that so we may slip our necks from them but they are in the second person that whosoever heareth or readeth them they shall be as strong to him as if there were as many Tues as persons that hear them Therefore every one upon reading or hearing the Law in the second person ought to apply it to himself and the speaking of it in this manner is as forcible as if God himself did speak to every particular man By the using a negative or countermand there is implicitely a confirmation of that which is contrary It is held in Logique that ad plura se extendit negatio quam affirmatio It was Gods purpose to have his commandments beaten out as far as the rules of extension used by Christ would permit and his intent is that affirmative duties should be done after the impediments are removed And though ad negationem non sequitur affirmatio oppositi yet the Rule of Logick holds onely in bare affirmative and negative propositions not in affirmative or negative precepts for in these Qui negat prohibens jubet promovens In Laws Qui prohibet impedimentum praecipit adjumentum he that forbids the obstacle commands the helps And this also serves to shew how full of weeds our nature is that it is not capable of a command but first of a countermand We are not capable of good before that which is ill in us be weeded out of us 1. That the future tense is so much used in the Commandments it is an implicite touch of our transgressions past and that for the time to come it is doubtful and uncertain what we will be for the time past it shews that we have been grievous transgre ssours and is withall a warning of the pronenesse of our nature to ill for the time to come that even then we will be as ready to do wickedly as ever before for as there is one that will say facies so there is another as ready to say faciam Evil suggestions evil examples our own corrupt natures and Sathan besides will egge us forward and therefore we must keep a diligent watch and abridge our selves of things lawful we must flee from the smoak abstain from all appearance of evil as the Apostle speaks that the body of sin reign not in us 2. And in the second place it imposeth a continual keeping of the Law so long as we live It is for to day to morrow and to our lives end and therefore our warfare against sin must be to blood and death and before such time we are not discharged from the obligation of the Law Now for the commandments themselves The end of the Law is to make a man good and here also are some things to be noted from the order here observed 1. Impediments are to be removed that we may keep the Law therefore this first Commandment runs negatively As when the frame of a building is to be erected if a tree be standing in the way it must be cut down or if the ground be not sure and dry it is not meet to 〈◊〉 an house upon or as in a cure in Chyrurgery if the whole Body be corrupt or some member be dead and the flesh 〈◊〉 that must first be cut away before any thing be applyed to the grieved part Ground must be fallowed before corn be sowen And so God hath provided by his Law running negatively and that in the front of it Non habebis c. false Gods must be renounced that the worship of the true God may take place 2. The second observation followeth that that be done first which is first in Order As in a building the foundation is first laid and in natural generation the heart is first this also is done here First Non habebis deos alienos coram me thou shalt have no other Gods before me This is the foundation of all worship inward or outward and therefore in the first place mentioned We are to observe our former rules fines mandatorum diligenter observandi sunt we must therefore know what intent God had in giving this Commandment One end of the Law as is said is to make men good And the ultimate end or scope of this and all other Commandments is the glory of God The whole first Table refers to Godlinesse Holinesse Religion Now Religion being an action it mvst needs proceed from some inward principle and so doth it which is from the soul of man and principally from the spirit of it which in this regard is compared to a Treasury out of which good men bring good and evil men evil things Our worship and service of God will be according to the treasurie of our hearts the spirit if that be good our outward worship will be so too We see then that inasmuch as the spirit is the chief and principal thing in Gods worship our chief and principal care too ought to be had for this spiritual worship And indeed it is the scope of this first Commandment It is said that according to the superiour end the Commandment is to be esteemed Quo prior finis 〈◊〉 prior necessitas hence it is that the first Table is to be preferred before the second because spiritual worship required in the first is before outward worship prescribed in the second Commandment So man was made the end of the Sabbath not the Sabbath the end of man Mark 2. 27. therefore the breach of the external part of the Sabbath must yeeld to the necessities of man Whereas the worship of God is commonly divided into spiritual and bodily or inward and outward and the one said to be commanded in the first the other in the second Commandment this must not be so understood as if they were several kindes of worship for the same act of Religion may be both inwardly and outwardly performed as we see in mental and vocal prayer but they import onely the different manner of performing as either by the heart alone which is onely spiritual or by the heart and outward man which is the same spiritual worship performed by the body and therefore called outward for the outward worship of the body proceeding from the heart or spirit may be truely called spiritual because the exteriour act proceeds from the spirit and God accepts such worship though it be outward in respect of the act as a worship in spirit and truth when it is accompanied with truth and sincerity of heart and therefore as all worship and obedience is the same both inward and
may see more sinne and corruption in himselfe then in another and so may say with Saint Paul I am the greatest sinner 1 Tim. 1. 15. and may see that gift in another which is not in himself which he is bound to honour in him but to prefer the gifts of nature in another before the gifts of grace in our selves is not true but counterfeit humility So likewise is that Hypocritical humility which some pretend for worldly ends as that of Absolom who though he were the kings son yetbowed himself to every one and kissed him c. whereby he stole away the hearts of the people and rebelled against his father 2 Sam 15. 5. Now the means to humility are these among many other 1. The first is the considertion of the vilenesse of the composition of our bodies Saint Basile saith that mans life is a schoolehouse of humility and his ground is upon that of the psalme where the Prophet comparing his body to the celestiall bodies falls into admiration why God did rather choose to put a reasonable soul into his body rather then into them What is in man Lord that thou art so mindful of him c. And out of that place in Genesis where Abraham acknowledgeth himself to be but dust and ashes Our nature is but a heap of dust mingled with ashes And the Philosopher saith that we are but a pot of Choler and phlegme And Saint Augustine saith that it would be a prealvent motive to humility if we would but take notice what manner of stuff passeth through our nose ears and other parts of our bodies nunquam tam turpe sterquilinium reperites we should see there is no such dunghill as our selves 2. Another means is the consideration of the estate of our souls The humble Publican took notice of it when he said God be mercifull to me a sinner A father seems to correct the translation of those words well by mihi peccato to me which am nothing but sinne For it is many of our cases We are such sinners as that the Apostle saith we are sold as slaves under sinne and in us that is in our flesh there dwelleth no good thing insomuch that of our selves we are not able to think a good thought And not onely so but if we consider that we have so multiplied our transgressions as that they are more in number then the haires of our head insomuch as the burden of them is so intollerable that they are too heavy for us to bear The consideration of these things will so humble us that though the devill carry us into our own mountain and shew us any good thing in our selves to tempt us with we shall be able to say with Jacob we are not worthy of the least of Gods mercyes and that if we use the gifts we have never so well yet to say we are unprofitable servants and that there is no gain to be expected from us to him and with the Prophet O Lord righteousnesse belongeth to thee but unto us confusion of faces and lastly with King David Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the praise for thy loving mercy and truths sake 3. A third is the consideration of the crosses and afflictions which God either hath or may lay upon us and this is a sufficient motive to humble even the wicked This wrought upon king Ahab of whom it is said that he had sold himself to work evil a blaze of humility which was not unrewarded And certainly this is no small means to work this duty and so we are to think of it King David said it is good for me that I have been afflicted because thereby he learnt Gods statutes this drives us to God by prayer and to the word for comfort it maks us to enter into the house of mourning and to exercise discipline over our selves with other the like effects which it works 4. Lastly the best and chief motive should be the example of our Saviour of whom though there were many things worthy our learning and imitation in him yet he would have us chiefly learn this duty of humility Learn of me saith he for I am 〈◊〉 and lowly in heart And so all his acts upon earth did testifie of him his preaching was humble he sought not his own glory hismiracles without pride see thou tell no man said he to the cured Leper he begins his first sermon with Blessed are the poor in spirit his behaviour was humble of which he left an example in washing his disciples feet exemplum dedi vobis he was humble in his birth humble in his life but his death was a true pattern of humility beyond all presidents He humbled himself to death even the death of the Crosse. Saint Augustine upon our Saviours speech before mentioned Mat. 11. 29. saith discite a me non mundum fabricare non cuncta visibilia invisibilia fabricare non in ipso mundo miracula sacere et mortuos suscitare c. sed quod mitis sum et humilis corde Cogitas magnam constituere fabricam celsitudinis de fundamento prius cogita humilitatis Learn of me not to create the world or all visible or invisible things not to work miracles in the world as to raise the dead c. but to be meek and lowly in heart as I am Thou conceivest to erect a great fabrick of honour first bethink thy self of laying the foundation of humility And another Father upon our Saviours first sermon Blessed are the poor in spirit Ne contemnerent hominis humilitatem placuit Deo plura largiri in humilitate sua quam in 〈◊〉 qui igitur verentur humiliari se 〈◊〉 ea facere quae secit Deus Lest men should despise humility it pleased God to bestow more in the time of his humility then in his Majesty They therefore that are afraid to humble themselves fear that which God himself did And so we come to the signes of true humility 1. The first signe of true humility appears in our tongue by ruling that and forbearing to talk of matters above us Speak not proud things And not onely so but not to have them in our thoughts but to be content to deport our selves according to that condition in which God hath placed us We must know how to be abased and how to abound else God will mislike us as he did Baruch who did quarere grandia seek after great things And therefore Saint Augustine saith this is a true signe of humility when a man despiseth those things aswell which he might have as them he would have The second is when we set before us for our object bona aliena et mala nostra illa ut aemulentur hac ut corrigentur other mens good parts and our own evill to follow their's and correct our own When a man doth with the Prophet acknowledge
one another 〈◊〉 condemnes Zimri had Zimri peace which slew his Master And Absolom though he were rebellious to his father yet he could condemne Hushai for leaving David is this thy kindnes to thy friend 2. As the Prophet Esay hath it in the forenamed verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 their worm shall not die Conscientia ipsorum paena their very conscience shall be a punishment to them So that their life may be 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 long but without delight or joy 3. The third is out of the same verse ignis 〈◊〉 non extinguetur Their fire shal never be quenched Their misery shall never have end 4. And lastly there too they shall be an abhorring to all flesh They shall be odious to every good man Their name shall be forgotten God will root out the remembrance of them from the earth The name of the wicked shall rot And though God take away the righteous betimes yet in the way of righteousnes is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death as the wiseman speaks And to conclude with the words of the Preacher though the dayes of the wicked be prolonged yet it shall go well with them that fear the Lord But it shall not go 〈◊〉 with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he 〈◊〉 not before God THE EXPOSITION OF THE Sixth Commandement CHAP. I. Why 〈◊〉 commandment is placed in this order How it coheres with the rest Of unjust anger the first step to 〈◊〉 how it differs from other affections Of lawful anger unlawful anger how prohibited The degrees and fruits of it The affirmative part of the precept to preserve the life of 〈◊〉 The life of the body and the degrees of it The life of the soul and the sinnes against it The scope of this commandment Non occides Thou shalt do no murther or Thou shalt not kill WE have seen that whatsoever duty was between men as Superiours and Inferiours pertained to the fift Commandment which hath been handled at large Now the duties that are called 〈◊〉 which are common to all follow in the four next commandments This sixth concerneth the life of man and the preservation thereof The seventh respects chastity and the preservation of it in wedlock and out of wedlock The eighth takes care of meum tunm the goods propriety and estates of men And the ninth concernes the reputation and good name of a man This commandment conducing so much to publick and private peace is rightly and in its due order placed next to the 〈◊〉 whereby authority and government is established with due respect and honour And the lawgiver considering the frailty of mans memory hath in his infinite wisdom under one word murder comprehended a whole catalogue of sinnes and made choice of this word which signifies the highest degree of sinnes of this nature to shew how odious the other degrees are and that those affections of unjust anger hatred c. Are murder in his sight which otherwise would not perhaps have seemed so haynous to man if they had not been expressed by that word This commandment is expounded in the law by Moses where not onely murder itself is forbidden but all the degrees and causes 〈◊〉 men come to it as 〈◊〉 bearing standing against the blood of our neighbour hatred not rebuking a neighbour for his sin revenge grudges c. And as in the law so in the Gospel by our Saviour himself there is a large comment upon this law from the two and twentieth verse of the fift of Saint Matthew to the 27. And from the 38. verse to the end of the chapter where rash anger and malice is made murther in the heart and revenge even against enemies is severely forbidden The like is in Saint Johns Epistles almost throughout them all but especially in one place most plainly and especially whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer By which God sheweth that God rather gives his laws to the heart the fountain of the affections to the affections then to the actions as men do their laws And when we have well weighed these places we shall finde that to be true which the Apostle saith that Anger and hatred 〈◊〉 the gate of the 〈◊〉 whereby he enters into the soul Be angry and sinne not neither give place to the Devil for hereby is way made for strife and debate the proper work of the Devil as S. James speaks For the order and dependance of this Commandment upon the former it is very exact For 1. First the fifth was concerning parents the beginners and Authors of our life therefore no object cometh better to be treated on in the next place then life it self which floweth as an effect from the former and every man ought to prize and esteem it both in himself and others And as it ought to follow the fifth so ought it to go before the rest for we must first have life and being before we can partake of wedlock goods or good name 〈◊〉 do all depend upon life and therefore the Commandment for preserving of it ought to stand before these 2. The ground of the fifth Commandment was self conceit to restrain that conceit which men have of their own excellency whereby they assume honour to themselves and are unwilling to give honour to whom it is due Hence men are apt to hate those that are better and more honoured then themselves for omnis iniquitas mentitur sibi all iniquity deceives it self and we may observe that the first murder came from this Cain hated his brother because he was accepted and preferred before him and the text saith plainly that he slew his brother because he was better then himself for his brothers works were good and his own evil So was Esau's anger kindled against Jacob because of his prerogative of birth-right which he had bought and for the blessing which he stole from Esau. The like was in the Patriarchs against Joseph so that in both cases had they not been prevented they had proceeded even to murder when they hated them All this I say grows upon the conceit that we are not honored so much and others in our opinion are honoured more then they should be Thus then we being thwarted and crossed do as Ahab did fall into anger and revenge and to obtain our desires into murder And therefore in the placing of this Commandment before those that follow there is very good order observed It is true as diverse have well observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fervour of spirit or animosity proceedeth from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire and our affections are hence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violent and earnest We see in natural things fire whose natural place is to be above desireth to be there and therefore it hath the quality of lightnesse given to it whereby it is apt to
ones have been slain by her Or else Praeludia Previous actions that bring on the outward act As 1. Amplexus impudicus Immodest imbraces imbracing the bosom of a stranger impurum osculum an unchaste kisse The Harlot in the Proverbs had a stronge or impudent face she caught him the young man and kissed him 2. Touching with the hands those parts that ought to be kept secret the woman was to be put to death that puts forth her hand c. though it were to deliver her Husband from those that strove with him 3. By making them drunk that they may discover their nakednesse And above all these there are some things in naming whereof the Apostle is at a stand and saith that there are some things which he wrappeth in silence of which it is a shame even to speak Against these is opposed the vertue called 〈◊〉 shamefastnesse The Apostle saith God hath not called us unto uncleannesse but ad sanctimoniam to purity and holinesse and that every one ought to 〈◊〉 his vessel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sanctification and honour and instead of giving our selves to those things we ought to think upon such things as are honest and pure For as S. James tels us The wisdom which is from above is pure in the first place and therefore God took order under the Law that such unseemly parts might not be seen which Cham seeing and not turning away had a curse pronounced against him We come now to speak of the act it self Within the act of incontinency are comprehended 1. That with ones self which the Apostle cals 〈◊〉 or self pollution or defiling of ones own flesh or filthinesse of the flesh opposite to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holinesse he makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this defiling of the flesh 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Thess. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lust of uncleannesse which includes the act for the act of this sin is nothing else but the bringing forth of those inward lusts But more plainly S. Peter calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lust of uncleannesse or the desire of polluting with which Jude speaking of wicked men saith Sopiti inquinant carnem these filthy Dreamers defile the flesh and not onely their flesh but their garments are polluted also and such hatred he would have against this sin that we should not onely hate the sin but even the garment spotted and defiled with it For besides the diseases and weaknesse which it brings upon the body it likewise by polluting the body is opposite to our Baptisme in which there is an outward washing of the body as well as an inward of the soul. Now because of these words of S. Iude here falleth in this particular Nocturna pollutio nightly pollutions If it be therefore 1. By reason of infirmity and weaknesse of nature 2. Or Ex 〈◊〉 vasorum from the fulnesse of the spermatick vessels 3. Or upon the laxitas partium loosenesse or dissolution of those parts upon violent exercise or heat by hard riding c. and not proceeding from lust in these and the like cases it is no sin yet with this proviso that though it proceed from some or all of these causes there be ingrata recordatio a regret and sorrow in remembring it otherwise it will be imputed as a sin but if it being not in his thought seed passe from him against his will and without his knowledge if he be grieved at it when he feeleth or knoweth of it in that case it is no sin But on the other side if a man be given to drunkennesse or other excesse and by reason thereof it issue from him though it be not sin ratione actus 〈◊〉 by reason of the act subsequent which is involuntary there being no purpose to commit the sin yet it is a sin and liable to punishment ratione actus praecedentis by reason of the precedent act that is drunkennesse for that which is not voluntary in the act may yet be voluntary and therefore sinful in the cause and thus if from surfetting there come 〈◊〉 seminis this is a sin or if by often rolling of wanton cogitations in the day time it be procured in the night or that willingly by day 〈◊〉 night he spill his seed as Onan did it is a great offence in Gods sight The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncleannes the fathers Mollitiem effeminatenesse and the law termes it the sin of Onan and the censure of it is it was exceeding wicked in Gods eyes 2. If it be cum alio with another then comes Bestiality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an abomination not to be named buggery with a beast forbidden by the law and punished with death both of man and beast and not onely with the death of the body but with that of the soul too Without shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abominable buggerers They which make a confusion as it is called between themselves and beasts shall be brought to worse then a beastly confusion in the end 3. If it be with mankinde it is either with consent of both parties and then it is a sin in both or if either party whether male or female be forced by violence and seeketh to resist but cannot that party is innocent but the enforcer committs a double sinne one in the violence which is against the former commandment and the other in the very act 〈◊〉 against this and therefore by the law he was to die 4. Of those that yield consent they are either males or females for so strong and strange is our concupiscence that any thing is sufficient to stir up the coals and kindle it and the heathen could say Quod in foeminis sexus facit id facit in puero aetas that which the sexe causeth towards women the age causeth towards boyes Thou shalt not lie with mankinde as with womankinde saith the law and why for it is an abomination And the offenders against this law are to be punished with death There are two reasons for it 1. It is an unfruitful worke of darknesse and contra bonum prolis against the benefit of procreation which is one of the principal ends of matrimonie 2. It is also against nature altogether unnatural the natural use being in the other sex therefore the Apostle makes it the signe of a reprobate minde And not onely a sin in it self but a punishment also of other sins For for this sin it was that God himself came down and sate in judgement against the five Cities which plot of ground is an unprofitable Sea to this day called Mare mortuum the dead sea because it nourisheth no living thing in it and it is also called Lacus Asphaltites of the unfruitfulnesse of it answerable to the sterility of this sin 5. With the
guile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laying aside all guile c. CHAP. VI. Of theft out of contracts This is 1. In the family by 1. Purloyning 2. Mispending 3. Idlenesse 4. Withdrawing ones self from service 2. Without the family is 1. Of things consecratea by Sacriledge 2. Of things common and those either publick or private Of theft personal and real The aggravation of theft in regard of the poor c. Against enclosing of Commons The conclusion about unlawful getting NOw of thefts that are without contract these are either Domestica within the family or forinseca without 1. The first of or within the family as a bad servant For Fur domesticus fur maximus est the domestick thief is ever the greatest thief and the reason is because of the trust he receives And such an one may be a thief these four wayes 1. Intervertendo by purloining their masters goods or according to the sense of the word by turning the profit out of his into their own purses This was the unjust Stewards act and Gehezies and the text saith that Judas one of our Saviours Disciples was a thief because he diverted privily somewhat to his own use out of the bag this is furtum domesticum theft within doors 2. Dissipando by wasting and mis-spending his goods in drunkennesse riot and other excesse Like that servant that in his Masters absence began to smite his fellows and to eat and drink and to be drunken And the prodigal son that spent his fathers estate upon Harlots 3. Torpendo by consuming his estate by idlenesse this is Fur laboris one that steals his labour from his Master and by that means wasteth his estate For servants should not do eye service only or that which they are commanded alone for that is not thank-worthy but labour faithfully and be as provident for their Masters as they should be for themselves But if instead of doing faithful service they grow negligent and idle they are within the compasse of the breach of this Commandement The Wife man saith that He that is slothful in his work is even the brother of him that is a great waster and shall receive that doom Thou wicked and slothful servant c. Cast that unprofitable servant into utter darknesse c. 4. Lastly Subtrahendo se per fugam by withdrawing himself from his Masters service and becoming a fugitive robbing his Master of his service for a servant is part of the Masters possessions Though Agar served a hard Mistresse and thereupon left her service yet the Angel sent her back and bad her humble her self And though s. Paul could have been contented to have retained Onesimus yet because he was Philemons servant from whom he had fled he returned him back Theft without the family is either of things consecrated to God and this is called Sacriledge things common and prophane 1. For the first there was a Law for it That if any should by ignorance take away things consecrated or holy to God he should bring a trespasse offering The Apostle matches it with idolatry Thou that abhorrest idols dost thou commit sacriledge God himself immediately punisht this sin in Ananias and Sapphira and that with capital punishment with death and that a sudden death giving no time for repentance thereby to shew how he hated this sinne and what a severe avenger he is of it It is noted of Abimelech though a King that hee took seventy pieces of silver out of the temple of an Idol his god Baal-Berith and what followed appeares in the same Chapter Hee was slaine by a woman with a piece of milstone which broke his scull Athaliah the Queen with her sonnes had broken up the house of the Lord and took the things that were dedicated to God and gave them to 〈◊〉 she was drawn out of the Temple the place she had 〈◊〉 and then slain and her sons had no better end The alienating of the sacred vessels of the Temple and applying them to prophane uses by Belshazzar at his feast in Babylon caused that terrible hand-writing on the wall which made all his 〈◊〉 to shake and foretold him that the Kingdome was translated to the Medes and Persians which hapned presently after for he was 〈◊〉 that same night 2. Theft of things prophane or common is either 1. Of such things as are publick Or 2. private 1. Publick when things belonging to the Publick State or Common-wealth are stolne as if one rob the Exchequer c. And this is called Peculatus when the King is robbed or any thing stolne out of a publick place such also were those Balnearii fures that stole out of the Bath a publick place the clothes of them that were bathing And to these may be added such as receive monies out of the publick treasury and convert it to other private use Such were the Priests in the time of 〈◊〉 who received every mans half shekel brought in upon the Kings Commandement for the repair of the Temple but neglected the reparation whereupon an other course was fain to be taken a Chest was provided with a hole in it into which every man put his money for that use personale of living things as 1 Men 2 Beasts 2. Private theft is either Furtum reale of things inanimate 1. The stealing of men is called Plagium and such theeves Plagiarii This sin was punished with death by the Law He that stealeth a man and killeth him shall dye the death yea if he were onely about such a thing he was to dye for it Saint Paul accounts it so great a sinne that he reckons Man-stealers among Whoremongers Buggerers Perjured persons and other the most grievous sinners This was part of Judas his sin who sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver though withal there was herein a betraying him into the hands of his enemies who he knew would pu him to death 2. The stealing of beasts is called Abiegatus and the men Abigei stealers of cattel such were the Sabeans and 〈◊〉 that took away Jobs Oxen his Asses and Camels Against this we have an expresse law wherein the offender is to restore in some cases four fold and in some five fold 2. Reall theft is the stealing of things inanimate that have no life as of Money 〈◊〉 Apparel c. for which the offender by the Law was to restore two fold Thus we see the several sorts of theft Now all these are aggravated in regard of the person against whom they are committed as to rob the stranger the poor the fatherlesse or widow this brings a greater curse upon the finne and makes it become peccatum clamans a crying sin If they cry unto me saith God I will surely hear them Therefore there is a special prohibition against taking a pledge of
before the men of 〈◊〉 So Christ made as if he would have gone further in Luke 24. 28. and did purpose so to have done if their intreaty had not stayed him as appears in the next Verse So S. Paul wished That 〈◊〉 were with the Galatians having his voyce 〈◊〉 that so they might not know him to the end that he might see and 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 better Here fals in as a principal part of this simulation or counterfeyting the sin of Hypocrisie which is an outward resemblance of Holinesse and Religion when there is none in the heart but because we have spoken of this before we shall pretermit it here CHAP. VII The second 〈◊〉 branch of the sinne forbidden viz Vain speech Three ends of speech 1. Edification 2. Profit 3. Grace and delight Of the means whereby this Commandement may be kept Of Suspition Rules about it 1. For the manner VVE come now to the second general branch of the sin prohibited viz. Vain speech which the Prophet David joyneth with dissimulation when he saith He 〈◊〉 not kept company with vain persons nor had fellowship with the deceitful For as in the seventh Commandement is prohibited not onely fornication but also 〈◊〉 so here is forbidden not onely lying and 〈◊〉 but also vain and foolish speaking Our Saviour in Mark 7. 22. sets down three heads of sin against this Commandement 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slander 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pride the occasion of flattery and boasting and 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolishnesse the root of vain speech and in Matthew 12. he concludes That of every idle word there must an account be given So that to the former sinnes already handled we must also adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolish talk which Saint Paul doth not distinguish from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but makes them all one though the world-abusing tearms calls it Vrbanitas Urbanity such as is in men full of pleasant conceits and witty jests CHRIST calls such words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idle words and Job Words of no value The Prophet denounceth a woe against them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and the prayer of Agur was Remove from me vanity and lyes By which places we may gather that vain and foolish words draw on lyes and all the Catalogue of sinnes forbidden in this Commandement The Prophet David makes vain speech an essential mark of a wicked man whose mouth talketh of vanity c. And the Prophet Esay saith that in vanity they 〈◊〉 there 's the first step then they proceed to lyes there 's the second and then further to corrupt judgement and justice Therefore David glorieth in this that he 〈◊〉 not accompanied vain men And Solomon condemns vanity tossed to and fro among men That is when one asks a vain question and another makes a vain answer and the third hee gives a worse judgement And Job reckons this amongst his good deeds That hee had not walked in vanities neither of speech nor action Saint Chrysostome on Ephes. 4. saith What Workman is there that hath any tool which is vain and serves to no purpose there is no Instrument but at one time or other hath its use and the Workman knows what use to put it to And therefore in this ars animarum the art of saving a mans soul which is ars artium the art of all arts no man ought to have any thing about him which is in vain or without some end and use therefore the tongue must not be a vain Instrument or imployed to vanity and so he concludes that Quicquidest otiosum est criminosum whatsoever is idle is criminous And for this cause it is that the Apostle bids Titus avoid Foolish and idle questions about genealogies and vain janglings about the Law for which he useth no other reason but this that they are vain and unprofitable for if a man will draw the Apostles discourse into a syllogisme he must make this the major whatsoever is vain is to be avoided but such foolish questions are vain Ergo avoid them This sin we should be 〈◊〉 careful to avoid because that man is as it is in Job Tanquam pullus onagri Like the wilde Asse colt vain and foolish from his birth and 〈◊〉 as S. Peter saith we are brought up among men in whom there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain conversation so that we receive it by tradition and therefore it is one of those things which Christ came to redeem us from For there is as Job saith a forge of vanities in mans heart ye all forge lyes Hence the Apostle exhorts us Not to walk as the Gentiles did in the vanity of their mindes and the Psalmist not to lift up our hearts to vanity The Apostle tels us what this vain speech is Ephes. 4. 29. he saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupt communication and in the same place he sets down what our speech should be viz. It must either be 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to edification or 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to profit or for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for grace to the hearer It is no doubt but the Apostle as he was in his Epistles which are verba scripta written words so he was in his communication Now his Epistles tend chiefly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to edification in Religion and Vertue but when he advises Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomack this belongs not properly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to edification but may be referred to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was useful and profitable And when he bids him remember to bring his cloak but especially the book and parchments it must be referred to the same head to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as S. Gregory saith Justa necessitas corporis necessitas the necessity of the body is a just necessity And when he tels him that Erastus was at Corinth and Trophimus he had left at Miletum this tended not onely to edification but yet was useful such things as may be of good use in common life may be fit matter of our speech For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and delight to the hearer all his salutations may be 〈◊〉 hither for they have neither matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor any necessary use but might have been left out as they are in some Epistles but they are pleasing to those he writes to and to this may be referred that poudred speech which the Apostle requires which is that which is properly called urbanity when our speech is poudred not as one saith atro sale momi with Salt-peter but candido sale Mercurii with Wit which may delight and refresh the minde being wearied with grave and weighty affairs The Apostle writing to the Corinths saith I have not been troublesome to you have
doctoribus intelligentiae dona tribuuntur 〈◊〉 enim Doctori verbum Dominus pro gratia tribuit auditoris When hearers come with a good appetite to heare the word the teachers are enabled with 〈◊〉 gifts of understanding For ost-times God gives his word to the teacher in favour of the hearers CHAP. II. The duty of the catechized 1. To come and that 1. with a right intent 2. willingly 3. with preparation which must be 1. in fear 2. by prayer Other rules for coming 1. with fervency 2. with purity of heart 3. in faith 4. frequently The second duty to hear or hearken The necessity of hearing The manner 1. with reverence 2. with fervour of spirit 3 with silence 4. without gazing 5. heare to keep How the word must be kept in our hearts 1. by examination 2. by meditation 3. by conference Now that it may be the more fruitful two duties in this text are required of them 〈◊〉 et auscultare To come and to heare or hearken It is the nature of the Holy Ghost to comprehend and comprize many things in few words much matter in short speech 〈◊〉 come The first duty required is to come to Church Our presence must be the first part of our Christian obedience I was glad saith the Psalmist when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord. And the Prophet saith many people shall go and say Come and 〈◊〉 us go up into the mountain of the Lord. The Jews have a proverb Blessed is he that dusteth himself with the dust of the Temple Alledging that of the Psalmist One day in Gods Court is better then a thousand 1 And yet our coming to Church will availe us little if we come as they did of whom the Prophet speakes that is for fashions sake feare of punishment disfavour or the like rather then for any good will we have to come thither For to such the word shall be as the same Prophet tells us as a sealed book that cannot be opened Therefore if it stood in our election and that all censures and rubs were removed that we might be at liberty to come or stay at home yet are we to come and to come well affected because the Holy Ghost hath said Venite come For to come onely at Gods call and not well qualified is no more then the Centurions servant did at his command therefore in so coming we shall do God no great service The people went three dayes journey into the wildernesse after Christ. And there were some that heard Saint Paul while he continued preaching till midnight But our coming and hearing will little avail us if it be not with a good intent for even the flies lice grashoppers and caterpillars came at Gods commandment 2 But we are not only to come but to come Libenter with a willing minde to be bettered by our coming not to heare newes as the Athenians nor as 〈◊〉 to Christ hoping to see some miracles done but diligenter ardenter with diligence and zeale Saint Augustine calls the peoples act of following Christ three dayes in the wildernesse Monstrum diligentiae a diligence more then ordinary We must be like those that to heare the Apostles resorted daily and with gladnesse to the Temple and in Solomons phrase wait daily at his gates and at the posts of his doors to hear that is without wearinesse or intermission 〈◊〉 saith Non sunt istae institutiones sicut homiliae These Catechizings are not as Homilies for if we misse a sermon we may redeeme it again but if we misse this exercise we loose much benefit It is compared to a building of which if any one part be wanting the whole edifice must 〈◊〉 be unperfect Therefore we must follow the Apostles counsail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and redeem the time for the neglect of this duty cannot be excused by multiplicity of businesse for though a provident care be lawful yet when it hinders us from coming to God it 〈◊〉 sin Nor can pastime priviledge us for there 's no other reason given that Esau was evil but that he was a man of the field or lived in the fields and loved his game and pleasures And it was the Israelites fault Sedebat populus edere surrexit autem ludere the people sat down to eat and rose up to play This was spoken to their reproach and infamy And therefore it is well said of One Mens otiosa nihil aliud cogitare novit quam de escis aut quam de ventre an idle man thinks of nothing but his belly And another Nihil in sancto proposito otio deterius est nothing hinders holy intentions more then 〈◊〉 Nor the spirit of sloth The Prophet tells the Jews The Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes If a man have not a minde to go to this exercise it will not excuse him he must rouse up himself and remove all impediments But if sicknesse seiz upon us or some extraordinary occasion that cannot be avoided necessitates us and keeps us back at any time from this duty we are to follow the Apostles rule before mentioned and redeem the time by our better future diligence 3 Now forasmuch as we know that every comer is not welcome but he that cometh in his wedding garment that comes prepared as he ought and that we 〈◊〉 King Hezekiah would not proclaim a solemn passeover til the Priests and Levites were prepared and that King David though he had taken as good order as he could yet not confident of the abilities of himself 〈◊〉 his people betook himself to prayer that God would prepare their hearts And that in the gospel the office of John the Baptist was to prepare the way of the Lord and to make his paths straight Lastly that the servant which prepared not himself was severely punished We ought to fit our selves to this duty by way of preparation for certainly this is a most necessary duty required in every one that desireth to know God Prepare to meet thy God saith the Prophet And Barnabas in his sermon to the Antiochians the first that were called 〈◊〉 exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord And this every one ought firmly to beleeve that whosoever intends to be an Auditor must hear upon this consideration to make use of his hearing in the course of his life and put in practise what he hears The Psalmist saith That a young man must rule himself according to the word to the end that he may cleanse his wayes And he that practiseth not what he heareth faileth in the first point Our Saviour called the doctrine of the Pharisees Leaven and Christian doctrine may be called fermentum Christianum Christian Leaven whose property is to change the whole lump into
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
his own sinne and his own transgressions are ever before him and not busie himself with other mens faults whereas the proud mans thoughts are bona sua mala aliena the evil in others and the good that is in himself 3. Another signe is when a man is able to suffer the slander backbiting and reproches of ill tongues and not regard them as King David did As for me saith he I was like a deaf man and heard not and as one that is dumb and openeth not his mouth and in the next verse I became even as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth is no reproof Thus he shewed his humil ty when he bare patiently the railing of Shimei Christ being reviled reviled not 4. The fourth not to do any thing that may be against Gods glory though it be to a mans own reproach and suffering in this world when he is willing to suffer any thing himself rather then any dishonour should red ound to God or his Church by opening the mouths of the wicked Psal. 69. 6. Let not them that trust in thee be ashamed O Lord God of hosts for my cause let not those that seek thee be confounded through me c. 5. The last is not to rob God of his glory or to give it to another How can yee beleeve saith Christ that seek glory one of another The humble man as the Psalmist saith setteth not by himself but is lowly in his own eyes Psal. 15. 4. this is evidentissimum signum appropinguantis gloriae for before honour goes humility as a proud looke before a fall Pro. 33. CHAP. X. Of the fift inward vertue Hope Hope and fear come both from faith The several vses of hope The nature and exercise of hope Of presumption and despair Reasons against both Means to strengthen hope Signes of true hope Spes Hope AS the knowledge and belief of Gods justice worketh in us fear and humility of which we have spoken so from the knowledge and apprehension of his mercy ariseth hope and love After humility we come to the valley of Achor for a doore of hope as the Prophet speaks When we have been brought to the valley of mourning and have bin in fear and despaire then will God open to us a door of hope so that in stead of the first spirit the spirit of bondage unto fear we shall receive the spirit of adoption unto hope Now by conferring our strength and performances with the strict rule of Gods justice we finde it impossible that we should hope for salvation but by faith apprehending Gods mercy it may be possible it may be considered as attainable two wayes 1. either by our selves 2. or by some other 1. Now concerning the former if we look upon our selves the effect of faith is fear inasmuch as the object of it is Gods justce and so we can have little comfort in our selves for this shews that it is impossible to us as of our selves but as it is in the Apostle every mouth must be stopped and all the world must become guilty before God ther 's little hope that way 2. But we are not left alltogether to despair for though it be impossible to us of our selves yet if it be possible by another if another way may be found ther 's some hope Faith reasoneth as the Psalmist doth Hath God made all men for nought or in vain If he hath then why falleth not his wrath at once And searching further for the cause why we are not consumed we finde that his mercy is the cause It is of the Lords mercy saith the Prophet that we are not consumed for his compassions fail not and that the work of his creation is not in vain Then consequently a remnant there shall be and God will have a tenth alwayes preserved to himself and the holy seed shall be the substance thereof and as it is in the Gospell there shall be a little flock and we may hope that of that little flock we are If the Lord were sparing of his mercy that might be a great impediment to our hope but when we read that the Lord waiteth to be gracious to us it setteth our hope in a better forwardnesse Now because that out of the gate of mercy all our hope cometh we are to consider upon whom God vouchsafeth to bestow this mercy how they must be qualified The prophet saith he will thrust his face into the dust that is he will humble himself if peradventure he may have hope And hope is given to them that fear and are of a contrite spirit and that tremble at Gods word Spes timentibus Deum hope is a reward to them that fear God And as fear is requisite so faith much more God shews this kindnesse to them that put their trust in him and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute or forsaken And when we hear God himself say liberabo eum qui sperat in me when the act of hope shall have such a reward ther is good encouragement and we may surely expect it Now to hope is to trust in Gods mercy and so the psalmist saith My trust is in thy mercy for that is Porta spei the gate of hope there 's no entrance unto God but by this gate and no issue of good to us but by it for faith apprehending mercy hopeth and the rather because there is such plenty of mercy promised to them that hope in God that it will compasse them round Who so putteth his trust in the Lord mercy imbraceth him on every side But it may be demanded how faith can beget both fear and hope two contraries or how two contraries can stand in one subject To this may be answered first we should not question it in respect that the holy Ghost hath put them together so often The Psalmist saith The Lords delight is in them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy Again faith breedeth fear in us in respect of our weaknesse and it breeds hope in respect of the mercies of God so that they being contraries non secundum idem they may well stand together in the soule of a just man For distinction sake Fides credit promissis faith beleeveth the promise and spes expectat credita hope looketh for the things we beleeve Again a thing may be believed and yet not hoped for as no true Christian though he hopes not for hell yet he believes there is such a place So the general truth of God being the object of our faith and containing many threatnings bringeth forth fear and the mercy of God in his promises being likewise an object of our faith produceth hope And so we see they are distinguished ab objecto the one having Gods justice and the other his goodnesse for its object S. Bernard distinguisheth the three vertues of Faith Hope and Charity by presenting to
of two sorts 1. The first is the Epicurean despair And it was the Israelites fault He smote said they the stony rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people S. Gregory giveth us a note Because the Israelites ex luxuria were not fed with Quails as their lust came upon them presently desperaverunt they despired of Gods omnipotency or of his care in protecting them and providing for them And when a man conceiveth that either the thing promised will be alwayes futurum to come or if it hath no taste at all with him or that it is a thing not much to be esteemed he giveth himself to sensuality as S. Augustine said Quia non possum habere quae spero because I cannot have what I hope for at my own will I will have those things which are contra spem that is those things which I can have in this life which being present cannot be the object of hope according to the Epicures rule Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas eat drink play for there is no pleasure after death to be hoped for 2. 〈◊〉 second is more to be pitied but no lesse dangerous then the other which is despair in Gods mercy The Apostle was afraid lest the incestuous person should have been swallowed with this This errour ariseth upon an imagination that there may proceed such evil from the Creature as God cannot master whereas it is most certain that Gods mercies exceed all sin And this was Cains case and 〈◊〉 My iniquity is greater then can be forgiven S. Ambrose writing upon that place saith Mentiris Cain Cain thou lyest for if it were possible or lawful to think that any one attribute of 〈◊〉 had larger dimensions then another it must needs be mercy that would be most transcendent because it is an attribute which reacheth unto the heavens whereas his righteousnesse standeth like the strong mountains and his judgements like the great deep Therefore the School-men disputing the case of Judas whether his betraying of Christ or despair of Gods mercy was the greater sin they resolve that his despair was the greater because it rejected the medicine of Gods mercy and Christs merits by which the other sin might have been cured and so it was simply incureable Despair not therefore nor let the Devil perswade thee that 〈◊〉 is poor in mercy and onely can forgive small sins for his mercy is over all his works The means to attain and preserve hope are these First to consider the end of our hope which extends it self beyond this life The Wise man saith when a wicked man dieth his expectation shall perish and the hope of unjust men perisheth but the just hath hope in 〈◊〉 The consideration of our end raiseth our hope higher then this life And in another place he tells us that surely there will be an end and our hope shall not be cut off it ends not with our life and therefore S. Peter quoting a place in the Psalms saith Our heart shall be glad and our flesh shall rest in hope So that death doth not put an end to our hope 2. To consider the examples of others That the Patriarchs and Fathers lost not the fruit of their hope Our Fathers saith the Psalmist hoped in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them They called upon thee and were holpen they put their trust in thee and were not confounded And by these examples we should be quickened in our hope For it is the Devils policy to lay despair as an engine to entrap us perswading us that there were never such sinners as we are and therefore never were any in the like case with us But if we look back into the Scriptures we shall finde him to be but a seducer in this 3. A third is our own experience of Gods strengthening us against former temptations and of our own former deliverances from sin and danger which may make us say with David The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lyon and out of the paw of the bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine this is drawn from our experience then which nothing vseth to be more prevalent with us 4. But the chiefe means is that which is formerly alledged the consideration of the promise of God and withall that the promise is sure because he is faithfull that hath promised And whatsoever is written concerning these promises aforetime were written for our instruction that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope And this hath been the especial ayme of the holy Ghost to strengthen our hope in mentioning it so often in Scripture And it is onely God whose 〈◊〉 is factum est whose word and work go together therefore his promise is so sure that he speaks of things to come in the preter tense as if they were already done de futuris in preterito Therefore Nathan said to King David transtulit non transfert God hath taken away or put away thy sinne not God will put it away So Saint Paul that he hath already raised us and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus because though it be not yet 〈◊〉 yet is it as certain in respect of the promise as if it were already come Now seeing God is good and faithfull we may safely hope in him There is one thing remarkable and true in the blasphemous speech of 〈◊〉 Thou trustest in Egypt upon the staff of a bruised reed on which if a man leane it will go into his hand so fareth it with men that trust in other things besides God The wise man saith confidence in an 〈◊〉 man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of ioynt in either of which there is little help a waking dream as the heathen said Our hope therefore is called 〈◊〉 viva a lively hope for the worldlings hope is mortua dead hath no life in it or at least spes mortalis a mortal hope if we trust to it it will fail us and either wound us or make us ashamed as they in Job Job 6. 20. whereas true hope never makes ashamed Rom. 5. 3 And then we may boldly say with the Prophet why art thou so vexed O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in God for he is the health of my countenance and my God There are certain signes whereby we may know whether our hope be right for there is fleeting hope when a man thinks he hopes but doth not as a man may think he beleeves but doth not 1. The first is the signe which appeared in Ezechias in his sicknes saith he I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart
so that thy loosethe love of God And this humour hath two degrees 1. when we think better of our selves then we are and so loue our selves better then we should 2. when we prefer our selves in our love before God The first is a degree to the second for when man have tasted worldly things though base then nothing wil have any relish with them but those and so many come to say of God with him in Plautus Malo me ista mulier plus amet quam 〈◊〉 so brutish are many in their hearts and in their doings proclaime it that they had rather have the favour of this man or woman then of God Saint 〈◊〉 defines this to be inordinatum 〈◊〉 motum quo aliquis excellentiam propriam admiratur This is a disordered motion of the minde whereby a man admires his own excellency 2. The second thing here forbidden is that which is apposed to zeale commonly called stupor stupidity when we account of all things alike as if there were no difference between good and ill God and Baal and we can be content to tolerate both Saint Augustine saith that this stupor is pejus omnibus vitiis the worst of all sinne this God punisheth with other grievous sins for it is an especial prejudice to the love of God 3. The third is that which the Fathers call nauseam spiritus which we may call a loathing of God when the thought of God is a burthen to them The case of such men is desperate and it is the very extremity of evil to which men may come in this life and though it be more rare yet it is found in some Now all these negatives and affirmatives may be thus examined and known by the contempt or approbation of Gods laws not of God himsely for every man will say he loves God with all his heart but of his laws For the case is alike as between an earthly Prince and us so between God and us 〈◊〉 diligit Regem diligit legem he that loves the King loves his law and so Qui diligit Deum diligit verbum He that loves God loves his word And this was King Davids touchstone O how do I love thy Law saith David and I have therefore loved thy commandments for they are the very joy of my heart We will adde something concerning the means and they are three 1. Pulcbrum 2. 〈◊〉 3. vtile beauty neernesse and profit or benefit Men are moved to love by these or some of these inducements and all these are eminently in God 1. Beauty There is 〈◊〉 a visible and 2. an invisible beauty The visible is that which attracteth our eyes one of the Heathen calls it radium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beame of divine essence and another florem divini seminis the flower of the divine seed This beauty is not that which ought to move us much it quickly fades one of the Heathen said Da mihi solem 〈◊〉 the summers sunne will parch it Da mihi ventum vernum the march winde wil spoil it or Duc unguem trausversum 〈◊〉 but with thy naile and it is marred But the beauty of God if a man had a glorified ye to see it passeth all these The prophet saith that he saw the likenes of God put in a vision and it filled him 2. The invisible Beauty Saint Augustine tells us how to finde It may be saith he that thou lovest a man because he is thy friend may it not be also that he is an old man And what lovest thou then in him His head is white his body crooked and his face wrinkled but thou wilt say fidelis homo est he is a faithful man well saith he quibus oculis videtur fidei iisdem videtur Deus with what eyes is that seen of faith Why with the same God is seen God is seen with the eyes of faith by nothing more And in God we have perfect rest but set thine eye or heart upon any other countenance or on any earthly pleasure thou shalt finde no rest in it but quicquid est quo 〈◊〉 occurritur whatsoever meets with wearines the same thing in s tigationem vertitur turneth to wearinesse it wearieth us if we fix our eyes but a while upon it 2. Fropinquity or neern sse Name any name of neernes not that of Dominus and servus excepted and there this love is and that is a great priviledge of ours that the Angels are not our Lords but fellow servants 2. But the name of friend is of greater propinquity Our Saviour saith I call you not servants but friends and such a friend as notwithstanding his glorious estate made him not think scorn to be our friend and in the pinch of our adversity did most of all shew his love to us 〈◊〉 The name of brother is yet neerer yet we see he vouchsafed to call us so Go tell my brethren c. And whereas naturally if there be many brethren it qualifieth the affection of Parents as Jacob loved Joseph more then all his children here it is otherwise Besides brethren according to the flesh are a means that the inheritance continueth not whole But this brother is so far from withholding any of the inheritance from us as that having two rights he was content to part with one to entitle us with the same 3. Besides this he is our father Deut. 32. 6. and not as a father after the flesh that begets them harly to a benefit it may be to a curse 4. He is an husband married to us Cant. a jealous God 5. But yet further there is one propinquity more he was not neer enough when the Apostle said It behoved him in all things to be like us but he took upon him our nature the seed of Abraham and that is to be like us indeed in all things sinne onely excepted which made us unlike to him that there might be perfectus a mor ubi perfect a similitudo a perfect love where there is a perfect likenes 3. The last motive is benefit Set up a Crib and put provender in it and the Oxe and the Asse will know you for it so it is in the case of benefit between man and man they that have more given or forgiven them are apt to love more Love increaseth and decreaseth according to benefits received And this the Heathen man could confesse to be but justice Hoc certe justitiae convenit suam cuique reddere benificio gratiam certainly this is consonant to justice to render thanks for every ones benefit Now what benefits doth God confer that we are facti et refecti made and renewed is from his goodnesse our own tables will instruct us how bountiful he is in serving up the creatures for our use so promotion riches honour they come not from men but from God Ipse est qui inclinavit corda eorum whatsoever benefit we receive from men we are accountable to God for all If then we
God and marvellous carefull in examining all circumstances when they exhort to any thing that agrees not with our worldly interests lest haply we should be seduced but in hearing the world and our own hearts where most peril is we are most secure and carelesse Hence it is that we yeeld partial obedience to God onely in what we like or in what crosses not our carnal ends and desires which Bernard calls deliratam obedientiam a nice obedience To sit an hour and heare a sermon and receive the sacrament and such outward performances we see no harm in them but in those things which the world or our own hearts do obloqui speak against we are ready to yeeld and hearken to them and to say with Cushai though he had been David servant and subject before yet now whomsoever this people shall choose his will I be and him will I serve we will hearken to God for a time but so as we will follow the world and our desires when they contradict what God requires this we must specially take heed of we must so obey God as to gainsay his gainsayers our obedience must be sincere without mixture we cannot serve God and Mammon The last thing commanded is the measure and quality of this obedience It must be ready and willing a Saint Bernard saith though contra voluntatem yet ex voluntate cheerefully Saint Paul commends the Romanes that they obeyed from the heart and therefore Saint Gregory saith Obedientia non servili metu sed charitatis affecta servanda est non timore poenae sed amore dei obedience is to be performed not with servile feare but the affection of love not for feare of punishment but for the love of God for there is Obedientia coacta a constrained obedience The people were content to be obedient yet grumbled at the Burden of the Lord. But what saith God For this obedience he would forsake them he would punish them and the Burden of the Lord should be no more in their mouthes for Amor erubescit nomine difficultatis love blushes at the name of difficulty And Saint Bernard saith in Gods case non attendit verus obediens quale sit quod praecipieur hoe solo contentus quia praecipitur A true obedient man regards not what kinde of thing is commanded being content with this onely that it is commanded The disciples upon Christs preaching upon the Sacrament said Durus est hic sermo this is a hard saying There is an obedience in the Devils they came out of the possessed but with great reluctancy and grudging So they that obey not cheerefully shew what that kinde of obedience is like That which is durus sermo to others and a burden the Psalmist counted sweeter then the honey combe Psalm 119. Now Gods ayme and scope in this point is that we performe our obedience to his commands though they be hard it must not be like that of Sauls we must not spare it in the great and performe it in the least if we do our sacrifice will not be accepted for he spared the best and fattest of the cattell and offered the worst in sacrifice The thing forbidden as opposite to obedience is disobedience the nature of which sinne we may conceive if we consider what it is compared to and behold it in the effects which it produces 1. It is compared to the sinne of witchcraft or the sinne of divination as it is in the Hebrew and to the abomination of the Teraphim as it is in the Hebrew or iniquity and idolatrie as we read it 1. To witchcraft or the sinne of divination because as men forsake God when they seek to witches and diviners so men renounce God by disobedience and hearken to Sathans instruments the world and their own corrupt hearts and likewise as witches do not alwayes give true and certain answers but often deceive those that trust to them so disobedience to God deceives men in their hopes of worldly things which they think to gain by not hearkening to God as in this example of Saul he disobeyed God out of feare of the people lest they should have deprived him of his kingdom which he thought to establish by pleasing the people when as his disobedience like a witch deceived him for thereby he lost his kingdom because thou hast cast away the word of the Lord therefore the Lord hath cast off thee from being king saith Samuel 2. To the abomination of the Teraphim which were images or idols like the dii Penates the houshold Gods of the Romans These they set up in the secret corners of their houses and worshipped in private though in the temple they pretended to worship none but God so men prosesse Obedience to God in the Church in the sight of men but in their domestick and worldly affaires they obey mammon and follow their own hearts disobeying God 2. Consider it in the effects which are all the curses of God denounced against the disobedient His curse whose maledicere is malefacere as his benedicere is benefacere for his curse and his blessing are effectuall and operative is due especially to the sinne of disobedience for it is a thing most reprochful to God for any to account his commandments hard and unjust as all disobedient persons do as the evil servant that said of his Master I knew thou wast a hard man reaping where thou sowest not A signe of Gods curse is the Rainbow which not onely minds us of the covenant but also of the general deluge whereby God punished the disobedience of the old world but especially death that passeth upon all is properly ascribed by the Apostle to this sinne of disobedience And as Saint Bernard observes our daily experience tells us as much for Quotidie experimur quotidie enim morimur we finde it true every day because we die daily Besides as God observes a proportion in his punishments so here in this sinne by that wherein we sinne by that we are punished for as we withdraw our obedience from God so the creatures withdraw their obedience from us neither are we punished onely by disobedience without us for this sinne but also by disobedience with in us the two Laws of the members and of the minde are opposite our affections will not be subject to reason because we disobey our Creator Thus we see the nature of disobedience in general Now for the kinds in particular we know that disobedience is compared to a path in which we are to walk not turning to the right hand or to the left so that there is a right hand way and a way to the left hand The heart of a wiseman is on his right hand but the heart of a fool is on his left hand From which places the Fathers make two kindes of disobedience by turning to the right hand and to the left which they expound thus 1. There is Probabilis
inobedientia a disobedience not without some probable pretence as was Sauls sinne at Gilgal his answer seemed reasonable but that we must not make our own reason but Gods revealed will the rule of our obedience This is turning to the right and to this kinde belong those opposites of which we spoke when we hearken to the voice of our own hearts or of the world or would mix them and joyne them with God All these lead ad dextram to the right hand 2. There is a lest hand way whereto they turn that have no probability of reason or colour for their sinne such as the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked and absurd and unreasonable men whose course of life is without any excuse who sinne willfully and presumptuously against the cleare will of God and dictate of their consciences And as disobedience is here forbidden so when men obey but not readily not without murmurings and disputings Murmuring was alwayes the fault of the Israelits they would make dialogues with God and and ask the reason of every thing why this rather then that and why now rather then at another time such men Luther calls the sect of the Queristae they will go with a why in insinitum This also must be avoyded to which we may adde the fault of those that excuse their disobedience Luc. 14. 18. The Angels yeeld no reasons why they should not obey do not murmur or excuse but obey readily Now for the degrees of Disobedience Disobedience hath two degrees 1. Neglect 2 Contempt 1. Neglect is defined to be animae torpor quo quis minus diligens est in exequendo quod exequi debet a dulnes of the minde which makes a man lesse diligent in doing that he should and this was the fault of him that came without his wedding garment 2. Contempt is the extremity of disobedience And this God threatens with a severe punishment If you shall despise my statutes or if your soul abhor my judgements c. I will appoint over you terrour consumption c. and I will set my face against you saith God S. Augustine saith of both these Neglectus ubique culpabilis contemptus ubique damnabilis neglect is blameable but contempt damnable The means to compasse this vertue or rather the motives to stir us up to obedience are diverse 1. The first is the obedience that hath been exhibited to God from time to time by his Saints As Moses had fair proffers and liklyhoods of preferment yet rather chose to suffer affliction then to disobey God Joseph in the eye of the world might be thought to have risen to great preferment by obeying his Mistris voice but you see what rocks he was willing to cast himself upon rather then to disobey his God or hearken to the oblocutor Our Saviour though he were the Son of God yet was subject to his parents and not onely so but became obedient to God even to death S. Bernard asks the question Who were they that the Son of God should be subject to them Faber foemina a Carpenter and a woman and he though God or rather as Christ God and man was subject I hough he were the Son of God yet he learned obedience by his sufferings Heb. 5. 8. and indeed by the obedience of the crosse he recovered the world And if any shall except and say they cannot imitate the Son of God or the Saints let him consider in the next place 2. The example of al the creatures in whom there would be no disorder were it not for man The windes and sea obeyed Christ the sun standing still at the prayer of Joshua the fire not consuming the three children and the lyons not devouring Daniel all go against their natures to yeeld obedience to God So that they are not onely audientes attentive but obedientes verbo divino obedient to Gods word which is true and perfect obedience to obey even contrary to our own nature 3 Another motive is if we consider how obedient our nature is to the contraries of what God commands and follow that natural reason saith where there is one duty there are two extreams at the least And therefore the obedience we shew to sin is multiplicior then that we exhibit to God It is truely said of the Heathen that negligentia plus laborat quam diligentia idlenesse is more toilsome then imployment And so we may say of the adulterer he laboureth more then the chast and the covetous more then the contented man 4. Lastly the reward may be a means to stirr us up to obedience We know nothing is more prevalent then it It s true there is such equity in Gods commands that we should obey them without reward yet there is such reward annexed to our obedience that if there were lesse equity and more difficulty in them yet they ought to be kept in regard of the reward One saith nutriunt praemiorum exempla virtutes examples of rewards cherish vertue If a thing commanded were not equal yet we stick not at that so a reward be proposed And we see that Abrahams obedience had a great reward I am saith God thy exceeding great reward Merces magna nimis as some Fathers say so great is the reward of obedience that one of the Fathers saith that the Saints seeing how great it is repent that they had performed no greater obedience on earth and wish themselves on earth again that they might perform more exact obedience The signes of well hearing and obeying are these 1. In audire The joy we have in profiting and the grief of not benefitting at our hearing as also our care to resort where we should hear and to apply what we hear to our selves in particular are signes of our good or ill disposition to this duty 2. In obedire If we not onely obey that part of Gods law to the observance whereof 1. we are tyed by the Princes law but those also which the Princes law takes no hold of though we observe them not where there is onely vis directiva not correctiva a directive but no coercive power or when Gods laws and mans concur not if we obey as well as when they concur then is our obedience free and voluntary out of conscience not by constraint This is a good signe of obedience 2. And secondly when Gods commands and the desires of our own nature stand in competition as when God commands Abraham to offer his son and nature forbade him As also in the world when it and the fashion take one side and Gods commandments another If in these cases God have the victory and the world and the flesh go down it is another good signe that we are in a true way of obedience The tryal is best found upon the parting as when two walk together you cannot know whose the spaniel is till they part but when they part we know
Lastly we have a set form of prayer composed by our Saviour upon the petition of the disciples 2. The other Thanksgiving We see it vsed also before the flood by Abrahams servant when he had finished his busines successefully And we finde this duty commanded by God himself afterwards Moses had a set form of thanksgiving after the deliverance of the people from the Egyptians And King David in many places commends this part of prayer highly and penned a set form of it in a psalm which he entituleth a 〈◊〉 or song for the sabbath day Solomon his son in the time of the first Temple practized it and so did the people vsing one of King Davids psalms the burden whereof as we may so speak was for his mercy endureth for ever Ezra also vsed it after the building of the second Temple together with the priests and people So did our Saviour I thank thee o father c. In the time of the Gospel they sung a psalm Lastly it was not onely practized by the Apostle as you may see in many places I thank God through Jesus Christ and thanks be to God c. but commended by him to others speak to your selves in psalms and Hymns c. as unto the Philippians where he joyns both 〈◊〉 of this duty in one verse in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God And to omit many others in the Epistle to the Hebrews giving thanks i called the sacrifice of praise 3. As the word is Gods speech to us and Invocation ours to him so the sacraments are the Covenants between God and us Such are the type of circumcision instead whereof Baptism succeded and the type of the Passeover instead whereof we have the Lords supper And these two only we receive as sacraments generally necessarily for all But for our justification in thispoint S. Augustine saith upon the words of Saint John cited out of the institution of the Passeover A bone of him shall not be broken vnus emilitibus c. A souldier with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came out of it water and blood which are the two Sacraments of the church our mother And in another place Quedam pauca pro multis c. The Lord and Apostilical doctrine hath left to us a few in stead of many and those easy to be kept most excellent to the understanding and most pious to be observed the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the body and blood of the Lord. 1. The first Baptisme is so necessary a Badg for a Christian that he cannot be without it Saint Augustine saith sic accipiendum est c. That which the Apostle saith is thus to be understood that by the lavacre of 〈◊〉 and the word of sanctificational former sinns of the regenerate are cleansed and healed and not onely all sinns are remitted in Baptisme but those also which are afterward contracted by humane ignorance and infirmity and in another place Dimittitur eis regeneratione spirituli quod traxerunt ut 〈◊〉 dixi ex adami generatione carnali By this spiritual regeneration as I have often said whatsoever they have drawn from Adams carnal generation is forgiven them And this Sacrament is a service of faith For though children baptized cannot be properly said to beleeve of themselves by reason of their minority yet are they beleevers by their fidejussores or Godfathers and Godmothers and parents who present them and desire to have them baptized in the faith of Christ and received into the Church as were the Jews children by circumcision Inter credentes saith Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 populos baptizatos 〈◊〉 nec judicare aliter ullo modo audebis si nonvis esse apertus haereticus Thou art to repute little children that are Christened among beleevers nor must thou dare to judge otherwise if thou wilt not be an open heretick And in the same place Absit ut dicam non credentes infantes c. God forbid that I should call Infants unbeleevers I have disputed it before They beleeved by another and offended by another It is said They beleeve and it is enough to make them of the number of the faithful that are baptized This hath the authority of the Church and the Canon founded upon the truth obtained 2. The other the Lords supper is a substantial part of our servicetoo For in it is a whole Oblation of our selves souls and bodies to be a reasonable holy and lively sacrifice to God as we acknowledge in our liturgy In it we acknowledge confesse bewaile and repent us of our sinnes which cost our Saviour his most precious blood to make attonement for them And in it we professe that we are in love with God and our Neighbours which is the fulfilling of the Law Herein is a commemoration of that sacrifice which Christ offered for us upon the Crosse in which respect it may be called a sacrifice for as our reverend author else where speaks The Eucharist ever was and by us is considered both as a sacrament and a sacrifice A sacrifice is onely proper and appliable to 〈◊〉 worship c. In a word we hold with Saint Augustine de Civit. lib. 17. Chap. 20. Hujus sacrificii caro et sanguis ante adventum Christi per victimas similitudine promittebatur in passione Christi per ipsam veritatem reddebatur post adventum Christi per sacramentum memoriae celebratur Answer to Card. Perron p. 6. 7. And lastly by it we offer a most acceptable sacrifice and service to God of thanksgiving this Sacrament being called Eucharistia which signifies so much for bestowing so great a blessing upon u whereby every faithful Communicant is strengthened in the faith of Christ. Therefore Accedens debet esse plenus sanctitate he that comes to it ought to be as holy as he may for all our services to God are to be done in purity which is true internal worship and with decency which is external and both these make that compleat holinesse which becometh Gods house 4. The last part of the substance in the external wórship of God is Discipline by which men are regulated in the fear and service of God This we finde commanded Mat. 18. 15. 16. c. John 20. 22. Executed extraordinarily Act. 5. 4. By Saint Peter ordnarily 1 Cor. 5. 3. By S. Paul and Rules set down for the ordering of it 1 Tim. 5. It is as Barnard saith the yoke to keep us within the bounds of Order and as Cyprian Custos spei et retinaculnm fidei a preserver of hope and stay of faith Saint Augustine affirmes that it brings delinquents to repentance whereby they recover that which they had lost by their 〈◊〉 For it is sure enough that the Church of God hath in it of all sorts
whatever is more is not from me but from the incredulity of him to whom I swear The third rule for exposition of the Law viz. that it is spiritual takes place in an oath The Psalmist saith of a good man non juratus est dolose proximo suo 〈◊〉 hath not sworn deceitfully to his neighbour We must not say with him Juravi lingua mentem injuratam gero I swear with my tongue but my heart never meant it Gods name must not be used in guile but we must speak the truth from the heart the Heathen saw that this law was spiritual and that the heart must go along with the tongue for as Isidore saith truely God will take and understand the oath not according to the deceitful intentions of him that swears but according to his minde to whom he swears non ut ille qui juraverit sed ut is cui juratus est this will be Gods rule in expounding our oaths whatsoever other rules we follow The fourth rule is concerning the means to keep us from unlawful swearing 1. We must obstare principiis beware of the first degrees of this sin for ex facilitate nascitur consuetudo ex consuetudine perjurium ex perjurio blasphemia out of this facility and easinesse to swear a custom is bred out of custom perjury out of perjury blasphemy when men make no scruple of lying or speaking untruths they come by degrees to perjury by swearing untruths and after that to blasphemy a sin so horrible that in heaven it wants a name and therefore the Scripture expresses it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Berech blessing as in Job 2. where Jobs wife saith Blesse God and die that is blaspheme or as we render it Curse God and die And if any can go higher they come to that fearful sin the sin against the Holy Ghost therefore we must take heed to the first beginnings of this sin These are the chains and links of an oath and S. Chrysostome saith non est qui frequenter jurat quin aliquando non perjurat there is none that swears often but is perjur'd sometimes and with him agrees Philo ex frequenti jurejurando perjurium nascitur 2. Again as he there saith we must beware of such asseverations which though they be not perfect oaths yet are the way to oaths as to say per fidem meam per salutem meam by my faith or by my salvation or the like for he that swears by either of these bindes either to that he swears to and this amounts to an execration which is a part of an oath as was shewed before for as S. Augustine saith when a man saith per fidem meam by my faith obligat se per fidem suam Deo and cum dicit quisque per meam salutem salutem suam Deo obligat he that saith by my faith or salvation binds or pawns his faith or salvation unto God If that be not true he swears to he desires to be deprived of his faith or salvation and God if he please in the very article of time he makes this execration may confirm it Our Saviour taught us that in our ordinary converse we should use yea and nay and therefore we are to go no further 3. In the next place we must dispossesse our souls of impatience and anger as also of vain glory Anger is a principal passion which makes men subject and prone to swearing The same Father saith the first sin is anger and the second swearing if a man be of an angry spirit he is seldom free from vain swearing for in an angry mans mouth nothing is so ready as an oath Nay it is as one saith incentivum ad blasphemandum when a man is in fury as anger is a short madnesse he spares none not so much as God himself dum irascitur insanire creditur saith S. Jerome Therefore fo low the Apostles counsel Be angry but sin not that is watch over 〈◊〉 passion that it break not out into swearing And S. James Be 〈◊〉 to wrath for it will cause thee to offend this precept 4. Vain glory is another disordered passion of the minde as S. Jerome calls it By it a man is violently carried away with a vain desire to have every word he speaks beleeved as the word of God received as an Oracle to be as true as the Gospel and therefore to establish their credit they confirm their words by oaths for as one saith There is nothing that men desire so much as that they make so light of to wit their faith and credit for they make shipwrack of it at every blow by frequent oaths They swear that their credit may not be lightly accompted of when as by this means it comes to be lightly accompted of Ideo leviter aestimant ne leviter aestimentur leviter aestimando leviter aestimantur 5. And because an ill habit in any thing is hard to be left and Custom being a second nature and that as S. Augustine saith Peccata quamvis magna horrenda cum in consuetudinem venerint aut parva esse aut nulla creduntur sins though great and fearful as this sin of swearing is when they grow into custom are reputed little or none at all We must strive to nip them in the bud not onely in our selves but in our children for it is with them as with a vessel Quo semel est imbuta recens 〈◊〉 odorem testa diu as the Poet saith and as Cassidore Indigne transacta adolescentia 〈◊〉 efficit senectutem 6. We should have ever in our remembrance and set before our eyes the great punishments and judgements which are so many visible sermons from God himself none so many and remarkable for the breach of any other precept which have been inflicted in all ages for the breach of this one Commandment as Saul for attempting to kill David contrary to his oath was slain himself Zedekiah for breaking his oath of fealty to the King of Babel had his eyes puld out lost his kingdom and was made a captive The Prophet tells us that the flying roul twenty cubits long and ten cubits broad written full of curses shal enter into the house of the swearer c. and shall consume it c. The fifth rule is concerning the signes of keeping this Commandment And these may be taken from the consideration of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 massah here used to take up as a burden or heavy thing If the name of God be to us as a burden or a heavy thing and so taken up it is a signe we are careful to keep this Commander As 1. Every man will adde no more to a burden then he can bear he will make it no heavier then needs must nor take more burden upon him then necessity requires so if we take up the name of God as a burden we will use it no oftner then we
heavy hand 〈◊〉 as David when his child was sick fasted or when the evil is not yet upon us but hanged over and threateneth us as when Eliiah denounced Gods judgments against 〈◊〉 he fasted which fast though it were onely or cheifly for fear of punishment yet went it not unrewarded It is not thanks 〈◊〉 in sicknes and affliction to refrain our meat it is but natural so to do Elihu in Job tells us that when a man is chastned with pain his life abhorreth bread and his soul dainty meat And the Psalmist tells us that when fools are afflicted their soul abhorreth all manner of meat And we read that when Ahab was in grief he would eat no bread But to do this without affliction 〈◊〉 optimum acceptabile 〈◊〉 This is the excellent and acceptable fast To come with Mary Magdalen and betake our selves to weeping and to fast before the 〈◊〉 come to take up our own crosse and to 〈◊〉 our selves this is an act worthy a true Christian. Again when the affliction lieth not upon our selves but upon others it may be lawfully 〈◊〉 David relateth 〈◊〉 himself that when others were sick he put on 〈◊〉 and humbled his soul with fasting for them 2. To prevent the evil of sinne either propter languorem boni when we grow 〈◊〉 or languish in performance of holy duties as when our prayers are not so fervent as they ought to be or propter 〈◊〉 mali upon some tentation that cannot be avoyded without fasting for 〈◊〉 saith there are some evil spirits that cannot be cast out but by prayer and fasting Lastly as the publick 〈◊〉 so also the private is not only for the averting of evil but for procuring of good and that either in general as Cornelius the Centurions fasting proved a preparative to his calling to become a Christian or in particular as our Saviour Christ fasted at his inauguration or publick entrance into his office of mediatorship according to the opinion both of the fathers and moderne divines Now as of the other Sabbath so also of this there are two parts First External which is Abstinence Secondly internal sorrow mourning or Humiliation 1. In the outward fast is required a whole dayes Abstinence from even to even and from meatand drink 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is edible and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is liquid a general restraint from both 2. An abridgment or breaking off the ordinary course of our sleep We must watch as well as fast 3. We must lay by our best apparel and put on more vile clothes which in Nehemiah and sundry other places is expressed by wearing of sackcloth which we should also lay aside as unworthy of any but that to avoid shame we must have somewhat to cover our nakednesse 4. We must separate our selves from all that is delightful to the senses and from all the pleasures and delights of this life for quia non peccavit sola gula ne jejunet sola because the tast hath not been the onely sense which hath offended therefore that sense must not fast alone but the other senses mustabstain and be afflicted also 5. And as all these are 〈◊〉 so is labour and servile work also 6. Lastly we must give alms and relieve the poor on the day of our fast The precept we have in Esay among other things required in a fast to draw out the soul to the hungry and to pity the afflicted soul. And an example of it in the Centurion Alms was joyned with his fasting for the old rule and Canon is Quod ventri subtrahitur pauperi detur what we spare from our belly we must give to the poor But as we said before that bodily rest profiteth nothing so we may say of bodily abstinence it availeth little it is not an outward abstinence will serve the turn for the the kingdom of God is not in meat and drink if we stay there and go no further therefore the Prophet tells such fasters though they lay in 〈◊〉 a whole day yet it was not that which God requireth but inward sorrow because the outward action is ordained for the inward and the internal fast is that which God chiefly accepts What is said in the Gospel of sacrifice may be aswel said of outward mourning I will have mercy and not sacrifice Matth. 9. 13. And the Prophet Joel tells us It is not the rending of the garments but of the heart which God requireth in our fasts The Apostle excellently describeth the whole course of whatsoever is required of us in this fast when they sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulnesse it wrought in them yea what clearing of themselves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge A true fast must come from the spirit and be accompanied with sighs and groans which cannot be expressed as the Apostle speaks in another case Of this sorrow there cannot be an exquisite method but as he setteth them down there they are of two sorts 1. First a fear arising from the apprehension of Gods anger provoked and the punishment due to us for our sins which must work in us a sorrow that we have offended so good a God 2. A desire of amendment for the future which must shew it self by a more strict care that we offend him no more and this care must be expressed by zeal and if we relapse or go amisse that then we be ready to punish our selves for it In a word the fruit of those actions which concern Mortification tend to this end that by judging our selves we may escape the judgment of God It was the policy of Benhadad and his people to humble themselves to the Kingof Israel which turned to their preservation and it hath been the usual practise of rebellious subjects to their Prince thus to behave themselves to regain his favour and to make his bowels yearn But after all these unlesse there be a binding of our selves by a vow and promise of reformation andnew obedience which must be the 〈◊〉 of our fasting and humiliation all the rest will be to little purpose Therfore we finde in Nehem. at a solemn 〈◊〉 of the Israelites when they were returned from Babylon that after solemn reading of the Law four times for so some take the words verse 3. whereas their ordinary readings were but twice on one day and after an humble cessation and serious exhortation they all enter into a solemn vow and Covenant of reformation of their lives and set their hands and seals to it to remain as a testimony against them for ever if they should fall back Thus if we upon our solemn fasts do vow and promise to God unfeignedly to reform what we then confesse to have been amisse in us and perform it accordingly then we may be assured
lovest thy self or for the same cause And thou lovest thy self because thou lovest God and so consequently all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei that are Gods because thou thy self art aliquid Dei something of God therefore thou lovest thy self and so consequently thou must love they neighbour propter 〈◊〉 for God and 〈◊〉 for this cause thou lovest thy brother thou 〈◊〉 him as thy self in respect of the end So also and in this 〈◊〉 thou must love thy brother 2. The second is the 〈◊〉 the applying this love to that end And that is that in asmuch as I love my self I wish my self good and that not in my 〈◊〉 but best part which is my reasonable soul and therefore I wish more especially the chiefest good of it 〈◊〉 bonum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is eternal blessednes and this is it which I must look to in my brother If I love him as my self I must love him ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partis for the good of his better part and that is the good of the inward man of which the Apostle speaks whereas the most love onely the outward man now the chiefest good of the inward man consists in 〈◊〉 Dei in the sight and fruition of God But because none can come to this except the impediments be removed which is sinne Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligit proximum hoc cum 〈◊〉 debet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipse 〈◊〉 toto corde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that truly 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 must work upon him so 〈◊〉 he also love God with all his heart Take care to remove his sinnes and as for a mans self 〈◊〉 his will do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to some sin non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it would hinder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 good so ought he to love his neghbour as not to consent to the evil will of his neighbour in any bad action because that would hinder his chief good The Scripture speaks of things not alwayes as they are but as they ought to be and so requiring us to love others as our selves it is not meant of our self love 〈◊〉 it is corrupt but as we ought to love our selves specimen naturae capiendum ex optima natura a pattern in nature must be taken from nature pure and 〈◊〉 in its integrity so that a man ought not to love his neighbour as he doth himself but as he should love himself For Saint Augustine saith when I love my self either I love my self because I am or should be blessed the very same rule we should observe in our brother I must love him aut quia est 〈◊〉 ut sit either because he is or because he should be good Which I cannot do unlesse I win him ab impedimentis from the impediments and set him in via in 〈◊〉 right way for as Saint Augustine saith Non 〈◊〉 proximum tanquam seipsum si non ad id 〈◊〉 ad quod ipse tendis adducis Thou lovest not thy neighbour as thy self if thou 〈◊〉 him not to that good to which thou thy self tendest And he saith in another place 〈◊〉 est regula 〈◊〉 it is the onely rule of love ut 〈◊〉 sibi 〈◊〉 bona pervenire illi velit that he would have the same good come to his neighbour that he wisheth to himself 3. The third is the manner In loving any thing that is good there are two motives first Either it is for the sole and alone good of him that loves it or 2. Secondly for the good of the thing it self that is loved He that loves any thing not for it self but for himself doth not love it as himself this is not diligere 〈◊〉 seipsum but propter seipsum this is not ut faciat bonum sed ut potiatur quis bono not to seek his good whom we love but to make use of what good is in him for our selves as men love their instruments meerly for the use they have of them and not otherwise thus a man loves his shooing horn to make use of it to serve his turn in the morning and casts it away all the day after but our love to our neighbour should be gratuitus without hope of recompence and that he that we love may have the sole good by it Otherwise if we love him not as our selves for no man loves himself ut se potiatur that he may make use of himself as he loves meat drink c. and therefore must he love his neighbour not to make use of him for his own ends but propter seipsum for himself seeking and desiring his good 4. The last is the order It is sicut teipsum not sicut 〈◊〉 as our selves not as we love God we must beware of loving him so for we must love our selves infra Deum in a pitch below God and by consequence we must love our neighbour infra Deum after God Therefore we must not 〈◊〉 the will of any man be he of never so great excellency before the will of God Gods will must not give place to ours God is not so unwise as to bring in the second Table to overthrow the first but his scope in it was that it should be a table to direct and help us in performing the duties of the first 1. So that if our love to our neighbour in the first place be for God alone then it is Sancta dilectio 2. If it be to bring him to that end we aim at our 〈◊〉 then it is amor justus a just love 3. If it be meerly for our neighbours without respect to our selves then it is verus amor true love 4. and lastly if we prefer the love of God in the first place then it is ordinata dilectio well ordered love Now God in both these tables proceedeth further then earthly priuces he taketh order for the regulating of the heart and soul even for restraint of concupisence that there be no entertainment of sin within us and that we conceive no delight in it And this is the internal obedience of the second table to entertain no concupiscence prejudicial to our neighbour and it is the sum or substance of the tenth Commandment which God hath placed last not first that those two the first Commandment and the last the one concerning the inward worship of God the other the inward love and duty to our neighbour might be the bounds of his law Thus far for the second table in general Now for the fift Commandment being the first of the second table CHAP. II. 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 obiect father and mother The ground of 〈◊〉 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
usually governours are careful to rule well at the first entrance into their government but afterwards post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after Neros five years like the Princes in Ezekiel that account the city as a Caldron and the people as flesh in the midst of it Now for the better enforcing the observation of these four rules upon superiours and that as it is in Daniel they may know that the most high ruleth in the kinndoms of men and giveth it to whomsoever he pleaseth There are six reasons laid down together in the 82. Psalm 1. The 〈◊〉 is verse 1. God stands among them he stands in the congregation of the mighty and judgeth among the gods from whence he infers the 〈◊〉 vers 2. How long wil you give wrong judgement and accept the persons of the ungodly seeing as in the precedent verse God standeth among you and seeth your actions and not onely so but is a judge among you and will exact an account of vou 2. The second reason in the next two uerses is grounded upon the end why this power is committed to them To defend the poor and fatherlesse them that be in need the poor and weak and not to oppresse them their power is contra 〈◊〉 non contra 〈◊〉 not against men but sin 3. The third is from the evil consequences that will follow if they do not execute justice In the fift verse he tells them well chuse you if you will be willfully ignorant in tenebris ambulare walk in darknes do so But this will follow by your ignorance all the foundations of the earth wil be out of course concutientur omnia fundamenta all things will go to wrack you will bring all out of order by it 4. The fourth is because their power is not absolute but onely delegate verse 6. I have said you are gods indeed you are none The meaning of this place is expounded by Christ himself John 10. 35. They are called gods because the word of God came to them that is they had commission from God there came a commission from God to you it was but a delegate power therefore you are not to rule absolutely and simply but by commission for you have a superiour and God will have an account from you 5. And for abusing that commission you shall die like men there shall be no difference in your death from other but he straitway correcteth himself you shall fal like Princes you shall not die like ordinary men as it is in the book of Wisdom potentes potenter punientur mighty men shall be mightily tormented 6. Lastly because they have sought themselves by this honour which God had bestowed upon them therefore God will arise and take his inheritance into his own hands which they have neglected and he will judge the earth himself as it is vets 8. which is more fully expressed by the Prophet 〈◊〉 they have 〈◊〉 the fat and clothed themselves with the wool they killed them that are fed but they themselves fed not the 〈◊〉 that is they have bin content to receive the honour but have not 〈◊〉 the duty God will arise and take his inheritance into his own hands he willdischarge the duty himself There are two questionss concerning obedience to superiour to be resolved before we enter upon the particular duties necessary for the right understanding of that which follows because in the handling of those particulars we shall have occasion to treate of obedience 1. Whether inferiours owe any honour to one that is evil The resolution of which must be affirmative according to that of the 〈◊〉 to the Romans where the Apostle reasoneth in the like case That the unfaithfulnes of man cannot frustrate the promise of God and so it must be said in this case that the wickednes of man cannot take away the commandment nor make voyd Gods ordinance And Gods ordinance it is for the powers that be are ordained of God as the Apostle speaks Therefore it is not the evil of the person that can make voyd his ordiuance Now evill is taken two wayes it is either Culpae or Poenae of sin or punishment and so superiours may be evil in both respects and yet obedience is due 1. For the penal evil as when they are rough and froward Saint Peter chargeth servants to be subject to 〈◊〉 masters not onely to them that are good but to the 〈◊〉 We have an example of this in Hagar Sarahs maid It is said that Sarah dealt hardly with her yet the Angel meeting with her after she fled from her mistris for her hard usage willed her to return to her mistris and submit her self to her And as it was with her in a family so hath it been in the common-wealth for we see how roughly Saul used David and how he sought his life without cause yet he departed not from his obedience to him nor would offer him any violence when he had him at an advantage in the Cave his heart smote him for cutting the lap of his garment and as it is in Psalm 120. 8. He 〈◊〉 for peace when his enemies were for war 2. For the other of fault As the froward and curst Magistrate is to be honoured so the wicked also for as it is God that in his wrath denieth us a Prince and as Hoseah saith they shall say we have no king because we feared not the Lord what should a king do unto us so it is he that in his anger giveth a king as he professeth by his prophet And many times the fault is in the people if the king be bad It is for their sins that the hyppocrite raignes and the People are ensnared as Elihu in Job speaks and therfore where people choose themselves kings or rulers rejecting the lawful governours to whom the government rightly belongs or looking at their own benefit or liberty rise against their lawful Princes and change the government not proceeding in the fear of God nor looking at his glory but at themselves God punishes people by those rulers they have set up They have set up a king but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not saith God by the Prophet And as it is in the same chapter because Ephraim 〈◊〉 made many altars to 〈◊〉 altars shall be unto him to sin so God saith concerning wicked rulers seeing people will have such God will plague them with the same people must therefore be subject to evil rulers because by their sinnes they have brought them upon themselves And besides though they be evil yet as Solomon saith The heart of the king is in the hand of God who can guide it as he pleaseth as the river of waters and as he sometimes moves evil kings to make good decrees as Balthazar and Darius and so sometimes permitteth Sathan in somethings to prevail over a good king as over David when he numbered his people And as
wife to her husband whom Saint Paul requires to submit or be subordinate to the husband in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Let them be subordinate to their own husbands 4. Because though there be a natural relation or conjunction between father and son yet there is a neerer between man and wife she was made of his rib and God hath commanded a man to leave father and mother and cleave to his wife therefore we shall give to this the first place And because as the Ethnick said well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must first learn when we are yong what we must practise when we become men therefore though we be not now in the state of marriage yet the knowledge of these duties may be useful to us for the future And before we speak of this combination between man and wife it will be needful first to consider the special ends of Conjugal society which are two The first concern God the other the parties themselves 1. The first is that 1. Seeing God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed every paterfamilias father of a family ought to ayme at this that his family may partake of this blessing And secondly that he do monstrare pietatem shew piety at home and labour to make his family godly this being the way to attain the end blessednes 2. The secondary ends which concern the parties themselves may be gathered from three words in Latine which the bond of wedlock is expressed by 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimonium 3. Nuptiae whereof two signifie what was before sinne came into the world and the last what did follow after sinne and in these ends are some mutual duties implied also which concerne both 1. The first is Conjugium which is the fellowship of one yoke when two draw one yoke together Hence it appears that mutuum auxilium The mutual help benefit and comfort which the one ought to have by society with the other is the first end of this conjunction that they might be better then if they were alone And therefore as you may see it was Gods purpose before copulation was mentioned to provide a Help for Adam And hence it is that the word maritare to marry or to joyn a woman to a man came to signifie the setting of vines to elmes or other trees to make them grow and thrive better Now we must not conceive that God in this first institution accounted solitude to be a sin for then there was no sin but because it was a lesse felicity a lesse blessed estate then society therefore he thought fit to make sociam a fellow to Adam and in that respect he saith it is not bonum not good for man to be alone as also having regard to the time when the world was yet empty whereas in these times when the world is so well filled and in some places over full society is not so needful In which respect the Apostle seems to set down the plain opposite conclusion to this Bonum est 〈◊〉 non tangere it is good for a man not to touch a woman which is to be understood in a diverse respect because of the present trouble of the Church which was then under persecution and not otherwise for in several respects that may be good at one time which is not at another for otherwise when sin entred there was more need of the help of society in regard of sin to be avoyded the imperfections of old age diseases and infirmities c. It was very convenient there should be a yoke fellow And therefore it is that God saith that a man should for sake father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall be one 〈◊〉 which shews the necessity as well as the neernes of this conjunction and hence the Prophet termes the wife a companion and wife of the covenant There is a league between them wherein they promise mutual help This conjunction and the indissolubility of it our Saviour mentioneth in one verse they are no more twain but one flesh what therefore God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Now if they ought to be helpful to one another in the things of this life we may hence argue a minori ad majus that matches ought not to be made with Idolaters and unbeleevers because they will be rather hindrances then helpers in the best things which concerne the soul and therefore the Apostle exhorts not to be unequally yoked with unbeleevers but to marry onely in the Lord not but that such marriages being made are valid for as the same Apostle saith the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the beleeving husband and the beleeving man may save his wife and so e contra and therefore the same Apostle saith that the beleeving husband ought not to put away the unbeleeving wife nor the beleeving wife to leave her unbeleeving husband but when they are free and at liberty to chuse they should avoyd such unequal yokes for multa fieri non debent quae facta valent many things ought not to be done which yet being done are not void or null but are valid and firme 2. The second is Matrimonium which imports another end of marriage viz that foemina fiat mater the woman may become a mother This was part of Gods institution before Adams fall for he saith Crescite multiplicamini be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the Creatures yet the end is not barely propagation as of other things to replenish the world but there was a higher end aymed at to wit the propagation of a holy seed for the enlarging of the Church that there might be semen sanctum and for this cause God made but one woman though he could have created more as the Prophet speaks by the plenty of spirit he could have made more helps then one but he made but one that he might raise up to himself a godly seed And this is one especial end of matrimony not to fill the world and therefore the Apostle speaking of the woman and shewing that sinne came into the world by her yet saith this shoud be a subordinate means to save her that she shall beare children which may be semen sanctum a holy seed and even that sanctification shall result to her benefit as an under means and so not onely the increase populi but populi sancti the enlarging of the Church is the second end 3. The last is nuptiae which imports something which came aster sin had entred into the world For S. Ambrose saith that nubo in the first signification hath no other sense but tegere to cover as it is plain in obnubo and the rest of its compounds or it denotes to us that there is aliquid tegendum celandum some what to be concealed and covered and there was some cause of shamefastnes when
help concoction Physick is to be applied something must be given from without to comfort and help nature So we must conceive in teaching every one hath not thos enatural parts which are sufficient nor is every mans supernaturally and extraordinarily inspired and qualified by God but must have teaching and instruction by the ministrie of man from without every man must not look to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught immediatly of God but must in ordinary course have a teacher which doth not adde any thing to the soul but minister to it and help it as Physick doth not adde to nature but ministers to it to comfort and strengthen it though indeed they that are instructed by men may be said to be taught of God as they are said to be healed of any infirmity by him which are cured by Physick And in this we say that the natural light workes which is lume n naturale and that lumen infusum is supplied and holpen by the teacher of whom we are to conceive that he is not the giver of infused light but the minister that supplies matter as oyle whereby the light burns which he doth partly by making things plain by similitudes and examples and sometimes by Antithesis And not onely so but being able to see how every conclusion depends upon the premises and how the medium ought to be disposed with the subject and praedicate in every proposition is able in the same course whereby he learnt to shew others how to bring things into method and order In which two things 1. by making dark things known and discerned Secondly by a perspicuous disposing and ordering of things confused teaching cheifly consists and by these the light is holpen whether it be naturally or supernaturally given This being premised we will come to mutual duties or qualities of teacher and hearer 1. The first is they must be perswaded as Saint James saith That every good gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights and therefore that this light of knowledge cannot be had but desuper from above as John Baptist told his schollers A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven Neither knowledge nor any good thing els can be had but from God and therefore we must be thus perswaded That all the light we can have is from Gods light as the Psalmist hath it in thy light we shall see light we have no light of our own but as the Apostle speaks God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in 〈◊〉 hearts to give the light of knowledge and by this light being supernatural we shall be able to see further into mysteries then by the natural 1. The first means to attain to this light is by prayer To pray to God as the Apostle directs to enlighten the eyes of our understanding King David by praying to God to be his teacher attained to this praestantiam rationis scientiae this excellency in skill and knowledge that he professed himselfto have more understanding then all his teachers 2. Another means to come to this light is to attend to the word and statutes of God which as the psalmist saith giveth light to the eyes Hereby he professeth that he got understanding they were a light to his path And not onely to him that was a man after Gods own heart but to them also that were naturally ignorant they gave light and understanding to the simple We finde this true by experience for since the light of the Gospl came and was received into the world learning and knowledge did never so flourish either among the Grecians or Romans as it hath done in the christian Church The greatest lights that ever were in the world for all learning divine and humane have been christian Bishops and the truth is there is no excellent thing worthy to be known to be found in any Heathen Authors but the same or something more excellent may be had from the word of God 3. The third means is to follow the Apostles counsel Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light And what this sleeping is the same Apostle tells us in another place it is high time to awake out of sleep that is out of sinne If we mean to have this light we must forsake our evil wayes And indeed as the Book of wisdom speaks in malevolo intellectu sapientia 〈◊〉 habitabit wisdom will not enter nor dwell in a malicious soule Sinne must be removed This makes the difference between us and the fathers of the primitives times for albeit we have more means of knowledge then they yet they being holy men had this light more plentifully bestowed upon them then we have and far exceeded the wisest and learnedest among us Having thus shewen the mutual duties that concern both Teacher and Scholar for attaining of knowledge we are to proceed to that first duty of instruction already mentioned as it concerns the Teacher alone and the manner how he must instruct which may be gathered out of Solomons words Have I not written to thee three times so the vulgar Latine reads in counsels and knowledge that I might make them know the certainty of the words of truth Where we see he made all known to them that is by reading to them and not onely so but also did write the same for them and that not once but often and not onely declared unto them what they must learn but counselled them also that is gave direction how to profit by hearing and reading so that the Teacher must both read to his scholers and write and give counsail and direction how to learn More particularly in his manner of teaching three things are to be observed 1. Facilitas to explain and make easie to them what he delivers Thus our Saviour that his doctrine might be better understood taught by parables And being thus prepared that as Saint Augustine saith Magister sit intus our master is within us we shall heare a voice behinde us as the prophet speakes saying this is the way walke in it when ye turne to the right hand and 〈◊〉 ye turne to the left This being done we shall know that it is not the teachers labour alone his building and watching is in vain his teaching without this lumen infusum is to no purpose and that the schollers study except God gives a blessing availes nothing and with his blessing dabit in somno he will give it in sleep In the first place therefore as we said before we must pray and that instantly that he will vouchsafe this lumen infusum that he will enlighten us 1. Our Saviour taught by parables which practise had been 〈◊〉 from Balaams and Moses time shewing things above sense by sensible things 2. Methodus order we see when Christ was to make it plain
Augustine describing the impotencie or rather 〈◊〉 of the passion of anger saith 〈◊〉 est cum 〈◊〉 opinio turbulent appetitus 〈◊〉 ed 〈◊〉 facilitatem actionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 tantum sed 〈◊〉 irascimur in scribendo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frangimus aleatores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 penicillo c. this passion so diverts a mans iudgement that we are not onely angry with men but the writer with his 〈◊〉 in dashing and breaking it Gamesters with their 〈◊〉 Painters with their 〈◊〉 c. when they do not please them when they have not that facilitatem 〈◊〉 And this is contrary to Gods 〈◊〉 for he saves both man and 〈◊〉 and so do the godly The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 man that is exacts not in his passion more from his beast then is within his strength or capacity Come we now to man-killing which is murder here specified There are two sorts of slaughter prohibited by this Commandment 1. Sui of a mans self 2. Alterius of another 1. For the 〈◊〉 though the Heathen we read of as 〈◊〉 Seneca Cato and others thought it a 〈◊〉 sin to kill another yet they 〈◊〉 lay violent hands upon themselves and thought it lawful and were held in great 〈◊〉 for it But Christian religion tells us that it is an unlawful act and that no man hath power over his own life for these 〈◊〉 1. First we must needs grant that under the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 occides is comprehended Non occides 〈◊〉 Because as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the 〈◊〉 rule of this Law is 〈◊〉 teipsum thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self then non 〈◊〉 alium 〈◊〉 non occides 〈◊〉 thou shalt not kill another as thou 〈◊〉 not kill thy self and therefore the prohibition of killing another includes a prohibition of killing ones 〈◊〉 the one is against the law of charity and of 〈◊〉 as well as the 〈◊〉 for we are by nature most neerly linked and united to ourselves and nature provides for self-preservation before the preservation of others for it first provides alimentum 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 of meat in the stomack before it gives propaginem 〈◊〉 propagation of the kinde for the 〈◊〉 is of that which remains after the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 2. Every man that live 〈◊〉 in a society or common-wealth is a part thereof and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at his own 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the society or Common-wealth where he lives and 〈◊〉 cannot 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without detriment to the whole And therefore it was that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their goods to their 〈◊〉 as it is with 〈◊〉 because the state being injured by them in the losse of a subject will be in some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by depriving them of power to dispole of their 〈◊〉 3. Our life is the gift of God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it in her long 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that gives life and we ought not to dispose of any gift of God without the 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 to the will of the donour And the 〈◊〉 because we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a 〈◊〉 as the Apostle tells us which implies a 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 to him that bought us we are his servants And then as the 〈◊〉 saith 〈…〉 who 〈◊〉 thou that 〈◊〉 another 〈◊〉 servant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui interficis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 thou that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servant It is worse then brutish to kill drown or bring upon our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 death The very swine would not have run into the sea but that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the devil And therfore Saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the act of 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 violent hands upon himself rather then he would fall into the hands of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a great errour for any man so hold that a man may kill himself 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temporales molestias that he may avoide 〈◊〉 troubles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did whereby he doth incidere in 〈◊〉 fall into those that are eternal or 2. ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hinder another mans 〈◊〉 when he shall thereby 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fall into a grievous sinne of his own or 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his own sinne desperately as 〈◊〉 did there being a way to 〈◊〉 out by 〈◊〉 upon which act of his Leo 〈◊〉 thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quem non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O 〈◊〉 thou wert more wicked and unhappy then all men that wouldst not be led by repentance to God but 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 to hang thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may not 〈◊〉 like 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 her self and the women in the primitive times that drowned themselves lest they should be 〈◊〉 for by this meanes 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They 〈◊〉 into certain sinne to avoid an uncertain So much for sui the killing a mans self Concerning killing of another 2. Now for 〈◊〉 the killing of another the reasons against it are 〈◊〉 The two first are general and were applied in the 〈◊〉 of Sui 1. Diliges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy neighbour as thy self and the rule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do as thou 〈◊〉 be done unto 2. Thy neighbour is Gods image and thou must not 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The particular reasons are 1. We are all one 〈◊〉 as the 〈◊〉 speaks And the same prophet 〈◊〉 it as a fearful judgement upon 〈◊〉 that it should come to 〈◊〉 that a man should eat the flesh of his own arme And this is done if we 〈◊〉 and dev our one another as the Apostle speaks No man never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own flesh saith the same Apostle we must not hate our brother much 〈◊〉 kill him 2. This sinne will make a man become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the devils first born for he was as our Saviour told the Jews that sought to kill him a 〈◊〉 from the beginning and by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall not die at all he brought in a certain 〈◊〉 for by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin as the Apostle speaks and so by this means as much as in him lay he murthered all the 〈◊〉 of mankinde 3. Murther is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the crying sinnes and will not cease till God take revenge for it as in Abels case the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 comes up to Heaven and Gods eares are alwayes open to this 〈◊〉 though to others he may seeme not to heare 4. It is a sin that God will have diligently searched after as we may see in the case of an uncertain murther when God appointed that the judges and 〈◊〉 of the city shall come and wash their hands in the blood of an heyfer over the 〈◊〉 man and protest their innocency 〈◊〉 their hands have not shed this mans blood nor have their eyes seen it Without which 〈◊〉 Gods wrath would by no means be pacified 5. It is a cursed sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cain saith God and accursed
as he heard of 〈◊〉 welfare it is said that his spirit revived as we said before This killing of the spirit cometh three wayes in opposition to those three things wherein the life of the soul consists of which we spake before 〈◊〉 1. Joy 2. Peace 3. love Against the first is when men grieve others as the Egyptians did the 〈◊〉 when they brought them in amaritudinem spiritus into 〈◊〉 of spirit Against the second when they bring them as they did the Israelites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritus into anguish of soul so that they would not hearker to Moses when he brought a message from God when the heart is broken with sorrow the inward peace and harmony is disturbed for heavines in the heart makes it stoope as 〈◊〉 observed Against the third when a man is brought to a hating and lothing of himself and all other things so that he can take no joy in any thing None of these must be done to any neighbour but least of all to the godly It is a wicked thing to grieve the soul of a righteous Lot for by this means we bring him to the first death to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dulnes and deadnes of spirit whereby he is not fit to go about any thing that is good This is done by provocation or 〈◊〉 as they provoked God in the wildernes and therefore all irritation must be avoyded 2. The soul also may be murthered in respect of the life to come especially by him to whom the cure of it is committed And this may be done diverse wayes as sometimes by him that hath the cure as 1. By causing men to stumble at the law 〈◊〉 in lege 〈◊〉 the Prophet or by teaching as 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel which Christ taxes in some of the Church of Pergamus 2. Indirectly and by negligence in not doing his duty The prophet 〈◊〉 of such that if any perish through his default the Lord will require his blood at his hands Prosper upon these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is to say if thou shalt not tell a man of his faults that he may be converted and live I will condemn thee into everlasting fire that hast not rebuked him who by reason of thy silence hath sinned Saint 〈◊〉 saith Omnis qui male vivit 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forte qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that liveth ill in the sight of those over whom he is set as much as in him lies kills them and perhaps he that followes his example dies and he that follows not lives yet in respect of his cure they both die And therefore it is that Prosper tells them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 A minister ought to live piously for examples sake and to teach so in regard of the performance of his duty being assured that justice will not favour him from whose hands the soul of him that perisheth is exacted And Saint 〈◊〉 Penset ergo sacerdos qui ad satisfaciendum districto judicio de sua tantummodo anima fortasse vix sufficit quot regendis subditis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Deum rationis tempore 〈◊〉 ita dicam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animas habet let the priest therefore consider and lay to heart how he that perhaps can hardly tell how to satisfie or answer for his own soul at the day of judgement will be able to render account for so many souls as are committed to his charge 2. Though one have not the charge of souls yet as a private person he may be guilty of the spiritual death of anothers soul if either by counsel or otherwise 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 by word or deed by example c. He cause his brother to fall as Peter by his counsel was a scandal to Christ and would have prevented his suffering if Christ could have been disswaded and so the great work of mans redemption had been hindred So the same Apostle by his example gave offence and misled the Jews and 〈◊〉 The like did they whom Saint Paul reproveth who by their examples induced others weak persons to eat of things sacrificed to Idols with doubting consciences Let all such as prove scandals to others remember that woe denounced by our Saviour That it had been better for them that a milstone were hanged about their necks and that they were thrown into the sea And in the case of the souls murther a man may be accessory to the death of his own soul as he may to the murther of his body 1 By neglecting the meanes of his salvation for all must not lie on the minister we have our parts too Work out your own salvation saith the Apostle with fear and trembling If we neglect it we are accessory to our own perdition 2. By seeking after worldly things too much The same Apostle tells us in the next chapter that they that minde earthly things inordinately end in destruction 3 By giving himself over to sin without sense and working uncleannes with greedines and make no conscience of sinning 4. By deferring repentance from time to time till he finde no place for it it was Esaus case And it is the masterpiece of the devil where he worketh this neglect Saint Gregory describeth it excellently Cum in gravi 〈◊〉 miser homo labitur suadet ei 〈◊〉 ne 〈◊〉 ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in corde 〈◊〉 misericordiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 suggerit 〈◊〉 sic in 〈◊〉 Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pereat When a wretched man falls into grievous sinne the devil disswades him from repentance from confessing his sinne then tells him it is a small sinne then preacheth mercy to him and promiseth him long life and vrgeth him to continue in his sin till at last he brings him into Gods displeasure and desperation with himself and so he perisheth And this is by deferring repentance 3. The third rule for expounding the law is that it reaches to the heart for Gods law is spiritual and so this law reacheth not onely to outward murther in in regard of the act but to murther in the heart The Pharisees counted it not murther unlesse blood were shed and the life taken away but Christs teaches us that the law goes further it restraines not onely the arme and the blow that is given but the first motions and desires of the heart If any hate a man in his heart or be angry without a cause he is guilty of the breach of this commandment for the outward acts done or committed whereby any is murthered are nothing els but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruits of unjust anger which is that 〈◊〉 of bitternes from whence all outward acts spring and this root must be plucked up and therefore he pronounceth plainly that out of the heart proceed murthers c. Those
was a great part of our Saviours sufferings they had their fill in scorning him first the servants then 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 after him his souldiers then the High priests and all that went 〈◊〉 as we may read in the history of the Gospel and 〈◊〉 much for signes of anger in the countenance and tongue 3. After this in the third place as was shewen before comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the murther of the hand whereby the life or limmes of another are taken away wherein if many joyne it is a 〈◊〉 and such are called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumults in the common-wealth which if they proceed further are cald by 〈◊〉 seditions or rebellions whereby the civil body is 〈◊〉 and not onely that but the body of Christ the Church is also thereby 〈◊〉 and torne in pieces CHAP. VII Of the 〈◊〉 against anger How to prevent 〈◊〉 in others How in our selves Anger must be 1. Just in regard of the 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 3. We must labour for gravity 4. For love without 〈◊〉 The vertues opposite to 〈◊〉 anger 1. 〈◊〉 2. Charity In the first there is 1. The 〈◊〉 against anger which consists in three things 2. The remedy in three 〈◊〉 How charity prevents anger The fruit of charity 〈◊〉 1. To the dead by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the living And that first generally to all Secondly specially to the faithful Thirdly 〈◊〉 the poor by works of mercy Fourthly 〈◊〉 to our 〈◊〉 We come now to the meanes against anger TO prevent anger in others we must forbeare irritation or provocation Solemon speaks of some that will 〈◊〉 and be angry when no cause is given whom he condemnes and on the other side there are other to be condemned that give cause by irritating and provoking others as 〈◊〉 one of 〈◊〉 wives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they went up yearly to the house of the Lord and 〈◊〉 her with her 〈◊〉 whereby she continually 〈◊〉 her foul the wise man saith that as churning 〈◊〉 forth butter so is provocation the ordinary meanes of wrath Therefore he condemnes such as do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 im bitter the spirit of any We see by the example of 〈◊〉 the meekest man on earth 〈◊〉 it will work They 〈◊〉 him so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his lips take away provocations and anger will 〈◊〉 The badge of an 〈◊〉 man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stir up or provoke men to strife as we may see in diverse places of the proverbs 1. To prevent unjust anger in our selves there are divers 〈◊〉 to be laboured for 1. Just anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indignation or anger 〈◊〉 on a just cause for onely unjust anger is here condemned just anger is a vertue commanded Beangry saith the Apostle and sin not so that there is a lawful anger 〈◊〉 it be without sinne as in a superiour towards those that are under him and deserve punishment there may be magnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Solomon speaks which is a fruit of justice Our Saviour forbids anger 〈◊〉 when it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause for otherwise when there was cause he calls his disciples after his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fools and the Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolish 〈◊〉 and the fathers upon Luke 10. 40. say of those 〈◊〉 those many things that 〈◊〉 was troubled withal this was one the untowardnes of the servants of the house 2. As our anger must be just in respect of the cause so for the measure it must be moderated that it 〈◊〉 not when there is just cause and to this end that vertue of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is requisite for it moderates anger both towards those that are under us and all others we converse with so that al are the better for it It beginneth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humblenes of minde therefore the Apostle begins with humblenes and when he exhorts to meeknes he 〈◊〉 humblenes before it with all 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of minde 〈◊〉 c. These vertues and others of like nature he frequently exhorts to and where he mentions one of them he lightly sets down all the rest which belong to this commandment as we may see by inspection of the places 3. A third vertue is gravity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle exhorts to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things are grave or venerable This is a special vertue and therefore he puts in the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are venerable and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are just pure or lovely c But of this more hereafter because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a vertue specially belonging to the last commandment 4. A fourth vertue is mentioned by Saint James when he tells us that the wisdom which is from above is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without hypocrisie and by saint Paul when he saith let love be without dissimulation our love must not have a shew of love zeale c. and be frozen in effect as Absoloms courtesie which was not hearty but affected and that of the Pharisees to Christ who made a fair shew and calld him Rabbi and said that he was a man sent from God and taught the truth without respect of persons but all this was affected and hypocritical so had 〈◊〉 so had 〈◊〉 so had the devil take them together their 〈◊〉 the devil told the woman very honestly he was sorry God had dealt so hardly with them as to forbid them the tree of knowledge c. As if he had been greatly moved with their condition but it was affected and when this affecting is saith Solomon he will meet you early in the morning and salute and blesse you but I had as leive saith he he should curse me And thus much for unjust wrath and the means against it Besides these there are two other vertues opposite to unjust wrath 1. Innocency 2. Charity 1. Innocency takes order that we hurt no body And 2. Charity takes order to do them all the good we can both for soul and body The first hath two parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The preservative or the 〈◊〉 and the sanative or the medicine The first consists in three things 1. In Avoyding of offences endeavouring to have peace with all men as much as in us lies and not to think evil or carry our selves unseemly towards any as the Apostle exhorts 2. Not onely this but also in looking back and when any evil is done to us to take it in the best sence The Apostle speaks of a good and right interpretation of things as they are meant we must beleeve well interpret all in the best and so leave no place for suspicion
to admonish the Israelites to refrain from this sin because it defiled the land and would be a cause that they should be 〈◊〉 out of it Lastly S. 〈◊〉 tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them for giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh were set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 4. For the particular good of private persons and that two wayes 1. That every one may enjoy that whereof he is Proprietary and chief Lord and that wholly to himself And this is occulta lex 〈◊〉 the secret law of nature Therefore if another partake or share with him or be but suspected so to do it drives him into jealousie which the Wise man calls the rage of a man and he accounts it such an injury as cannot be satisfied with any ransom 2. That his name may be perpetuated by legitimate children of his own We see that God would have no bastard enter into his congregation And by this also a man preserves the chastity of his wife And these four are the ends Now for the affection it self and ground of the Commandment as it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heat in the other Commandment so here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concupiscence that this dealeth withall not that every concupiscence is evil for the Apostle tells us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil concupiscence to intimate that there is some Concupiscence or desire which is not evil And in another place he willeth us not to have providence and care of the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it implying that there is a lawful care of the flesh to be had so that the lusts of it be not fulfilled More plainly there is in man as in all other creatures a desire first to preserve himself in 〈◊〉 and secondly in specie And therefore in respect that these are most necessary it pleased God to 〈◊〉 a bait for both that men might be allured to them for as there is a pleasure in eating and drinking for the one so is there for the other in the act of generation And there is a rule in maxime 〈◊〉 maxima 〈◊〉 as maxime allicit in things most necessary the greatest pleasure allureth most And another quod maxime allicit maxime corrumpit that which allureth most corrupts most And the reason is quia appetitus tendit ultra modum the appetite exceeds the due measure For we perswade our selves that if the doing of it once be good the doing of it often will be better and so we come at last to do it too much because the appetite knows not what is enough and so it falleth into corrupt custom For the course of our nature is when it avoids any evil it avoideth it so vehemently that sometime if there be any good with it it putteth out the good too and if 〈◊〉 desire any good it desireth the evil too that sticketh to it Therefore moderation and temperance is to be used for vertue stands in medio between two 〈◊〉 yet temperance is magis in 〈◊〉 more in the want then in the excesse as 〈◊〉 is mag is in 〈◊〉 more in the excesse then in the want This Concupiscence of the flesh as it is in us so it is in beasts and therefore it hath the lowest place and is as Plato saith alligata ventri tyed to the belly as a man would 〈◊〉 a horse or an asse to the manger Now being thus in the lowest place yet being of necessary use the rule is In maxime necessariis 〈◊〉 est maxime necessarius in things necessary order is most necessary and this order is that the lower desires should not take up a man wholly when the lower is most vehement the higher is most hindered but the lower faculties are to give place to the superiour and not to take up the whole man Chrysostome saith Dedit Deus corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illud in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non dedit animam corpori ut illam in terram deprimeret God gave the body to the soul to lift it up to the 〈◊〉 of heaven and heavenly things and not the soul to the body to presse it down to the earth Therefore Gods intent was that as we may have a lawful Concupiscence for the maintenance of our life and for propagation so we should use them no further then this necessity requires And this Concupiscence hath its purity Now that is called purum pure that hath 〈◊〉 alieni admixtum no mixture of any thing with it But because in this life there will be some mixture as the Prophet tells them their wine was mixt with water we must be careful that the mixture be not disproportionable as to have but a drop of wine in a vessel of water The Prophet saith that there was a time when man was in honor but certainly he is now so degenerate from that he was that he hath lost his understanding and is become like to the beasts that perish for he serveth his lust riches and pleasures For this cause it is that another Prophet saith of the people of his time that they were 〈◊〉 addicted to this evil concupiscence of the flesh that they were like 〈◊〉 admissariis to fed horses every one neighed after his neighbours wife Therefore as the Apostle speaks of the Law in general so we may of this Commandment that it is Poedagogus our School-master to instruct us that how sweet 〈◊〉 stoln waters are yet the end of them is bitter and deadly And that we should not use our liberty for an occasion to the flesh like brute beasts but as knowing that we were created for greater things and that we should have our mindes lifted up to overrule our bodies and not use our liberty as if we had no rule to walk by Having spoken of the ground of this commandment we come now to the fountain from whence this sin arises and then we shall speak of the means or occasions that draw us to it 1. For the first the Apostle reckons up the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5. 19. Adultery fornication uncle annesse 〈◊〉 c. which our Saviour saith proceed from the heart where they be considered either as they are ipsum venenum the very poison of our nature which the Apostle calls Concupiscentia carnis the lust of the flesh or 〈◊〉 suppuratio an inward festering of this desire an inward boyling of the pot with the scum in it as the Prophet calls it 2. The means that draw us to this sin 1. The first is subactum solum when we make our selves meet and apt ground to receive this vice The Physitians call it 〈◊〉 when a man is disposed by evil humours tending to diseases as those that are Plethorique have their bodies still fed with some bad humour Now this humour of wicked lust is fed by two means 1 Pergulam By intemperance
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it steales away the understanding We have experience of it in Solomon we see what fottishnes he grew into after this sinne had taken hold of him even to fall down to every block and stock 〈◊〉 by this fell into murder and to cover one sinne with another And it is just it should be so for the light of our Actions coming 〈◊〉 God and our annoynting coming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 faith from Gods annoynting he will not commit this oyntment to such a stinking box They are like swine that trample this pearle of understanding under feet 3. The third is 〈◊〉 Of all sinnes this is most inexcusable because other sins may have some colour or excuse but this hath none because God having ordained a remedy for this which is marriage he that will not use that remedy is without excuse 4. The fourth is that whereas God hath been pleased to make marriage a holy institution and a holy resemblance of the union betwixt Christ and his Church it is a manifest contempt of the ordinance of God and not onely that but whereas God hath added this 〈◊〉 to marriage that thereby mankinde should be encreased on the contrary by this meanes they bring the curse of barrennes threatened against whoredome they shall commit whoredome saith the Prophet but not encrease So that they go about as much as in them lieth to destroy the race of mankinde and therefore 〈◊〉 calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in genus 〈◊〉 sacrilegious breakers of wedlock and trespassers against mankinde for not onely the world 〈◊〉 the worse for these courses which would soon bring it 〈◊〉 an end but also it takes away the resemblance between Christ and his Church in holy mariage 5. It is against a mans own body For as Saint Paul argueth every sinne which a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the body but he that committs fornication 〈◊〉 against his own body and that both by defiling it so that as Saint 〈◊〉 saith the garments are spotted by the flesh as also by weakning and decaying it for as the Physitians say the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 humor the generative 〈◊〉 is a special cause of preserving the life of a man and there is nothing brings greater debility to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the radical moysture is consumed and the life shortned then this sinne besides that it brings rottennes to the bones and breeds many 〈◊〉 diseases as daily experience shewes like that water of jelousy under the law or cursed water which if 〈◊〉 woman had defiled her husbands bed caused her belly to swell and her thigh to rot 6. And it is not onely against a mans own body but against others also for it hath this peculiar to it that whereas in other sinnes a man may 〈◊〉 solus perish alone in this he must have one to perish with him for company There is duplex 〈◊〉 a double murther committed by this one finne 7. It is injurious to Christ two wayes 1. He hath bought us and paid a price for us Now if we shall alienate that which is not our own we do as if we should pull down another mans house nay 〈◊〉 Regis as 〈◊〉 the Kings Palace to which we have no right 2. And not onely so but being Christians and Christ our head and we the members if we unite our selves to a harlot do we not 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 est as much as we can bring Christ to be the head of a 〈◊〉 8. Lastly if all these will not move us then let us consider the punishment of it Shall I not visit saith God by the prophet for these things yes surely he will 〈◊〉 and punish and that many 〈◊〉 1. It is a punishment it self for as Solomon saith those whom God hates shall fall into this sinne such as he hath ordained for punishment shall be punished with this sinne 2. It is maxime probrosum peccatum a sin that makes a man most infamous it brings a reproach never to be wiped off 3. It brings a man to beggery for by a whorish woman a man is brought to a morsel of bread yea the adulteresse will hunt for the precious life and Job saith it is a fire that will consume to destruction and will root out all a mans increase 4. Beyond all these whereas every punishment should exceed that whereof it is a punishment the Apostle tells us that those uncleane lusts which the heathens where given up to were punishments for their Idolatry 〈◊〉 that this sinn seems to exceed in some case that of Idolatry And therefore the same Apostle saith that if a woman be married to an Idolater or unbeleever and will dwell with him she may but he saith not so for an adulterer Idolatry doth not so neerly dissolve the bond of marriage as adultery And again the children of an Idolater or unbeleever if the one party be a beleever are holy and are received into the covenant as members of the Church but the seed of Adulterers is prophane a bastard must not enter into the congregation not to the tenth generation By these reasons well weighed we may in part conceive what account God makes of this sinne We come now to the particular branches referring to this sin already mentioned CHAP. III. Of the degrees of this sinne 1. The first motions or cogitationes ascendentes 2. Suppuratio the festering of it inwardly 3. subactum solum the fitting of the soyle which is 1. By excesse 2. By Idlenes Exc esse is 1. by gluttony the effects of it Opposite to which is the vertue of temperance which consists in modo in measure which respects 1. The necessity of life 2. Of our calling 3. Of pleasure and delight wherein are 5. Rules 1. For the substance of our meat 2. For the quantity 3. For the quality 4. Not to eate too greedily 5. Not too often 2. Of excesse in drinking in what cases wine is allowed ANd first for the inward cause the malignant vapours arising in the heart which we called the poyson of our nature that inbred concupiscence and those first motions and the 〈◊〉 ascendentes we shall forbeare to speak of them till we come to the tenth commandment and here we will speak in the second place of that which we call suppuratio or the festering of it which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burne and the Prophet illustrateth by a similitude As an oven heated by a Baker so is an Adulterer though we see no sparks without yet there 's a great heate within Solomon saith of him cor ejus loquitur perversa his heart uttereth perverse things though outwardly he saith nothing Saint Augustine saith Ego domine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum cogitationes meaenon 〈◊〉 Lord I oftentimes hold my peace when my thoughts within me are not silent And so when the oven waxeth hotter and hotter then cometh consensus
consent and then he saith O vtinam a desire followeth and 〈◊〉 qui facturus est jam secit he that goeth about a wicked action hath already acted it in his heart Therefore we are to strive against this Cardiacal passion In the next place come we to the solum subactum the soyle fitted for this sin And this as we shewed before is done by gluttony and idlenes Gluttony we said was in meat or drink In meat it was 〈◊〉 too much feeding gula vestibulum luxuriae the throate is the porch wherby lechery enters And that by reason that the faculties 〈◊〉 the body are sod sposed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the nutritive faculty is the shop of the generative and that being well looked to there 's hope that the other may be better dealt withal The Apostle tells us that one of the ftruits of the flesh is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncleannes to which he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 banketting or revelling as a cause of it Fulnes of bread was one of 〈◊〉 sin of Sodom Vpon which place Jerome saith venter bene pastus cito disponitur ad libidinem a belly well fed is soon disposed to lust And again nunquam ego edacem 〈◊〉 castum putabam I never accounted a great eater chast pro qualitate ciborum est ordo memborum according to the quality of the meate is the disposition of the members a well fed belly will quickly wax wanton This excesse is injurious to God in destroying his creatures whereas Christ appointed the fragments to be gathered up that nothing might be wasted It was the Prodigals fault fruges consumere male to wast Gods creatures in vaine 〈◊〉 Solomon saith it will bring a man to poverty Therefore it is the counsel of the son of 〈◊〉 become not a begger by banquetting upon borrowing The heathen man could say 〈◊〉 patrimoniorum exitium culina to spend a mans patrimony in the kitchen is the basest thing that can be This is it that makes graves of lust when by surfetting men hasten death as those Israelites that longed for quailes and were smitten while the flesh was between their teeth whereupon the place where they were buried was called Kibroth-Hattaavah that is graves of lust And indeed it is gentile vitium our national sinne there are too many graves of lust in this kingdom When we are sick we call for sanitatem health and having it we become soon afterwards by 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betrayers of our health by surfetting Besides the ill effects it works in the body it doth much hurt to the soul too for it maketh all sermons and other exercises of Godlines unfruitful choaking the good seed like the thorns Nolte gravari saith our Saviour to his disciples because the heart thereby becometh so heavie and the brain is so unapt by reason of the fumes that ascende from the stomack that a man is fit for nothing but sleep Saint Gregory saith that perhaps he may be fit adineptam laetitiam sed ad 〈◊〉 praeterea for scurrilous and unsavory mirth and nothing els And in another place cum venter se in ingluvie extendit membra in luxuriam erigit when the belly is oppressed with gormandizing the members are prone to lewdnes Besides this there is first hebetudo mentu dulnes of the minde and then follows durities cordis hardnes of the heart when men drink wine in bowles they are not grieved at the afflictions of Joseph there 's no sympathy between them and those that want Besides as Moses said it was with Jeshurun 〈◊〉 recalcitravit being made fat he began to kick so it will be with the body which will be like Solomons servant that 's brought up wantonly bring up a servant wantonly he will prove stubborne and proud feed him deliciously and he will be check mate with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 not broken and a childe left to himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 become stubborn and rebellious so doth the flesh These desideria carnis desires of the flesh militant adversus animam fight against the soul and what folly is it to strengthen our enemy To avoyd these inordinate lusts we are to follow Saint Pauls example castigare corpus to keep our body under and one way to chasten it is castigatio per damnum by hindering it from some thinge it desires as 〈◊〉 jumentorum to keep under labouring beasts as when we would take down a pampered horse the way is to abate him of his provender This in effect is temperance which the Philosopher calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promum virtutum the butler of all vertues Nature cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the voyce of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let me not be hungry let me not be thirsty let me not be cold 〈◊〉 when he was an hungry desired Jacobs pottage lentis edulium pottage of lentiles it seemed savory to him and the Philosopher saith 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 aurea pocula thirst cares not for drinking in gold but under the colour of supplying nature it commonly falls out that nulli defiderio resistimus we give way to every thing we desire and therefore we grow wanton when we will not have it in this dish or not have it unlesse thus drest and then venter est molestus cliens the belly is a troublesome client whereas of this temper ought we to be that having food and rayment we should be therewith content and this is the right temperance We know that we are debtors to the flesh but not to live after the flesh and that God made the belly for meats but yet we must not say with them let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die nor live in pleasure and nourish our hearts as in a day of slaughter as Saint James speaks nor make such provision for the flesh as to fulfil the lusts thereof This is far from the rule of Temperance Now temperance consists in modo in measure and that modus is in medio measure is in the meane or middle which is known by per regulam by rule And the rule of temperance is three fold 1. The first is 〈◊〉 vitae the necessity of our life and our life necessarily requires but convenient food and rayment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle having food and rayment let us be therwith content 2. The second is necessitas officii the necessity of our calling The Apostle tells us that he which is 〈◊〉 that striveth for the mastery must be temperate and abstemious and keep a strict diet So he that is a student and lives a contemplative life may detract in his diet but a husbandman that labours much and sweats it out may adde he must have a greater proportion The direction in this point must be according to mens several callings and
female this sin is committed and that either with more then one or with one alone with more either without law or with colour of law That without all colour of law is called Scortatio Whoring and this is not only forbidden but in the next verse the Whore is resembled to a Bitch and Whoremongers to a company of dogs For the punishment of it by the light of Nature it was punisht with Death the offenders were to be burnt as we see in Thamar And because the civil laws of men inflict small punishment for this sin therefore God himself will punish it Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge yea God will judge it both in the world to come for the whoremongers are 〈◊〉 among those that shall have their portion in the fiery Lake and also in this life with strange and extraordinary judgements as Lue Gallica with the French Pox an abominable and filthy disease not heard of in former Ages 6. Under colour of law or pretext of mariage comes Poligamy a fault wherewith sundry of the Patriarchs and others were intangled yielding to the corrupt customs of the Countreys about them not enquiring after Gods will But nature it self might have taught them that where the care of both sexes is requird for education there the very beasts of the field and fowls of the air are coupled but one with one but where the dam alone or female may bring up the young there it is otherwise This is plain even from the Creation where it is said male and female created he them but more plain from that of our Saviour And they twain shall be one flesh where we see the number set down expressely as also from another speech of his whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another committeth adultery In the Law it is forbidden Thou shalt not take one wife to another or take a wife to her sister The terms of brother and sister are applyed to any thing that is alike even to inanimate things as if to one half of a thing the other half be added it might well be called the brother or sister of it therefore by sister may here be understood another wife but whether it be so to be understood or no yet the reason added there lest thou vex her is sufficient The very vexation and trouble in the house This what it was we see in Abrahams house while Hagar remained in it and in Jacobs while Rachel envied Leah and lastly in Elkanahs between Hannah and 〈◊〉 So that the inconvenience which hereby arises in hindering bonum oeconomicum the peace of the family is reason strong enough to evince the inexpedience if not the unlawfulnesse of it But it is objected that it was lawful at the first for the increase of 〈◊〉 and propagation of the world In answer whereof we say That indeed if ever it had been lawful or allowed it had been so in the begining But the Prophet Malachy calleth men to the beginning in this very point and tells them as our Saviour told the Pharisees ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic from the beginning it was not so and that God having plenty of Spirit and power to have made more yet made but one one Eve for one Adam and wherefore one because he sought a godly seed And therefore Polygamie was unlawful from the beginning and much more in all ages that should follow 〈◊〉 Again the first that the holy Ghost noteth to have had two wives was wicked Lamech of 〈◊〉 race and though Jacob had two also yet he learnt it in 〈◊〉 Aram among the Idolaters The Prophets therefore having spoken against it and Christ also And the Apostle directing let every woman have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 husband have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own wife whatsoever 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 have been devised to defend it it is utterly unlawful In Matrimony this sin is committed uxore propria with ones own wife for we 〈◊〉 to not left to our selves in Matrimony to use our liberty as we please 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambrose and others of the Fathers use often a saying of Sixtus a Philosopher that 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 uxor is suae ferventior 〈◊〉 man may commit adultery by too much 〈◊〉 of love to his wife This 〈◊〉 was forbidden by the Law and punished There ought to be no approaching 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 no not to a mans own 〈◊〉 if it were both parties were to be cut off from among the people But because here we may fall into infinite questions about marriage and not very pertinent to this place we will therefore here content our selves onely with these few considerations because we have spoken of them more largely already 1. We must have Abrahams care not to match with the Canaanites with the wicked but as S. Paul directeth in Domino in the Lord. 2. Secondly consent of parents must be had Speak to the King saith Tamar to Ammon for he will not withhold me from thee 〈◊〉 thereby that she had not power to bestow her self 3 As God brought Eve to Adam and gave her to him so must we desire that our wife may come by the hand of God and he to make the match which is when the marriage is made by the Priest Gods deputy in the face of the Church 4. Which more neerly concerns this place In marriage we must so behave our selvs in having wives as if we had none and to be content to master our lusts so that for the duties of Christianity we may separate our selves for a time 5. We must not depart or divorce our selves but onely in case of Adultery according to our Saviours rule 6. After we are divided by the death of one party so to abide if we can or at least not quickly to wax wanton and marry again but to stay for a time til the body of the party deceased be dissolved into earth from whence it came Out of matrimony we commit this sin 1. Either with one allyed to us Or 2. with a stranger 1. If she be allyed to us either by father or mother as agnata or cognata it is called incest and is forbidden by the Law and punished with death It is set down as a principle Thou shalt not discover the shame of thy mother because she is thy mother nor of thy sister because she is thy sister as though by the light of nature the very naming of mother or sister were enough to keep us from medling with them No man was hotter against this then 〈◊〉 in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And yet this sin 〈◊〉 a time was winked at But the land 〈◊〉 out the 〈◊〉 and the Perizzites for this abomination And 〈◊〉 before the Law for this very sin of incest forfeited both his right to the kingdom which went from him to 〈◊〉 and
to the Priesthood which went to Levi. Possesse your vessels saith the Apostle in 〈◊〉 and honour Now the honour we are to give to them of our own flesh is that we do not approach or come neer them Other reasons 〈◊〉 are 1. The neernesse of education of those that are our 〈◊〉 or joyned in consanguinity with us is such that it would prove a great 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and a great occasion of this sin if such marriages were allowed with those that usually live together in the same house as parents and children brothers and sisters c. usually do 2. Because not onely a family within it self but also one family with another should have friendship and 〈◊〉 which is most especially procured by marriage Now if 〈◊〉 should be made within the same family every house would be a common-wealth within it self whereas by marriages abroad there is unity and familiarity contracted between one family and another It is true the consideration of Adams children who could marry with no other makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to decide how far that consanguinity or 〈◊〉 extends wherein marriage is prohibited yet this is agreed upon by all that in the right line it was never permitted nor allowed in any case as for the collateral it may be said as before of 〈◊〉 and divorces they were winked at for a time but never allowed as 〈◊〉 God saith that for this sin of incest or marrying within the degrees prohibited the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 because of such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was punished for 〈◊〉 as we shewed before and for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stood to it and 〈◊〉 in the quarrel that Herod 〈…〉 wife And the Apostle saith that one should have his fathers wife was a fornication not 〈◊〉 named among the Gentiles And the Prophet saith that a 〈◊〉 and his father 〈◊〉 go in to one maid is a 〈◊〉 to the holy name of God and that he will not spare them So though for necessity it were tolerated in the beginning yet of it self it is unlawful 2. Come 〈◊〉 to those that 〈◊〉 strangers and not allyed 〈◊〉 us and they are either 1. married 〈◊〉 or free and 〈◊〉 1. If married or 〈◊〉 which is all one it is adultery and forbidden by the law and punished with the death of both parties God is pleased continually to liken 〈◊〉 to this 〈◊〉 of adultery 〈◊〉 there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself against and under this name all kinde of pollution or uncleanness is contained that so the hainousnesse of this sin may be the more discovered And though the politick Laws of men have not made it so yet by the judgement of many Divines it is capital And good reason it should be so For it is the perverting of the whole estate of those two Families whereof the parties delinquent are members If it be not known which God seldom suffers to be kept secret for though he deal otherwise in other crimes yet here he stayes not for a legal accusation but gives the reins to the jealous man to put the womanto her purgation though he cannot directly accuse her then if it be kept close and the fault be in the woman there is a 〈◊〉 thest committed for the man nourisheth and bringeth up a childe that is not his and layeth up inheritance for it to the great wrong and prejudice of his other children If it be known to the parties then God giveth this sin a plain 〈◊〉 by taking away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natural affection both from the children to the parents contra from the parents to the children Besides this such children shall not take deep root they shall be rooted out at the last as appears by Augustus's dealing with his Bastards Medea with her issue by Absoloms and Adonijahs fall It fared so between 〈◊〉 and his brethren there was no natural affection between them In which soever of them the fault be there is a sin against the rest of the children yea and a sin against one that is not namely against him that is to be begotten for he shall be born a Bastard and consequently such an one as shall not be accounted or reputed one of the congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation It is also against the state of the Common-wealth for it polluteth the Land so that it will spue out the inhabitants and the Land cannot be quit of pollution without bloodshed And therefore it is certain that if adultery be not punished it makes way for the ruine of the Land rather then other things committed against the publick state as Murders Poysonings c. the fruits of this sin which yet were punished with death by the Lex Iulia the ground of which Law is because the adulteresse living with the lawful wife hath opportunity to mingle poyson with her meats and therefore every Common-wealth hath cause to make it capital David after adultery fals to murther and Herodias because John Baptist reprehended it could not abide him and never left till he had got his head off Whereas a good wife is a possession above pearls the heart of her Husband may safely trust in her as the Wise man saith Besides this two mischiefs more attend this crime 1. Incest where the fault is kept close for by this means those that marry not knowing how they are allied nor who is of their race or lineage it fals out that sometimes they may joyn themselves with those they are near unto and so commit incest 2. Frequent divorces or separations when one party knows or suspects the incontinency of the other from whence hatred and debate usually arise and it is plain by the whole course of prophane Histories that the greatest Wars both foraign and domestick in many Nations have from hence had their original because there commonly followeth an extream hatred of each other upon this occasion as Ammou hated Tamar exceedingly so that his hatred after he had knowledge of her was greater then his love was to her before To this we may adde the breach of the ninth Commandement Persidiam unfaithfulnesse and of the third Perjurium perjury For at the solemnization of mariage there 〈◊〉 a mutual and solemn Oath and vow unto God in the presence of the Congregation to keep the mariage-bed undefiled Besides God by the Apostle tels us that this sin shall darken the understanding of the wise and make them foolish which effect we see it wrought in Solomon and the Prophet tels us that Aufert cor it takes away the heart of the strong as it did in Sampson By all which we see that this vice is prejudicial to the Common-wealth for the curse of God for it is not onely against the parties offending but upon the Common-wealth too God saith They shall commit adultery but shall not increase and where there is defect of men to till the ground there must needs be barrennesse
a just punishment of this barrenness of the wombe For this fault were the two Tribes punished as the ten Tribes for Incest So that the Common-wealth is endamaged by this sin and therefore accordingly was the punishment made Capital 〈◊〉 Baker was taken out of the same prison where Joseph was committed upon a false accusation of this crime and was hauged so that it seems among the Egyptians to have been capital Among the Babylonians Adulterers were burnt with fire as may be gathered by that threatning of the Prophet against Ahab and Zedekiah that for committing villany with their neighbours wives the king of Babylon should rost them in the fire And the comparison made by Solomon sheweth that Adultery is worse then thest 2. Of them that are solutae free and unmarried either the party continueth with us and then it is called concubinatus the keeping of a Concubine or a 〈◊〉 that is not common for such being servants and by that means base men would not marry with them because it is a disparagement God hath shewed how he 〈◊〉 this by continual crossing it first in Agar Cast out the bondwoman and her son Then in Jacob by Reubens incest with Bilhah A Levite took a Concubine and assoon as he had taken her she began to play the whore Saul was punished in his Concubine Rizpah to whom Abner went in And David was punished in his Concubines with whom Absalom lay in the sight of all the people and Solomons Concubines with his wives turned away his heart from God to set up Idolatry In the next place the act is committed either once only or often Once only is called stuprum deflouring which may be done either to a widow or to a virgin This God forbiddeth by the Law and punished with death We see Gods hand was upon a whole city for the rape of Dinah a virgin And we know what should have followed upon dishonouring of Tamar a widow for a virgin and widow when they are not in potestate sua sed in potestate patris in their own but their fathers power there is in both cases by deslouring them an injury done to the parents as well as tothemselves The act often committed is called fornication which word though it be many times used for the general sin yet it is more properly called vaga 〈◊〉 a wandering iust or vagus concubitus a promiscuous use of many This sin we finde reckoned up among those other of the Heathen Romans for which God gave them up to their own desires and the same Apostle makes it one of the fruits of the flesh The punishment of this sin we finde mentioned by the Apostle out of the book of Numbers in the case of Zimri and Cozbi where twenty four thousand were destroyed and for the abuse of the Levites Concubine twenty five thousand almost a whole tribe This is a bewitching sin Solomon saith They that enter into it shall hardly return again and at last he that useth it shall wonder at himself and say how have I been deceived The falling into this sin is like to the falling into a deep narrow pit where a man cannot help himself and therefore shall hardly get out The harlots guests are in the grave they that are buried in the grave can never rise again by any ordinary power and so they that are given over to this sin can never return without special and extraordinary grace nay her guests are not onely in the grave but even in the bottom of hell whence there is nulla redemptio no redemption she strikes a man into so deep a pit that he can hardly ever get out again without the special grace of God as Solomon did who spake this out of his own experience Beyond all these there is prostitution which is either of private persons which is called prostitution when a man prostitutes his daughter sister or kinswoman or a woman prostitutes her self c. This is also severely forbidden in the law Or publikely allowed They built stews or brothel houses in every street which he there detesteth And so have Godly princes ever been careful to remove them as Asa did The last pitch of this sin is defensio defending it as we know some have done by publick writings And this maketh it a crying sin The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great saith God because their sin is very grievous The Sodomites 〈◊〉 out upon Lot when he reproved them for it justifying their wicked act And Solomon saith that the Adulteresse is so impudent as to wipe her mouth and say I have done no wickednesse And this is it which the Prophet calls frous meretricis a whores forehead 〈◊〉 brought a strumpet before Moses and the Congregation when they were at their 〈◊〉 openly into his tent And of such it is that the Apostle speaketh That glory in their shame CHAP. VII The remedies of this sinne 1. Chastity of a single life 2. Matrimonial chastity The means to preserve us from this sinne Of drawing others to keep this Commandment NOw against these vices there are two vertues opposed as remedies 1. Castitas coelibatus chastity of a single life 2. castitas conjugalis matrimonial chastity both commended by Saint Paul 1. For the first there 's no doubt but it is beter then the other either if we take it simply He that giveth not his virgin in marriage doth better or in regard of the present necessity which is to be thought upon for the Apostle would have men to be without carefulnesse But in a married estate there is the care and trouble of a family to attend it she that is married careth for the things of this world Besides the married must neither watch nor fast nor pray without each others consent which the unmarried may do freely at their own will without the consent of another Besides he that is single may better provide for himself and shall not need to be chargeable to others which was one of the Apostles motives to preach the Gospel freely that he might not be burdensome hereby also a man may live more free from covetousnesse and exercise the vertue of liberality the better And lastly as the Apostle urges the unmarried may the better attend upon the Lord without distraction They may be more constant in adhering to Christ and suffering for his cause more willing to die and to follow Christ Minus mali metuit qui minus delicias gustavit he feares the evil of affliction the lesse who hath had a least tast of the delights and pleasures of the world whereas those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natural affections of parents and married persons beget in them a greater care of res familiares their domestical affaires that they may provide for their children c.
charity CHAP. IIII. Of unjust getting in general The kindes of unjust getting 1. By rapine and violence 2. By fraud The first is either under pretence of authority or without any pretence The former is 1. For a mans own benefit In times of war or in times of peace and this is either by power or authoritie or by pretence of Law 2. For his Neighbours detriment Vnjust getting without any pretence of authoritie or Law is either Piracie by sea or Robberie by land The affirmative part 1 That every one have a lawful calling 2. That he labour in it Of Theft committed in getting Wealth in acquisitione THings in the beginning by the Law of nature were common and since though men have gotten a propriety as aforesaid in them yet in case of extream necessity as the Wise man saith Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfie his soul when he is hungry and the law saith When thou comest into thine neighbours vineyard thou 〈◊〉 eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure but thou shalt not put any into thy vessel In of extream necessity a man might make bold with his Neighbours corn field or vineyard for his present necessity so he carried none away And we see still that in all positive Laws whereby propriety is distinguished there is none of them that hold in case of extream necessity And there is a right which every man hath in things which remain common to this day as in feris Naturae wilde beasts appropriate to no man fowl and fish and in such things which are found on the sea shore as Pearls Gems c. concerning which the rule is jus occupanti the propriety is invested in them that finde them because part of the possession of every countrey is alloted to remain to the benefit of the poor Afterwards for the proprieties which arise by publick right we laid down four viz. 1. Seizing on a countrey uninhabited 2. on those things which were left and forsaken by the owners which are res derelictae things given over 3. Pre. scription 4. the right got by the bow and sword or the right of war And for private right there are liberal and free and illiberal alienations of which we have spoken and in all these there is justa acquisitio a just way of getting Contrary to which are the unjust wayes of getting whereby theft is committed which may be reduced to three heads 1. The first two we may finde in Leviticus Non extorquebis neque fraudabis proximum tuum Thou shalt not rob thy Neighbour neither defraud him The first is rapina robbery which is extorquere per vim domino invito to extort any thing by force the owner being unwilling The other is furtum theft which is fraudare inscio domino to deceive any man without his knowledge both are set down also in one verse by the Prophet And a third is Parsimonia or parcitas Parsimony or Niggardlinesse of which afterwards The Genus to these is briefly set down by the Prophet Congregare non sua to gather or encrease that which is not his And our Saviour mentioning this Commandment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not steal presently adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Defraud not for stealing and defrauding are very neer of kin And it is certain that they which desire riches fall into many temptaetions and as the Heathen man saith Qui vult dives fieri vult cito fieri he that hath a desire to be rich hath a desire also to be quickly rich and this impetuous desire of being suddenly rich makes him that he cannot be innocent but must be entangled with some of these three either with Rapine Fraud or Niggardlinesse Now that which is gotten by any of these wayes is not without a curse as 1. Of that which is got by Rapine Force and Extortion God saith by the Wise man That it stayeth not with them that get it but semper erunt in 〈◊〉 poverty ever attends them And the Prophet saith Vae tibi qui spolias nam tu ipse spoliabere We to thee that spoilest for thou shalt be spoiled 2. For the deceitful man that gets his wealth by fraud the Psalmist saith Non dimidiabit dies suos he shall not live out half his dayes 3. For the Niggard it is said that he that putreth his confidence in riches shall fall The Heathen man could say that they shall be as spunges and some mightier then themselves shall squeeze them till they be dry again But howsoever it fareth with them in this world they shall have a great curse hereafter for they shall never inherit the kingdom of Heaven In the mean time the Apostle tells us that they are not to be accompted brethren of the Church for he prohibits us from keeping company or eating with them And this for the sin in general In particular the sin of unjust getting by force or violence may receive this division 1. Some there are that set themselves to spoil their Neighbours in suum commodum to benefit themselves 2. Others that do it onely or chiefly in detrimentum damnum proximi to hurt and damnifie their Neighbours 1. Them that do it for their own benefit we may consider thus 1. They do it either cum pretextu under colour of authority or 2. sine pretextu without any such pretence 1. They which do it cum pretextu under colour of authority do it either 1. In 〈◊〉 in War 2. or in Pace in time of Peace 1. In time of war if a man spoil or make havock 〈◊〉 all he meeteth he is called Praedo a robber And this is that which John Baptist counselleth the souldiers to beware of when he saith Do 〈◊〉 to no man 2. In time of peace there are diverse that commit this sin and that diverse wayes Some do it 1. partly by their authority and power and 2. partly under colour of Law and justice and this either 1. immediately by themselves or 2. by their under officers and servants 1. The Prophet tells us that there are Principes socii furum some Princes that are Companions of thieves and Ezekiel of some that were like wolves ravening for their prey and Zephany some that are as roaring lyons These are they that say with Laban It is in my power to do you hurt and with Pilate to our Saviour Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to loose thee They have power in their hands as the Prophet speaks and presuming upon it take away from others that which is not theirs by force and violence Dost thou govern the kingdom of Israel saith Jezabel to Ahab that is hast thou so great power and authority and canst not take a vineyard from Naboth Elies sons could execute and make use of their
speaks With meeknesse to instruct them waiting if God at any time will give them repentance And whereas they should keep to the Apostles rule That some mens sinnes are open beforehand going before to judgement and some follow after men give judgement presently without distinction No sooner is a Viper seen upon the hand but they passe the verdict And whereas GOD takes order that Vbi malum contingit ibi moriatur that private faults should bee privately buried Contrary to this 〈◊〉 discover the secret sinnes of others whereby they become slanderers though they speak the truth The Wiseman condemns him that revealeth secrets and it was the 〈◊〉 aggravation of Chams sin to tell his brethren of his Fathers nakednesse Whereas Joseph being a just man and finding that Mary was with childe supposing it might be by one with whom she was pre-contracted would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make her a 〈◊〉 example but was minded to put her away privily Neither do 〈◊〉 onely discover the private faults of their brethren but amplifie them and make them greater then they are as he that brought news to David That Absolom had slain all the Kings sons there was not one of them 〈◊〉 when onely Ammon was slain Thus the common rumour goes when but one is killed that all are killed And beyond all these when they have once spoken of a fault they never leave it but go over it again and so as Solomon observes By repeating a matter they separate very friends when the wound seems to be whole and repentance made yet they will refricare cicatricem 〈◊〉 over the wound again and make it bleed afresh These are some degrees of an affection or appetite that 〈◊〉 after envy especially that of judging the worst in doubtful matters for if one will reason as Shemei did against David that because Joab and Abner were bloody men and adhered to David therefore David was a man of blood and so will proceed ex dubiis upon doubtful and uncertain grounds it will open a window to all other degrees of the sin here forbidden 3. In the third place we proceed as in the former Commandement to subactum solum the fitting and 〈◊〉 of the soyl for the seeds of this sin and this is when there is pruritus aurium the itching of the ears or as the Wiseman speaks a willing hearer or one that gives ear to a naughty tongue For as we say if there were no receivers there would be no theeves so if there were no itching ears that itched after the nakednesse of others there would be no Chams to tell them of it And the Psalmist among the notes of a good man gives not only that he will not slander nor backbite another but also that he will not take up or receive a false report against his neighbour For if a man do but Vultum contrahere draw his 〈◊〉 together and shake off the slanderer it is certain he will not return again Discet non libenter dicere cum didicit non libenter alios audire he will learn not to be forward to speak when he perceives others unwilling to hear as S. Augustine saith In some men there is first a delight to hear of mens imperfections and secondly a credulity or readinesse to believe as we see in Potiphar No sooner was the word out of his Wives mouth but presently Joseph was clapt up in prison she was believed without examination Whereas the righteous are like to Gedaliah in 〈◊〉 as S. Augustine saith who when Jonathan told him that Ismael would slay him he would not believe him because he would not suspect any such thing by him They are not 〈◊〉 and will not easily admit a tale-bearer nor indulgere give regard to him by believing what he saith or concluding it to be true or by any gesture shew respect to him without due proof and examination of the matter 4 In the fourth place followes Irrigatio soli the watering of the soyl being thus prepared and this is when men do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busie themselves in anothers Diocesse This curious searching after faults in others is the note of an Hypocrite as our Saviour shews Thou 〈◊〉 Cur aspicis why spiest thou a mote in thy brothers eye not cur vides why seest thou it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to espie not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to look or see other mens 〈◊〉 to enquire after them what they say or do which makes men breakers of this Commandement This arises partly from idlenesse as the Apostle shews of which we spoke formerly for when men begin to be idle they become tatlers and busie-bodies going about from house to house This is an affection not becoming a discreet man A perfect resemblance of this vice we have in Ahimaaz who was so earnest to carry the news to David that many would not have sued so earnestly for the best Office in all Iury as he did to carry tydings It is noted as the vice the Athenians were infected with they minded nothing in the 〈◊〉 but to listen after 〈◊〉 Surely by this means when men look onely outwardly what others do 〈◊〉 shew either a neglect of themselves or they fall in jucundum spectaculum into a pleasing dotage upon themselves for as S. Jerome saith Qui sua non 〈◊〉 aliena carpunt they that are carelesse of 〈◊〉 are alwayes observing other mens carriage they are still noting other mens practises They are ready to ask questions concerning others as Saint Peter did concerning Saint 〈◊〉 What shall this man do to whom Christ answers What is that to thee follow thou me 〈◊〉 had a desire to know what John should do but Christ reproves this pragmatical humour in him and bids him look to himself and keep within his own Diocesse Thus every one must as the Apostle exhorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do his own businesse he must search into his own actions and then he shall have little leisure to look after other mens And for the remedy of this let him remember that of the Heathen Qui confidit virtuti 〈◊〉 non invidet 〈◊〉 he that is confident of his own vertue will never envy another mans And thus we see how this sin riseth first in the heart and rankles there and what it is which 〈◊〉 the soyl for it and waters it to make it fertile we come now to the outward act CHAP. III. 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 lies 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. 〈◊〉 2. rash 3. perverse 2. The Register by making false records 3. The Accuser 1. By
this by bearing 〈◊〉 witness against himself not onely by suppressing the truth in 〈◊〉 inwardly but also in daily and common talk by glorying and vaunting of that which is not in him S. Paul saith it was not expedient for him to boast and therefore lest he should be thought so to do though he spake nothing but the truth speaking of his revelations and the mysteries he heard when he was wrapt up into the third Heaven he speaks of it in the third person as of another man and lest he should fall into this sin he had one sent to buffet him that he might not be exalted above measure Our Saviour excepts not against their assertion that said He bore witnesse of himself for ordinarily it is true he that witnesseth of himself must have another witnesse but Christ being truth it self needed not any other witnesse for the truth may bear witnesse of it self but otherwise as the Wiseman advises Laudet te os alienum Let another mans mouth praise thee and not thine own lest we fall into Moabs sin and partake of the punishment threatned Jer. 48. 29 30. And as this is every where to be avoided so especially in this place when we utter the word of God The Prophet that telleth lyes is the tail of the people the most vile and abject of all others God hath no need of our lyes as Job saith what we speak from him must not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and nay true and false but onely 〈◊〉 The Apostle would not 〈◊〉 of any of those things which Christ had not wrought by him It is vain arrogancy in men to names 〈◊〉 they have never seen or affirm that which they do not know especially in the Ministers of Christ. And as it is a sin for a man to boast of what he hath not so also to take that fault upon himself which he is not guilty of as he that when Saul had killed himself said that he had killed him hoping for a reward So also to deny any thing of a mans self which is true 〈◊〉 be to his 〈◊〉 or dispraise S Gregory saith this is Mendax humilitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lying humility and unadvised And s. Augustine saith He that uttereth an untruth of himself out of modesty or humility though he had not sinned before yet peccator 〈◊〉 mentiendo he sins now by lying Therefore S. Hieroms rule is Ne ita caveatur arrogantia ut caveatur veritas not so to shun arrogancy as to deny the truth It s true in the 〈◊〉 a man may affirm minus de se 〈◊〉 of himself because in majore est minus the greater doth contain the lesse but otherwise where there is a necessity of answering concerning himself he must stand on the negative not to deny any truth of himself Again on the other side a man is not bound praedicare peccatum suum to 〈◊〉 his sin It was the height of impiety in them that declared their sin as Sodom yet being asked where we are bound to answer we must not deny our sin with Sarah though we are not bound alwayes to speak all the truth of our selves yet we must 〈◊〉 deny the truth or speak an untruth of our selves Having done with this actus reflexus we come to that which is false witnesse directly of which we spake something before viz. Mendacium a lye These we have already spoken of are 〈◊〉 perniciosa mendacia serpentis pernicious lyes the lyes of the Serpent whose first word was Nequaquam 〈◊〉 ye shall in no wise dye Besides these there is a lye they call Innocuum a harmlesse lye of which cometh no hurt or losse But s. Augustine saith they that say so that there is mendacium innocuum an innocent lye are not innocui innocent themselves And though men account nothing to be losse but losse of name goods life and such like yet there is no lye wherein there is not losse of truth which is more worth then all these CHAP. VI. Of a rash lye 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 simulation NOw a lye in this sence may be two wayes 1. To speak contra quam se res habet otherwise then the thing is though he that speaks is perswaded in his minde that it is true and such an one as S. Augustine saith Non tam mendacii 〈◊〉 temeritatis accusandus est is not so much guilty of a lye as of 〈◊〉 and temerity such as the same Father saith should learn their tongues to say 〈◊〉 I know not and not like those in S. Jude to speak of things they know not 2. To speak contra quam se animus habet otherwise then a man thinks and this they divide into officiosum mendacium the Midwives lye an officious lye and 〈◊〉 the merry lye or the scorners lye mentioned in Hosea They make the Princes glad with their lyes Now for the former of these the officious lye which is for our neighbours profit S. Augustine confesses that these mendacia compensativa did somewhat trouble him As if a man lying sick his only son should dye of which if I should tell him it would kill him In this case saith he what shall I answer if he should ask me I must either say he is alive or he is dead or I cannot tell if I say he is alive or I cannot tell a lye is made if I say he is dead it kils the father so that on the one hand here is 〈◊〉 mendacium a saving lye on the other hand here is Homicida veritas a killing truth What should a man do in this case He answers When I am in this case I cannot tell what to say and yet when I am out of it me thinkes I can answer well enough For I see Saint Paul saith Nihil possumus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We 〈◊〉 do nothing against the truth I see David saith 〈◊〉 omnes qui 〈◊〉 mendacium Thou shalt destroy all those that speak lies I see that God is truth and I see that as Christ is the truth who is the first-begotten and onely begotten Son of God so a lye is of the Devil and that a lyer is the first-born of the Devil and I see that if I grant 〈◊〉 mendacia some lyes to be lawful I must also grant aliqua 〈◊〉 some sinnes to be lawful And further if I may lye to save a mans life or with the Priscillianists to bring another to Christian Religion then a man may commit adultery to save ones life I put the case to stand thus There is a woman so fondly enamour'd on a man that except that unlawful act be committed she would dye whether this may be 〈◊〉 adulterium or no It is certain no man in the world would defend it Therefore neither can the other salubre 〈◊〉 be
suspicions from growing into conclusions and they may be reduced to two for they concern either the ground or the object 1. The ground whereupon they rise Suspicions naturally rise from slender grounds sometimes in good as when the Disciples gathered from Christs answer to S. Peter that John should not die some in evil as when they concluded that because Peter was of Galilee as his speech shewed therefore he was one of Christs Disciples therefore every man must examine his grounds 2. The object which is either God or man 1. About God Mens suspicions will rise about many things which belong onely to God which they will sit and scan and draw conclusions from them As 1. The knowledge of the heart is Gods Prerogative yet how common is it for men to conclude upon a mans meaning as if they knew his heart Therefore 〈◊〉 upon that of the Apostle Quis es tu c. who art thou that judgest another mans servant saith My heart is none of your servant onely God must judge it Suspicion must never go to amans thoughts 2. We must not raise suspitions upon the acts of Gods Providence or draw conclusions thereupon as those that from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzen calls them things 〈◊〉 befall all men alike as prosperity and adversity gather false conclusions as if from a mans affliction or adversity one conclude him to be a greater sinner then others as those that saw the Viper on Pauls hand and concluded him to be a murtherer When as it is most certain that outward things happen alike to all as the Wise man speaks and therefore saith Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus if a man be born blinde either he or his parents have 〈◊〉 Thus they concluded against Gods Providence that the children suffered for their parents sins The fathers have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge when as his Providence is a great deep which cannot be searched out So they in Malachy conclude that it is in vain to serve the Lord because there is sometimes no present visible reward If John Baptist lose his head or S. Paul his life some will say this they have for the service of God 3. About future things men are apt to pronounce judgement when as God onely knows what shall come to passe If one be cast down or out of Gods savour he can never recover again if men have once surfetted of the world it is impossible for them to awake or edormire 〈◊〉 but the Apostle teaches otherwise he would have us wait if God will at any time give them repentance Multi sunt intus lupi saith S. 〈◊〉 multi foris oves there are many wolves within and many sheep for the present without and multi sunt rami inserti diffringendi rami disstracti inserendi there are many branches graffen in which may be broken off and many broken off which may be graffed in We must not then conclude in this manner for Gods hand is 〈◊〉 shortened but his power is the same still 2. Concerning 〈◊〉 wherein men judge amisse either of the actions or the persons of others 1. Of the actions Men often judge amisse and in this case when a man doth Judicare de re without good ground he hurts none but himself and therefore we should labour to know the truth of things before we judge them 2. Of the person men by judging amisse may wrong the person whom they judge hereby they make him contemptible and odious as on the contrary when he is absolved he gets credit If I condemn him being an innocent I do an injury not to him alone but to others I condemn the generation of the just as the Psalmist speaks whereas if I judge well of him when he deserves ill this is but error in singularibus and the 〈◊〉 way for the Apostle saith that Charity is not suspitious nor thinketh evil 2. If there be no determination but a presupposing the rule is a man may suppose the worst for the prevention of evil as if I am to cure a sin it is better to suppose it worse then it is then to make it lesse then it is lest I apply too weak a plaister which will not heal it A gentle plaister may help a wound or sore for a while which after a while will break out again The Evangelist saith of Christ that though many beleeved on his name yet he would not commit himself to them because he knew what is in man but we must not because we know not what is in man It is good to suppose the worst for the prevention of sin Now further in our determinations we are to consider that either the case is plain and then there is violenta suspicio a violent suspition and here we may conclude or else it is doubtful and may be taken in a good 〈◊〉 for moralia sortiuntur 〈◊〉 fine moral actions are distinguished by their ends now in this case it is dangerous to conclude against one in a doubtful case for dubia in meliorem partem interpretanda doubtful things must be taken in the best sence The last rule in this case is that we must not be too hasty or rash in Judgement for praecipitatio noverca justitiae rashnesse is the stepmother to justice God teaches the contrary by his own example though he knew the matter before yet he proceeds judicially Vbies Adam Adam where art 〈◊〉 and in the case of Sodom though the cry of their sin was great Descendam saith God videbo I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry Though God needed no information yet he thus speaks for our example and imitation Now for the action upon a suspition it is utterly unlawful to act against any upon a bare suspition David had a strong suspition of Doeg that he would tell Saul what Abimelech had done yet it was not so strong as to make him proceed to any action thereupon for if he had he had kept him from carrying any tales to Saul These rules may help us against groundlesse suspitions against others Sundry other rules may be given concerning our selves and our own actions in relation to the sins here prohibited and already handled 1. When we are to speak the truth of our selves knowing our own imperfections and that lingua est prodiga the tongue is prodigal in a mans own praises we must do as S. Matthew did who being to tell his own story calls himself by the worst name Matthew the Publican whereas the other Evangelists call him Matthew the son of Alpheus or Levi he leaves out also his own feast which he made for Christ and mentions it not though S. Luke sets it out so the same S. Luke speaking of S. Peters denyal mentions it gently as that
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thought of his heart Pray saith he if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee 2. Propter Pharisaeos for those that Pharisee like are conceited of their own righteousnesse that as S. Augustine saith superbi peccatores proud sinners who are not sanati healed may by this Law be convicti convicted of their need of a Physitian for though a man may in regard of the full consent of heart hold out and justifie himself in some things and for some small time though few attain to this yet when he comes to this Commandment wherein the partus imperfectus the imperfect birth when there is no perfect consent but some pleasure and titillation onely in the motion is forbidden this will make him sweat and cry out as it is Rom. 7. 0 wretched man who shall deliver me from the body of death and so will make him see that he cannot acquit himself nor be a Christ or Saviour to himself but must fly out and seek to another without himself as it is in the next words I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. For the consent of the heart is forbidden by the other Commandments as they are expounded by our Saviour who saith that if a man look upon a woman hoc animo hoc fine with this purpose and to this end to lust after her that this concupiscence is Adultery but here the intention and desire though it have not plenum consensum full consent but be onely partus imperfectus is attainted by this Precept The distinction here is that in the former Commandments the intention of evil is forbidden etsi non consequaris though it be not executed here also etsi non prosequaris even though it be not prosecuted or resolved upon as when the motion is entertained with some approbation or delight though not fully consented to S. Augustine contra Julian explains the matter thus the one is Non concupisces thou shalt not lust forbidden by this Commandment the other is post concupiscentias tuas ne eas follow not after thy lusts as it is in Ecclus. 18. 30. and he that hath attained this latter not to go after his lusts magnum fecit saith the same Father hath done much sed non perfecit but hath not done all quia adhuc concupiscit because he lusts still The Apostle distinguishes them thus he calls the one peccatum regnans sin reigning in us when we follow it in the lusts thereof the other peccatum inhabitans sin dwelling in us when it lusts in us but hath not got perfect dominion here it dwells as a private person there it rules and hath got a kingdom for quando peccatum transivit in affectum cordis impetravit sensum rationis ut si adsit occasio facere disponat when sin hath so far prevailed both upon our affections and upon our reason that there wants onely an opportunity to act it there it reigns But when we have given some entertainment to it in our mindes but are not resolved so that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reasoning within us Faciam aut non faciam shall I do it or shall I not when we have reasons pro contra and are not fully resolved there is peccatum inhabitans it dwells in us and this is properly forbidden by this Commandment If we resolve once faciam I will do it then it is factum as good as done before God and may be referred also to the other Commandments as forbidden there CHAP. II. 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 THE subject or matter of this Commandment is Concupiscence or lust which is here prohibited which that we may the better understand we must know that it is not every concupiscence which is here forbidden for there is a twofold lust or Concupiscence 1. There is a Concupiscence of our own of which S. Peter speaks There shall come men walking after their own lusts 2. There is a lust or concupiscence of the spirit of which the Apostle saith that it lusteth against the flesh this is holy and good for when our mindes are enlightned by the Spirit of God it stirs up in us good motions and desires and doth strengthen us to bring the same to effect and withal it arms us as S. Peter speaks against the opposition we meet with By this Concupiscence evil motions when they arise in the heart are checked as we see in the Psalmist Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in the Lord c. This Concupiscence is not condemned here but as it is in it self acceptable so by helping our infirmities it makes our prayers acceptable with God and so procuring audience whereby we obtain our desires of God it increases in us love to God and charity to men This is not therefore restrained by this Commandment but the other which is propria 〈◊〉 our own Concupiscence Now this Concupiscence of our own is of two sorts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first is natural the second is from the corruption of nature which S. Peter calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Concupiscence of corruption or Corrupt Concupiscence The first is in all men by nature as to desire meat when one is hungry or drink when he is thirsty and this is not forbidden for it was in Christ himself who was free from all sin he was sometimes hungry and desired meat and sometimes weary and desired rest c. But it is the other the corrupt lusts or desires which are forbidden in this place This Faculty of desiring or lusting was at first given to the soul to make it move towards those objects which the minde propounds aslevity or lightnesse is in some things to make them move upwards whereupon the Heathen called the minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eye of the soul and the desire or appetite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conatum the motion or endeavour of the soul after that which the eye discerns but this desire or 〈◊〉 being corrupt choaks the light of the minde that it cannot direct to what is good for the faculties of the soul being conjoyned do corrupt and infect one another as Ivy that cleaves to the oak and draws away the sap and makes it to wither and so the minde being blinded the will cannot move towards that which is good and thus our desires become corrupt Out of this corrupt concupiscence spring up desires of two sorts as they are distinguished by S. Paul some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain and
it not to proceed to suppuration There is in every of us an evil imagination against our Neighbour to do them prejudice and this being in us then there comes in a temptation as the Apostle shews partly from the world according to the course of the world partly from the Devil who then begins to strike and to work and fashion the thought of the heart to a perfect sin according to the Prince of the power of this air Thus they both work upon our thoughts and desires to fulfil the desires of the flesh as it is in the next verse So that here is a double cause to draw us to this 1. Our concupiscence alone considered in it self as it riseth by it self without any blowing or quickning of it from without 2. As it is imployed and wrought by the World or the Devil or both 1. By it self alone Christ speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil thoughts that proceed out of the heart and of thoughts that arise in the heart There is a steam or vapour that ariseth from our nature for evil thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arise up or ascend from below good thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descend or come from above the one comes from our selves the other from God and his Spirit for omne bonum desuper Now the Devil knowing this takes occasion by those desires which he perceives by some outward signe to arise within us to assault us by propounding worldly objects and 〈◊〉 and so makes use of the world to tempt us Thus he dealt with Christ he forbare him till he was hungry and had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his natural desire of bread and then he comes to him and offers him stones to be turned into bread thinking by that means when Christ had a natural appetite to have been entertained as Jehoram was for Jehosaphats sake 2. As there are cogitationes ascendentes thoughts ascending into the heart so there are another sort cogitationes immissae thoughts cast in by the Devil Thus the Devil entred into Judas when he put those evil thoughts into his heart of betraying his Master So he filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira to 〈◊〉 to the Holy Ghost and to commit sacriledge And as he sometimes doth this immediately by himself so he sometimes makes use of the world and os outward objects to cast evil thoughts into us Thus the World and the Devil infect us from without when we infect our selves fast enough from within For as Nazianzen speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sparkle is within us the flame is from the evil spirit which blows it up so that though there were no Devil to tempt us and though we were in the Wildernesse where no worldly objects could allure us yet we carry enough in our bosomes to corrupt our selves Neither can we be safe though we leave all the world behinde us so long as we 〈◊〉 our own hearts with us saith S. Basil. Of these The ascending thoughts within us are 〈◊〉 the other cogitationes immissae that are sent or injected into us unlesse they infect us or we give way to them are our crosses not our sins Nay Daemon tentando coronas nobis fabricat by resisting these motions and temptations of Satan we win the crown and every temptation we resist is a new flower to our Garland The manner how these thoughts come to infect us is thus There are six degrees before we come to that full consent and purpose of heart which is prohibited by the other Commandements In Genesis when Eve was tempted we see how the infection began There is the fruit held out the object to allure and withal the three provocations by which all sins are ushered in to the soul are there set down 1. It was good to eat here was apparentia bonis utilis the allurement of profit 2. It was pleasant and delightful to the eye here is apparentia boni jucundi the bait of pleasure 3. It is said it was to be desired in regard of knowledge Here was apparentia 〈◊〉 per se expetendi there are these three mentioned by S. John The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 4. And in the next verse before the Devil addes a fourth which may be reduced to the third Eritis sicut dii Ye shall be like gods The very lure of Pride Excellency and a condition to be desired by man being chief of the 〈◊〉 These being held out every one was paused upon by Eve saith the Scripture she had respective regard to them all For the woman seeing that the 〈◊〉 was good for meat and pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to get knowledge she took of the fruit thereof and did eat Out of which we may observe these seve al steps and degrees whereby sin enters into the soul. 1. The first by s. Paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a turning back after Satan or a turning of the soul back to look on the object The first entertaining of it aversio a Deo a turning of the soul from God which when one doth he begins to prostitute his soul to the Devil 2. The second they call allube scentium when it liketh them well so that sain they would have it This 〈◊〉 be sudden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it propassionem answering to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a light motion or passion upon the first sight whereas that which more 〈◊〉 impressed in us is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passion more 〈◊〉 or violent Job compareth him that hath gone thus far to one that hath a sweet poyson in his mouth who because of the 〈◊〉 that he feels is loth to spit it out and would swallow it but yet considering that it is poyson he spits it out or if he do not let it go nor yet dare swallow it but keeps it under his tongue then of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this is retentio seminis the keeping and retaining of the 〈◊〉 as the first was receptio seminis the receiving of it And as in that there was aversio a Deo a turning from God so in this there is conversio ad creaturam a turning to the creature 3. The third is consensus in delectationem a consent to take delight in it For as before there a double consent 1 Consensus in 〈◊〉 a consent to execute or act the sin and this may be forbidden in the other Commandements and is that which we called when we expounded them the Suppuration or inward festering of our hereditary wound And 2. Consensus in delectationem a consent in minde onely to take pleasure in it by often rowling of it in the heart wherein we so far consent to it as to delight in the thought of it though as yet we have no full
Commandement in the words expressed Now because according to our 〈◊〉 formerly delivered the Affirmative is implyed in the Negative we shall say something of the affirmative part The Affirmativepart Or the thing required is set down by the Apostle when he exhorts us To bee renewed in the spirit of your mindes and to put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him and to become new creatures We must labour as the Apostle prayed that our spirit soul and body may be sanctified and preserved blamelesse unto the coming of Christ. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earthly members our carnal lusts and affections and crucifie the old man that so sin may not reign in our mortal bodies Nor onely must the minde be renewed but the will too it must be brought into subjection to the will of God that we may be able to say with David Here am I let God do with me whatsoever he 〈◊〉 and with Christ Not my will but thy will be done Our inward man is corrupt in all the faculties the understanding is darkned and the will is perverted For as in old men there is caligo oculorum 〈◊〉 of sight and infirmitas membrorum weaknesse in the members so in this old man which we are to put off there is 〈◊〉 mentis and infirmitas spiritus blindnesse of minde and weaknesse of spirit which must be renewed Though 〈◊〉 be in it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transient act yet after the act there is something remains which requires a necessity of Renovation as 1. 〈◊〉 the guilt which makes us unworthy of favour and worthy of punishment 2. Macula the stain which renders us 〈◊〉 and deformed and 3. 〈◊〉 seu morbus the wound or disease which needs healing and binding up and consists in a pronenesse and 〈◊〉 to the like acts Now though the guilt of sin past be taken away upon our repentance yet the stain and the scar remain 〈◊〉 in part and need daily renewing And because a new guilt may be contracted by new sins therefore we have daily need of pardon and remission The necessity of this inward renewing appears 1. Because of the corruption which naturally lodges in the heart and so pollutes the whole man here is that gall which imbitters all our actions that leaven which sowres the whole lump the leprosie which defiles body and soul fo that from the understanding which is the head to the affections which are the 〈◊〉 all is full of sores If the 〈◊〉 be a world of wickednesse what is the heart If there be a beam in the eye what is there in the heart Si trabes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 2. If it be not renewed it is the most dangerous enemy we have It is deceitful 〈◊〉 all saith the Prophet it can deceive us without Sathan but he can do nothing without it he must plow with our Heifer it is more near to us then Sathan a part of our selves Resist the Devil and he will 〈◊〉 from us but if we resist never so much this deceiver will stick 〈◊〉 to us Sathan tempts and leaves us for a season but this tempter never leaves us This is like a treacherous person in the City which opens the gates and lets in the enemy who otherwise by 〈◊〉 could not have entred 3. It is the fountain of all our actions none are accepted which come not from a pure heart if this be polluted all our actions are abominable Whatsoever an unclean person touched under the Law was unclean So whatsoever actions though good in themselves are performed if the heart be not renewed and cleansed they are polluted by it That we may be renewed in the spirit of our mindes we must use the means 1. We must wash our hearts with tears of repentance as David after his great 〈◊〉 and S. 〈◊〉 after he had denied his Master This potion of repentance will purge out the 〈◊〉 humours It is true the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin it takes away the guilt and the Spirit of God renews the heart in respect of the stain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle ye are sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God but neither Christ nor his Spirit will come and dwell in an impure heart if the heart be not prepared by repentance we cannot apply the blood of Christ to take away the guilt There are preparatory works wrought by the assistance of the Spirit as sorrow and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Spirit comes to dwell in us and Christ stands at the door and knocks by preparatory acts of grace before he will come in and sup with us 2. We must avoid all occasions of sin If our right eye offend us we must pluck it out if our hand offend us we must cut it off we must part with any thing though never so dear to us if it be an occasion of sin We must shun and avoid all evil company David saith that all his delight was in the saints and such as did excel in vertue He was a companion of all that feared the name of God as for the wicked He would not suffer them to come into his sight nay he would not make mention of them in his lips We must avoid idlenes David was idle when he was tempted to uncleannesse Idlenesse is pulvinar Diaboli the Devils bolster an idle person is a standing puddle apt to putrifie This makes solum subactum the soyl fit for Sathan to sowe his seed in therefore it was good counsel semper te inveniat Diabolus occupatum let Sathan alwayes finde thee exercised 3. We must watch over our outward sences which are the windows by which 〈◊〉 objects are conveyed into the heart and sinful lusts stird up in the soul look not on the tree 〈◊〉 thou be taken with the pleasant shew of the fruit We must pray with the Psalmist That God would turn away our eyes from beholding vanity and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job did with our eyes not to look upon ensnaring objects we must stop our ears against the charms of the Devil The ear is apt to receive evil speeches which it conveyes to the heart and therefore we must take heed what we hear 4. Principiis obsta suppresse the first motions of sin as soon as they arise in the heart this is to crush the Cockatrice in the egge this is easy at first but difficult if we give way to them Prava dum parva though they seem small yet they are bad and make way for worse evil thoughts not resisted bring delight delight breeds consent consent action action custome and custome necessity we must therefore 〈◊〉 infantes dash them to pieces while they be young before they grow too strong We must not once consult with flesh and blood
Locusts that devour all where they come and the Fathers term them unprofitable and superfluous Creatures The Apostle alluding to this saith Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour 4. In regard of the breach of the sixth Commandment forbidding 〈◊〉 For idlenesse is the mother of many diseases For as there are none of Gods creatures but putrifie without motion as the air and water stagnantes 〈◊〉 stantes aque nec dulces nec salubres 〈◊〉 Seneca standing waters are neither sweet nor wholsom so ease in the body bringeth forth 〈◊〉 the gout and other diseases Computrescit in stercore saith the Prophet the seed rots under the clod And it were to be wisht that not onely the losse of time wasting the creatures and the hurt of the body were all the prejudice that came by idlenesse so that the soul might be kept untainted by it but that also is subject to detriment by it for from nihil agere doing nothing comes male agere doing ill Idlenesse teacheth much evil saith the son of Syrach and by this comes the disease which S. Basil calls podagram animi the gowt of the soul. Now idlenesse consists in two things Either 1. in too much sleep or 2. in not being exercised when we are awake in the works of our calling 1. For the first of too much sleeping After the Apostle had told the Romans it was high time to awake out of sleep he gives them a caveat to walk honestly as in the day not in gluttony vnd drunkennesse nor in chambering and wantonnesse after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drunkennesse then he comes to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate 〈◊〉 but it is properly lying long in bed and there is joyned with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wantonnesse the companion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beginning of concupiscence The Prophet 〈◊〉 those of his time with stretching themselves upon their beds and not without cause for another Prophet tells us that by it men begin 〈◊〉 nequam to devise iniquity to have wicked thoughts We see the experience of it in David who after his sleep was disposed to take the air in his Turret and by that means was made fit for the impression of this vice upon the sight of a tempting object for which cause Solomon gives good counsel 〈◊〉 this purpose Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes and thou 〈◊〉 be satisfied with bread for having spoken verse 11. of young men that by their actions they may be known whether their work be pure and whether it be right and in the 12. verse that they may be known by this whether they apply their ears and eyes to knowledge as God created them he 〈◊〉 in the 13. verse that otherwise if they love sleep these effects of it shall come upon them For remedy hereof two things are to be observed in sleep 1. The Quantitie 2. The manner 1. For the quantitie Our sleep must not be too long Vsque quo dormis How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard ultra horam beyond the hour there is an hour when to arise Hora est jam saith the Apostle the hour is at hand or as we read it it is now high time to awake out of sleep but the sluggard when the hour cometh when he should arise lies still in his bed and is as a dore which turneth alwayes upon the hinges and yet remains in the 〈◊〉 place 2. For the manner of our sleep It must not be like that of Ionah who was in a dead sleep in a time of danger It must not be as S. Jerome calls it sepultura suffocati as the burial of one without breath but requies lassi the rest of one that is weary The Prophet threatens it as a great plague from God to be given up to the spirit of slumber which is true of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drowsinesse of the body as well as the soul. And as Ionah was in the midst of the tempest when he slept soundly so these are under Gods visitation who are possest with this spirit of slumber 2. The second point of idlenesse is when we are not exercised in the duties of our calling but give our selves to ease Desidiae est somnium vigilantis sloth is the dream of him that is awake and by want of labour and exercise and giving our selves to ease we come to the hanging down of the hands and the feeble knees of which the Apostle speaks and so become fit for no good thing For as all other creatures of God by standing still grow corrupt as we see in standing water which putrifies and being putrified ingenders toads and such venemous creatures so in man ease brings discases both in body and soul it produces in the body podagram the gout and it brings forth the like indisposition in the soul which made S. Basil call it podagram animi the gout of the soul. And therefore S. Ambrose calls idle persons creaturas Dei superfluas superfluous creatures of God which do no way profit the body politick where they live but are as the Heathen man saith of the 〈◊〉 such qui animam pro sale habent who have their souls instead of salt to keep their bodies sweet S. Paul measureth not idlenesse onely by doing nothing but also by not doing the duties of a mans place As he that is placed in the Vniversity and studies not though he hawk hunt or dance or uses other exercises that are laborious yet because he doth not that which he ought to do he is to be accounted an idle fellow If men be as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not working at all then they become busie bodies and if women be idle then wil they be pratlers or tatlers upon which cometh tale-carrying lying 〈◊〉 and forging whereby they disquiet others And not onely so but they are busie bodies medling out of their callings where they have nothing to do These are to be restrained And because hereby groweth a disposition from the body for evil motions in the soul therefore S. Peter enjoyns the vertue of abstinence and commands us to abstain from such fleshly lusts as do militare contra animam 〈◊〉 against the soul. The remedy against sleep is that which the Apostle calleth sobriety properly watchfulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be sober be vigilant saith he in another place for sleep and drunkennesse are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 works of the night and we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 children of light and of the day our desires therefore ought to be after the works of the light and of the day and we must walk accordingly 2. The remedie against idlenesse the Apostle gives us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set our selves to do our own businesse and the works of our calling And blessed shall
he be whom the Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing We said before that in this sin there is suppuratio the festering of it within and after that there is subactum solum the soyl fitted by feeding the evil 〈◊〉 by gluttony and idlenesse of which we have now spoken CHAP. V. The fourth 〈◊〉 Irrigatio soli the watering of the soyl by incentives and allurements to this sin which are either 1. In or about our selves or 2. In others Of the first sort are 1. Painting 2. Strange wanton apparel 3. Lascivious gestures Of the second sort are 1 Lewd company and obscene books 2. Obscene pictures and wanton dancings Of modesty the vertue opposite THe next thing is irrigatio soli watering of the soyl of which we are to beware For as we must keep our selves from being meet or fit ground for the Devil to cast in this seed of lust or evil concupiscence by meats of provocation drinks and dyet or idle living so must we also take heed of such objects and allurements as may irrigare solum water the ground foment and dispose the soul to this sin And these allurements or 〈◊〉 we consider as they are in our selves or as in others Those in or about our selves are diverse 1. As the using of 〈◊〉 painting the face which was the sin of Iezabel she painted her face and tyred her head Of this one saith that it is not facies but larva they have not a face but a vizard But the Prophet tells such In vain shalt thou 〈◊〉 thy self fair for thy lovers shall despise thee thou that rentest thy face or eyes with painting alluding to the custom of women then of 〈◊〉 their eye brows with stibium or 〈◊〉 as some learned think 2. The strange 〈◊〉 our selves in apparel which is condemned even in women who are rather to be tolerated herein then men because it is mundus muliebris the adorning of women Saint Gregory saith what a deformity is it in men when it is found fault with in women The places before quoted condemne 〈◊〉 as vsed in a wanton lascivious manner and for unchast ends 1. The platting and wreathing of the haire 2. The adding of gold and silver to adorne them 3. Rare and strange or costly apparel such as our Saviour implicitely taxes in the rich glatton who was clothed with purple and fine linnen This affectation of such vanity and cost in apparel with so much industry and care while the adorning of the inner man is neglected is here forbidden For of this we may say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in studio vestium 〈◊〉 deesse let no man conceive or 〈◊〉 himself that he can be free from sinne that takes too much care about apparel As for vestitus peregrinus strange apparel God by the Prophet threatens to punish such as are clothed with strange apparel Saint Pauls reason against such care to adorne the body is because it becomes not those that professe the 〈◊〉 of God And Saint Peter hath two reasons against it 1. Because the chief care should be about the hidden man of the heart for as Cato once said 〈◊〉 corporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magna mentis incuria where there is great care of the body there is usually greatest neglect of the mind therfore not the outward but the inward man is to be adorned 2. The Saints in old time did not thus apparel themselves not Sarah c. Therefore follow their examples 3. Another allurement is the gesture a proud allureing gate God threatens that he will devise evil against such as go haughtily Esay describes the particulars and tells us the manner of their proud walking 1. They are haughty going on 〈◊〉 2. They have erectum guttar stretched out necks 3. They have 〈◊〉 antes oculos rowling and wanton eyes looking wantonly 4. minutos passus a mincing or tripping gate they go as if they were 〈◊〉 shackled And the Prophet for these thundereth against the daughters of Sion but much more would he have done against the sons of Sion gestum natura dedit sed gratia 〈◊〉 There is a generation saith Agur whose eyes are haughty some have proud gates naturally but though nature hath given it yet grace can amend it Now we come to the watering of our lust by those provcations and incentives which are without us 1. The kingly Prophet tells us of some which have consortium cum adulteris are partakers or keep company with adulterers The wiseman speaking of a yong man that had entered into the company and communication with a harlot saith he goeth after her as an oxe to the slaughter or a fool to the stocks or a bird to the pitfall and feeles it not till the dart strike through his liver And indeed lewd company is very dangerous for this sinne as we see by that the Apostle tells us modicum fermenti corrumpit totam massam a little leaven 〈◊〉 the whole lump Which though it may be applyed to any vice yet Saint Paul there applyeth it particularly to this shewing that this vice hath an especial quality in it to infect and leaven others The holy Ghost bids us beware of evil company and not onely of those that are notoriously evil but of suspicious company and 〈◊〉 times The young man in the Proverbs went to a suspected house and at a suspected time in the twilight when it was now dark and these two disposed to this vice 1. Haunting suspicious places 2. At suspicious times We are not onely to refrain from evil but from the shew of evil and we must provide for things honest not onely coram Deo before God but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before men as the Apostle exhorts Vnder bad company come bad books that speak broadly of filthy and obscene matters The heathen man called his books comites his companions Though he were solus alone yet as long as he had his books to beare him company he was nunquamminus solus quam cum solus never lesse alone then when he was alone Evil books containe many evil words and evil words corrupt good manners as the Apostle tells out of Menander speaking of the sayings of the Epicures and evil words are like stolen waters which are sweet and as bread eaten in secret which is pleasant 2. To ill company and bad books may be added such things as by the eye and the eare make the same impression in the soul as namely imagines obscaenae obscene and filthy pictures such as that of Baal-Peor which they carried about for publike view to stir up lustful thoughts 〈◊〉 longed to look on it and as it is in the psalme they joyned themselves to Baal-Peor and eat the offerings of the dead It was the counsel of Balaam to bring them to see the image and offer to it and then to draw them to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab and therefore the Apostles advise is
for a good name or credit brings favour and withall riches Gamaliel being a man of note and of credit all gave ear to him Men will go to Physicians that are well esteemed for their advice and a cunning Lawyer shall bee sure of many Clyents and a good Tutor of many Scholars And most customers will resort to such as have most credit and the best report CHAP. II. The necessity of a good name The sinne forbidden in general Wherein 1. The root of it 2. The Suppuration or rankling of it inwardly by false surmises and suspicions 3. The fitting of the soyl by readinesse to hear false reports 4. The watering of the soyl by busying our selves in other mens affairs NOw for an entrance into that which follows it will be needful to shew the necessity and use of a good name and credit among men Though in respect of Gods judgement of us by which we must stand or 〈◊〉 it matters not much what men think of us yet there is an injunction laid upon every man to Let his light shine before men that they may see his good works and glorifie his Father which is in Heaven It is a duty of every man to do what good he can to others now there is little or no good to be done by that man that hath an evil report so that there is duplex necessitas a double necessity laid upon every one he must have bonam conscientiam 〈◊〉 se a good conscience for himself and bonam famam propter 〈◊〉 a good name for others as s. 〈◊〉 faith And therefore howsoever in respect of God and our duty to him setting scandalum 〈◊〉 and scandalum 〈◊〉 aside we 〈◊〉 stand resolved as the Apostle was to go through good report and bad report in doing our duty thereby to do good to others yet if with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just a man can joyn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are of good report this is the best course and the best way to be taken to do good both to our selves and others and little use will be made of a mans gifts without it It is true a man must regard the testimony of God and his approbation before the testimony of his own conscience and the testimony of his conscience before the witnesse of men he must say with the Philosopher Malo viri boni famam 〈◊〉 conscientiam perdere I had rather lose the name and report of a good man among men then hazard the losse of my conscience but yet where all these can 〈◊〉 together a man should desire them all because by this means his gifts wil be useful for the enlarging the Kingdom of Christ and edifying of his Church and therefore the care of the Apostles was though they were counted deceivers yet they were true and would give no 〈◊〉 of offence and the reason is given that their ministery might not be blamed and so by that means they should be the lesse able to do good Besides in regard of a mans owne self A good name should ever bee carefully regarded because whilest a man hath it hee will bee the more wary and circumspect over his wayes that so hee may keepe it Whereas when it is 〈◊〉 he puts on that frontem meretricium spoken of by the Prophet a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and like the deaf Adder stops his ear against all admonition In all these respects and considerations therefore it is a sin for a man to neglect his good name The Heathen man so esteemed of it that he said Excepto probro reliqua omnia maledicta nihil existimo Except slander and reproach which reflected upon his good name he would endure all other railings for the wound made by a slander will hardly bee so 〈◊〉 but that some scar will remain For in this case he that is slandered is disabled from doing that good which otherwise he might good men will be suspitious of him and evill men will never speak well of him and therefore every man should be very careful of his good name We proceed now to the offence it self or the sin here forbidden False witnessing And this our Saviour tells us proceeds from the 〈◊〉 For Out of the 〈◊〉 proceed evil thoughts c. and among other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 False witnesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foolish speaking So that the root of this sinne is in the heart where there is as we shewed in the former Commandements a natural inclination Grassari ad famam to rob a man of his good name thinking thereby to be better thought of our selves and by casting dirt upon other mens faces to make our own seem the fairer But in the next place when men come to that which Esay speaks of to dig deep to hide their counsel or with those in Ieremy To consult and devise devices against their neighbour how they may smite him with the tongue and slander him so that none may credit him this goes further for this is Suppuratio the rankling of it inwardly To this we refer those evil surmisings mentioned by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Light suspitions which are upon little or no ground These wee handled before in the sixth Commandement as occasions of unjust anger and by consequence of murther But here wee speak of them as they are hurtful or prejudiciall to another mans fame or credit And from this saint Iames saith that men proceed further viz. From groundlesse suspitions and surmises to take upon them the office of the Law-giver viz. To judge and condemne And not onely to give wrong judgement upon their brother but to judge before the time as saint Paul saith and so they judge too hastily And not onely to judge of some outward actions from which no necessary conclusion can bee drawn but also of secret and inward thoughts and of matters doubtful which might be well interpreted and taken in a good sense as we see the Jewes did with Christ and Iohn Baptist Of whom the one for not eating but abstaining was said to have a melancholy Devil and the other who came eating and drinking was accounted a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners And thus whereas some outward things may be done to good or bad ends they judge hastily De rebus seriis of the most weighty matters not regarding 〈◊〉 or consequentia what went before or follows after with other circumstances which may often vary the nature of outward actions Now this test is repentinus this sudden witnesse nunquam vere judicat never gives a 〈◊〉 verdict as we see in those Barbarians who no sooner saw the Viper cleave to Pauls hand but they concluded that he was a murtherer Thus men give sudden judgement whereas they ought as the Apostle