he be for his belly as the first or degenerate to a wolf as the last they are both distinguished from the good shepherd Yet they are to be obeyed as pastors because they come in the right way obediendum est male an evil man must be obeyed though not ad malum in that which is ill of which before in the Magistrate But the end of these is wosul acording to the prophet wo unto the shepherds that feed themselves Ye 〈◊〉 the fat and cloth you 〈◊〉 the wooll yee kill them that are fed but yea feed not the flock 4. The good shepherd is the last sort who as he comes in the right way Math. 22. 12. So he is not to abuse his place after he is entred as the evil shepherd doth but to perform the duties of it which duties are 1. To shew his flock a good example 2. To employ his talent for their good 3. To converse with them as he ought 1 He must be an example He must lead the flock as our Saviour expresseth it after the manner of the Easterne countries who drave not their sheep before them but the sheep followed them The Apostle describeth it more plainly by the word Typus he must be Typus as the iron that gives a forme to the mony by making an impression on it As the iron hath the same forme in it which it stampes on the coyne so must the minister by his example represent what by his doctrine he would have the 〈◊〉 to be The same word is vsed in other places it is used by Saint Peter bidding such men to be ensamples to the flock It was Moses his order in the first place the priest was to have 〈◊〉 integrity of life and then Vrim light or learning And it pleased God to make it a signe of Aarons cal ling to the Priesthood That his rod was virga 〈◊〉 a fruit bearing rod to shew that the priest when he uses the pastoral rod for government and discipline must not be unfruitful himself but must be an example in holy life and good works which are the fruits of the spirit So was it in Christ our Prototype as Saint Luke speaks Cepit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docere 〈◊〉 began both to do and to teach to do first and to teach after The like Saint Paul when he handleth this point ex professo tells both 〈◊〉 and Titus that a minister must be blamelesse by his example without spot and unreproveable So then he must be ex mplam or dux gregis he must be typus a pattern or example he must do and then teach This example he may be two wayes 1. In himself which is as you see before in S. Pauls direction to Timothy and Titus to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spot which hath relation to that in the law No man that bath a blemish or is mishapen in his body of the seed of Aaron the Priest was to come nigh to offer the Lords offering This was required under the Law to preserve the outward honour and dignity of the Priesthood the better and though in that regard it may be of moral use yet withal hereby was typified that innocency and freedom from all spiritual blemishes of sin which should be in the Ministers of the gospel They should be free from all spot because no offence should be given that no scandal should be given to the weak brother within nor to the adversary without This made the Apostle so careful to avoid not onely scandal but all occasion of scandal that when alms were sent to poor brethren by the care of the Apostles he would not carry it alone but would have one go with him that there might be no suspicion of fraud that so he might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 provide things honest not onely in the sight of God but before men also and that the adversarie might have no occasion to speak evil Therefore the Disciples marvelled when they found Christ talking with a woman alone because it was not his custom to do any thing which might cause slander or suspicion Thus much for the ge 〈◊〉 We will now set the four vertues which the Apostle requires to be in him and the four spots which are opposit 1. The first is that he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temperans or continens temperate and chast whether in a married or single estate The opposite to this is in Tim. 3. 2. not to be content with one Wife so continency or single life is the vertue incontinency or polygamie the thing forbidden 2. The second is that he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vigilant or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not given to wine The opposite is in the next verse one given to wine transiens ad vinum a tavernhunter for the lust of the body and the pleasure of the taste must both be qualified in him 3. The next is he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sober which Chrysostome distinguishes from the former and is opposite not to the inordinate desires of meat and drink but to the passions of the soul which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irascible it moderates the passion of anger The vertue required is mentioned 2 Tim. 2. 24. mildenesse he must be no striker not furious but one that will bear injuries and labour with meeknesse to reclaim those that erre 4. Lastly he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grave and modest of good behaviour which the Councils refer to habitum his apparel gestum his gesture incessum his gate he must not be light in his behaviour The opposite to which is not to fly youthful lusts and light carriage To these four we must adde that which the Apostle mentions he must so carry himself that he may have a good report of them that that are Without for it is not enough to be commended by those of his own profession or religion by birds of his own feather but so that his very enemies may say He is a man fit for this sacred calling and may be converted by his example 2. He must be an example in his houshold by his example for according to S. Paul he must rulewell his own house which must be in 3 points 1. They must be brought up by him in the true faith 2. He must keep them in subjection that they be not unruly but obedient for if he be not able to keep his own under but that they will be refractory it argueth that he is either negligent or remisse and fainthearted and therefore unfit to rule the Church 3. Lastly he must make them examples of reverence gravity sobriety and modesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they be not accused of riot surfet and excesse And in these two respects the Pastor must be exemplum gregis The duty of the people must be conformable and answerable to that of the Pastor If it be
a passage to the Corinthians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may catechize others We finde three eminent persons noted to us in Scripture that were catechumeni catechized The first was Theophilus of whom Saint Luke testifieth It seemed good to me saith he to write to thee in order that thou mightest know the certainty of those things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning which thou wert catechized or instructed The second was Apollos of whom also Saint Luke gives this commendation that he was mighty in the Scriptures and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this man was catechized or instructed in the way of the Lord. The third was Timothy of whom saint Paul testifies that he had known the the Scriptures from a childe And in one place mention is made both of the Catechist and Catechized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. After the Apostles times the first Catechist of any fame was the Evangelist Mark in Alexandria after him Pantenus then Clemens Origen Cyril of Jerusalem Gregory Nyssen Athanasius Fulgentius S. Augustine and others And that there were catechumeni in the Church in all ages may appear by the canons of diverse Councels Hegesippus converted from Judaism to Christianity in his Ecclesiasticall story reports that this work of catechizing wrought so great effect that there was no known commonwealth inhabited in that part of the world but within fourty years after our saviours passion 〈◊〉 superstition was shaken in it by Catechizing So that Julian the Apostata the greatest enemy that ever Christians had found no speedier way to root out Christian religion then by suppressing Christian schools and places of catechizing and if he had not been as a Cloud that soon passeth away it might have been feared that in a short time he had overshadowed true Religion 1 And when Catechizing was left off in the Church it soon became darkned and over-spread with ignorance The Papists therefore acknowledge that all the advantage which the protestants have gotten of them hath come by this exercise and it is to be feared that if ever thy get ground of us it will be by their more exact and frequent Catechizing then ours 3. Concerning the third quaere The reasons why this custome of catechizing by way of question and answer hath ever been continued seem to be these 1 Because of the account every one must give Our Saviour tells it us reddes rationem we must render an accompt And every man will will be most wary in that for which he must be accomptable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Because we are all young and old to give an accompt of our faith Be ready saith Saint Peter alwayes to give answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you a solid reason not a phanatique opinion And by this we shall be the better fitted to these four necessary duties 1 of examining the doctrine we heare 2 Of examining our selves before we heare the word and receive the sacrements 3 Of admonishing our brethren which we cannot doe unlesse we be fitted with knowledge 4 Of adhering to the truth Because being children we doe imbibere errcres ergo exuendi sunt et induendaveritas we drink in errours which must be shaken of and our loynes must be girt with truth The Heathen man adviseth us that in all our actions we propound to our selves Cui bono What good will arise by that we goe about In this certainly the fruit is great diverse wayes 1 It will be acceptable to God to spend our hours in his service 2 We shall learn hereby to know God and his son Jesus Christ. Whom to know is life eternal 3 It will procure length of happy dayes in this life 4 Lastly the fruit of it is holines and the end everlasting life Now 〈◊〉 the fruit is so great we are to take especial care that the hours we spend in this exercise be not lost and so we be deprived of the fruit For as in natural Philosophy it is held a great absurdity ut aliquid frustra fiat that any thing be done in vain or to no purpose and in morall ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there be a vain and fruitlesse desire so in divinity much more S. Paul useth it as an argument to the corinthians to prove the resurrection that if there should be none then both his preaching and their faith were in vain And in another place he did so forecast his manner of the conversion of the gentiles ne forte currat in vanum lest he might run in vain Therefore as the same Apostle desired the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain so are we to be careful that we heare nothing in vain lest we be like those in Jeremy that let the bellows blow and the lead consume in the fire and the founder melt in vain upon which place saith the glosse that all pains and labour which is taken with such people is in vain and lost But the word of God cannot be in vain in three respects 1 In respect of it self 2 In respect of the Catechist 3 In respect of the Catechized 1 In respect of it self it cannot be in vain For God himself maintaineth the contrary As the rain cometh down saith he by the Prophet and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and budd that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall the word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return to me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it 2 Nor can it be in vain in respect of the Catechizer or him that delivereth it I have laboured in vain saith the Prophet I have spent my strength for nought and in 〈◊〉 yet surely mark that my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God The paines which the Catechizer takes is not in vain because God seeing he hath done his part will accept of his endeavours though his 〈◊〉 reject and 〈◊〉 them And if the son of peace be there 〈◊〉 peace shall rest upon him if not redibit ad vos it shall returne to you again saith Christ to his disciples And the Apostle most plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish Therefore we ought to be very carefull how we behave our selves in hearing 3 Lastly it cannot be in vain to the Catechized If we come to heare with a good intent the spirit of God takes order that the word shall be profitable and fruitful like good seed sowed in good ground And to this purpose it is that Saint Gregory saith Cum verbiboni auditores 〈◊〉 pro reficiendis eis majora
its own nature and quality So if we hear the word of God it must be leaven unto us and turn the whole lump into the tast of it self If it be not so with us but that we hear continually without preparation or practise there is a bitter place against us we shall be like roots bearing gall and wormwood bitternesse it self And thus much for the general notion of preparation Now for the particular how we ought to prepare our selves The Rabbins prescribe fourty eight rules to this purpose which may be reduced to two 1. Praeparate in timore prepare your hearts in fear Take heed to thy feet saith the Preacher when thou entrest into the house of God That is come not to Gods house to hear his holy Word carelesly or unreverently but with reverence and fear We are not to come thither as to an ordinary place but with an awful preparation as in Gods presence How fearful is this place saith Jacob this is none other but the house of God And it is fearful in respect of the majesty of God more fully here then in other places as being the presence-chamber of God where he will be waited upon with all due preparation and respect Serve the Lord with fear was king Davids counsel and it was his practise too I will come into thy house saith he and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple 2. Another reason that we should be qualified with fear when we come is That because as Solomon speaks fear is the beginning or head and chief point of wisdom it must needs be the ground-work and foundation of our preparation The fear of the Lord as he also leadeth unto life It is the high way to all other Christian duties His salvation saith the Psalmist is nigh to them that fear him It stands us 〈◊〉 upon to be thus prepared else the Wise man would have spared this 〈◊〉 Be thou in the fear of the Lord continually In 〈◊〉 Preparation by prayer is the other main point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our selves before we come and indeed it is the salt that seasons all holy duties King 〈◊〉 as you heard before practized it and began his very prayers with prayer Let my prayer saith he be set forth in thy sight c. And 〈◊〉 made way by prayer to the dedication of his Temple Daniel set his face unto God by prayer and while he was in this act of preparation the Angel was sent to him to let him know that his petition was granted Solomon prayed to the Lord for wisdom you may read that God yeelded to his request Cornelius was initiated into the Church by this means and Saul by it of a persecuter became Paul an Apostle for Behold saith God to Ananias he prayeth Saint Augustine calls it gratum Deo obsequium an acceptable service to God And 〈◊〉 Nihil potentius homine 〈◊〉 Nothing more powerful then a man that prayeth Nemo nostrum saith Saint Bernard parvi pendat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim 〈◊〉 quod ipse ad quem or amus non parvipendit 〈◊〉 let none of us make light accompt of prayyer for I tell you that he to whom we pray doth not lightly esteeme of it For indeed as Saint Peter 〈◊〉 us Gods ears are open to prayers And 〈◊〉 we see that King David often prepared himselfe by those kinde of prayers which the fathers call ejaculations or short prayrs of which the hundred and ninteen 〈◊〉 is full As open thou mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law and when he 〈◊〉 any extravagant thoughts to seiz on him Averte oculos Turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity And when he grew dull in spirit Quicken thou me With these and the like we must prepare our selves Now as these are the two rules for preparation so are there four other for our coming 1 Venite 〈◊〉 in fervore spiritus with fervency of spirit Our coming must not be cold not Luke-warm like the Church of Laodicea lest we be spued out but fervent and zealous Be fervent in spirit saith the Apostle And in another place It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing If we come to hear we must come with a longing desire Zeal is compared to oyle which keeps the lamp ever burning It was one of King Davids 〈◊〉 I have 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 commandements The zeal of the Gentiles saith Saint Ambrose 〈◊〉 them life everlasting wheras the coldnes of the Jews caused their losse of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nullum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tale sacrificium quale est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no sacrifice so acceptable to God as the zeal of the spirit And as it is well 〈◊〉 to him so he he rewardeth it He satisfieth the longing soul saith the psalmist He that comes 〈◊〉 qualified never returns empty 2. Venite in puritate cordis Our coming must be also in purity of 〈◊〉 K. David asketh the question who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord or who shall rise up in his holy place and answereth 〈◊〉 in the next verse even he that hath clean hands and a pure heart Our thoughts and actions must be pure and undefiled else there 's no coming to Gods house no bettering our selves by coming 〈◊〉 For the word of God being pure will not enter into them that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Belial cannot accord But Cor purum 〈◊〉 est Dei gaudium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritus sancti A pure heart is Gods court the delight of Angels and the 〈◊〉 of the holy spirit This is the second 3 Venite in fide Come with the garment of faith too If thou 〈◊〉 beleeve all things are possible to him that beleeveth A beleever though in the estimation of men he be of small understanding yet shall he be able to conceive and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient to work out his salvation We see it in the Apostles who though they 〈◊〉 poor ignorant and simple fisher-men diverse of them yet coming to Christ by faith were able to confound the wisest and most learned men in the world But without faith it is impossible to please God and if to please him certainly come 〈◊〉 as often as we will to reape any good from him For he that 〈◊〉 to God as it is in the same verse must beleeve that God is The 〈◊〉 shall live by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophet and according to our faith shall we receive benefit by our coming for it is by faith that we have accesse to grace And the Apostle 〈◊〉 that the Jews were excluded from the promise because that which they sought for was not by faith This is the third rule 4 Venite frequenter Being fortified with faith 〈◊〉 frequently and often then you cannot come too oft Not upon the solemne fast only once a moneth perhaps will serve the turne but as
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
Interpretation and to be applied to perticulars Now if it be demanded where and whence this interpretation is to be had The resolution of this we have from Moses If there arise a matter too hard c Thou shalt come to the Priests and Levites c. and they shall shew thee c. And the Prophet Malachi tells us The Priests lips preserve knowledge and they must seek the Law at his mouth and the reason he gives for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts The Lord Treasurer to Candace Queen of Ethiopia could not go forward without Philips instruction How can I understand without a Guide But this may beget a second doubt which is Whether every thing they deliver be good or the interpretation they make of every thing be true and infallible To this we answer That there are rules to be observed in their interpretation And unlesse their interpretation be according to those rules it is neither good nor true and if it manifestly swerve from them ought not to be received Our Saviour Christ reprehended the Lawyers for not interpreting according to the rules the condition of a Law standing upon a more particular respect there must be more particular rules then the bare letter or sentence affordeth the interpretation must be to shew the compasse of the Law how far it extendeth and how far it restraineth so that to know the true meaning of every precept these two things are to be considered to which the rules of interpretation do referre And they are but two 1. Amplificatio the extent 2. Limitatio the exception or restraint The first rule is generall viz. Intentio ad scopum because the Law depends not meerly upon the letter but upon the meaning Certum est quod is committit in Legem qui Legis verba observans contra voluntatem Legislatoris facit it is without question that he offends against the Law that by observing the words of the Law goes against the will of the Law maker Now the purpose of the Law is best known by the intent of the Lawgiver Intentio Legislatoris voluntas Legis the intent of the Law-maker is the will of the Law for as the Law is regula mentis the rule to square the minde by so mens Legislatoris est regula Legis the minde of the Lawmaker is the rule of the Law The intent of the Lawgiver is known by his end for as bonitas Ethica so bonitas Theologica pendet a fine Divine as well as moral goodnesse depends upon the end therefore in our interpretation we must consider Gods end and make that ours The supream end of the Law is Gods glory as it is in the Prophet My glory will I not give to another and the subordinate end is vult omnes salvari he will have all men saved as the Apostle testifies But as is said before the best way to take our direction more particularly to know the meaning of a law is to consider these two the extent and restraint or limitation And first let us take a view of some rules concerning the first Of Extent And for direction in this the Jews have set down thirteen rules which may be reduced to these First as they say in every commandment there is praeceptum faciens non faciens if the commandment be affirmative it implyeth also the negative e contra according to the rules of Logique si 〈◊〉 est faciendum ejus contrarium fugiendum if this be to be done the contrary is to be avoided And to this purpose Eschew evil and do good saith the Psalmist there is the Rule The affirmatives of the Decalogue are but two which are the fourth and fifth The Rabbins finde in the books of Moses two hundred fourty eight affirmative commandments according to the number of the joynts in a mans body and the negatives in the five books of Moses three hundred sixty five according to the number of dayes in the year both which added make six hundred and thirteen according to the Hebrew letters in the ten commandments The second Rule is That wheresoever a thing is commanded or prohibited there all the homogenea or of the same kinde to it are forbidden or enjoyned The same may be seen in mans Lawes A Law is extended either Specifice or by Equipollens 1 Specifice is when a thing is done that is of the same kinde but by circumstance is diverse 2. By Equipollens the Rabbins call those by two names first when the ballance hangs equall the Logicians call it a pari as in the commandment against theft to set a mans house on fire is as evil as to steal Secondly when one is lighter or heavier then the other from the lesse to the greater a majori as they call it If one be bound to honour his Parents much more to honour God The third Rule is peculiar to the Law of God which is spiritual The last commandment forbidding the inward desires of the heart is added as a rule how to understand all the rest When you have extended them specifice and per equipollens then they must be extended to the Spirit Lex humana ligat manum lingua divina comprimit animam Mans Law binds onely the hands but Gods the soul. The true worship of God is in Spirit and the reason is good for the heart is the fountain of all evil Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts saith our Saviour This appeared by the dream of Polydorus in Plutarch de sera numinis vindicta that dreamed in the night that his heart came to him and said ego tibi omnium horum malorum sum author I am the cause of all these evils which have befallen thee The heart therefore is first to be cleansed by truely planting the fear and knowledge of God in it Plutarch saith that the Heathen would have restrained the heart if they could but because they could not they forbare it The Law of man faileth two wayes First for want of knowledge of the offender because they knew not the heart Secondly for want of power As when the number of offenders is so great or their power of such force as there is no resisting them tolleration must be Frst But though with men faults may be so closely carried as that it cannot be found where the fault is or how it may be remedied yet with God and his Lawes it cannot be so For the heart is deceitfull as the Prophet truely saith above all things and desperately wicked quis cognoscit idem who knows it but in the next verse he answereth himself that there is a quis a who he is that knoweth it I the Lord search the heart I try the reins There is no defect of knowledge in God Secondly neither can there be so many Offenders but God is able to destroy them It is his power by which he rules saith the Prophet Did not he in his
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
we utter but vain knowledge therefore having no hope to learn the true knowledge of our selves and being as far from learning it from other natural men 〈◊〉 our selves we must look after another teacher that hath deeper knowledge then we have And who that is we shall finde in the book of Samuel Deus scientiarum Dominus The Lord is a God of knowledge it is he onely that can teach us and as he is able so is he willing too Our Saviour tells us that it is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God for so saith the Prophet Esay And thy Children shall be taught of the Lord. And the kingly Prophet David gives the reason Because that with him is the well of life and in his light we shall see light Though we be naturally blinde and have no light neither in nor of our selves yet in his light we shall see light And therefore he it is that must be our teacher and as he must be our teacher so we may be sure that this teacher is willing to instruct us Gods loving practise tells us that he is He began it with Adam and preserved it in the Patriarchs and then it beginning to decay he continued it by tradition After that people being corrupted and knowledge decaying more and more he wrote the Law which being broken he took order for a new writing and enjoyned them to hear it and appointed Priests and Levites who by interpreting it caused the people to understand it for as the text saith they read the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading When they failed and false interpreters came he raised up prophets to give the true sense of the Law and when this was not sufficient he sent his onely Son the last and most perfect teacher or doctor of the Church and he ascending to the glory of his Father gave gifts to men as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers whom he promised to send and enable with gifts for the instruction and edification of his Church and to continue a succession of them to the end of the world Now as God is the Author of this knowledge so he provides what is necessary for us to attain it viz. the outward ministery of man and the inward work of his Spirit 1. For the first we have the Eunuch sitting in his Chariot and reading a place in Esay and being desirous to know the meaning of the place God provides him a Minister Philip to expound it to him And so when Cornelius was continuing in fasting from the fourth hour to the ninth and falling to prayer God sent Peter to him 2. For the second Our Saviour hath promised on Gods behalf that God shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him So that the outward means being diligently performed on our part we may rest assured that God will perform his part Christ in the Gospel perswades the Pharisees and us in them to search the Scriptures to come to the true knowledge of him and so to life That which remaineth God will supply by the unction of his Spirit there will be no defect on his part provided that we look to ours But the fear is on our part and it appeareth by the commandment here laid upon us that we are not willing for a good man is a Law to himself but we have a commandment to stir us up to knowledge Now further in this as in all the other Commandments we are to consider two things 1. That which is commanded Knowledge of which we have now spoken 2. That which is forbidden Ignorance of which in the next place The affirmative and the negative part In the affirmative is commanded 1. Knowledge 2. A rich measure of it according as our vocation will permit non solum scire sed etiam bene scire And in this negative two things are forbidden 1. Ignorance 2. Light superficial knowledge for the rule in Divinity is Peccatum non tantum est appetitus malorum sed etiam desertio meliorum Where fulnesse is commanded not onely emptinesse but scarcity is forbidden also So not onely ignorance but a light fleeting and superficial knowledge is forbidden Ignorance The Church of Rome is taxed to justifie it though it cannot be found that they are Patrones of it but onely faulty in allowing small superficiall knowledge in the people yet if any man conceive that Ignorance of God is justifiable let this perswade him to the contrary 1. A sinne it must needs be else what needed a sacrifice for it 2. If it had been a light offence David had been uncharitable to pray to God to powre out his indignation on them that knew not his Name 3. It is not onely sin but first the cause of it and secondly the cause of punishment 1. It is the cause of sin for the Prophet saith The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land for that there was no mercy and the reason of that was because there was no true dealing and the reason of both was because there was no knowledge of God and presently after he tells them of their destruction for it So the Apostle after he had reckoned up the offences of the Heathen he concludes it was because of their ignorance of God 2. Ignorance is the cause of punishment 〈◊〉 Prophet faith That the captivity of Babylon was because the people wanted the knowledge of God And it is not the cause of punishment but as it is the cause of sin The Wise man asketh this question Do they not erre that imagine evil there is no sin without error therefore the planting of knowledge would be the rooting out of evil Non erratur saith S. Augustine nisi ignorantia men erre not but for want of knowledge Therefore to both these points S. Augustine hath a pertinent place Quia ipsa ignorantia in eis qui intelligere noluerunt 〈◊〉 dubitatione peccatumest in eis autem qui non potuerunt poena peccati ergo in utrisque non est 〈◊〉 excusatio sed justa damnatio because ignorance it self was a sin without doubt in them that would not understand and a punishment of sin in them that could not therefore in both are condemned neither justified Some there be that argue out of the Acts and excuse ignorance alledging that place That God winked at the times of ignorance and so make it no sin when it is as they call it invincible Ignorance excusable is fourfold 1. In children before they come to years of reason and discretion 2. In fools those that naturally want the use of reason 3. In those that by sicknesse or disease are bereft of the use of reason 4. Where the means cannot be had to take it away But this is not simply and altogether invincible for the
fiery furnace without hurt either to their bodies or garments was so terrified and astonied that he repealed his former decree and published another and that a sharp one against them that should 〈◊〉 Gods Name The like did Darius upon the supernatural and powerful preservation of Daniel in the Lions den And so we read that the people were astonied at the mighty works of our Saviour Power breeds terrour then 3. The last is his omniscience No sin that we commit but he takes notice of them My sinnes saith king David are not hid from thee When Moses saw no man by he was bold to kill the Egyptian But when he perceived that some were privy to it he feared and said surely this thing is known There is no creature but is manifest in his sight for all things are naked and open before him In respect therefore that he knoweth our transgressions our fear is to be fixed on him And this putteth a difference between the fear of God and the fear of man which they call malum diuturnitatis custodem an ill keeper of continuance for the fear of God is bonus diuturnitatis custos a good keeper of it And now according to the first rule for exposition of the Decalogue we are to see in this what is commanded and what forbidden 1. Here are commanded both the fears servile and filial 1. The first the School-men call timorem servorum servile fear such fear as servants shew to Masters a fear of punishment and this is a good fear though it be ignorantly condemned by some True it is that the Apostle saith that the sons of God have not received the spirit of bondage to fear but the spirit of adoption whereby they cry Abba Father the spirit of bondage is inferiour to the spirit of adoption yet that spirit is better then the spirit of Belial or that of slumber of which the Prophet speaks whereby mens eyes are closed It is a maxime that actio perfecta non recipitur nisi imperfecte primo there is no perfect action but at first it is imperfect and is perfected by degrees It is a good thing to be a son yet it is better to be a servant a door-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of ungodlinesse better to be a hired servant then a prodigal son It is good to be in Canaan in the land of promise but in the mean time it is better to be in the wildernesse then in Egypt So fear and spare not fac saith S. Augustine si nondum potes amore justitiae at timore poenae do it if not for love of goodnesse yet for fear of punishment and his ground is out of a place in Deuteronomie cap. 5. Nothing brought the Jews to the love of God but the terrour they conceived out of the strange sights before them yet God wisheth that they might have such a heart in them alwayes that they would fear him yet this was but a servile fear procured by the strange sights at the deliverie of the Law 2. The second they call timorem filiorum filial fear This they illustrate by an example from the son of a poor man that hath a reverend fear not to offend his father though he be assured that he can do him neither good nor hurt And these two fears are distinct and different The first ariseth from the fear of punishment and this from love and may be called reverence This is the fear which the Psalmist calleth clean and endureth for ever and thus we perfect or work out our salvation with fear and trembling The reason why though we may and ought to obey God out of love yet it hath pleased him to command fear is threefold 1. To overthrow the vain sp culation of some erroneous people that dream of an absolute perfection in this life The Wise man saith Beatus qui semper pavit happy is the man that feareth alway And either there is no perfection in this life or else fear is superfluous he that cannot fall need not fear But because in this life there be degrees of perfection and though we have obtained perfection of parts that is all vertues and graces required in a Christian yet there are several degrees of perfection wherein we must still be growing for a childe though it have all the parts of a perfect man yet it hath them not in that degree of perfection which one of yeers hath attained to therefore this fear is alwayes necessary None stands so fast but he may fall and therefore must alwayes fear 2. Inasmuch as the children of God often feel in themselves a feeblenesse in faith a doubt in hope coldnesse in prayers slownesse in repentance and a debility in all other pious duties in some more in others lesse according to the measure of the Spirit communicated to them as it was in King David therefore fear is necessary to recover themselves and he that looseth it not his heart shall never be hardened nor fall into mischief as the Wise man intimates in the place before cited Fear is a good preservative for the heart though all other duties fail yet if fear continue we shall never need to despair Saint Bernard saith I know it for a truth that for the keeping continuing and 〈◊〉 of the vertues and duties which God hath commanded there is nothing more profitable and available then fear when the grace of God is with us and when it is departed so that ther 's nothing left but fear yet this fear wil never leave us or let us rest till we have made our selves fit to receive it again si deficit timor deficis et tu if fear decay thou decayest with it c. when we have recovered the grace that was lost fear will preserve it for fear of a relapse will make us more circumspect Saint Jerome calls it Custodem omnium virtutum 3. Because the excellent duty of love the effect of feare might not fail and grow carles In the Canticles the Spouse fell asleep with her beloved in her arms when she awoke her beloved was gone in her bed she sought him but found him not so that if there be not a mixture of fear with love it will grow secure and fall a sleep and lose her beloved Therefore that we may be sure to keep our love awake when we think we have Christ in our armes there must be a mixture of fear with it So for these three reasons fear is necessary even for them that think themselves in a perfect estate And withall Solomon tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom so did his father before him And the same Solomon concludes his book of the preacher with fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the end of all and the whole duty of man And in another place he saith it is fons vitae The
that I was valued at by them a price more fit to buy potsheards and therefore he casts it to the potter Surely God sets no such price on us or valued us at so small a rate however we value Christ or his truth Empti estis pretio saith Saint Paul we are bought with a price more then thirty pices of filver not with corruptable things as gold and silver but with the blood of Christ as of a lamb withour spot a lesser price would not serve to redeeme us for if it would all should have gone rather then he therefore as he prized us so must we prize him and his truth aboue all corruptible things in the world The signes of sincere or true religion have been handled before we shall touch onely a few 1. True religion ascribes all good to God alone and gives no part of his honour to any creature 2. It favours not man in his corrupt desires it s no doctrine of liberty but restraines all carnal liberty it teaches us to despise father and mother friends yea a mans self and all for God 3. It is free from those mixtures which have been the decay of religion which were 1. mingling it with errours of vain Philosophy which Saint Augustine calls rationes philosophorum obtusae acutae the acute and yet obtuse or blunt reasons of Philosophers Thus Clemenes Alex. and Origan by Platos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Aristotles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vshered divers errours into the Church 2. With Jewish fables which the Apostle bids Titus beware of Jewish rites and ceremonies abrogated by Christ which he calls egena et infirma elementa weake and beggerly rudiments 3. It doth penetrare cor it pierces into the soul circumcises the heart mortifies all carnall lusts and desires false religion reaches chiefly to the outward man True religion enflames the heart and affections with love of God and makes us prize him aboue all worldly things that we can say with David whom have I in heaven but thee c. And makes us able to answer Christs question to S. Peter diligis me plus c. Louest thou me more then these that we can say we love him more then these all these things on earth and where this is not there is not sincere religion rooted in the heart The sixth rule is for procuring sincerity in others especially we must exhort others as the Apostle doth Timothy and all those that succeed him in the like office of a Bishop in the church to keep the commandment that is the doctrine and religion left commanded by Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spot unrebukeable and when Saint Peter seemed to Judaize he reproved him to his face so ought we in our places and stations to oppose the corruptions and novelties brought into religion contrary to the primitive and Catholique truth CHAP. XVII Of the last words in the first Commandment Coram me in which is implied Integrity Reasons for it Of Hypocrisie and reasons against it Signes of a sound heart An observation from the first words Non habebis They are in the Future tense and imply perseverance Reasons for it The extreames 1. Constancy in evill 2. Inconstancy in good Four reasons against Backsliding signes of perseverance Of procuring it in others Coram me Before me This is the last part of this Commandment And this Coram me saith saint Augustine hath a great Emphasis in it even so much as makes a distinction between this and the three other Commandments of the first Table and it is to be taken according to the third rule of Extent before specified viz. that is spiritual and extends to the heart Coram me Not in my sight That is thou shall not have any other God not so much as in the secret corner of thy heart for God is scrutator cordis a searcher of the heart This implies the vertue of integrity The law is spiritual saith the Apostle and therefore the duties here commanded are to be not onely coram facie humana et coram luce in the sight of men and in the light which reach only to the exteriour act of Gods worship but this coram tenebris et coram facie Dei in the darknesse and in Gods sight reaches to the thoughts the inward parts of the soul which belong properly to the sight of God It is God that formed the light and created the darknes And therefore as the Psalmist saith the darknes and light are both to him alike And he that made the eye shall he not see He sees not onely what the eve seeth but also because he formes the spirit of man Zach. 12. 1. He seeth what the eye seeth not but onely the spirit of a man beholds and that as Saint Augustine saith whether the Candle burne or is put out and which is more then all this he seeth further then the spirit of man can see for though our heart condemnes us not yet he can for he is greater then our heart and knows more then our heart or spirit Again this Coram me distinguishes true obedience from a bare appearance for bonum apparens good in shew may be Coram homine before man but bonum verum is onely Coram me before God For Coram homine before man or any other Coram argues nothing to be other then in appearance but Coram Deo makes it indeed Saint Paul Ephes. 3. 16. Divides every man into an inward and an outward man and the same words are use byd Plato before him whence some gather he had read Plato there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inward and an outward man and which of these two pleaseth God best himself sheweth in Eliab and David Samuel had a liking to Eliabs countenance but God said look not on it for I have refused him God saw more into him then Samuel could God looketh into the heart and therefore requireth truth in the inward parts For there God rules especially The kingdom of God is within you as our Saviour said to the Pharisees There it must begin and there he delighteth to be most if our heart he right from thence he expects his worship For in the heart is the principal seat of Christs scepter there be rules subduing our wills to God There is in all men a corrupt desire of appearing outwardly to men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we affect to seem something as Saul when he spake to Samuel who had told him that God had rejected him yet saith he Honour me I pray thee before the elders of my people and before Israel such is our nature to appear outwardly to men but this appearance commends us not to God for he delights most in the truth and sincerity of the heart for as the common saying is every man is chiefly delighted with that wherein he is singular and exceeds others and because that God
as well in spirit as in body and in grace and holines and the means thereof the service of God as in nature even natural love if it be true and rightly guided teaches man curare 〈◊〉 to take care for their childrens good as well as their own and that for their souls as well as their bodies 3. In the third place Servants are prohibited from work on that day We see in the place before quoted that Abraham was commended by God for the care 〈◊〉 took for his household to do his service And the Apostle saith that in the service of God God takes no notice of the difference of 〈◊〉 from others in Christ is no difference of bond or free thy servants must rest as well as thy self And God elsewhere gives another reason for it Remember thou wast a servant where thou wast opprest with labour God hath a care of them and charity and humanity requires that we weare not out our family with too much toyle lest the Common-wealth be endangered by their hard vsage We read that in the Spartan and other common-wealths diverse insurrections have troubled the states by overburdening of servants therefore God for the preservation of commonwealths provides here that they may have a day of rest and refreshment 4. So likewise of 〈◊〉 Gods mercy care and providence extends likewise to them Thou Lord saith the psalmist shalt save both man and beast how excellent is thy mercy O God it extendeth to the bodies and lives of them for A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast saith Solomon God therefore here takes order that the beast be not overtired He hath also charged that the earth shall have its sabbath if it have not it will cry against us and the furrows there of will complain as holy Job speaks for Quod caret alterna requie durabile non est neither land nor cattel if they rest not sometimes cannot hold out one end of Gods providence herein is to restrain our covetous humour and desire which is such that rather then lose the least gain we will put our land and cattle to the utmost therefore by this clause God takes order to restrain it Another end is that by beholding the beasts to rest we might be the more stirred up and moved to sanctifie a rest our selves not that the rest of beasts is acceptable to God or required for it self but that we may be affected therewith and put in minde of our duties we read that in the fast of Nineveh command was given let neither man nor beast herd nor flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water not that God tooke any delight in the fasting of beasts nor that it was acceptable to him but that the 〈◊〉 seeing their beasts pined before them 〈◊〉 be moved the more to repent and humble themselves for their sinnes so here 〈◊〉 Jews seeing their beasts to keep a kinde of sabbath might the better 〈◊〉 to keep it themselves 5. The last is the stranger within thy gates Now the gates of a house or of a city 〈◊〉 scripture signifie a jurisdiction or protection He that is within anothers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under his jurisdiction and as he enjoys thereby protection against injuries by coming within anothers gates so also he must be subiect to his jurisdiction when God told Abraham that his seed should possesse the gates of his enemies his meaning was they should conquer and be Lords of their cities And when Lot told the 〈◊〉 that the Angels came under his roof he signified that they came thither to be under his protection So that if a stranger come to remain within our 〈◊〉 or under our roof he is to be under our government as well as he enjoys our protection and therefore is to be under our care in point of religious duties 〈◊〉 case of jurisdiction Nehemiah as long as he had hope to reclaime the men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Ashdod 〈◊〉 them to come within the gates of Jerusalem with their 〈◊〉 ut when he found that notwithstanding his threats they would come in and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 markets upon the sabbath he shut the gates against them at the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or preparation of the sabbath And thus we see the meaning of 〈◊〉 Commandment for works and persons in general and particular Now there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasons for it 〈◊〉 first which is the general and main reason is for in six dayes the Lord 〈◊〉 heaven and earth c. the rule as we said before of 〈◊〉 precepts is 〈◊〉 be observed that a moral reason is often given of a ceremonial precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ceremonies there is a general moral equity 〈◊〉 instances may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law but when a reason is given as a ful and adequate cause of such a precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the immediate and essential cause of 〈◊〉 it is true that if such a reason be moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there the precept is so too Besides it is observed by Maimonides and others that the cause why a rest is enjoyned and the cause why it was upon this day are two different things The first 〈◊〉 was the true and original cause of the rest is expressed Deut. 5. because of their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage to keep a memorial of it The other is expressed here for whereas any other day might have been chosen for this rest yet God thought fit to pitch upon this day because it had been consecrated for a day of joy and praise from the beginning by a greatful remembrance of 〈◊〉 creation and because on that day God gave over and finished his work So Aben-Ezra presat in Decal Isaac Arania and others and hence it was called the sabbath But yet though it were granted that Gods rest from the creation was the principal and immediate reason of this precept yet this makes it not so simply moral or immutable as 〈◊〉 law of nature for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still a positive precept jure divino positivo which may be changed by the same authority that made it and soits certain that the day is de facto changed and 〈◊〉 it was by divine authority is most probable as is formerly proved in the 〈◊〉 observations 〈◊〉 immutabilis precepti facit preceptum immutabile If the reason of the commandment be immutable as this is then it makes the commandment unchangeable for the substance of it Because I have rested saith God therefore shalt thou rest in honour of me Creator imitandus a creatura the Creator is to be imitated by the creature is a firme reason and immutable 2. Another reason may be gathered out of the same words namely the benefit that 〈◊〉 to mankinde by that which the Lord did in these six 〈◊〉 Other reasons elsewhere God vseth as proper and peculiar onely to the Jews but this benefit by the creation being general is most fit for all and may be a
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
The Hebrue and Greek words translated Honour what they properly 〈◊〉 The necessity and original of Honouring superiours government a divine ordinance Power Principality and excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how they differ Honour due to them all To natural parents 〈◊〉 the Country where we live To Princes To spiritual fathers To Magistrates In respect of excellnecy of gifts honour due First in respect of years Secondly of the gifts of the minde Thirdly of outward estate Fourthly of benefits received HOnour thy father and mother The last commandment is the fountain from whence all the rest of the second table do proceed as streames from the conduite head for as the first commandment contains the inward love and worship of God from whence all the other duties of the second table arise so the last contains the inward love and dutie of the heart which we ow to our neighbour from whence all other duties to our neighbour do spring so that the tenth commandement is the fountain and the other five are the streams And the streams receive a second division thus for either they do equally and alike concern al men in general as the 6. 7. 8. 9. Or else they have special respect to some as the fifth The general duties in the 6. 7. 8. and 9. Commandments are subdivided into such as either concerne our neighbour in his person or in the exteriour gifts of wealth credit and good name c. And those which respect 〈◊〉 person are either as he is considered in himself in regard of his essence in the sixth commandment or as he is in neer 〈◊〉 with another by marriage which makes of two one flesh in the seventh commandment Those that concerne him in his exteriour gifts respect either his substance or estate which is provided for in the eight or his credit and good name in the ninth commandment Or if we take them all four together There is a restraint in them all In the sixth a restraint of wrath malice c. and the effects thereof for the preservation of the lives of the members of the commonwealth and in respect of God for the preserveing of his Images which is defaced by murder In the seventh a restraint 〈◊〉 lust concupiscentia carnis which is prejudicial to the good of wedlock in the civil body and in respect of God is a defiling of the body which is the temple of the holy Ghost and a member of Christ and therfore ought to be kept holy and chast In the eighth a restraint of covetousnes which is concupiscentia oculorum the lust of the eyes which in respect of man is an offence against the politick state by doing wrong to another in his goods and in respect of God perverts the rule of justice prescribed by him In the ninth a restraint of the spirit of lying and detraction which our nature lusteth after whereas the provision of the good name of our brother is required and in respect of God here is order taken for the preserving of truth As the other commandements respect all men in general so the fifth respects some in special viz. inferiours and superiours and other mutual duties This fifth commandment being placed in the front of the second table hath an eye also to the first commandment of the first table The one commanded the honour of God the other of his vicegerents It containeth a precept and a promise 1. The precept is Honour thy father and thy mother 2. The promise that thy dayes may be long c. Some think the first words contain the duty of the inferiour and the last words that thy dayes c. contain the duty of the superiour because it is the duty of parents by providing for their children and praying for them to 〈◊〉 their dayes and so they are joyned Deut. 5. 16. But because Saint Paul makes it a promise Ephesians 6. 1. and a precept and a promise are two different things therefore it is better to divide the words into a precept and a promise As God in his infinite wisdom disposeth all things in due order so here he 〈◊〉 his wisdom more particularly known to us in the disposition of these commandments for by setting this in the first place of the second table he would have us take notice that after he hath taken order for his own honour in the first table his principall and first care is for honour to parents from whom next under himself we receive our being and therefore Philo saith the honour due to parents is set before all other duties we owe to men and placed as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confinio in the confines of a mortal and eternal nature it is set in the middle betweenh the duties to God and man because this commandment is the preserver bot of the first and second table for take away honour and obedience to superiours and all duties to God and man are neglected and fal to the ground Besides we may observe that God delighteth in his charge to us to knit up whatsoever he especially commandeth in a short and narrow compasse pressing more especially in every commandment some one more remarkable word in the commandments negative he maketh choice of the most ugly and deformed word of that sinne which he 〈◊〉 to terrifie us even from the very handmayds and dependants of it And in this affimative commandment he makes choice of the best words he can as father and mother for the object and of honour to set out the duty unto us Now as we said before of the love of our neighbour so here we may say concerning honour there are two grounds of either 1. Excellency and neernes of the person in respect of God 2. Conjunction or 〈◊〉 to our selves In the ordering of our love we shewed how that we are to respect the conjunction by nature or grace in the duties of love which we freely performe and that we owe not so much to those persons with whom we have no such conjunction thus we should prefer a faithful man before an infidel because in the one there is onely the image of God by nature it is both by creation and regeneration and as Saint Ambrose saith with the faithful semper futuri sumus we shall live for ever And among the faithful we should rather do good to those of our own country 〈◊〉 to strangers because beside the bonds of religion there is also a second bond of proximityan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And among them to our acquaintance before those that are unknown to us because we have an 〈◊〉 entrance unto them to do them good by perswasion c. And among such to our kindred and alliance before others not 〈◊〉 because we are joyned and bound together as soon as we are born and this bond cannot be dissolved as long as we live And among strangers we should respect rather the poor then the rich c. This we shewed was the order of love
he may for a time leave a good Prince so from others sometimes he may quite take away for ever his good spirit and send an evil spirit as he did to Saul So that it is all one with God to make an evil Prince good and to set an evil prince over the people at first And though he set an evil king over the people yet as in the case of 〈◊〉 God hath given him the kingdomes and it was his will the nations should serve him And the king of Assur is called the 〈◊〉 of Gods wrath as purposely sent by him to correct the people and because it is his doing therefore the people are by the Prophet commanded to pray for Nebuchadnezzar under whom they were captives and to submit to him and obey him So likewise in the new testament the Apostle willeth that prayers be made for governours though they were not Christians then and Saint Peter commandeth all men to honour the king which then was Nero to whom saint 〈◊〉 appealed from his deputy though he were one of the greatest tyrants that ever was But this must be added out of Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whatsoever honour we attribute to such evil Princes is not to them as men but to God himself and in reverence and obedience to his ordinance not barely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the person but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the vizard that God hath put upon him or if to the person as it cannot well be conceived otherwise for the person and office must not be severed yet not to the person barely for it self but to such a person as it is vested and clothed with authority from God We may see this in the case of Mordecai when Haman advised the king what should be done to the man whom the king would honour which was to put on the royal apparel c. upon him It is plain that the honour done by the people to Mordocheus was in respect of the kings robes upon him and so are we to conceive of evil judges governours rulers and Princes that they weare but Gods robes and Gods crown for which onely we are to give honour to the person The heathen embleme was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Asse loaden with the Image of the Goddesse Isis to which the people fell down and did reverence but the inscription was non tibi sed religioni not to the Asse but to the Goddesse To this we may adde in thelast place that be a government never so bad yet it is far better then to have none at all as Tyrannie is better then Anarchy where there is no ruler at all And better it is to live under one Tyrant then under many under an Oligarchie then in Anarchy for thouhg as the prophet saith God gave his people a king in his anger yet he took him away and left them no head or ruler how in his wrath or fury which is the extremity of anger The punishment is greater to that land where there is no king at all then where there is a bad one The second question goes a degree further and that is 〈◊〉 malo in malo 〈◊〉 ad malum sit obediendum whether a man is to obey an evil man in an evil thing or whether a man oweth absolute obedience as they call it to an evil superiour The answer to this is negative for that which they call absolute obedience is due to to God onely For the clearing of this point it is first to be considered whether he that commands be nobis Rex for every one is not a Ruler the robes qualifie him not so far but as he is our king and no farther then quatenus nobis imperat as he rules over us or hath right to command us 1. For the first entrance into this question we are to embrace the rule of the fathers They say that lex charitatis the law of Ghrist did not abrogate legem 〈◊〉 the law of nature and therefore it is good reason that the law of nature upon which the authority of fathers and mothers is grounded should not weaken but strengthen the law of God We cannot say when we do evil that the law of nature is the cause or that the law of nature which requires obedience to parents can warrant our disobedience to the law of God 2. The second thing is this That because as we shewed before Princes are called Gods because the word of God came to them Joh. 10 35. 〈◊〉 their authority is not absolute but by commission as delegated from God and therefore in the Proverbs the wisdome of God which is the word of God the second person in Trinity saith per quod per me Reges regnant by me kings raigne now id per quod res est that is the essence of it so every superiour hath somewhat that giveth the essence to him as he is a superiour and that is the word which gives him commission Now as in the case of Saul Samuel tells him because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord the Lord hath rejected thee When a Magistrate wholly casteth aside the word of God if it be cleere and evident that his command is contrary to his commission he ceaseth in that particular command to be our superiour 〈◊〉 his commission extends not to command against God and therefore though in other things he must be obeyed still and his commission continues in force for other matters yet in that wherein he acts without or against his commission he must not be obeyed Now for the better and more prospicuous handling of this we shall do well to take notice of the word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shelabim which signifies degrees and in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 order 3. In order there are two things there is summum or 〈◊〉 the topp in respect of which all the rest are but as steps or stayers So that step is better which is neereer to the top and then there is a series a line coming down from the top wherein every one is placed in their 〈◊〉 order or rank according to their calling as on several steps or stayers one under another God being the highest and on the next step under him kings and Princes and so others in their order and in this series there are bounds to limit all persons beyond which if they exceed they transgresse For God onely is without bounds being infinite and superiour to all Now these may be referred to two 1. When a mangoeth aside from that summum principium the top and that is when he doth accedere or recedere go 〈◊〉 neerer to it or down further from it then his rank then he breaks the 〈◊〉 or order and exceeds his limits in which respect we are still to keep our station and rest in our places and so we shal be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
one as if God himself had chosen him After these two David and Solomon God appointed their 〈◊〉 to succeed and sit on their throne 2. The next rule is the person to 〈◊〉 chosen king or an officer of a king is to be one of the nation and not a stranger and the reasons are 1. Because he will be best affected to the people among whom he is 〈◊〉 2. Because he is better experienced with the laws and customs of the nation then a stranger can be 3. He best knows the temper of the people as Paul spake of Agrippa in that respect a fit judge For the particular and proper duties and qualifications in a Prince they are these 1. He must not be affected to Egypt that is to a false or contrary religion he must be sound in Religion 2. Not given to pleasures especially the pleasures of wine or women Solomons many wives made him lay many burdens and charges on the Jews which when they could not perswade Rehoboam to lighten they rebelled against their king first and against God afterward and at length were captivated 3. Nor a 〈◊〉 of silver and gold in the same verse in Deuteronomie not covetous onely he must be 〈◊〉 careful as the Heathen directs to lay so much together 〈◊〉 amicos beneficiis obstringere ac indigentibus suppeditare bene merentibus remunerare inimicos jure 〈◊〉 by good turns to binde his friends to him to relieve them that are in want to reward the well-deserving and revenge himself upon his enemies 4. Which is first to be done because it includes all the rest assoon as he is setled in his throne he must provide a copy of the law out of which he must learn 1. To fear God 2. And to see it practised first by himself and then in his Court and lastly by all the countrey 3. He must learn to be humble 4. To do justice to the people and then his throne shall be established for ever Saul being made king had another heart given him 1 Samuel 10. 6. This God gave him when he came among the Prophets Gods counsel to kings is Be wise now O ye kings This Wisdom religion teacheth and it prevents honours and riches and pleasures from drawing aside the hearts of Princes He that is thus qualified is meet for a kingdom 1. Being thus elected and qualified and placed in his 〈◊〉 he is to know that he is not there by his own power but as we see the stile runneth Caesar Dei gratia permissione 〈◊〉 by Gods favour and permission And whereas the law makes this distinction of power there is potestas arbitraria an absolute power and potestas delegata a power delegated by another he is to acknowledge that 〈◊〉 hath onely 〈◊〉 delegatam from God the other is invested in God alone he is the King of kings Lord Paramount Per me reges regnant by me kings reign saith 〈◊〉 The king mustconfesse with the Centurion I am a man under authority though I say unto one go and to another come and they both obey me 〈◊〉 he said I am under Claudius Lysias he under Foelix Foelix under the Emperour and God over rules us all And this even the Heathen did see Regum in proprios reges in 〈◊〉 imperium 〈◊〉 Jovis the government over the people is in Kings and over Kings themselves in God alone I have said ye are Gods saith God by King David in respect of the government of men therefore they must rule as 〈◊〉 God himself ruled personally upon earth and how is that If he did vouchsafe to keep the power in his own hand he would rule by his word Princes then must rule according to this word they must make no laws contrary to this and because perfect skill in the word is hardly to be expected in Princes but in those at whose mouth the law of God must be sought viz. the Priests therefore the Prince is to receive direction at the mouth of Eleazar And this is his first duty The peoples duty answerable to this is to acknowledge that a King is Gods Deputy and to submit to his authority which is done by Gods touching the heart for obedience proceedeth from the spirit of God as well as power from God Our 〈◊〉 gives a good rule in this For there were two 〈◊〉 of people in Jury one that made made an Insurrection with Theudas against Caesar about 〈◊〉 he and his followers would acknowledge nothing due to Caesar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirits of opposition And secondly there were spiritus aulici too Herodians that would have 〈◊〉 to have all even the things that were Gods And these men came to Christ with the Scribes to tempt him Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not They would try which side Christ would joyn to but he goes in a middle way He condemns the seditious party that denied Caesar his tribute and yet joyns not with the Herodians He saith not Omnia sunt Caesaris all things belong to Caesar but Caesar hath his Quae and God hath his Quae so he goes from Theudas but not to the 〈◊〉 but stayes at Obedience which is in medio 2. The second duty of kings is because God hath been so liberal to Caesar as to make him his 〈◊〉 for quicquid 〈◊〉 de Deo creaturis derivatur a 〈◊〉 ad creaturas whatsoever is spoken of God and his creatures is derived from God to 〈◊〉 treatures and so that Supremacy which is in kings is derived from God who is supreme over all he was able to have done all alone and if 〈◊〉 had followed the course of the world conceiving that author alienae potentiae aufert de 〈◊〉 or perdit suam he that is author of another mans power takes from or loseth his own He would not have bestowed any part of his dignity upon another as we see he hath imparted to Caesar. Now Caesar must not 〈◊〉 him by breaking into the pale of Gods power which he hath reserved to himself for as we see there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a division Christ makes a distinction between quae Caesaris and quae Dei therefore he must be careful to leave God his own he must not dominari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over the conscience for none keeps court in the conscience but God alone Therefore he must not command any against his allegiance to God sealed in 〈◊〉 He must not command any thing against the word for as S. Jerome saith what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paid to Caesar against the word is not not Caesaris vectigal Caesars tribute but 〈◊〉 the Devils He knowing Gods glory to be his end must onely be custos leg is the keeper of the law that 〈◊〉 of all the works commanded in the law by prohibiting outward violence against the law of God The Minister can but exhort and perswade and do he what he can some will use outward violence to restrain
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
Whereby they are more wedded to the world and more distracted in their devotions and easilier drawn from God and from Christ. For these reasons chastity of single life is chiefly to be desired But if we cannot attain to the first to castitas coelibatus then we must flie to the second which is castitas conjugalis conjugal chastity which is the remedy provided against concupiscence Now the means of preserving our selves from this sin of concupiscence we thus consider 1. To know that it is not tentari to be tempted but uri to burne that the Apostle speaks against Not to be tempted but to be set into a heate and inflamed His meaning is not that the gift of continency includes within it naturalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privationem 〈◊〉 privation of natural sense but the motions of the flesh he shall have do what he can The inward boyling 〈◊〉 a man may examine thus 1. Whether it be in him as a punishment for sinne or onely as a temptation for it is certain that adultery and uncleane lusts are oftentimes a punishment of pride The spirit of whoredom is in the midst of them saith the Prophet and in the next verse follows the reason The pride of Israel doth testifie to his face And whosoever can accuse himself of pride he may well fear that the spirit offornication is in him Saint Paul observes that when the heathen Romans grew so proud as to think themselves wise then God gave them over to uncleannes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 affections we see also in Adam that when he would needs be quasi Deus as God the first punishment that came upon him for this pride was his need of fig-leaves to cover the shame of his nakednes God punishing thereby contumeliam spiritus with contumelia carnis the contempt of the spirit with the reproach of the flesh 2. Again there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sadnes or heavinesse in man concerning spiritual things an unlusttines to good exercises He must first sleep and then 〈◊〉 and so he comes just to Davids case when he lusted after Bathsheba A man must have pleasure in some thing or other and because he hath it not in the spirit he will have it in the body and when he once feeleth it in him then beginneth his minde evagari circa illicita to wander about unlawful things and so by degrees there come in first importunitas mentis an importunity of the minde then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desire then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opportunity then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petulantia then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 final destruction 2. If it be a Tentation onely it proceeds from a cause either withour or within Without 1. Company If a mans eyes or hands offend him he must pluck them out and cut them off much more must he refrain the society of evil men though they be as dear to us as our eyes and our hands Be not among evil persons For Modicum fermentum A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump A man must forsake the company of riotous persons 2. Pleasing Objects as the allurements of the eye In this case the Wise man adviseth what is to be done Come not neer the door of her house we must do as Job did Make a covenant with our eyes Impera Evae cave serpentem tutus eris sed tutior si lignum non aspexeris Command Eve and take heed of the Serpent and you shall be safe but more safe you shall be if you come not neer the tree to look upon it By the eye men begin to love what they see and that love which at first is pretended to be chaste and lawful proves afterward lust such begin in the spirit but end in the flesh Therefore the Apostle exhorts to admonish the elder women as mothers the younger as sisters In omni castitate in all chastity and S. Peter would have love to be cum omni puritate with purity and so love as far as you will But a man must watch over himself vereri omnia opera sua be jealous of all his works because it is most certain that naturally we are subactum solum fit soyle to receive the seeds of this sin Within Either from the Body or the Soul 1. For the body as by the eye first for by this member concupiscence receives its greatest watering S. John calls it it the lust of the eyes And our Saviour saith Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already S. Peter tells us that there are eyes full of adultery So also we see that by the eyes men have fomented this sin It is laid as a fault that C ham looked upon his fathers nakednesse Wo to him saith the Prophet that giveth his neighbour drink to look upon his nakednesse The Devil when he would work mankinde a mischief used this argument to our first parents to transgresse Gods commandment that their eyes should be opened But our Saviours counsel is ut claudantur to close them up because that whatsoever passeth the eye affecteth the heart It is the broker of lust and therfore let no man say Quid nocet vidisse what harm doth it to see or as they did in the Psalm concerning their tongues so here we are Domini oculorum our eyes are our own who shall 〈◊〉 us for the eyes of a fool as the Wise man tells us will be ranging and Whatsoever saith Solomon mine eyes desired I kept not from them Qui innocens aspicit aspectu fit nocens though a man be innocent when he looks upon an ill object it is rare if he become not an offendour by it And non libet inspicere quod non licet concupiscere it is not lawful to look on that which is not lawful to desire But we ought rather to pray with David Averte oculos turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and with holy Job make a Covenant with our eyes Can a man take fire in his bosome and not be burnt And as we ought to keep our own eyes from this sinful looking upon others so are we also not to draw the eyes of others to such unlawful looking upon our selves For it is Ejusdem libidinis videri videre to see and to be seen proceed from the same lusts It is all one Emittere suos and admittere alienos To glance with our own eyes or draw others to look upon us Now by the Rules of Logick if the eyes are to be restrained no lesse are the other parts of the body as the hands feet mouth Touch not taste not handle not saith the Apostle For as Christ said If thine eye offend pluck it out So in the Law The hand that offended in touching the secret parts was to be cut off It was with the
there are others that shall not grow up God will have them poor they shall not have Isaacs increase but their labours shall be 〈◊〉 no further then God sees needful for them Again there are some evil men that grow rich but withall God adds sorrows with their riches But Benedictio Dei ditat saith Solomon the blessing of the Lord makes rich and he adds no sorrow with it This is the difference between those that are Gods rich men and others The Heathen man divided riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are got by violence and such as are the gift of God and he saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as come by the gift of God are far the better There are some that would come by them by evil means and though they use what means they can as Balaam did yet they cannot be rich who when all came to all he could get nothing but lingring after 〈◊〉 of preferment at length lost his 〈◊〉 and so Judas though he stole out of the bag and sold his Master yet it prospered not with him it brought him to the halter And we see daily that Witches and Sorcerers though they give their souls to the Devil for riches yet not one among them proves rich and if any get wealth by unjust means this is not the gift of God but onely by his permission Thus God will have some rich and some poor that the one being poor in spirit may wear the crown of patience the other being rich in good works may wear the crown of bounty Every man therefore must stand thus perswaded If God will have me to be rich he will so blesse me by lawful means that I shall be rich 〈◊〉 not he must say as David did concerning the kingdom Here I am let him do what seemeth good in his own eyes and with S. Paul he must learn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be content in every condition he had learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer need c. and to be content therewith and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abound and in every condition to behave himself as one submitting to the will of God This indifferency every one must labour for and to stand so affected that acknowledging riches are 〈◊〉 God and that both states and conditions viz. of Riches and Poverty are from God he can be content with either If God exalt him he will blesse him if he will not he can say I can suffer want And he that is not thus perswaded and resolved God usually punishes him either by letting him fall into covetousnesse and then dum semper metuit ne indigeat indiget whilst he is continually afraid he should want he is in want and so is punisht with the evil he fears or else as the Wise man observes strangers are filled with his wealth and this strange judgement God brings upon it that it thrives not with him it decayes and melts away no man knows how nor can any give a reason of it and sometimes when his bags are full and his barns too he dieth and cannot enjoy what he hath so carefully 〈◊〉 up 3. In the next place being setled in a calling and brought to this resolution he 〈◊〉 take away the whetstone which sharpens the edge of mens desires after riches viz. living after too high a sayl and as S. Paul exhorts he must live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and justly First he must keep within his measure and scantling by living soberly and then he shall live justly for justice is alwayes wrackt and stretcht if sobriety be broken If a man be brought under the power of his 〈◊〉 that he must have such meat and such apparel then he must have money to provide such things and if it cannot be gotten by direct means then justice must be wracked to obtain it by indirect and 〈◊〉 this is another rule which he must set down he must sobrie 〈◊〉 live soberly that he may live 〈◊〉 righteously he must be a note too low rather then a note too high CHAP. X. Rules to be observed 1. in just getting 1. By Donation 2. By Industry 3. By Contracts wherein must be considered 1. The need we have of the thing sold. 2. The use Three degrees of a just price 1. Pium. 2. Moderatum 3. Rigidum 2. In just using wherein are rules 1. Concerning our selves 1. For preserving our estate 2. For laying it out 2. Concerning others giving 1. to God from whom we receive all 2. to the poor Rules for the measure and manner of giving Motives to stir 〈◊〉 up to give to the poor Of procuring the keeping of this Commandment by others VVHen a man is thus affected and prepared then there are other rules to be observed both for the getting and using of riches as we shewed before 1. For getting by gift or donation as 〈◊〉 gifts or inheritances the rule of the world is I will take what I can get or what any will give but this is an evil rule for I must not desire to take of every man but 〈◊〉 mercedem or debitum where I have done good offices and deserved well of their 〈◊〉 We see the practise of Abraham who though he might reasonably have taken a good booty of the king of Sodom yet he would not take a shoe-latchet of him lest he should say he had made 〈◊〉 rich and when the field of Ephron was offered him for nothing yet he would pay for it so that it cost him four hundred shekels And in after times we read 〈◊〉 refused great offers from 〈◊〉 the Syrian and when he had a lodging provided by the Shunamite he studied to requite it Curtesies and gifts 〈◊〉 not be received of every one but there must be a choice made and discretion used S. Paul because he had a good 〈◊〉 of the Philippians received a gift of them but of no other Church and Lydia intreats If ye have judged me to be faithful come into my house We must therefore make choice of those to whom we must be bound the 〈◊〉 would have not onely beneficium a benefit received but judicium also he would know from whom for some are like him the son of Syrach speaks of That open their mouth like a town cryer to day they 〈◊〉 and to morrow they will ask it again 2. For getting by Industry 1. A man must be faithful in that he undertakes when he expects any thing for his pains S. John gives 〈◊〉 a good Commendation for dealing faithfully and of Jacob it is said that he did his service faithfully with all his power and those that that were to partake of the holy things were to approve their fidelity this is the first thing 2. The second is a branch of sobriety to be content with
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
foolish others are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noisome and hurtful The first we may see in such men as the Apostle calls earthly minded who desire worldly things not for natural ends onely but do transilire fines 〈◊〉 passe and 〈◊〉 over the bounds of nature desiring more then is necessary for they still desire 〈◊〉 and more and as the Psalmist speaks when their riches increase do set their hearts 〈◊〉 them which as the precedent words imply is folly and vanity O give not your selves unto vanity such men do think speak and delight to discourse of nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earthly things and thus at length they corrupt themselves so that as the Prophet speaks their silver is become drosse and their wine mixt with water when they mingle their souls with earthly things which are of an inferiour and baser condition then the soul. The other desires which he calls hurtful are those properly between whom and the Spirit of God there is that opposition which the Apostle mentions And these do first hinder us from good things which the Spirit suggests because there is 〈◊〉 cordis a foreskin grown over the heart which shuts up and closes the heart when any good motion is offered and leaves it open when any evil would enter and also 〈◊〉 aurium a foreskin drawn over the ears O ye of uncircumcised hearts and ears whereby the like effects are wrought for it shuts the ears against any thing that is good and draws the covering aside for corrupt or unsavory communication to enter in for which cause God is said in Job Revelare aurem to uncover the ear when he reforms men effectually And 2. as they hinder us from receiving good so they corrupt that good which is already in us like the dead fly in the box of ointment And 3. they provoke to evil or which is all one ad ea ad 〈◊〉 consequitur malum to such things as are not in themselves evil but will 〈◊〉 us in evil if we follow after them for malum sive in Antecedente sive in consequente malum est evill whether in the Antecedents or in the consequents of it is 〈◊〉 and to be avoided therefore the Apostle would not have us to be brought under the power of any thing because the Devil doth sometimes kindle such an earnest 〈◊〉 and appetite in a man after some lawful indifferent thing that he will not forgoe it for any cause and then the Devil will quickly finde a condition to annex to it whereby he will draw a man to something simply unlawful as he thought to have done with Christ when having shewed him the Kingdoms of the World and the glory of them wherewith he thought he had wrought upon his affections he presently seeks to 〈◊〉 him to idolatry 〈◊〉 tibi dabo c. All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Thus the desires of our concupiscence in malo in evil are either as S. Augustine saith per injustitiam or adjustitiam either to get things lawful by evil means or if by lawful means yet for an evil end and both these wayes of getting are justly condemned even in the very desire of the heart This 〈◊〉 and these desires proceeding from it are expressed in Scripture by other words Sometimes it is called the old man sometimes sin dwelling in us sometimes the law of sin and the law of the members sometimes the sting of death sometimes the prick in the flesh sometimes the cleaving sin which hangs so fast on sometimes the skirmishing sin which wars against the soul sometimes virus serpentis the poyson of the Serpent which the Devil instild into our nature at the first The Schoolmen call it fomitem infixum or fomitem peccati that inbred fewel of sin Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the disorder or irregularity of the faculties of the soul for whereas man had advanced his concupiscence above his reason against the order and will of God and so made it chief and for fulfilling his desire hazarded the favour of God Therefore as a just punishment God hath so ordered in his wrath that it should be stronger then reason so that it cannot be brought under that superiour faculty though a man would So that as God said by the Prophet and it is a fearful judgement because Ephraim had made altars to sin therefore they should be to him to sin so here because man would have his concupiscence superiour it shall 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 do what he can Thus God in great wrath sometimes deals with men as he did with the Israelites They did eat and were full and he gave them their own desire they were not disappointed of their lust and in another place He gave them up to their own hearts lusts and to follow their own imaginations Thus he dealt with the Heathen Romans as the Apostle saith after great disobedience and wilful sinning against the light of their own hearts there follows this Illative Ideo tradidit cos deus therefore God gave them up to their own desires counsels inventions and imaginations This is a fearful thing to be thus given up to a mans own lust It is much to be delivered over to satan Tradatur 〈◊〉 was a high censure yet tradatur 〈◊〉 had a return he that was so given up was regained But when a man is delivered up to himself it is certain that by ordinary means he never returns again For this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that reprobate sence as the Apostle cals it when God gives a man clean over and withdrawing his grace leaves him in his own hands to final destruction so that it is better to be delivered over to the Devil then to his own will And thus we see how well we are to think of our own will and how dreadful a thing it is to be given over to it and not to have Gods spirit to maintain a perpetual conflict therewith CHAP. III. How a man comes to be given up to his own desires Thoughts of two sorts 1. Ascending from our own hearts 2. Injected by the Devil The manner how we come to be infected Six degrees in sin 1. The receiving of the seed 2. The retaining of it 3. The conception 4. The forming of the parts 5. The quickning 6. The travel or birth NOw for the means whereby a man comes to be thus endangered it hath been partly handled already in the first Commandement which in our duty to God answers to this towards our Neighbour and shall partly be now touched A man comes thus to be given up to his own desires by degrees when he gives way to civil imaginations against his Neighbour Let no man imagine or think evil in his heart saith the Prophet against his Neighbor We must not give way to it at all though we suffer
were some then as there are now that having given Almes on the Sunday would recover it the other dayes of the week either by oppressing and dealing hardly with the poor or by undermining those they dealt with Therefore the last caution must be out of the Prophet The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment the holy Ghost shall be sanctified in justice that is a mans mercy must not make him unrighteous So that the conclusion of this point is if a man doe dare rem suam Deo se peccato aut daemoni give his substance to God and himself to sin or the devil and thereby give quod minus est Creatori quod majus inimico the lesse to his Creatour and the greater to his Enemy he is far from keeping the sabbath aright in the point of performing the works of Mercy Now concerning the spiritual part of the works of mercy which is to be done to the Spirit of him that needs it S. Augustine saith Est quaedam charitas quae de sacculo non erogatur there is a charity which is not taken out of the bag or purse such mercies are called Spirituales Elemozynae or misericordiae spiritual Almes which are so much more excellent then the other as they do mederi miseriae principalioris partis take order for the relief of the more principal part of man the soul. And there are seven of this kinde 1. The first concernes the good which is to be performed to draw him to it and it consists of three branches 1. The instruction of the young and others that are ignorant the Prophet describes the reward of such They that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the stars for ever 2. The second branch is the giving of good and christian advice to him that is in doubt hearty counsel by a friend is by Solomon compared to oyntment and perfume that reioyce the heart 3. The last is the exhorting him that is slack in some good duty so did the prophet David And this was one of the instructions Saint Paul gave to Timothy to charge rich men to do good and be rich in good works c. 2. Another is Comforting them that are in distresse Saint Paul calleth this comforting them which are in trouble and supporting the weak and flere cum flentibus weeping with them that weep 3. A third is that work of spiritual mercy which our Saviour made a part of Church discipline reproving of our brother privately for his fault and the Apostle biddeth us to warne them that are unruly A 〈◊〉 is the pardoning of those that offend us according to our Saviours Rule we must first be reconciled to our brother before we offer our gift at the AlAltar and if he will not be reconciled then pray for him It was aswell Christs practise as his counsel Father forgive them So did the Proto-martyr Stephen Gregory saith Qui dat et non dimittit he that giveth and forgiveth not doth a work that is not acceptable to God sed si dimittet 〈◊〉 non det but he that forgiveth though he give not shall be forgiven of God as oft as he forgiveth others si tu ponas limitem Deus tibi ponet limitem If thou settest bounds to thy forgiving God will do the like to thee but if thou for givest without limit nor puttest bounds to thy brothers offence by pardo ning it God will put no limit to his pardonnig of thy sinne 5. Another is in Rom. 15. 1. we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Alter alterius onera portate beare ye one anothers burden Gal. 6. 2. 1 Thess. 5. 14. 6. The sixth is taken out of Saint James Praying for one another even for our enemies it was Christs counsel Matthew 5. 44. and his practise Luk. 23. 34. And this is reputed for a work of mercy Augustine saith Causaberis 〈◊〉 te non possedocere you may perhaps cavil and say thou canst not teach some are as forward to advise you as you them and that you have not the gift of comforting or if you rebuke them for their faults they will despise you But for this and the two last works of mercy there can be no excuse nunquid dices non possum dimittere 〈◊〉 to forgive one that hath offended thee to bear with him to pray for him these things may be alwayes done ut malitia ignoscatur nulla excellentia nulla sapientia nullis divitiis opus est To pardon wrong done to us and so to beare with the weak and to pray for any there is neither excellency nor wisdom nor riches requisite or necessary 7. The last is the reconciling of them that be at variance or the making peace between man and man By this act as our Saviour tells us we shew our selves to be the children of God and as he further saith there will a blessing follow peace makers But here falleth in an obiection what if they will not be reconciled Augustine answereth it If thou hast done thy good will pacificus es thou art a peace maker And these are the seven fruits of mercy spiritual Besides these whatsoever is a work according to the Law of God is also acceptable but especially these CHAP. VIII The second rule of homogenea Fasting reduced hither Commanded under the Gospel 1. Publick fasts for averting of evil of punishment which is either malum grastans or impendens or of sinne for procureing of good 2. Private fasts and the 〈◊〉 of them The parts of a fast 1. External abstinence from meat sleep costly apparrel pleasure servile work almes then to be given Secondly internal humiliation for sinne promise of reformation The third rule our fast and observation of the Lords day must be spiritual Thus far we have proceeded according to the first rule of extension that where any thing is commanded the contrary is forbidden and e contra Come we now as in the former to the rule of Homogenea that is where any thing is Commanded there all things are commanded that are of the same kinde which is the second rule And we finde in the law that the day of humiliation or fasting is called a sabbath and so may be reduced hither as homogeneal Saint Augustine said well that if the state of Innocency had continued then had there 〈◊〉 one day only to have bin observed by Christians and that to have been spent onely in the duty of prayse and thanksgiving But since the fall of Adam there are such defects and wants in our souls that God is not onely to be glorified sacrificio Eucharistiae by the sacrifice of Praise but also sacrificio spiritus contribulati 〈◊〉 by the sacrifice of a troubled and humbled spirit his reason is 〈◊〉 bonum perfecte ut volumns non possumus because we cannot performe
any good thing so well as we would And he alledgeth that place of Saint Paul I do not the good things that I would That tie that 〈◊〉 upon us in the other sabbath cannot be so well performed by us as it ought to be and therefore multo 〈◊〉 frequentius 〈◊〉 oportet we have cause to glorify God oftner by this sacrifice of humiliation for attonement then by the other So that as the other tendeth to initiation of the joyes to come for praise is the exercise of the Saints and Angels and herein have a heaven upon earth so this to mortification of our earthly members in this life and it is the ordinance of God that each of these sacrifices should have its day And though some doubt of the morality of the sabbath yet that 〈◊〉 is a moral duty there can be no doubt The reason is because whatsoever was a meer ceremony might not be vsed at any other time or in any other place or order then was prescribed by God in the book of Ceremonies but this of fasting hath been otherwise for upon extraordinary occasions they had special fasts as in the fist and seventh and tenth moneth none of which were prescribed by the law and had not bin lawful if fasting were a ceremony for ceremonies in the time of the law were tyed to certain times and places Again though our Saviour gave a reason why his disciples should not then fast yet he shewed plainly that after the Bridegroom should be taken away from them after his taking up into Glory they should fast and that this duty should continue And we see it was the practise of the Church at the sending forth of Paul and Barnabas And Saint Paul himself had his private fastings in multis jejuniis in fasting often And his advise was to married people to sever themselves for a time to give themselves to fasting and prayer which sheweth plainly that it was accounted a necessary duty and therefore practised Now for the other times of the Primitive church the books of the fathers are exceeding full in praise of fasting and they themselves were so addicted to it and did therewith so consume themselves that they might well say with David Their knees were made weak with fasting and their flesh had lost all their fatnes The day of humiliation or day of fast receiveth a division of publick and private 1. For the first it was lawful to blow the Trumpet at it And secondly for the second it was to be kept as privately as might be none must know of it but the ends and parts of both were alike Now the reasons of the publick fast were these 1. Either for the averting of some evil 2. Or for procuring some good And because malum est aut poenae aut culpae evil is either of punishment or of sinne this duty was performed against both these but especially against punishment either of our selves or others And in both it is either present which is Malum grassans or hanging over heads which is impendens 1. A present evill is when the Church or commonwealth hath any of the Lords arrows or shafts sticking in their sides as Chrysostom saith well on Jos. 7. 6. As when the men of Ai had discomfited the children of Israel Josuah and the People humbled themselves before God by a publick fast And upon the overthrow given them by the Benjamites the people likewise besought the Lord in a publick fast So in the time of their captivity under the Philistims the prophet Samuel proclaimed a publick fast And the like upon a dearth in the time of Joel 2. When as yet the judgement of God was not come upon them but was onely imminent a fast was proclaimed by Jehosaphat upon the Ammonites and Moabites coming against him He feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah Also upon Hamans decreegotten against the Jews before it was 〈◊〉 in execution Esther caused a general fast to be 〈◊〉 among the Jews And when Niniveh was threatened with destruction to come upon it within 40 days the king caused a publick fast to be held So when this punishment lieth not upon our selves but upon the Churches about us the like duty is to be performed We have an example in this 〈◊〉 for the Jews dispersed through Babylon and Chaldea in the Prophet Zachary 2. To come to malum culpae the evil of sinne In regard of our offences against God and that they deserve to be punished we are to performe this duty obtain pardon and to pacifie his wrath We see that the Jews having offended God by taking wives of the Gentiles though there was yet no visitation 〈◊〉 them yet Esra and those that feared God assembled and humbled themselves by fasting and Jesabells pretence for a fast was fair if it had been true viz. that God and the king had been blasphemed by Naboth 2. As it is a dutie necessary to the averting of evil so is it for the procuring of some good For which purpose we finde several fasts kept in the Apostles times One at the sending forth of two of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas and the other at the ordination of elders to desire of God to make such as were ordained painful and fruitfull labourers in the work to which they were called Now in this duty of fasting if we looke at the punishments and visitation of God onely which are variously sent it is hard to make Jejunium statum to observe any set and fixed time of 〈◊〉 but as the occasion is special and extraordinary so must the fast be but if we look at the sins we daily fall into and our own backwardnes to any thing that is good and consider that fasting is a great help in the dayly progresse of mortification and sanctification As under the law they had their set dayes of expiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein they did afflict their souls expiare 〈◊〉 sua jejunio and expiate their sinnes with fasting so no question 〈◊〉 that now we having the like daily occasions of fasting set times of fasting may be appointed by the Church and that it is very expedient it should be so and that every true member of the Church ought to observe the same And as upon these publick causes and calamities the whole people ought to make a solemne day of fasting wherein every one is to beare a part so when the same causes concern any private person he ought to keep a private fast and humiliation which brings in the second part of a fast Namely the private 2. The causes of a private fast are the same with those of the publick 1. Either for Malumpoenae the evil of punishment or secondly Malum culpae the evil of sin And the first in respect of our selves when we are either under Gods