his own sinne and his own transgressions are ever before him and not busie himself with other mens faults whereas the proud mans thoughts are bona sua mala aliena the evil in others and the good that is in himself 3. Another signe is when a man is able to suffer the slander backbiting and reproches of ill tongues and not regard them as King David did As for me saith he I was like a deaf man and heard not and as one that is dumb and openeth not his mouth and in the next verse I became even as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth is no reproof Thus he shewed his humil ty when he bare patiently the railing of Shimei Christ being reviled reviled not 4. The fourth not to do any thing that may be against Gods glory though it be to a mans own reproach and suffering in this world when he is willing to suffer any thing himself rather then any dishonour should red ound to God or his Church by opening the mouths of the wicked Psal. 69. 6. Let not them that trust in thee be ashamed O Lord God of hosts for my cause let not those that seek thee be confounded through me c. 5. The last is not to rob God of his glory or to give it to another How can yee beleeve saith Christ that seek glory one of another The humble man as the Psalmist saith setteth not by himself but is lowly in his own eyes Psal. 15. 4. this is evidentissimum signum appropinguantis gloriae for before honour goes humility as a proud looke before a fall Pro. 33. CHAP. X. Of the fift inward vertue Hope Hope and fear come both from faith The several vses of hope The nature and exercise of hope Of presumption and despair Reasons against both Means to strengthen hope Signes of true hope Spes Hope AS the knowledge and belief of Gods justice worketh in us fear and humility of which we have spoken so from the knowledge and apprehension of his mercy ariseth hope and love After humility we come to the valley of Achor for a doore of hope as the Prophet speaks When we have been brought to the valley of mourning and have bin in fear and despaire then will God open to us a door of hope so that in stead of the first spirit the spirit of bondage unto fear we shall receive the spirit of adoption unto hope Now by conferring our strength and performances with the strict rule of Gods justice we finde it impossible that we should hope for salvation but by faith apprehending Gods mercy it may be possible it may be considered as attainable two wayes 1. either by our selves 2. or by some other 1. Now concerning the former if we look upon our selves the effect of faith is fear inasmuch as the object of it is Gods justce and so we can have little comfort in our selves for this shews that it is impossible to us as of our selves but as it is in the Apostle every mouth must be stopped and all the world must become guilty before God ther 's little hope that way 2. But we are not left alltogether to despair for though it be impossible to us of our selves yet if it be possible by another if another way may be found ther 's some hope Faith reasoneth as the Psalmist doth Hath God made all men for nought or in vain If he hath then why falleth not his wrath at once And searching further for the cause why we are not consumed we finde that his mercy is the cause It is of the Lords mercy saith the Prophet that we are not consumed for his compassions fail not and that the work of his creation is not in vain Then consequently a remnant there shall be and God will have a tenth alwayes preserved to himself and the holy seed shall be the substance thereof and as it is in the Gospell there shall be a little flock and we may hope that of that little flock we are If the Lord were sparing of his mercy that might be a great impediment to our hope but when we read that the Lord waiteth to be gracious to us it setteth our hope in a better forwardnesse Now because that out of the gate of mercy all our hope cometh we are to consider upon whom God vouchsafeth to bestow this mercy how they must be qualified The prophet saith he will thrust his face into the dust that is he will humble himself if peradventure he may have hope And hope is given to them that fear and are of a contrite spirit and that tremble at Gods word Spes timentibus Deum hope is a reward to them that fear God And as fear is requisite so faith much more God shews this kindnesse to them that put their trust in him and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute or forsaken And when we hear God himself say liberabo eum qui sperat in me when the act of hope shall have such a reward ther is good encouragement and we may surely expect it Now to hope is to trust in Gods mercy and so the psalmist saith My trust is in thy mercy for that is Porta spei the gate of hope there 's no entrance unto God but by this gate and no issue of good to us but by it for faith apprehending mercy hopeth and the rather because there is such plenty of mercy promised to them that hope in God that it will compasse them round Who so putteth his trust in the Lord mercy imbraceth him on every side But it may be demanded how faith can beget both fear and hope two contraries or how two contraries can stand in one subject To this may be answered first we should not question it in respect that the holy Ghost hath put them together so often The Psalmist saith The Lords delight is in them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy Again faith breedeth fear in us in respect of our weaknesse and it breeds hope in respect of the mercies of God so that they being contraries non secundum idem they may well stand together in the soule of a just man For distinction sake Fides credit promissis faith beleeveth the promise and spes expectat credita hope looketh for the things we beleeve Again a thing may be believed and yet not hoped for as no true Christian though he hopes not for hell yet he believes there is such a place So the general truth of God being the object of our faith and containing many threatnings bringeth forth fear and the mercy of God in his promises being likewise an object of our faith produceth hope And so we see they are distinguished ab objecto the one having Gods justice and the other his goodnesse for its object S. Bernard distinguisheth the three vertues of Faith Hope and Charity by presenting to
another some come into the Church at prayer some not till the sermon begin But as the Apostle enjoyns tarry one for another that is all praise God together Inward unanimity and outward uniformity being a delight to God It was Davids joy I was glad when they said to me Let us go into the house of the Lord and soon after he addeth Jerusalem is as a City that is compact together or as some translation at unity in it self And this spiritual union is without question a great strengthening to the Church for when either one comes after another or if in time of Gods service some sing not nor pray with the other this must needs make a breach in the fabrick of it In Discordia saith Augustine nemo benedicit Dominum God is never truely or well served where there is discord or separation The Prophets earnest desire is O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together And therefore it is that the holy Ghost mentioneth so often this unanimity to be in the infancy of the Church as being one of the chief causes of the growth and enlarging of it The Spirit came upon them when they were all together with one accord in one place as if the whole Church were one person and had but one tongue and one lip And in prayer it is said They lift up their voice with one accord And they heard so too The people with one accord gave heed to the things which Philip spake So in the point of uniformity we see that he was punished that was not like the rest of the guests that had not a wedding garment And as the separation and division of tongues was a curse that the earth was no more unius labii of one speech or language so it is a great part of the blessednesse of the heavenly Jerusalem that the Elders sing with one voice unto the Lord. The Fathers beat much upon this and Saint Chrysostome extolleth it highly and saith that it falleth upon God like a showre of hailstones and Saint Augustine saith of singing of prayses that it sounds in Gods eares tanquam resonantia maris as the voice of many waters which he seemeth to take from that place in the Revelation 2. The second is fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all fear saith S. Peter with fear and trembling saith S. Paul for if the service of men according to the rule of S. Paul and Saint Peter must be so much more the service of God But in our exteriour service of God there is commonly so little fear or rather such want of fear that commonly we sleep in it like the Apostles who could not hold open their eyes being in horto in the garden with their Master they could not watch one hour and therefore that judgement befell them that they all forsook Christ and fled And there is little fear in sleep When Jacob was afraid of his brother Esau he slept not all that night The Example of the Christians in the Primitive Church is left upon record for our observation That they heard S. Paul preaching till midnight Upon which place Chrysostome saith Ad hoc commemoravit eos qui media nocte vigilabant ut pudeat eos qui media die dormiunt the Evangelist recordeth those that watch till midnight to this end that they may be ashamed that sleep at mid-day Now because the actions of a natural man are eating drinking and sleeping the same reason which 〈◊〉 the using of the two former in the Church must needs be of force to condemn sleeping too Have ye not houses to eat and drink in saith the Apostle thereby condemning those that used to eat and drink in the Church So if he could have supposed that the Corinthians would have slept there he would have asked the same question concerning sleeping And as he reasons from the place so we may reason from the time out of another place of the same Apostle Vigilate nam qui dormiunt nocte dormiunt watch for they that sleep sleep in the night But with us we may say They that sleep sleep in the day And so whereas the place of sleeping should be our houses and the time of sleeping the night we because we will be crosse in the day-time sleep at Church Natural reason tells us that Actio vestita indebitis circumstantiis illicita est every action cloathed with undue circumstances is unlawful The Prophet as his manner is after he had denounced a curse upon a carelesse people falleth to blessing the Church of God in which he saith Non dormiet quisquam neque dormitabit none shall 〈◊〉 nor sleep among them And our Saviour gives this caveat Beware that the Lord when he cometh find you not sleeping which though it have a spiritual understanding yet there follows a temporal punishment In prima poena est estimatio peccati we may consider of the sin by the first punishment and so we may weigh every 〈◊〉 in prima poena God usually punisheth sin in its own kinde We see it from the beginning Cains murder God threatneth with blood Sodoms heat of lust punished with fire c. Eutychus sleep in this case with a dead sleep This carelesnesse in Gods service is the onely way to bring us first to 〈◊〉 and then to Apostacy and no religion at all We finde it punished in the Church she slept and awoke but found not her beloved And this judgement followed the Apostles themselves because they could not watch one hour they all forsook our Saviour and Peter forsware him But howsoever it stands in respect of Gods punishments or mercies yet the former reasons condemn it and we may adde that the heart truely and rightly affected in Gods service is ardens cor as the Disciples were that talked with our Saviour going to Emaus their heart 〈◊〉 and a Father saith that it is impossible to have cor ardens sub oculo gravi a burning heart and a heavy eye are not compatible 3. There must be with these Cordis praesentia our heart must be present and watchful too for though we watch outwardly yet there may be such extravagant and wandering thoughts in the heart that we may be said to be praesentes absentes absent though present And where the heart is absent the other members will discover it The note of Cor fatui a fools heart is to be in domo laetitiae it turneth that way where the sport lyeth whereas cor prudens the heart of him that hath understanding quaerit scientiam seeketh to get knowledge The inner parts of a fool are like a broken vessel he will hold no knowledge so long as he liveth it runneth out as fast as it is poured in but the wise inquire at the mouth of the wise in the Congregation and ponder his words in their heart And these are testified by
of the Lords day as Abbas Panormit in c. 3 de Feriis Anchor and others and of the latter canonists 〈◊〉 at large proves the festivtiy of the Lords day ab Apostolis divina institutione edoctis 〈◊〉 fuisse that it was appointed by the 〈◊〉 instructed therein by divine institution Variar 〈◊〉 l. 4. c. 19. n. 5. and that to make it a humane institution were nimis indecorum wch he makes to be the opinion of some men and not generally received And though most of the Schoolmen following Aquinas herein make it onely an ecclesiastical constitution of the Apostles which they do upon this ground that Christ gave no special precepts but onely about faith and the sacraments which if it could be here insisted upon might ealsiy be proved false yet even of them some are for the divine right as Augr. l de verbo Feri e. ss 3. and Sylvest verb. Dominica who affirmes it to be the common opinon in his time and for the rest who are for the jus ecclesiasticum diverse of them say that though the day be absolutely alterable yet morally and practically it is immutable because this change can never be put in practise as Suarez saith and that it is so fixed and deeply rooted and so agreeable to right reason that it can never be changed ob defectum causae because there be no such cause to change it as there was to fix it on this day and that therfore the holy Ghost would never permit the Church to change it because such a change could not be for edification so Fileucius tract ' 3. cap. 2. n. 16. 17. and Ballarmine saith 〈◊〉 divinum requirebat ut 〈◊〉 dies Hebdomadis dicaretur cultui divino that by divine right one day of the week ought to be consecrated to divine worship Decultu sanct lib. 3. cap. 11. de die Dominico If we come lower down divers eminent divines of the reformed Churches go this way though its true that both of Luthers and Calvins followers some seeme to encline to the other opinion as Peter Martyr loco citato Junius in his notes upon 〈◊〉 in cap. 16. Apol. And in his lectures on Gen 23. Piscator in Apoc. 1. 10. Tylnus syntag loc 44. p. 276. to whom diverse others may be added If we come to our own church The homily of the time and place of prayer is full and copious expressely affirming and that often that God hath commanded the observation of the Sunday or Lords day which being the publike voice of the Church ought in points doubtful to have so much weight with every son of the Church as to turn the scale when it hangs in aequilibrio to which we may adde our learned Author that great light of this Church in the places forequoted and that judicious and 〈◊〉 Hooker that Malleus Schismatieorum who is very peremptory in the point as having studied it throughly Eccles. Polit. lib. 5. n. 17. to whom may be added Doctor Fullk on Revelation 1. Doctor Hackwell 〈◊〉 with many others of great learning and judgement not to mention that Rabble of our disaffected Clergie whose Schismatical and factious practises together with that ignorance and pride which is generally seen in most of them and their Jewish principles which they go upon may justly render their judgements suspected so that their authority can be of little weight with judicious pious and peaceable men and therefore I should suspect this opinion if it were not 〈◊〉 by better reasons and authority then these men bring Now to these reasons and testimonies if we adde How Christ honoured that day with his resurrection his apparitions to his Disciples after and sending the Holy Ghost on that day the practise of the Apostles and the first Christians having their religious meetings on that day the title of the Lords day which it had given in S. Johns time together with those high titles and encomiums of the day given by Ignatius Chrysostome Athanasius 〈◊〉 S. Augustine Leo and others of the Fathers calling it the Queen and Princesse of dayes the Royal day the most holy Festival the first and chief of all dayes the venerable day c. we may well conclude both that it was the will of Christ that day should be kept holy to him and that the Church esteemed it no lesse then divine not a humane constitution 5. Fiftly concerning the fourth Commandment whether it be in force or what we are tied to by vertue of the fourth Commandment I answer 1. It is certain there is a moral equity in the fourth Commandment which extends to us under the Gospel viz. that some time be set apart for publick worship and that not lesse then a seventh part for if God thought it fit in his wisdom to require a seventh part before Christs coming in all reason we that live now after his coming ought to give him as much at least we having received greater benefits then they that lived before Christ by Christ now exhibited and having better and clearer promises with a greater measure of the 〈◊〉 now ordinarily given so that a greater measure of mortification to the world is now required and therefore we ought as little or rather far lesse then they to minde worldly affairs and to have our thoughts more raised up to heavenly things In regard of which moral equity this precept extends to all times and persons and is therefore put among the other Commandements which are purely moral and so retaines its power of obligation and therefore the Church hath just cause to retain it in the Liturgie and by that usuall Antiphona at the end of this Commandment as well as of the rest to pray Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law 2. Secondly in regard of the particular day litterally enjoyned by this Commandment it is certain it doth not oblige any since Christ for the special day here required is the seventh from the Creation not a seventh day in general as some without any ground affirme but that seventh day in special which was then observed which was no other then the seventh from the Creation for though the first part of the Commandement specifies not the day but requires onely to sanctifie the Sabbath yet the reason added doth plainly limit the day to the seventh day from the Creation and cannot be extended to the Lords day without manifest absurdity for who would not think this reason ridiculous God made heaven and earth in six dayes and rested on the seventh therefore we ought in imitation of him to rest on the first day when he began to work besides that the text saith expressely that the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it that is not a seventh day but that seventh day viz. the seventh from the Creation And therefore those who would ground the Lords day upon the letter of the fourth Commandment must of necessity fall into Judaisme and observe the Saturday Sabbath which was the errour
possunt which cannot be performed by those that are busied with worldly or secular affairs So many of the Fathers that write upon this place vacate videte quia ego sum Dominus Be still and know that I am God shew that by the rule of natural wisdom the Philosophers held Postulandum esse secessum ut melius intendamus a vacation from worldly affairs is necessary that we may the better intend contemplate on heavenly things Our heads must not be occupied with worldly thoughts when we are about the affairs of the soul not that the works of the other six dayes are evil in themselves but because they are apt to distract the minde from that which is proper to this day Now Otium Rest being the first part it is a very strange thing that the nature of man should be altogether so averse from Gods will that when the Precept is difficult and laborious requiring some pains and travail then they will be idle and where this precept is not laborious but easy as this to rest they will rather then not break the Commandment take pains that is they will even against their nature make themselvs businesse and pick out that day of all the dayes of the week that he hath chosen so that it shall be a kinde of policy to make advantage of that day and to finde out some labour on that day on which he hath forbid us to labour And so much for the easinesse of the Commandment and the perversenesse of man We finde in Scripture six several kindes of prohibitions from working on this day 1. Before the Law given when the people departed from Elim and came to the wildernesse of Sin there was a prohibition from gathering Manna there was better food to gather of which he that eateth shall live for ever The Lord is to be tasted 2. A second is As there must be no gathering of Manna nor going out to gather it that day so there must be no buying of it though it should be brought to us So Nehemiah protested against buying and selling which sheweth the unlawfulnesse of it because on that day is Mercatura animae it is the market day of the soul buying and selling on that day is forbidden 3. A third is that which the Prophet Jerem. mentions that is the carrying of burthens on that day and the better to dissuade the people from that kinde of work the Prophet promiseth in the person of God great blessings to them if they forbear and threatneth great plagues upon them if they did not for if they made that their day of 〈◊〉 God would send upon them a burden which they should sink under viz. Captivity and desolation by the Enemy he would kindle a fire in Jerusalem and burn up the gates and palaces thereof verse ult 4. Another thing prohibited by the Law is working in harvest time because the inning of harvest and gathering of grapes might seem to be a matter of great necessity Six dayes shalt thou work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing time and in harvest time thou shalt rest so that the provision for the whole common-wealth must give place unto the rest of this day 5. A fifth thing prohibited is Travailing or Journeying on the Sabbath day Cras erit Sabbatum jehovae maneat quisque in loco suo neque egrediatur quisquam die septimo to morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord Abide ye every man in his place let no man go out of his place the seventh day 6. The last is above the rest For whereas God in the three Chapters before had given Moses a platform for the building of a Tabernacle and taken order that he should go presently in hand with it yet in the 31 Chapter he saith notwithstanding Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep whosever worketh on that day the same person shall be surely put to death Which is as much as if he had said Though that work may seem most lawful and tending most to my glory of all other yet ye shall not break the Sabbath to do it and so verse 15 he gives an universal restraint whosoever doth any manner of work on that day shall be put to death any manner of work an universal prohibition and the penalty threatned was accordingly executed upon him that gathered sticks Numb 6. 15. 35. he was stoned to death by Gods special appointment And the Lord tells the people that if they pollute the Sabbath by bearing burdens he would kindle such a fire in the gates of Jerusalem that should devour the palaces of it and not be quenched The Prophets generally urge the observation of this Commandment above the rest And we may observe that there hath seldom been any strange visitation by fire but where there hath some notorious prophanation of the Sabbath gone before So that when it shall please God to visit us with the like judgement we may conjecture what hath been the cause of it Concerning the rest now required on the Lords day and the difference thereof from the Jewish symbolical rest which was therefore more strict see the former Additional observation observation 6. Therefore to conclude this point let them that go out to gather Manna carry burdens buy and sell gather harvest journey and travail up and down or do any the most lawful work not think these things to be otium sanctum or Sabbatum Jehovae a holy rest or the Sabbath of the Lord but as Leo saith Sabbatum Tyri the Sabbath of Tyre The Councel of Mentz held in the time of Charlemain Anno Dom. 813 hath this Canon Omnes 〈◊〉 Dominicos cum omni veneratione decrevimus observari a servili opere abstineri ut 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 minime sit nec placitum ubi aliquis ad mortem vel poenam judicetur we have decreed that all the Lords dayes be observed with all reverence and that servile labour shall be forborne and that no market be kept on those dayes nor that any Courts be kept either to condemn men to death or punish them Those that offend are to be deprived of the communion for three years And the Council of Tyburis Anno 895. in the time of the Emperor Arnulph hath one Canon to the like purpose as well for the observation of other holy dayes as the Lords day In the second Council of Mascon held anno 582 severe punishments were to be inflicted upon those that should not observe the Lords day and that toto die all the day long As it was larger for the fault so it was milder for the punishment for they suspended those that violated this Canon from the Communion but for half a year so strict were they for the sanctifying of this day and that as one saith because God requires the rest not for the rest it self sed quia hoc die Deo tantummodo vacandum because we must this
thou know not the end For many have repented of going to Law when they have come to the end Abigail when David was angry with Nabal used this very argument to stop his fury My Lord will never 〈◊〉 himself that he hath not shed blood causelesly 〈◊〉 a man sometimes bear injury and refrain from evil words he shall never repent of it or unwish it if not he may often repent it For the sixth rule the procuring of this Commandment to be kept by others we have it commended both in the negative and in the affirmative For the negative Moses seeing two of his brethren Hebrews strive he endeavoured to hinder their contending and for the affirmative our Saviour pronounces a blessing to all that make peace with others Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children 〈◊〉 God THE EXPOSITION OF THE Seventh Commandement Thou shalt not commit Adultery CHAP. I. The scope and order of this Commandment Of Marriage The institution and ends of it explicated out of Genesis 2. 22 23 24. Married persons are 1. to leave all others 2. to cleave to 〈◊〉 another Rules for those that are to marry Duties of those that are married general and special THE scope of this Commandment is to preserve Chastity and to hinder all kinde of pollution and uncleannesse The order of ranking this Precept in this place is this The former Commandment provided for a mans self this for the neerest and dearest thing to himself next to body and life in respect that man and wife are by Marriage united and made one body Erunt duo in carne una they two shall be one flesh saith God Before we come to treat of the sin prohibited by this Commandment we will take a view of one chief cause upon which this prohibition is grounded which is Marriage 1. And first of the thing it self Conjugium or Matrimonium what it is Wedlock or Matrimony is a Covenant and conjunction of Man and Woman taken and agreed on with mutual consent for the propagation of mankinde and the mutual good of both instituted in the beginning by God himself in Paradise between Adam and Eve in their innocency God onely being the Maker of it as both Father and Priest in the Marriage before the Congregation of Angels This may be easily gathered out of the story which contains a prophecy a gratulation a consent in Adam and Eve and a law for the future 1. The prophecy Adam first speaks illative by inference de 〈◊〉 This is now bone of my bone c. He had been asleep when the rib was taken from him and yet could tell that the woman which was not before was taken out of him as perfectly as if he had been awake at the Anatomy And secondly de futuro for the time to come that a man to cleave to his wife should leave father and mother This should be the practise of posterity for he had neither father nor mother and therefore could not speak it of himself 2. His gratulation Leah being fruitful after a long barrennesse saith Now will I praise the Lord. So Adam seems to say God brought to me so many thousands of creatures I awake and rightly understanding all yet found I no helper like or meet for me but they were all either brutish dumb hairy or the like But now at this time God hath brought me one that is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh and though sleeping yet I have found one meet and like so like as almost the same with me 3. His consent which though it be tacite in Eve yet he expresseth it by acknowledging This is now bone of my bone and will hereafter be flesh of my flesh 4. In the words Erunt they two shall be one flesh there is an 〈◊〉 or statute in Heaven and earth touching mariage and therefore not to to be repealed Prima 〈◊〉 perpetua regula The first institution shall be a perpetual rule when God by Adam spake there he spake to posterity be it therefore enacted that from henceforth Erunt c. And this sheweth it to be juris divini 2. The next is that mariage is an honourable estate not onely tolerable allowable or commendable but honorable and so it was ever reputed in all ages by all persons we see that Christ honoured it with his own presence and his first miracle Neither is it in aliquibus sic in aliis non honorable in some and not so in others For not 〈◊〉 the Patriarchs Priests and Prophets under the law were married but under the Gospel Elders and Priests were married So were Apostles and Bishops 3. The causes or reasons why mariage was instituted are generally or principally two 1. First the 〈◊〉 and propagation of mankinde 2. That mans life might be more comfortable and delightful to him but these causes may more especially be enlarged to three 1. God in the beginning said It is not good that man should be alone I will make a help meet for him The first cause therfore was the benefit and commodity of man For God thought that Adam could not live pleasantly and well unlesse he gave him a wife And therefore a wife is not to be accounted a necessary evil as some phrase it but as a help Whosoever then hath not nor ever had wife or children is ignorant of a double blessing And this the very heathen did acknowledge He that wants a wife is in as ill case as he that wants a hand an arme a foot or an eye But besides the blessing by procreation 〈◊〉 children this cohabitat on or living in society with a wife is most profitable and comfortable Her company gives a man refreshment after labour and maketh him to forget sorrow and 〈◊〉 Nothing so greivous nothing so burthensome but a man and wife living lovingly together can well overcome it 2. The second cause why matrimony was instituted was the procreation of children and education of them in the feare of God That there might be semen sanctum a holy seed That there might be a 〈◊〉 of propagating by succession the Church of God It was Gods care in the creation when he blessed Adam and Eve with 〈◊〉 multiplicamini be fruitful and multiply and 〈◊〉 the earth Thelike care he had at the re-creation upon the general deluge with the same benediction 3. The third cause was to avoid fornication Let every man for that cause saith Saint Paul have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband To keep the bed 〈◊〉 And it is better to marry then 〈◊〉 as he saith elsewhere Therefore marriage is not to be accounted either a sinne or an act of uncleannes but rather concubitus cumpropria 〈◊〉 est castitas lawful mariage is chastity If thou takest a wife saith Saint Paul thou sinnest not and if a virgin marry shee sinneth not
he bids rest then we labour è contra Six works in particular forbidden the Jews Whether the same be absolutely now forbidden the Christians Rest necessary onely for the means of sanctification or the practise of it as in works of mercy or necessity Sabbatum Bovum Asinorum Sabbatum aurei vituli Sabbatum Tyri Sabbatum satanae CHAP. VI. page 285 The second thing commanded is sanctification which is the end of the rest The kinds of sanctification publick and private How the holy Ghost works in us sanctification The special acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists 1. Prayer 2. The Word read and preached 3. Meditation of what we have heard and upon the works of God out of Psal. 92. 4. Conference 5. Praise 6. Sacraments and discipline at special times The end of these means our sanctification and Gods glory CHAP. VII page 291 Works of mercy proper for the Lords day They are of two sorts 1. First Corporeal feeding the hungry c. Burying of the dead a work of mercy Such works proper for a festival Objections answered 2. Spiritual 1. To instruct counsel and exhort 2. Comfort 3. Reproof 4. Forgiving 5. Bearing with the weak 6. Prayer 7. Reconciling those that are at odds CHAP. VIII page 294 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 grassans or impendens or of sin for procuring of good 2. Private fasts and the causes of them The parts of a fast 1. External abstinence from meat sleep costly apparel pleasure servile work almes then to be given Secondly internal humiliation for sin promise of reformation The third rule our fast and observation of the Lords day must be spiritual CHAP. IX page 298 The fourth rule of the means and helps to keep this Commandement viz. 1. Places 2. Persons 3. Maintenance 1. Of publick places for Divine worship The place as well as the time holy and both to be reverenced Addition 25. out of the Authors other works concerning the adorning of Gods house and against Sacriledge in prophaning it Addition 26. Further additions concerning Churches or places of Gods worship set places used from the beginning the necessity of them from natural instinct Their dedication and the use of it God is sole proprietor as of places so of all the Churches patrimony All humane propriety extinct by dedication the Clergy have only usum ac fructum no fee-simple by the Law Civil or municipal in any man but a quasi feudum onely CHAP. X. page 280 Of persons set apart for Gods service The mission choice the reverence due to them The benefit received by them spiritual and temporal Preservers of Kingdoms Humane laws and policies not sufficient without a teaching Priest c. Examples in divers Monarchies and Kingdoms CHAP. XI page 304 Of maintenance for such as attend at the Altar Schools and Colledges seminaries of the Church The ancient use of them among the Jews when they were in Egypt and afterward in Canaan In the Primitive Church care to be taken against admitting Novices or young men into the sacred Calling Maintenance due by the Ordinance of Christ is 1. Tithes Reasons that the tenth is still due under the Gospel to the Priesthood of Christ. Addition 27. About Tithes That the tenth part was sacred to God from the beginning by positive Divine Law obliging all mankinde and still in force The Law of Nature dictates not the proportion Humane Laws and Customs about the modus decimandi to be followed provided that they give not lesse then the true value of the tenth if otherwise they are void 2. Oblations alwayes in use in the Church Addition 28. about Oblations some may be due and limited by Law Customs Contract or necessity of the Church others voluntary and free No power in the Magistrate to alienate things dedicated to God CHAP. XII page 308 The two last rules 1. The signes of keeping the day 2. Of procuring the observation by others The conclusion The Exposition of the fifth Commandement CHAP. I. page 310 Of the sum of the second Table The love of our Neighbour How the second Table is like the first 1. Of the act Love How Christian love differs from other love The fruits of it The parts of it 2. The object our Neighbour Who is our Neighbour Degrees of proximity and order in love 3. The manner of love as thy self This must appear in 1. The end 2. The means 3. The manner 4. The order CHAP. II. page 318 The division of the Commandments of the second Table Why this is set here between the first and second Table The parts of it 1. A precept 2. A promise In the precept 1. The duty Honour 2. The object Father and Mother The ground of honour 1. Excellency 2. Conjunction The order of honouring differs from that of love Why God did not make all men excellent and fit to be superiours All paternity is originally and properly in God In man onely instrumentally The Hebrew and Greek words translated Honour what they properly signifie 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 to the Country where we live to Princes to spiritual Fathers to Magistrates In respect of excellency of gifts honour due 1. In respect of years 2. Of the gifts of the minde 3. Of outward estate 4. Of benefits received CHAP. III. page 325 The mutual or reciprocal duties of superiours and inferiours 1 Love 2. To wish well and pray for one another The duties of inferiours 1. Honour Inward and outward 2. fear 3. Subjection and obedience active and passive 4. The protestation of our subjection by honouring them with our estates The manner how this duty must be performed CHAP. IIII. Page 330. The duties of superiours in four things Addition 29. Of the end of government and whether the people be above their governours The manner how they must govern Whether honour be due to one that is evil Whether he must be obeyed in maio Of disobeying the unlawful commands of a Superiour Add. 30. Of obedience in things doubtfull CHAP. V. Page 341 The first Combination between man and wife The special end of Matrimony implied in three words 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimoniam 3. Nuptiae The office of the husband 1. Knowledge to govern his wife 2. Conjugal love 3. To provide for her and the family The wives duties answerable to these officia resultantia Duties arising from these The duties of Parents and children The duties of Masters and servants CHAP. VI. Page 355 Of Tutors or Schoolmasters and their Scholars or Pupils The original of schools and Vniversities Mutual duties of Teacher and Scholar as the choice of such as are fit and capeable The particular qualifications of a Scholar Solertia
passe 13. Lastly that for the crucifying of our Saviour the prophecies of Amos and Zachary were fulfilled in the eversion of the City and desolation of the Jewes A thing so strange that the very Heathen seeing it said that the hand of God was against them For of it self Jerusalem was so impregnable as that it might 〈◊〉 with the strongest piece in the world Besides Vespasian was forced to forbeare the siege a long time for want of water to refresh his army in somuch as he offered them not onely large proffers of peace but that they should set down their own conditions so they would yield all which they stubbornely refused But it is observed and certainly it was because of Gods wrath against the Jews that in the greatest distresse of the Romans for want of water upon a sudden the little brook Silo which for many years had been so dry as that men passed over it on foot did so swell and rise with water without any natural cause that it served abundantly for Vespasians whole army And to afflict the Jews the more the Lord sent such a plague into the City that besides many thousands slain in the siege they wanted ground within the wals to bury their dead and were forced to cast them over and such a famine that they were compelled to eat their own children Titus hereupon made the first breach into the city and that at the brook Cedron where the Jews apprehended Christ and at the same feast in which he was taken to wit the passeover He caused them to be whipped as they scourged our Saviour and sold 30 Jews for a 〈◊〉 as they sold Christ for thirty denaria or pieces of silver In the prophecy of 〈◊〉 it is said For three transgressions of Israel and for foure I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver c. The Jews being urged to tell of whom the prophet meant this having no other shift say that it was spoken concerning Joseph who was sold by the Patriarchs for silver But this prophecy was never more fully accomplished then in our Saviour the true Messiah in themselves concerning the vengeance For therefore suffered they that misery before mentioned and never since have been released but scattered over the world almost these 1600 years hated of all nations and become little better then bondslaves forsaken and scorned by all insomuch that whereas thy were wont to hire Rabbins to teach them the Rabbins are now forced to hire the Jews to be their Auditors The last 〈◊〉 position or tenet of the Jews is that the Messias is not yet come To answer them in this point besides some of the arguments against their second errour which fit this also 1. It is said by the prophet but thou Bethleem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come sorth to me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting This hath been and is confessed by all to be a plaine prophecy of the birth of the Messias in Bethleem And now there is no such place as Bethleem nor any memorial where it stood which shews plainly that it could be prophecied of none but Jesus who was born there and that he is the Messias In which respect they are put to their shifts to make this answer That he was born there before the destruction of the second Temple but hath ever since layen obscure insome place God knows where for they know not but he wil at length manifest himself But this answer Saint Augustine and others have sufficiently confuted though it be in it self scarce worthy of confutation 2 Again Julian the Apostata thinking to worke despite to the Christians gave leave to the Jews to reedify the Temple and they attempting to lay the foundation of it were hindred by flames of fire that brake out of the earth which burnt their tymber worke and dispearsed the stones and though the Emperour to encourage them to it again supplied the Jews diverse times after with mony towards the redifying it yet shall the fire burst out of the earth and overthrew that they did 3. Since which time there arose one that took upon him to gather together again the dispersed Jews who called himself Moses Cretensis this man to make himself great in their opinions would take upon him to divide the sea and with four hundred of his fellows would go through it dry-shod but he and they were all miserably drowned their friends that stood upon the shore to see the event being not able to save one of them 4. Lastly the time prefixed by their Rabbins when their Messiah should come is expired and they frustrate of their expectation The time which some of them allotted to it was twelve hundred years some thirteen hundred and ninetie some more some lesse Some of them affirming that the world should continue but six thousand years which they thus apportioned Two thousand yeers before the Law two thousand years under the Law to Christs time and two thousand years after Christ under grace of which are past above five thousand five hundred and seventy years already and therefore the expectation of their Christ is now vain and so is their Religion So that now they are so ashamed of their former accounts and calculations by failing of and in them so grossely that they forbid all men to make any more and that on pain of death Thus are they given up and led spiritu vertiginis so that though their eyes be open yet they will not see and their hearts are hardened that they will not understand as was prophecied of them long since And thus much for Judaisme CHAP. X. Of Mahometanisme This Religion proved to be false by seven reasons The third Religion is that of the Turks and Saracens called Mahometanisme THese Sectaries though they agree with us that there is but one God yet in the main point they differ from us and say that Christ is not the last prophet but Mahomet is the last and must finish all Prophecies Against their Religion there are seven demonstrations to prove the falsity of it 1. Because it cannot abide the touch for they hold that it must not be disputed of on pain of death no question must be made of it it must be taken upon trust whereas Truth delighteth in nothing more then in tryal Veritas nihil veretur nisi abscondi it fears nothing more then that it should 〈◊〉 come to light And in this point Mahomets disciples are like men that pay brasse for gold saying it is good but will not suffer it to be tryed 2. If ever there were book stuft with those which are called Aniles fabulae old wives tales it is their Alcaron which is every where fraught with most ridiculous untruths Andreas Maurus a 〈◊〉 and a Bishop quoteth nine hundred
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
motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of feare VVE have seen out of the Apostle that saith must be in the heart and the heart must beleeve else there can be no righteousnesse there must be a mutual affection of the minde and heart for if the heart love not the minde will not long beleeve and if the minde beleeve not the heart will not love long Faith in regard of the actus elicitus assent is an act of the minde but in respect of the actus imperati as the Schools speak which flow from assent and belief as love fear obedience c. So it is in the heart and whole man so that the duty of a Christian may be called the work of faith because it is commanded and produced by faith though belief be the formal and onely proper immediate act of it Now the heart is the seat of the affections and the affections are about such objects as are partly agreable to our nature and such as we wish for and imbrace and partly such as we desire not but turn from Of the former sort are love hope joy and of the other are fear grief hate And God hath 〈◊〉 both of them to a double use as those of the second sort to restrain us from evil or after we have committed evil to torment and punish us So of the former either they are provocations to good or after we have done well to cherish and comfort us for so doing It is the work and office of faith to stir up these 〈◊〉 in us the first of which is fear towards God and the reason is because the word of God being the object of faith whether we take it in whole or in grosse the five books of Moses or the four Gospels in all we finde punishments 〈◊〉 to such as should transgresse which threatnings being 〈◊〉 by faith must needs work fear to 〈◊〉 and so they restrain from sin or fear of the punishment in those that have offended and so they stir up to repentance for in the very beginning we see faith had a word of threatning to apprehend In what day soever Adam should eat of the fruit of the tree he should die and this was before the promise that The seed of the woman should bruise the serpent head Now faith apprehended Gods justice which with his other attributes made it seem more fearful and the conscience telling that an offence was committed by eating fear must needs arise out of the consideration of it And this is it which was remembred before in our Saviours speach to the Jews If ye had believed Moses ye would also have believed me First Moses was to be believed then Christ first the Law then the Gospel The first is a faith in Gods justice There is a manifest example of this in the Ninevites Crediderunt Deo timuerunt they believed God and feared which is Moses fear a faith in Gods justice Among many motives to fear given by writers the chief is 〈◊〉 legis the knowledge of the Law and this works contritionem a grinding to powder by fear of that which the Law brings into their hearts And of this the Psalmist speaks telling us what is the true object of fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements This is the effect of faith upon the knowledge of Gods Justice The reason why it pleased God to set justice and fear in the first place is because before any thing can be effected the impediment and that which hindereth must be taken away We cannot possesse God and the reason is because as the Prophet tells us there is a separation between him and us our sins do separate between God and us a partition wall as the Apostle calls it Now seeing there is a necessity to have God and that this partition wall keeps us asunder in the first place we must not build this wall higher but we must cease to build sin upon sin and look for Christ to beat down that which is already built That which causeth us to cease from sin is the fear of God Expulsor peccati timor Domini saith the Wise man we must not say shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle And this is the reason why God commandeth fear because it maketh us to leave sin Besides fear there are two other affections which cause men to live well though it pleased God here to make choice of fear as 1. Shame 2. Pain and grief Make their faces ashamed O Lord saith the Psalmist that they may seek thy Name and for the other Vexatio dat intellectum affliction brings understanding If a man smart for any thing experience will give him understanding But we see that in the multitude of offenders there is no place for shame and for pain we have terrenas consolatiunculas poor worldly comforts at least if not to drive it away yet to season it and therefore God foresaw that neither of these would strike so deep as fear But fear which it pleaseth God to set before us and to require at our hands is that affection which toucheth us neerest and when other fail fails not Examples we have of it in offenders Adam being naked and clothed onely with fig-leaves might have been ashamed yet he walked up and down Paradise confidently and his humbling came not till he heard the voice of the Lord and then he was afraid Felix was a corrupt governour and made no conscience of it yet hearing Saint Paul discourse of Justice and Temperance and especially of Gods Judgements he fell into a trembling And this affection is not onely in men but predominant in beasts also and in those beasts which are most stupid and brutish 〈◊〉 asse fearing the angel of the Lord notwithstanding all his Masters beating fell down flat and would not stir a foot to run into danger Nay further the Devils which fear nothing else yet in respect of God S. James tells us Demones credunt contremiscunt the Devils believe and tremble And therefore this must needs be a prevalent means and that man is far gone and in a fearful case that feareth not But it may be objected That since God speaketh so much of love why should we not be brought to obedience by love rather then by fear It cannot be denied but that were a more acceptable way but our case is so that love will not prevail with us for he that loveth a good thing must have knowledge of it and that comes by a taste of it Now if his 〈◊〉 be corrupt as theirs is that are feavorish nothing can please him but that wich pleaseth the corrupt taste wholsome things are distasteful to him yet though they love not those things that are good for their disease this reason will prevail against their liking that if they take it not their fit
of the friend that called up his neighbor at midnight by both telling us how much importunity prevails with God 4. A fourth is God though he gives not quod petimus what we ask yet he will give quod novit utilius what he knows to be more profitable for us as in the case of S. Paul My grace shall be sufficient for thee 5. Some things we pray for may be hurtful to us as knives for children so as that non accipiendo accepimus we are better by wanting then possessing them Chrysostome calls prayers for such things childish and aguish prayers as S. Aug. male usurus eo quod vnlt accipere Deo potius miserante non accepit God in compassion lets not him receive that which he meant to use ill And therefore sometime to misse that which we conceive to be a benefit is a blessing And therfore we will conclude this point with a saying of S. Aug. fideliter supplicans Deo pro necessitatibus hujus vitae 〈◊〉 auditur misecorditer non auditur quid enim infirmo sit utilius magis 〈◊〉 medicus quam aegrotus God in mercy hears and in mercy hears not a faithful suppliant for the necestities of this life for the Physitian knows what is profitable for the sick man better then himself These reasons are from the matter of our prayers others taken from the manner of our asking may be mentioned hereafter The third part of Invocation is Interpellation or Intercession which is prayer either for the prosperity or against the crosses of others The Fathers seldome quote the Fathers but in this S. Aug. cites S. Ambrose Frater mi si pro te rogas tantum pro te unus orabit si autem pro omnibus rogas omnes pro te rogabunt My brother if thou only pray for thy self one shall pray alone for thy self but if thou pray for all men all men will pray for thee And S. Gregory saith Quisquis pro aliis intercedere nititur sibi potius ex charitate suffragat pro semet ipso tanto citius audiri meretur quanto magis devote pro aliis intercedit whosoever prayes for others doth the rather pray for himself and by so much the sooner deserves to be heard for himself by how much the more devoutly he intercedes for others S. Chrysostome hath an excellent speech to this purpose Pro se orare necessitas cogit pro aliis charitas fraternitatis hortatur dulcior autem ante Deum est oratio non quam necessitas transmittit sed quam charitas fraternitatis commendat it is meere necessity that compels a man to pray for himself but it is a brotherly affection that draws a man to pray for others and that prayer is more acceptable to God which is caused by love then necessity This part of invocation hath divers branches As we are to pray for all men 1. For sinners that have not sinned unto death and there is a promise that prayer shall be heard In which respect there is a prayer in our Liturgie first for them that are without the Church for their conversion as Heathens Jews Turks Hereticks Schismaticks then for those that are in the Church which are with us and yet not of us but are still in blindnesse and ignorance or know but practise not 2. We are to pray for them that not onely are oppressed with outward afflictions but inward temptations and the 〈◊〉 of their sins 3. For those that stand that they fall not but persevere 4. For them that are our enemies and persecute us And for this we have not onely our Saviours percept but the practise of holy men Saint Gregory Hum. 27. in Evang. upon that place in Jeremiah 15. 1. where God saith though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my heart could not be towards this people c. asks the question why Moses and Samuel are especially named and gives this reason Because the prayers of such are most powerful with God who having received an injury can presently pray for those that wronged them Now such are Moses and Samuel For Moses when the people were ready to stone him presently prayeth for them Samuel though the people desired to cast off his government yet saith God forbid that I should cease to pray for you And of these prayers it is said that they shall return into our own bosome They are very effectuall for in these cases Qui pro aliis orat prose laborat he that prayes for others labours for himself 5. For Kings and Magistrates as the Apostle adviseth 6. Lastly but most especially for the peace and good of the Church O pray for the peace of Jerusalem saith the Psalmist who also wished that his tongue might cleave to the roof of his mouth if he forgate to pray for it The fourth branch of Invocation is Thanksgiving Invocation is for that we want and desire Thanksgiving is for that we have received So that whether we be answered before we call as the Prophet speaks when God gives before we ask or whether it be given us when we ask in both cases we have cause to enter into this consideration Quid retribuam Domino what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits And indeed the chief end of all should be the glory of God For for his glory all things that are made were created the seventh day when he had finished his work of creation was instituted for his praise and glory And for this purpose man was placed in Paradise to praise him and after his fall mankinde had perished and all things had been again reduced to nothing but that God might have some to glorifie him Now it is plain that God takes and accepts of thanks as a great part of his glory And therefore were the thank-offerings among other sacrifices for Gods service and glory instituted of old and he that offereth me thanks saith God by the Prophet giveth me glory and the Apostle All things are for your sakes that the aboundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God That which the Heathen said is true Gratus animus est meta benignitatis gratitude is the end of bounty And it is the condition of our obligation to God and of Gods to us Call upon me in i me of trouble and I will hear you there is Gods and thou shalt glorifie me there is ours The Hebrews make Thanksgiving to consist of four parts according to the four words used by thankful persons in Scripture 1. Confession or acknowledgement Confitebor I will confesse that we have nothing but that we have received from God That our help cometh from the hills from no inferiour creature from above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Father of lights Nor must we conceal what we have received Saint
a man have a taste of Gods mercy in the remission of his sins The Prophet David being before cast down presently saith Verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer S. Augustine asketh how David knew this and answereth himself habuit gustum aliquem divinorum he had some taste that God had forgiven him his sins 3. The third is when a man continueth in a patient waiting of Gods leisure as King David did 〈◊〉 till God came to him he would walk in a perfect heart and take no wicked thing in hand O when wilt thou come unto me saith he I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 1. The signes of true thankfulnesse likewise are diverse The first is when a man feeleth himself filled with marrow and fatnesse as rapt with consideration of Gods favours and benefits 2. When a man is jealous of his own ingratitude that after his cleansing he wallow no more in sin and lest he make himself uncapable of Gods hearing his prayer for any more mercies 3. When beneficia become veneficia when his benefits charm us and make us withstand strong temptations as Joseph did though his Mistris tempted him very strongly yet he answered her My Master hath done this and this for me how can I then do this great wickednesse and sin against God This is a great signe that a man is truely thankful unto God that when God hath bestowed his benefits upon him he is the more careful thereby not to break his law 4. The last signe is when we defer not our thanks A type of this was in the law The sacrifice of thanksgiving was to be eaten the same day not kept longer No procrastination of thanks Nihil citius senescit gratia nothing grows old sooner then thanks Now concerning the sixth rule as in the former we are to procure this duty to be performed by others 1. Saul when he should have betaken himself to prayer thought the enemies came too fast and not only layed away the ephod himself but willed the Priest to withdraw his hand it is noted by the holy Ghost to Sauls infamy Therefore as we are to avoid all impediments to our selves so are we not to discourage others with them in Job Who is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray to him One of the Fathers maketh this answer Beneficium projicitur ingrato collocatur grato a good turn is cast away upon an unthankful man but bestowed upon a thankful person He is kinde unto the unthankful and evil 2. And as we must not hinder others so for the affirmative part the invitation we have Davids and it is in the beginning of our Liturgie O come let us sing unto the Lord. O come let us worship and fall down And O praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his name together But especially in the hundred fourty eighth Psalm he is not contented onely to the company of men in this duty but dragons snow fire and all creatures not that they could praise the Lord but that there is not the basest creature of them all that had not cause enough to praise the Lord if they could And thus much for prayer CHAP. XII The seventh vertue required is Love of God That God is to be loved Of mercenary and free Love The excellency of Love The measure of Love The opposites to the Love of God 1. Love of the world 2 Self-love 3 Stupidity 4. Loathing of God All the motives of Love are eminently in God 1. Beauty 2. Propinquity 3. Benefits bestowed Six signes of Love Of drawing others to Love God THe next duty is Love The same which the Apostle saith of the Law to have been for a time till the promised seed came may be said concerning the other affections and their actions that they were onely till the love of God came of which the Fathers say that occupare amorem to have love in us drowneth all other affections For we have fear first and being delivered from that we feared we love and being heard in what we hope and pray for we love God and say with the Prophet dilexi quia audivit c. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice There is a coherence between love and prayer We have formerly said that to enjoy and have a thing we are first to know it and the knowledge of it breeds in us a true estimate of it and the estimate of a thing makes us love it so habere Deum est scire to possesse God is to know him and this knowledge breeds a true estimate of God whereupon we love him for according to our estimation our love is more or lesse to that we have These affections of fear and hope are for this end that when God hath bestowed on us the things we either fear to lose or hope to enjoy we may the better esteem of them For as cito data vilescunt we sleight those things which are easily got when we can but ask and have so the things we have felt the want of so long and for which we have been humbled when they come we will the better regard them and love him the better for them The object of love is bonum in which the very natural reason of man hath found two properties viz. that it is 1. Communicative 2. Attractive 1. Every good is desirous to communicate it self to as many as are willing and meet to partake of it As we see in the Sun and other celestial bodies in the natural elements so there is in God a quality of desiring to communicate his goodnesse and indeed it was the cause why he created all things to have a church and to shew his glory and mercy on it So that the minde of man seeing this nature in God consequently hath a desire to it and that desire goeth so far till it come to a conjunction and that to an union ita conjungi 〈◊〉 uniantur because by the union of two good things there will come good to the desirer which he had not before and whereby he is made better 2. Secondly it hath vim attractivam It hath been said that if inferiour things be coupled and united with things of more excellent nature they are thereby made more noble As a potsheard being covered with gold As on the other side things which are excellent being joyned with viler are made more abject as the minde of man with inferiour creatures And there can be nothing which can make the minde more transcendent then the conjunction of it with that which in it self is all good and containeth all good things and that for ever and from hence ariseth this attractive property and force for in every good there is that force which allureth And therefore to shew us this good it is nececessary that faith and knowledge precede
Bonum non amatur as the School-men say quod non cognoscitur the good that is not known cannot be loved For if it were known it being the natural desire of all to be better we should love it to be the better by it It is therefore well said That good things have no greater enemy then ignorance Knowledge and faith then as is said shewing us this good love will be stirred up in us and then follows unio affectus the union of the affection all that we can have here and in the life to come instead of this fruition by faith fruition by cleer vision There are two sorts of love 1. Amor mercenarius a mercenary love 2. Amor gratuitus a free love They are distinguished thus when a man loves his meat and drink and when he loves his friend or brother it is certain these loves are not all one in the one there is a desire to have the thing loved that he may make use of it for his own benefit for the present not caring what becomes of it after but his love to his friend is to do him good for himself or for his own sake and it includes in it bene velle bene facere to wish him good and to do him good in the former á man looks at himself and his own good onely in the other at his good whom he loves the first is amor concupiscentiae the other amor amicitiae The Philosopher distinguishes them by Vnde Quo whence and whither In the first love the question is made by Quo in the other by Vnde In the first we ask what good comes to us by it in the other what good it hath in it self though it be no benefit to us The one hath an eye that looks inward on our selves the other outward upon others Yet these two though they may be distinguished yet are not alwayes divided for the one oft-times is the beginning of the other both in our loves to God and man for those that have been beneficial to us though we love them at first for the benefits we receive by them yet afterwards we come to love them for themselves 1. The first ariseth from hope Because a man being cast down by fear conceives hope upon Gods promises then sending forth prayer receiveth fruit and saith Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voice of my humble petition And thou hast given me my hearts desire which fruit stirreth up the first love and this amor concupiscentiae the love of concupiscence which goes before 〈◊〉 gratuitum free love for as the Apostle saith that is not first which is spiritual but that which is natural or carnal and then that which is spiritual so free love of God for himself is not first but first we love him for his benefits and then for himself and this is true love Therefore it is said that 〈◊〉 vertues of clemency affability liberality c. were greater then Cato's of justice and fidelity in his dealings because the former looked at the good of others these reflected upon himself and his own good That which is natural will be first 〈◊〉 before amicitia or benevolentia and this is the inchoation of the other Perfect love is not attained at first for nemo repente fit summus now S. Chrysostome wondreth how men can slip themselves out of this love for if they will love any for his benefits none bids fairer for this amor mercenarius then God for he offereth for it the kingdom of heaven The Fathers compare fear to the wildernesse and these two degrees of love to the land of promise this mercenary love to that part of it which lay beyond Jordan and the other to that part upon which Sion and Jerusalem stood For amor gratuitus which looks not at reward Saint Bernard saith that Deus nunquam sine praemio diligitur our love to God is never unrewarded though sine intuitu praemii diligendus est he ought to be loved without looking at the reward The Apostle respected his own commodity so little that he wished himself accursed that the glory of God might shine in the salvation of Israel It is lawful to love God for his benefits for God uses them as motives to stir us up to love him and the best of Gods servants have so practised Moses looked at the recompence Hebrews 11. but we must not rest there nor love him onely or chiefly for them but for himself otherwise we love not him but our selves ratio diligendi est Deus ipse modus sine modo the cause of our love must be God himself and the measure without measure saith S. Bernard Some divide love into Quoniam Tametsi Because and Although 1. The first is that which is called mercenarius I love the Lord saith the Psalmist and why He is my defence Psalm 18. 1. And in another place Because he heard my voice yet seeing David did not love God onely or chiefly for his benefits his love was not properly mercenary but true though not perfect To shew the excellency of love S. Paul hath a whole chapter wherein he prefers it above all other vertues and saith in effect If a man for his knowledge and elocution might be compared with Angels and by his faith were able to remove mountains and by his liberality had relieved the poor with all his estate and for his constancy had suffered martyrdome yet were all these vertues little worth except they were joyned with the love of God And in the end of the Chapter after this general commendation of love he prefers it in particular above Faith and Hope 1. If we take the dimension of it it is greatest both in breadth and length of all other For whereas Faith and Hope are restrained within the bounds of mens persons and to singulars this dilateth it self and extendeth both to God and man in general to our selves our friends yea to our enemies S. Augustine saith Beatus qui amat te amicum in te inimicum propter te blessed is he that loves thee and his friend in thee and his enemy for thee And this is the latitude 2. In longitude also For whereas the other are but in us in the nature of a lease but for terme of life the gift of love shall be as a free hold and continue for ever in heaven Our Saviour maketh both the Law and Prophets to consist of one Commandment namely Love And the Apostle reduceth all to one head and if there were any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this of love And it is our Saviours mandatum novum admit that all the old Commandments were cancelcelled yet this new commandment ties us to the duties of all And indeed S. John saith commending this duty Brethren I write no new commandment unto you but an old Commandment for both the old and new are all one There is both in the
tundebantur in horreo Domini non reponitur granum donec flagellis aut triturantium pedibus sit excussum in buildings axes and hammers must be used and no corn comes to the table before it passe through the frail and milstone 5. The grape must be troden and passe the winepresse before it be fit to drink 6. The flock is shorn and carried to the shambles 3. The third reason of trial is to separate the good from the bad Therefore God suffers the Devil to sift his servants trial is Sathanae ventilabrum the Devils seive Luke 22. 31 which separates the good corn from the chaff and for this cause God suffers good men to be afflicted by wicked because it is not fit he should use good men as scourges for the good for there must be a fan to make a separation of the corn and chaff which is the crosse There is a red sea to passe if thou be a true Israelite thou shalt get through if an Egyptian no passage for thee thou shalt be drowned in the midst of it vituli triturantes quotidie ligantur ad stabulum vituli mactandi quotidie in paescuis libere relinquuntur the oxen that are for use are kept tyed up when those that are fatted for the shambles are let loose into the pasture to feed at peasu re 4. The last is for the Devils confusion to confound him when he sayes Doth Job serve God for nought God sends tryalls to stop the Devils mouth who slanders all for mercenaries therefore ost times he sends no reward visible at all and somtimes gives malam mercedem an ill reward in appearance that it may appear that we serve him gratuito freely Now for the manner of suffering There were in the Primitive Church a sort of heretiques called Circumcilliones who hearing patience so much commended conceived of it as the stoickes to bean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a want of passions and therefore whipped themselves and acquainted themselves so much with hardship that they could beare any thing But we are to understand that as Christian religion is far from Epicurisme so it allowes not the doctrine of the stoicks Saint Paul disputed against both Epicures and Stoickes Christian patience is no stoicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Job David Christ they were patient yet had some notable signes of passions that they felt what they suffered Nor is patience a Monothelite to have a will onely to be punished Our Saviour had a will to be rid of the cup as well as a submission to Gods will It was a suffering according to the will of God as the Apostle speaks to which he conformed himself Saint Augustine sheweth the difference between the Heathens and heretiks patience and that which is true patience The first was not in a good cause or for a right end but possibly they vsed themselves to suffer and felt it not but in true patience a man feels the crosse and would be rid of it yet submits to the good pleasure of God And therefore he saith it was stupor morbi being accustomed to ill potius quam robur sanitatis A stupefying disease rather then the strength of health and admiranda duritia quae magna est sed neganda patientia que nulla est their hardnes was to be admired for it was great but their patitence to be denied for they had none That which is forbidden the Apostle comprizeth in one verse 1. A small regard or despising the chastisment of the Lord. 2. and a fainting under his correction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two extreames of true patience 1. Saint Chrysostom noteth upon Exodus 9. 28. that in the wicked there is but momentanea cura not no regard at all but a momentary regard of Gods afflictions as it was in Pharoah concerning the plagues of Egypt and it was no other in Jeroboam there was in him a humiliation for the present till his hand was restored onely That effect which judgement works upon the wicked is onely pannicus timor a panick fear for the present till the danger be over and therefore such patience is called Pannica patientia a pannick patience like to that in bears and wolves at the sound of the drum they are afraid while that is beaten and no longer Or as they which not being used to the sea are sick while the ship is tossed but assoon as they set footing on the land are well again And by this men came to that which the Ancients call Stupor morbi non robur sanitatis a numnesse and hardnes of soul not proceeding from strength of health and thy call it animi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a palsy of the soul. It is one thing to thrust a needle into quick and another into dead flesh And this stupor or numnesse of the soul is of two sorts Contractus et immssus 1. The wiseman speaking of a person given to excesse of meat and drink saith They have stricken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not He shews that some by custome in sinne contract a senselessenesse in sin Their life is like to them that sleep in the top mast whose sleep is broken and yet continues and so they come to a kinde of drunkennesse Ebrii sunt non vino as the Prophet speaks they are drunk but not with wine and so it falls out in other vices when a man is bewitcht with a sin he is smitten but feeleth not because he is drunk with it 2. The other is such as we read Baals Prophets were who when their God would not hear them cut themselves with knives and lancers and thereby might seem patient and this is not stupor contractus but emissus a stupidity infused by Sathan whether he possesse men spiritually onely in their souls or corporally too The Devil taught a man to breake his chaines and cut his flesh with stones and such was that of the Circumeelliones Manichees and Donatists c. it was but pati malum ut facerent malum as Saint Augustine speaks they suffered evil that they might do the more evil This stupor contractus comes two wayes 1. Ex ignorantia causae not considering the cause whence afflictions come or 2. Ex ignorantia finis not considering the end whereto they tend 1. When the afflicted consider not the cause from whence their affliction comeeth Thou hast stricken them O Lord and they are not grieved saith the Prophet thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rock c. And God himself by the same Prophet In vain have I smitten your children they received no correction And the Prophet Esay why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more c. No doubt but there are some such among us whom God calleth
which place Lactantius saith verentur ne nulla sit religio si nibil habe ant quod adoreat they were afraid there could be no religion at all unlesse they might see what to worship This was the conceit of Rabshakeh touching Hezekiah and the people of Judah that they had no God at all because Hezekiah had taken away his high places and altars and there was no God to be seen 2. As the great sinne against the first Commandment was to set that up for God which was no God therein was their excesse So in the second Commandment they would not ke pa mean but though they could never have monitors and means sufficient to stir them up to Gods worship whereas God hath allowed and ordained these four 1. Verbum scriptum The scriptures or written word 2. Verbum predicatum That word preached 3. Verbum visibile The visible word The Sacraments 4. Verbum libri magni Creaturarum the word of the great book of the creatures of which the psalmist their sound is gone out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world And though these be canori monitores loud and shrill Remembrancers yet all these could not content them but they would have images falling into this error that there could be no nimium in Religione et cultu divino no superfluity in religion and the worship of God and consequently no superstition ascribing the honour due to God unto the creatures and as the Apostle speaks changing the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to four footed beasts and creeping things And this is very certain that if there had been such force and vertue in images to move men to the duty of Gods worship God who had such care of his people would never have protested against them and prohibited them nay it had bin a special injury they being so good teachers and monitors The writer of the book of wisdom setteth down the reasons of the growth of Idolatry before the coming of Christ one of them was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desire and love of sense insomuch as there was nothing excellent to see to but it was corrupted Rabbi Solomon upon that place of Genesis where mencion is made of Labans Teraphim saith that they signified nothing as the Syriacke translation of it is but a mathematical instrument So the Symbola of the Egyptians were nothing but Emblems and Hieroglyphicks for distinction of the several provincesthere and to shew the natures of them as Isis a clod of grasse or turfe to shew that that part of the country was fertil and fit for feeding and Anubis a dog was sett up in another province to signifie that it was a woody country and the like There were also images set upon the tombs and monuments of famous dead men as the statue dedicated to 〈◊〉 and Minos and this because they were too much addicted to their senses and partly to please their Princes and to keep their remembrance as of Belus for his vertue of Minos for his justice and to this observance they were afterward necessarily enforced by edicts of Princes And thus much for their original before Christ. Now since the time of Christ they begin to differ and a special thing in the controversy wherewith they think to lash us is this shew us say they when images came up first that we may know their original and when there was any edict against them There 's nothing more easy then to shew their original for Jreneus wholived not long after the Apostles times in the second century maketh mention of the 〈◊〉 of the Gnosticks and Epiphanius among other of the Heresies he wrote of speaketh of the same error and saith that Carpocras an Alexandrian was the first brocher of it one of whose errors was that they had the images of Christ Saint Paul and Saint Peter c. Which they said and pretended to be made by Pilate So 〈◊〉 sheweth that the Collyridians valentinians and others erected images in honour of the Virgin Mary and speaketh against them that vsed to offer to her such outward reverence in their gestures as was due onely to God By which we may conclude that Hereticks were the first introducers of religious worship of images in the church The occasions of their use of images for religious worship were four whereof two began to take root in the times of persecution The other two when the church was in peace 1. The first as Saint Augustine saith was by the policy of the 2. former hereticks as also of the Manichees ut concilient 〈◊〉 Paganorum to ingratiate themselves with the Pagans and therefore Aequiores sunt simulachris ut misereantar the hereticks shew themselves saith he better friends to images then we to make the Heathen Idolaters in their persecutions more savorable to them then to us So the first was their policy 2. The second was in memoriam defunctorum to preserve the memory of their deceased friends It seemes by a prohibition in the law that men of old for the love they bare to their dead friends and in expression of their grief for the losse of them and lastly to preserve their memory vsed to cut their flesh and print marks with hot irons upon some parts of their bodies which might continue there and put them in minde of such friends for whose sakes they made those marks as long as they lived whereupon God prohibited such unlawlull acts there and the Apostle also in the new Testament gives charge that men should not sorrow in that extremity the Heathen did that had no hope of the resurrection This extremity of passion in them made them also make use of another way to preserve the memory of their friends deceased which was by setting up of their images Saint Chrysostome reporteth of one Melesius a Bishop of Constantinople a very godly and learned man that he was so well beloved of the Citizens and Clergy as that after his death every man got his Picture to preserve his memory in their rings and afterwards into their parlours And thus by degrees as may be seen in Epiphanius Images were removed into their Pretoria judgement places and thence into market places from thence as appeareth by the fifth counsel of Carthage into high wayes afterwards into church-yards as it is in the second coun of Nice from whence they came to the church walls and so atlast by the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up to the altar Here was magnum ex 〈◊〉 sed ex malis principiis These were the first two occasions 1. A 〈◊〉 to have the good wil of the heathen 2. Extraordinary sorrow for the dead Now after in the pacee of the church there fell out two other causes 1. First wealth When the Christians after the persecution began to grow rich they were desirous that
witnes of the truth Sain Paul attributeth sanctification of every thing to prayer premised and therefore it is termed the preparative to all the duties of a Christian more plainly Our Saviour very early before day went out into a solitary place and there prayed and afterward came and preached in the Synagogue which is very probable to have been on the sabbath day whereby we may observe that Christ himself took prayer to be the first means of sanctification 1. Now for the times of this exercise of prayer on the Lords day they are two 1. Before the other publick duties and 2 After 1. That before is either private as of a master and his family 2. Or else in the congregation which is publick Both which the psalmist comprehendeth in one verse I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithful there 's the first And in the congregation there 's the last 1. Concerning the first we see in the place before quoted that our Saviour went out into a solitary place as also elsewhere As soon as he had sent the multitude away he departed into a mountain to pray 2. For the other we may gather out of that place in the Acts that amongst the very Heathen the religious Hellinists which were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were a kinde of proselytes that worshipped the God of Israel vsed to assemble themselves to pray by a rivers side But more plainly the Apostle saith that to the prayers of the congregation every one should joyn his own Amen Again prayer is to be vsed after For as we are not fit to receive any spiritual grace before without it so neither to keep it after the devil will take the word out of our hearts after we have heard it unlesse we desire of God that it may remain with us and seek his blessing that the seed may fructify And this was in the law to come from the Priests mouth The Lord blesse thee and keep thee By vertue whereof the devil wil lose his power in taking the word out of our hearts but it shall continue with us and fructifie in us 2. The second is the word which is magnified or sanctified by God for our sanctification for as the prophet saith God hath magnified the law that is his word and made it honorable and else where plainly the hearing of the word is made one end of publick assemblyes gather me the people together saith God and I will makethem hear my words Now the word upon the sabbath hath a double use 1. First as it is read and heard read onely 2. And secondly as it preached or heard preached 1. For the first the Church in great wisdome alwayes thought it most convenient and necessary that reading should precede preaching that when it should be preached it might not seem strange to them that heard it But as that is thought a thing fit by the Church so would it be no lesse expedient that before we come to church we would meditate on it yet such is our wretchlessenesse in matters spiritual that we think we have done enough if we can apprehend it when it is read whereas if we would meditate on it before hand we might make the better 〈◊〉 of it when it is read and be the better confirmed in what we hear preached The Jews had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preparation to the sabbath and about the ninth houre of it which is our three of the clock in the after-noon they usually met and spent their time in reading of the scriptures that they might be the better fitted against the sabbath The publick reading of the word in the congregation on the sabbath day is warranted by diverse passages in holy writ as by that in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that when Paul and his company came into the synagogue at Antioch on the sabbath day the rulers of the Synagogue after the 〈◊〉 of the Law and the Prophets sent to them saying ye men and brethren if ye have any word of exhortation say on And by another passage in the same Chapter where it is said that the Prophets were read every sabbath day And by another a little after which saith thus that Moses that is the law was read in the Synagogue every sabbath day And lastly Saint Paul gives a special charge by the Lord to the Thessalonians thathis Epistle to them be read unto all the holy brethren There is a vse also of private reading and that of great consequence for Christ saith plainly that his witnesses be the Scriptures and therefore will he have them searched because they testified and prophecied of him That this exercise is profitable the prophet maketh plain by a question Should not a people enquire at their God which he explains in the next verse by seeking To the law and to the Testimony And again Seek in the book of the Law and read And therefore we see that the Bereans were much commended and storied for wiser and nobler 〈◊〉 other people why because they searched the Scriptures daily to confirm their faith in the points preached to them There are other vses also in reading In the Revelation there is a blessing pronounced to those that read or heare the words of that prophecy because it might excite men to praise God when they see all fulfilled Man seeing the prophecies fulfilled may thereby give him praise And for this cause there were anciently Monuments kept in Churches which preserved and set forth the accomplishing of Gods promises or threatnings As the memorials of the warres of God on the behalf of the Israelites which was called liber bellorum Dei the book of the battels of the Lord and their verba 〈◊〉 or Chronicl es of Nathan Gad Shemaiah c. these they permitted in a holy use to be privately read that seeing his promises and his threatning denounced in them to have been fulfilled men might the better be stirred up to the praise and fear of God 2. Another use was the understanding of hard places in the Scripture It is recorded of Daniel that while hs was reading the book of 〈◊〉 about the accomplishment of the number of the 70 years captivity mentioned by the same prophet God sent an Angel to him to informe him in that great 〈◊〉 about the time of Christs sufferings So the Eunuch while he was reading in the book of Esay had the exposition of Christs sufferings from the Apostle Philip sent for that purpose by God and because God doth not now by such extraordinary means informe us in the true sence of Scriptures therefore we are to read such as have written 〈◊〉 upon such places and so no doubt but if Philip had written any thing at that time upon Esay that the Eunuch would have read it and made use of
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
wife to her husband whom Saint Paul requires to submit or be subordinate to the husband in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Let them be subordinate to their own husbands 4. Because though there be a natural relation or conjunction between father and son yet there is a neerer between man and wife she was made of his rib and God hath commanded a man to leave father and mother and cleave to his wife therefore we shall give to this the first place And because as the Ethnick said well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must first learn when we are yong what we must practise when we become men therefore though we be not now in the state of marriage yet the knowledge of these duties may be useful to us for the future And before we speak of this combination between man and wife it will be needful first to consider the special ends of Conjugal society which are two The first concern God the other the parties themselves 1. The first is that 1. Seeing God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed every paterfamilias father of a family ought to ayme at this that his family may partake of this blessing And secondly that he do monstrare pietatem shew piety at home and labour to make his family godly this being the way to attain the end blessednes 2. The secondary ends which concern the parties themselves may be gathered from three words in Latine which the bond of wedlock is expressed by 1. Conjugium 2. Matrimonium 3. Nuptiae whereof two signifie what was before sinne came into the world and the last what did follow after sinne and in these ends are some mutual duties implied also which concerne both 1. The first is Conjugium which is the fellowship of one yoke when two draw one yoke together Hence it appears that mutuum auxilium The mutual help benefit and comfort which the one ought to have by society with the other is the first end of this conjunction that they might be better then if they were alone And therefore as you may see it was Gods purpose before copulation was mentioned to provide a Help for Adam And hence it is that the word maritare to marry or to joyn a woman to a man came to signifie the setting of vines to elmes or other trees to make them grow and thrive better Now we must not conceive that God in this first institution accounted solitude to be a sin for then there was no sin but because it was a lesse felicity a lesse blessed estate then society therefore he thought fit to make sociam a fellow to Adam and in that respect he saith it is not bonum not good for man to be alone as also having regard to the time when the world was yet empty whereas in these times when the world is so well filled and in some places over full society is not so needful In which respect the Apostle seems to set down the plain opposite conclusion to this Bonum est 〈◊〉 non tangere it is good for a man not to touch a woman which is to be understood in a diverse respect because of the present trouble of the Church which was then under persecution and not otherwise for in several respects that may be good at one time which is not at another for otherwise when sin entred there was more need of the help of society in regard of sin to be avoyded the imperfections of old age diseases and infirmities c. It was very convenient there should be a yoke fellow And therefore it is that God saith that a man should for sake father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall be one 〈◊〉 which shews the necessity as well as the neernes of this conjunction and hence the Prophet termes the wife a companion and wife of the covenant There is a league between them wherein they promise mutual help This conjunction and the indissolubility of it our Saviour mentioneth in one verse they are no more twain but one flesh what therefore God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Now if they ought to be helpful to one another in the things of this life we may hence argue a minori ad majus that matches ought not to be made with Idolaters and unbeleevers because they will be rather hindrances then helpers in the best things which concerne the soul and therefore the Apostle exhorts not to be unequally yoked with unbeleevers but to marry onely in the Lord not but that such marriages being made are valid for as the same Apostle saith the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the beleeving husband and the beleeving man may save his wife and so e contra and therefore the same Apostle saith that the beleeving husband ought not to put away the unbeleeving wife nor the beleeving wife to leave her unbeleeving husband but when they are free and at liberty to chuse they should avoyd such unequal yokes for multa fieri non debent quae facta valent many things ought not to be done which yet being done are not void or null but are valid and firme 2. The second is Matrimonium which imports another end of marriage viz that foemina fiat mater the woman may become a mother This was part of Gods institution before Adams fall for he saith Crescite multiplicamini be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the Creatures yet the end is not barely propagation as of other things to replenish the world but there was a higher end aymed at to wit the propagation of a holy seed for the enlarging of the Church that there might be semen sanctum and for this cause God made but one woman though he could have created more as the Prophet speaks by the plenty of spirit he could have made more helps then one but he made but one that he might raise up to himself a godly seed And this is one especial end of matrimony not to fill the world and therefore the Apostle speaking of the woman and shewing that sinne came into the world by her yet saith this shoud be a subordinate means to save her that she shall beare children which may be semen sanctum a holy seed and even that sanctification shall result to her benefit as an under means and so not onely the increase populi but populi sancti the enlarging of the Church is the second end 3. The last is nuptiae which imports something which came aster sin had entred into the world For S. Ambrose saith that nubo in the first signification hath no other sense but tegere to cover as it is plain in obnubo and the rest of its compounds or it denotes to us that there is aliquid tegendum celandum some what to be concealed and covered and there was some cause of shamefastnes when
societies we must first speak of those that govern and teach in schools and universities and of the honour due to them 1. That the first sort come within this Commandment appears out of that Chapter of the 2. of Kings where the sons of the Prophets call 〈◊〉 Master and that a Master should be a Father it is in the same Chapter confirmed for Elisha called Elijah My father my father c. The very like to which we finde among the Heathen who had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Physitians and the sons of the Physitians their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Philosophers and their sons of the Philosophers answerable to the Prophets and the sons of the Prophets And as Elisha a Prophet calls Elias father so 〈◊〉 a Prince brought up under Elisha calls Elisha father because of the benefit which comes by them to the Common-wealth as well as to the Church in which regard they are fathers to both and for that cause they have 〈◊〉 from both And therefore to justifie Colledge livings and their other endowments we finde the first fruits which belonged ordinarily to the Levites bestowd upon Elisha and the Prophets because they were beneficial to the Church which was their principal and first end and likewise that great presents and gifts were bestowed upon them by the civil Ruler because of the benefit to the Common-wealth in the second place as by Hazael sent by Benhadad king of Syria to the same Elisha And the principal scope of God in this was 1. That the Law as the Prophet speaks might be sealed among the disciples that so it might be kept among them sacred and inviolate though some among them sometimes by negligence of Rulers will set counterfeit seals upon it for as S. Peter speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlearned men sometimes pervert the law and among the learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unstable men that is floating shallow headed Scholars who are not grounded and setled though learn'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do pervert the law and break the seal against both these viz. men unleardned and floating unstable men God hath bound and sealed it up among grounded Scholars that it might not be perverted 2. And secondly that men hereby might be fitted for publick employment in the Church and Commonwealth The Scripture expresses it by carving and polishing 〈◊〉 per Prophetas I have carved them which is improperly translated I have hewen them by the Prophets as a piece of wood or stone is carved and polished by the hand of the Artificer For there is naturally in men caecitas cordis as the Apostle speaks the taking away whereof is a special part of this function the manner we may best see by Balaams speech who saith he was a man born clausis oculis blinde in understanding as all men are brutish in knowledge as the Proph. 〈◊〉 hath it but afterwards audiendo verbum by hearing the word he came to knowledge and so ad visionem to have his eyes a little opened and then he was 〈◊〉 oculatior somewhat better sighted And hereupon it was that they which were afterwards called Prophets were at first called Seers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speculantes seers in a glasse from which word Tsophim it is very probable the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise men came because such could see afar off and plainly it is said of some when they prophesied mutabantur in alium virum they were changed into other men as it is said of Saul when the spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied It makes a man wiser then when he was born and fit for church or Common-wealth For the institution of this we finde about the time when the law was given that God appointed not onely Moses but the seventy Elders to be placed about the Tabernacle to be taught by Moses for that is meant by taking of the spirit of Moses and putting it upon them and then they prophesied So that there was a kinde of Vniversitie about the Tabernacle for when one teacheth another the Jews call it a taking of the spirit and putting it on him And by the word Prophesie was not meant at first prediction or foretelling things to come onely for neither the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do 〈◊〉 signifie more then to teach and instruct or declare to others As it is in the Prophet I create the fruit of the lips peace that 〈◊〉 by having learning to bring peace For as he saith God gave him the tongue of the learned that he might know how to speak a word in season to the weary Esay 50. 4. And as the Wise man The mouth of the just shall prophesie that is shall bring forth wisdom for that other gift which was to foretell things to come was bestowed upon men afterwards to oppose the sorcerers sooth-sayers and Augurs c. among the Heathen and was extraordinary And it is plain by that of the Apostle that prophecie at the first was taken for teaching He that prophesyeth speaketh unto men to edification exhortation and comfort and if by prophesying were meant onely foretelling or prediction then we were in an ill case now having none that can foretel things to come seeing the Wise man saith Dempta prophetia perit populus where there is no prophecie the people perish And this it was which the Prophets did by their ordinary function viz. teach and instruct but when it pleased God to shew them things to come it was extraordinary When the Elders were thus placed about the Tabernacle the Levites and certain called Nazarites were added to them and of these two sorts consisted their Colledges when they came into the land of promise for before they were about the Tabernacle and therefore it is said of Josbua who was so good a student that no Prophet or Levite could compare with him and therefore having profited so well Moses at his death chose him for his Successor by Gods appointment That he departed not out of the Tabernacle Being come into the land of promise they sound a City well situated which was Kirjath-Sepher a city of books which Joshua that it might not be thought they came to their knowledg by the books of the Heathen but by divine assistance and studying the law of God called Debir which is 〈◊〉 When this city was not sufficient they had three other places Mizpeh Bethel and Gilgal As also Gibeah Elohim i. c. mons Dei 1 Sam. 10. where two things may be observed 1. That the land was called the land of Tsuph from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speculatores or Seers of which we spake before which the Thargum expousds to be Ramah Prophetarum And 2. that when Saul prophesied being not brought up in the schools of
in the choice of the sons of Zebedee he considered their fervent and hot disposition whereupon they were named sons of Thunder upon which Chrysostom observed that those whom Christ chose were like pretious stones which that skilful lapidary knew how to discerne and though they were then unpolisht yet by his instruction and discipline he polisht them afterwards So that we see disciples fit for those callings are not to be promiscuously taken but a choice must be made with judgement especially he that must be fit for the sacred calling must be unus inter mille one of a thousand As there must be a choice in the teacher so the duty lies upon him that offers himself to be taught if he know himself naturally unfit he ought not to offer himself for those high callings nor aspire to them when he is naturally fitted onely for inferiour employments The Prophet saith that though in his time many that were unfit would needs be Prophets yet in the times of the Gospel he foretells they should acknowledge their infirmities and say I am no prophet but an husbandman and therein have 〈◊〉 brought up from a youth intimating that such as were fitted and brought up for other callings should not seek to be prophets c. The wiseman asketh the question why fools should have a price in their hands to get wisdom seeing they have no heart to it It is but time and mony spent in vain And in another place he compareth a parable in a fooles mouth to a man with lame legges set him on his feet and he falleth down And as no doctrine will enter into him so nei her will any discipline work upon him for as he sheweth further if he be silver the fining if gold the fornace will do him good if there be any mettal in him he is like to prove well but if he be a fool or unfit bray him in a 〈◊〉 and it will be to no purpose And the prophet complaines of those that he had to do with they were 〈◊〉 or iron refuse mettal insomuch as he had burnt his bellowes and wearied his armes to no purpose Therefore Plato insists upon this that those that are to be trained up in learning must have gold in them or silver at least they must not be plumbeia ingenia leaden heavy wits And Esay asketh the question Quem docebit 〈◊〉 whom shall he teach knowledge It is not those that must be continually sucking that must have precept upon precept line upon line tell it now and tell'it again to morrow but such as are weaned and can take meale after meale and are apt to take instruction which is strong meate As the teacher then must examine the disposition of the schollers so the schollers must interrogare seipsos ask themselves whether they be able to uudertake this and if not to take another course of life It was the opinion of the fathers of the primitive Church that in making this choice of men in their schooles that were annexed to their principal Churches that a man ought rather to be too strict then too loose and their reason was It were 〈◊〉 that a wiseman should be in a calling without the Church then a foole within it better to spare the one then to take the other The neglect of this by taking into the Church all commers was the cause that as the Prophet complained the Sun was gone down upon their Prophets that they were stich ignorant sots Bardi such stupid blinde guids which caused the people to erre and brought such darknes into the Church that as the Prophets 〈◊〉 and Michab complained in their time before the captivity and destruction of the city The people perished because prophecy failed As the first and fundamental duty must be performed by making a fit choice so the particular vertues and qualifications which teachers must look to in their choice are three Solertia Docilitas diligentia The wiseman speaking of the Ant besides her industry saith that she hath a natural quality that without guide overseer or governour she provideth her meat in summer and in hearvest for winter and this is the first endowment Solertia naturalis a natural 〈◊〉 or ability of nature which ought to be in them that are intended to be leaders of others And this ability is by the active part of the understanding the intellectus agens whereby they are apt to dilate and enlarge what they heare and to work upon what they are taught and thereby become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to learn of themselves by improving those principles they have received from others This appeared in Saint Augustine Erasmus and others who in many things were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and without help of teachers in those things became excellent 2. Then they are to have possibilem intellectum ability to conceive what is taught which is that we call 〈◊〉 and is termed in holy writ cor latum a large heart such a one as God gave to king Solomon whereby the active part of the understanding by that Solertia we spake of may have matter to worke upon and to deduce one thing from another which was termed forecast in the duty of servants 3. To these the wiseman addeth a third they must instanter operari by working diligently and instantly Saint Paul by labouring more abundantly then the other Apostles became most fruitful to the church And where it pleaseth God to bestow this solertiam naturalem n. tural understanding and possibilitatem intellectus a large heart to conceive and lastly 〈◊〉 operari diligent working to sowe in the morning at noon and in the evening as the preacher speaks and never to let the hand rest there is hope of such persons that they may prove profitable instruments in the Church or Common-wealth and therefore such persons and so qualified are principally to be chosen Thus it must be presupposed that the choice is rightly made els difficultas 〈◊〉 argeet errorem 〈◊〉 anitio the hardnes in proceeding between Master and Scholler will argue that there was a fault in choosing at the first and then no instruction will amend it as in physick if there be a fault in the first concoction the second cannot help it 2. Now the choice being rightly made in the second place we come to the instruction it self of which we are to conceive that as we see in other things diverse things are effected by an exteriour agent as things artificial and some things must have interius principium a foundation within as things natural have their principle within them and in some things there must be both as in Physick For though in a body ill affected sometimes the strength of nature alone of it self is able to concoct the humour and make digestion and so many times it falleth out that some become extraordinarily learned without paines taking as 〈◊〉 yet in some bodies to
was a great part of our Saviours sufferings they had their fill in scorning him first the servants then 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 after him his souldiers then the High priests and all that went 〈◊〉 as we may read in the history of the Gospel and 〈◊〉 much for signes of anger in the countenance and tongue 3. After this in the third place as was shewen before comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the murther of the hand whereby the life or limmes of another are taken away wherein if many joyne it is a 〈◊〉 and such are called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumults in the common-wealth which if they proceed further are cald by 〈◊〉 seditions or rebellions whereby the civil body is 〈◊〉 and not onely that but the body of Christ the Church is also thereby 〈◊〉 and torne in pieces CHAP. VII Of the 〈◊〉 against anger How to prevent 〈◊〉 in others How in our selves Anger must be 1. Just in regard of the 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 3. We must labour for gravity 4. For love without 〈◊〉 The vertues opposite to 〈◊〉 anger 1. 〈◊〉 2. Charity In the first there is 1. The 〈◊〉 against anger which consists in three things 2. The remedy in three 〈◊〉 How charity prevents anger The fruit of charity 〈◊〉 1. To the dead by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the living And that first generally to all Secondly specially to the faithful Thirdly 〈◊〉 the poor by works of mercy Fourthly 〈◊〉 to our 〈◊〉 We come now to the meanes against anger TO prevent anger in others we must forbeare irritation or provocation Solemon speaks of some that will 〈◊〉 and be angry when no cause is given whom he condemnes and on the other side there are other to be condemned that give cause by irritating and provoking others as 〈◊〉 one of 〈◊〉 wives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they went up yearly to the house of the Lord and 〈◊〉 her with her 〈◊〉 whereby she continually 〈◊〉 her foul the wise man saith that as churning 〈◊〉 forth butter so is provocation the ordinary meanes of wrath Therefore he condemnes such as do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 im bitter the spirit of any We see by the example of 〈◊〉 the meekest man on earth 〈◊〉 it will work They 〈◊〉 him so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his lips take away provocations and anger will 〈◊〉 The badge of an 〈◊〉 man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stir up or provoke men to strife as we may see in diverse places of the proverbs 1. To prevent unjust anger in our selves there are divers 〈◊〉 to be laboured for 1. Just anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indignation or anger 〈◊〉 on a just cause for onely unjust anger is here condemned just anger is a vertue commanded Beangry saith the Apostle and sin not so that there is a lawful anger 〈◊〉 it be without sinne as in a superiour towards those that are under him and deserve punishment there may be magnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Solomon speaks which is a fruit of justice Our Saviour forbids anger 〈◊〉 when it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a cause for otherwise when there was cause he calls his disciples after his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fools and the Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolish 〈◊〉 and the fathers upon Luke 10. 40. say of those 〈◊〉 those many things that 〈◊〉 was troubled withal this was one the untowardnes of the servants of the house 2. As our anger must be just in respect of the cause so for the measure it must be moderated that it 〈◊〉 not when there is just cause and to this end that vertue of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is requisite for it moderates anger both towards those that are under us and all others we converse with so that al are the better for it It beginneth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humblenes of minde therefore the Apostle begins with humblenes and when he exhorts to meeknes he 〈◊〉 humblenes before it with all 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of minde 〈◊〉 c. These vertues and others of like nature he frequently exhorts to and where he mentions one of them he lightly sets down all the rest which belong to this commandment as we may see by inspection of the places 3. A third vertue is gravity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle exhorts to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things are grave or venerable This is a special vertue and therefore he puts in the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are venerable and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are just pure or lovely c But of this more hereafter because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a vertue specially belonging to the last commandment 4. A fourth vertue is mentioned by Saint James when he tells us that the wisdom which is from above is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without hypocrisie and by saint Paul when he saith let love be without dissimulation our love must not have a shew of love zeale c. and be frozen in effect as Absoloms courtesie which was not hearty but affected and that of the Pharisees to Christ who made a fair shew and calld him Rabbi and said that he was a man sent from God and taught the truth without respect of persons but all this was affected and hypocritical so had 〈◊〉 so had 〈◊〉 so had the devil take them together their 〈◊〉 the devil told the woman very honestly he was sorry God had dealt so hardly with them as to forbid them the tree of knowledge c. As if he had been greatly moved with their condition but it was affected and when this affecting is saith Solomon he will meet you early in the morning and salute and blesse you but I had as leive saith he he should curse me And thus much for unjust wrath and the means against it Besides these there are two other vertues opposite to unjust wrath 1. Innocency 2. Charity 1. Innocency takes order that we hurt no body And 2. Charity takes order to do them all the good we can both for soul and body The first hath two parts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The preservative or the 〈◊〉 and the sanative or the medicine The first consists in three things 1. In Avoyding of offences endeavouring to have peace with all men as much as in us lies and not to think evil or carry our selves unseemly towards any as the Apostle exhorts 2. Not onely this but also in looking back and when any evil is done to us to take it in the best sence The Apostle speaks of a good and right interpretation of things as they are meant we must beleeve well interpret all in the best and so leave no place for suspicion
publica infamia nor ex semiplena probatione upon publick fame nor upon probable grounds but were to make him accuse himself in such cases a man may not answer And again in some 〈◊〉 if there be two things in the accusation and both true he may answer to the one and occultare partem veritatis hide or conceal the other part as S. Paul did when he was accused for perceiving that part were Sadduces who denyed the resurrection and part 〈◊〉 who held the resurrection he cryed out that he was a 〈◊〉 and held the resurrection and for that was questioned which was true for that was one thing for which he was called in question but it was not that alone So if a man have diverse wayes to defend himself he may choose which he will as he that hath diverse weapons may use which he will for his own defence But if according to due form of Law he be proceeded against he must answer as Achan did when Joshua urged him to confesse the truth 2. Whereas the benefit of appeal is granted for a remedy of those that are oppressed if any shall use appeals meerly to protract the cause and avoid a just sentence this is a second fault in the Defendant for this is to delay 〈◊〉 contrary to Jethro's advise who would not have people wait long for justice but to be dispatcht that they might go home to their place in peace 1. The Defendant offends if when sentence is given he do not submit to it for Qui resistit Dei ordinationi resistit he that resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God 5. For the witnesse he may likewise 〈◊〉 guilty diverse wayes 1. If being lawfully required by a Superiour demanding his testimony and asking him nothing that is 〈◊〉 to the matter in question if he do not declare all that he knows for the Law is 〈◊〉 that a witnesse if he 〈◊〉 not utter 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 seen and known shall bear his 〈◊〉 2. Though one be not required by a Superiour yet if it be to 〈◊〉 an Innocent man in danger he is bound to bear witnesse and he 〈◊〉 if he be silent Solomon makes it no small sin not to give testimony for the preservation of an innocent person If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn to death and those that are ready to be slain if thou 〈◊〉 behold I knew it not doth not he that 〈◊〉 the heart consider and shall not be render to every one according to his works But out of these cases if one not be called to witnesse by a Superiour or if an innocent person be not 〈◊〉 by his silence and if he be not examined about other things which belong not to the matter in question he is not 〈◊〉 to answer 3. Besides these Solomon intimates another way whereby a witnesse may offend when he bears false witnesse to deliver the wicked for though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hand yet shall not the wicked escape unpunished The Greeks have a Proverb Da 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jusjurandum lend me an oath This lending an oath is that which Solomon calls a joyning of hand in hand and he saith plainly that though they may escape the hands of men yet shall they not escape unpunished that is God will be sure to punish them 6. Sixtly and lastly for the Advocate he may offend two wayes 1. If he undertake an evil cause knowing it so to be This is a great sin God saith having first prohibited any to raise a false report Put not thy hand unto the wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse now he that pleads 〈◊〉 a bad cause puts his hand to the wicked And in the third verse it s added Thou shalt not countenance a poor man in his cause viz. if his cause be bad If a man might plead for any in a bad cause surely it might be for a poor man but even for a poor man he must not Jehu said to Jehosaphat Wilt thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord. And the Apostle saith that not onely the doers of evil things are worthy of death but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that take pleasure in them or consent to them such are they that plead for them they give their placet as we use to do at congregations in the Universitie Greeks used the same words and gave their suffrages by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it pleaseth me and therefore whosoever pleads for the wicked cryes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am pleased with it he helps him and is partaker of his sin with him 2. Another way is by the Wise man when a man for defence of a cause in difference though it be good perverts the Law or receives a bribe The wicked 〈◊〉 he takes a gift out of the bosome to wrest the wayes of judgement As it is evil to joyn with the wicked to help an evil cause for he that saith to the wicked thou art just him shall the people curse so to bolster any cause by wrong means and thereby to pervert the course of judgement is wicked And because judgement is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the bench but also in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the place of consultation therefore false witnesse or testimony must not be given in elections or in choice of men to places or preferments for there ought to be justice and truth in both and he that gives his voice for one unworthy bears false witnesse and goes against justice and truth 〈◊〉 justice as the Philosopher defines it well is rectitudo in affectu impressa a recta ratione a rectitude stamped upon the affections by right reason and as electio dicit excellentiam so excellentia dicit magis aut plus as Election or choyce imports excellency in the party elected so excellency imports the best or most eminent now that in our choyce the best is alwayes to be chosen is the second rule in moral Philosophy which he that follows not goes against the truth and so justice is broken CHAP. IIII. Of false witnessing out of judgement Four things to which the tongue may do harme The branches of this kinde of false witnessing 1. Contumelious speaking 2. Taunting 3. Backbiting Which is 1. By words 2. By letters 3. By deeds 4. In all these a man may be a false witnesse 〈◊〉 he speak the truth AND thus we have done with false testimony given in judgement Now for that which is out of judgement When a man is out of judgement he is not to say with those in the Psalm Ego sum Dominus linguae meae my tongue is my own I may speak what I will for nemo est Dominus sui nisi ad licita no man is Lord of his own further then to imploy it for a lawful use Solomon hath a strange speech Be not a witnesse against thy 〈◊〉 without cause
their churches should be as rich as themselves To this purpose there is extant an Epistle in the second counsel of Nice of a noble man of Syria to one Nilus This great man had built a Church for the Christians and not content that it should remain onely with white walls determined to have all Gods creatures painted upon them and acquainting Nilus with his intent was perswaded by him to content himself with the simplenesse of the Christian Churches in other places but if he would needs have it painted I think saith he it were best to paint the story of the Bible for that will be more seemly and better then the pictures of birds and beasts c. So that one occasion was that in those times by reason of their wealth they desired to please their eyes 2. The other cause may be the idlenesse absence or ignorance of their Pastors as it is said in the same place of Paulinus Bishop of Nola in Campania who having occasion to travail into Syria and Egypt and having none to preach to his people till his return he thought good because he would have something to teach them in his absence to paint the whole story of the Bible on the walls of his Church so that their preachers were none other but painted walls But this is no way to be commended in him and the 〈◊〉 proved accordingly For it fell out that forwant of better teachers the people became ignorant and because their Pastors became but dumb Images therefore dumb Images became their Pastors And thus much for the four occasions of introducing Images This Commandment was divided in the beginning into 1. a Charge 2. and a Penalty The charge was two fold 1. Non facies thou shalt not make The manner must be of Gods prescribing 2. Non adorabis Thou shalt not worship That 's our behaviour In the first there is a restraint as well of the Exemplum or Sampler in these words sculptile or Imago as of the Exemplar the Pattern in these words In things above in the earth beneath or in the waters c. 1. The Example was of two sorts 1. Either particular and at that time most usual as Sculptile a graven Image and yet so as whatsoever else is of the same kinde whether fusile ductile or conflatile there were words in the Law to reach every one of them which was the cause that God so enlarged himself by thirteen words 2. Or secondly to remove all occasion of quarrelling God did expresse his meaning by the word or common name Temunah or Col-temunah all likenesse or similitude whatsoever which condemneth the Metaphysicall notions abstracted from all matter and in the matter all kinde of similitudes either Images Idols true or phantasticall are comprehended under the word Temunah as Arias Montanus and Pagnine testifie And for further exposition of this there was added the glosse of Moses and Christ one out of Deuteronomy and the other out of Saint John concerning the general restraint of this with diverse other reasons 2. Now for the Exemplar or pattern we shewed that the prohibition was necessary because there 's nothing but the brain of man had abused it to the dishonour of God as appeared in diverse things which men worshipped in Heaven in Earth and in the Waters Thence we came to the particular question about Images wherein we handled three points 1. what might be alledged out of the Scripture for them 2. Secondly what reasons there were for them 3. and lastly by what means and upon what occasions they were brought into the Church 1. For the first In the Rhemish Testament they can finde no one place in the New Testament for them but one and that in the Hebrews that over the Ark were the Cherubims and that is taken out of the Old Testament So that they must needs confesse there be none in the New And in the Old this of the Cherubims and that of the fiery Serpent is all they can shew for it Unto both which our answer may be as before and especially that which Tertullian hath that this is general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not make any similitude They are priviledges and prerogatives which belong onely to God which we may do as well as the Israelites if we have the like command with them Generi per speciem non derogatur the species can derogate nothing from the genus If they can shew any prescript or command for worshipping of Images let them worship them Again the ends of both those examples were otherwise then theirs for the end of the Cherubim was not to represent God but onely to be in a place of the Tabernacle from whence God would give all his answers And the Brazen Serpent the end of it was to heal those which were stung with fiery serpents therefore these two places make nothing for the worshipping of Images Besides we see that when the brazen serpent began to be abused how Hezekiah dealt with it He brake in pieces the brazen serpent which Moses had made saith the text which sheweth plainly what little affinity it had with the Commandement And so had the Cherubims been used if they had been abused by the people but God had taken order for that for none could come unto them but the High Priest and he but once a year 2. For the Reasons they were said to be 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the affection of sense which was not onely in the Israelites but in the Apostles and in Moses himself I beseech thee saith he to God shew me thy glory but he obtained nothing but the sight of his back parts But this carnality is condemned by the Apostle not onely in respect of the people of God whom this affection caused to draw all thinges to Idolatry but even of the Heathen also S. Augustine saith that Varro observed many inconveniences in religion to arise by bringing in of Images and his reason was Deos facile posse in simulachrorum stoliditate contemni the gods might soon grow into contempt by the foolishnesse of Images We Likewise shewed that nimium too much was a broad way to superstition and that it was a vain assertion of theirs that there can be no nimium in religione no superfluity in religion Against which opinion S. Augustine opposeth and saith That we may as well bring a rock into the Church as other resemblances because that did represent Christ too 3. The last was by what means and occasions when and by whom Images were introduced into the Church This we shewed out of Irenaeus the Images of Christ and the Apostles by the Gnostiques the image of the Virgin Mary out of Epiphanius by the Collyridians The occasions were four 1. The policy of the Hereticks to make the Heathen more favourable and inclinable to them 2. Extraordinary grief for friends departed 3. The wealth of the Church 4. The idlenesse of
the Ministers These were said to be the causes of Images So much for the recapitulation CHAP. III. What the Romanists alledge out of the Fathers ancient Liturgies and Councels for Images Add. 13. Of S. Chrysostomes Liturgy Add. 14. Of the second Nicene Council The words mistaken in the capitular of Charls the great and in the Synod of Franckford and Paris Testimonies of the Fathers against Images NOw for the more full handling of this Question let us see what can be said further for Images out of the ancient Fathers and Councils Their Fathers are either true or counterfeit Their true Fathers are S. Basile and Eusebius only And that saying of Basile which deceived Aquinas and the Schoolmen is this That the honor due to the Abstract redoundeth to the Pattern and this speech Aquinas urgeth for honour to be done to Images But he speaketh there of this Conclusion that Christ is to be worshipped equally with the Father out of the Hebrews where Christ is called Character substantiae Patris the expresse Image of the Father and such an Image we acknowledge must be honoured and if they can shew us such another Image among theirs as Christ was of the Father we will accept of it and worship it The second that is urged is Eusebius in his 〈◊〉 to Paulinus Bishop of Tyre and in his Epistle to Constantia the 〈◊〉 set down in the second Council of Ephesus where he speaks of an Image of Christ set up by some of the Gentiles for the cure he wrought upon the Syrophoenician woman which maketh little for them for what reason is it to say That the Gentiles did honour Christ so therefore Christians ought to do the same besides it is plain that Eusebius was no Patron of Images through all his writings 1. Their counterfeit Fathers are 〈◊〉 Damasus and Chrysostome Out of Athanasius in a certain absurd book not his own but one that goes under his name they tell of a Crucifix that wrought miracles now it is easy to be known whether this book were his or not to any that shall read it nay at at the reading of one of the first periods he will say that it is so far from being made by Athanasius as that it was not written by any man of common sense 2. Such another is that of 〈◊〉 in his Pentificale in the life of Silvester There is no more to be said of this but Noveris oderis know them and you will never like them Read the Treatises themselves 3. Concerning Chrysostomes Liturgie Jewel observes in one passage An Emperor is prayed for by name that lived 600 years and moe after the death of Chrysostome for they prayed for Alexius the Emperor and Empresse who lived anno 1180 whereas Chrysostome died in the last year of the Emperor Arcadius which was anno 408. This shews that some things have been added to Chrysostomes 〈◊〉 in after times and that therefore this as all the other ancient Liturgies have been altered since their first composing but to deny the substance of it to be Chrysostomes is contrary to the testimony and practise of all the Greek Church and therefore was never intended by this learned Author who was a great honourer of Antiquity They have but one Council for them which is the second Nicene Council the gatherer whereof was Irene the Empresse She was a heathen borne daughter to an Emperour of Tartary nouzled up in Paganisme from her birth and afterwards matching with Leo the fourth Father to Constantine the Emperour she was converted and after the Emperour Leo's death in the minority of her son ruled with him and called this Council Constantine at the first seemed not to oppose her but after when he came to some understanding he refused to admit of Images but she being too potent for him cast him in prison and put out both his eyes whereby you may see that she was a woman without natural affection The chief men at this Council were Tarasius Patriarch of Constantinople and John Legate of the East Churches The first had bin a Lay man and a Courtier all his life till a year before the Council called and as he confest of himself never intended matter of religion till a yeer before and sor John we need no other witnesse for him but the testimony of the Patriarch of Antioch who sent him to the Council which was that he was a good devout man but of no great learning The like may be said of Theodosius and Constantine who ruled the Council and it may be truely averred that in any one Council there were never such a sort of simple men in respect of their gifts nor more evil disposed in regard of their boldnesse and attempts presuming above their gifts There is not in all Durands rationale scripturae worse alledged nor more fabulous narrations in the Legend then in this second Council of Nice There may be gathered out of it ten absurd conclusions and that which maketh up all there were in it such errours as they themselves could not defend In the fifth Action there is this conclusion That Angels have bodily substances and in another that Christ was born in the five thousand and first year of the world in another that Honorius the Pope was a Monothelite and therefore an Anathema denounced against him for which the Romanists cry out that the Council was corrupt in all those places Lastly the Council is ranker on their side and sayes more then they would Non sunt duae adorationes sed una eadem adoratur prototypus Idolum the adorations of Idols and prototypes are not two but one adoration And a worse then this Idem Imaginibus honor debetur qui beatae Trinitati the same honour is due to Images as is to the bles sed Trinity It is true the words of the Council are so recited in capitulam Caroli magni lib. 3. cap. 17. and that the Synods of Frankford and Paris thereupon condemned that opinion and that justly if they had held it but it is as true that they were deceived by a false translation of the Acts of the second Nicene Council into Latine wherein the words were so rendred when as indeed the words are as appears in the Greek Actione tertia Synodi suscipiens cum honore amplectans sanctas venerabiles imagines adorationem vero latriae soli superstantiali ac vivificae Trinitati defero which words are directly contrary to what was charged upon them by those Synods Now what may be said on our parts is this 1. First Aelius Lampridius a Heathen Historian reports that the Emperour Adrian in his affection to the Christians built a Temple for them according to the manner of the Romane Temples which was bare without ornaments having a roof to defend them from the injury of the weather onely which notwithstanding was afterward denyed to them by the Senate and grew into such contempt among the Heathen that