Thirdly there are some that extend this Vse 3 Law to all the Iewes in generall as if they were all forbidden to take a wife any where saue in theyr owne tribe But if wee marke the words of the Law we shall finde that they are not to be vnderstood of men but onely of women and not of all women neyther but of such as are heyres and receiue a possession for want of issue male These might not marry out of theyr tribe but others which had none inheritance were left free to marry where they pleased whether in theyr tribe or out of theyr tribe because this is rendred as a reason of the Law that the inheritance might not remoue from one tribe to another verse 9. It was lawfull for them to take a wife of the nations round about them that was not of the seed of Abraham when there was no danger by a contrary religion as appeareth by many examples Mathew 1 3 5 so was it permitted to them to make choyce of a wife out of another tribe that was not to inherite her fathers possession And this was neyther forbidden in the Law nor yet obserued by the Iewes To marry in their owne tribe was neither forbidden nor obserued Exod. 6 23. The Law did not restrayne theyr marriage because it medleth onely with those that were heyres and forbiddeth the possessions of the tribes to be confounded and mingled together If then the Law did not abridge them wee may well suppose and presume that they did not obserue it For not to speake of former examples Moses married not a wife of his owne tribe neyther of any tribe but a Cushite that is one of the Midianites which inhabited Arabia of which see before chapt 12. Aaron also his brother married Elisabet she was the daughter of Aminadab and the sister of Naasson which was of the tribe of Iudah Numb 1 7 and 7 12 Ruth 4 20. So Iosabeah the daughter of the king Iehoram of the tribe of Iudah was married to Iehoiada the high Priest 2 Chron 22 11. Elizabeth the wife of Zachariah the Priest the father of Iohn Baptist was of the daughters of Aaron Luke 1.5 and was the cousin of Mary Luke 1 36 but it is certaine and without all controuersie that Mary was of the tribe of Iudah Luke 5. But it will be obiected Obiection that the Leuites being dispersed among the other Tribes had a dispensation from the former Law and therefore they might marry wiues of diuerse tribes from themselues but it was otherwise with the rest Answ I answer first it is vaine to distinguish against the Law where the law doth not distinguish if then they had any priuiledge let them bring forth the charter and shew their euidence or else we cannot beleeue them Againe albeit the Leuites were scattered heere and there yet many of them dwelt together and there were whole Cities in a maner of the Priests 1 Sam. 22 19. and therefore if they had pleased or had thought themselues charged in this case they might haue hadde choise of wiues of their owne tribe Lastly this was no better obserued by other Tribes then by the Leuites For Dauid of the tribe of Iudah married Michal the daughter of Saul who was of the tribe of Beniamin 1 Sam. 18 20 27. 9 1. Likewise the eleuen tribes hauing in a manner destroyed the Beniamites in a battell professe among themselues that they might not giue them of their daughters beecause they had sworne Cursed be he that giueth a wife to Beniamin Iudges 21 18. declaring thereby that they were not restrained by any law but by their oath and to what end did they make such an oath if they had beene before forbidden by the law of God without their oath Many such like examples might bee brought foorth to shew that this Lawe did not simply restraine the marrying in other Tribes Vse 4 Fourthly from hence we may conclude an argument against the vulgar edition of the Scripture which in this place doth manifestly corrupt the text and bringeth into manifest error for it readeth the text thus All men shall marry wiues of their owne tribe and kindred The Latine translation false all women shall take them husbands of the same tribe both the which beeing generally taken may well be taken for vntruths Whereas the originall neuer speaketh of men marrying out of their tribes neyther of all men generally but of those onely that are theyr fathers heyres Bellarmine that must help at a dead lift De verbo Dei lib. 2 c. 12 answereth That these two are all one and doe not differ which argueth an hard forehead rather then a sound answer for hee blusheth not to affirme any thing when he is put to his shifts We cannot therefore receiue that interpretation for authenticke and canonicall which is directly repugnant vnto the doctrine of the Scripture and the continuall practise of the Iewes And as for those that would haue the Hebrew text amended by the Latine translation it is no better then to goe about to bee madde with reason For where the truth is there can be no error and where no errour is what need any correction To conclude this point Paul de Sancta Maria et iscop Burgensis in addit ad cap 36 Numb I will oppose the testimony and iudgement of Paul de Sancta Maria a great byshop and sometimes Chancellor vnto the King of Castile directly against Bellarmine one Papist against another whose words are these In this precept our translation swarueth very much from the Hebrew verity c and the reason of the Law beareth witnesse to the trueth of the Hebrew for this was the end thereof that the diuision of inheritances that was to be made might remain perpetually amongst the Tribes so that nothing of the land which fell to bee in the lot of the Tribe of Iudah might returne at any time to the lotte of Beniamin and so of the rest Therefore the Law was giuen of those onely which did succeed in their fathers inheritance that the Tribes should not bee shuffled or mingled together because thereby the inheritance would passe from one tribe to another which was against the ordinance of God but other women which had brethren and consequently did not succeede in the inheritance of their father were not forbidden by this Law but that they might marry with whom they would of any other tribe because it appeareth euidently that from hence would not follow the confusion of the lots Neither do we reade of any dispensation that the Tribes of Leui and Iudah had to ioyne in marriage one with another for there needed no dispensation where was no prohibition c. This testimony is cited by Drusius Lastly obserue touching the Iewish inheritances Vse 5 that at the yeare of Iubile the inheritance solde or morgaged returned agayne to the owner as we may reade Leuit. chapter 25 verses 8.9 This fell out euery fiftieth
had the brest-plate and an Ephod of gold Sigon de rep Hebr. lib. 5. cap. 3. Eucherio which is to be noted because the rest of the Priests did sometimes weare a linned Ephod They might haue no blemish or deformity Leuit. 21 18. They might drink no wine nor strong drinke when they were to enter into the Sanctuary Leuit. 10 9. They might not defile themselues by the dead nor come nigh any that was dead except it were their father or mother sonne or daughter or sister vnmarried Leuit. 21 1. They might not shaue their heads nor beards nor cutte their flesh they might marry no harlot nor woman diuorced Leuit. 21 5 7. The first that were consecrated to this office were Aarons sons Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar From Eleazar in Dauids time who established an exact order among them were issued 16 families 1 Chron. 24 4 and from Ithamar eight that is from them both 24 families These he sorted and separated into foure and twenty classes or courses named each of them after the name of him who was the chiefe of each family and concerning the ordering of them and setting one before another to auoide contention they cast lots All of them could not attend euery day without confusion and disorder they must haue intermission and times of vacation so that one course performed the seruice one weeke and another course another weeke Hence it is that it is saide in the booke of Chronicles 2 Chron. 23 8 that Iehoiada the Priest dismissed not the courses that is he sent not away the troopes and companies of the Priests that attended the seruice of the Temple when their time of waiting was expired so that according to the order appointed they should haue departed and the next course haue succeeded because hee meant to make good vse of them in the deposing of wicked vsurping Athalia and in the establishing of the royal throne of Ioash the lawfull King of Iudah This also appeareth in part in the new Testament Luk. 1 8 9. It came to passe that Zachariah of the course of Abia executed the Priests Office according to the custome of the Priests c. Thus much touching the Priests Office who were Aaron and his sonnes whom God chose out of al the families of the Tribe of Leui to minister before him It remaineth to consider Of the Leuites how the rest or residue of that Tribe were imployed They were not to be idle but to serue also first in the Tabernacle which Moses erected and afterward in the Temple which Salomon builded When these grew vp and encreased in great number they were sorted by Dauid for orders sake into foure rankes Sigon de 〈◊〉 Heb. lib. 5. â— 4 5 6 7. Some were appointed to bee Ministers of the Priests and Temple some to be singers some to be porters and others Scribes and Iudges Touching the first specially called Leuites that attended the seruice of the Sanctuary their Offices were to carry the Tabernacle and the Arke of the Couenant in the remoues of the people vntill God according to his promise fixed and setled them in one certaine place whither the Tribes should resort and then they were to take care of them and the vessels appointed to be vsed in the seruice of GOD. Vnto these offices in latter times were added the flaying of the beasts that were to be offered as 2 Chron. 35 10 11. Touching the second ranke to witte the sweete singers of the songs of Sion we reade in the first booke of the Chronicles chap. 25. 1 Chron. â—â— they were to sing prophesies with harpes with viols and with cymbals Touching the Porters which were the third ranke they were appointed to see that no vncircumcised no polluted or prophane person should enter into the house of the Lord 1 Chron. 26 and to guard the same in such sort that all things therein might bee in safety as the sacred vessels the treasure of the house and the treasure of the dedicated things Touching the Scribes which are the last ranke they were such as read the Scriptures and expounded the Law of God in the Temple at Ierusalem and in the Synagogues that were in all parts of the Land who were also called Doctours that is Interpretors of the Law of God All which we may reade at large in a learned Treatise of the Church Lib. 5. Cap. 5 6. D Field of tâ— Church lib. 5. cap. 6. Hauing thus breefely considered the distinct offices of such as were set apart to the Ministery among the people of GOD who made his Couenant with Leui of life and peace Mal. 2 4 5. let vs now returne to the words of Moses and proceede to the second part of the Preface which is the presentation of the Leuites before Aaron to bee as his hands and helpers that they might minister vnto him Wherein we are to obserue two points first the commandement of God to Moses and secondly the reason of the commandement For touching the execution of it by Moses according to the commandement of God which is in other places most vsually added is in this place omitted but must be supplied and vnderstood from that which followeth for when once the Leuites were offered and presented then presently hee proceeded to the numbring of them so that his obedience in this respect is sufficiently iustified Touching the commandement of God directed vnto him we are to marke these seuerall points and of them the Author is GOD for in diuine matters nothing must be attempted without commandement from him hee must warrant theÌ„ or else they are not to be allowed First the substance of the commandement verse 6 7 8. The Leuites are giuen to Aaron the Priest that they may minister vnto him and that they may doe the seruice of the Tabernacle and that they may keepe the instruments or vessels thereof Secondly the order that Aaron and the Priests should be superiour vnto them and be as Ouerseers of them prouiding that no stranger should thrust himselfe into this calling contrary to the ordinance and appointment of God Heb. 5 verse 4. No man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron so that he excluded from the ministery of the tabernacle al other that were not Leuites â— 7 13. of the other Tribes no man gaue attendance at the Altar they were strangers from the Priesthood and the Priesthood from them Not as though in the new Testament there should be one onely family separated to which the administration of holy things should belong For after Christ was ascended â—bac in â—â—b cap. 3. and had led captiuity captiue the distinction of Tribes and families was taken away in regard of the functions of the Church so that the Ministers may bee ordained and called out of any estate degree whatsoeuer being furnished with sufficient gifts for that purpose Thus much of the commandement
more to the heaps of their other wickednesse Sixtly theyr estate or ability what theyr lands or liuings bee what goods and substance they haue where their dwelling and abode is whether they haue any thing to lose and bee able to make satisfaction if happely they be found tainted For beggers and bankrout strangers and straglers vnknowne and vntryed may soone bee brought to lift at an oth for a little money and for hope of gain and the party grieued and abused by theyr falsehood and forgery shall purchase theyr eares when they are in the pillery at a deare rate if he list to sue at the Law for them Lastly theyr faith or religon is of speciall consideration because that is the bond of all good order If they feare God and regard theyr conscience there is no feare of them we need make no scruple of conscience to allow of them For infidels Turkes heretiques or vnbeleeuers make little account to renounce sell Christ and the Christian faith which they doe not beleeue fot a small gaine and aduantage Neuerthelesse the Gentiles themselues did put such religion in othes if they had sworne solemnely by their false gods that they feared vengeance to fall vpon them Iuuen. satyr 8. if they did breake them Thus wee haue seene what witnesses ought to bee now let vs see how they offend when they are such as they ought not to be For no man must thinke it a small offence to wrest iudgment and to be a false witnes A false witnes offendeth sixe wayes inasmuch as they offend against God against the truth against the Iudge against the person accused against the commonwealth and against themselues First of all they sinne against GOD himselfe who is the Author of truth and the President of iudgment seates for they feare not to lye shamelesly to his face and to pollute and defile his Tribunall they despise and contemne his Law and call vpon him to be a witnesse of falsehood Secondly they do offend against the truth which is that onely light wherein the knowledge of things consisteth this they go about to darken with theyr lyes and to hide it from the sight of men as they that couer a candle vnder a bushell or like to theeues that cannot abide the light but put it out that neyther they nor their doings may be espied Thirdly they transgresse against the Iudge who pronounceth sentence according to the words of the witnesses and maketh their depositions as a rule to guide and direct him It is a common thing for the Iudge to erre and to go astray Phil. Bosquieri theatrum patie p. 280 being seduced and deceiued by their falsehood pronouncing with his mouth sealing with his hand and striking with his sword otherwise then it ought to be who ought to be the instrument the oracle and the interpreter of God Fourthly against such as are accused and brought to iudgment whether they be guilty or not guilty If they be guilty and bee acquitted and discharged by them they free them from punishment which might bee a good meanes to doe them good when they should receiue according to their deserts and besides they encourage them in euill because to escape without punishment inflameth them with a desire to continue in euill If they bee not guilty they are wronged and oppressed by their false testimonie eyther in their life or in their goods or in their name or in such like earthly blessings Wilh Zepper de leg Mosaic lib. 5 cap. 7. For whatsoeuer is taken from the condemned person by sentence of the Iudge is all done by the fault of the false witnesse If life be taken from him he is the murtherer if he lose any of his goods hee is the theefe if his good name be impaired he is the slanderer Fiftly against the common-wealth because the end of iudgments and of the courts of iustice is not attayned to wit the peace and tranquillity of the people For wherefore serue so many places and seates of iudgment but that wee should leade a peaceable and a quiet life The end of warre is said to be peace so the end of suites is that we should not sue Now this great and precious iewell of peace is wronged and wrested when the Iudge following the rule of the witnesses and iudging according to things alledged and proued doth condemne the innocent and absolue the guilty person For as hee is iniurious against my body that cutteth off a sound arme or leg so is he against the citty which casteth way a good and profitable citizen Again as he is hurtfull to my body that doth not cut off a rotten member or perswade the Surgeon to cut it or to burne it when need requireth because the sound members that remain are endangered thereby so likewise he that moueth or perswadeth the Iudge to acquit a guilty person who is no better to the common-wealth then a rotten member is to the body is an enemy to the state and iniurious to the body politicke Lastly against himselfe False witnesses doe hurt themselues most of all because he depriueth himselfe of all blessings belonging to soule and body The Lord professeth himselfe to bee a sharpe and speedy Iudge against those that sweare falsely Zach. 5 4. Mal. 3.5 Hence it is that Salomon sayth A false witnes shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh lyes shall not escape Prou. 19 5.9 and chapt 25 18 A man that beareth false witnes against his neighbour is a maule and a sword and a sharpe arrow to wit not onely toward his brother but striking piercing wounding and hurting himselfe It is the part of an enuious person to pull out both his owne eyes to put out one of his neighbours but such are all false witnesses they annoy themselues in soule and body that they may hurt the body onely of their brother So then a false witnes doth hurt himselfe more then he doth another or can do He may by his false testimony take away his goods or his life or his name and this is all when in the meane season he destroyeth and damneth his owne soule and casteth it into hel fire there to be tormented with the diuell and his angels CHAP. XXXVI 1 ANd the chiefe fathers of the families of the children of Gilead the sonne of Machir the sonne of Manasseh of the families of the sonnes of Ioseph came neere and spake before Moses and before the Princes the chiefe fathers of the children of Israel 2 And they said The Lord commanded my Lord to giue the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel and my Lord was commanded by the Lord to giue the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother vnto his daughters 3 And if they be married to any of the sonnes of the other tribes of the children of Israel then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe
whereunto they are receiued so shall it bee taken from the lot of our inheritance 4 And when the Iubile of the children of Israel shall be then shall their inheritance be put vnto the inheritance of the Tribe whereunto they are receiued so shall their inheritance bee taken away from the inheritance of the tribes of our fathers WHereas Moses had spoken before of the diuiding of the inheritance in generall among the tribes in this place a certaine speciall case is propounded by the Manassites touching the right of inheritance before assigned to the daughters of Zelophehad to wit how prouision might bee made that the same portion might remaine in that tribe and not be conueyed or translated to some of the other tribes For they propound these 2 as repugnant one to the other the right of succession which these women had obtayned and the priuiledge of the yeare of Iubile which they thought was weakened by this meanes if happely these maydes should marry to any other husbands then men of their owne tribe neyther did they know how to cleare this doubt But Moses instructed of God setteth downe a Law that inheritance should not passe from tribe to tribe and that such as were inheritrixes might not marry any of other tribes but among their owne onely which was carefully obserued by these women This is the summe of this chapter wherewith the whole booke is concluded In this obserue three points The contents of this chapt first the question of the Manassites secondly the resolution of Moses thirdly the marriage of the daughters of Zelophehad Touching the first it is handled in these foure verses The question was moued by the chiefe heads of the tribe of Manasseh how the inheritance might rest without a manifest detriment to their tribe For if they should marry in another tribe it was as much as to cut off an arme from the body And by this meanes it might come to passe in processe of time that the chiefe portion assigned to one tribe might be possessed by men of other tribes which would breed great confusion and disorder This practice and proceeding of theirs teacheth first that the Magistrate is and ought to bee the supreme Iudge in causes of inheritance Secondly no man ought to bee Iudge in his owne cause Thirdly wee see how they come to Moses not in contempt or with a commotion as if they meant to gaine that by force which they could not obtayne by fauour but they beare themselues lowly and dutifully as became them to the Magistrate when they say The Lord commanded my Lord and againe My Lord was commanded Doctrine Inferiors must reuerence their superiors c. From hence wee learne that it is the duty of all inferiors to reuerence the superiors in gesture in word in deed We might also shew that Magistrates must acknowledge themselues to rule vnder God and to be Lords vnder that highest Lord. But wee will onely handle this point that inferiors must vse speeches of reuerence such as betoken subiection this we saw before chapt 11 28 and 32 5 25 31. 2 Kings 5 13 1 Peter 3 6. Nehem. 2 5. Esther 7 3. 2 Sam. 24 3. 1 Kings 1 23 24 31. 2 Kings 2 12 and 13 14. Mal. 1 6. 1 Sam. 25 24 25 26 27 28. Gen 16 9. The grounds first because superiors beare Reason 1 the image of God and are to their inferiors in Gods place as Moses was to Aaron when the Lord sayth Exod. 4 16. Thou shalt be vnto him in stead of God Secondly it is the expresse law of God To honor father and mother that is all superiours Exod. 20 12. Psal 82 6. 1 Tim. 5 3. They are set ouer inferiors for their good not for their owne 1 Tim. 2 â— where the Apostle teacheth that Princes are appointed vnto eminent place not to lift vp their hearts against theyr brethren and to maintain themselues in all riot and excesse but that the people may leade a quiet peaceable life vnder them Fourthly such do adorne the Gospel 1 Tim 6 1. This serueth to reprooue such as are so farre Vse 1 from giuing of good words and vsing soft gentle speech sauouring of Christian modesty and subiection that they reuile them rayle at them and speake all manner of euill agaynst them which they ought not to do vnto any much lesse to their fathers or masters or Magistrates to whom they are bound in a neerer band and tyed to a farther duty Hence it is that Moses sayth Exod. 22 28. Thou shalt not reuile the gods nor curse the ruler of thy people It is deliuered as a generall precept binding all that will be the children of God Blesse them that persecute you blesse I say curse not Rom. 12 14. Iam. 3 9 10. It is a thing acceptable to God to speake euill of no man Titus 3 2. It is therfore a thing detestable to speake euill of our superiors vnto whom all dutifull language is due that sauoureth of peace and loue nay of submission and subiection The Apostle exhorteth seruants to bee obedient vnto their owne masters and to please them in al things Tit. 2 9. not answering againe with stout and vnseemely words Such then must learne by the feare of God to bridle their tongues that they offend not that way Iam. 3 4. Many there are who in their seruice are reasonable but they haue no rule ouer theyr tongue they will not onely mutter and murmure but giue curst and cutted answers It is the fruite of an euill seruant to bee euill tongued and to take liberty to taunt in vnseemly manner against those that are set ouer them This was the sinne of Agar that despised her mistresse not onely in her heart but likewise in speech Ge. 16 4. Let such consider the words of Salomon Prou. 15 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath but greeuous words stirre vppe anger Iames chap. 1.20 Iudg. 8. verses 1 2 3. 1 Sam. 25 32. Secondly we see the place of subiection is Vse 2 not an vnlawfull callingâ— neyther must wee think that Christianity hath abolished Magistracy and ciuill authority but rather ratifyeth and establisheth it Titus 3 1. 1 Tim 6 1. And it is lawfull for good men and especially for Magistrates Ministers to haue seruants as Abraham had many Eliah one likewise Elisha Ioseph had a Steward of his house Iacob had men-seruants and mayde-seruants Gen. 14 14 and 15 2 and 44 1 and 32 16. Mephibosheth had a seruant and that seruant had twenty seruants 2 Sam. 9 10. This ouerthroweth the damnable sect of the Anabaptists and Libertines who teach that Christians may not be subiect vnto any Obiection They obiect that they are the Lords free-men I answere Answer it is true but this freedome is inward and spirituall from sinne and Satan and condemnation Obiect Againe they alledge that wee are forbidden to be the seruants of men Answ 1 Cor. 7. I answere the meaning is
wee are not to be addicted vnto them seruilely in things vnlawfull and vnhonest or in obeying theyr traditions as Gods Commandements Obiection But Christ saith Call no man master vpon earth Math. 23 10 because one is our Master Answ euen Christ I answer this must be vnderstood as the former when Christ forbiddeth to call any father to wit to hold him in chiefe and not subordinate to Christ and for Christ Obiection Againe it is obiected that sinne brought in seruitude and slauish subiection of man to man For albeit in the innocent estate there should haue been teacher and scholler thogh not by office and calling to preach the word or to teach schooles and gouerners and the gouerned Answer yet not master and seruant I answere sinne was the occasion of sundry things in theyr nature good or at least through Gods mercy and blessing bringing good out of euill For it brought into the world vpon man a necessity to marry for the auoyding of fornication yea sinne may bee saide to haue caused a necessity of Christs comming as also to cause a necessity of preaching and of laboring in the sweat of our browes and a necessity likewise in relieuing the poore Besides euery kinde of subiection is not against the law of pure Nature as might bee shewed by the subiection of the wife to the husband and of the children to theyr parents So then seruitude is no new inuention of cruel men in these latter dayes neyther is a faithfull seruant to be accounted a perpetuall asse crouching vnder his burden No man must be ashamed of that calling neyther reprooue it as euill and vnlawfull but rather labour to adorne the Gospell in it by seruing not with eye-seruice but dealing faithfully as the seruants of Christ Vse 3 Lastly all superiours must so carry themselues as that they may deserue reuerence and draw not contempt vpon themselues 1 Tim. 4 12 Prou. 16 31 and 21 30. Leuitic 19 32. 1 Tim. 5 1 2. And those duties are of diuers sorts which are to be performed by them whereof they are put in minde by the names whereby they are called The first degree of this superiority concerneth parents to whom it belongeth to teach The dutâ—es of parents to correct to defend and to prouide for theyr children as we haue shewed already chap. 30. This reproueth such as are carelesse what become of them such as pamper them to much and suffer them to doe what they list till they shame theyr fathers mothers theyr friends and the Church of God and grow obstinate and incorrigible Touching masters The duties of masters it lyeth vpon them to order theyr seruants and families aright they must require of their seruants no more then is iust and equall Col. 4 1 remembring that they haue a Master in Heauen who requireth onely things iust and equall at their hands they are to prouide for them food and rayment and such like necessaries or else they are worse then infidels and haue denyed the faith Prou. 31 21. 1 Tim. 5 8. Likewise it behoueth them to teach and instruct them as faithfull and beleeuing Masters haue done and found a great blessing vpon theyr labors Acts 10 7. Gen. 24 12. And if Masters desire to haue theyr houses dutifull subiect vnto them they must chuse such as are religious or be carefull to make them religious that so they may obey for conscience sake If at any time they shall make conscience to serue the Lord they will not be slouthfull to serue theyr Masters But there are many Masters that are alwayes threatning theyr seruants Ephes 6 9 and neuer speake kindly vnto them to encourage them in wel-doing there proceedeth nothing but fire out of their mouth and smoke goeth out of theyr nostrils And not so onely but they command hard and cruell seruice at theyr hands and after a sort sucke out theyr heart blood by ouer-burdening and ouer-bearing them beyond theyr strength like the cruell taske-masters of the Egyptians who gaue the Israelits no straw to make them vp the tale of their brickes but made them gather it themselues and yet would diminish nothing of the worke Exodus 5 7 8. Thus were the people scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble in stead of straw And Sampson being a seruant or rather slaue to the Philistims was not onely made a laughing-stocke but compelled to grinde in the prison-house Iudg. 16 21. Such masters are they also that are immoderate and excessiue in correction know no measure as if theyr seruants were beasts and not theyr brethren Nay Balaam the false prophet is reproued of the Angel for his cruelty toward his asse Numb 22 32. but these respect men no better then if they were asses or horses for the whip is neuer from theyr backes or the bridle from theyr mouthes or the fist from theyr eares or the staffe from theyr sides Thus also did the taske-masters beate the officers of the children of Israel without any cause or desert Now touching Magistrates Exod. 5 14. The duties of Magistrates they are the fathers of the countrey and common-wealth they must be careful to plant sound religion among the people and be carefull that God be serued in the first place because they must rule for GOD and not for themselues And thus did the godly Kings of Iudah They must establish peace and tranquillity that men may sit vnder theyr vines and figge trees that there bee no inuasion nor going out nor crying and complayning in the streetes And they must publish and prescribe such wholesome Lawes as may serue to keepe men in obedience and when they are once enacted and established they must not suffer them to rust for want of execution but remember they are the Ministers of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Rom. 13 4. If then they suffer men to doe what they list as if there were no king in Israel if they be carelesse of Gods seruice if they doe not defend the innocent like Ahab nor punish the transgressors or command vniust and vnlawfull things or spare offenders that ought to dy like Saul they prouoke the wrath of God against themselues as wee haue shewed already in the former chapter 5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord saying The tribe of the sonnes of Ioseph hath saide well 6 This is the thing which the Lord doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad saying Let them marry to whom they thinke best onely to the family of the tribes of their father shall they marry 7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remoue from tribe to tribe for euery one of the children of Israel shall keepe himselfe to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers 8 And euery daughter that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall bee wife vnto one of the family of the
tribe of her father that the children of Israel may enioy euery man the inheritance of his fathers 9 Neyther shall the inheritance remooue from one tribe to another tribe but euery one of the children of Israel shall enioy euery man the inheritance of his fathers The second part of the Chapter followeth which is the answere of Moses to the former question where hee commendeth those that made this demand and then he setteth downe first a particular Law touching the daughters of Zelophehad that they should marry to whom they thought best howbeit within their owne tribe and secondly a general Law binding perpetually all daughters among them that possessed any inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel that they shall be wiues to one of the same tribe thus euery one should quietly enioy his own and the inheritance should not remoue from one tribe to another Out of this diuision wee might obserue sundry instructions We must commend good in whomsoeuer First Moses commendeth that which these chiefe fathers had well spoken and well done teaching that wee ought not onely not to dispraise that in which others haue well deserued but wee should praise and commend it Thus hee did to these daughters before Chapter 27 7 when they sued for an inheritance Secondly in that they are directed to marry to whom they thinke best we see that none are to be denyed marriage which is the ordinance of God It entred into none of theyr hearts to remedy the alienation of inheritance by restrayning any from marriage when daughters fell to be inheritrixes but it was left free to them according to the precept of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7 2. Againe it teacheth that marriage is not to be enforced vpon any eyther by the Magistrate or by the parents or by any gouernours Gen. 24 57. 1 Corinth 7 39. For this were to exercise tyranny ouer our children For as children ought to haue the consent of theyr carefull parents and not to dare to bestow themselues without their aduice which practice wee see in the very Gentiles as appeareth in Euripides where Hermione answereth Orestes Eurip. in Andromacha desiring of her a promise of marriage Sponsaliorum meorum pater meus curam habebit non est meum statuere hoc That is It lyeth not in my hand at all my selfe for to contract Vnto my fathers care and power I must referre that act So likewise parents ought to haue the consent of their children not bestow them vppon others against their wils for that were to lay an euill foundation and to fill the house with iarres and dissentions Thirdly obserue that Moses sayth Euery daughter shall be a wife vnto one of the family teaching vs that howsoeuer the marrying of many wiues was practised among the Patriarkes and people of God yet this is the Law of Nature that one man should haue one wife not wiues Gen. 2 24. Mat. 19 5. But to come to the maine point Doctrine The inheritance of the Israelits must continue and remaine in one tribe wee learne that the inheritance of the children of Israel must remaine and continue in one and the same tribe and neuer passe from tribe to tribe The reasons of this Law giuen vnto them are that the Israelites might enioy euery man the inheritance of his fathers verse 8 and for this cause are the borders of euery tribe so carefully assigned afterward Secondly that it might certainly he known that the Messiah came of no other tribe then of the tribe of Iudah according to the promise and prophecy of Iacob Genes 49 10. The tribe shall not depart from Iudah till Shiloh come Thirdly that peace might bee preserued and confusion auoyded among them whereas if the inheretrix had not beene restrained by this Law but left at liberty the bounds of euery tribe in processe of time would haue beene abolished These Lawes did onely binde the Iewes touching inheritances not impose a necessity vpon others as we haue shewed before chapt 27 as likewise that the eldest must haue his double portion and that no man might lawfully sell the fee simple of his inheritance which precepts with sundry others if they should be brought into all Christian commonwealthes would turne vpside downe the very foundation of them and alter all Lawes and customes generall and particular and bring in an horrible confusion For other nations doe hold their lands by see simple but God holdeth the Israelites as his farmers Leuit. 25 23 The land shall not be sold for euer for the land is mine for ye were strangers and soiourners with me hee would not haue them as owners neither to be as purchasers of that land Now let vs come to the vses Vse 1 First it is the ordinance of God that euery man keepe his proper inheritance to haue and to hold the same as his owne Distinction of inheritance is agreeable to his word whatsoeuer the madde spirits of the Anabaptists doe teach Obiect It will bee said that this is a fruite of mans first sinne and disobedience and that if he had stood in his innocency there should haue beene a community of all things But mans transgression brought in this priuate possession Answ I answere wee will not reason what should haue beene forasmuch as wee see what man hath done and how he is fallen It is in vaine for a man to thinke how rich hee should haue beene if his house had not beene burned when hee seeth it is consumed sticke and stake to the ground and hee become a poore begger So likewise it is needlesse to debate and dispute what should haue beene if Adam had stood seeing God made man good but he sought out many inuentions Eccles 7 29. For inasmuch as man is wholly corrupted by sinne that communion if any should be cannot in this estate take place but euery man must know what is his owne and what is not his owne Vse 2 Secondly this should teach parents to prouide for their daughters as well as for theyr sonnes and not to leaue them to the wide world especially in these our dayes wherein more enquiry is made what they haue then what they are and what goods are without them then good things are within them But God sheweth by this Law that hee hath no lesse care of them then of sonnes Men are to consider that their daughters are their children as well as their sonnes and therefore euen they must bee prouided for also The Apostle teacheth that parents should lay vp for their children 2 Cor. 12 14 not for one child onely or for his sonnes onely Nature teacheth that if any member be weake it is chiefly to be strengthened The woman is the weaker vessell and needeth to bee supported and it encourageth them in obedience when they see themselues respected And what a shame is it to parents to bring them into the world and then to leaue them as it were destitute to the wide world
they haue any workes of supererogation or the measure of theyr workes running ouer that haue not enough for themselues 10 Euen as the Lord commanded Moses so did the daughters of Zelophehad 11 For Mahlah Tirzah and Hoglah and Milcah and Noah the daughters of Zelophehad were married vnto their fathers brothers sonnes 12 And they were married into the families of the sonnes of Manasseh the sonne of Ioseph and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father 13 These are the commandements and iudgments which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses vnto the children of Israel in the plaines of Moab by Iordan neere Iericho The third part of the chapter remaineth to wit the marriage of these fiue daughters what God had appointed and Moses had published they approue and allow For Moses setteth downe both where they married and to whom They matched in their owne Tribe to wit into the families of the sonnes of Manasseh and particularly it is saide They were married to their fathers brothers sonnes that is to their cousen germans Doctrine The marriage of cousen germans is lawfull From hence we learne that the marriage of cousen germans that is the children of brothers and sisters is lawfull In the proofe of this point no man must look for any expresse law or commandement to marry in this manner because no man was euer commanded to do so it is enough to shew that it is left free and not prohibited that will appeare by sundry examples of all sorts The marriage of Esau the sonne of Isaac is recorded to haue bin with Mahalath the daughter of Ismael Isaacs brother Gen. 28 9 so that he married his fathers brothers daughter And albeit hee were a wicked man and prophane yet he is not reproued for marrying so neere of kinne Gen. 29 10. And Iacob himselfe is charged by his parents to take a wife no farther off and therefore hee being the sonne of Rebecca matched himselfe with Rahel the daughter of Laban Rebeccaes brother thus hee married his mothers brothers daughter as Esau before him had married his fathers brothers daughter In like manner we see the same in a sort betweene Isaac Abrahams sonne the sonne of promise and Rebecca the daughter of Bethael sonne to Nahor Abrahams brother Gen. 24 15 whereof the one is cousen german the other is cousen german but once remoued To these examples it will be obiected that they were all before the law and therefore they might be lawfull but the matter stood otherwise after the law Let vs see therefore how the case stood after the law And first obserue the example of these daughters of Zelophehad mentioned in this place of whom it is said that they married their fathers brothers sonnes verse 11. But it will be saide that by brethren wee must vnderstand nor naturall brethren but others farther off But if it were so then it had beene sufficient to haue called them their fathers brethren without any addition of sonnes or their owne brethren and then indeed the marriage had bin left doubtfull and vncertaine but the addition of sons to brethren doth rightly and readily distinguish the cousen germans from all the rest of their kindred And to make the matter more cleere and apparent it is euident that Zelophâ—had had brethren of his parents that had store of sonnes for what man of any vnderstanding wil exclude those that most properly may be meant and runne to others that may vnproperly bee tearmed his brothers sonnes Now that Zelophehad had brethren and they also sonnes is no way doubtfull because out of the loynes of his brother Hepher came a great family called in respect of the multitude of them The family of the Hepherites Numb 26 32. as of Gilead the Gileadites Furthermore wee reade in Ioshua of the marriage of Othniel the sonne of Kenaz with Achsah the daughter of Caleb Kenaz brother so that they were brothers children Iosh 15 verses 16 17. If any heere also dally with the ambiguity of the word Brother as suspecting and surmising that it is there taken for some kinsman farther off and not properly for a brother of the same immediate parents this may easily be disprooued by the terme after giuen to Kenaz of younger brother to Caleb Iudg. 1 verse 13 which plainely noteth the age and order of brethren in one family and from one parent and not any order of kindred among those that are of diuers families and parents according as the eldest sonne noteth the order of children in one family as may appeare in the order of Genealogies 1 Chron. chap. 2 verse 13 where the sonnes of Iesse are so distinguished and knowne by the eldest the second and so forward of the rest And there also it appeareth that Caleb had other bretheren as Ierameel in the ninth verse and the two and fortith verse yea euen that Caleb which had Achsah to his daughter as we may reade verse 49 and therfore in respect of those elder Kenaz might well be so called his yonger brother nay hauing elder wee cannot without great confusion of speech and verie much vncertainety of meaning referre the younger vnto any other of his kindred whatsoeuer Thus we haue seene diuers and sundry examples of the marriage of cousin germans recorded faithfully in the Scriptures both of the godly and the vngodly both before the Law and since the Law and wee neuer finde that any of them were reprooued or gain-sayed which may induce vs to hold them lawfull and not against the Law of GOD and godlinesse Let vs passe from the Iewes to the ancient Romanes and other Nations and from the Romanes to our selues The Apostle Paul teacheth vs in the second chapter of the Romans and the fourteenth verse that the Gentiles which haue not the Law doe by nature the things contayned in the Law and it were not hard to shew out of diuers and sundry prophane writers such at were Liuy Plutarke Cicero Tacitus Historiographers Philosophers and Poets an infinite number of examples of such matches frequented among them whereupon Caluin a most iudicious Diuine and one of the foundest interpreters of these latter times sayth plainely Tam Lege Mosis quam gentium iure id semper licuit that is to say As well by the Law of Moses as by the common law of Nations the marriage of cousin germans was alwayes lawfull True it is sometimes for feare and sometimes for flattery they haue bene induced to consent to incestuous marriages Claudius Caesar the Emperor had concluded a mariage betweene himselfe and Agrippina his brothers daughter yet they durst not celebrate the solemnities of their vnlawfull loue openly for it was incest neyther was it practised before that the brothers daughter shold be brought into the vnckles house as wife whereupon he commanded the Senate to passe a decree Tacit. annal lib. 12. by vertue whereof marriage betweene the Vncles and Neeces daughters to their brothers should from
thence-forward bee accounted iust and lawfull This they did readily willingly to gratifie his desire and yet for al that there was one only Gentleman of Rome that followed that president who also was thoght to do it to win the fauour of Agrippina So likewise when Cambyses fell in fancie with his owne sister and was desirous to marrie her which was neuer vsed amongst the Persians before Herod lib. 5. He called together his Iudges and asked of them whether there were any law to permit a man to contract matrimony with his owne sister They knowing the kings disease as well as if they had felt his pulse made answer That they could finde no such law that suffered the brother to marry the sister yet they had met with another law that the Persian King might doe whatsoeuer hee pleased Thus partly for feare partly for flattery they resolued respecting more their owne security then they did the Kings honour and honesty Plutarch in his Romane questions sheweth that a statute was enacted among them by vertue whereof it was made lawfull for all men from â—hat time forward to marry as far as to their cousen germans including them also but in any higher or neerer degree of consanguinity they were vtterly forbidden This statute was no other but the very law of God and nature which restrayneth and forbiddeth to marry neerer but other degrees it leaueth free Neuerthelesse I confesse that he saith It was long before this statute was enacted that one was endighted and like to be condemned for marrying with his cousen german if he had not bene in speciall fauour with the people wherby it came to passe that the bill of enditement was suppressed But who this was or when it was he concealeth and I must needs say I much suspect the truth thereof because the forbidding of this degree could not bee ancient For many brethren desired to match their children this way Teren. in phormione thought they could not be better bestowed Ligustinus as Liuy reporteth Decad. 5. lib. 2. sheweth that his father gaue him to wife the daughter of his vncle Tully reporteth that Cluentia was married to M. Aurius her cousen german Cicer. orat pro Cluent And before Rome was builded at the comming of Aeneas into Italy a marriage was entreated off betweene Turnus and Laâ—â—â—ia who were borne of two sisters This confirmeth that which S. Augustine writeth De ciuit dei lib. 15. cap. 16. that before his time such marriages were lawfull among them But to leaue these forraine examples let vs come home to our selues In the 32. yeare of the reigne of Henry the eight chap. 38 all persons are adiudged lawfull to marry that are not prohibited by Gods law which statute being afterward repealed and made void by Q. Mary was in the first yeare of the late Queenes happy reigne restored to his former strength and vertue and heereupon by the ecclesiasticall authority in the Land a Table was made and put in print contayning all the degrees vnlawfull in marriage by the law of God and so holden vnlawfull in our Land among which cousen germans are not mentioned and therefore are holden by the iudgment of our Church to be lawfull Thus we haue the continuall practise of the Reason 1 marriage of cousen germans in al ages among the Iewes and Gentiles and our selues which sheweth the lawfull and laudable vse thereof let vs now see a few reasons farther to manifest this point And first this is a sure foundation laid by the Apostle Rom. 4 15. Where no law is there is no transgression But there is no law that forbiddeth these to marry eyther expresly or by implication For albeit we finde in the booke of Leuiticus a perfect direction touching marriage all other titles of kindred noted by the persons to whom they appertaine to wit father and mother sonne and daughter brother and sister grandfather and grandmother and the grand-children vncle and aunt nephew and neece yet not any cousen in any degree third second or first degree and therefore these are to bee excluded from the former and no way to bee sorted and ranged among the vnlawfull marriages Secondly sundry of these degrees forbidden are not onely once expressed but againe reiterated in the very letter of the law and that in a diuers manner to note out the greater efficacy Leuit. 18. as for example the fathers wife first in the 7. ver Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy father and againe in the 8. verse Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers wife Likewise her sister in the 9. verse Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy sister the daughter of thy father which is repeated againe verse 11. Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers wiues daughter begotten of thy father for she is thy sister Lastly thy aunt noted in the 12. verse Thou shalt not vncouer the nakednesse of thy fathers sister then he addeth in the next verse nor of thy mothers sister and againe in the 14. verse nor of thy fathers brothers wife touching all which three beeing euery one thy aunt the prohibition of any one had debarred the rest The law then being so copious and plentifull to repeate much forbidden before it is certaine it would neuer haue omitted the mention of one whole degree and the same also the greatest of all the rest to wit cousin germans if the matching of them together had beene vtterly vnlawfull as all the rest are which are mentioned in the Law This is the prerogatiue of the word that it is a perfect word as the Law is in no point superfluous so it is in no case defectiue Thirdly among all the titles of kindred mentioned in Leuiticus there is not any whereunto cousin germans may in any sort be referred and therefore as they are not expressed so they are not included vnder any degree prohibited For if they might be comprised vnder any of those heads it should bee vnder the title of brethren and sisters which indeed in a generall sense doe often in Scripture contayne not onely cousens in the first degree but in the second third fourth and farther also But by this extent of the words we should bring vnder the prohibition of marriage as well the one as the other which I suppose few will admit Wherefore the Lord to preuent this generality of brotherhood and mistaking of the Law contrary to the true meaning thereof the sister is limited by determinate notes of difference from the cousins that shee is termed the daughter of thy father or mother Leuit 18 9 and begotten of thy father verse 11 and therefore the titles of brother and sister cannot bee extended so farre as to cousin germanes and if not they much lesse any other Fourthly the bringing of cousin germans within the compasse of the degrees prohibited is to leaue the matter at vncertainty and the Law of God to determine nothing For
established by Arcadius and Honorius the Emperors God lib. 5 tit 4 de nuptiis that the marriage of cousin germans shall be allowed and the children borne of them shall bee holden legittimate and succeede their fathers in theyr inheritance And heereunto doe the ancient Councels also accord Epann Concil about the yeare of Christ foure hundred ninety seuen Concil Turon 2. in the yeare fiue hundred and sixty Now the first that did forbid the marriage of cousin germans was Theodosius the Elder as many testifie and that by the counsell and aduice of Ambrose Lib. 8. Epist 66. which hee calleth the Theodosian Law and in his time Austine testifieth it was in force This is wholly or at least for the most part taken out of Zepperus The next witnesse to be produced is Amand Polanus professour in the vniuersitie of Basil in Syntag. Theol lib. 10. cap. 53. who teacheth that the sonnes and daughters of brethren and sisters may lawfully marrie by the law of God whatsoeuer the Popes canon law say to the contrary as Iacob married Rahel his cousin german Of the same iudgement also is Chemnitius in his Examin Chem. exam part 1. For he sheweth that the prohibition of this degree is meerely humane established for no other cause but that the prohibitions of God might bee kept with greater reuerence and where such prohibitions are they ought to bee obserued which is not denied of vs howbeit that is not our case where no such prohibitions are I will annexe to these one forraine testimony more that is of Zanchius a man of eminent note who proouing that the incestuous marriages betweene the brother and sister De oper creat part 3 lib. 4. c. 2 whether they be borne of the same father and mother or of one of them onely are vtterly vnlawfull as also betweene the Nephew and the Aunt and the Neece and her vncle he hath these words The marriage betweene the sonnes and daughters of naturall brethren is lawfull as all the learned and godly agree without any controuersie for as much as we neuer read the same forbidden in holy Scripture in any place but rather allowed by many examples which were neuer condemned by any man And albeit he wish that in all such places as is a restraint heereof men should be subiect to the Magistrate according to the Doctrine of Christ yet hee spareth not farther to deliuer his opinion in this manner For my part I could wish for many causes and those of no smal moment and importance that marriages might simply bee made by warrant of the word of God that whatsoeuer God himselfe hath left free and made lawful the same might also be left vnto men as lawfull I speake freely that which I conceiue of this matter These are the forraine testimonies which I thought good to alledge at this present to which it were not hard to adde infinite others who because they speake the same things and run the same course that the former doe I will not trouble the reader and my selfe any farther in rehearsing of them I will conclude the whole with one more that is our owne countrey-man M. Perkins Mast Perkins a very iudicious godly learned Diuine as any that this age hath brought forth who in a Treatise prouing that a reprobate may in truth be made partaker of all that is contained in the Religion of the Church of Rome and that a right papist by his Religion cannot go beyond a reprobate sayth thus To go further by Gods word they which are distant 4. degrees in the transuers equall line are not forbidden to marry together as cousin germans thus the daughters of Zelophehad were married to their fathers brothers sonnes This example as I take it may be a warrant of the lawfulnes of this Marriage howsoeuer the church of Rome do ouerthwart the Lord in it Let me adde one thing more and then I will end Whereas wee are aduised by many in this question to haue due consideration of offences that may arise in making such matches I would wish also and desire all those that are contrary minded to haue good consideration of such offences as may bee giuen by two earnest disprouing the vnfitnesse and inconueniency of such matches and especially by leauing in doubt and suspence the lawfulnesse of them forasmuch as betweene parties of very good account both in calling and Religion there haue beene and are many matches in this Land of that kinde that betweene high and low rich poore noble and vnnoble which haue beene vndertaken and finished by the iudgement of the godly and learned so that it were not hard to produce sundry examples of Emperors Kings Princes Dukes Earles Barons Knights Gentlemen other of all sorts which now to bring in question for the offensiue conceits of some were more offensiue to the truth to the Church to the learned and to men of all conditions yea more dangerous to the state of those parties and preiudiciall to theyr yssue then any man of iudgement or godlinesse would approoue Thus much of this point of this chapter and of this whole booke The Lord almighty the author of all number of whose vnderstanding there is no number Psal 147 5 who hath ordered all things in measure number waight with whom our dayes are determined and the number of our months are set Iob 14 5 by whose onely mercy wee haue receyued strength to finish this booke of NVMBERS containing the iourneys of the Israelites through the desert from Mount Sinai vnto the plains of Moab by Iordan neere Iericho and admonishing vs of the state of the Church in this life lying vnder the crosse and at length receiuing deliuerance from the Ancient of daies grant vnto vs that being numbred among the children of GOD we may haue our lot among the Saints and be in the number of them that are sealed out of all the Tribes of the children of Israel Reuel 7 4. and so rest for euer in the heauenly Canaan among the soules of iust men perfected and the innumerable company of angels Heb. 12 22. Vnto him be praise and glorie in the Church Amen FINIS Gentle Reader let me intreate thee to amend these faults which otherwise may leade into errour PAg. 18. Col. 2. line 6. had made pag. 79. col 2. l. 37. the iudgement pag. 80 c. 1. l. 1. desired p. 137. c. 1. l. 60. rule and p. 140. c. 1. l. 56. censor p. 167. c. 2. l. 5. not to do p. 206. c. 2. l. 22. vnprobable p. 301. c. 1. l. 26. the Cushite p. 394. c. 2. l. 18. the Cushite p. 422. c. 1. l. 5. his iudgements p. 451. c. 1. l. 30. tender p. 473. c. 2. l. 36. profitable p. 536. c. 2. l. 28. the staffe p. 588. c. 1. l. 47 a double A Table of the principall Contents of this Booke the Figures note out the Page the Letters the Columne If no Letter be
it were brought downe to reside and remaine among vs. So long as the word which is the scepter of his kingdome is with vs we shall not need to feare he will goe from vs neither shall be constrained to make long iourneyes to seeke him out When once his word is departed and the Gospel gone his standard is remoued and he is quite turned from vs. It is in vaine to dreame to find him when we cannot find him in his word Hence it is that Abijam telleth Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne that God was gone from them seeing he had driuen away the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron and on the other side he ioyneth together the presence of the Lord and the preaching of his word saying Behold this God is with vs as a Captaine 2. Chron. 13.12 and his Priests with the sounding trumpets to cry an alarme against you This then is a speciall token of Gods speciall presence when he sendeth his word as a gracious raine vpon his inheritance and thereby watereth the dry furrowes of the barraine hearts of his people Thirdly we haue the promise of his presence and the seales thereof in his Sacraments whereby we are at one with him and he with vs. Whensoeuer we meditate of our baptisme the Sonne of God doth witnesse vnto our spirits that we are cloathed with his righteousnesse as with a garment Gal. 3.27 for all such as are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ Whensoeuer we receiue the Supper of the Lord hee sheweth vs that he is our food and that the bread which we eate at our tables and in our houses doth not nourish vs better then we be nourished by his substance at his heauenly table insomuch that we liue in him by him and through him according to the testimony of Iohn Ch. 6. Ioh. 6.54.55 Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed Thus we are spiritually one with him and mystically he is one with vs so that we haue a communion with him as the members haue with the head so that we must receiue it as most true which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 1 Cor. 10.16 The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the body of Christ the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we that are many are one bread and one body because we all are partakers of one bread Fourthly when we come together in the Church to call vpon his Name he is neere vnto vs and most familiar with vs. For our LORD Iesus Christ assureth vs that he is there among vs whensoeuer we are assembled in his Name and by lifting vp our eyes and holding vp our hands toward heauen wee shew that our coming thither is to present our selues in the sight presence of our God To this purpose our Sauiour saith Math. 18 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the middest of them so that we must consider that we are heere not onely before the Angels of heauen but also that the Sonne of God both seeth and heareth vs. True prayer doeth ascend vp to Heauen as Incense and lifteth vs vp to talke familiarly with God and bringeth downe his blessings vpon vs except we vse this heauenly exercise whereby we speake to him he is a stranger to vs and we are strangers to him Lastly he dwelleth among vs whensoeuer he preserueth vs from euill and deliuereth vs from our enemies If the fauour of GOD were not a shield buckler about vs to preserue and protect vs from our enemies wee should lie open to ten thousand dangers and deaths If our Lord had not a continuall care ouer vs and stood not mightily for our defence we should bee a prey to the iaw of the Lyon and should perish euery minute of an houre We are of our selues ouer-weake and haue no meanes to deliuer our selues this is our comfort that God is on our side dwelleth among vs. Let vs also take heed we walk in feare before him and doe not prouoke him to wrath and indignation against vs by committing euill in his fight who can abide nothing that is prophane or polluted as Deut. 6 15. The Lord that is in the middest of thee is iealous beware therefore that his wrath kindle not lest thou be rooted out of the Land which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 6. 2 Cor. 6 16 17 Yee are the Temple of the liuing God as God hath saide I will dwell among them and walke there and I will be their GOD and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord and touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a Father vnto you and ye shall bee my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty This sheweth that we ought to walke alwaies as in Gods presence and to consider euermore that his eye is vpon vs. Our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost for him to dwell in If then we shall defile them and make them as swine-styes we greeue the holy Spirit whereby our adoption and redemption are sealed and driue him from vs and chase him away out of our hearts Vse 2 Secondly albeit the placing of the Tabernacle in the middest of the host be gone and past long agoe and were verified among the Iewes vnder the shaddowes of the Law yet it serueth to teach vs to what end God hath instituted ciuill States and Common-wealths in this world to wit to be staies and proppes to the Church to vphold and strengthen the same that the people of God may assemble together in peace and quietnesse and be free from all dangers of malicious enemies that labour to do euill to the Sanctuary To this purpose the Prophet teacheth Psal 102 2â— 22. and 122 3 4. that The Name of the Lord shall be declared in Sion his praise in Ierusalem when the people shall be gathered together and the Kingdomes to serue the Lord. And Psal 122. Ierusalem is builded as a City that is compact together in it selfe whereunto the Tribes euen the Tribes of the Lord goe vp according to the Testimony to Israel to praise the name of the Lord. Heereby we are put in minde of three notable duties First of all let all persons Princes and people high and low do good to the Church of God and imploy their best endeuours to promote the glory of God and the safety of the Church For wherefore was the Tabernacle taken and pitched in the middest of all the host not placed in a corner nor set in the skirts of that mighty army but was inuironed round about with the strength of Israel but to
The elect are the first borne of God Annot. Iob. Feri in Exod. 4. because they are most dear vnto him and chosen before the foundation of the world For euen as men among all their sonnes doe most of all delight in their first begotten as in the beginning of their strength reioycing most of all in the good that befalleth them and greeuing most in the euill that commeth vnto them Psal 89 27. Zach. 12 11. So doth God expresse his speciall loue toward vs not onely by calling vs his sonnes but by calling vs his first borne sons Among the sonnes of men it was alwayes an honour and priuiledge to be the first borne it is but one among many can attaine vnto it it is not common to euery one But the sonnes of God are all of them as his first borne they are deare vnto him as they that are dearest Behold what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should bee called the first borne sonnes of God! therefore the world knoweth vs not because it knew him not So sometimes the faithfull are called the first fruites of his creatures Iam. 1 18. because as the first fruites in the time of the Law were a smal portion gathered out of the rest and offered to God in like manner are the people of God as an holy kinde of offering taken out of the residue of men few in number but precious in account with God Iam. 1 18. Thus then wee must know that we are consecrated vnto God to belong vnto him and to serue him as for the company of the wicked The company of the wicked is as the forbidden fruit they are forbidden to vs as the touching or tasting of the forbidden fruite was to our first parents as bringing great danger and destruction vnto our soules The wise man saith Be not among wine-bibbers Pro. 23 20 21 among riotous eaters of flesh for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to pouerty and drowsinesse shall cloathe a man with ragges Hereunto commeth the direction of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5 11. I haue written vnto you not to keepe company if any that is called a brother be a fornicator or couetous or an idolatour or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eate And in the next Epistle he exhorteth to come out from among them and to touch no vncleane thing and then GOD will receiue them be a Father vnto them and they shall be his sonnes and daughters 2 Cor. 6 17. Likewise he chargeth the Thessalonians and commandeth them in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ that they withdraw themselues from euery brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which they receiued of them 2 Thess 3 6. All flesh resort to their like and euery man will keepe company with such as he is himselfe For how can the lambe agree with the wolfe Or how can two walke together except they be agreed The heathen Philosopher Senec. epist 7. sequestring himselfe to a strict kinde of life confesseth that he could neuer bring home againe those manners that he carried abroad with him but what he had well ordered in his life was easily disturbed and disordered and those vices that he had put to flight quickly returned vpon him Euen as it befalleth a sicke person that hath kept long within doores beeing recouered of some weaknesse or sicknesse cannot without danger walk abroad in the open aire but straightway he is cast downe againe so it happeneth vnto vs whose hearts haue begun to shake off the sicknesses of sinnes and vices the conuersation of the wicked multitude is a great enemy like the infectious ayre vnto vs euery mate being ready to commend vnto vs and to thrust vpon vs both by word and practise some noysome vice or other some to bring vs to drunkennesse some to vncleannesse some to riotousnesse some to gaming 's and so to infect vs therewith at vnawares Whereby it commeth to passe that we sildome goe vnto them or keepe company with them or continue long with them but we learne some euil or vnlearne some good and so returne from them more prophane and polluted then before This duty hath vnder it many branches First it standeth vs vpon to make choise of our company that we frequent as a man that chuseth out his ground before he build and not to be more carefull what we eate or drink then among whom we eate or drinke Vnwholesome meates may pester or poison the body Senec. episi 19. but vngodly company many times destroyeth the soule We see how carefull men are about their meates and drinkes what they eate and what they drinke euery little thing doth trouble and disquiet them but in matters of farre greater danger as blind men we swallow many a flie and conuerse with such as we may iustly feare they may bring vs to perdition as men that straine at a gnat and swallow a camell Secondly we ought to pray to God daily that we may not be ledde into tentations It is the direction that Christ our sauiour giueth that so we may be deliuered from euill Math. 6 13. Daily prayer for wisedome is a preseruatiue against the wicked Such as walke in the morning in noysome aires carry somewhat in their mouthes to keepe them from infection If we pray faithfully we are fensed and fortified against the assaults of euill persons This was the practise of Dauid wherein he hath giuen vs an example Psal 141.3 4. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keepe the doore of my lippes incline not mine heart to any euill thing to practise wicked workes with men that worke iniquity If then we are to pray to be preserued from such tempters and tentations as would draw vs into euill and withdraw vs from good surely we are not wittingly and willingly to runne into them for then wee mocke and dally with God become tempters vnto our selues And how shall we dare to kneele downe in the presence of the eternal God and to desire of him not to leade vs into tentation and so soone as we are gone frō prayer and the house of prayer by and by to haunt euill houses and seeke out allurements and waite for occasions wish for our companions vntill we returne home worse then we were before Thirdly it is our duty and a speciall point of wisedome not to presume vpon our abilities nor to glory in our owne strength There cannot be a more deceitfull baite then this is when men foolishly perswade themselues that albeit they runne into euill company and hold familiarity with drunkards and continually haunt alehouses and places of disorder though they be haile-fellow well mette with them and ioyne hand in hand with them yet they can keepe themselues from infection so that they will neuer be ouertaken with their sinne And as well may a man rush headlong among such as haue plague sores aboue
haue set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproofe I also will laugh at your calamity and mocke when your feare commeth Such measure as we mete it shall be measured vnto vs againe and God will deale with vs as we deale with him If we set our faces against him Leuit. 25.17.23.24 he will set his face against vs. If we will not be reformed but will walke contrary vnto him then he also wil walke contrary vnto vs and with the froward he will shew himselfe froward Fourthly they are to be obeyed that haue Reason 4 no absolute authority but are themselues vnder the authority of others God commandeth to honour father and mother Exod. 20. albeit themselues are to honour God Thus doth the Centurion reason from the lesse to the greater Matth. 8.8 9. from himselfe to Christ Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe but speake the word onely and my seruant shal be healed for euen I am a maÌ„ vnder authority hauing souldiers vnder me and I say to this man Go and he goeth to another Come and he commeth and to my seruant Do this and he doth it If then such as are meane men and haue inferiour places of command are notwithstanding obeied by those that are vnder them much more ought the Lord himselfe to be obeyed who is aboue all and all vnder him Reason 5 Fiftly the Rechabites obeyed Ionadab their father and receiued a blessing for their obedience He restrained them from many profits and pleasures of this life and his charge vnto them might seeme very hard and harsh being restrained of wine and forbidden to build houses to sow seed and to plant vineyards and when they had these set before them they answered We haue obeyed the voyce of Ionadab Ier. 35.8.13.14 the sonne of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged vs to drinke no wine all our dayes we our wiues our sonnes and daughters This example is the Prophet Ieremy commanded to set before the people of God to shew them their sinne Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Goe and tell the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem will ye not receiue instruction to hearken to my words saith the Lord The words of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab that he commanded his sonnes not to drinke wine are performed for vnto this day they drinke none but obey their fathers commandement notwithstanding I haue spoken vnto you rising early and speaking but ye hearkened not vnto me Shall we make lesse account of God then the Rechabites did of their father and value his commandements lesse worth then they did their fathers commandements If we haue had the fathers of our flesh and we gaue them reuerence shall we not much rather be in subiection to the father of spirits and liue Hebr. 12.9 Lastly there is a speciall relation betweene Reason 6 God and his people The subiect oweth obedience to his prince the seruant to his master the child to his father God is all in all he is our king and we his subiects he our master and we his seruants he our father and we his children according to the saying of the Prophet Malachi A sonne honoureth his father Mal. 16. and a seruant his master if then I be a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes So that disobedience is as the sinne of rebellion and God detesteth those that commit it as rebels against him All these reasons serue to preach obedience vnto vs whensoeuer the word and will of God is made knowne vnto vs. The vses of this doctrine are very profitable Vse 1 vnto vs. First learne from hence and let it worke an impression in our hearts that nothing can be more agreeable or a more effectuall marke of our Christian profession then to obey and hearken vnto the voice and word of God This made Samuel say to Saul 1 Sam. 15 2â— Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the Lord behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of rammes When the Lord was to deliuer his Law in mount Sinai he said If ye will obey my voyce indeed and keepe my Couenant then yee shall bee a peculiar treasure vnto me aboue all people for all the earth is mine Exodus Chap. 19.5 By the voyce of God we are to vnderstand not the letters or so many syllables of the Scriptures but the preaching and publishing of the same according to the doctrine interpretation exhortation reproofe comfort and such like For the word taught and applyed according to the true sense and naturall meaning of the Scriptures is as well the word as that which is written forasmuch as by the gift of interpretation bestowed vpon his seruants the mind and meaning of them is opened That then is not Scripture onely which is expressed in so many syllables and therefore the Apostle saith when they deliuer pure doctrine with integrity and grauity â— 2.6.7 they deliuer the wholesome word which cannot be reprooued They are the seedmen the word is the seed and therefore they deliuer the word The voyce of Gods messengers in the ministery of the word is to be heard and esteemed as the voice of the euerliuing God and not as the voyce of a mortall man The Prophets call vpon the people â—s 4.1 to heare the word of the Lord when themselues spake vnto them and not the Lord immediately The Apostle declareth that God in old time spake by his Prophets Heb. 1.1 according to the saying of Christ that whosoeuer heare his disciples and Ministers heare him and they who contemne them contemne him Luke 10.16 Thus in all ages haue the faithful esteemed the Ministers as the messengers of God and the Ministery of the word as the voyce of God himselfe This is witnessed by sundry testimonies of holy Scripture speaking of the Church generally and of the seruants of God particularly The Church saith Esay 2.3 Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes Cornelius hauing sent for Peter saith he was present before God to heare what he would speake vnto him by Peters mouth Acts 10.33 The Thessalonians receiued the word not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 Thus must we esteeme of it in iudgement thus must we obey it in practise When sinne is reprooued it is God that reprooueth it When the sinner that is penitent is comforted God is the comforter If the word find out our secret sinnes we must be no lesse terrified and humbled then if God should proclaime open warre against vs and vtter his Thundering voyce against vs. If the sweet consolations of Christ are offered to
destruction are fearfull to all men to take heed that we abuse not the patience of God by liuing in knowne sin and flattering our selues in it lest we be swept away sodainly Manie men are oftentimes praying and desiring God to keepe them from sodain death they would by no meanes dye sodainly yet these men by abusing the patience of God and continuing in sinne do take the direct way and course to bring sodaine death and destruction vppon themselues It is a manifest token of a plaine and ranke hypocrite to craue to be kept from sodaine death and in the meane season to doe nothing but practise and commit sinne with greedinesse Certainly he that thus prayeth doth it for no other end but because he is desirous to liue longer to commit euill He is afraide to come to an account and yet he wold liue longer to make his account greater and more fearefull Would we not therefore be sodainly destroyed Wee must labour to see the plague and flie But whither not from God for he is farre swifter then possibly wee can bee who rideth vpon the winges of the winde and can quickly ouertake vs we must flye to God and seeke to him for pardon betimes and labour earnestly for a reconciliation with him The birds of the aire escape the snares of the fowler by flying but whither and how is it and what do they not by flying downe on the earth for so they are taken but by flying vpward the higher so much the safer So should we flie not downe from God but flie on high flie vp to God and seeke vnto him for him we haue offended and of him we must craue and shall obtaine forgiuenesse Let vs preuent his iudgements by our repentance otherwise we shall perish sodainly And when once we haue obtained his fauour and made peace with him though sodaine death come vpon vs as it did vpon righteous Abel well-meaning Vzzah religious and godlye Iosiah yet happy and blessed shall we be It is wisedome not to put off the day of iudgement neither our particular day of iudgement Amos 6 3. It is the occasion of many euils when a man neuer thinketh vpon the day of his dissolution and dreameth that the day of comming to his answer is not neare Many impenitent persons put off the day of their repentance in hope to haue time enough heereafter whereas repentance is not in our owne power and that which is late is sildome true and his iudgements are sodain yea so sodain that sundry which promised vnto their soules many yeres leisure and liberty to repent haue not had so much warning as to say Lord haue mercy vpon me Wee haue had many examples of this daily and therefore let vs be euermore ready and prepared before hand CHAP. XII MOses in this chapter goeth forward to set downe another murmuring 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 murâ— against 〈◊〉 which did nerer touch him then the former Such as are mentioned in the Chapters before infected in a manner the whole people this is more particular and is directed directly against himselfe raysed by his owne sister and brother both elder then himselfe Wherein consider two things First their sinne secondly the processe of God against them for their sinne Touching the first obserue that though both of them sinned yet Miriam his sister hath the chiefe hand in the sinne who drew Aaron by perswasion into a practise and participation of it as the people had done before when they mooued him to make the golden Calfe Exod. 32 1 2. they were the authors of that idolatry Aaron was drawne to consent vnto it Miriam 〈◊〉 chief â—er That shee was the first in this trespasse may appeare first because the verbe in the originall is of the Feminine gender and ioyned in construction with Miriam which serueth also to strengthen the reason Secondly she is named in the first place not preferred for honors sake for there is no honour in committing of euil but because she had the principall hand in it Thirdly because the punishment fell onely vpon her and not vpon Aaron who was euen constrained by her importunity as it were against his will to ioyne with her â—â—casions 〈◊〉 marâ—e The occasions which both of them take to exalt and magnifie themselues and to call the authority of Moses in question are double his marriage and his calling The marriage of Moses was with the woman that was a Cushite which seemeth to be no other then Zipporah the Midianite For first we reade not of her death who was brought to him by her Father immediately before the giuing of the Law Exod. â—8 5. Again it is not to be thoght that hee would marry two wiues especially being now 80. yeeres olde vnfit for any new marriage and it being contrary to the first institution Thirdly we reade of no other sons that he had but Gershom and Eliezer Exod. 2 2 22 and 4 20. 18 3. 1 Chron. 23 14 15. both which he had by Zipporah the daughter of Iethro Who this woman was that Moses maried so that woman is like to be no other then this Zipporah whom he maried when he fled out of Egypt and soiourned in Midian For the Midianites are called Cushites not that they came of Cush the eldest son of Ham Gen. 10 6. but because they possessed part of the land of Cush And it may wel be that some strife and contention arose first of all between Zipporah and Miriam a common thing vnto that sexe as fell out betweene Sarah Agar betweene Rahel and Leah and between Hannah and Peninnah and haply it might bee for place and precedency Miriam bearing her selfe bold that she was a Prophetesse and of the seede of Abraham but Zipporah a forreiner and a stranger from Israel And on the other Zipporah alledging and pretending for her selfe that shee was the wife of Moses the cheefe Gouernor of the people and therefore as the cheefe roome was due to him before other men so to her before other women The other occasion was the office and calling of Moses they enuied his dignity and authority For Genesis 13 8. as in of Abrahams house the strife arose among the herdmen of his cattel and of Lots the flame whereof burned so fast that it caught holde vpon the masters themselues and had quite consumed them had it not bene wisely timely preuented so this quarrel as a spark of fire arising among the women for the vppermost roome and cheefest seate couered for a season vnder the ashes at length brake out into a flame and caught hold of Moses against whom Miriam and Aaron stroue As if they fhould say Thou art not so great a Prophet as thou wouldest be accounted haue not the seuenty Elders the Spirit of God and the gift of prophesie as well as thou and haue not we that gift also This is amplified by a double effect one in God he heard it the other in Moses he held his
peace and said nothing giuing no occasion of this contention But before we come to the doctrines to be gathered from hence we must speake somewhat of the translation of the words and of the interpretation The words in the Originall lie thus And Miriam spake and Aaron against Moses because of the woman the Cushite whom he had marryed for he had taken to wife a Cushite The Septuagint being deceiued in turning these words Heneken tes gunaikos aithiopisses hoti gunaika aithiopissan elabe gaue occasion of errour and stumbling vnto others making the Cushites to be Ethiopians and saying that hee married an Ethiopian woman thereby mistaking this place and sundry others The vulgar Latine followed them step by step and the Geneua likewise all of them calling her an Ethiopian To this purpose I cannot passe ouer the senselesse tale of Iosephus in his Antiquities which he relateth of Moses when he is said to haue serued Pharaoh in the warres against the Ethiopians at such time as hee was brought vp in his courts as the sonne of his daughter for he transporteth Midian ouer the red sea and beyond all Egypt and setteth it in Ethiopia quite mistaking the seat of Cush The Ethiopians are directly vnder the Equinoctiall line Whether Cussi be Ethiopia or not or not farre from it but far from the land inhabited by the Cushites who are neither blacke of color nor in any sort neighbouring the Torrida Zona whereas Moses maried the daughter of Iethro Priest or Prince of Madian which is part of Arabia Petraea bordering the red sea for he fled from Pharaoh into the land of Madian Now it is manifest that Cush could not be Ethiopia but Arabia both that Arabia called the Stony of which we spake before and a part of Arabia the Happy the Desert which regions Cush and the Cushites presently planted and peopled after that they left Babylon to Nimrod wherein they first sate downe altogether But Iosephus presuming that Cush was no other then Ethiopia must needes maintaine that the wife of Moses being a Cushite was a woman of the Land of Ethiopia and therupon frameeth a formall tale that one Tharbis the daughter of the king of Ethiopia fell deepely in loue with the person and fame of Moses while hee besieged Saba her fathers chiefe citie and to the end to obtaine Moses for her husband she practised to betray her parents countrey friends and the citie it selfe and to deliuer them and her selfe into Moses hands The substance of this tale is told in this sort Ioseph Antiq. lib 2. cap. 5. While Moses was greeued that his army lay idle because the enemy besieged durst not sally out and come to handy blowes there happened this accident in the meane while The Ethiopian king had a daughter cald Tharbis who at some assaults beheld the person of Moses and withall admired his valour And knowing that Moses had not onely vpheld and restored the falling estate of the Egyptians but had also brought the conquering Ethiopians to the very brinke of subuersion these things working in her thoughts together with her owne affection which daily encreased she made meanes to send vnto him by one of her trustiest seruants to offer her selfe vnto him and become his wife which offer Moses on this condition accepted that shee should first deliuer the City into his possession wherunto she condescending and Moses hauing taken an oath to performe this contract both the one and the other were instantly performed Heere is a pleasant tale for it is no better whereof Moses hath not one word The disâ— of the 〈◊〉 Iosephâ—â— wherin are many plaine mistakings For as he is deceiued in taking Ethiopia to be the countrey of Moses his wife when indeed it was Arabia so hee erreth no lesse in naming a city of Arabia for a city of Ethiopia For Saba is not in Ethiopia but in Arabia as both Strabo and all Geographers ancient and moderne teach vs except haply Iosephus can worke miracles or rather impossibilities and perswade vs that the Queene of Saba Ma◠〈…〉 which came from the South to heare the wisedome of Salomon were a Negro or Black-Moore Againe while Moses kept the sheepe of his father in law the Priest of Madian he is saide to driue the flocke to the desart and so came to the mountaine of God in Horeb Exod. 3.1.2 Now that mount Horeb is not in Ethiopia euery child knoweth and Sinai where the law was giuen is expresly said to be in Arabia Gal. 4.25 But Horeb and Sinai were together and differ as the whole and the part Horeb being the name of that hilly coast wherein mount Sinai is situated Furthermore we find that Iethro came to Moses at Rephidim not far froÌ„ Idumea where perceiuing the insupportable gouernment of so great a multitude to lie vpon his shoulders onely as a burden too heauy for him to beare he aduised him to distribute that weighty charge among others and to make Iudges and gouernours of euery Tribe to helpe beare the burden with him Exod. 18. But if Iethro had beene an Ethiopian it had beene a very farre progresse and wearisome perambulation for him to haue passed through al Egypt with the wife and children of Moses and to haue found Moses in the borders of Idumea the Egyptians hating Moses to the death and all that fauoured him Lastly if we will beleeue Moses himselfe who spake being inspired by the Spirit of God then doubtlesse his wife was not purchased after the manner that Iosephus reporteth that is for betraying her countrey and kindred her parents and friends neither had she the name of Tharbis but of Zipporah neither was she a Negro but a Midianitish woman For Moses flying out of Egypt for feare of Pharaoh and for safety of his life came to Midian and sate downe by a Well as a man distressed and disconsolate and a stranger where he is said to haue defended the daughters of Reguel from the other sheepherds and drew them water to water their sheepe vpon which occasion he was entertained by Iethro whose daughter he married and not for any supposed betraying of townes and countries Neither is it any thing against this opinion of Moses his wife to haue bene an Arabian that the Scriptures teach vs that he married a Midianitish woman forasmuch as Madian or Midian standing on the North coast of the red sea ouer against the body of Egypt and nere Ezion Gaber where Salomon prouided his fleete for India in the region of Edom may well be reckoned as a part of Arabia as the red sea is called Sinus Arabicus Moreouer these foure nations are euerie where mixt in holy Scriptures because they dwelt confusedly together to wit the Madianites the Ismaelites the Amalekites the Cushites which were all in one generall word Arabians and in the word called sometimes by one of those names and sometimes by another as Gen. 37 25 27. 28. it is
we endure bee greeuous for the measure manifold for the number strange for the manner and long for the continuance yet if we put on the armour of a Christian it shall worke in vs experience of Gods mercy and bring forth hope of a full deliuerance which maketh not ashamed Verse 14. Thus saith thy Brother Israel Hitherto of the request sent by Moses deliuered by the Ambassadors and consented vnto by the whole congregation now we are to mark the reasons vsed to stirre vp the hearts of the Edomites The first is drawne from their nerenesse of blood and kindred in the flesh We are your Brethren Now if wee be Brethren then helpe vs But we are Brethren therefore helpe vs. The word Brother is taken in Scripture sundry waies 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 First for such as are brethren by birth as Cain Abel Iacob Esau Secondly by affinity which come of one family as branches of one roote â—s 13 8. â— 12. and streames issuing out of one fountaine so Abraham and Lot were brethren and the kinsmen of Christ are called his brethren Thirdly by Country Nation thus all the Iewes are called Brethren one to another Deut. 17.15 Rom. 9 1. Fourthly by profession thus all Christians are accounted Brethren being of the same religion and profession Now in this place it is taken in the second sence for such as were of the same kindred stocke as if they should say Wee are all the seed of Abraham we haue Abraham and Isaac to our father Thus we see they alledge their alliance communion of the same blood descending long agoe by many generations from one father Obserue here first of al the maner of their reasoning If we be Brethren of one kindred deny vs not this fauour but suffer vs to passe Where we see the strength of this reason how that to perswade some kindnes they plead some kindred Doctrine The consideration of our communion one with another must draw vs to the duties of loue one to another and beseech them by the amiable name of a Brother From hence wee learne that the consideration of our nerenesse and coniunction of blood must vrge and inforce from vs all duties of loue and brotherly kindnesse Howsoeuer we are to do good to all yet our Communion in blood should be a forcible meanes to moue vs to al duties of humanity This moued Abraham to take away the heate of contention kindled betweene his Heardmen and the Heardmen of Lot Genesis 13 8 Exodus 2 13. Let not vs I pray thee striue for we are Brethren The like we see pressed by Moses to the Israelites striuing together to the dishonor of God to the slander of their profession and to the opening of the mouthes of the enemies Sirs ye are Brethren Acts 7 26. why then do ye wrong one another This consideration was so strong that it preuailed with Laban toward Iacob saying Though thou be my brother sholdst thou therefore serue me for nought Genes 29 15. I will giue thee wages So Dauid vpon this ground expecteth kindnesse and reprooueth the Tribe of Iudah for their negligence in bringing him vnto his house Yee are my Brethren 2 Sam. 19 11 12. my bones and flesh are ye wherefore then are yee the last that bring the King againe The Reasons follow First the communion Reason 1 and fellowship of the same nature ought to moue vs to be bountifull and beneficiall vnto men because we must do to others as we wish and would that others should do vnto vs. Let vs put the case suppose we were in distresse would we not be glad to receiue good at the hands of others and would we not thinke it a duty belonging vnto them as men to releeue succor vs as men Euen so ought we in like case to doe and deale with them according to the rule of the Law and the exhortation of Christ Matth. 7 11. Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you do ye euen the same vnto them for this is the Law and the Prophets Secondly the flesh of one is as the flesh of an Reason 2 other all the world was made of one flesh so that we are as it were parts and members one of another We see in the members of our body how one is helpful and seruiceable to another when one is pained the rest are troubled when one is honored the rest reioyce So should it be in the generall communion and coniunction of mankind This is that which the Israelites affirm being oppressed by their brethreÌ„ Our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren our sons as their sons Nehem. 5 5. and therefore in this consideration they looked for the duties of kindnes and fruits of humanity to come from them The Vse of this Doctrine is first of all to reprooue those that breake these bands and Vse 1 cast these cords from them wherewith the Lord hath tyed vs one to another For where many times shall you finde lesse familiaritie and friendship one with another then among those that are most neerely linked and allied one to another Their often iarres and most deadly dissentions proclaime to their open shame that they are voide not onely of true piety but of all due humanity What a reproch is it yea what a blot and blemish that the husband setteth himselfe against the wife and the wife against the husband the father falleth out with the son and the son with the father the mother caÌ„not liue peaceably with the daughter nor the daughter with the mother the mother in law with the daughter in law nor the daughter in law with the mother in law and that the loue of brethren and sisters is so geason among vs Great is the force and strength of Nature in all such as are not wholly without naturall affections as we see in Dauid albeit he had a godlesse and vngracious childe aspiring in the pride of his heart to vsurpe the kingdome and driuing his father out of Ierusalem yet when he was slaine in the battel the King was moued and mourned saying O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had dyed for thee O Absolon my son my son 2 Sam. 18 33. The like we see in the true mother to her childe whose bowels yerned within her when Salomon called for a sword to diuide it 1 Kings 3 26. The like force of loue could not be dissembled in Ioseph toward his brethren Gen. 45 1 1. and 33 4. but he turned from them his heart melted toward them Yea cruell Esau when he saw his brother a farre off though he had threatned to kill him yet he ran to meete him and imbraced him hee kissed him and wept vpon him And yet wee now see by lamentable experience that euery toy trifle maketh debate not onely betweene deerest friends but betweene neerest Kinsfolkes that they can neuer be reconciled And as no
of God because they follow righteousnesse and do not follow them in all excesse of riot so that Whosoeuer refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a prey Esay 59 15. For albeit when GOD setteth vp mercifull Princes that rule in peace and quietnes they dare not shew the inward malice of their hearts yet hatred euermore boyleth and burneth within and in the late daies of the greeuous afflictions of the Church in the memory of many yet liuing they shewed it to the full striking many innocents with the sword that deserued not to bee touched with the scabberd They raged against yong and old learned and vnlearned rich and poore men and women children and sucklings against the liuing the dead They beate them with rods they cut out their tongues they smote them with Halberts Acts and Monuments of the Church they burned their hands with torches and their whole bodies with fire and the poore babe breaking out of the mothers belly they cast into the fire again as the brood of hereticks This is the reason added by the Prophet Psal 38 19 20 where hee sheweth wherefore the seruants of God are so much maligned not because they had holden vppe their hands to a strange god not because they had raised any tumult Psal 44 20. not because they were found in any wickednes but because they follow goodnesse A liuely image and picture of this persecuting Church we haue in Cain who slew his brother and wherefore slew he him Because his owne workes were euill and his Brothers good 1 Ioh. 3 12. And this hath bene the estate of the Church euen from righteous Abel whose blood cryed for vengeance vnto this present time Againe as their hearts are inflamed with Reason 2 rage and fury so the diuell is the bellowes to blow the coales he mooueth their minds to madnesse and mischiefe albeit they perceiue it not He is compared in Scripture to a Lyon to a Dragon to the old Serpent Reuel 12 9. Iohn 8 44. He was a murtherer from the beginning and therefore no maruell if his instruments thirst after the shedding of blood being no better then a wretched generation of cruell beasts There is nothing so sweet and pleasant to the Wolfe as to sucke the blood of the Lambes This they haue learned of him that is the father of all mischiefe murther This is noted by the Apostle Iohn Reuel 2 10. Behold it shall come to passe that the deuill shal cast some into Prison that ye may be tried For in all persecutions although the deuill bee not seene to worke and contriue the plot yet he is the grand Captaine and cheefe agent It was Cain that lifted vp his hand against his brother but it was the diuel that set him on worke It was Iudas one of the twelue that with a kisse betrayed his master but it was the diuel that first Put it into his heart Lu. 22 3. Here then is a great mystery and deepe secret to be considered We thinke men to bee Actors of all mischiefe but indeed it is the diuell in them Ahabs false Prophets bad him go vp against Ramoth Gilead and prosper 1 Kings 22.6 22. but it was a false and lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets that inticed him and them to theyr destruction Ananias and Sapphira sold a possession and kept away part of the price but it was Satan that had filled their heart that they should lye vnto the holy Ghost Act. 5 2 3. Elymas the sorcerer withstoode the Ministers of God and hindred the course of the Gospel neyther embracing the faith him selfe nor suffering them that would imbrace it but it was because hee was an enemy of all righteousnesse and the childe of the diuell Act. 13 10. The Sabeans tooke away the Oxen the Chaldeans fel vpon the Camels the fire of God burned vp the sheep of Iob his sons daughters were eating and drinking in their elder brothers house and loe a vehement and violent winde smote the foure corners thereof that it fell vpon all of them and slew them but Satan had an Oare in this boat he was the master workman that gaue to euery one his task Iob 1 12. For whosoeuer is the instrument the diuell is the principall mouer and procurer of all euill and trouble vnto the Church of God Vse 1 The Vses are these First maruell not at all if the Church ly vnder many great crosses and afflictions insomuch that the ploughers plough vpon their backes and make long furrowes For they haue many and mighty enemies that plot crafty counsels against them and seeke to sucke out their heart blood and to draw out their last breath Many Controuersies and contentions arise in the world for things of this life for houses for lands for possessions and inheritances for slanders and trespasses whereby many actions are brought and many suites commenced betweene party party from whence much hatred and great hartburning oftentimes ensueth but there is no hatred like to that which commeth for matters of religion no bands of affinity or of consanguinity can tie them together as our Sauiour teacheth Matth. 10 34 35 36. I came not to send peace into the earth but the sword for I am come to set a man at variance against his Father and the daughter against the mother and a mans enemies shall be they of his owne houshold Yee shall be betrayed also of your parents and of your bretheren and kinsmen and friends and some of you shall they put to death and ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake All questions and quarrels among men for temporal and transitory things finde easie meanes of reconcilement either the Iudge doth iudge them or Arbitrators determine them or friends do end them or the parties themselues wearied with costs and charges in suites of Law doe grow to an agreement composition but the rage of the vngodly set on fire of hell is vnappeaseable no boundes of reason no bands of nature no chaines of Law can tye them or tame them whence once they haue set themselues against the truth of God The cause of this hurly burly and of these persecutions is not properly in Christ or in the Gospel of Christ For hee is the Prince of peace and his Gospel is the Gospel of peace preached vnto them that were a farre off and to them that were neere Ephe. 2 17. But the true cause of al these dissentions and troubles in the world is the malice of the diuell and the hatred of that world against Christ and against his Gospel Here is the cause of diuision and disagreement that the wicked man is abhomination to the iust and he that is vpright in his way is abhomination to the wicked Here is the right and proper cause of mortall hatred that the wicked beareth and breatheth out against the godly Hence came the Popish Canon and conclusion Concil Const That faith is not to bee
their enemies We do oftentimes feare enemies and inuasion by enimies but wee feare not that which bringeth in the enemies and openeth them a free passage to spoile and destroy without compassion to wit sinne So long as wee walke with our God and are reconciled vnto him we are vnder Gods protection and hee is a Buckler round about vs 〈◊〉 3 3. we are in league with the stones of the streete and the beasts of the field For if God he on our side who shall be against vs Rom. 8 31. If then the Ministery of the word be as a brazen wall and the Ministers thereof stand in the breach betweene the liuing the dead to turne away the wrath of GOD when his iudgements runne through the Land Nu. 16 47 48 Psal 106 23 there is great cause to bee humbled when God pulleth from the Church and Commonwealth so great posts and pillars that helpe to hold them vp Againe it is a signe of Gods wrath heauie Reason 2 displeasure and a fore-runner of a farther iudgement When God tooke away the good and godly King Iosiah a nursing father of the Church that reformed religion in his young and tender yeres sought vnto the Lord 2 Kings 21 19 hūmbled himselfe before him and wept when hee heard the threatnings denounced against the land he spared not Ierusalem and the inhabitants thereof long after If there be a good Pastor in the church if a good Prince in the land if a good Magistrate in town or city if a good Master in a family and God take him away ther is cause to lift vp our voice by mourning weeping and great lamentation this being a token of Gods displeasure a sign of taking his former mercies from vs so that the seeing and feeling of Gods wrath in bereauing vs of such as might do good along time publikely or priuately ought to be no smal greefe to vs. The prophet teacheth that when God hath any vengeance ready to be poured vpon a people hee taketh away the righteous from the plague as he did Lot out of Sodome saying The righteous perisheth Esay 57 1. and no man considereth it in heart and merciful men are taken away from the euill to come Therefore when God taketh excellent and principall members from the rest of the body it is as a threatning alwaies to those that are left behind and an euident testimonie to them that they are vnworthy of their company and presence as the Apostle declareth That the world was not woorthy of those faithfull men that shined as lights in the midst of a froward crooked generation Heb. 11 38. So then it is a right mourning and wel ordered greefe when we lament the taking away of good men endued with the graces of the Spirit which haue liued in the feare of God and done notable seruice in the Church or Commonwealth Let vs apply this point to our instruction Vse 1 edification First it serueth to condemne the Stoicall senslesnesse and blockishnesse of such as take it to be a part of manhood courage to be affected with nothing to be greeued at nothing It is lawfull to mourne for the dead so did Abraham the Father of the faithfull for Sara Genesis 23 2. nay so did Christ the head of the church in whom was no sinne 1 Peter ◠22. neyther guile found in his mouth mourne for Lazarus 1 Thess 4 13. These lamented the dead but not the state of the deade which they knew to bee most comfortable to all the faithfull as the Apostle teacheth Reu. 14.13 Blessed are they that dy in the Lord for they rest from their labors and their works follow them In regard wherof Reuel 14 13. Paul warneth the Thessalonians concerning them that are asleepe that they sorrow not euen as they which haue no hope 1 Thess 4 13. True it is we cannot so renounce or reforme our affections but that there wil be alwaies somewhat worthy of blame and fault in vs in our mirth and mourning in our loue and hatred in our hope and feare in our anger and such like passions and we finde it the hardest thing in the world to keep the mean between excesse and defect betweene too much too little yet it is absurd to dreame of such a kind of dulnesse and stupidity as ouer-turneth humane nature and cannot be found in flesh and blood yea standeth not with the condition of mankinde as he was created or as he became corrupted For so long as man remaineth in this life he cannot bee voide of affections and perturbations or bee senslesse like stockes or stones albeit wise men are to moderate their passions that Reason remaine mistresse of the soule as it were the gouernor of the house Wherefore wee must know that Christian Religion doth not abolish naturall affections or pull them vp by the roots but onely doeth moderate them and keepe them that they ouer flow not the bankes and doth bring them in subiection vnto the will of God So the Apostle as wee heard before did not forbid the Church to sorrow for the dead but putteth as it were a bridle into their hands only restraineth immoderate sorrow Againe he doth not absolutely condemne and reproue al anger and indignation conceiued in the heart but represseth the excesse abundance thereof Ephes 4 25. as a wise Physitian that seeketh to purge the ouer-flowing of choller And in another place hee doth not condemne weeping in aduersity or reioycing in prosperity but hee requireth that they which weepe 1 Cor. 7 30. bee as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not Furthermore Christ our Sauiour doeth not forbid the louing of Father and Mother of wife and children of brethren and sisters as that which standeth with the law of God and man but onely ordereth it aright bringeth it into his compasse saying Hee that loueth father or mother more then mee Matth. 10 37. is not worthy of mee and he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me is not worthy of me Thus then we are taught to vse temperance and moderation in all the affaires of our life in speaking or holding our peace in ioy or in sorrow that wee giue not scope to our vnbrideled affections but alwaies order and dispose them as there is iust cause Vse 2 Secondly it condemneth such as are bereft of all sense and feeling of such greeuous iudgments of God Alas how can such assure thēselues to bee true members of Christs body For tell me Can a man lose a principall part of his body as his eye his hand his foot and not be greeued Or can a man be depriued of thē and make a sport of it as at a play or pastime Euen so such as in the suffering of the members of the Church do reioyce 1 Cor. 12 25.26
peace dwelled in our houses possessed our inheritances enioyed our lands and goods thus long but for the faithfull seruants of God who mind the peace of Sion Doubtlesse he would not spare the world one minute and moment of time but for the godly Hee would haue spared the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha 〈◊〉 18.32 if ten righteous persons had bin found in them For the faiths sake of Rahah who hid the spies and sent them out another way 〈◊〉 26. hee spared her kindred and her fathers house For the faith of Lot whose righteous soule was vexed day by day in seeing and hearing the vnclean conuersation of those sinfull men he would haue saued his sonnes in law 〈◊〉 12 that should haue married his daughters For Pauls sake a chosen vessel to beare the Name of God to the Gentiles he gaue freely those that sailed with him and saued their liues 〈◊〉 â—4 Thus wee see that for the godly he beareth with the vngodly but when they are safe and sealed in the forehead then iudgement shall come vpon the wicked Contrariwise a nation a cittie a towne an house and family is cursed for the society and company of the wicked The Israelites could not prosper at the siege of Ai so long as Achan was among them The Sea could not be calme the ship could not be safe the Marriners could not be at rest so long as vnrepentant and vnreformed Ionah was a burden vnto it for he said vnto them Take me and cast me into the Sea so shall the waues worke no more so troublesomely for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Wherefore it is a sweet and comfortable thing to bee in the number of the faithfull wee haue benefite by the prayers of the Church which pierce the eares of God and bring downe his blessings in great aboundance Verse 8. And the Lord said vnto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent We heard before how the people repented of their sinnes and how Moses prayed for pardon Now see how God remooueth his hand Psal 103.9 He will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer hee doth not deale with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our iniquities Indeed he sheweth oftentimes his seuere iudgments but so soone as the sinner is humbled hee receiueth him to mercy the sinne is pardoned and the punishment is remooued Doctrine God is merciful to greeuous sinners when they are penitent The doctrine from hence is this that God is mercifull to all penitent sinners Repentance once going before mercy followeth after albeit we sinne greeuously against him This the Prophet teacheth in the Name of God Esay 1.18 Ezek. 18.21 22 23. and 33.11 Dauid sinned exceedingly in numbring the people for which God sent a pestilence three dayes in Israel that many thousands dyed yet when his heart smote him that he said I haue sinned exceedingly 2 Sa. 24 17.18 1 Chr. 21.15 17. I haue done wickedly but these sheep what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee bee against mee and against my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction the Lord repented him of the euill and said to the Angel that destroyed It is enough let thine hand ceasse Let vs consider the reasons of Gods merciful Reason 1 dealing which are first the comfort and releefe of his people that none should to the end of the world despaire of obtaining of mercy For the mercy of God in Christ is aboue all his workes which he extendeth to thousands it is infinite without measure Hee pardoneth such offenders to make them examples to others of Gods great mercy hee receiueth them to fauour and remitteth their offences not onely to manifest his mercy to the offender himselfe but to teach others to resort and repaire vnto him for pardon and forgiuenesse When the Prophet testifieth that by acknowledging his sinne vnto God and confessing his wickednesse against himself he obtained the remission of his sinne and punishment of sinne he addeth immediately Therefore shall euery one that is godly Psal 32.5 6. make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest bee found This is the reason that the Apostle toucheth 1 Tim. 1. teaching that he was receiued to mercy for this cause That Iesus Christ shold first shew on him all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life So then from these and such like examples of great sinners that haue obtained much mercy we likewise should be assured of the goodnesse of God for our saluation whensoeuer wee can bee brought to beleeue the Gospel repent from dead works Secondly the consideration of the nature Reason 2 of God ministreth a strong and inuincible reason to gaine our affections to yeeld to this truth For his mercy is aboundant and his goodnesse is infinite It surmounteth the reach and vnderstanding of all mortall men It passeth the highnesse of the heauens the depth of the earth the breadth of the Sea the power of the diuel the strength of the Law the measure of the whole world and nothing can be compared with the perfections of the Almighty Iob 11.7 8 9. Paul who before his conuersion to the faith which he sought to destroy was a blasphemer a Persecuter an oppresser maketh this the cause why he was receiued to mercy The grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue 1 Tim. 1.14 which is in Christ Iesus that is giuing vnto me faith that chased away infidelity and loue that ouercame cruelty So the Lord maketh this the chiefe and principall cause why he spared that rebellious and idolatrous people The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne Vse 1 The vses follow of this doctrine First we learne that there is no sinne that doth exceed the mercy of God None can say without iniury against his owne soule without reproach against God and giuing the lie to the glorious Maiestie of God My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen True it is there is an vnpardonable sinne Mat 12.31 that shall neuer bee forgiuen either in this world or in the world to come the blasphemy against the Spirit but that is because they cannot relent or repent that commit it they are so farre gone that they can neuer returne backe againe not because God is not able to forgiue it or that it doth exceed the mercies of God Seeing then vile sinners finde such infinite and vnspeakeable mercie let vs neuer despaire or doubt of his mercy fauor though we be suddenly ouertaken through infirmitie and fall into diuers and greeuous sinnes He hath mercy in store for such as haue beene exceeding sinners against him If they can repent of their sinnes his mercies are as great as himselfe Consider the examples of Peter that denyed
of the purpose of Esau Genes 27 41 46 that when the dayes of mourning for his father shold come he would slay his brother beeing desirous to preserue them both but especially Iacob conueyeth him out of the danger she goeth and alledgeth that the daughters of Heth were a greefe of minde and a wearinesse of life vnto her and so sendeth him away from his fathers house for a season She pretendeth the cause to be to take a wise at Padan Aram but concealeth her principall purpose from her Husband and dealeth not only lawfully but wisely and politickly The like we see in Paul perceyuing a dissention in the assembly and a diuision in iudgment amongst his accusers consisting of two parts one of the Pharisies that held the immortality of the soule and the resurrection of the body the other of the Saduces which denyed the one and the other he tooke the occasion and opportunity by his calling and cryed out in the Councell Men and Brethren 〈◊〉 3 6 7 8 I am a Pharisie the sonne of a Pharisie I am accused of the hope and resurrection of the dead whereby he set a rent among them and by that meanes the knot was broken and so theyr malice was abated A lawfull cause and a wise course bring a blessing with them vpon those that delight to follow them A good cause well and wisely handled shall finde a comfortable yssue in the end This we shall attaine vnto if wee make the word of God our Counsellers Ps 119 24 98 99 100. The Prophet found by experience that by his commandements he was made more wise thē his enemies more learned then his teachers more skilfull then the ancient For whosoeuer doth submit himselfe to Gods word shall not onely be safe against the practises of his enemies but also learne him more wisedom then the masters and professors of it Secondly it is our duty to pray vnto God Vse 2 to bee deliuered from them and trust in him for his helpe For vnlesse our helpe bee in the name of the Lord which hath made heauen and earth they will go beyond vs and ouer-reach vs. They deale warily and circumspectly they worke by all meanes lawfull and vnlawfull iust and vniust let it be our wisedom therefore to trust in the wise God and to beg this grace at his hands as the Apostle Iames teacheth chap. 1 5 We must neuer looke to liue in peace or that the world should be reconciled vnto vs neuer maruell as if some strange thing did befall vs when the enemies set their wittes on worke to deuise some mischeefe our refuge must be in God in the time of trouble It is our helpe to craue this helpe This was the hope of Dauid whē mighty buls closed him and the roaring Lyons gaped vpon him he desired God not to bee farre from him because trouble was neere for there was none to helpe him Be not far off O Lord my strength hasten to help me deliuer my soule from the sword my desolate soule from the power of the Dog Psal 22 11 12. So the Apostle craueth the prayers of the Church 2 Thes 3 1 2. So long as we make God our trust and refuge in our affliction be our enimies neuer so cunning and wise wee shall not fall downe vnder the burthen but stand vpright thorough the power and wisedome of God who shall catch the crafty in their owne craft destroy the wisedome of the wise and cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Iob 5 12. Esay 29 14 1 Cor. 1 19. Thus Dauid prayeth to the Lord 2 Sam. 15 31. O Lord I pray thee turn the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishnes This the Lord heard and brought his heauy iudgement vpon his counsell and person for his counsel was crossed by another hee himselfe was hanged by his owne hand The like we see in Herod in whom wee may behold exceeding craftinesse ioyned with extreame sottishnes and his fury ouercome by excessiue foolishnes How easie a remedy had hee at hand either to haue gone himselfe seeing he supposed it to concern his crowne and kingdome or to haue sent some of his Courtiers vnder colour of accompanying the wise men and so hee could not haue doubted to catch him in his clawes But the wise men go alone Matth. 2 8 9. hee neyther detayneth them with him nor sendeth any with them Thus the Lord from time to time deliuereth his Church from the paw of the Lyon from the tuske of the Bore from the horne of the Vnicorn and striketh all their enemies with the spirit of giddines and astonishment that they become foolish and cannot see the way before them He scattereth the deuices of the crafty so that theyr hands cannot accomplish that which their harts haue enterprized An excellent and sweet comfort to all the seruants of God not to feare the high reaches deepe deuices of their enemies seeing they serue that wise God which taketh the wise in theyr craftines and maketh the counsel of the wicked foolish Vse 3 Lastly this serueth to reproue two sorts of men that esteeme not aright of this worldly wisedome of wicked men For some are offended at their wisedome because it is so great others rest contented in it because it is so excellent This is the weaknes and infirmity of the children of God when they see the glory prosperity and wisedome of worldly men that they are able to reach so farre and ouer-reach by theyr policies many others they are ready to account them the happyest men to ioyne with them and to say Certainly we haue cleansed our hearts in vaine and washed our hands in innocency Psal 73 13. For though they talke presumptuously set theyr mouth against heauen yea and their tongue walketh through the earth yet God hath set them in slippery places and casteth them downe into desolation Looke vpon the wicked liues and wretched deaths of the great wise men of the world that were deepe wise men in their own eyes and in the eyes of the world but not in God nor with the godly and wee shall see they haue bene sodainly destroyed and horribly consumed Looke vpon the example of Pharaoh Saul Ahithophel Herod Haman such like and tell me whether thou wouldest haue their fearfull ends for all theyr naturall gifts and exchange the wisedome of the Spirit for all theyr worldly wisedome The true wisedome which is from aboue Iames 3 17. is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruites without iudging and without hypocrisie Who then is a wise man indeede and endued with knowledge euen such an one as sheweth by good conuersation his workes in meeknes of wisedome As for the cunning heads of the world and such as haue nothing in them but humane and prophane wisedome they may for a time haue the applause and praise of men but they and their policies shall come in the end to nothing This wisedome
commit euill This the Scripture setteth before vs in the sinne of Iezabel who was a furtherer of Ahabs wickednesse when his couetous eye lusted after Nabothes Vineyard she sayde vnto him 1 Kings 2 17. Doest thou sway the Scepter rule the kingdome and manage the State Arise and eate bread I will giue thee the Vineyard and afterward she moued him to go and take possession This is likewise set downe in Prouer. 1 11. where he expresseth the sinne of seducers This also appeareth further in Iosephs brethren plotting his ouerthrow Come let vs slay him and cast him into some pit and wee will say a wicked beast hath deuoured him c. Gen. 37 20. So did Pharaoh counsell and encourage the Egyptians to deale wisely with the Israelites lest they multiply and it come to passe that if there be war they should ioyne themselues with their enemies and get them out of the Land Exod. 1 10. This we see also in Ahithophel who rebelled with Absolon against Dauid and fearing the reconcilement of the sonne to the father and thereby his owne iust confusion for his vniust rebellion he gaue such counsell as if it had bene Oracle thereby to take away all hope of agreement attonement betweene them Go in to thy fathers Concubines which hee hath left to keepe the house and when all Israel shall heare thou art abhorred of thy father the hands of all that are with thee shall bee strong 2 Sam. 16 21. So the high Priests mooued the people to desire that Barrabas might be deliuered rather then Christ Marke 15 11 perswaded Iudas for a summe of mony to betray him gathered themselues in a councell to put him to death and enticed the soldiours with large rewards to noise it abroad that his disciples came by night and stole him away while they slept Mat. 28 12. The Reasons follow And first of all it is to Reason 1 be considered that it is one of the titles of the diuell to be a tempter It is one of his names to note vnto vs his nature for hee is called the Tempter because his continuall study desire hath bene is and will be by al the means hee can to tempt all men hee omitteth no times hee spareth no paines he leaueth no meanes vnassayed to draw men from God to bring them to destruction This the Apostle teacheth 1 Thes 3 5. I sent to know of your faith lest the Tempter had tempted you in any sort So he tempted Euah in the beginning throgh his subtilty to eate of the forbidden fruite and beguiled her through hipocrisie 2 Cor. 11 3. So he tempted Christ to draw him into infidelity to distrust and to presumption and the Euangelist sayeth The Tempter came vnto him Matth. 4 3. Wherefore this being a note and property of the diuell such as craftily seduce others vnto wickednes or holde them backe from godlynes such as keepe men from the loue or practise of Religion and hinder the meanes wherby it is fostered and furthered in them are become tempters and the very children of the diuell The qualities of the diuell are found in them they beare his marke they are stamped with his image and they doe notoriously resemble their father so that we may say truely of such and to such as Christ speaketh to the Iewes Iohn 8 44. Ye are of your father the diuell Thus when Elimas sought to turne away the Deputy from the faith Paul calleth him an enemy to all righteousnesse full of all subtilty and childe of the diuell Acts 13 10. It must needs bee a great sinne that maketh the diuels kinsmen yea diuels incarnate Reason 2 Secondly from euill counsels follow most dangerous effects as filthy puddles from an vncleane fountaine From hence many times proceed idolatry adultery rebellion murther robbery false testimonies and all manner of euill works This might be amplified by sundry examples The daughters of Lot lately deliuered as a small remnant out of the destruction of Sodome the fire whereof was yet scarcely quenched saide one to another Come we will make our father drinke wine and lie with him that we may preserue seed of our father for our father is olde and there is not a mans in the earth to come in vnto vs after the manner of all the earth Gen. 19 32 and from this wicked counsell of the daughter followed horrible incest of the father The like we see in Ionadab a subtle companion who beholding Amnon the Kings sonne become so leane and perceiuing he fell in loue or rather in lust with his sister Tamar saide vnto him Lie downe on thy bed 2 Sam. 13 5. and make thy selfe sicke and when thy father shall come to thee say vnto him I pray thee let my sister Tamar come and giue me meate and let her dresse meat in my sight c. and from this diuellish counsell followed also detestable incest Vse 1 The vses follow First we may gather from hence another truth to be diligently marked namely that mischieuous counsell shall fall out to the greatest mischiefe of the first contriuer and deuiser of it It is as a stone that shall rowle vpon him that first moued stirred it It is as a sword which with the rebounding of the stroke shall returne with great violence to wound him that first did draw it This we see in the history of malicious Haman who thought to haue glutted himselfe satisfied his long thirst with the blood of the Iewes he tooke counsell with his wife and all his friends and they perswaded him to make a tree of fifty cubites high and to speak vnto the King that Mordecai might be hanged theron Ester 5 14. This was the counsell but it became a snare to intrap the counsellor Hee made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the pit which he made Psal 7 15. Daniel by the subtle suggestion of the Rulers of the kingdome and counsellors of the King was cast into the den of Lyons because he was found too faithfull to God but Daniel was deliuered the mouthes of the Lyons were stopped and his accusers by the iust iudgement of God commandement of the King were deuoured by those Lyons Dan. 6 24. This should serue to giue wisedome and warning to al men and to terrifie them from plotting euill deuises from perswading vnto wickednesse God will finde them out in their owne wayes and pay them the wages of their owne works Thus will the Lord be knowne by executing iudgement vpon these tempters and enticers to vngodlinesse Psal 9 18. so that the wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands and his foote is taken in the same net which he hid for another It is vnpossible as we see in continuall experience that such masters of mischiefe should escape vnpunished Secondly we see they are greatly deceiued Vse 2 and wander wide out of the way that thinke themselues excused and exempted from sinne if they do not execute
but run into all wickednes We see then what holdeth out and letteth in the flood of vngodly-lines into a place be it kingdome city house family or particular person if the fear of God be there the wall is strong the banke is sure the waues of an euill life cannot ouerflow if it be not there nothing is so horrible and vnnaturall but it wil enter and it shall easily be entertained Happy is that place and blessed that person wherein this feare is and cursed where this wanteth For as the banke doth keepe the water from ouerflowing so doth the feare of God in man or woman hold out the floods inundations of sin that it ouerspreadeth not as otherwise it would A notable proof of this appeareth in the midwiues mentioned in Exodus ch 1 17 when Pharaoh commanded them to kill euery male childe that was born of the Israelitish women what was it that kept out this most cruell murther from heart and hand but this reuerent feare of God more then of man and of his commandement more then of the decree of the King for so sayth the Scripture The midwiues feared God and therefore did not as the king had charged thē This feare made Ioseph that hee durst not sin against his master when he was tempted nor against his bretheren by whom he had bene iniuried Gen. 39 9. and 50 19. This feare is the beginning of wisedome and a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for euer Psal 111.10 Vse 2 Secondly we see that they which make no conscience to serue God and to performe the parts of his worship in the exercises of religion can performe aright no duties to men in any sincerity or simplicity Such as haue no religion in them are giuen ouer to al licentiousnes they are alwayes iustly to bee doubted worthily to bee suspected and hardly to bee trusted we are not to looke for good dealing to come from them for conscience sake more then by constraint or necessity or for the praise or applause of the world For how can any man suppose that that son will be dutifull to a stranger that is rebellious and disobedient to his naturall father Or that the seruant wil be true and trusty to another who hath plaid the theefe and false varlet to his own master God is our Father the Lord is our master Malachi 1 ◠if any man haue no care to serue him to obey him to fear him how can it be expected that he shold deale vprightly with men discharge a good conscience toward them There are no duties of the second table accepted where obedience to the first table is not performed So then no trust is to be giuen no truth to bee looked for of such as are idolaters and haue no religion at all in them The Prophet Micah complaining of the prophanenesse of the Iewes that the good were perished out of the land and the righteous from among men saith The best of them is a abriar and the most righteous of them is a thornie hedge Trust ye not a friend neither put yee confidence in a counseller keepe the doores of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome for the sonne reuileth the father the daughter riseth vppe against her mother the daughter in law against her Mother in law and a mans enemies are the men of his owne house Mic. 7 5. This place is applyed by our Sauiour Christ against such as shall hate the Gospell to trust such too far though neuer so neere vs in the flesh will bring repentance when it is too late Lastly we learn Vse that the best way to bring a people to be obedient and well ordered for their outward carriage is to worke in them the knowledge of religion If we wold haue children in their places to be dutifull seruants to be trusty and both of them to bee subiect to such as are set ouer them behold here the ready way and the right course that is to bee taken with them we must plant in them the fear of the Lord. It is a common complaint to crie out of the iniquities of times to inueigh against the stubbornnes of children vnfaithfulnes of seruants but in the meane season we consider not wher the cause lyeth how it is to be amended and redressed The cheefe and principall occasion of all houshold disorder is the want of Christian instruction Youth are like to the potters clay fit to bee framed into any fashion or like the soft waxe that is ready to receyue any impression If they be suffered to runne on without godly education to vvax ripe in sinne as they grovv strong in age they vvill sooner breake like the old tree then bend like a tender twigge Abraham is commended by the mouth of GOD for this care Gen. 18 19 he had an excellent family a blessed Isaac an obedient wife and trustie seruants euery one knew his duty euery one was found faithfull in his calling How dutifull Isaac was appeareth in the preparation that Abraham made to offer him vp as a burnt Offering to God according to the commandement of God Gen. 22 9 which was a great triall of a great faith by a great worke he did not rebell and resist his father but suffered himselfe willingly to be bound quietly to be layd vpon the Altar and patiently made himselfe ready to endure the stroake of the knife How obedient Sara was is notably shewed herein in that Abraham hauing receyued an expresse commandement to goe out of his countrey from his kindred and from his fathers house vnto a land which God would shew him shee waited not for a speciall calling to warrant her Gen. 12.1 nor asked counsell of her corrupt affections but followed him whither soeuer he went and was a comfortable companion with him in all his afflictions Hence it is that the Apostle Peter setteth her forth as a worthy paterne for all women to looke vpon 1 Pet. 3 6. After this manner in times past did the holy women which trusted in God attire thēselues and were subiect to their husbands as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Sir whose daughters ye are whiles ye do well not being afraid of any terror And touching the trustines of his seruants we may see it by their readinesse to arme themselues and hazard their liues to recouer Lot that was taken prisoner and by the imploiment of the Steward of his house to fetch a wife for his sonne Isaac whose deuotion towards God whose loue towards his master whose faithfulnes towards Isaac whose conscience in his place is plainly reuealed in the word of God Gen. 14 14. 24 2. The like we might profitably obserue in Cornelius Act 10 7 he feared God with all his houshold therefore when he was willed by the Angel to send for Peter whereby he might bee further instructed with his family hee had a faythfull souldier whom he imployed
body when Nature hath any euill and vnprofitable humours that oppresse the stomack it is forced to cast them out for the preseruation of the health of other parts so should it be with vs when we perceiue the family greatly endangered by obstinate and obdurate persons Leuit. 18 25. it should vomite them out as raw and vndigested humours by timely eiection left the whole head waxe heauy and the whole body sickly and so the vital parts languish Lastly seeing it is dangerous for vs to haue Vse 4 fellowship with the wicked let vs auoid their company and flye their society as from an infectious and contagious disease This is that vse which the Scripture maketh in sundry places The Prophet Ieremy teacheth this ch 51 9. We would haue cured Babel but shee could not be healed forsake her and let vs goe euery one into his Countrey for her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen and is lifted vp to the Clouds Hereunto accordeth the exhortation of the Apostle when he had shewed that there is no concord and agreement betweene Christ and Belial he addeth Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord and touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a Father vnto you and ye shall be my soâ—nes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6 17. We must all know that sinne is of an infectious nature no disease so infectious no sicknesse so dangerous In the time of plague and pestilence the Physitians giue these rules and receits as directions to be followed of such as would be free from danger First that men flye with al speed secondly that they flye farre enough lastly 1. Citâ— longe â—arde that they returne slowly When the ayre is once infected dangerously no remedy can be deuised to secure vs. These rules are to be applyed of vs as carefully in regard of the welfare of the soule as we are willing to practise them in regard of the health of the body The plague that breaketh out into a sore and runneth full of corruption is no more contagious and venemous then the wicked are neyther doth it more annoy the ayre then the wicked infect those places wherein they are and those persons with whom they liue This the Prophet Dauid did see and confesse which caused him at sundry times to complaine Away from me yee wicked for I will keepe the Commandements of my God Psal 119 115. For we must consider how hard it is to auoyd sinne when occasion is at hand and opportunity tempteth to sinne It is easier for the bird to passe by the net then to breake the net so it is easier for a man to auoyde tentations then to ouercome tentations It is a great deale easier to auoyde their company then to stand vpright in their company Peter thought himselfe a strong man and auouched with great boldnes that he would rather dye then deny his Master Mat. 26 35 but yet warming himselfe at Caiphas fire and thrusting himselfe into euil company was ouercome by a silly damosell to doe that which hee neuer thought euen to renounce and forsweare his Lord and Master He had made a notable confession of his faith hee had acknowledged Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God Mat. 16 16 and that he had the words of eternall life Iohn 6 68 yet the company of euill persons foyled him Are we better then he or are we stronger then he or haue wee a greater priuiledge from falling then he This serueth to checke the folly and rashnesse of those that haunt wicked company and drunken ale-houses and yet say we are in no danger we will looke to our wayes that we offend not we can leaue such places wheÌ„ we list This is to check the word to giue Gods Spirit the lye who in euery place warneth vs of our weaknesse This presumption is the certaine fore-runner of a fall The first step that bringeth vs downe is to be puffed vp in the opinion of our owne strength as Salomon saith Prou. 16 18. Pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall Likewise the Apostle putteth vs in remembrance heereof where remembring the manifold downefals of the people of Israel consumed by the pestilence stung by the serpents and destroyed by the Angel he maketh this vse Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10 12. It is a part of the armour wherewith the seruants of God are armed made able to stand in time of tentation to feare themselues and to acknowledge their owne weaknesse for thereby they are made more wary and circumspect to looke to their wayes that they offend not So it is the beginning of our ruine the first degree by which we fall to thrust our selues into places of danger and yet thinke we haue a sure footing For what calling haue we to goe into such places Or what warrant can we haue to be protected of God while wee wander out of our calling So long as wee walke in the wayes that God hath set vs in we haue a promise of his protection and wee haue comfort in the doing of our duties but when we passe the boundes and limits of our particular vocations we haue God no longer to be our defender but we lye open as a prey to the enemy to wound vs to death and to worke our confusion Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel We haue seene before the sin of the people now let vs heare also the punishment Their sinne was pleasant in the beginning but it was bitter in the ending verifying the saying of the wise man Prou. 16 25. There is a way that seemeth right vnto a man but the yssues thereof are the wayes of death Hence it is that Moses sheweth in this place how the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel so soone as they fell into fornication So then furnicators and adulterers are heere remembred to be great sinners and very hurtfull and noysome vnto the people of God From hence we learne that adulterers and vncleane persons Doctrine Fornication calleth doâ— great plaguâ— iudgmenâ— draw vpon themselues and others fearefull iudgements of God I say no sinne is more strong and auayleable to call downe the plagues and punishments of almighty God vpon a people and company or vpon particular persons then fornication and vncleannesse This was the chiefe sin among others that brought the flood vpon the whol earth and destroyed all mankinde Gen. 6 1. What was it that caused the Lord to raine downe fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Gomorrhâ— Gen. 19 25. and to ouerthrow the Cities of the Plaine and the inhabitants therof and all that grew vpon the earth but their filthy and vnnaturall lust which was growne so outragious that the sauour thereof ascended vp to heauen and the cry of their sinnes pierced the eares of God When Abimelech did in
who afterward was reckoned amongst the sonnes of Midian that were slaine by Moses Numbers 31 8. These names of the two persons are singled out amongest the rest vnto their perpetuall infamy and reproach For as the names of the righteous are registred and remembred to their euerlasting praise so the name of the vngodly shal rot Prou. 10 ver 7. Their families are fingled out that part of the disgrace and dishonour should blemish them to humble them and to instruct them to nourish sinne in none of their kindred Their high place is singled out to teach that GOD the Iudge of all the world iudgeth without respect of persons and that all men of what credite and countenance soeuer should feare before him Verse 7. And when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest saw it hee rose vp c. This holy man of God slew the adulterer and the adulteresse with a speare If he had beene a meere priuate man this shedding of blood had beene vnlawfull in him howsoeuer they deserued it But the Spirit of God was his direction and hee had a secret calling to be to him as a sure safe warrant So then albeit priuate persons may put no maÌ„ to death as appeareth in the Commandement Exod. 20 13 yet such as are warranted from God are his Officers and Magistrates Doctrine Actions in â—hemselues vnlawful are by a calling made lawfull We learne from hence that actions which of themselues and in their own nature are vnlawfull vnseemely and against humanity by a calling from God become lawfull warrantable and necessary This speciall calling giuen vnto speciall men is sometimes outward and sometimes inward The inward calling is when God by the motion of his Spirit moueth the heart to doe some speciall worke against the ordinary rules that he left to the rest of the sonnes of men Heereof we haue plentifull examples in the booke of Iudges in those whom God extraordinarily raised vp to saue his people and to destroy their enemies WheÌ„ Eglon King of Moab oppressed Israel kept them in great slauery and subiection as a tyrant and vsurper the Lord stirred vp Ehud Iudg. 3 15 16. who made him a Dagger with two edges conueyed it closely vnder his garment and when opportunity serued he thrust it into his belly and flew him This action had beene sinfull without this calling for though Eglon were an oppressour yet the killing of him had not beene warrantable The like we see afterward in the same booke set before vs in the example of Sampson for there we see he tooke to wife an vncircumcised Philistim Iudg. 14 and 15 and 16 he tyed firebrands to the Foxes tayles to burne their Corne he carried away the gates of Azzah he slew many with the iaw-bone of an Asse pulled down the house of Dagon whereby hee killed the Princes people and himselfe He was inwardly called and commanded to doe these works of God For when he spake to his father to giue him one of the daughters of the Philistims to wife that pleased him well his father and his mother faide vnto him Is there neuer a wife among the daughters of thy brethren and among all thy people that thou must goe take a wife of the vncircumcised Philistims For they knew not that it came of the Lord that hee should seeke an occasion against the Philistims Iudg. chapter 14 verse 4. The same we noted before in Moses slaying the Egyptian which fact howsoeuer some condemne as vnlawfull both because he was not appointed a Iudge ouer that people but was a priuate man and because he seemed to passe the bounds of iustice supposing he were a Magistrate punishing the smiting of a blow Exod. 2 12 with the taking away of life seeing God commanded a tooth for a tooth Exod. 21 24 wound for wound and blow for blow yet it appeareth by the words of Stephen that GOD had giuen him commission and endued him with authority to deliuer the Israelites and to auenge their iniuries when he saith He supposed his brethren would haue vnderstood that God by his hand shold giue them deliuerance but they vnderstood it not Acts chap. 7 25. Againe when Moses had receiued the Law in the Mount written with the finger of God and beeing come downe had seene the molten Calfe Hee tooke the two Tables and cast them out of his two hands and brake them before their eyes Deut. chap. 9 verse 17. He did not this through any vnaduised zeale or hastinesse or fleshly affection but God gouerned him by his holy Spirit stirred him vp by this exraordinary meanes to declare to the people that his Couenant was broken and disanulled that was made betweene them Likewise some haue had an outward calling commanding and warranting the doing of extraordinary things So Abraham was commanded by liuely voice to take his sonne his onely sonne him whom he loued euen Isaac the sonne of promise and to offer him vp for a burnt offering vpon one of the mountaynes which God would shew him Gen. 22 2. This also appeareth in one of the children of the Prophets who willed his neighbour to smite him by the commandement of the Lord and in smiting to wound him that hee might disguise himselfe when hee spake vnto the King 1. Kings 20 35. The reasons making these extraordinary Reason 1 workes lawfull are apparent First true obedience standeth not in mans will but in the commandement of GOD. Whatsoeuer hee commandeth howsoeuer our carnall reason iudgeth of it and whatsoeuer iniquity it may seeme vnto vs to contayne or prescribe wee must account it lawfull That which hee forbiddeth what shew soeuer it carrieth of piety and holinesse is vnlawfull This appeareth in the answere of Christ vnto Iohn Baptist putting him backe and refusing to baptize him Let be now for thus it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousnesse Math. 3 15. And to this purpose the Prophet speaking of this act of Phinehas here remembred sayth It was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Psal 106 31. If then in those actions the children of God obeyed him and followed not theyr owne corrupt wils they must needs be held and pronounced to be lawfull Reason 2 Secondly none can withstand his commandements That is righteous which he accounteth righteous And if he will haue it done who shall contradict it Who is so strong as to resist his will This doth the Apostle Peter declare when he had beene with Cornelius he maketh this defence for himselfe Forasmuch as God gaue them a like gift as hee did vnto vs when wee beleeued in the Lord Iesus Christ who was I that I could let God Acts 11 7. Thus we see the Doctrine confirmed now Vse 1 let vs see likewise how it may bee applyed First marke heere the difference betweene God and our selues His word is our light and direction Wee haue no other way or warrant to approue our actions but from God and his word but
more ease but rather the lesse ease the more torment because of the multitudes and thousands of them so on the earth there are many desperate sinners yet when once iudgement commeth they cannot by any meanes ease one another who shall not bee able to helpe themselues and therfore it is one of the vainest things in the world for any man to deceiue himselfe by following the corruption of the times and by dooing as the greatest part of people doe Be it that no extraordinary iudgement come vpon vs generally or particularly yet when wee must dye the common death of all men and bee visited after the common visitation of all flesh Satan shall come charge vs for our sins what comfort can this minister vnto vs at that houre to alledge for our selues that we haue done as the multitude did haue walked with them in the way that leadeth to destruction And be it further granted that we feel no check of conscience or tentation of Satan but end our dayes in peace as one that quietly falleth asleepe yet when we come to stand before the seate of God where euery man shall beare his owne burden and receiue according to his owne workes Rom. 2 6. 2. Cor. 5 10 what comfort or confidence can this giue vs to plead for our selues and say O we haue followed the multitude Let no man therefore dally with himselfe so delude his owne soule for this must come to passe we must all dy and appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things done in his body when the heauens shall passe away as a scroule and the elements melt with heat Be it some generall plague donot come before in this life or some particular iudgment do not seaze vpon vs yet in the end we cannot escape when euery one must answere for himselfe in his owne person CHAP. XXVII 1. THen came the daughters of Zelophehad the sonne of Hepher the sonne of Gilead the sonne of Machir the sonne of Manasseh of the families of Manasseh the son of Ioseph these are names of his daughters Mahlah Noah and Hoglagh and Milcah and Tirzah 2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the Priest c THe former Chapter hath opened vnto vs the order to bee obserued in the diuision of the land that the greater tribe should haue the greater share and portion in the land the lesser a lesser portion therby to giue contentment satisfaction to euery one this was to bee done by lot to take away contention which often ariseth in like cases vpon like occasions as we see when some commons or wasteground commeth to bee enclosed one thinketh his fellow hath too much another thinketh himselfe hath too litle one wil haue his part lye in such a place another thinketh that parcell the fittest morsell for himselfe The diuision of this Chapter In this chapter obserue two things first touching the persons that should enioy the inheritance and of the right of succession secondly touching the designing and deputing of Ioshua the seruant of Moses to be his successour to be set ouer the people to conduct them vnto the land to fight the battels of the Lord and to giue to euery tribe his proper inheritance Concerning the first point to wit what persons should haue inheritance consider two things the occasion of a question and controuersie heere arising and the deciding and determining heereof without any farther doubt or contradiction by the sentence of God himself The occasion fel out in this maner When the families of the tribe of Manasseh came amoÌ„g the other tribes to bee numbred fiue sisters all the daughters of Zelophehad came likewise in their order hoping to receiue as the rest did and thinking themselues as capable as any but because their father was already dead and left no heyres males behind him some of their Tribe would haue put them by theyr inheritance that themselues might obtaine the more not regarding what they gained by the losse of others A common euill of the world a common practise of worldly men These women being left fatherlesse comfortlesse and friendlesse exposed therefore to iniuries and like to be ouerborne finding few or none to stand for them and to take their part complained to Moses and to the rest of the Princes heads of the people which is the lawfull remedy left vnto vs in all wrongs whatsoeuer They do plainely declare the truth of their cause the equity of their request that they were Israelites of the seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Manasseh whose father dyed in the wildernesse not in the rebellion and conspiracy of Korah Numb 16 whose companies were worthily destroyed and disinherited neyther yet perished he in any murmuring of the people neyther for any publike and notorious offence committed against God but dyed a naturall death when his time was come as all men must dye inasmuch as all haue sinned Rom. 5 and therefore they shew that their kindred their flesh and their bones had no iust cause to exclude theÌ„ from such inheritance as their father should haue had if he had bin aliue But of this more afterward both of the yssue of their request the deciding of this question The daughters of Zelophehad stood before Moses and Eleazar and before the Princes c. These women after the decease of their father were left as we say to the wide world and were like to sustaine great wrong to the preiudice both of their father and of themselues and their posterity and of the whole Tribe when one family was like to perish in Israel Heere we see The fatherles do lye open to wrongs iniuries that aboue all other such as are left destitute of protection as the fatherlesse the widow the stranger the poore and such like lye open to receyue wrongs and iniuries Such whose forlorne distressed estate ought to moue speciall pitty and commiseration euen they are least regarded and releeued Zac. 7 10. Iob 31 21. Hence it is that God promiseth to take care of them and to protect theÌ„ and to punish their oppressors Exod. 22 22 23 24. A great comfort to all that are in distresse to consider that God is on their side he will be a father to the fatherlesse and an husband to the widow These daughters of Zelophehad appeale to the Magistrate they do not side themselues with others to make a commotion as turbulent spirits vse to doe but they go to Moses as supreme and to the Princes vnder him Doctrine We are to go to the Magistrate â—o redresse our wrongs Wherby we learne that in al wrongs and iniuries we must go to the Magistrate and seek helpe of him we must make our causes knowne to him and seeke remedy and redresse at his hands This hath bene the practise of Gods seruants from time to time Heereunto commeth the Parable of the wise woman
others euen in priuate houses and families The Law of God and man allow not nay they condemne the common practice of brawling fighting quarrelling or challenging one of another into the field for priuate and personall wrongs whereby the seedes of murther and shedding of blood are sowne which soone grow vp to ripenesse and perfection and yeelde a dolefull haruest of sorrow and repentance when it is too late if they bee not weeded out of the heart betimes Whosoeuer shall thinke it a disgrace to refuse such challenges let them also thinke it a disgrace to walke in the wayes of God and to obey the good Edicts of Princes and the wholesome lawes of the Commonwealth It is the greatest grace that can be to yeeld obedience to God and contrariwise it is no credite to sinne against him to saue and salue vp a supposed honour and reputation among men It is the duty therefore of all that liue in priuate societies when they haue hard or wrong measure offered vnto them to go to their fathers or masters for they are Magistrates in the house and are within their owne doores as Kings to rule and Officers to gouerne and no man ought to reuenge his owne cause and quarrel he is as a Marshal to right euery mans cause that is vnder his roofe and to maintaine their credite and reputation The causes of these duels are euill Zedegin loc commun pag. 457. sometimes pride vain-glory sometimes couetousnesse and greedinesse of gaine and the cause of all these causes the diuell himselfe who was a murtherer from the beginning The effects thereof are no better for they cause deadly feudes breed hatred neuer to be appeased nourish contention and confusion hinder prayer and holy exercises of Religion shed mans blood made in the Image of God and bring downe the vengeance of God vpon our owne heads For how often doe such quarrels beginne with brawling and end in blood which once being spilled cannot be gathered vp Let all such therefore as eyther challenge or accept of challenges consider this point that hee which killeth maketh himselfe guilty of execrable murther before God and the blood so shed cryeth as it were with a loud voyce against him to heauen and neuer ceaseth till it hath called downe vengeance and touching him that is killed let him know that he is no better then one of the martyrs of the diuell For as God hath his Martyrs that dye in his cause What we are to thinke of Duellists so the diuell also hath his martyrs that dye in his cause and such as shed their blood are the diuels executioners and no better We can hold no other opinion either of the one or of the other neyther of him that killeth nor of him that is killed whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues and therefore let them looke to it that are so prodigall of their liues or of the liues of others 3 Our father dyed in the wildernesse and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselues together against the Lord in the company of Korah but dyed in his owne sinne and had no sonnes 4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family because hee hath c. 5 And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. The plea of the daughters oâ— Zelophehad In these words the daughters of Zelophehad plead their own cause to haue their part in the diuision of the land not to be shut out from their inheritance The plea is good and well grounded and they vse sundry reasons of no small importance First because their father dyed in the wildernesse in his iourney toward the land of Canaan and therefore the same inheritance that was due vnto him being aliue should not be denyed to his issue being dead For seeing hee died in the way before any of the Israelites could take possession of the land of promise hee could leaue to his daughters nothing but the promise of GOD and a liuely faith appprehending the same which no doubt was truly grafted in them or else they would neuer haue beene so earnest in this matter but haue let it alone till the conquest of the land and the displanting of the Canaanites They plead that he was not partaker with Korah in his conspiracy but dyed in his owne sinne that is as all other men do and must do that are sinners forasmuch as the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6 27. Now vnder this conspiracy of Korah heere expressed we must vnderstand all other mutinies of the same nature that he ioyned not with any in their rebellions neyther was partaker with any seditious persons whereby hee should deserue to be excluded from his possession of the land If any aske Obiect why this conspiracy of Korah is named and singled out aboue any of the rest of the murmurings which were many and of many I answere first because this was late and yet fresh in remembrance Secondly Answer it was more eminent then any of the rest and as it were swallowed vp the memory of all the former Thirdly because it seemeth hee died at the same time that Korahs treachery brake out and therefore hee might more easily bee thought to bee destroyed with them But though he dyed at the same time yet he died not of the same crime as likewise it fell out that Methushelah died immediatly before the flood it might be after it began to raine vpon the face of the earth but was not swept away with the flood And heere it is not to be forgotten that some of the Hebrewes as also we noted before chap. 15 21 are of opinion that this Zelophehad was the man that gathered stickes vpon the Sabbath day others thinke Vatabl aâ—â—â—â— in hunc locum that he was one of them that died by the biting stinging of the fiery serpents chap. 21 6. But the purpose of his daughters was to bring to their remembrance that their father had committed no act whereby his issue should bee denyed or debarred of their inheritance because he died a naturall death and went the way of all flesh and when he had serued his time was gathered to his fathers An other reason is because he left behind him no sons or heires males of his body lawfully begotten whereby it might and would come to passe that the name of a family in Israel should perish if no portion of the inheritance were assigned to his daughters In al this plea we may perceiue in them a notable example of honouring parents in that they are careful that the Name of their father should not be buried in perpetuall forgetfulnes but bee honourably remembred preserued which all ought to follow Likewise an example of faith beleeuing the promise of God for except they had assured their hearts that God would performe his promise and make good the wordes of his owne mouth spoken to Abraham Isaac and Iacob they would neuer haue made such
earnest suite that they might bee heires also of that land by right of succession in which as yet they had not the bredth of a foot and therefore the Apostle teacheth that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene Heb. 11.1 Thirdly Doctrine We may make our selues guilty of other mens sinnes we see that we may be made partakers of other mens sinnes and therefore we heard before that the people were commanded to depart from the tents of Korah and his partisans lest they should bee defiled by the euils of those euill men Tit. 3 10 11 2 Cor. 6 7. 1 Tim. 5.22 This may bee done many wayes somtimes by counsel and perswasion and thus was Achitophel guilty of the rebellion of Absolon against his father 2. Sam. 16 and Balaam of the whoredome of the Israelites because they committed fornication with the daughters of Moab by his counsel Numb 31 sometimes by commandement as Herod the great sent forth and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem Math. 2 16 and so did Herod Antipas behead Iohn Baptist in prison Math. 14 22 thus was Dauid guilty of the death of Vriah his faithfull seruant and is therfore himselfe charged to haue killed him with the sword of the Ammonites 2. Sam. 12 sometimes by consent and so was Saul guilty of the martyr Stephens death because he consented to his death Act. 9 1 and they that sate in iudgment to condemne Christ to whō Ioseph of Arimathea would not consent and therfore cleared himselfe from his blood which otherwise he could not haue done Luke 23.51 sometimes by flattery as those that call euill good and good euill Esay 5 such are the ministers that sow soft cushens vnder euery elbow Ezek. 13 and such people as would haue the Prophets to prophesie flattering words vnto them Esay 30 sometimes by receiuing as they that take and lay vp stollen goods or buy them of those that haue stolen them these are as bad if not worse then the theeues themselues and to be punished as they are likewise they that receiue false tales to the hurt of their brethren though they doe not first deuise them Leuit. 19 16 sometimes by partaking with theeues and sharing with them as Prou. 1 they tooke part of that which was stollen sometimes by defending those that haue done euill and iustifying them in their vngodlinesse Rom. 1 sometimes it may bee done by holding our peace and saying nothing at all when we may speake and cleare a matter so is hee a false witnes that will not speake in the cause of the dumbe as well as he that vttereth an vntruth thus also is the watchman guilty that should giue warning and blow the trumpet but becommeth as the dumbe dogge that cannot barke Esay 56 10. Lastly by not resisting or withstanding when we are able Psal 82 4. If God giue vs power we make our selues weake the euill that we suffer shall be required of vs. Likewise in the example of Moses we learne to haue recourse to GOD in all matters of doubt we must not runne on vpon an head but go into the Sanctuary and aske counsell of the Lord. Doctrine Sinne is the cause of death and al misery Lastly obserue that sinne is the true cause of death mortality corruption and all the misery that hath taken hold of all mankinde when sinne entred then entred all plagues and iudgements in this life and after this life Gen. 2 17 3.19 1. Cor. 15 21 11 30 Rom. 5 12 21. Iames 1 16. Hebrewes 9 27 28. Reason 1 For sin is the sting of death that is the power and strength and the very armour of death it is as a sword which hee holdeth in his hand to wound vs withall It is as a stinging serpent 1. Cor. 15 and if remedy be not sought against the biting of it it woundeth soule and body to death Secondly it standeth with the iustice and righteousnes of God which will not otherwise be satisfied Wee see how Magistrates whose breath is in their nostrils do punish malefactors and offenders with bodily death their eye doth not spare them no marueile then if the Lord who is a consuming fire Heb. 12. whose person is of infinite Maiesty take hold of soule and body and punish them both spiritually and eternally and therefore the Apostle iustly calleth death the wages of sinne Rom. 6.23 Thirdly sin hath pestered and poysoned our nature corrupting all the powers and parts in vs our mind our will our memory our affections our conscience Eph. 4 17 18.19 Rom. 6 12 13. It is as a worme that is alwayes gnawing at the root of life vntill tree and all fall downe Lastly sin giueth strength to Satan the prince of darknes without which he could not hurt vs it is hee that hath power ouer death Heb. 2 14. 1. Cor. 15 56 and therefore was the Son of man manifested that he might destroy the works of the diuel 1. Ioh. 3 8. But it may be obiected if sin be the cause of death Obiection how commeth it to passe that Christ dyed who knew no sin in whose mouth was no guile found Answ 2 Cor. 5 21. Answ Though Christ were without sin in himselfe yet he that knew no sin was made sin for vs c. he tooke vpon him the sins of all the faithful as a surety taketh vpon him the debt of another And albeit he were not a sinner by transgression yet he may be said to be a sinner by imputation and therefore he must dye yet so that dying hauing no cause of death in himselfe he might destroy death and him that had the power of death that is the diuel Heb. 2 14 Hos 13 14. Againe Obiect if death be a fruit effect of sin how commeth it to passe that the faithfull which haue in Christ remission of sinnes do notwithstanding dy Answ Answ Albeit they haue forgiuenesse of sinnes yet they haue in them alwayes the reliques of sinne through the corruption of nature though it be not imputed vnto them through the mercy of God The guilt of Adams sin followeth vs as the shadow doth the body it cannot in this life be wholly purged it shall bee at the last cleane put off by death It is necessary therefore that we should dye or be changed at the last day that sin may be vtterly extinguished that we may by death as by a dore enter into euerlasting glory Sin is euery day lessened and consumed in the faithfull howbeit still we beare about vs the body of death Psal 51 5 2 Cor. 12 7 Eph. 2 3. We learne from hence what a horrible and hideous thing sin is that bringeth with it such bitter fruit for sin death are coupled together Rom. 8 2. Sin came not in by creation Eccl. 7 31 but by transgression for from the beginning it was not so Sin hath wroght this confusion euen the first sinne of
Adam which also is our sin Now there are four things that doe continually and distinctly cleaue to sinne Foure things cleaue to sin the fault the guilt the blot and the punishment The fault is the offence committed against God in the action which is the root of all the rest The guilt is an obligation to punishment for the fault and offence which we haue committed The blot or spot thereof is as it were a marke or print set and branded in the soule of him that sinned when he groweth to an hight in wickednes like the marke that was set vpon Cain when he had killed his brother For the multiplying of offensiue actions is the continuall encrease of the blot or blemish of the soule til in the end the light of nature be vtterly extinguished and men come to a reprobate sense and grow to be past feeling through the blindnesse of their mindes and the hardnesse of their hearts Euen as the dropsie man the more he drinketh the more hee dryeth so the more a man sinneth the more he is giuen to sinne As the couetous person alwayes desireth to get more so the sinner alwayes desireth to sinne more and to worke al vncleannes with greedines The punishment it selfe is the wages and iust recompence of all the former which is the first second death The first death is a separation of the soule and body the second a separation of the whole man from God for as the soule is the life of the body so is God the life of the soule Know therefore and acknowledge from hence that it is an irkesome and bitter thing to prouoke him by our sin which driueth away his comfortable presence from vs. Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth that none can escape death by streÌ„gth or policy by friends or fraud or by any occasion in asmuch as all are sinners euen from their mothers wombe vnto the day of their death Psal 58 3. 51 5. Gen. 8 21. Iob 4 17. 15 14. 25 4. It is a fearefull and cruell tyrant an outragious and wasting enemy that maketh spoyle and hauocke wheresoeuer hee commeth sparing neyther young nor old rich nor poore Prince nor people good nor bad Psal 89 48. It standeth vs therefore in hand to account of euery day as our last day and to know that euery moment may cut off the threed of our life so that wee are suddenly gone are no more we must prepare for it continually our whole life should be a meditation of it Againe we must pull out of our hearts this false conceit and imagination whereby euery man naturally blesseth and notably deceiueth himselfe and thinketh though he haue one foot in a maner in the graue yet hee shall not die this yeere but he may liue one yeare longer as the rich man was in a pleasant dreame did forecast for many yeares Luke 12 19. And yet alas we know not what shal be to morrow Iam. 4 14 no nor what one day may bring forth Pr. 27 1 Vse 3 Lastly let euery one labor to take away the power and strength of his own death And to this end we must deale with it as the Philistims dealt with Sampson they neuer gaue ouer till they had learned where his strength lay Iudg. 16 5 6 and then they quickly weakned him and preuailed ouer him who before had preuailed ouer them So ought we to doe we must know wherin the strength of death consisteth that is in sin onely Take this away by repentance from dead works faith in Christ and you shaue off the seuen locks of it that is you shall weaken it that it shall neuer bee able to hurt you So many sinnes as liue and reigne in vs so many stings hath death which serue to wound our soules to eternall death If then we would die the death of the righteous let vs endeauour to the vtmost of our strength to liue the life of the righteous Then we shal lay a good foundation that shall neuer be shaken and build our house vpon the rocke wee shal begin our eternal life in this mortall life and haue our conuersation in heauen while we walke vpon the earth Phil. 3 20. Let vs beware of putting off the time from day to day whatsoeuer we would do at the last gaspe grone when we are dying let vs doe the same euery day while wee are liuing The most wicked when he seeth he is presently to leaue the world will seeme desirous to pray though he neuer prayed in his health and to require others to pray for him and haply those whom before he contemned and derided their prayers also then likewise hee will promise and protest amendment of life make solemne vowes couenants with God Let vs therefore do this daily which these men doe at their last day that when death commeth wee may be found ready and prepared with oyle in our lampes like the wise virgins Math. 25. To conclude he that would liue when he is dead must dye when he is aliue and there is no way for vs to come to life but first to enter by the gate of death 6 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 7 The daughters of Zelophehad speake right thou shalt surely giue them a possession of an inheritance among their fathers brethren c. 8 And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying If a man die and haue no sonne c. 9 And if hee haue no daughter then yee shall giue his inheritance vnto his brethren 10 And if he haue no brethren then ye shall giue his inheritance vnto his fathers brethren 11 And if his father haue no brethren ye shall giue his inheritance vnto his kinsman c. The deciding of the former question being referred by Moses vnto GOD followeth in these words wherein he returneth his answer consisting of two parts the one special the othe general the one respecting the time present the other the time to come The speciall belongeth to the cause of these fiue sisters God approueth theyr suite requireth that an inheritance should be giuen to them all so much as theyr father should haue inherited if he had liued longer The accomplishment of this designement is afterward related Iosh 17 3 4 c. where hee performeth this Commandement of the Lord. The generall ariseth vpon the former particular case and this belongeth to all the children of Israel wherein God determineth in what order they shall inherite Now these are the degrees First the neerest heyres are the heyres males The law for iâ—heritances a mans owne sonnes Secondly if hee haue no heyres males his daughters shall be his heyres Thirdly for default of such yssue the inheritance shall go to his owne brethren for after his children his brother is next in nature and blood vnto him therefore if his owne children faile his brother must be his heyre Fourthly if he haue no brother then his fathers
5 Lastly it is the duty of all Gouernors to looke to theyr families and therefore GOD beginneth with them and directeth the commandement vnto them Why the commandement of the Sabbath is directed to gouernors and that for these causes First because they must giue an acount of theyr gouernment to God of whō they haue receyued it who is the high Commander and generall Master in Heauen and Earth and of all theyr soules that are vnder their charge forasmuch as hee will search and enquire not onely how ciuill and iust among men and toward men our gouernment hath beene but how godly and religious Secondly GOD setteth them in the first place to teach them that God requireth at their hands to teach theyr families to command theyr sonnes and housholds to feare God to bring them vp in his faith feare and in true religion Eph. 6 4. Gen. 18 19. Thirdly because they must go before them by good example and practise of all holy duties as Paul wold haue Timothy to do 1 Tim. 4 12 as we look for any comfort at the Lords hand in that great day of his dreadfull iudgement when he will bring euery worke to light with euery secret thing whether good or euil Eccl. 12 12. If we haue beene examples in good things we shall receyue euerlasting life if examples in euill euerlasting death Fourthly the Lord singleth out the father and master in the first place because if they go before and leade the way the rest of the house wil quickly follow after Iohn chap. 4 verse 53. Acts chapter sixteene verse 32 contrarywise if they yeeld not obedience for conscience sake to the duties of the Sabbath they may by the abuse of their authority hinder frustrate the holy endeauours of his children seruants Hence it is that many fathers vrge their children many masters command their seruants to go about their owne busines and send them from place to place at that time when they should attend to the holy commandement of the Lord whereas both of thē might well and lawfully reply to their fathers and masters and say with Christ our Sauiour Luke 2 49 Wist yee not that I must be about my fathers businesse Lastly the Lord layeth this waighty charge vpon them that such as are vnder their gouernment may yeeld willingly and cheerfully to Gods will considering how straight a charge God hath giuen to all gouernours If they should do it of their owne head or lay an heauy burden vpon thē which themselues would not touch with their little finger the charge could carry no authority It is not therefore their fathers or masters that restraine them of their liberty tye vp their wicked and wandring affections but GOD himselfe to whom all obedience is due The father doth shew loue to his children whē he restrayneth them from wickednes the master doth no wrong to his seruants that brideleth them from following theyr owne willes and pleasures So then the poynt to be learned and practised is that we must first keepe the Sabbath in our owne persons and begin reformation within the doores or closets of our owne hearts or else we will be very remisse negligent in reforming of others or if we be forward we shall bee charged and chalenged to be hypocrites while we teach others but doe not teach our selues Rom. 2 21. Secondly we must cast our eyes vpon others and looke to them that belong vnto vs that they may sanctifie the Sabbath as well as our selues It is not enough for vs to come to the house of of God alone but wee must come with the trayne of our families as a Captaine with his army Psal 110 3 and 42.4 The father oftentimes is praying in the Church when his children are playing in the streetes The master many times sitteth in the house of God when his seruant lyeth at the alehouse The wife sometimes goeth with her husband to the sermon when the daughters and maid-seruants eyther are sent or suffered to runne to lasciuious dancing and wanton company whereby theyr mindes and oftentimes theyr bodyes also are defiled as it fell out to Dinah Gen. chapter 34 verses 1 2 and so the saying of Salomon is verified Prouerbs chap. 29 verse 15. A childe left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame But haply some Masters will alleadge for themselues that their seruants are vnruly Obiect as the vntamed heyffer and will not be ordered by them that they are much greeued they can preuaile no more with them and that they breake out and will not be holden in by them I answer Answer this is not a good plea but a vayne excuse and no better For if thy authority serue to bridle them and keepe them vnder in the sixe dayes how commeth it to passe that thou wantest power to preuayle ouer them on the seuenth day Can wee rule them in our owne cause and can wee not rule them in the cause of God Haue we meanes to enforce them to looke to our businesse and want wee meanes to compell them to do Gods busines It seemeth therefore to me to be rather want of will in vs Obiect then of power If we pretend farther that they be incorrigible and will haue their owne swinge and be at theyr owne liberty that day Answ we haue no warrant to burden our houses with such persons that will neither serue the Lord nor obey vs but rather infect others that liue with them The Prophet Dauid professeth that they should not serue him that were vngodly his eyes should bee vpon the faithfull to dwell with him but the wicked should not tarry in his house Psal 101 6 7. Why then should wee keepe them in our house that loue not the house of God Wee will quickly discharge that seruant which hath no care of our businesse why then will we trouble our selues our house with him that is vnfaithfull toward God Thus then wee see the care that all ought to haue of the Sabbath both master and seruant father and sonne husband and wife But alasse the prophanenesse of our times is so great that the Sabbath is in a manner vtterly contemned we giue him least seruice on that day wherein we are bound to giue him most duty For we see heere vnder the Law how the Lord commandeth that the daily sacrifice which euery morning and euening was offered should bee doubled vpon the Sabbath But our people for the most part performe single seruice and double impiety vpon that day The greatest seruice is done to our selues or that which is worse to the diuell But of the Sabbath we haue spoken before chap. 15. 11 And in the beginnings of your moneths yee shall offer a burnt offering vnto the Lord two yong Bullocks and a Ramme and seuen Lambes of a yeare old without spot 12 And three tenth deales of flower for a meat offering c. 13 And a seuerall tenth deale of fine flower mingled with oyle
dignitie due vnto his place neyther is the father to bee denyed that duty and respect which is due vnto his person The sonne may bee honoured as hee is a Magistrate and the father is likewise also to bee obeyed as hee is a father And this the Heathen in former times haue both knowne and practised For when Q. Fabius Maximus in Liuy Decad. 3. lib. 4. was on a time sent Ambassadour vnto his son then being Consull he went out to meete his father who was coming to him on horsebacke and albeit the Sergeants reuerencing the maiesty of the father who before had bin Dictator the highest office in the City suffered him to passe yet the sonne commanded him to alight from his horse if hee meant to speake to him And the olde man was so farre from being offended with his sonne or from thinking it any disgrace to himselfe that hee leaped from his horse immediately commending his son and telling him he meant to trie whether hee knew himselfe to bee Consull or not I alledge this out of the Romane history to shew that the Heathen themselues knew how to make this difference Salomon is a notable example of this point for he knew himselfe to be a sonne yet he forgate not that he was also king of Israel and therefore when Bathsheba came vnto him albeit he rose vp to meete her and bowed himselfe vnto her as shee was his mother yet he sat down in his throne againe as be was king and she his subiect 1 Obiection 5 Kings 2 19 yea he denyed her request also It may be demanded farther what if God command one thing and the parents another what are the children to do in this repugnancie whether of them should they obey I answer Answ wee are charged to loue and obey God before and aboue all things and therefore to preferre the precept or pleasure of man before the will of God is no better then to make an idoll of our parents and to honour them as God True it is wee are bound to obey euill parents but we are not bound to obey them in euill If they command and compel in euil they are rather tyrants then parents and wee must answer with the Apostles We ought to obey God rather then men Acts 5 29. So then we see how far children are bound to obey theyr parents to wit while they keepe themselues within their bounds though they be froward and waiward peeuish and peruerse though they be not endued with vertue or wisedom or any other good qualities yet they must be reuerenced honoured and releeued as parents and the instruments of our life and being but if they forget their places and commaund against God it is better to cleaue vnto GOD our heauenly father Obiection 6 Againe if the Magistrate command one thing and the father another heere both are men whether of these two are to bee obeyed by the sonne Nay in this case not only both are men but both of them are fathers one the father of the countrey Answ the other of the family I answer if obedience to both cannot stand together wee must obey the Magistrate because God hath giuen him a larger commission and greater authority then to the fathers of our bodyes so that he hath power and authority to command the fathers their children Againe the Magistrate commandeth for the good of the Commonwealth the father for the priuate good of the priuat house True it is wee may loue our parents better then the Magistrate howbeit wee must obey the Magistrate before our parents As wee may loue a good man which is but poore and needy before or better then an euill or wicked man which is in great power and authority howbeit in respect of his authoritie when he commandeth we must obey him before the other Furthermore suppose a man be a seruant Obiection 7 or an apprentise his master commandeth him one thing his father the contrary whether of them shall he obey in this repugnancie of commanders and commandements which of them shall hee please and to which of them shall hee cleaue I answer Answ he must obey his master For to speak properly the father hath no power nor authority in such a case for it may be said Who art thou that commandest another mans seruant hee standeth or falleth to his owne master as Paul speaketh in another case The father hauing bound his son an apprentise and put him into the seruice of another hath withall by that act put away his authority and as it were resigned vp his owne right to his master And such a son may wish the good of his father before the good of his master and the life of his father before the life of his master howbeit hee must obey his master before his father and endeauour by his diligence labour seruice and faithfulnes the profit of his master before the profit of his father and not seeke the hinderance or losse of his master in one peny to procure aduantage to his father in twenty pound farther then he hath the consent of his master Lastly the question may be asked touching Obiection 8 the daughter of a man giuen in marriage the husband commandeth one thing and the father another whether of these is to be obeyed the husband or the father I answer Answer the husband For as shee must obey her husband before the father so shee is to loue the husband better also and God commandeth the man to leaue father and mother Gen. 2 24. and to cleane to his wife which is also a commandement vnto the woman to leaue parents and to cleaue to her husband for they twaine shall bee one flesh Matth. 19 verse 5. Ephes 5. verse 31. 1 Cor. 6. verse 16 therefore in this case the will of the husband is to be preferred before the will of the father For as it is in the two great lights which God hath set in the firmament the lesser euermore giueth place to the greater and when the Sun shineth the light of the Moone fadeth and vanisheth away so when the greater authoritie of the husband commeth in place the lesser power and authoritie of the father ceaseth Besides his giuing of her in marriage to the husband is a giuing away of his owne right ouer her as well as ouer that portion of goods which he bestoweth with her so that now his authority is abridged nay clean abolished Lastly it appeareth in this chapter that if a married woman had vowed a vow to God her husband onely had power to abrogate and disanull her vow but not her father That which she doth vnto her parents and for her parents must bee by the consent and allowance of her Husband Whatsoeuer is hurtfull or any way preiudiciall to him she ought not to do though it were with a purpose to profit her parents Vse 1 Now we come to the Vses This reprooueth diuers and sundry sorts that fight directly against this ordinance of God
In the first place whereof I range the Church of Rome For as it abridgeth the authority of Magistrates so it crosseth the authority of parents ouer their children It is notoriously knowne to the whole world how the Romane Antichrist that proud beast that sitteth vppon the seuen hils 〈◊〉 cardin 〈◊〉 vit Henr. 4. hath stirred vp the children against their parents and prouoked them partly by promises and partly by threatnings to depriue them of their dominions and liues by force of armes by which meanes bloodie warres haue bene raised and waged betweene the father and the sonne Thus they put asunder those whom God and nature hath ioyned together In like manner vnder the vizard pretence of Religion they not onely allow but exhort and entice and receiue into theyr Monkish Orders yong men at fourteen years and yong women at twelue without consent of their parents But in this place God putteth power and authority into the parents hands to disanull the vow which the daughter maketh being in her fathers house which ordinance is grounded vpon the morall Law which commandeth children to honour and obey their parents and the Apostle Paul referreth the whole matter of keeping the daughter a virgin or the bestowing of her in marriage to the will and determination of the father 1 Cor. 7 36 37. Moreouer hath not the father as great power ouer his sonne as the master hath ouer his seruant But it is not lawfull for the seruant to take vpon him the profession of Monkery without the consent of his master and therefore the childe may not do the same The answer of Bellarmine is nothing to the purpose that children are not in like subiection to their parents as seruants are to their masters but haue more power ouer themselues then seruants haue because howsoeuer Children are not in such seruile condition as seruants which is not the question it being out of question yet parents haue as great power ouer the persons of their children being within age as ouer seruants and the law of nature which bindeth sonnes is stronger then the law of men which maketh seruants and parents haue greater power ouer their own flesh then ouer strangers Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth that it belongeth as a special duty to children by all meanes to honor their parents to which they are bound with the strongest bands and this yeelding of honor vnto them consisteth in many particulars For we must be subiect vnto them Reuerence required toward parents and giue them reuerence obedience and maintenance First wee ought all the dayes of our liues to esteeme reuerently of them as also of their wise deuices of their holy counsels of their carefull instructions And this we ought to expresse in gesture in speech and in outward carriage not so much for feare of correction or looking for benefit from them but for conscience sake lest by the contrary we draw the curse of God vpon vs Prou. 30 17. Woe therefore vnto those vngodly and vngracious children that do not esteeme their parents according to the high place wherein God hath seated them ouer them that doe despise them because of some infirmities of age of nature or otherwise and therefore mocke and scoffe at them Prou. 30 11. Gen. 9 22. The second duty is obedience to their lawful commandements in performing of their will howsoeuer sometimes they may seem vnpleasant and vnpleasing vnto them Mat. 21. Col. 3 20. Iere. 35 Deuter. 21 18 19. Thus doth Iacob rest in the counsell of Rebecca his mother and yeeldeth to her wholsome admonition Genes 27 14. And this is one of the cheefe vertues that can be found among them and therefore Paul expoundeth Honor by Obedience Colos 3 20. Obedience required tovvard parents Eph. 6 1. Thus they ought to submit and subiect themselues to their godly gouernment religious discipline And as this ought to bee yeelded to them in all things so it should bee obserued in choosing their trade and order of life and taking vpon them a speciall calling to be ready to be directed by them what by their graue censure wisedome iudgement foresight they thinke fittest for them Prouer. 29 15 15 5 especially in the greatest matter of al that doth most neerely concern them I meane their marriage when they shall begin to thinke of seeking a companion to liue with them in that estate Thus all faithfull children were content to submit themselues to their parents and to be ordered by them and neuer attempt to bestow themselues in marriage without their parents knowledge Genes 24 3. So did Iacob at the commandement of his father and the aduice of his mother and by consent of them both Genes 27 46. and 28 1. This was obserued of those that otherwise led no sanctified life Genesis 21 21 yea of the very heathen themselues I wil produce one testimony among many others and that is of king Cyrus after hee had conquered Babylon and come home in triumph his vnckle Cyaraxis offered him his daughter vnto wife he thanked his vnckle and praysed the maide and liked the dowry but for giuing consent to mariage he made him this answer which I would it were obserued and followed of all Christians O Cyaraxe Xenoph. Cyrop lib. 8. tò te genos Epainô kai tén paida kai dôra boulomai de ephê sun tê toû patros gnómê kai tes metros tanta sunainesai which is englished in this manner Vncle Cyaraxis I commend the stocke the maide and the portion howbeit sayth hee by the counsell of my father and mother I wil assent vnto you as if hee had saide without their aduice I can do nothing All histories Philosophers Terent in phormion and Poets in a manner are full of the practise of this duty And no maruell for this is agreeable to the common principle in nature Whatsoeuer yee would that other men should do vnto you do ye euen so to them Math. 7 12. Sampson saw a maide in Timnah that liked him well notwithstanding hee spake not one word to her but came backe to his parents desired them to make the marriage for him They were the first whom he acquainted with his purpose not as in our daies wherein commonly the parents are the last Iudges 14 2. Get her to me for she pleaseth me well For seeing parents haue taken great paines and bestowed great cost in bringing vp their children it is reason they should reape some fruites of their labour and trauaile in the bestowing of them in mariage and thereby be acknowledged more wise and better able to prouide and foresee for them then themselues This iustly reprooueth many children in our dayes that neuer regard this duty and condemneth the common practise of our corrupt age so much degenerated and growne out of course that they neuer require nor regard the consent of their parents in their matches and marriages but make their choice after the lust of
vttered with hir lips wherewith she bound her soule of none effect the Lord shall forgiue her 9 But euery vow of a Widdow and of her that is diuorced wherewith they haue bound theyr soules shall stand against her 10 And if she vowed in her husbands house c. 11 And her husband heard it and held his peace c then all her vowes shall stand c. 12 But if her husband haue vtterly made them voide c. 13 Euery vow and euery binding made to humble the soule her husband may establish or her husband may make voide 14 But if her husband altogether holde his peace c then he establisheth her vowes c. 15 But if hee shall any way make them voyde c. 16 These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses betweene a man and his wife and betweene the father and his daughter being young in her fathers house In these wordes Moses proceedeth in the matter of Vowes euen to the end of the chapter concerning the married woman and concerning the widdow The married woman is bound by the Law so long as her husband liueth and cannot vow and if shee vow it is meerely voide and such vowing is pronounced vnlawfull she hath sinned against God her husband howbeit God is mercifull and he will forgiue her From whence we may learn That the Lord is readie to forgiue those that offend But the Widdow that is free and loosed from the law of her husband is at libertie to vow This teacheth that the power and authority of the husband ouer the wife is very great Doctrine The husband hath authority ouer the wife for albeit she bee at liberty to vow in the Lord when her husband is dead yet while hee liueth hee hath power to disanull all her vowes Rom. 7 2. 1 Cor. 7 36. The wife is tied by a strong band and obligation vnto her husband 1 Cor. 14 34. Ester 1 22. This is not I confesse the proper place to handle these duties and therefore I will briefly touch the reasons and the vses The husband is the head of the wife 1 Cor. 11 Reason 1 3. Ephes 5 23 as Christ is the head of the church to rule it to defend it to prouide for it therefore as the Church is in subiection to Christ so ought the wife to be to her husband Againe marke the order and maner of the Creation how it was at the beginning Adam was first formed and then Eue and hee was not deceyued but the woman beeing deceyued was in the transgression and therefore shee ought not to vsurpe authoritie ouer the man but to be in silence and subiection 1 Tim. 2 12 13 14. Thirdly in the Law of creation wee must obserue the preheminence of man which will euidently appeare if wee marke the end of it for man was made to rule the woman to bee ruled for as the man was not of the woman but the woman of the man so the man was not created for the womā but the woman for the man 1 Corinth chap. 11 verses 8 9. Lastly man is the image glory of God wheras the woman is the glory of the man 1 Cor. 11 7. But was not the woman also made in the image of God Obiect and hath not God set the print of his glory vpon her face also I answer Answer the Woman was made in the image of God as well as the man Genesis 1 verse 27. But man was made to this end and purpose the Gods glorie should appeare in his rule and authority on the other side the woman was made that by profession of her obedience shee might the more honor her husband Vse 1 This serueth first for reproofe both of the husband and the wife when they knowe not their places of commanding or obeying the husband losing his honour and the wife vsurping aboue her calling As God in the creation of one made two so in the first institution of marriage hee vnited those two againe into one that the woman ioyned in marriage with her husband might not onely reuerence him as the rocke from whence she was taken but might honor him as her head vnder whom she liueth This order is broken when she wil by no meanes bee in subiection but seeketh to shake off the yoake which God and her calling hath laide vpon her This subiection is made heauier by transgression then it was by the law of creation For that which God made very good satan quickly turned into euill so that the woman instead of an helper became a tempter of the man to sinne and the man instead of a defender became an accuser of the woman to God for sinne Thus satan labored to diuide the house that it might not stand But Christ Iesus our Lord came into the world to destroy and dissolue the workes of the diuell and hath reconciled man and woman with God that now they shold liue together as heires of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3 7. Therefore all women should be content with their places wherof notwithstanding they oftentimes come short and take vpon them to controll their husbands to speake and doe what they list This we see in Vashti mentioned in the booke of Ester when she was commanded by the king to come vnto the feast she disdained and refused to obey and would not come into his presence Ester 1 22 and lest other women should be emboldned by her peruerse example they passed a decree and gaue it the force of a law and a statute and published the same in all the kings Prouinces that Euerie man should beare rule in his own house to wit vnder the same penalty inflicted on the Queene which was to bee diuorced from their husbands Againe it reproueth all husbands that in simplicity are as willing to resigne vp their places as their wiues in impudency are bold to vsurpe them which is as great a shame and reproch to the husband to lose as it is for the woman to challenge it This argueth want of wisedome courage and discretion in the husband and on the other side bewraieth pride selfeloue contempt and disdain in the wife as also forgetfulnesse of her first creation at what time she was made of a bone taken out of his side Gen. 2 21. I say out of his side to bee his companion and therefore as he is not to make her his footstoole to treade vpon her so shee should not make her selfe his head to ouertop him and so treade vpon him Vse 2 Secondly it is the duty of all wiues to acknowledge their duty and to yeeld without striuing the superiour place to their husbāds and to be subiect vnto them without resisting in word and deed This is commended vnto them in the example of Sarah who is set as a glasse before all womens faces to look vpon 1 Pet 3 5 6 to the end that if any obey not the word they may without the word be wonne by the
disciples that he must go to Ierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chiefe Priests and Scribes be killed and bee raised againe the third day he tooke him aside and began to rebuke him saying Be it farre from thee Lord this shall not be vnto thee the Lord Iesus turned about and said vnto him Get thee behinde mee Satan thou art an offence vnto me for shou sauourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men Mat. 16 23 where by we are taught that such as are an offence to others are no better then the instruments of Satan therefore iustly beare his name Vse 1 The vses follow First this setteth downe the vnlawfull condition of such as hinder others in the profession and labour to make them fall from God Thus did the diuels as we heard before they threw downe our first parents from the hight of their happinesse therefore are reserued in chaines vnto iudgement 2 Pet. 2 4. In the Law hee is accursed that layeth a stumbling block before the blind to cause him to wander out of the way and all the people shall say Amen Deut. 27 18 hee therefore that seeketh to subuert and supplant the faith of men and to destroy the soule must needes be vnder a farre greater curse of God and man The soules of such as perish through their procuring shall cry out against them and bring downe an heauy iudgment vpon them Hence it is that Christ our Sauiour saith Who so shall offend one of these little ones which beleeue in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that hee were drowned in the depth of the sea woe vnto the world because of offences it must needes be that offences come but woe to that man by whom offences come Math. 18 6 7 we see therefore the wretched estate and condition of all those that giue offence to others They are guilty of horrible sins against God and against their brethren O that they had eyes to see them and hearts to bewaile them Euery man is prone through the corruption of his nature to fall from God but much more when occasions are laid before them for two are stronger then one and if we haue alwayes one foot ready to slip we are in more danger of falling when wee are pushed forward Let all such consider as haue caused others to fall that the time will come when it will be required at their hands These do hunt for the precious life of a man they are soule-hunters and soule-killers and destroyers and murther those for whom Christ died These are the chiefe causes of the coldnes and backwardnesse of Religion and that so few professe it in sincerity Our Sauiour pronounceth an heauy woe against them that neither entred into the kingdome themselues neither suffred others to enter but hindred them Luke 11 52. This woe lieth vpon the shoulders of all those that stop the way of others that they cannot enter into it Vse 2 Secondly thinke it not strange when wee haue this measure offered vnto vs and when men whisper vs in the eare to take heed we be not too forward or precise and that thereby we shall lay our selues open to the reproches of the world if sinners thus entice vs hearken not vnto them It hath beene an old practice to discourage and discountenance others from obeying God It is bitter to heare and beare the railings and reuilings of carnall men and many start aside from the truth by such taunts And if these reproches proceeded onely from open enemies they might be borne more easily but it pleaseth God many times to try the faith and to proue the patience of his faithfull seruants farther and they receiue much discouragemēt from their acquaintance from their friends with whom they tooke sweete counsell together and walked with them into the house of God Iob receiued much disgrace by his owne wife that lay in his bosome as also by his three friends that were as his owne soule and came to visite and to comfort him but miserable comforters were they all as himself complaineth chapt 16 2 and chapt 19 2 3 How long will ye vexe my soule and breake mee in pieces with words these ten times haue yee reproched me c. Was not this thinke you a great tentation and assault to the faith of this righteous man to bee thus taunted and tormented by his deare friends and by his dearest wife was hee not flesh and blood as well as others to haue an inward feeling of these sorrows to drinke vp the very lees of this bitter cup was he as brasse and iron or had he a body of steele that these afflictions could not pierce him or enter into him No doubtlesse for then his patience could not bee commended vnto vs and set before vs for an example Iam. 5 11. If then it go so with vs we haue the Prophets and holy men of God for an example of suffering affliction that haue gone before vs. The Church complaineth in Salomons Song that the watchmen that went about the city found her they smote her the keepers of the walles tooke away her vaile from her Cant. 5.7 They that should bee her guard turned to bee her griefe and they that watched for her wounded her The people that professe the truth in sincerity looke to haue all encouragement from their Ministers in weldoing yet oftentimes it falleth out as with the Church before that such worke them al the disgrace they can and seeke to put them to shame that should bee their glory Phil. 4 1 and vexe them with the crosse that ought o tbe their crowne and discomfort them that indeed might be their ioy and their comfort Paul complaineth oftentimes of the Iewes and of false brethren by whom he receiued greater hurt then euer hee did at the hands of the Gentiles Tit. 1 10 11. 2 Cor. 11 26. Sometimes children haue hard measure offered vnto them by their fathers and mothers whose reioycing it should be to see their children prosper in good things yet oftentimes it falleth out they are scoffed at by them and this falleth out not onely in the bloody dayes of persecution when parents haue betrayed their owne children the fruit of their bodies into the hands of cruell persecutors but likewise in the times of peace and prosperity and the generall and publike profession of the Gospel when we seem all to embrace one faith and one Religion yet if their sonnes and daughters be zealous in the truth they mock taunt them for their precisenes and grieue the bowels of those that are and should be theyr owne bowels not onely by nature but in loue and affection And therefore Christ teacheth such children Math. 10 34 35 36. I came not to send peace vpon earth but a sword and to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter c. And a mans foes shall be they
of his owne houshold hee that loueth father or mother more then mee is not worthy of me and he that loueth sonne or daughter more theÌ„ me is not worthy of me If then it fall out with vs at any time as it hath come to passe to the Saints of God before vs that we are sought to be drawne from our faith and obedience by friend or enemy by wife or children by father or mother we must not thinke the tryall strange but rather reioyce and be glad that we are made like vnto the Prophets and holy men of God nay like to our head IESVS CHRIST Vse 3 Thirdly this should teach vs to be bold to reprooue such as stand in the way and suffer not the people of God to go forward in good things Euery man will cry out against those varlets that stand with long Poles on theyr neckes or long Blades by theyr sides and hinder passengers in theyr iourney and rob them of theyr money and treasure that they haue about them But these men that lie in wait to hinder the passage of Gods people in theyr pilgrimage toward the holy Land I meane the heauenly Canaan are worse then the former for they seeke to take from them the treasure which they haue layde vp in heauen When the Disciples of Christ saw those that broght young children â—o him that hee might touch them they reprooued and rebuked those that brought them But when Iesus saw it hee was much displeased and saide vnto them Suffer the little children to come vnto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God Mar. 10 13 14. The Disciples reproued the people but he reproued the reprouers he would not winke at them that discouraged those that performed a good duty toward theyr childreÌ„ but encouraged the people in theyr wel-doing When the multitude rebuked the two blinde men sitting by the high way and crying vnto Iesus to haue theyr sight restored because they should hold theyr peace they cryed out the more earnestly Haue mercy on vs O Lord thou sonne of Dauid Math. 20 31. The like we see in Paul when the Disciples besought him not to go vp to Ierusalem hee answered What meane yee to weepe and to breake mine hart for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Act. 21 13. Whensoeuer therefore we meete with such impediments hinderances that would stay vs from glorifying the Name of God and performing good duties to him let vs labour to remoue them let vs leap ouer these stumbling blockes and breake through these hedges though they be fenced with thornes S. Ierome hath an excellent saying to this purpose he counselled Heliodorus to go on in the course of piety follow after Christ whatso-soeuer discoragements he found froÌ„ whoÌ„soeuer though his father stood weeping before him and his mother hanging on his necke behind him and all his brethren sisters children and kinsfolkes howling on euery side to reteyne him in a sinfull trade of life with them and to keep him from the kingdome of God he should tread them vnder his feete that hee might runne to Christ when hee calleth him His words are these Licet paruulus ex collo pendeat nepos licet sparso crine c. that is Hier. ad Heolidorum epist Though thy Nephew hang about thy necke though thy mother with her haire hanging downe and her garments rent shew thee her brests that gaue thee sucke and though thy father should cast himselfe downe vpon the threshold to stop thy passage yet go thou forward trample vpon thy father and with dry eyes follow after Christ Solum pietatis genus est in hac re esse crudelem This is the onely kinde of piety to be cruell in this matter Christ Iesus in this case willeth vs to hate father and mother brethren and sisters so that wee should fling them to the ground and run ouer them also rather then they should hinder vs from being the Disciples of Christ and from following him Fourthly it is the duty of all men to take Vse 4 heed we walke without offence our selues then we shall be sure to giue no offence to others The Apostle chargeth vs to walke wisely toward them that are without Col. 4 5. For if they should see dayly offences before them it would be a meanes to keepe them to be without still that are without 1 Thess 4 12 hee moueth the Thessalonians to behaue themselues honestly toward theÌ„ that are without And to the Corinthians he saith Giue none offence neither to the Iewes nor to the Grecians nor to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10 32. So then we ought to be so farre from discouraging any that we should encourage euery one to the faith gain those that are without strengthen those that are within comfort theÌ„ that are feeble minded support the weake be patient toward all men and labour to turne many vnto righteousnesse The Apostle saith Rom. 14 1. Him that is weake in the faith receiue you but not to doubtfull disputations and verse 13. Let no man iudge one another any more but iudge this rather that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Let vs all that call vppon the Name of Christ and are called by his Name walke circumspectly and giue no iust occasion of sinning to any eyther word or deed eyther to driue them by our euill example from God wholy or to cause them to goe on lesse cheerefully Ieroboam is often described by this note He made Israel to sinne and God hath set this marke vpon him to know him wheresoeuer wee finde him as hee set a marke vpon Caine. The Apostle speaking of such as become stumbling blocks to theÌ„ that are weake saith that they sinne against the brethren and wound their weake conscience and sinne against Christ 1 Cor. 8 12. Such as breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shal be called the least in the kingdom of heauen Mat. 5 19. This is the meanes to edify men in iniquity to open a gap to all licentiousnesse Vse 5 Lastly to remoue these discouragements hindrances that we bee not entrapped by theÌ„ we must al labor after spiritual courage to tread vpon all iniuries and reproches that sinners cast out against vs. Let vs when we heare their railings stop our eares gather our spirits about vs take courage to our selues He that hath attained to a Christian resolution to go forward in the duties of godlines hath gotteÌ„ the victory The difficulty of this lieth more in our faintnes fearefulnes then in the thing it selfe Our own slothfulnes negligence make al things hard that otherwise are easy we must go to God and pray to him to encrease our faith Luke 17 This is our victory which ouercommeth the world euen our faith 1 Ioh. 5 4.
of the Church in what weak and desolate estate had it beene if Mordecai and Ester had not procured the safety of it Was it not taken out of the iawes of the Lyon and pulled out of the pit of death In such times we must cast anker in heauen and make the Lord of hoasts our onely confidence Vse 3 Thirdly conclude from hence that it is a fearefull thing when men become oppressors of the Church For if euery one from the highest to the lowest should be a succourer defender thereof then none brought vp in the bosome of the Church should be an oppressor of it But how many haue there beene who haue lifted vp themselues against it not onely open enemies but close vnderminers who kindle the coales of their owne confusion and haue beene consumed in the flame that they haue raised The Prophet Obadiah concludeth this point ver 10 For thy violence against thy brother Iacob shame shall couer thee and thou shalt be cut off for euer c. as thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall returne vppon thine owne head Obad. verse 10 15. And touching the persecuting Babylonians that carried the people away captiues and scoffed at them in the day of their calamity the Prophet foretelleth their finall ouerthrow Psalm 137 8 9. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall hee be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs happy shall hee be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Wo therefore to all the enemies of the Church in generall or to any particular soule that serueth the Lord they are also enemies to God himselfe Vse 4 Lastly none liuing in the Church must bee ignorant of the state of the Church euery one must take notice how things goe in it whether it go forward or backward encrease or decrease grow better or worse Wee are come for the most part to this to content our selues with looking to our priuate wealth particular estate as if we had nothing else to thinke vpon but to follow our profits and delights So it was with the people after their returne from captiuity they built their owne houses but they let the house of God alone they were very busie in seeking their owne commodities but they were wholly vnmindfull of the seruice of God and therefore they said The time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built whom the Prophet reproueth saying Is it time for you O ye to dwel in your sieled houses this housely waste Hag. 1 2 3. Others there are that shrink back for feare and dare not aduenture and being moued they plead ignorance they pretend they know nothing But the Prophet denounceth a woe against them that are at ease in Sion Amos 6 1. If euery one ought to bee helpfull to the Church and to put on the bowels of pitty and compassion how shall we excuse our selues say we knew not what was wanting or what was amisse or out of course For euery one at his owne perill must know the perils of the Church and be touched with a feeling of thē and ignorance shall excuse no man It is an excellent saying of Salomon Prou. 24 11 12 13. If thou faint in the day of aduersity thy strēgth is small if thou forbeare to deliuer them that are drawne foorth to death and those that are ready to be slaine If thou saiest Behold we knew not of it doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth thy soule doth not he know it and shall not hee render to euery man according to his works The Lord suffereth his people to fall into sundry tentations and into great dangers not onely to try their faith and to proue their constancy but likewise to manifest their loue affection that seeme to be out of gunshot as Ester 4 14. 2 Tim. 1 16 17 18. Ier. 39 16 17 18. 33 And Moses gaue vnto them euen to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben vnto halfe the Tribe of Manasseh the son of Ioseph the kingdome of Sihon King of the Amorites and the kingdome of Og King of Bashan c. 34 35 36. And the children of Gad built Dibon and c. 37 38 39. And the children of Reuben c. 40. And Moses gaue Gilead c. The inheritance that was giuen vnto these Tribes is heere particularly described to wit what Cities befell vnto them which they diligently fortified and couragiously expelled the enemies that dwelt in them Out of these words some questions are breefely to bee decided And first touching the changing of the names of the Cities which befell to the children of Reuben verse 38 the question may be asked Wherefore their names were changed The answer is that without question the cause of this change was that the former names giuen of ancient time were meerely Idolatrous for both of them had their names of the Idols which ought not to be had in remembrance neyther to be heard out of their mouthes Exod 23 13. Obiection Psal 16 4. Secondly from hence a doubt ariseth how Moses can bee sayde to giue Gilead to Machir the sonne of Manasseh and how he dwelt therein for may we thinke that Machir was then aliue I answer Answ It is not likely that he liued vnto this time rather we must vnderstand the sonnes and posterity that came of him So the children of Israel are called Israel and the sonnes of Edom by the name of Edom. He that knoweth not this knoweth nothing Thus it is said that Iudah spake vnto Simeon his brother Iudg. 1 3 yet neyther of them was aliue in many ages before therefore it must be vnderstood of theyr posterity The like we see Gen. 48 22. I giue vnto thee one portion aboue thy brethren which I haue taken out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bowe Where Iacob bequeatheth vnto Ioseph by his last will and testament a double portion of the Land 1 Chron. 5 2. By Ioseph we must vnderstand his posterity for in his owne person he inherited nothing but dyed long before and by the sword and bow of Iacob wee must vnderstand the Ephraimites which helped to conquer the Land and were a mighty people in Iosuahs time Iosh 17 14 18. Obiect But it is an harder question to determine how Iaer is saide to be the sonne of Manasseh who doubtlesse did belong to another Tribe For in the Genealogies mentioned in the booke of Chronicles it is euident that hee was the sonne of Segub the sonne of Hetzron of the Tribe of Iudah 1 Chron. 2 22. I answer Answ he is reckoned of the Tribe of Manasseh by the mothers side not by the fathers For it is plaine in the Chapter before named that Hetzron the son of Iudah married the daughter of Machir the sonne of Manasseh 1 Chro. 7 13. Ad difficil loca in Num. c. 131.
There was no king like him ouer all Israel neuerthelesse euen him did out-landish women cause to sinne This was the cause of the great wickednes of Ahab who solde himselfe to worke euill in the sight of God because he tooke Iezabel to wife 1 Kings 16 31. And wherefore did Iehoram forsake the steppes of his godly father and commit grosse idolatry but because hee linked himselfe in an idolatrous stocke and married the daughter of Ahab 2 Kings 8 18. Mal. 2 11. Ezra 10 1 2 3. Lastly they are to be reproued who are present with their bodies before the abominable idoll of the Masse whether it be of a fansie or for fashion whether of curiosity or for feare of punishment and to bow downe to an image thinking to be excused if they reserue theyr hearts to God Discommodities of being present at the Masse whereby they robbe God of his glory they giue scandal and offence to the weake brethren they spoyle the Lord of his right they cast themselues wilfully into desperate danger they depriue themselues of a good testimony of their owne saluation and lastly they deny the Lord IESVS and his truth before men and therefore must take heed that he deny not them before his Father in Heauen Math. 10 33. Obiect Neither let them think this any defence or comfort vnto them that they reserue their hearts to God Answ and for his pure worship For if this were true then were the holy Martyrs of God simple fooles that were content to endure all torments yea to lay downe theyr liues for a testimony to the truth rather then giue the least outward approbation to idolatry Then were those three seruants of God greatly deceiued who chose rather to be cast into the fiery fornace then bow downe to the idol that was set vp Dan. 3 18 we are bought with a great price and therefore we must glorifie God in our body and in our spirit for they are Gods 1 Cor. 6 20. Rom. 12 1. Mat. 4 9 Exod. 20 4. 1 Ioh. 5 21. What husband would endure that his wife should prostitute her body to commit whoredome albeit she should pretend and protest that shee reserued her heart chast and pure for him only Then how much lesse will the Lord admit such a bad and blind excuse when they that professe themselues to be his spouse shall commit spirituall whoredome with idols in their bodies Secondly we must learne from hence that Vse 2 it is impiety to worship images with any kind of worship whatsoeuer For if we be commanded to abstayne from familiarity with them that be idolaters much more are we charged to abstayne from idols and from all worship of the idols It is a greeuous sinne to giue the honour of God whereof he is iealous to any but onely to himselfe To robbe God and thereby to enrich another must needes be acknowledged to be a sinfull and wicked practice much more then is it a sinne to giue the same to such base stuffe as stockes blocks and stones and images Not to honour the king is wickednesse To giue the honour due to the King to his Peeres and Nobles must needs bee a greater sinne and offence but to giue it to a base and contemptible person must needs be greater wrong and wickednesse then any of the rest So is it in this case for men not to honour God is euil Idolatry much abuseth the dignitie of man to giue his honour to any mortall man is more sinfull but for a man made after the image of God to giue it to base and senselesse idols is most wicked of all which are the workes of mens hands The basest image-maker that liueth is farre better then the image that liueth not as the workeman is better then the worke And what a grosse and senselesse thing is it that the liuing image of the liuing should performe worship or seruice to the dead image of a dead Saint It were much better therefore and lesse absurd to worship him that made the image who is the creature of God then the image it selfe which is the creature of man So then we oght carefully to take heed to our selues that wee worship not any image or idol with any worship whatsoeuer It is not lawful for a subiect to worship his Prince or for a sonne to worship his father with any religious worship much lesse lawfull is it then for a man to worship such things as these that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not feete and walke not neyther doth any sound passe from them A man would be much ashamed to be found or seene worshipping a tree that groweth a bird or beast that liueth much more then ought we to be ashamed of this grosse kind of worship that we should bow downe to such things as are beholding to vs for theyr forme and fashion so that there is farre more reason that the image should worship his maker then the maker worship the image that hee made Let vs learne to feare GOD and reuerence his worship and flye all kinde of worshipping of images whatsoeuer to abhorre the same as the imiattion of the Gentiles and the very excrements of Antichrist himselfe Whosoeuer they be that practise such impiety in these dayes of grace are fallen from grace It may be that in time of danger and persecution a man may be forced to doe that which goeth against his conscience to saue life but for a man to stand out in these times and to approue such maner of worship he is certainly fallen from Christ and deserueth iust condemnation and destruction and therefore let no colour or pretence or perswasion whatsoeuer draw vs away to the committing of this sinne but let vs labour to keepe our selues pure by cleauing to the worship and seruice of God and by giuing honour and glory vnto him Obiect But they tell vs that they worship not the image of any false God The Scripture indeed cryeth out against the images of false gods and such as are no true Saints but wee for our parts worship nothing but the Images of the true God and of true Saints I answer Answer there is a great difference betweene the Images of true Saints and of false Saints but there is no difference at al in the action it self forasmuch as it is idolatry to worship the Image of the true God as well as of the false And the reason is because it is to giue worship to that which by nature is no God at all Paul and Barnabas were true Saints yet if the men of Lystra had worshipped them they had sinned against GOD as much as when they worshipped Iupiter and Mercurius which were no other then fayned gods Acts 14 12. Therefore that distinction falleth to the ground Deut. 4 15. Obiect Esay 40 18. Rom. 1.23 1 Cor. 10 20. Deut. 27 15. Psal 97 7. But some of the Papists tell vs that images are Lay mens bookes to looke vpon
how farre shall wee haue such cousins restrayned once onely remoued or twise or how many degrees And if any answere onely the first degree I would know why the first more then the second or the second more then the third seeing that the one is no more to be proued out of the Law of God then the other As for those that alledge the words of the Law Leuit. 18 6 None of you shall approch to any that is neere to him to vncouer their nakednesse if they be rightly weighed they giue no colour to such interpretation nor liberty of such extension but rather serue as a barre to seclude them out of the prohibition For if any other degrees then are after expressed should bee meant then all cousinâ—â—n any degree though neuer so farre off euen an hundred times remoued should be included within the former prohibition which no wise man will affirme Neyther may wee imagine that the Lord would giue such a Law not to come neere any of the kinne and neuer expresse what kinne hee meaneth but leaue vs at randon euery man to coniecture and euery man to hold what he pleaseth So then it is euident that the wordes are not to be stretched so largely but are to bee gathered into a more narrow compasse and to a more strict senfe such as may bee inclusiue to all the degrees afterward in particular rehearsed and recited and exclusiue to al others Fiftly the Law of God setteth downe sundry threatnings of most horrible iudgments vpon the heades of such as breake the bounds of Nature and are pursued with the censure of abomination of wickednesse of villany of filthinesse committed Leuit. 20. and with the sentence of blood of death of cutting off of fire and of barrennesse not onely vpon the one party but vppon the other neyther onely vpon the man but vpon the beast neuerthelesse among all these the cousin germans are no more touched in the punishment then they were before in the prohibition Lastly as the threatning is noted so also is the execution of the threatning remembred For there is no incest committed against the holy Law of God mentioned in the Scripture but it alwayes carrieth a note of reproof and a brand of Gods iudgement with it but in the examples of the marriages of cousin germans which are many in Scripture not the least touch of any reprehension or correction Ruben went vp to his fathers bed and defiled his concubine Gen. 35 22 49.4 1 Chron. 5 1 and hee is punished with the losse of his birth-right Abshalon went in vnto his fathers concubines which he had left to keep the house 2 Sam. 16 21 and he is punished not long after with a violent death and liued not out halfe his dayes 2 Sam. 18 14. The incestuous Corinthian committed fornication with his fathers wife and hee is censured by the Apostle with excommunication and deliuering him oâ—â—r to Satan 1 Cor. 5 1. Lot in his drunkennesse committed incest with his owne daughters and is plagued with the birth of obstinate enemies of Gods Church the first fathers of the Moabites Ammonites Gen. 19 33. Iudah defiled his daughter in law Tamar indeede in ignorance yet duly reproued by himselfe effectually repented so that he neuer lay with her Gen. 38 16. Amnon fell in loue with his sister Tamar and lay with her and immediately after his lust he is punished with lothsomnes in himselfe hatefulnes in Absolon toward him plagued with a sodaine and violent death in the end 2 Sam. 13 14 15. 28 29. Lastly Herod tooke his brothers wife and hee is reproued for it by Iohn Baptist Mat. 14.4 10. Iohn Baptist is taken away from him and the vnthankfull world who was as a shining candle in the darknes of the world which was no small plague And if wee may giue any credit vnto ecclesiasticall histories touching this Herod who was called Antipas hee that defiled his bodye with most filthy Incest and embrued his hands with hâ—rmelesse and innocent blood Centur magd ceâ—t 1. l 1 câ—â—â— and abused his tongue to mock Christ our Sauiour with his cursed Courtiers felt not long after the vengeance of God For as he gaped after honour and sought ambitiously to be entituled with the name of a king he and his proud minion with him were in the second yeare of the Emperour Caligula condemned to perpetuall banishment and at Lyons in France they ended their daies in shame contempt reproch and misery A fit death for such a life Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 9. Euseb lib. 2. cap. 4. In all these examples wee see that although the Magistrate leaue these sins of incest vnpunished yet good men doe not passe by them without reproofe euen in the greatest personages and God doth not let theÌ„ alone without a iudgement and the Scripture doth not record them without a due note and censure of the abhomination And may we then in reason thinke that God and good meÌ„ and the Scripture it selfe would be silent and haue let passe so many mariages of Cousen-germans without any one checke or chastisement if they had bene against the law of God godlinesse Nay rather we may wel think that seeing they go away so cleerely without any the least note of reproofe yea and some of them with no small approbation and commendation at the hands of GOD and good men they are not at al incestuous impious but most lawfull and allowable Vse 1 Now let vs come to the vses First this serues to reproue the Church of Rome which as it is corrupt in the cheefest parts of christian religion so is it in none more corrupt theÌ„ in the matter of mariage because they restraine that which God hath left free and they leaue that free which God hath restrained an euident profe among other things that the Roman Church is an Antichristian Church And first it is plaine that they maintaine the lawfulnesse of mariages within the degrees expresly forbidden For whereas by the law of God Leuit. 18 touching consanguinity they which are placed in the transuerse vnequall line cannot marry at all because they are to be holden as parents and children yet if they bee distinct foure degrees from the common stocke they may lawfully marry by the Popes lawes and canons which is filthy incestuous and abhominable And as they are loose when they should be strict so they are strict when they should be loose For wheras cousen germans are left free by the law of God as wee haue already shewed proued they do condemne the same for no other cause but to make way for popish dispensations Againe they teach that the Pope hath power to dispense with the degrees directly and expresly prohibited in Leuiticus and that many of them are onely iudiciall positiue constitutions not grounded vpon the law of nature but seruing peculiarly for that commonwealth of the Iewes Hence it is that that Antichrist
forbidden in it selfe that is by the Law of God either expressed or vnderstood which is the Law of Nature And we are to approue the politicall lawes of Princes touching these things prouided that the conscience bee not snared and entangled Heereupon Peter Martyr aduiseth Magistrates that they should take heede that they burthen not the people too much and without waighty cause Beza de repudiiâ— Beza to the same purpose wisheth that all Christian Magistrates would decree this matter for the lawfulnes of such matches as the first Councel of Paris did rather then supra Deum ipsum veteres Leges ciuiles sapere videri that is Then to seeme to bee wiser then God himself and the ancient ciuil lawes in prohibiting these matches which are not prohibited eyther in the law of God or in the law of the Romanes So then where there is a law of the Magistrate in force that forbiddeth them the precept of the Apostle euen in al indifferent things must take place Let euery soul be subiect to the higher power Rom. 13 1. howbeit Christians must be subiect thereunto as to a politicke constitution not to a diuine institution But with vs there is no such positiue Law but the matter is established according to the pure and simple word of God neither is there any offence taken in our land against such matches which is the onely reason why in many places they are forbidden As then we haue shewed before that this degree hath ground and foundation in the word of God so let vs see what is the iudgement and opinion of the learned that if by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery trueth should stand then by a clowde of witnesses speaking as it were with one voyce we may be mooued to giue our consent And albeit no man is to builde his faith vpon men which were to set our house vpon the sand yet after the resting and reposing of our selues vppon the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets it cannot but minister some comfort to see the generall consent in a manner and approbation of such as haue bin great lights of the world worthy instruments of God excellent Preachers of the Gospel firme pillars of the church and constant defenders of the faith Obiect But it will bee obiected That many learned men do condemne this marriage and that there is great variety dissention and diuision among them whereupon ensueth much doubtfulnes and distraction among the simple people that are not able to iudge and discerne betweene the one and the other Answ I answer first touching doubtfulnes there are not many if there be any that enter into marriage of this kinde but they ask the iudgment of others and haue the opinion of moe besides themselues and then touching the learned there are not many that I know of which simply condemne the same among these some alledge Ambrose an ancient Writer and some produce Tremellius among the later Touching Ambrose it cannot bee denied but he holdeth this kinde to be prohibited in the Law For hauing in hand to perswade Paternus not to marry his sonne to his daughters daughter that is Ambros Epist 66. ad Patern the Vnckle to the Neece he bringeth this as a reason that because cousin germans which are a degree farther off then Vnckle and Neece are forbidden therefore that of Vnckle Neece must be holden as prohibited But herein he committeth a double error one in that he taketh the one match to be prohibited which indeed is not the other in that hee conceiueth not that degree to be expresly prohibited which indeed is prohibited It were easie to trace out farther ignorance in this Father otherwise of great desert but to omit that I will oppose against him the authority of Saint Augustine no way inferiour vnto him in well deseruing of the Church of GOD and withstanding Heresies and Heretickes that pestered and poysoned with theyr leuen the purity of the Gospell Both these were verie great Doctors of the Latine Church and both liuing at the selfe same time about foure hundred yeares after Christ For he calleth this kinde of marriage Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 15. Cap. 16. factum licitum A lawfull acte and sayeth Quod fieri per Leges licebat quia id nec diuina prohibuit nondum prohibuerat lex humana that is Which was lawfull to be done by the Lawes because the law of God had not prohibited it neither as yet had the law of man And whereas it was one cause of the prohibition of this kinde for the multiplying of affinities Austine obserueth that the nephewes of the first men in the world might marry their cousin germanes and that they had a religious care that the neerenesse of their kindred being pulled asunder by the degrees of propagation should not go out too far therefore by the band of marriage among cousin germans they endeauoured to binde it vp againe But touching Tremellius the case is not so cleere neither so certaine what his opinion is because hee giueth no note but setteth downe certaine figures whereby some gather that he maketh cousin germans a degree as far off as the vncles wife and therefore therein by Analogy prohibited Howbeit there is great cause to doubt In Leu. cap. 18. whether his iudgement swayed that way forasmuch as we finde the father and the sonne also noted with a like figure as likewise the brother and sister as if they were all in one degree and that in the second degree which I thinke no man will affirme For it is plaine and certaine that the son from the father is in the first degree in the line direct and the brother and sister in the same degree in the line collaterall and therefore it is very doubtfull what his meaning is hauing left no full explication thereof Againe it is as cleere to me as the Sun and I dare boldly auouch that the vncles wife and the cousin german are not both in one degree howsoeuer any man do cypher them with the same figure or another discypher thereupon because then the mother and hir sonne should be holden to be in one degree for the cousin german may be the Aunts sonne which Aunt as from her parent is the first degree and her sonne being the cousin german the second so that the Nephew marrying the Aunt doeth marry her that is in the first degree which is prohibited but marrying her daughter who is his cousin german he marieth in the second degree which is not prohibited expresly and not be holden to bee prohibited by analogy to the Aunt seeing there is no like reason of proportion betweene the first the second or any diuerse degrees in the collaterall lines but alwayes betweene the same degrees So then I holde it for an vngrounded and an vntrue assertion that any degrees are forbidden farther off then cousin germans But suppose these two were plaine and direct against the same as