THE PATTERN OF CATECHISTICAL DOCTRINE AT LARGE OR A Learned and Pious Exposition Of the Ten COMMANDMENTS With An INTRODUCTION Containing the Use and Benefit of Catechizing the generall Grounds of Religion and the truth of Christian Religion in particular proved against ATHEISTS PAGANS JEWS and TURKS By the Right Reverend Father in God LANCELOT ANDREWS late Bishop of WINCHESTER Perfected according to the Authors own Copy and thereby purged from many thousands of Errours Defects and Corruptions which were in a rude imperfect Draught formerly published as appears in the Preface to the Reader Ecclesiastes 12. 13. Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man 1. Corinth 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God LONDON Imprinted by Roger Norton and are to be sold by George Badger at his Shop in S. Dunstans Church-yard in Fleet-street Anno Dom. 1650. THE CONTENTS The Exposition of the Introduction CHAP. I. Page 1 1. That Children are to be taught and instructed in Religion proved out of Heathen Philosophers out of the Law the Gospel 2. That this instruction ought to be by way of Catechism What Catechising is How it differs from Preaching Reasons for abridgements or sums of Religion Catechizing used in all ages before the flood after the flood under the Law under the Gospel after the Apostles in the Primitive Church Reasons for this custom of Catechising CHAP. II. Page 9 The duty of the catechized 1. To come and that 1. with a right intent 2. willingly 3. with preparation which must be 1. in fear 2. by prayer Other rules for coming 1. with 〈◊〉 2. with purity of heart 3. in faith 4. frequently The second duty to hear or hearken The necessity of hearing The manner 1. with reverence 2. with fervour of spirit 3. with silence 4. without gazing 5. hear to keep How the word must be kept in our hearts 1. by examination 2. by meditation 3. by Conference CHAP. III. Page 14 Of Religion in general and the foundations of it The four first steps 1 We must come to God as the only way to true happinesse No happinesse in riches proved by divers reasons Nor in Honour Nor in pleasure Nor in moral vertue Nor in contemplation General reasons against them all that felicity cannot be in any of them because they cannot satisfie 2 They are not perpetual but uncertain In God onely is true happinesse to be found CHAP. IIII. Page 19 2. The way to come to God is onely by faith not by natural reason alone as the Manichees held reasons against them The way by faith more certain The necessity of belief Rules for coming by faith CHAP. V. Page 22 3. That we must believe there is a God Misbelief in four things 1. Autotheisme 2. Polytheisme 3. Atheisme 4. Diabolisme The reasons of Atheists answered Religion upholds all states The original of Atheisme from 1. Discontent 2. sensuality CHAP. VI. Page 25 That there is a God proved 1. By reasons drawn out of the writings of the Heathens themselves 2. By the frame of the World Objections answered 3. By the beginning and progresse of arts c. 4. By the necessity of a first mover The beginning of things cannot be 1. By Chance nor 2. By Nature 5. By prophecies fulfilled 6. By the artificial framing the bodies of all Creatures 7. By the soul of man Reasons why so many Atheists Natural notions of a diety The Conscience 8. From the miserable ends of Atheists CHAP. VII Page 29 The fourth step That God hath a providence over man Reasons against divine providence answerd why God permitts evil general reasons for a providence particular reasons from all sorts of creatures That second causes work not nor produce their effects of themselves without God That Gods providence reacheth to particulars That God is to be sought and that he rewards them that seek him CHAP. VIII Page 34 The four religions in the world Of Paganisme reasons against the plurality of Gods That there can be but one God proved out of their own Philosophers that their religion was false How man came to be worshipped How beasts Of the Miracles and Oracles of the Gentiles CHAP. IX Page 37 Of Judaisme The positions of the Jews 1. That the Messias shall have an earthly kingdom at Jerusalem confuted 2. That Jesus is not the Messias The contrary proved by Jacobs prophecy Gen. 49. 11. By Daniels seventy two weeks Dan. 9. 25. By diverse other reasons 3. That the Messias is not yet come The contrary proved by sundry arguments CHAP. X. Page 41 Of Christian. This religion proved to be false by seven reasons CHAP. XI Page 42 Of Christian religion The truth thereof in general proved 1. By the antiquity of it out of the Heathen authors themselves 2. By the continuance and preservation of it 3. By the certainty 4 By the end it leads to viz. to God it gives all honour to him Deprives man of all Other reasons It restraines carnal liberty allowed by false Religions reaches to the heart It contains mysteries above mans capacity Teaches contempt of the world requires spiritual worship Confirmed by miracles beyond exception Prophecies CHAP. XII Page 48 Special reasons for the Christian Religion as differing from the Jewish It purgeth the soul shews that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the testimony of the Apostles and Evangelists the knowledge of what they wrote their honesty the credit of the story testimony from Pagans the star at Christs birth the crosse sacred with the Egyptians the miracles at Christs death the Progresse of Christianity by weak means opposed by power and learning contrary to flesh and blood the excellency of the promises power in conversions the truth of Christs miracles the constancy of Martyrs the ends of the Apostles the Devils testimony against himself CHAP. XIII Page 52 Of the two chief parties that lay claim to Christian Religion Papists and Protestants Their difference about interpretation of Scriptures The Churches authority in expounding Scriptures An additional Observation out of the Authors other works Rules about the sense of the Scriptures Means for finding out the true sense other means controverted Addition about the Churches power in matters of Faith whether infallible Decrees of Councels Consent of Fathers The Pope not infallible CHAP. XIIII Page 58 Christian religion divided into the Law and the Gospel Additions about the use of the Law That the Law of Christ is part of the second Covenant c. The judgement of the Author out of his other books That the Gospel is lex Christi The Law handled first Reasons for this order What the Law teacheth and what the Gospel CHAP. XV. Page 62 In the Law four things 1. The work to be done The Decalogue the Pandects of moral Laws The Laws moral known before Moses written in mens hearts proved in particular In every Law there is evil to be avoided and good to be done
tree and in the next verse ends with the Gospel Ego baptzio vos I baptize you And it s Christs own order too who was the great prophet of the New 〈◊〉 and whose method ought to be our Jnstruction He that humbleth himself shall be exalted first Humiliation and then exaltation now there 's no humbling but by the Law and therefore it is called Humiliator the humbler It was also the practize of Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans which is held to contain the sum of Christian Religion after his proemium in the 17 first verses from the 18 of the first Chapter to the 21 verse of the 3. Chapter he speaks all of the Law all under sinne Jews and Gentiles and unregenerate and regenerate and at last includes himself in the number but after he delivers the sum of the Gospel shewing in what Covenant we must looke to be saved And this Epistle the learned will have to be our warrant for this practize And such was the form of instructing in the primitive Church taking pattern from Saint Paul First Repentance from dead works which includes the Law and then faith in Christ which shews the Gospel So that this must be our Order The Law first and then the Gospel So much for the Order Now the Law containeth three things 1. Praeceptum that which is required of us fac hoc vives doe this and thou shalt live 2. Transgressionem praecepti delictum which shews us how farre we are from the duty that is required of us by the precept Delicta quis intelligit 3. Paenam 〈◊〉 the punishment we must look for and expect for the breach of the precept by our sins Morte morieris thou shalt die And the Gospel also teacheth three things 1. Liberationem how we are delivered from the Curse of the Law 〈◊〉 agnus Dei Behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world 2. Certitudinem how we may be assured that this deliverance pertains to us to make our calling sure by good works 3 〈◊〉 according to King Davids Quid retribuam what shall I render to the Lord what we are to perform new and true obedience not that secundum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summum jus but secundum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is accepted of in Christ the neglect or none performance whereof makes a forfeiture of what God hath given or promised So that our new obedience is not onely to look back as an act of gratitude for benefits received but also and that cheifly forward as a condition to which is annexed by Gods free grace in the Gospel the promise of eternal life Matth. 5. 20. and 7. 21. Ro. 8. 13. Gal. 5. 21. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 21. 2 John 8. CHAP XV. In the law foure things frist the work to be done The 〈◊〉 the Pandects of moral laws The laws moral known before Moses written in mens hearts proved in particular In every law there is evill to be avoided and good to be done both must concur S. Pauls Three rules of piè juste sobriè Saint Aug. his three rules 〈◊〉 contrary to three rules of corrupt nature secondly the mahner of doing requires first Totos secondly totum thirdly toto tempore Thirdly the reward Fourthly the punishment The Law VVE learned in the general Preface that we are to depend onely upon Gods provid 〈◊〉 and so we are to conceive of him as a mighty prince and king for so he is stiled in the Apocalyps Rev. 19. 16. Who as he hath a Reward for us so he hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his worke house his place of probation and 〈◊〉 for us which house is the world and that being in his work-house we have our agenda work to be done And the Law as the Rabbins call it is Therash magnashoth Doctrina agendorum the things we must do are contained in it And as there be four things in all good Laws in the world so are there in this which is Lex Creatoris Mundi the Law of the worlds Creator 1. Opus The work prescribed to be done This ye shall doe 2. Modus The manner how it must be done Thus ye shall doe it 3. Praemium The Reward for it being done In palatio in Heaven 4. Poena the punishment for it being not done In Carcere in hell 1 Opus The action or work The Decalogue is as it were the Pandects a Book of all the Offices works and dutyes which God requireth at mans hand and the Lawyers Pandects are nothing else but Comments upon these these are the true Ethica Christiana Christian moral duties transcending all other whatsoever And in this respect are they of the Church of Rome to be commended who though they teach their youth other Arts yet teach them no other Ethicks then these Logique and Physiques and Metaphysiques they learn them but for Ethicks they refer them especially as the reformed Churches have done to these of the Decalogue which indeed is the true Regula morum the just square of all our actions for they ought not to be shorter nor longer then this But because the Law is said to be given by Moses there may arise a doubt from hence that seeing the Law was not given till aboue 2000 years after the Creation and that the world was so long without a Law why may not we live without a Law now aswell they did before Moses Our answer is That they lived not before Moses without the Law They had many parts of the Law some of the Ceremonial Law by special Revelation from God and all the moral Law written in their hearts they had the knowledge of beasts cleane and uncleane of sacrificing of praying or calling upon God of the younger Childrens subjection to the elder Abraham had the Law of Circumcision he and 〈◊〉 paid Tithes and many other Laws they had before Moses wrote them And as Saint Paul saith The Gentiles both before and after doing by nature the things contained in the Law these haveing not the Law were a Law unto themselves what to doe not what they listed but the work of the Law written in their hearts instead of Tables of stone That is the effect of the Law which is equivalent to the Law it self which he proveth thus because their conscience bare witnesse and their thoughts reflected on their actions accused or excused themselves in what they did And therefore S. Augustine saith that every man had this law in his heart which is to be understood after the fall for before that all was perfectum perfect Mali multa recte laudant multa recte reprehendunt quibus autem regulis faciunt hoc ubi eas vident unde illud habent quod homines sic vivere debeant cum ipsi non sic vivant sunt regulae justae mentes eorum injustae regulae immutabiles mentes eorum mutabiles vel hoc argumento
God Addition 11. Of the seat of faith Reasons why God should be feared Of 〈◊〉 and servile fear How Fear and Love may stand together The sins forbidden 1. Want of Fear 2. worldly fear Motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of fear CHAP. IX Page 128. The fourth inward vertue is humility The nature of it The properties of it Of Pride The nature and degrees of it Signes of Pride The punishments of Pride Of forced humility Of counterfeit humility The means of humility The signes of humilitie CHAP. X. Page 136. Of the fifth inward vertue Hope Hope and Fear come both from Faith The several uses of Hope The nature and exercise of Hope Of Presumption and Despair Reasons against both Means to strengthen Hope Signes of true Hope CHAP. XI Page 142. The sixth duty is prayer The end of prayer Gods Glory The necessity of it The power of prayer The parts of prayer 1. Deprecation 2. Petition Why God denies some things we ask 3. Intercession 4. Thanksgiving which consists of 1. Confession 2. Complacency 3. Promulgation 4. Provocation of others The excellency of praising God The properties of true prayer The helps to prayer Signes of faithful prayer Of causing others to pray CHAP. XII Page 154. The seventh vertue required is Love of God That God is to be loved Of mercenary and free Love The excellency of Love The measure of Love The opposites to the Love of God 1. Love of the world 2. Self-love 3. Stupidity 4. Loathing of God All the motives of Love are eminently in God 1. Beauty 2. 〈◊〉 3 Benefits bestowed Six signes of Love Of drawing others to love God CHAP. XIII Page 163. The proper effects of Love 1. Obedience 2. Patience How Obedience arises from the Love of God It brings glory to God two wayes Is better then sacrifice in four respects Reasons why we should obaudire Deo There be three speakers 1. God who speaks 1. By his Word 2. by his Works 2. The World 3. Our selves These do obloqui gainsay what God sayes The measure and quality of Obedience Of disobedience that it is a great sin The degrees of it 1. Neglect 2. Contempt Motives to obedience Signes of obedience CHAP. XIIII Page 170 Of Patience How it arises from the Love of God The necessity and excellency of patience Afflictions are either corrections or tryals Reasons of patience in both Of counterfeit patience in Hereticks and others Stupidity no true patience 〈◊〉 thereof Of fainting under the crosse Means of patience Signes of patience Of working patience in others CHAP. XV. Page 178. The second thing required in the first Commandment To have the true God for our God Reasons hereof Of true Religion this is the true pearl to be sought Three rules in seeking The extreams of Religion 1. Idolatry 2. Superstition 3. Profanenesse 4. Novelty of which three degrees 1. Schisme 2. Heresy 3. Apostacy The means of true Religion The signes of procuring it in others CHAP. XVI page 182 The third thing required in the first Commandement is to have onely the true God which includes sincerity Reasons hereof The contraries to sincerity Means of sincerity Signes of sincerity Of procuring it in others CHAP. XVII page 184 Of the last words in the first Commandement Coram me in which is implied Integritie Reasons for it Of Hypocrisie and reasons against it Signes of a sound heart An observation from the first words Non habebis They are in the Future tense and imply perseverance Reasons for it The extreams 1. Constancy in evil 2. Inconstancy in good Four reasons against Backsliding signes of perseverance Of procuring it in others The Exposition of the second Commandement CHAP. XI page 192 The general parts of this Commandement 1. The precept 2. The sanction The precept is negative forbids Idolatry and implies the affirmative 1. That God must be worshipped as he requires 2. That reverence must be shewed in the performance Reasons why this and the fourth Commandement are larger then the rest Reasons for the affirmative and negative part Addition 13. That the making of Images was absolutely forbidden the Jews and in that respect the precept was positive and reached onely unto them Addition 14. Whether all voluntary or free worship be forbidden under the name of will-worship CHAP. II. page 196 That God will not be worshipped by Images the several words whereby Image-worship is forbidden why God appointed the making of Cherubims and the brazen Serpent Reasons against worshipping of Images the original of Images four occasions of the use of Images some in times of persecution some in times of peace CHAP. III. page 202 What the Romanists alledge out of the Fathers ancient Liturgies and Councels for Images Add. 13. Of S. Chrysostomes Liturgy Add. 14. Of the second Nicene Councel The words mistaken in the capitular of Charls the great and in the Synod of Frankford and Paris Testimonies of the Fathers against Images CHAP. IV. page 204 The five Rules of extent for expounding this Commandement Of the affirmative part of it In Gods outward worship are two things 1. the substance 2. the ceremony The first consists of 1. Preaching Addition 15. How preaching is a part of Gods worship 2. Prayer 3. Sacraments Addition 16. The Eucharist considered as a Sacrament and a Sacrifice 4 Discipline CHAP. V. page 208 Of Ceremonies in Gods worship The use of them 4. Cautions to be observed abont them The means of preserving Gods worship The signes Addition 17. Concerning customs and traditions of the Church The 6. Rules of causing others to keep this Commandement CHAP. VI page 210 Of the manner of outward worship no reveronce nor worship to be performed to Images 1. The distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 examined 2. That evasion that not the Image but God by the Image is worshipped taken away 3. That they are Lay-mens books examined 4. That Images are to put us in minde of the Saints examined Addition 20. About Images and pictures for memories sake CHAP. VII page 214 The affirmative part of this precept concerning the manner of outward worship 3. Reasons for outward bodily worship Outward honour consists 1. In the signe 2. In the act Of the signe by 1. Vncovering the head 2. Bowing the body Of the act or deed 1. By being at Gods command 2. By doing his work or service Of the gesture of Reverence 1. In publick and private prayer 2. At hearing the word 3. At the administration of Sacraments 4. At discipline The sins against these In publick worship must be 1. Vniformity 2. Fear 3. The heart must be present 4. Silence 5. Constancy to tarry till all be done The means of outward worship The signes CHAP. VIII page 221 Of the second part of this precept The sanction or penalty This is the first Commandment with a penalty Reasons of it The parts of this sanction 1. Gods stile 2. A commination 3. A promise 1. Gods stile
far and neer and what a Reverend Prelate said of him in his Funeral Sermon may visibly appear to any Eye in this great Herculean Labour that those things which seldome meet in one Man were in him in a high degree Scientia magna Memoria major Judicium maximum at Industria infinita His Knowledge was great his Memory greater his Judgement exceeded both but his Labour and Industry was infinite and went beyond them all For the Subject it is the Decalogue or those Ten Words in which God himself hath epitomized the whole duty of Man which have this Priviledge above all other parts of Scripture that whereas all the rest were divinely inspired but God made use of Prophets and Apostles as his Pen-men here God was his own Scribe or Amanuensis here was Digitus Dei for the writing was the writing of God These are the Pandects of the Laws of Nature the fountains from which all humane Laws ought to be derived the Rule and Guide of all our Actions whatsoever Duties are variously dispersed through the whole Book of God are here collected into a brief Sum whatsoever is needful for us to doe in Order to Salvation may be reduced hither for this is totunt Homin is the Conclusion of upshot of all saith Solomon to feare God and keep his Commandments and the Apostle tells us to the same purpose that circumcision avayleth nothing nor uncircumcision but the keeping of the Commandments of God And therefore as Philo saith that the Jews used to refer all that they found in the Law of Moses to these ten heads as the Philosophers reduced all things to the ten predicaments not that they were all literally comprized there but because for memories sake they might be reduced thither so hath the Christian Church reduced all the duties of a Christian to the same heads which she hath enlarged and made more comprehensive as partaking of a greater measure of the Spirit then they had and ayming at a higher degree of perfection in all Christian Vertues There is indeed a generation of men sprung 〈◊〉 such as S. Augustine wrote against long since in his Book contra adversarium legis prophetarum that under colour of advancing Gods free grace in mans salvation and affecting Christian liberty would abrogate the whole moral Law as if it were worthy of no better entertainment among Christians then Jehoiakim gave to Jeremies prophecies when he cut the rowl in pieces and threw it into the sire And how far the tenets and principles of some others who would seem to abhor such opinions have promoted these pernicious doctrines I shall not need to shew sure I am that while some teach that the Gospel consists properly of promises onely that the moral Law is no part of the condition of the second Covenant nor the observation of it though qualified in the Gospel required now in order to salvation that the promises of the Gospel are absolute and that Faith is nothing else but an absolute application of them or an absolute relying upon Christ for the attaining of them without the conditions of repentance and new obedience that Christ came onely to redeem not to give any Law to the world that after a man is in Christ though he fall into the grossest sins which are damnable in a man unregenerate yet he is still quoad praesentem statum in the state of salvation and though he may lose the sence and feeling yet he can never lose jus ad vitam his right to heaven what sins soever he walks in I say whilst men teach such doctrins and yet cry out against Antinomians Libertines and other Sectaries what do they in judging others but condemn themselves for they grant the premises and deny onely the conclusion If such doctrines were as true as they are common this Author and all others that have written on this subject might have spared their pains and therefore we may say with the Psalmist It is time for thee Lord to work for they have destroyed thy Law These men are like to Licurgus who being cast into a frenzy by Dionysius in that distemper thinking to have cut down a vine with the same hatchet slew his own son so these being possest with a spiritual frenzy which they call zeal when they lift up their hatchet to cut off some errors which like luxuriant branches have sprung up about the Law these do unawares cut down the Law itself both root and branch making the observation of it arbitrary in respect of Salvation or as a Parenthesis in a sentence where the sence may be perfect without it Such Errors are far more dangerous then many that were held by the old Hereticks which were chiefly about matters speculative whereas these reflect upon matters of practise and whilst they strike at the root of obedience to the Laws of Christ they do directly take away the very way of Salvation to the certain ruine of peoples souls and do utterly overthrow the foundation both of Church and Common-wealth so that wheresuch doctrines prevail nothing but confusion and dissolution of all Government can follow as sad experience in too many places shews where the genuine fruits of such doctrines appear to be no other then to rob the Priest of his honour the Prince of his power the people of their Discipline and Government Pastors of their Flocks and Sheep of their Pastors Preachers of their Churches Churches of their Reverence Religion of its Power and the World of all Religion S. James would have us to try our Faith by our Works but these men will have their works tryed by their Faith To the pure all things are pure if Faith be in their heart God can see no sin in their actions We read of the Scholars of one Almaricus of Paris who held that what was deadly sin in others yet if it were done by one that was in Charitie or the state of Grace it was no sin or not imputed to him for which they were condemned as Hereticks These men seem to be spit out of their mouths for they would have sins distinguished not by their nature or object but by the subject in whom they are and hence they hold that all their own sins though never so great they being beleevers elect are at the most but infirmities which cannot endanger their salvation but the sins of all others are mortall and damnable which impious doctrine with the rest above mentioned from which it flows howsoever they be varnisht over with faire shews of advancing the free grace of God and the merits of Christ and the depressing of mans power yet are indeed no other then the old damned Heresie of SimonMagus who as Theodoret saith taught his Disciples they were free from the obedience of the law was condemned by the Ancient Church in Vasilides Carpocrates Epiphanes Prodicus Eunomius and other impure wretches and is call'd by Luther himself whose unwary speeches have given
motives to fear taken from Gods judgements The signes of feare VVE have seen out of the Apostle that saith must be in the heart and the heart must beleeve else there can be no righteousnesse there must be a mutual affection of the minde and heart for if the heart love not the minde will not long beleeve and if the minde beleeve not the heart will not love long Faith in regard of the actus elicitus assent is an act of the minde but in respect of the actus imperati as the Schools speak which flow from assent and belief as love fear obedience c. So it is in the heart and whole man so that the duty of a Christian may be called the work of faith because it is commanded and produced by faith though belief be the formal and onely proper immediate act of it Now the heart is the seat of the affections and the affections are about such objects as are partly agreable to our nature and such as we wish for and imbrace and partly such as we desire not but turn from Of the former sort are love hope joy and of the other are fear grief hate And God hath 〈◊〉 both of them to a double use as those of the second sort to restrain us from evil or after we have committed evil to torment and punish us So of the former either they are provocations to good or after we have done well to cherish and comfort us for so doing It is the work and office of faith to stir up these 〈◊〉 in us the first of which is fear towards God and the reason is because the word of God being the object of faith whether we take it in whole or in grosse the five books of Moses or the four Gospels in all we finde punishments 〈◊〉 to such as should transgresse which threatnings being 〈◊〉 by faith must needs work fear to 〈◊〉 and so they restrain from sin or fear of the punishment in those that have offended and so they stir up to repentance for in the very beginning we see faith had a word of threatning to apprehend In what day soever Adam should eat of the fruit of the tree he should die and this was before the promise that The seed of the woman should bruise the serpent head Now faith apprehended Gods justice which with his other attributes made it seem more fearful and the conscience telling that an offence was committed by eating fear must needs arise out of the consideration of it And this is it which was remembred before in our Saviours speach to the Jews If ye had believed Moses ye would also have believed me First Moses was to be believed then Christ first the Law then the Gospel The first is a faith in Gods justice There is a manifest example of this in the Ninevites Crediderunt Deo timuerunt they believed God and feared which is Moses fear a faith in Gods justice Among many motives to fear given by writers the chief is 〈◊〉 legis the knowledge of the Law and this works contritionem a grinding to powder by fear of that which the Law brings into their hearts And of this the Psalmist speaks telling us what is the true object of fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements This is the effect of faith upon the knowledge of Gods Justice The reason why it pleased God to set justice and fear in the first place is because before any thing can be effected the impediment and that which hindereth must be taken away We cannot possesse God and the reason is because as the Prophet tells us there is a separation between him and us our sins do separate between God and us a partition wall as the Apostle calls it Now seeing there is a necessity to have God and that this partition wall keeps us asunder in the first place we must not build this wall higher but we must cease to build sin upon sin and look for Christ to beat down that which is already built That which causeth us to cease from sin is the fear of God Expulsor peccati timor Domini saith the Wise man we must not say shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle And this is the reason why God commandeth fear because it maketh us to leave sin Besides fear there are two other affections which cause men to live well though it pleased God here to make choice of fear as 1. Shame 2. Pain and grief Make their faces ashamed O Lord saith the Psalmist that they may seek thy Name and for the other Vexatio dat intellectum affliction brings understanding If a man smart for any thing experience will give him understanding But we see that in the multitude of offenders there is no place for shame and for pain we have terrenas consolatiunculas poor worldly comforts at least if not to drive it away yet to season it and therefore God foresaw that neither of these would strike so deep as fear But fear which it pleaseth God to set before us and to require at our hands is that affection which toucheth us neerest and when other fail fails not Examples we have of it in offenders Adam being naked and clothed onely with fig-leaves might have been ashamed yet he walked up and down Paradise confidently and his humbling came not till he heard the voice of the Lord and then he was afraid Felix was a corrupt governour and made no conscience of it yet hearing Saint Paul discourse of Justice and Temperance and especially of Gods Judgements he fell into a trembling And this affection is not onely in men but predominant in beasts also and in those beasts which are most stupid and brutish 〈◊〉 asse fearing the angel of the Lord notwithstanding all his Masters beating fell down flat and would not stir a foot to run into danger Nay further the Devils which fear nothing else yet in respect of God S. James tells us Demones credunt contremiscunt the Devils believe and tremble And therefore this must needs be a prevalent means and that man is far gone and in a fearful case that feareth not But it may be objected That since God speaketh so much of love why should we not be brought to obedience by love rather then by fear It cannot be denied but that were a more acceptable way but our case is so that love will not prevail with us for he that loveth a good thing must have knowledge of it and that comes by a taste of it Now if his 〈◊〉 be corrupt as theirs is that are feavorish nothing can please him but that wich pleaseth the corrupt taste wholsome things are distasteful to him yet though they love not those things that are good for their disease this reason will prevail against their liking that if they take it not their fit
fear of the Lord is the fountain of life to avoid the snares of death As faith is the beginning of Christian religion as the first principles are in every science in ordine credendorum so is fear the first work or first beginning in ordine agendorum of things to be done and as timor servilis servile fear is the first work so timor castus a reverend and filial fear is the last worke and conclusion of all things Now wee have seen what is Commanded wee are to see what is forbidden That is first want of fear the effect whereof is hardnesse of heart which is of two sorts the first being a degree or way to the second 1. The first ariseth from the prosperity or present impunity of the wicked which draweth with it an erroneous perswasion of our own freedom from danger Because sentence saith the Preacher against an evill work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evill They harden their hearts because wicked men escape punishment and conclude with him in the Psalmist that God is like themselves and thus the want of fear opens a way to all wickednesse whereas they ought to have reasoned as the Apostle doth that God deferreth his punishment that we should not defer our repentance and that he that hardeneth his neck being rebuked shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy as the Wise man saith 2. The second is the absolute want of fear There ought to be ever a proportion between the object and the power apprehending The Psalmist saith who regardeth deth the power of thy wrath for thereafter as a man feareth so is thy displeasure Our fear should be proportionable to Gods wrath But though we cannot fear in that proportion etiamsi conteremur ad palverem though we should grinde our selves to powder though we should tremble till one bone fall from another yet some measure of fear ought to be in us at least our fear ought to go beyond the precepts of men not be like those whose fear towards God was taught meerly by the precepts of men Esay 29 13. Math. 15. 2. if we fear onely when mans law punishes our fear comes short the trial is if we make the like conscience of those things to which mans law reacheth not as of those which are forbidden both by the laws of God and man other wise we are voyd of fear Now as the want of fear is forbidden so on the other side to fear that we should not is also prohibited The Psalmist among other notes of the wicked sets this down for one they were afraid where no fear was And S. John saith that the fearful that for fear have transgressed shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone And our saviour bids us not to fear them that can onely kill the body Pharoah was afraid the Isralites should grow into a greater number then the Egyptians and therefore made Edicts to kill the male children of the Isralites So Jeroboam fearing that the hearts of the people would return to Rehoboam their true Lord if they should go up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice and therefore set up two Golden calves and brought the people to Idolatry Herod was afraid that he should loose his kingdom and therefore commanded to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and the coasts round about from two yeers old and under And the Jews were afraid that if they suffered Christ to proceed in his doctine and miracles all would beleeve on him and the Romans would come and take away their kingdome and therefore they conspired to put him to death The Wise man saith Quod timet impius id accidet ei that which the wicked feareth shall come upon him And so it happened in the four examples mentioned The Romans dispossest the Jews of their kingdom Herod missed of his purpose and lost his kingdom Jeroboams issue was rejected in the next generation And the Israelites increased and prevailed against Pharaoh and the Egyptians Seeing then that this duty of fear is so necessary and that the Prophet in the person of God tells us that to him will he look that trembleth at his words it stands us upon to keep this fear ever in our hearts And the best motives to induce us is to take to us the consideration of Gods judgements and to consider with the Apostle How fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God for if he shall be extreme to mark what is done amisse no man shall abide his wrath 1. And the first is the consideration of the examples of the judgements of God in former ages left upon record in holy Scriptures Of which the Apostle saith That al these things meaning the judgements spoken of him in the former verses of the chapter hapned unto them for ensamples and are written for our admonition They should be our monitors Quot habebis jndicis Dei historias in 〈◊〉 tot habes conciones The histories of God judgements in the scared Scripture are as so many sermons to us to move us to the fear of God As when we see his justice upon his Angells upon man in Paradise upon his whole posterity in the deluge upon the five Cities upon the Egyptians upon his chosen people the Jews upon his own Church Jerusalem and last of all upon his own and dearly beloved Son in proceeding against him in the fullnesse of bitternesse at his passion insomuch as one of the fathers saith upon it O magna amaritudo peccati qui tantam amaritudinem peperit Oh the great bitternesse of sinne that brought forth so great bitternesse Can we read and hear these things and not fear and tremble 2. And as the judgements of former ages are to be considered so those which are more neere ourselves especially these three 1. Mala inherentia those crosses that it pleaseth God to let us feele in some measure as sicknesse povertie afflictions by bad children and the like 2. Mala impendentia those crosses which we do not feel at the present but hang over our heads and which we have cause to fear may daily fall upon us as pestilence sword c. 3. Malum excubans prae foribus as they cal it the horrour of a guilty conscience which is alwayes ready to accuse and terrifie us in which regard God told Cain that sinne lieth at the door though conscience seem to sleep yet it lies like a mastive at the door which when the conscience shall be awakened will be ready to fly in our faces 3. Besides these we should consider those tria novissima as they are called those three last things death judgement and hell torments first the terror of death which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher called it the terrible of terribles
need threats and rewards so resractory is our nature And now we come to that which is commanded by the first rule which is love whether it be 1. amore naturali the natural affection which is from God and consequently is by nature due to God for to love him a quo potentiam habemus amandi is but equitable Whether it be 2. amore delectus with a love of election for when we have summed up all the objects in the world together we shall finde nothing to be beloved so much as God Or whether it be 3. amore infuso he it is that hath shed this love into our hearts and it is fit that he which hath scattered should gather that which he hath scattered The wicked servant can tell us so much Now this love and the measure thereof as it proceedeth freely is branched into 1. Desiderium 2. Gaudium 3. Zelus desire and joy and Zeale 1. A desire of God while we feel not the assurance of his spirit in us and then we complain with the Prophet like as the hart desireth the water-brooks so longeth my soul c. 2. The other of joy remaineth when this desire is fulfilled cum 〈◊〉 desiderium posuit gaudium this desire wrought in our hearts by the holy Ghost produceth those fruits mentioned Galat. 5. 22. Joy peace c. And when our desire is hindred that it cannot be obtained then cometh 3. Zeale Jra est vindex laesi 〈◊〉 anger is the revenger of desire not satisfied and this is called sacra 〈◊〉 an holy boyling of grief and anger incensed against all impediments and it is one of the signes of love for quinon Zelat non amat he that is not zealous loveth not He that can discern the impediments to Gods glory and not be desirous and earnest to remove them hath no love in him The measure of this love must extend to this height as to be ready to hate parents those that depend upon us yea our own souls if they could come in competition with it as Saint Luke hath it but Saint Matthew in more gentle termes he that loveth father or mother son or daughter more then God is not worthy of him that is when their commands contradict Gods they must reject them The law saith that we must love the Lord with all our heart with all our mind with all our strength and with all our soul. As the heart is said improperly to beleeve so is the minde said no lesse improperly to love yet here love is ascribed to all parts and faculties which must all concur to the love of God either directly or by consequence either per actum olicitum or imperatum as the Schools speak Saint Bernard hath this meditation Quia fecisti me ideo me tibi debeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum renovasti quantum Dicto me fecisti sed renovasti me multis dictis factis passis The remaking cost more then the making and with this second making came the gift of God himself Nisi dedisset se saith the same father non reddidisset te Si me solum mihi reddidisset potui me illi denuo at cumse mihi quid illi reddam If he had given me to my self I could have given my self to him again but giving himself to me if I would give my self to him a thousand times it were not sufficient recompence for such a gift Yet this is to our comfort which he addes Etiam si non possum amare ultra quod possum si possim velim et si minus reddo quia minor sum quia tamen tota anima diligit 〈◊〉 deest ubi totum est Although I could not love beyond my ability yet if I could I would and if I render lesse because I am lesse yet because I love with all my soul I want nothing which is all that God requireth and we must labour to attain to Now for the negative part 1. The first thing forbiden is Dilectie inordinata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Basil calleth it a disordered love whereas God should stand highest in our love and ought to have the first place and nothing should be loved extra Deum and yet we love other things more then God or not with subordination to God then our love is out of order It hath been said that not onely the committing of evil but desertio meliorum the leaving of that which is best is sinne so is it in the love of God if we leave the better and make choice of the worse it is sin whether it be to make our belly our god or earthly things or to bestow the honour due to God upon our selves primatum gerere to usurpe a primacie above God in these cases our love is out of order For pro deo colitur quicquid praecaeteris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amor meus Deus meus whatsoever is loved above other things is worshipped as God for what we love best that is our God Every man hath something that he preferres before all other and that is indeed his Idoll rather then his God This exorbitant and irregular love is of two sorts Amor mundi or Amor sui love of the world and love of a mans self 1. For the love of the world S. Augustine saith Si possimus homines excitare et cum 〈◊〉 pariter excitari ut possemus esse amatores vitae permanentis quales quotidie videmus vitae fugientis his wish is that we were as forward to love the world to come as we are to affect this present transitory world The Philosophers say that the soul of man is placed in loco medio inter Deume 〈◊〉 creatur as hath a middle place between God and the creatures And that which stands in the midst of two things cannot move to both but motibus contrariis by contrarie motions Certainly this is the case of the soul it standeth so in regard of God and the world and cannot move to both but by contrary motions Now because through the corruption of original sinne the soul is a based it apprehendeth worldly things best because they are neer et illis nos ingurgitamiss we fill our selves so with them that we have no tast of heavenly things according to that of the wiseman Anima saturata calcabit 〈◊〉 the full fed despiseth the hony comb And therefore to correct this humour we must jejunare fast and weane our selves from the world for if we glut and cram our souls with worldly pleasures we can have no tast of God and so come to despise or neglect him 2. Besides this there is amor sui self love and this is harder to represse then the other and it is that wherewith men are wilfully infected and till a great measure of the spirit poslesse their hearts they will not be able to rid themselves of it and therefore it is that Prosper saith Amantes donantur sibi these men that over love themselves are given up to themselves
alone can search the heart therefore he delights in it and requires our obedience to be coram facie mea as in his sight Therefore it is that the Wise man counselleth a man to keep his heart with all diligence He gives a double reason for it is the principal member and therefore gives God the chief glory and further it is the fountain of all our actions by none of which is God honoured if they come from a corrupt fountain nay they are so far from being accepted that they are abominable and therefore according to the disposition of the heart life or death proceeds if we worship God with a right heart then we shall reap life if that be unsound death eternall follows And therefore necessitas incumbit we had need to keep that member right For all those glorious duties before spoken of if they want integrity or a good heart they are so far from Gods acceptation that they become abomination For if we believe our faith must come from the heart if we love it must be not in word but in truth which comes from the heart Our obedience also must proceed from the heart To conclude this whatsoever we do we must do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men That which is here commanded is called virtus integritatis by the Fathers inward soundnesse against hollownesse and sincerity against mixture And they ground it upon Gods charge to Abraham when he made the covenant of Circumcision Ambula coram me what that is God explained in the next words esto integer walk before me and be upright or perfect without hypocrisie It is commonly joyned in Scripture with another word Job was an upright and just man the words signifie properly straight and sound upright and pure in another place and an honest and good heart in another The nature of the word integer is taken from timber it must be straight without and sound within straight that it be not crooked coram facie humana and sound that it be not hollow coram facie divina before God Therefore the Ark was overlaid with gold without and within and in this respect it was that the Psalmist distinguished the Church the Kings daughter from other Kings daughters her outward beauty might be parraleld but she was all glorious within It is the inward beauty which is required chiefly That which is forbidden is hypocrisie Our Saviour taxed it in the Pharisees by telling them they had a care to make clean the outside of the cup and platter but had no regard to that which was intus within This is the sin of seven woes more then we read that any other sin had Of which S. Chrysostome saith Pharisaeorum justitia erat in ostentatione operis non in rectitudine intentionis the righteousnesse of the Pharisees consisted in ostentation of their works not in the uprightnesse of their intents The other extream is that the Prophet taxes in Ephraim whom he calld a silly dove without heart this is simplicity without wisdom when there is as our Saviour intimates Columba sine serpente the dove without the serpent Of such speaks Solomon when he saith that a fool uttereth all his minde he poures out his spirit without any manner of wisdom and discretion before every man our integrity therefore must be preserved with wisdom 1. The way to keep our selves in this integrity First Seneca's councel to Lucillus who desired this vertue was when he took any thing in hand to imagine that Cato Scipio or some other of the ancient Romans renowned for vertue stood before him But it is a better way for us to do as the Psalmist did to set God alwayes before our eyes conceiving and that truely that whatsoever we do is in his presence If that will not work with us then to set God not absolutely but as he will sit when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed at the day of judgment The day as the Apostle speaks when God shall judge the secrets of all men for as the Preacher saith God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing 2. Another motive and that a forceable one to perswade us will be that God requires an exact and sincere service of us to himself because he commandeth singlenesse of heart from servants to their Masters even with fear and trembling If this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service will not be allowed by God as current towards men much lesse will he allow it to himself 3. Lastly if we consider the integrity of Christs heart to us of whom we read that it was pierced and that he spent his very heart blood for us if we consider that it will stir us up to have a reciprocal heart to him and say with S. Bernard juste cor nostrum vindicat qui cor suum pro nostro dedit he may justly challenge our hearts that gave his for ours When he had offered his hands feet and other members for us yet thought it not sufficient but gave his heart for us also It is not our tongue hands or feet that can requite it our hearts will be too little if we give them also up to him 1. And we shall know whether our hearts be upright or no first by the Heathen mans rule Nil conscire sibi nulla pallescere culpa hic murns 〈◊〉 us 〈◊〉 A sound heart is like a wall of brasse and is so full of courage that it can say with the Apostle 〈◊〉 perminimum est ut a vobis judicer it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you It is the soundnesse of the heart that will make it bold if we be not 〈◊〉 mali to our selves that we know no evil in our selves This made John Baptists heart to be above King Herodes power the want of it made Peter afraid at a silly Damsels speech charging him to be of Christs company 2. Another mark like to this is if we be firm and upright under the crosse If afflictions alter us not for troubles and crosses will dishonour the integrity of our hearts Look how we stand affected in them if firm then no doubt but we are right If we can say with King Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart this upheld him when he was sick even unto death but e contra if the heart be not sound then in any crosse it melts within us like wax as the Psalmist speaks Psalm 22. 14. 3. If we derest sin in our selves and punish it no lesse in our selves then others Judah at the first in the case of Thamar cried Bring her away let her be burnt but upon further consideration when it came to be his own case there was a sudden alteration she was more righteous then I. This is much like that the Heathen man
head this we may remember by these things but the especiall pains and torments which inwardly he suffered his being sorrowful unto death his anguish of heart for the Jews obstinacy and rejection the bitternesse of the cup which his not onely most perfect bodie was most sensible of and his holy soul apprehended and suffered these are forgotten these cannot be depicted so the greatest part of his passion is un expressible 4. The last evasion of theirs is that by Images we remember or are put in minde of the Angels and Saints To this in breif may be answered that Saints are no better then Angels and seeing that an Angel would not suffer John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship him it is not to be vsed to them Saint Augustine hath a zealous wish vtinam velletis discere ab Angelis tum enim disceretis eos non adorare I could wish you would learn of Angels for then you would learn not to worship them And Saint Pauls charge was Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels c. And thus much of the controversy betwixt the Papists and us as it had dependance upon the former part of this commandment concerning Images These reasons shew that there are other means better and more effectual then pictures to instruct men in the knowledge of Christ viz. The scripture and the preaching of the gospel but they are not meant to prove it unlawful to paint or make any pourtraiture of Christ in his humane nature as at his passion c. Provided no religious worship be given to it that which is of 〈◊〉 use is not therefore unlawful or of no use at all So the author in his answer to Porron cap 18. p. 17. To have a story painted for memories sake we hold not unlawful but that it might be well enough done if the church found it not inconvenient for her children CHAP. VII The affirmative part of this precept concerning the manner of outward worship 3. Reasons for outward bodily worship Outward honour consists 1. in the signe 2. in the 〈◊〉 Of the signe by 1. uncovering the 〈◊〉 2. bowing the body Of the act or deed 1. By being at Gods command 2. By doing his worke or service Of the gesture of Reverence 1. in publick and private prayer 2. At 〈◊〉 the word 3. At the administration of sacraments 4. At discpline The sins against these In publick worship must be 1. uniformity 2. Fear 3. The heart must be present 4. Silence 5. constancy to tarry till all be done The 〈◊〉 outward worship The signes VVE are now to take a view of the affirmative part of this precept that is how we are to behave our selves in the external worship of God The worship enjoyned in the first Commandment as hath bin said is internal this in the second is outward or external honour or worship Honour being a testimony of excellency given by outward signe or deed and praise by word The honour of the signe is expressed by the word 〈◊〉 in bowing down and of the deed by the word 〈◊〉 in serving For the first as the negative was thou shalt not bow down to them the affirmative is thou shalt bow down to me And for the other as in the Negative thou shalt not worship or serve them the affirmative is thou shalt serve me 1. For the outward worship first in general Christ tells us that a candle is not lighted to be put under a bushel upon which the fathers have raised this note or Maxime that Bono debetur manifestatio our good must be made manifest and therefore candles that have bonum lucis the goodnesse of light must not be thrust sub 〈◊〉 tenebrarum under the evil of darknesse So then if the candle of light be in our soules that is if we inwardly worship God we must set it upon a candlestick our inward religion must apear in our outward worship and it must not be onely in a Chamber as our private Religion a close godlinesse that cannot be seen 2. The next reason for this point the Apostle gives Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and spirit glory being nothing else but an effect of conspicucu nesse the fair spreading and enlarging of honour and praise and therefore containeth honour in it Now in conjunctions copulative the rule is In copulativis non sufficit alterum In things that are coupled one is not sufficient but vtrumque faciendum both are to be performed And the Apostles conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in body and spirit sheweth that this honour must be done in both The devil knoweth this that God requireth both and therefore asked of our Saviour but one a little glorifying of him but the bowing of the body because he knew that if God have not the copulative body and spirit both he will have neither God will have all or none The third thing is that seeing God every where almost through the Scripture hath put a distinction and difference between his house and private houses as being in more special manner there then in other places and that as the psalmist speaketh holines becometh Gods house for ever therefore he will not onely have a manifestation of our worship towards him and that to be in body as well as Spirit but he assignes his house for the place where he will have this honour exhibited to him You shall keep my sabbaths saith God and reverence my sanctuary And therefore it is that the preacher gives us this rule when thou goest into the house of God observa pedem vtrunque Look to thy foot and if God have a care how we serve him in our inferior members in that place no question but he hath much more how we imploy our eyes ears and hearts there our external worship must be apparent and it must not be by halves and it must be in the house of God in themidst of the congregation 1. The outward worship of God according to the former division consists 1. In Signe 2. In deed And this Honor signi is twofold which the Apostle setts down in the example of Christ 1. Exinanivit se. He emptied himself or made himself of no reputation 2. 〈◊〉 se. He humbled himself 1. The empting of ones self is that which is called deponere magnificentiam to lay a side all titles ofhonour which holy Job expounds and calls spoliavit me honore a stripping one of glory it is that which the Elders did cast down their crowns before God King David laid aside his robes and made himself vile before the Lord in his service The Apostle tels us there must be Nudatio capitis our heads must be uncovered The wearing of a cap pileo donari among the Romans was peculiar to free men onely and an Hieroglyphick of honour for once if a man cepisset
holy Ghost in respect of man his weaknes is stronger then man and is called by Pharoah Magicians the finger of God which if it do but touch the mountains they will smoak yea at the breath of his nostrils hils were overturned and the foundations of them are discovere d. And not onely thi positive but privative too For if he doe but hold in his breath the Creaturs die all things shall perish It brings those effects as the Ecclype of the sun doth in the world all are darkned And therefore it is that the Psalmist sayth of God in respect of this first Thou hast a mighty arme strong is thy hand c. 2. The second is Potentia His external strength his Ammnnition or weapons This word is like to a fire and hammer as the Prophet speaks He hath a sword and a bow too for as the Psalmist saith he whets the one and bends the other He is stiled Dominus Exercituum The Lord of hosts in many places king David saith that his chariots and Angels are 20000. The Prophet Daniel reckoneth more Thousands of thousands and ten thousand thousands The holy Ghost in Saint Lukes Gospel calls them a multitude our capacity or arithmetick not being able to conceive them And what God is able to do by all these we may imagine by that which we read was done by one of them who in one night slew 185000 of the Assyrian host And as he hath heavenly so hath he earthly souldiours too by which he hath done mighty acts even against great Princes as lice frogs flies Caterpillers Locusts and the like And therefore there 's no doubt to be made but that he is fortis of power enough and what he threatens he can and will bring to passe Secondly for his 〈◊〉 And this is well added by God for there are not many that will question whether he be able to punish or no but it may be thought that it is all one to God whether we afford him the true outward worship or not and that he regardeth not how we behave our selves in his service and therefore conceiveth no displeasure against them that fail therein But to remove this doubt he expressely declares that he is a regarder and that a zealous regarder And whereas the wicked as it is in the Psalm say Tush God regardeth not here we see he regardeth it and that in the highest degree in jealousy which is a narrow searcher of that it suspects Jealousy is the excesse or extremity of love zelotypia amor est reduplicatus Many waters cannot quench it It endures no Corrival but is impatiens consortis it must be alone and have no companion Nemo praeter nemo cum None besides nor none with it And God is not onely impatiens consortis but equalitatis of equality too he will not have any to be equal with him nor to partake the least unequal share with him in our service but he will have totum affectum we see he calls for the whole heart Saint Paul saith I am jealous over you with a Godly jealousie for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ. And the Psalmist zelus domus tuae devoravit me The zeal of thine house hath even devoured me which the Disciples applied to Christ. It is such an affection as must take up the whole man such a regard hath God to his outward worship This affection in it self is good else God would not have taken order that he that was led by the spirit of jealousy might make proof of his suspected wife but upon some occasions it many times falleth out to be mingled with other affections as in the case which Saint James calles zelum amarum a bitter zeal ex laesa concupiscentia from an offended concupiscence which brings not onely greef but stirreth us up ad vindictam to revenge and this is anger such as we finde in the Prophet God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious c. and the wiseman calleth it a raging revenge Now if this affection fall where there is power as with God it will not onely smoke but it will kindle and burn like fire as the psalmist hath it and that not like a spark in a stack ofstraw which flameth and vanisheth a way but like fire in a barrel of gunpouder bearing all before it For pro potentia ira According to a mans strength so is his anger The wiseman tells us The wrath of a king is death and of the eternal king eternal death of body and soul. Now to avoid the errour touching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether according to the manner of men affections fall into God or no We are to distinguish for if we speak simply and not by Metaphors there doth not Why then saith Saint Augustine 〈◊〉 est ista de deo affirmare it is an indignity to affirme such things of God but he answers himself Indignum certe si aliquod dignum quod de Deo diceretur inveniretur It is certainly if we could finde any thing to speak that were worthy of him but we cannot For the most glorious termes of Majesty and magnificence which we give him magis congruunt humanae imbecillitati quam divinae Majestati they agree better with mans weaknesse 〈◊〉 Gods divine majesty And whereas it is said in Scripture both that God is not as man that he should repent and in another place that it repented God that he had made man upon earth these places and the like are to be reconciled by these rules 1. Cum negantur de Deo affectiones humanae naturae infirmitatitribuuntur cum affirmantur divinae naturae efficaciae When these affections are denied to be in God they are attributed to the infirmity of humane nature but when they are affirmed of him it is to shew the power of the divine nature It betokeneth that he will work as effectually as men do when they have the like affections upon them not that he hath such affections for he is impassibilis not to be moved with any kinde of perturbation but that he produceth such effects ad modum hominis 〈◊〉 affecti as they do in whom such affections are 2. Secondly Augustine saith that these things though they are affirmed of God and man Eodem verbo expressed in the same words yet are they not eodem modo performed by the same manner For 1. Jealousy in man oftentimes ariseth out of error either out of a false or light cause but in God is no errour he doth all out of judgement 2. Mans jealousy is suddenly provoked but Gods cometh lente longanimiter slowly and after much and long suffering 3. Mans is immodice sine fine immoderate raging and endlesse but Gods is Sedate temperatly it is
keeping them there 's great reward Nay he tells us they are better then thousands of gold and silver Therefore we are to keep them safe and carefully and lay them up where they cannot be taken away the wiseman directs us where we may bestow them to be out of fear of losing them keep them saith he in the midst of the heart for he that keepeth them keepeth his own soul. In respect of others we are also to see them kept And this is to be done by zeal and power that others breake them not We must not say as in another case Cain said Am I my brothers keeper Sum ego custos mandati tui Am I to be a keeper of thy Commandments in others Is it not enough that I keep them my self No we must reprove rebuke and exhort use all means to make others keep them we must be grieved with David when others keep them not God hath given them to us they are not onely observanda but Conservanda we must not onely observe but preserve them which if we doe we shall finde as the wise man saith that he that keepeth them keepeth his own soul. Domine Custodio adjuua Negligentiam meam Lord I keep them help my Negligence THE EXPOSITION OF THE Third Commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain c. Or as the Chaldee Paraphrast reads it Thou shalt not swear by the name of the Lord thy God in vain or falsely CHAP. I The general scope of the third Commandment Of glorifying the name of God by praise The manner how it must be done Several motives to stir men up to the dutie THis Commandment forbids and prohibits not onely perjury but all other abuses of Gods name Though all vain and rash swearing and all irreverent usage of Gods name may be reduced to this commandment and therefore it is enlarged by our Saviour Math. 5. 34. to the prohibiting of all volutary oaths yet if we looke at the literal meaning of the words to take Gods name in vain doth strickly and properly signifie nothing else but to swear falsly or to forswear and therefore the 70. as they render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lashava by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate vain so they often render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falsly as Deu. 5. 18. Ezek. 12. 24. and 13. 6. 7. 8. Hos. 10. 4. Jon 2. 9. Zeah. 10. 2. and that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shava and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shakar mentiri differ little appears in the ninth Commandment where for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheker mendacium used in Exod. is put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deut. both which the 70. render by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false witnesse Therefore Philo in explication of this place having said that we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not take the name of God in vain addes by way of explication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to call God to witnesse a lie is most wicked So likewise Aben Ezra so in Exo. 23. 1. For the Hebe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain the Targum Hierosol reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false So in Psalm 24. 4. and Psalm 12. 3. Zachary 10. 2. and in many other places the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered falsehood or lying and that by Hierom him self Our Saviour himself so renders these words Mat. 5. 33. Thou shalt not 〈◊〉 thy self speaking of the litteral sense of this law as it was given by Moses which he amplifies and enlarges For that which some late expositors say that he recites and rejects onely the corrupt glosse of the Jewish Doctors is against ' the current of antiquity and against the text as might easily be proved and therefore the Syriack translation so reads the words non mentiris in jurejurando tuo thou shalt not lie in swearing This further is to be noted that this commandment speakes not of an 〈◊〉 tory oath or false swearing in bearing witnes for that belongs to the ninth Commandment but of a promissorie oath onely as the following words of Christ import Mat. 5. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt performe thy vowes unto the Lord which are taken out of Numb 30. 2. and so Philo expounds this precept and Aben Ezra who addes to shew the danger of this sinne that other sinns have usully the bait of profit or pleasure which are seldome in this and that other sinnes cannot be committed at all times as this may This which is the proper sence of the words being laid as a ground other things of like nature may be reduced hither according to the explication and enlargment which Christ our great and onely Lord and Lawgiver hath left in his Gospel to which we are to have recourse in opening the true meaning of this and all other precepts of the Decalogue as the are obliging to us Christians and become a part of the second covenant In it are two things 1. A prohibition 2. A commination of punishment In the Prohibition are two things likewise considerable 1. The object God in general and his name in particular 2. The Act of which this Commandment speaks and that either 1. Negatively and expressly not to take that name in vain 2. Positively and implied to use the name of God reverently soberly considerately and upon good cause God is the immediat object and his glory or honour the immediate end of all the duties commanded in the first table This honour as was shewed is either inward in the worship of the heart required in the first commandment or outward and that either in signo by the outward gesture and adoration of the body or in verbo in our words or speeches of him that is required in the second this in the third Commandment that consists chiefely in adoration this in praise They differ in this that the honour of outward adoration is alwayes given to one that 's present and to the party himself immediately this of the tongue by praise goes beyond it in that it may be given to one that is absent for we may praise one that 's absent and though God be alwayes present yet when we speak of him to others we speak not to him then as present and besides praise may be given not onely to his person but to his name or any thing that hath relation to him Thus we are exhorted to give the glory due to his name c. And this praise is aspecial part of Gods glory for he that offereth me praise glorifieth me saith God This is the end which God propounds of all his works for as the Prophet speaks we are created by him for his glory and that which was before our creation our predestination was for his glory It was Gods end and ayme and it must be ours That all our actions be to the praise of
an exemption the Lord hath resigned his right into our hands but not upon an imminent peril or necessity which may be prevented or avoided On the other side we are to observe another Proviso We must be careful that because God seeth the heart and we are to deal with him we be sure the danger could not be prevented nor the work be deferred but that present danger and necessity enforceth us to it For we must not draw a necessity upon our selves or pretend a necessity when there is none because God will not be mocked though we may delude the eyes of men This is to be remembred because of the practise of some who Inne their harvest on the Sunday pretending that it is not Gods will that any of his creatures should perish which is true and might lessen the offence if they did it onely for preserving the creature and not for their own gain and profit which if they pretend let them know that God sees their hearts and knows their intentions Therefore for tryal of men in this case it were good if to put a dfference between their works on that day and upon other dayes they would do as they did 1 Cor. 16. 2. lay up on the first day of the week whatsoever they gain or save by their work on that day and give it to the poor by this means it would appear with what hearts they wrought on this day whether onely to save the Creature or out of a desire of lucre and gain Thus we see what rest is commanded and how these cases may be resolved 3. But here ariseth another question When we have rested is that all we are to do Surely no. It is not sufficient that we rest if we do not sanctifie too Leo said of the people of his time that on this day their care was bene vestiri nibil agere keep holy day by wearing gay clothes and doing nothing Now as S. Paul said of bodily labour that it profitteth little so we may say of bodily rest that it profiteth lesse This rest is to holinesse and not to idlenesse We must not be 〈◊〉 on that day of rest To keep a Sabbath therefore and not be able to give accompt of some good thing done by us in it is that which the Fathers call Sabbatum boum asinorum the oxen and asses keep as good a sabbath as such do Besides these Idle sabbath keepers there are two other sorts of people that are neither idle nor well imployed 1. Of the first sort Augustine speaks and they were either 1. such as did vacare 〈◊〉 theatris spectaculis choreis spend their time in pastimes shewes stage-playes and dancing or else those that 2. gave themselves on the Sabbath venationi to hunting To which Leo addes such as did vacare chartis rationibus commessationibus passed the day in playing at Cards and in revelling and so addicted were they to these things as that they were not at al occupied in any work ofsanctification These mens Sabbath as Augustine well observeth is like that of the people in Exodus Cras observabimus 〈◊〉 Jebovae To morrow shall be a sabbath to the Lord they would keep a sabbath to him but it should be as in the next verse to eat and drink and play this sabbath I say was kept to the Calf and therefore he calleth it Sabbatum vituli 〈◊〉 the sabbath of the golden Calf For as we may not keep open markets go to plough or to Law on that day so neither should we spend the time in hunting nor yet in dancing and sporting Nor spend our time ordained for sanctification in beholding sights stageplaies and the like Not because these are in themselves evil or unlawful but in that they hinder our sanctification against such prophanation of this day severe order was taken by diverse councels as Concil Gangr 5. Can. 8. Concil Agath 38. Can. 1. Some christians in the primitive times were so far from this that they would sit in the oratory all the Lords day praying and hearing without eating or drinking insomuch as by their long fasting diverse diseases grew among them wherupon the same council of Gangra in Paphlagonia held 〈◊〉 Dom. 327. Was forced to make a Canon with an Anathema annexed to it against those who thenceforward should fast upon the Lords day But though we shall not need to fear such zeal in our times yet it sheweth to us the great and excellent examples of abstinence used in the Primitive Church to make them more fit for the service of God 1. The other sort are they that spend their time this day in gluttony Lust drunkennesse and such like vices which ought not at any time much lesse on that day be practised For if the affaires of our calling or the sports lawful on another day must not be used on this day much lesse any vice which is unlawful at any time for hereby a double iniquity is committed 1. first because the commandment is violated and this day seemes to be picked and singled out of all other dayes despitefully against the Majesty of God 2. Secondly because it is an abuse of the Creatures of God and a breach of other commandments And therefore as the other was Sabbatum Tyri so these do celebrare sabbatum 〈◊〉 keep a sabbath to the devil CHAP. VI. The second thing commanded is sanctification which is the end of the 〈◊〉 The kindes of sanctification publick and private How the holy Ghost works in 〈◊〉 sanctification The special acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists 1. prayer 2. The word read and preached 3. Meditation of what we have heard and upon the works of God out of Psal. 92. 4. Conference 5. Praise 6. Sacraments and discipline at special times The end of these means our sanctification and Gods glory TO what end then must this rest be why to holines we must apply it to that end to which God hath appointed it and use that holily which God hath sanctified The right sabbath is called Deliciae 〈◊〉 the delight of the Lord wherein he taketh pleasure and that is truly observed when we not onely cease from our own work as those of our calling but of those of our corrupt nature and will by ceasing from that which is pleasant in our own eyes this is to keep Sabbatum 〈◊〉 a sabbath the delight of the Lord to make it a day honour God and to learn Gods wil and having learnt it to practise it whereby he may blesse us and bring us to the inheritance of our heavenly rest Whereas on the contrary if the high-wayes of Sion complain that none come to her sanctuary or that if we come we so behave our selves in it that the adversary mock at her sabbaths Then God himself will take acourse as the prophet speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostrarum he will cast dong upun our faces even the
dung of our solemne feasts that is he will make them as odious to us as dung and we shall loath them Or as it is in another place he will punish it with fire unquenchable The next thing is the kinds of sanctification viz publick and private 1. It must be sanctified in the publick assembly there must be Sacra Synaxis a holy Convocation The heathen man could say that a good thing done and performed dy one is well but better if by many by a whole parish or City together publickly The reason is 1. in respect of God that he might haue the more glory when he is praised in the great congregation and publickly acknowledged before all the world which was the chief end of the 〈◊〉 institution of this day by such publick meetings the day is sanctified to God for to sanctifie a day and to call a solemn assembly are all one as we may see in Joel 1. 13 and 2. 15. 2. In respect the church that all may be known to professe the same faith and to be in one bond of obedience when they all meet in one place at the same time on the same day to glorifie God 2. That the means of sanctification as prayer may be the more effectual for vis 〈◊〉 fortior If the prayers of one just man be so effectual and prevalent with God much more when many meet together their prayers offer a holy violence to God and as it were besiege heaven 3. in respect of the common-wealth the heathen could 〈◊〉 that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meeting together in one place was the means of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it maintained amity And the refore they which bring in tyranny seek to divide and separate men and forbid all meetings and assemblies by that means to cause them to be disjoynted as it were in their affections But God in his service will have men to meet together because they shall be of one minde This 〈◊〉 sanctification There is also private sanctification From those publick meetings which are nundinae sprituales spiritual faires every man must carry away commeatum 〈◊〉 provision for his soul for the informing his understanding reforming his will and regulating his affections and in this we must do as men do at a market provide for our use all the week following And being thus stored and provided that great end will be gained that God may be sanctified that is that he may be magnified as the 〈◊〉 expounds it And as the chief end of this day is that God may be sanctified that is magnified so the subordinate end is that we may be sanctified by the duties which we must then performe The sabbath was a signe between God and his people that they might know that it was he that sanctified them That so they being sanctified might bring forth the fruits of sanctification as Christ saith that he sanctified himselfe for our sakes not for his own Job 17. 19. Now God sanctified it 1. By appointing it to a holy use as the 〈◊〉 was sanctified from the womb 2. By separating it from other dayes for things or persons sanctified are senered from common vse and 3. by giving a special blessing to the holy duties of his worship on that day performed And thus he makes it holy or sanctifies it And as God thus made the day holy we must sanctifie our selves and then sanctifie the day as Hezekias said to the Levites sanctifie your selves and then as it follows sanctifie the house of God what God hath sanctified or made holy that we may reap the benefit of it we must sanctify our selves we cannot make it holy but keep it holy it is our duty to keep holy for if a thing be destinated to an use and be not applied to it it is 〈◊〉 We must not then make that common which God hath sanctified we are to apply it to the end to which God hath destinated it and use that holily which God hath sanctified The destination is from God the application must be from our selves When the instruments of the tabernacle were sanctified whatsoever toucheth them must be holy so here God having sanctified this day all that touch it that live and breath in it that behold the sun or light that day must be holy Now for the means of sanctification it is plain that we are sanctified by the holy Ghost and this sanctifying hath a resemblance to that of the Levitical sanctifying where nothing could be sanctified but it must have unctionem be anoynted with oyle a figure of the spiritual unction which is nothing else but the spiritual working of the holy Ghost in our hearts so that we must first looke whether we have this unction in us that is whether we have the holy Ghost by 〈◊〉 we must be sanctified which as it is the gift of God we have it not of our selves so God denyes it not to those that ask it as our Saviour speaks we must be fitted to receive it As it is God that gives it so he gives it not to any but those that are prepared to receive it that we may understand this we may take notice how the Holy Ghost is compared to fire now the matter must be prepared and gathered by us but it is God that gives the spark and makes it burne and when God hath kindled the spark it must be our duty to blow the spark and look it go not out Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle God will not give the spark it we do not prepare matter and though we prepare matter yet it will not burn unlesse God kindle the fire so that the holy ghost and by consequence sanctification is not got by following the devises of our own brain ye shall not do that which is good in your own eyes saith God but according to the prescript method which God hath set down we must gather matter for this heavenly spark which the holy Ghost must set on fire and this is done by attending to the duties of publick worship on that day for if any shall wilfully keep at home on that day though he be never so well occupied having no just cause of his absence from God house and yet thinks he pleases God the fathers of that ancient councel of Gangra have pronounced an anathema against him For the means to sanctification the special duties and acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists no other directions can be given then what we formerly gave for the means to attain knowledge onely we premise that which Saint Augustine saith of iteration that a man may say Domine scis quia dixi Domine scis quia 〈◊〉 Domine scis quia 〈◊〉 sum Lord thou knowest I have sanctified thy name because I have preached it Lord thou knowest I have spoken of it again and again Lord thou knowest I have been
little before viz. page 294 The Scripures record as a good work that that was laid down at the Apostles feet no lesse then this that was laid on Christs own head And in them Ananias a Church robber and Judas a Christ robber both in one case Satan is said to have filled their hearts in that Act. And the like end came to both and both are good remembrances for them that seek and say as thy did yea that would not be content to detain a part Ananias and Judas went further but would seize on all gladly if a gracious Lady did not say sinite In another Sermon on John 2. 19. page 483. To reform Churches and then seek to dissolve them will be counted among the errours of our age Christ was far from it he that would not see it abused would never endure to have it destroyed when he had reformed the abuses After in the same Sermon page 485. Solvite Templum is no Commandment be sure in no sence He commands not any Temple not that they themselves meant to be destroyed It were sacriledge that and no better and sacriledge the Apostle ranks with Idolatry as being full out as evil if not worse then it But indeed worse for what Idolatry but pollutes sacriledge pulls quite down and easier it is to new hallow a Temple polluted then to build a new one out of a heap of stones And if to spoil a Church be sacriledge as it is granted yet that leaves somewhat at least the walls and roof so it be not lead to leave nothing but down with it is the cry of Edom the worst cry the worst sacriledge of all and never given in Charge to any we may be sure For God himself said to David with his own mouth Whereas it was in thine heart to build me a house thou didst well that thou wast so minded Didst well well done to think of building then e sensu contrario evil done to think of dissolving and that which is evil Christ will never enjoyn Against destroying of Churches much more may be read in that Sermon where he 〈◊〉 that it is the proper work of a Pharisee to destroy Temples for to them it was spoken John 2. 19. and that to destroy the Temple is to kill Christ and that Christ comparing his body to the Temple his meaning was to shew he would have us to make account of the Temple and so to use it as we would his own very body and to be as far from destroying one as we would be of destroying the other c. To erect and set up certain places for the exercise of the rites of Religion is derived from the instinct of nature and approved by God from the beginning It begun not as a learned man saith with that Tabernacle or ambulatory Temple which Moses caused to be made by Gods appointment at Mount Sinai but was much more ancient Noah built an Altar as soon as he came out of the Ark. Abraham 〈◊〉 and Jacob wheresoever they came to pitch their tents erected places for divine worship that is Altars with their septs and enclosures without any special appointing from God To this purpose that profound and judicious Hooker Polit. lib. 5. sect 11. saith That solemn duties of publick service to be done unto God must have their places set and prepared in such sort as beseemeth actions of such regard Adam even during the space of his small continuance in Paradise had where to present himself before the Lord. Adams sons had out of Paradise in like sort whither to bring their sacrifices The Patriarchs used Altars mountains and groves for the self same purpose In the vast wildernesse when the people of God had themselves no setled habitation yet a moveable Tabernacle they were commanded to make The like charge was given against the time they should come to settle themselves in the land which had been promised to their Fathers You shall seek that place which the Lord your God shall chuse When God had chosen Jerusalem and in Jerusalem Mount Moriah there to have his standing habitation made it was in the chiefest of Davids desires to have performed so good a work His grief was no lesse that he could not have the honour to build God a Temple then their anger is at this day who bite asunder their own tongues with very wrath that they have not as yet the power to pull down the Temples which they never built and to level them with the ground Thus and much more to this purpose that learned and devont man who amongst others learnedly handles the several points considerable in this subject viz. the conveniency and necessity of having set places for publick worship the consecrating and dedicating of such places to God the honour and reverence due to them and the conveniency and fitnes of adorning them in the most sumptuous manner and that it savours nothing of Judaisme or superstition but becomes even the most spiritual times of the Gospel Sect. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. The solemn dedication of Churches serves not onely to make them publick but further to surrender up that right which otherwise the founders might have in them and to make God himself the owner as that learned Author speaks Sect. 12. p. 204. I may adde that hence it is that not onely the Civil and Canon Laws but euen our Common Laws do account such places together with the Churches Patrimony and whatsoever is dedicated to God to be Gods right and that he is the sole Proprietor all humane propriety being extinguished by the consecration and that all that the Clergie have is usum fructuum as Administrators or Trustees from God who hath given them the use reserving the Dominion and right in himself And therefore our Lawyers resolve that there is no Fee simple of a Church either in the Bishop Patron or Incumbent though all other lands are resolved into a Fee simple which is in some or other but there is a Quasi feudum in the Incumbent during life the Law gives him something like a Fee for life whereby he may sue for the rights of the Church but a proper Fee is in none but in God alone Those that would see more of this subject may read among many other two learned Tracts by two reverend and learned men of this Church The one an answer to a letter written at Oxford to Samuel Turner concerning the Church and the Revenues thereof The other entituled CHURCH LANDS NOT TO BE SOLD Among the Schoolmen Thom. 2. 2. q. 91. and the Commentators on him The Canonists in cap. sacrilegium 17. q. 4. The Summists verb. Sacrilegium Especially Suarez de Religione lib. de Sacrilegio per totum Thus briefly for the Places now for the Person CHAP. X. Of persons set apart for Gods service The mission choice the reverence due to them The benefit received by them spiritual
conjugal love in the three particulars before mentioned in forsaking what was dear to him father and mother c. In cleaving constantly to his Church and uniting himself with it so as his Church is the body and he the head so this love of his was spiritual towards the Church By which he made it without spot or wrinckle and so the husbands chief care ought to be to keep his wife sine macula ruga without spot or sinne in the sight of God And as this is required on the mans part so the woman to make her self amiable ought to resemble her that the wiseman speaks of Many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all for favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised This commendation had Lydia whom the Apostle sets forth for a pattern to other women that she was one that feared and worshipped God whose heart God opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul This makes a woman truly amiable for as there must be love in the husband so there must be Amibilitas amiablenes on her part thereby to draw love which consists in modesty and other vertues for as Salomon saith A gracious or as some read it a modest woman obtaineth honour for beauty or favour without grace and fear of the Lord is but as a ring of gold in a swines snowt And therefore immodest outward allurements ought to be far from them according to the Apostles rule they ought to adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastnes and sobriety not with broydered haire or gold or pearles or costly array but which becometh women professing godlines with good works And S. Peter requires that their adorning be not in plaiting the haire or wearing gold c. but in the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price And the Apostle Paul in another place commands that young married women beare children guide the house and give no occasion of offence And lastly Saint Peter would have them be of such conversation that even without the word the adversaries beholding them may be won and converted So much for the second duty 3. The third duty of the husband or Paterfamilias is oeconomical To provide for his wife and them of his family which if he do not he is worse then an infidel as the Apostle saith There must be in him an honest care by just and true dealing per 〈◊〉 oeconomicam by oeconomical prudence to provide sufficient maintenance for his wife and family It was the Patriarch Jacobs care as we may see in his conference with Laban for when Laban vrged him to tarry still with him his answer was that he had done sufficiently for him already he had by Gods blessing encreased his estate from a little to a great deale and if he should still follow his busines when should he provide for his own house It is the Apostles counsel that men should labour for that which is good that they may have not onely for themselves but also to give to others and so rather to be beneficial to others then chargeable And the wiseman in a Metaphorical way adviseth the like He would not have a man to come alwayes to his neighbours well when he is dry but to drink waters out of his own cisterne fontes 〈◊〉 deriventur foras let thy 〈◊〉 be aisper sed abroad and to this end in the next chapter he urgeth the example of the Auts wisdome in laying up against the hard winter to whom he sendeth the sluggard for a pattern and calleth him wise that gathereth in Summer that is while he hath time We have an example of it allowed by God and rewarded by man in the Patriarch Joseph who laid up against a dearth while the years of plenty lasted What a man obtains this way by his honest labour and industry is accompanied with a blessing from God even this blessing that he hath true peace of conscience in what he enjoyes his conscience shall not trouble him for unlawful gains according to that of Solomon The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it viz. no inward grief of 〈◊〉 but rather peace and comfort And for the wives duty it is answerable to that of the husband The Apostle saith that he would have her guide the house not so much to provide for the house which is chiefly the husbands part but to order and dispose well of what is brought into the house which is in effect the same with that which Christ commanded the Apostles to gather up that which remaineth that nothing be lost And this is a good quality in a woman for though our Saviour reprehendeth Martha for being too much addicted to worldly cares yet it is said by another Evangelist that he loved her well And it is well said by a Father Foelixest domus ubi de Martha Maria conqueritur sed none converso ubi Martha de Maria that house is happy where Marie complains of Martha but it is not so on the other side where Martha findes fault with Maric The Wise man at large describeth the several duties in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to qualifie a woman in this kinde and saith that he that shall finde such a vertuous woman is happy for her price is far above rubies And to the same purpose doth the Apostle advise women and in the midst of his lessons to them as a special means to observe the rest he bids them to be as snails 〈◊〉 domi-portae kcepers at home In this point following the example of Sarah of whom we read that she was for the most part either in the tent or at the tent door 4. The last thing is There must be from each of these duties officia resultantia duties resulting and arising to be performed to others viz. to each others kinred for by reason of this conjunction between the parties themselvs there is mutual love and honour to be given to each others kinred We see the example on the mans part for this duty in the man of God Moses who when his wives father Jethro came to him went out to meet him and made obeysance to him and entertained him and Aaron and all the Elders of Israel And at another time we finde what kindnesse he offered to Hobab his wives brother that if he would go with him into the land of promise be should partake of what good soever the Lord should do to him Come with us and we will do thee good And for the womans part we have an excellent example in Ruth toward her mother in law Naomi that by no means would be perswaded to leave her but would accompany her into her countrey
parts 1. fide in faith or fidelity 2. Prudentia discretion Both these vertues are joyned together by our Saviour in that question who is a faithful and wise servant whom his master may make vuler over his houshold c. 1. The command of the master is to be performed faithfully the servant must frame himself thereto The Heathen man could say that he which is a servant is totus alterius wholly his whom he serveth Whatsoever he is able to do he must do it for his masters good The fathers upon the words of our Saviour No man can serve to masters give this for one reason of that speech Quia servi officium est infinitum Because the servants duty is infinite It is as much as he can do to serve one master as he should and he is totus heri wholly that masters whom he serves also his time all his strength is his masters and he cannot divide it to another He shall work all day in the field and at night his service is not ended the master saith not to the servant gird thy self and dresse thine own supper but gird thy self and make ready my supper and serve me according to the example of Abrahams servant who though he had travelled far and had meat set before him yet he would not eat till he had done his masters busines Opposite to this faithfulnes in a servant are two ill qualities 1. Purloyning 2 Lying For which servants heare ill in the Comedian 1. Saint Bernard saith De Domini substantia ne 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 sed transeant per te ne aliquid haereat in digitis Let not thy masters goods passe from but by thee left something stick to thy fingers This purloyning is utterly condemned by the Apostle And so is wasting of that which is committed to a servants charge and the ordinary means of it is set down by our Saviour eating drinking and keeping ill company 2. The other opposite is lying We see that the false suggestion of Ziba was very prejudic al to his Master Mephibosheth and though the first lie of Gehazi which he made to Naaman got him somewhat yet the last to his Master Elisha brought a leprosy upon him and his 〈◊〉 ever The Prophet tells us that God will destroy all them that speak leazing And therefore he would keep no servant in his house that should tell lies There are three other opposites from which the Apostles S. Paul and S. Peter would have servants free 1. Slothfulnesse 2. unwillingnesse 3. eye-service 1. And the first of these is a part of the first unfaithfulnesse 〈◊〉 he that is idle not faithful in using all his strength and mispending his time is a kinde of robbery And therefore it is that S. Paul counsels men not to be slothful in businesse The Heathen man would not have a servant to be glis a 〈◊〉 but acurate agere to do their work accuratcly as the word in Hebrew imports they must follow Jacobs example in his service The sleep departed from his eyes he could not sleep for the care he had to his Masters businesse as the careful woman that lets not her candle go out that is she sits up late upon action to do her Master service And therefore we know that the Master called that servant evil and flothfull that used not his talent well To 〈◊〉 up this take the Wise mans judgement upon both diligent and slothful The hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothful shall be under tribute 2. The second thing that a servant should be free from is an unwillingnesse to do his duty For there are some that serve indeed but how they serve with an ill will and so do their work by halves And in so doing they do very unwisely for seeing that serve they must it bing not every mans 〈◊〉 to be a Master they were better to do it cheerfully then to be forced to it and so lose their just reward and commendation Therefore it ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a cheerful will and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the heart as the Apostle counselleth as if they served the Lord not being responsores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerers again or replying or giving word for word but be like the Centurions servant that when his Master said to him do this and he did it 3. The last is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service or a deceitful diligence which must be far from servants Not to do their work but while their master stands over them and no longer assoon as their Masters back is turned then to give over This the Apostle calls eye-service and condemns it exhorting servants to obey with singlenesse of heart 〈◊〉 fearing God and he gives diverse reasons for it as that they shall by this means adorn the Gospel and that they shall receive from the Lord according to what they do whether they be bond or free and lastly that besides their reward by 〈◊〉 with their Master they shall by their hearty service receive the reward of an inheritance in heaven So much of their sidelity Now to their discretion 2. The Philosopher makes a distinction of two sorts of servants one that can do nothing but what his Master dictates him can go no further then he is directed and the other that hath forecast in himself to know what is to be done and can prevent his Masters commandments The first are but as lippi oculi blear eyes and but that they must see by them their Masters had as good be without such as have them The other are such as the Psalmist speaks of their eyes are upon their Masters hands they can perceive to what their Masters will enclineth to they know their Masters will and what he is best pleased with and what his humour is most enclined to And though he have this wit yet if either with him that had the Talent and knew his Masters humour he neglecteth to do his businesse or with the wicked Steward he employ his wit to his own advantage and not to his Masters benefit in either of these cases he breaks the rule of obedience They follow not the examples of prudent servants such as were Jacob to Laban and Joseph to 〈◊〉 they do not prudenter with discretion It is said of Joseph that all he did prospered under his hands The Hebrew word is significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prudenter egit or 〈◊〉 intelligentia he did all with prudence and wisdom and so all prospered for of wisdom comes prospering and therefore the same word signifies both 2. The 2 d rule or duty of the Master is not to govern aspere 〈◊〉 or rigerously but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to justice and equity It was Gods command under the law to Masters Thou shalt not rule over thy servants with rigour and
it not to proceed to suppuration There is in every of us an evil imagination against our Neighbour to do them prejudice and this being in us then there comes in a temptation as the Apostle shews partly from the world according to the course of the world partly from the Devil who then begins to strike and to work and fashion the thought of the heart to a perfect sin according to the Prince of the power of this air Thus they both work upon our thoughts and desires to fulfil the desires of the flesh as it is in the next verse So that here is a double cause to draw us to this 1. Our concupiscence alone considered in it self as it riseth by it self without any blowing or quickning of it from without 2. As it is imployed and wrought by the World or the Devil or both 1. By it self alone Christ speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil thoughts that proceed out of the heart and of thoughts that arise in the heart There is a steam or vapour that ariseth from our nature for evil thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arise up or ascend from below good thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descend or come from above the one comes from our selves the other from God and his Spirit for omne bonum desuper Now the Devil knowing this takes occasion by those desires which he perceives by some outward signe to arise within us to assault us by propounding worldly objects and 〈◊〉 and so makes use of the world to tempt us Thus he dealt with Christ he forbare him till he was hungry and had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his natural desire of bread and then he comes to him and offers him stones to be turned into bread thinking by that means when Christ had a natural appetite to have been entertained as Jehoram was for Jehosaphats sake 2. As there are cogitationes ascendentes thoughts ascending into the heart so there are another sort cogitationes immissae thoughts cast in by the Devil Thus the Devil entred into Judas when he put those evil thoughts into his heart of betraying his Master So he filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira to 〈◊〉 to the Holy Ghost and to commit sacriledge And as he sometimes doth this immediately by himself so he sometimes makes use of the world and os outward objects to cast evil thoughts into us Thus the World and the Devil infect us from without when we infect our selves fast enough from within For as Nazianzen speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sparkle is within us the flame is from the evil spirit which blows it up so that though there were no Devil to tempt us and though we were in the Wildernesse where no worldly objects could allure us yet we carry enough in our bosomes to corrupt our selves Neither can we be safe though we leave all the world behinde us so long as we 〈◊〉 our own hearts with us saith S. Basil. Of these The ascending thoughts within us are 〈◊〉 the other cogitationes immissae that are sent or injected into us unlesse they infect us or we give way to them are our crosses not our sins Nay Daemon tentando coronas nobis fabricat by resisting these motions and temptations of Satan we win the crown and every temptation we resist is a new flower to our Garland The manner how these thoughts come to infect us is thus There are six degrees before we come to that full consent and purpose of heart which is prohibited by the other Commandements In Genesis when Eve was tempted we see how the infection began There is the fruit held out the object to allure and withal the three provocations by which all sins are ushered in to the soul are there set down 1. It was good to eat here was apparentia bonis utilis the allurement of profit 2. It was pleasant and delightful to the eye here is apparentia boni jucundi the bait of pleasure 3. It is said it was to be desired in regard of knowledge Here was apparentia 〈◊〉 per se expetendi there are these three mentioned by S. John The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 4. And in the next verse before the Devil addes a fourth which may be reduced to the third Eritis sicut dii Ye shall be like gods The very lure of Pride Excellency and a condition to be desired by man being chief of the 〈◊〉 These being held out every one was paused upon by Eve saith the Scripture she had respective regard to them all For the woman seeing that the 〈◊〉 was good for meat and pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to get knowledge she took of the fruit thereof and did eat Out of which we may observe these seve al steps and degrees whereby sin enters into the soul. 1. The first by s. Paul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a turning back after Satan or a turning of the soul back to look on the object The first entertaining of it aversio a Deo a turning of the soul from God which when one doth he begins to prostitute his soul to the Devil 2. The second they call allube scentium when it liketh them well so that sain they would have it This 〈◊〉 be sudden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it propassionem answering to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a light motion or passion upon the first sight whereas that which more 〈◊〉 impressed in us is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passion more 〈◊〉 or violent Job compareth him that hath gone thus far to one that hath a sweet poyson in his mouth who because of the 〈◊〉 that he feels is loth to spit it out and would swallow it but yet considering that it is poyson he spits it out or if he do not let it go nor yet dare swallow it but keeps it under his tongue then of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this is retentio seminis the keeping and retaining of the 〈◊〉 as the first was receptio seminis the receiving of it And as in that there was aversio a Deo a turning from God so in this there is conversio ad creaturam a turning to the creature 3. The third is consensus in delectationem a consent to take delight in it For as before there a double consent 1 Consensus in 〈◊〉 a consent to execute or act the sin and this may be forbidden in the other Commandements and is that which we called when we expounded them the Suppuration or inward festering of our hereditary wound And 2. Consensus in delectationem a consent in minde onely to take pleasure in it by often rowling of it in the heart wherein we so far consent to it as to delight in the thought of it though as yet we have no full
both must concur S. Pauls three rules of pie juste sobrie S. Augustine his three rules contrary to three rules of corrupt nature 2. The manner of doing riquires 1. totos 2. totum 3. toto tempore 3. The reward 4. The punishment CHAP. XVI Page 83 That the moral Law of God written by Moses was known to the Heathen 1. The act or work was known to them as it is proved in every precept of the Decalogue yet their light more dim in the 1. 2. 4. 10. S. Pauls three rules of pie sobrie juste known to them 2. They knew the manner of performance toti totum semper 3. They knew the rewards and punishments CHAP. XVII Page 68 Questions about the Law 1. Why it was written by Moses seeing it was written before in mens hearts How the light of Nature became dim three causes of it it was deserved in three respects Why the Law was given at this time Why onely to the 〈◊〉 All the four parts of a Law are in the Law written 1. The Act. 2. The Manner 3. The rewards 4. The punishments 2. Whether any can keep the Law How God is just in requiring that which we cannot perform An Addition about power of keeping the Law evangelical Adam lost his ability not efficienter but meritorie God alwayes gives or is ready to give power to do what he requires if we be not wanting to our selves How Christ hath fulfilled the Law how we keep it by faith 3. Why God promises life to the keeping of the Law if we cannot keep it CHAP. XVIII Page 73 Of the preparation before the giving of the Law 1. To make them willing by consideration of 1. his benefits 2. Gods right as Lord 3. Their relation as Creatures c. 4. That they are his people His Benefits past and promised Three motives to love 1 Beauty 2. Neernesse 3. Benefits all in God 2. To make them able by sanctifying and cleansing themselves that ceremonial washing signified our spiritual cleansing how we came to be polluted how we must be cleansed Why they were not to come at their wives Of the danger and abuse of things lawful 3. That they might not run too far bounds were set Of curiosity about things unnecessary CHAP. XIX Page 79 The manner of delivering the Law 1. With thick clouds 2. With thunder and lightning 3. With sound of a trumpet The terrible delivering of the Law compared with the terrour of the last judgement when we must give account for the keeping of it the comparison in all the particulars The use of this CHAP. XX. Page 80 The end of the Law as given by Moses 1. It brings none to perfection and that by reason of mans corruption as appears 1. by the place a barren wildernesse a mountain which none might touch 2. by the mediatour Moses by the breaking of the Tables c. 2. It brings us to Christ because given by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour It Was to be put into the Ark Given fifty dayes after the Passeover Moses had a Veyl the fiery Serpent our use of the Law to know our debts as by a book of accounts then to drive us to seek a Surety to pay the debt viz. Christ amd to be thankful and take heed of running further into debt The Exposition of the first Commandment CHAP. I. Page 83 Of the Preface to the Decalogue Two things required in a Lawgiver 1. Wisdom 2. Authority both appear here Gods Authority declared 1. By his Name Jehovah which implyes 1. that being himself and that all other things come from him 2. his absolute dominion over all the Creatures from which flow two attributes 1. His Eternity 2. His Veracity or truth 2. By his Jurisdiction thy God by Creation and by Covenant 3. By a late benefit their deliverance out of Egypt How all this belongs to us CHAP. II. Page 87 The division of the Decalogue how divided by the Jews how by Christians Addition 6. That the four fundamental Articles of all Religion are implyed in the four first Precepts Of rules for expounding the Decalogue Six rules of extent 1. The affirmative implyes the negative and e contra 2. When any thing is commanded or forbidden all of the same nature are included 3. The inward act of the soul is forbidden or commanded by the outward 4. The means conducing are included in every precept 5. The consequents and signes 6. We must not onely observe the precept our selves but cause it to be kept by others left we partake of other mens sins which is 1. Jubendo by commanding 2. Permittendo by tolleration 3. Provocando by provocation 4. Suadendo by perswasion 5. Consentiendo by consenting 6. Defendendo by maintaining 7. Scandalum praebendo by giving scandal CHAP. III. Page 94 Rules of restraint in expounding the Law False rules made by the Pharisees Of Custom Addition 7. Of the force of Church Customs 3. Three rules of restraint 1. By dispensation 2. By the nature of the Precept 3. By conflict of Precepts Antinomia wherein these rules are to be observed 1. Ceremonial Precepts are to give place to moral 2. The second table is to give place to the first 3. In the second table the following Precepts are to give place to those before Rules to expound in case of 1. Obscurity 2. Ambiguity 3. Controversie CHAP. IIII. Page 98 Three general observations in the Decalogue 1. That the precepts are all in the second person 2. All but two are Negative All but two are in the future tense Observations general from the first precept 1. Impediments are to be removed before true worship can be performed 2. The worship of God is the foundation of all obedience to the rest 3. That spiritual worship is chiefly commanded in the first precept Addition 8. About the distinction of inward and outward worship CHAP. V. Page 100 In the first Commandment three things are contained 1. We must have a God 2. We must have the Lord for our God 3. We must have him alone for our God The sinne opposite to the first is 〈◊〉 to the second is false Religion to the third mixt Religion How our nanture is inclinable to those sins Reasons against them CHAP. VI. Page 102. In the first proposition of having a God is included 1. Knowledge of God wherein 1. The excellency 2. the necessity 3. how it is attained The contrary forbidden is 1. Ignorance 2. light knowledge What we are to know of God Impediments of knowledge to be removed Rules of direction to be followed CHAP. VII Page 110. The second inward vertue commanded in the first precept is faith Reasons for the necessity of faith Addition 9. Concerning the evidence of faith and freedom of assent The certainty of faith Of unbelief Addition 10. Concerning the nature of faith Means of believing Of trust in God for things temporal The tryal of our trust Six signes of Faith CHAP. VIII Page 120. The third inward vertue is fear of