Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	law_n	matter_n	2,980	5	5.2921	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49801	Theo-politica, or, A body of divinity containing the rules of the special government of God, according to which, he orders the immortal and intellectual creatures, angels, and men, to their final and eternal estate : being a method of those saving truths, which are contained in the Canon of the Holy Scripture, and abridged in those words of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which were the ground and foundation of those apostolical creeds and forms of confessions, related by the ancients, and, in particular, by Irenæus, and Tertullian / by George Lawson ...	Lawson, George, d. 1678.	1659 (1659)	Wing L712; ESTC R17886	441,775	362

essential And that perfect and perpetual obedience should be that condition upon which per●ormed it was God's Will Eternal Life should follow and no ways else was accidental So likewise it was that the sin of one should be the sin of all and His Death their death For the Law might have been a Law without any such thing This Law may be considered § IV 1. As given to Adam and in him to all Mankind 2. As continued yet with several accidental and extrinsecal alterations in the Kingdom of God-Redeemer As it was given to Adam it 's of a two-fold consideration in respect 1. Of him as Innocent 2. Of him as Fallen Adam as Innocent received this Law and it was given unto him as righteous and holy by Creation and he was able to keep it And he was bound to perform it perfectly and perpetually together with other Positives And this perfect and perpetual obedience was the onely condition of life to him and his and one sin one committed made him and his liable to death After that Adam and in him all his had sinned it was a Law of Sin and Death unto them and if God had made it a standing Rule of Judgment in strict Justice man must needs have b●en condemned to Eternal Death and there was no hope or possibility of Eternal Life by this Law For suppose God had pardoned this first sin and yet continued this Law in force man could not have been saved by it For he lost the Spirit of Sanctification and if God had continued to say Do this and live because he could not do this he could not live Neither was there any Promise of a Saviour to expiate his sin nor of the Spirit to enable him to keep it nor of Pardon upon expiation made if he afterwards transgressed it After that God in passing Sentence upon the Devil had said § V that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head this Law continued but with a great alteration in respect of man A Redeemer who should satisfie God's Justice and merit God's favour unto man was promised his satisfaction accepted the Spirit restored pardon and eternal life promised Faith in the Redeemer made the condition of life the Law of the forbidden Fruit ceased the Law of Works as the condition of life and rule of judgment for punishments and rewards repealed And all this was done in great mercy by God as Supream and absolute Lord above his own Law which bound not Him the Soveraign but Man His Subject Thus much I observed when I spake of the Judgment which God passed upon the Authors of the first sin But how the Law-Moral continued you shall hear-anon The knowledge of this Law § VI as applyed to the Acts Dispositions Habits of men is common●y called Conscience which is nothing else but the knowledge of a man's Acts Dispositions Habits as agreeable or disagreeable to this or other Laws of God This Knowledge in respect of acts future is the Law of God within him to bind him to obedience and restrain him from disobedience In respect of acts past it 's a Judge within himself or a Witness for or against him before the Tribunal of God This it is properly yet tropically in Scripture it 's several times taken in another sense according to the several adjuncts thereof For the practical judgment of man is sometimes more sometimes less perfect and great is his Ignorance and many his Errours both in matter of Law and of Fact and most of all in applying the Law unto the Fact or Fact unto the Law Sometimes it 's a false Witness and an unjust Judge and hence man's Security in greatest Guilt and Despair when there is hope of Mercy This Knowledge of this Law-Moral in Adam innocent was more perfect § VII in his Posterity more imperfect For the enlightening Spirit was taken from him it was not so purely diligently constantly taught neither was the outward Revelation thereof renewed to all Besides the erroneous Traditions without the Corruptions of man's Heart within with other vicious Habits together with God's just judgment had much impaired this Knowledge though not utterly razed it out For even the wicked Heathen who had not the Law written yet by Nature did something contained in the Law and were a Law unto themselves which did shew the Works of the Law of God written in their hearts Rom. 2. 13 14 15. Yet the knowledge of it was always preserved in the Church by constant Teaching and reiterated Revelations improving the Natural Light of Reason Yet some Positives and Ceremonials were always added and it was joyned to the Law of Faith God renewed the Doctrine of it more perfectly and in a more solemn manner unto Israel both by an audible Voice and by writing it in Tables of stone Moses and the Prophets Christ and His Apostles more fully and clearly explain it And by outward Teaching and inward Illumination God writes it by degrees in the hearts of His people The use of the Law may be considered § VIII 1. In respect of the Gentile 2. Of the Jew 3. Of the Church in general but especially Christian. In respect of the Gentiles who had other positive Laws and Customs either by Tradition or the invention of the Devil and wicked men this moral-Moral-Law so far as it was left written in their hearts taught them their Duty to the onely true God and also unto Man For it was a Rule in matters of Religion and in matters of Justice unto them both as they were single persons and also associated in a Family or a Common-wealth It was the Rule of their Civil Government both in making Laws and in Judgment And according to the violation of this Law God judged single persons Families Nations and Kingdoms And the knowledge thereof which they had or might have had though imperfect did manifest in their own Conscience the justice of God's Judgments executed upon them And so much the more because by His patience long-suffering and bounty together with this law he sought to draw them to Repentance But they holding the truth of God in unrighteousness and continuing impenitent were inexcusable and justly delivered up unto a Reprobate mind as may appear Rom. 1. from ver 18. ad finem Chap. 2. from ver 1. to the 17th And they that disobeyed this clear light of Nature were justly punished by God with the ignorance of Jesus Christ and the want of the Laws and Promises of God-Redeemer It was of singular use to the Jew For § IX 1. It was added to the Promise made to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before 2. It was so revealed that it reduced all Moral Duties to a few Heads and digeste● those Heads into an exact and excellent Method and was given with a special application to that People 3. It was Supernaturally written in two Tables of Stone that it might be reserved in the Ark as a rare and lasting Monument from Heaven

ungodly wicked and to give them bad example and be patterns of impiety and iniquity unto them 6. To be found indulgent remisse in Discipline and correction and to bring them up idlely or delicately 7. To neglect their education in Religion and take no care of their poor Souls The sins of Tutours Guardians and such as are trusted with Orphans are carelessenesse or unfaithfulnesse And these must know that though these desolate and poor Creatures cannot or may not question them yet God will right them and will certainly call these unjust Stewards to account and severely punish them for their negligence and injustice And as he will blesse godly faithfull carefull parents and such as supply their place and comfort them in their Children or some other way So he will punish the negligent ungodly unfaithfull in their own Children and many other wayes and will require the blood of their Souls at their hands and their last reckoning will be sad and heavy Few Fathers endeavour the Regeneration of their Children Few Mothers travayl again of them that Christ may be formed and born in their hearts And one great cause of the corruption not onely of familyes but Church and state is the neglect of education When Parents do not use the power God hath put into their hands nor take the opportunity he hath given them to instil the principles of religion and piety into them in their tender yeares when they are so ready to receive the first impressions It 's a matter of sorrow and lamentation to consider how much Parents do neglect their duty and to see the sad events thereof For many of them transmit their sin and guilt and derive it to posterity who inherit their iniquity and misery Hitherto of this Commandement § X taken in the plain immediate sense Let 's proceed to those things which are reducible unto it by Analogie or deduction from it by more remote consequence Father and Mother are tearms of relation expresly named in the Text and these imply another Relation Husband and Wife who are the Foundation of a Family and were the beginning and first root of Mankind And after that Woman was once created and man had a fellow the relation of Husband and Wife followed and was the first relation according to God's Institution which requires that man and woman should be Husband and Wife before there be Father and Mother They are 1. Man and Woman of different Sex by Creation 2. Husband and Wife by God's Institution 3. Father and Mother by God's Blessing Yet there be many who violate this Institution and propagate the World with an illegitimate and spurious or incestuous Brood though by Repentance and Faith in Christ this sin may be pardoned and God's Judgment averted both from Parents and Children In this first Society there is an imparity though not so great as that of Parents and Children and the Duties thereof are two Subjection and Love For the Wife must be subject to her Husband and the Husband must love his Wife This is the Command of God by the Apostle Wives submit your selves unto your Husbands as unto the Lord For the Husband is the Head of the Wife c. This is the imparity of Superiour and Inferiour And Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it Ephes. 5. 22 25. This subjection was due from the first Wife to the first Husband even in the estate of Innocency For even then Marriage was instituted and by it was constituted one of the nearest Societies in the World and the same indissoluble except by Death or Adultery and that not onely by Covenant but especially by God's Institution whose Will it was that they should be one flesh and that man should forsake Father and Mother that dear relation and cleave to his Wife This Subjection before the Fall was so a Duty as that it was not a punishment For then Man was the Head a Superiour because made first and Woman was made after Man of Man for Man and man was of the more noble Sex and it was God's Will he should be Superiour in the first Contract according to his Institution But after the Fall it was not onely a Duty to be performed willingly but a Penalty to be suffered patiently And a grievous Penalty it is when a Woman is married to a proud insolent imperious Fool and to such Women who are of the like temper and violently bent to have their own Will though never so unreasonable As the imparity between Man and Wife is less then that between Parents and Children so the subjection of the Wife to the husband is not so great as that which is due from Children to Parents much less then of Servants to their Masters The place of the Wife though inferiour to the Husband is honourable She is Partner with him and shares in the government of the Family and may command both Children and Servants He is the Master she is the Mistress though subordinate to him as her Head as the Body is to the Head The duty of the Husband is to love his Wife and that not with any kind or degree of love but with a dear tender special love He must love her as his Wife as one flesh with him his own body part of himself nearer to him then Father or Mother Yet as obedience of Children so both love of Husband and subjection of Wife is limited and must be in the Lord that is subordinate unto that love and subjection which is due to Christ and agreeable to the Will of His Command and not contrary unto it And both the Duties presuppose other Vert●es in both Parties or else they will be not onely imperfect and deficient but unlawful and not in the Lord but against the Will of the Lord. And this subjection of the one and love of the other Evangelically understood are more perfect and noble Vertues in true Christians then in others as the Bond of Marriage doth represent the Union of Christ and His Church who are contracted on Earth and the Marriage it self shall be solemnized in Heaven with great glory and full joy that shall never end The want of this subjection in the one and love in the other much more the contrary sins are forbidden in this Commandement and are the causes of many other sins confusions discomforts miseries ruines of Families And by these two and the contrary may be understood all other Duties here commanded and sins forbidden and all such as depend upon them or are necessarily joyned with them After the Relations and Societies of Husband and Wife § XI Parents and Children follows that of Masters and Servants For after that Mankind was multiplyed in a Family and their Estates and Goods increased their work was the greater and required more hands and the first that did the Work of Servants though they were not Servants were Children and after that besides irrational Servants as the Ox and the Ass there were

and accusing the Government of Injustice and Imprudence denying Tribute Custome and other dues and rights which the just Constitution and Lawes require The Sins of the higher powers are many Some of the chief are these to neglect the publick good commit the administration to unjust and unworthy men make unjust Lawes pervert Judgment ordain insufficient and unjust Officers usurp too much power oppresse the people to enrich and advance unworthy Favourites and Flatterers and to maintain the State Pomp and Pride of a vicious Court to displace just and prudent Officers and to debarr men of parts and worth from the administration to wage unnecessary Warrs and so vainly to exhaust the publick Treasures and expend the Subjects blood to refuse good counsell and to follow bad And the highest Crime of all and which includes the rest is Tyranny and that is to govern contrary to good Lawes and exercise arbitrary power to the ruine of the publick Under this head may be reduced Persecution of the Godly and loyall Subjects for the profession and practise of the true Religion instituted from Heaven Besides these there be many Sins of inferiour Officers and Magistrates in their severall places And here I might take occasion to enquire what power the civill Governours have circa Sacra in matters of Religion 1. They cannot justly establish any false Religion contrary to the Word of God conteined in the Scriptures neither can they or ought they to tolerate any Errours Heresies Blasphemies Idolatries or Corruptions in Religion 2. They may make civill Lawes concerning Religion and execute the same by their coactive power and by these Lawes they may and ought to bind and command their Subjects to worship the true God in Christ and protect them in the same This is that which they call Jus Religionis ordinanda an undoubted right of all higher powers Yet they must be sure they establish nothing in Religion which is not clearly agreeable to the Gospell For as it is unlawfull for any civill powers to establish by Law any thing in Religion contrary to the Gospell so it 's no wayes tolerable to bind the Subjects upon civill penalties to professe things doubtfull and needlesse If all the Subjects in a State professe themselves Christians they cannot have any just cause to complain of their Rulers if by a Law they be commanded to make that Christian faith which is truly and plainly Christian. They are bound unto it by the Lawes of Christ by their own profession by the Lawes of their Country Yet Christian Religion is not to be propagated by the sword but by the Word clearly taught so that their Consciences may be convinced But this presupposeth the Subjects no Christians Yet if they be such the higher powers Christians are bound to use all lawfull means appointed by Christ to make them Christians The first care of King David was to settle the true worship of God The first care of Solomon to build a Temple unto God and the first care of the good Princes of Judah to reform Religion and to destroy the Monuments of Idolatry and all this by their civill power And there is great reason why all Princes and Governours should do thus Because the establishment of their power and the welfare of their Subjects depends principally upon Religion Yet this power of the Magistrate is clearly distinct and different from the power of the Church as a Church which can have no sword nor exercise any civil coactive power This spirituall and ecclesiastical power looks upon every one within their precincts as Subjects of Christ and Members of their spirituall Society and such Princes and Governours should be and they proceed against them in the name of Christ if they do offend and if they continue obstinate they cast them not out of the State but the Church As for liberty of Conscience it 's limited to things indifferent For Christ did never purchase never grant to any liberty to believe Errours false Doctrine or their own Fancyes no wayes grounded on the Word of God much lesse to professe them and least of all upon this belief and profession to associate and continue themselves in severall Societyes seperate from Orthodox Christians raise Schisms in the Church and Factions in the State to the disturbance of both If we look upon the persons who in reformed Churches cry so much for liberty of Conscience upon due examination we shall find the most of them to be factious to have little of the power though they may have much of the form of godlinesse and that which they call liberty of Conscience to be a liberty to professe their Errours and if they had power in their own hands they would give liberty onely to their own Sect and would prove the most bloody persecutors of all others What toleration Princes may grant of different proffessions when they cannot reduce their Subjects to the Unity of profession of the same saving Truth is another case and cloathed with other Circumstances and must be judged of accordingly The truth is when a State is once corrupted and that deeply in Religion it 's an hard thing to reform Publick Confessions are too large and few of them without the mixture of something either superstitious or erroneous or doubtfull and such as weak Christians of tender Consciences cannot well digest After this digression § XVIII which requires a larger debate then here I intend and the consideration of civill Societies and common-weales order requires that I add something of the Church as reducible to this Commandement The Church is a spirituall Society and a multitude professing Christ associated in matters of Religion And though the same persons which are Members of a civill State may be Members of a Church yet they are to be considered under a different notion The Author of this Society is God that in a more special manner who first by extraordinary then by ordinary men especially since the Exhibition of Christ makes them Subjects of this Kingdome which is the matter of this whole Treatise and admits them into this Society When they are once reduced and made Subjects unto God Redeemer they constitute that Common-wealth whereof he is Head and Monarch And this Society since the Revelation of the Gospel may be considered as universall consisting of the Christians of all Nations and in this respect they are all subject unto Christ as their Lord and King Yet this universall Church and these persons scattered and divided in many Nations may be united and associated in severall Vicinityes according to their cohabitations into greater or lesser Bodyes for Doctrine and Worship or for Discipline As associated for Worship and Doctrine they have their Pastours to whose charge they are committed by the holy Ghost And these Pastours may be many and have their severall assignations and their particular flocks or a number of them may take the charge of a greater number in common or every one my have their severall

things By whom he made the Worlds who was the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1. 2 3. He was more excellent then the Angels then Moses then all the Prophets He was the great Prophet acquainted with his Fathers secrets taught the Doctrine of Eternal Life confirmed the same by his Holy Life his glorious Miracles and sealed it with his bloud Besides God spake by the Apostles and especially after they had received the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven by Christ glorified according to his Promise These made up the Canon of the New Testament 2. They taught Doctrine that for the matter was new For besides the Morals formerly known and other Points revealed in the Old Testament they did declare and write by the infallible direction of the Holy Ghost That Jesus of Nazareth born at Bethlem crucified at Jerusalem was the Son of God was risen again from the dead ascended into Heaven made Universal King and an everlasting Priest makes intercession in Heaven That remission of sinnes and eternal life upon condition of Faith in him as glorified was promised and to be preached to all Nation 〈◊〉 the Jew first and then unto the Gentiles 3. Because these things though not contrary to Reason yet far above Reason were New and tended to the alteration of the former administration of God's Kingdom and many former Laws given by God unto the Fathers and the abolition of Religion that was then established in all Nations therefore it was confirmed by the new and excellent gifts of the Apostles the great and glorious miracles done in the Name of Christ the gifts of the Holy Ghost from Heaven upon such as heard and received this Doctrine by the conversion of Jews and Gentiles and this by mean and contemptible men These were special Works of the Supream and Eternal Providence and such as the like had not been done since the Creation nor ever since the times of those Apostles who could speak in the Languages of all Nations to whom God sent them so as the unlearned might understand them These taught first by word of mouth and then by Writing till the Canon of the New Testament was finished and the Originals of their Writings were kept in the Churches they planted and after composed in one body Thus far God spake to man § 10 by man infallibly inspired both by word of mouth and by Writing He speaks also to man by ordinary men who are not immediatly infallible but onely so far as their Doctrine shall agree with the former Inspirations and Revelations For the Word of God was always in the Church and his Divine Revelations were always the Rule of ordinary Teachers And in matter of Religion they had no Warrant to teach any thing but according to that Rule These ordinary Teachers were Fathers Masters of Families every Neighbour and Brother which had ability and opportunity Amongst the Jews the ordinary Prophets Scribes Lawyers who were learned in the Law of God Priests and Levites But the principal amongst these are the Learned who have taken that charge upon them according to a Lawful Call make it their chief business to whom maintenance by God's institution is due These in the New Testament are called Pastours Teachers Bishops Elders Ministers who take charge of mens souls This distinction of Teachers in the times of the Gospel may be grounded on that Text When Christ ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave gifts to men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastours and Teachers Ephes. 4. 8 11. The extraordinary were Apostles Prophets Evangelists The ordinary were Pastours and Teachers And these later as well as the former were given for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ ver 12. These also may teach the mysteries of God's Kingdom by word and by writing Yet neither their words nor writings were of equal authority with the words and writings of the Prophets and Apostles For the Authority of their Doctrine presupposeth that it is contained in the Holy Scriptures and that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God and that those which they affirm to be the Holy Scriptures are so indeed This gives occasion to examine what force may be in the Tradition of the Church to prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God This cannot be done to purpose except we know 1. What Tradition is 2. What the Church 3. What the Holy Scriptures be as most understand them in this point 1. Tradition in this particular is nothing but a Testimony which as such hath no force in it to prove any thing but that which is borrowed from the party testifying or the thing testified or from some other thing Therefore it is called Argumentum artificiale assumptum because it assumeth force from some other Reason or Argument A Testimony is either Divine or Humane For here I will say nothing of the Testimony of Angels The Divine Testimony is infallibly and necessarily true yet not as a Testimony but as the Testimony of God whose Veracity is such that he cannot d●●ive or be deceived He is true and Truth it self The testimony of man may be and is many times false for he is subject unto Errour and may be deceived because his knowledge is imperfect He may also deceive for want of fidelity and integrity There is no necessary and inseparable Connexion between his testimony and the truth because he himself as testifying and truth are separable This is the reason why testimonies in judgment are confirmed by Oath And for this cause the Doctrine of the Apostles so far as it was new was attested from Heaven 2. The party testifying in this particular is the Church as a Collective Body By Church may be understood either a particular Church or Churches or the Universal made up of all the Particulars This Universal Church is either the present Universal Church or the same considered as successively continued since the time of the Apostles or as including John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles or the Church of all times since the Beginning Again the present Universal Church of any time may be considered either as properly Universal or as representatively such in a general Council 3. The thing testified is that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God And by Holy Scriptures we may understand the whole Body of the Canon and the several Books of the Old and New Testament and the same in such a certain number as to exclude or include the Books called Apocrypha And these may be considered either in the Original Copies or in Transcripts or in Translations or else we may understand the principal matters of the Scripture concerning Faith in Jesus Christ and obedience unto his Commands After this explication given some things are to be observed 1. Concerning the thing testified and to be believed 2. Concerning the

many rational Servants properly so called Of these be many kinds 1. Such as have little use of Reason and are onely fit to be governed and not to govern yet having health and strength are able to do good service by the direction of others 2. Some through want and penury or a competent Estate or Family of their own became mercenary hired servants who otherwise were free Such are most of our Servants 3 Some for Debt ●ell their Children and sometimes themselves for Servants and Bond-slaves These might be called Vendititii who sold their children and themselves 4. After that a greater multiplication of Mankind into greater Societies as Cities and Civil States They waged War one against another and by the Law and general consent of Nations the goods of the Conquered became a lawful spoyl and the persons captives and slaves to the Conquerours and so Servants were increased These were Servi Capti Servants taken in War who had their life for a prey and their maintainance for their service 5. And if these or any others were detained as servants in a Family and suffered to marry and had children these children were servants called in Latine Ver●ae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Septuagint Gen. 17. 13. 6. If any were bought they were called in that respect EMPTITII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bought with money Yet these being Servants before by this Act became Servants to those who bought them 7. Many were brought into Servitude most unjustly by Men-stealers who are called Plagiarii 8. Amongst these may be reckoned Apprentices who in some Trade or Profession serve under their Masters till the time of manumission and liberty The Duty of all Servants § XII as such is to do service to their Masters willingly faithfully diligently as in the presence of God the great Master of Heaven Their aym must be to preserve and improve their Masters Estate whose work they do and they must know that they are not Sui juris either free or their own Masters and that their Masters Will must be their Will because they are under their Power and Command These two Duties of Faithfulness and Diligence are proper and though they be bound to Reverence Subjection Obedience yet these are common Duties which all Inferiours under the power of another are bound to perform Let all Servants hearken to the Doctrine of the Apostles and practise it They must be obedient to their own Masters in the flesh with fear and trembling in singlenesse of heart as unto Christ not with Eye-service as men pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service to the Lord and not to men Knowing that what good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Eph. 6. 5 6 7 8. Knowing that of the Lord yee shall receive the inheritance for ye serve the Lord. But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong he hath done and there is no respect of persons Col. 3. 24 25. They must not purloin but shew all fidelity Tit. 2. 10. And they must honour not onely their Christian but their unbelieving Masters 1 Tim. 6. 1. and not onely the gentle and good but the froward 1 Pet. 2. 18. In all which places we may observe the Dutyes the Sins the Rewards the Punishments of servants Their Dutyes are fidelity and diligence in their Service Their Sins murmuring purloining unfaithfulnesse negligence The Reward of good servants is not onely maintenance and wages on earth but God's blessing and a reward in heaven The Punishment of bad servants is not onely such as the severity of their Masters shall inflict but the curse of God here and hereafter Amongst servants may be reckoned Factours and such as undertake the businesse of others for wages and thereupon because they are trusted are bound to account Under this head may be reduced all such as are hired to do work for others Besides all these there are in a family such as neither be children nor servants but such as sojourn and dwell with the Master of the family and are in some sort under his power as strangers and sojourners in a forreign State may be said to be unperfectly subjects to the power of the State where they live for a time The Duty of Masters is to give unto their servants that which is just and equal knowing that they also have a Master in Heaven Col. 4. 1. They must not oppress them abuse them or deny unto them any thing which the Lawes of God the just Lawes of men and their own contract doth allow them If it be a sin to be unmercifull to a Beast much more is it to be unmercifull to a man And though servants cannot right themselves yet God will hear their cry and judge their cause Before I conclude this point of the Duty of Servants and Masters one thing is to be observed That christian Masters should be of all others most just unto their meanest servants because they professe their belief of that Master in heaven and as he is mercifull and just to them so they should be unto their servants Christian servants also should remember that they do service not onely unto man but God and to God not onely as Creator but to him as Redeemer and to Jesus Christ who is exalted at the right hand of God and though they be Servants to men yet if they truly believe they are Sons of God and may expect an inheritance in heaven And besides their other sins this is grievous if they run from their Masters as Onesimus did from Philemon A family is the seminary both of the Church § XIII and civil State And as a State or Church may be said to be a great family so a family well ordered may be called a little common-wealth civill or ecclesiastical Therefore I proceed from oeconomical to politick dutyes which by analogy are reducible to this 5th commandement A family which seems to be onely a private society may multiply into severall familyes and they into Vicinityes and greater multitudes And though every family hath an order of superiority and subjection yet the severall families and Vicinityes being distinct have no power one over another but in that respect are equall Yet these may associate and unite themselves into a community and become one body not onely by confederation for friendship and mutuall help commerce and defence but may enter into a stricter bond of Union and become politick and establish an order of superiority and subjection either for matters of this life or for Religion or for both as Israel set at liberty by God and brought out of Egypt was incorporate into one common-wealth civil and ecclesiastical For in the constitution of a common-wealth the community is the subject and matter the order of superiority and subjection is the form There must be a supreme power one universall Will and Power and the subject