2. The negative Precepts of Men may cease by many inftruments, by contrary cuftoms, by publick difrelifh, by long omiffion: but the negative Precepts of God never can cease, but when they are exprefly abro gated by the fame Authority. But what thofe reafons are that can difpente with the command of a Man, a man may be his own Judge, and fometimes take his proportions from his own reafon and neceffity, fometimes from publick fame, and the practice of pious and fevere perfons, and from popular customs; in which a man fhall walk moft fafely when he does not walk alone, but a fpiritual man takes him by the hand. 9. We must not be too forward in procuring dif penfations; nor use them any longer than the reafon continues for which we first procured them for to be difpenfed withal is an argument of natural infirmity, if it be neceffary; but if it be not, it fignifies an undifciplined and unmortified fpirit. 10. We must not be too eafie in examining the pru dence and unreasonableness of humane Laws for although we are not bound to believe them all to be the wifeft; yet if by enquiring into the lawfulness of them, or by any other inftrument we find them to fail of that wildom with which fome others are ordained, yet we must never make use of it to difparage the perfon of the Lawgiver, or to countenance any man's dif obedience, much lefs our own. 11. Pay that reverence to the perfon of thy Prince, of his Minifters, of thy Parents and fpiritual Guides, which by the cuftoms of the place thou liveft in are ufually paid to fuch perfons in their feveral degrees: that is, that the highest reverence be paid to the highest perfon, and fo ftill in proportion; and that this reverence be expreffed in all the circumftances and manners of the City and Nation. 12. Lift not up thy hand against thy Prince or Parent upon what pretence foever: but bear all per fonal affronts and inconveniencies at their hands, and feek no remedy but by patience and piety, yielding and praying, or ablenting thy felf. 13. Speak 13. Speak not evil of the Ruler of thy people, neither curle thy Father or Mother, nor revile thy fpiritual Guides, nor difcover and lay naked their infirmities: but treat them with reverence and religion, and preserve their authority facred by esteeming their perfons venerable. 14: Pay tribute and customs to Princes according to the Laws, and maintenance to thy Parents accor ding to their neceffity, and honourable fupport to the Clergy according to the dignity of the work, and the customs of the place. 15. Remember always that duty to our Superiours is not an act of commutative Juftice, but of diftributive: That is, although Kings and Parents and fpiritual Guides are to pay a great duty to their interiours, the duty of their feveral charges and government; yet the good government of a King and of Parents are actions of Religion as they relate to God, and of Piety as they relate to their People and Families. And although we usually call them juft Princes who adminifter their Laws exactly to the People, because the actions are in the manner of Juftice; yet in propriety of Speech they are rather to be called Pious and Religious. For as he is not called a juft Father that educates his children well, but Pious; fo that Prince who defends and well rules his People is Religious, and does that duty for which alone he is anfwerable to God. The confequence of which is this, fo far as concerns our duty: If the Prince or Parent fail of their duty, we must not fail of ours; for we are answerable to them and to God too, as being accountable to all our Superiours, and fo are they to theirs: They are above us, and God is above them. Remedies against Difobedience, and means to endear our Obedience, by way of Confideration. 1. Confider that all Authority defcends from God, and our Superiours bear the image of the Divine Power, which God imprints on them as on an image of clay, or a coin upon a lefs perfect metal, which L 4 whofo Se&t. i whofo defaces, fhall not be anfwerable for the lofs or fpeil of the materials, but the defacing the King's image; and in the fame measure will God require itat our hands, if we defpife his authority upon whomfoever he hath imprinted it. He that defpifeth you, defpifeth me. And Datban and Abiram were faid to be gathered together against the Lord. And this was St. Paul's argument for our obedience: [The Powers that be are ordained of God.] 2. There is very great peace and immunity from fin, in refigning our wills up to the command of others: for provided that our duty to God be fecured, their commands are warrants to us in all things elfe; and the cafe of conícience is determined, if the command be evident and preffing and it is certain, the action that is but indifferent,and without reward,if done only upon our own choice, is an act of duty and of Religion, and rewardable by the grace and favour of God, if done in obedience to the command of our SuperiFor lince naturally we defire what is forbidden us, (and fometimes there is no other evil in the thing but that it is forbidden us) God hath in grace enjoyned and proportionably accepts obedience, as being directly oppofed to the former irregularity; and it is acceptable, although there be no other good in the thing that is commanded us, but that it is com. manded. ours. 3. By obedience we are made a Society and a Republick, and diftinguished from Herds of Beafts, and Heaps of Flies, who do what they lift, and are incapable of Laws, and obey none, and therefore are killed and deftroyed, though never pun fhed, and they never can have a reward. 4. By Obedience we are rendred capable of all the bleifings of Government, fignified by St. Paul in these Rom. 13.4. Words [He is the minister of God tothee for good] and by S.Peter in thefe, [Governours are fent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well:] And he that ever felt or faw, or can understand the miferies of confufion in publick affairs, or amazement in a heap of fad, tumultuous and in Pet. 2. 14. definite definite thoughts, may from thence judge of the admirable effects of order, and the beauty of government. What health is to the body, and peace is to the fpirit, that is Government to the Societies of Men, the greatest bleffing which they can receive in that temporal capacity. 5. No man fhall ever be fit to govern others that knows not first how to obey. For if the fpirit of a Subject be rebellious, in a Prince it will be tyrannical and intolerable, and of fo ill example, that as it will encourage the difobedience of others, fo it will render it unreasonable for him to exact of others what in the like cafe he refused to pay. 6. There is no fin in the world which God hath punifh'd with fo great feverity and high deteftation as this of Difobedience. For the crime of Idolatry God fent the fword amongst his People; but it was never heard that the Earth opened and fwallowed up any but Rebels against their Prince. 7. Obedience is better than the particular actions of Religion; and he ferves God better that follows his Prince in lawfull fervices, than he that refufes his command upon pretence he must go fay his prayers. But Rebellion is compared to that fin which of all fin feems the most unnatural and damned impiety. Rebellion is as the fin of Witchcraft. 8. Obedience is a complicated act of vertue, and many graces are exercited in one act of obedience. It is an act of humility, of mortification and felf-denial, of charity to God, of care of the publick, of order and charity to our felves and all our fociety, and a great inftance of a victory over the most refractary and unruly paffions. 9. To be a Subject is a greater temporal felicity than to be a King: for all eminent Governours according to their heighth have a great burthen, huge care, infinite business, (a) little reft, innumerable fears; and all that he enjoys above another is, that (α) Οὐ χρὴ παννύχιον εὔδεν βοληφόρον ἄνδρες, he he does enjoy the things of the world with other circumftances, and a bigger noife; and if others go at his fingle command, it is alfo certain he muft fuffer inconvenience at the needs and disturbances of all his people: and the evils of one man and of one family are not enough for him to bear, unless alfo he be almoft crushed with the evils of mankind. He therefore is an ingrateful perfon that will prefs the fcales down with a voluntary load, and by difobedience put more thorns into the Crown or Mitre of his Superiour. Much better is the advice of S. Paul, Obey them that have the rule over you, as they that must give an account for your fouls, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for (befides that it is unpleasant to them) it is unprofitable for you. 10. The Angels are miniftring Spirits, and perpetually execute the will and commandment of God: and all the wife men and all the good men of the world are obedient to their Governours; and the eternal Son of God esteemed it his meat and drink to do the will of his Father, and for his obedience alone obtained the greatest glory and no man ever came to perfection but by obedience: and thousands of Saints have chofen fuch inftitutions and manners of living, in which they might not chufe their own work, nor follow their own will, nor please themtelves, but be accountable to others, and subject to difcipline, and obedient to command, as knowing this to be the highway of the Crofs, the way that the King of Sufferings and Humility did chufe, and fo became the King of Glory. I. No man ever perifhed who followed first the will of God, and then the will of his Superiours; but thousands have been damned merely for following their own will, and relying upon their own judgments, and chufing their own work, and doing their own fancies. For if we begin with our felves, whatfoever feems good in our eyes is moft commonly displeasing in the eyes of God. 12. The fin of Rebellion, though it be a fpiritual fin, and imitable by Devils; yet it is of that disorder, unrea |