mastered their fleshly desires, and have returned chaste to the grave; it cannot be accounted a burden, to forbear the dishonour and injury which we offer to others by such a violation, seeing marriage is permitted by the laws of God and men, to all that affect it. And there is no man living, whom the desire of beauty and form hath so constrained, but he might with ease forbear the prosecution of this ill, did not himself give suck to this infant, and nourish warmth till it grow to strong heat, heat till it turn to fire, and fire to flame.

The fourth of the second table is, that we shall not steal. And if that kind of violent robbery had been used in Moses's time, which many ruffians practise nowadays in England, and, to the dishonour of our nation, more in England than in any region of the world among Christians, out of doubt he would have censured them by death, and not by restitution, though quadruple. For I speak not of the poor and miserable souls whom hunger and extreme necessity enforceth, but of those detested thieves, who, to maintain themselves lordlike, assault, rob, and wound the merchant, artificer, and labouring man, or break by violence into other men's houses, and spend in bravery, drunkenness, and upon harlots, in one day, what other men sometimes have laboured for all their lives; impoverishing whole families, and taking the bread and food from the mouths of their children. And that this commandment might easily be observed, it would soon appear, if princes would resolve but for a few years to pardon none. For it is the hope of life, and the argument of sparing the first offence, that encourageth these hell-hounds. And if every man may presume to be pardoned once, there is no state or commonwealth but these men would in a short time impoverish or destroy it.

The fifth commandment of this second table is, the prohibition of false witness; from which if men could not forbear, all surety of estate and life were taken away. And so much did God detest a false witness and a false accuser, especially in matters criminal, that the law ordained him to

suffer the same death or punishment which he sought by falsehood to lay on his brother.

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The last of the ten commandments forbiddeth us to covet any thing which belongeth to another man, either the bodies of their wives for concupiscence, or their goods for desire of gain. And this precept seemeth the hardest for men to observe; so esteemed by reason of our frail affections: and yet if we judge hereof rightly, it may be doubted whether it extend to all our inconsiderate fancies and vain thoughts. For although it be not easy to master all our sudden passions, yet we may restrain and hinder their growing and further increase, if we please to intend our strength, and seek for grace. How the word coveting reacheth to all those, it is to be considered. For concupiscentia, according to some, est effrænatus habendi appetitus; "an unbridled, or unrestrained appetite of having:" and as touching such an appetite, we cannot excuse ourselves by any our natural frailty, or unadvised error; but, as I suppose, the word concupiscence is more largely taken, either for a determinate and unbridled evil intent, or for some urging inclination thereunto. All the question is of the latter sort; which is, actus imperfectus, id est, non deliberatus ratione, quæ est principium proprium actus boni aut vitiosi; “Such passions or inclinations are unperfect acts, that is, not de"liberated upon by reason, which is the proper principle "of a good or vicious action." And sure it may seem, that so long as we resist such motions, they harm us not; as they say, Quamdiu refragamur, nihil nocent: nocent autem cum eas dominari permittimus; "As long as we give "no assent unto them, it is thought by some that they hurt us not; and that then only they hurt when we suffer "them to bear sway.” But these men, as it seems, make nothing forbidden in this tenth precept, but what have been forbidden in the other; for in every commandment, not only the outward act, but also the inward assent unto evil, though it break not out into act, is forbidden; therefore, that we may know the difference between this commandment and the rest, the distinction of desires is to be held, that some are

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with assent, and unbridled; others bridled, and without assent. For so even the moral philosopher can tell us, that the continent man hath evil desires, but without assent; (for they are bridled by the strength of right reason ;) as on the other side, the incontinent hath good desires, but restrained and suppressed by contrary passions. The evil desires, when they are accompanied with assent, are in every commandment forbidden, together with the outward act: and therefore, if we will have any thing proper to this commandment, we must needs say, that the evil desires of the continent man (that is, even those which we resist and bridle) are here forbidden. For though he that bridleth his evil desires be much better than he that yieldeth unto them; yet such a man, even according to the heathen philosopher, is not worthy the name of a virtuous man. For Aristotle himself makes continentia not to be virtue, but only a degree unto it: confessing, that though the continent man do well in bridling his evil affections, yet he doth not all, seeing he ought not so much as to have them at all. Neither is it much more, that true divinity delivereth touching this matter. For, as he saith, that in the continent man the having of these evil desires, though he resist them, is the cause that he cannot be called a virtuous man; so we, that the having of them is a sin. Only in this we excel him here, that we are able out of divinity to give the true reason of this doctrine; which is, that every one sinneth that doth not love God with his whole heart and affection whence it followeth, that the evil desires of the continent man, that is, of him that bridleth them, must needs be sin; seeing such desires, though bridled, are a pulling away of a part of our heart and affection from God.

Seeing therefore it hath pleased God to make us know, that by our faithful endeavours to keep his commandments, we witness our love towards himself; we may not safely give liberty to our vanities, by casting back upon God (who is justice itself) that he hath given us precepts altogether beyond our power, and commandments impossible for us to keep. For as he is accursed, saith St. Jerome, that avows

that the law is in all things possible to be observed; so he hath made this addition: Maledictus qui dicit impossibilia Deum præcepisse; "Accursed is he that saith that God "hath commanded things (in themselves, and not through "our fault) impossible." Now as the places are many which command us to keep the law, so is our weakness also in the scriptures laid before us; and therefore it is thus safely to be understood, that we should without evasion, or without betraying of ourselves, do our faithful endeavours to observe them; which if we do unfeignedly, no doubt but God will accept our desires therein. For that there is no man just, David witnesseth; Enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight no flesh that liveth shall be justified. And in 1 Kings viii. 46. There is no man that sinneth not: and again, P Who can say, I have made my heart clean? But seeing there is no sin grievous without deliberation, let every man's conscience judge him, whether he give way willingly, or restrain himself in all that he can; yea, or no: for when a king gives to his subject a commandment upon pain of loss of his love, to perform some service; if the subject neglecting the same, seek to satisfy his sovereign with shifting excuses, out of doubt such a prince will take himself to be derided therein.

SECT. XIV.

If there were not any religion, nor judgment to come, yet the Decalogue were most necessary to be observed.

AND if we consider advisedly and soberly of the moral law, or ten commandments, which God by the hand of Moses gave unto his people, it will appear that such was his merciful providence in the choice of them, as were there neither pain nor profit adjoined to the observing or not observing of them, were there no divine power at all, nor any religion among men; yet, if we did not for our own sakes strive to observe these laws, all society of men, and all endeavours, all happiness and contentment in this life would be taken away, and every state and commonweal in the

world fall to the ground and dissolve. Therefore these laws were not imposed as a burden, but as a blessing; to the end that the innocent might be defended, that every man might enjoy the fruits of his own travail; that right might be done to all men from all men; that by justice, order, and peace, we might live the lives of reasonable men, and not of beasts; of freemen, and not of slaves; of civil men, and not of savages. And hereof making our human reason only judge, let us see the inconveniences in this life which would follow by the breach and neglect of these laws.

As first, What would the issue be, if we acknowledged many gods? Would not a far greater hatred, war, and bloodshed follow, than that which the difference of cere-. mony and diversity of interpretation hath already brought into the world, even among those nations which acknowledge one God and one Christ?

And what could it profit mankind to pray to idols, and images of gold, metal, dead stones, and rotten wood, whence nothing can be hoped but the loss of time, and an impossibility to receive thencefrom either help or comfort?

The breach of the third commandment bringeth therewith this disadvantage and ill to man, that whosoever taketh the name of God in vain, shall not at any time benefit himself by calling God to witness for him, when he may justly use his holy name.

The observing the sabbath holy, giveth rest to men and beasts; and nature herself requireth intermission of labour.

If we despise our parents, who have given us being, we thereby teach our own children to scorn and neglect us, when our aged years require comfort and help at their hands.

If murder were not forbidden and severely punished, the races of mankind would be extinguished; and whosoever would take the liberty to destroy others, giveth liberty to others to destroy himself.

If adultery were lawful and permitted, no man could say unto himself, This is my son: there could be no inheritance proper, no honour descend to posterity, no endeavour by