.94 Cots . t ' Rulesofrefit- inexpounding the Law. Chapi3. cat of; things.facrificed . o icols, no way in it fell unlawful a others were thereby occafroned to commit ldolatary, Romans, r.}. Yet here we mull confider, theta' the thing we do be indifferent in it fell, yet if commanded by lawful authority we mutt not forbear it : poisesfcandalrim admirtatur, loam veritaa amìttat ee, as home .Angufline faith, rarltwr let oftener conic, than the Truth be loft; I may add, rather than any aft ìteceffary vi pr ecepri; be omitted, and fo a fin of omiffaon follow t for this is fcanda/um acceptor's, non datum, a fcandal taken, and not given, and in this etfe we may fay as Chrift of the Pharitces, if they will be offended, let them be trend. ed: but if the thing be not fobprecept°, but wholly in our own power, and no l4ay neceffary, we ought to forbear till the weak Brother may be informed of the lawful. nets of the aflion ; but if he will not be informed, or reftificd, 'tis not weaitnefs but wilfulnefs in him after fufficient means of information, and noman need to abridge himfelf inhis liberty for the pleafing of ft ch Fee Ions. This much for the rules of extent. CHAP. III. Roles of refrraint in expounding the Law. Falfe rules made by the Thariftet, f1+ Ctiff. om. Addition.. of the force ofChurch Cufloms. Three Rules of ref/mist. t, hydtf; penfarion 2. By the natureof the precept. . bJ Confiaof precept Ariemomia, trhtroin theft roles are tobe ob ferved. I. Ceremonial prec pis are togive place to si<tepaI x The fecand Table is togive place ro thefirfl. 3. In the fecond I able, the foßynrittg retireare rosier place to rhofe before. Rules to expound incafeof. r. Obfcuritp, ä, mf amity, 3. Cantroverfe. rr HE fecond are the rules of Limitation or Reítraint, how far the Commandments j are to be reftrained. The Hebrewsfay,that there are general precepts inthe Scrip, tures: which we would conceive tobe particular, but are enlarged as generals, either in the fignifications of the words, or in their derivations, or from equity or parity of reafon, &c, And this praelife of enlarging and restraint, according to the true fenlo and fcope of the words, path been a token or note of diftinftion between good interpreters and bad. The Pharifees rules benarrow, though their Phylafteries be broad. csat. S. 34. The Commandment ágainfl fwearing the Pharifeesretrain it, either to Thou (halt notforfwear, or, Thou (halt not fwear by the name 5ehovalt. Rotout &s., viour by the fecond ruleof extenfion faith, Thou [halt not faear at all, but your converfation fhould he yeaand nay ; and fo forbids all unneceffary Oaths, whichape pears from the end of an Oath, which as the Author to the Heinren'a, Heb; Es, 16. faith, is to be an end of all weighty controverlies and not to be tiled upon every light and triviali matter. They retrain the Commandement, Thou [halt not kill, that is, not the innocent, and retrained it to the entward adt,and thought it fit for a Man to revenee an injury. But Chrift by the third rule of extent rnaketh Wrath and Anger, Norther, bceaufe it is the Ledof a greater offence, and forbids all revenge commanding to love our Enemies. They in the Law againit Adultery held, they might have as many Wives as they would, by way of divorce. But Chrift by the fourth rule of exec:Mon tells them, they mutt avoidall occafons of Adultery ; we molt not look upon aWoman to luit after her. :g,uke 10. 30. They retlrained the word [ Neighbour ] in the parable of the Scrtnaritatt, to them that dwelt near them t But Ch -ill by the ruleof agnipoiene extendeth it to every man; lo that Chrifts interpretations warrant extenfion,. And though it be'true,which the Rabbins fay, that it is neceffàry to extend and to reftrain, but more neceffary to extend : yet rules mutt be let down of reltraint allo. There is a Rule that Canfuetudo eft optinto legion interpres, Cullom is the bell expounder of Laws; but we mull adde humanarrm, of Mans Laws: -for con. cerning the interpretation of Gods Laws it is aloft falle. l n Civil Law, Contmttnia errorPreis jos, Common errouemakes a Law, lay the Civilians; nut in sods Law it
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