il gpip Rt4esofrepaint in expounding the Law. Chapa., i iaiñt. 4$ in the fifthcommandement to honour Superiours; as to Princes, who h4yitígnRSuperiour on Earth are exempted from this, ( Caving the reverence they qwç *Q natural.parents. ) And in the fourth which is an affirmative precept, the pra j e.is not required atall times. The rule of an affirmative precept is Semper tene- murfacerebonum, but non tcannerbonumfacerefemper, we are always bound to do good,but not to do good always. The negative holdeth always, but the affirma- tivenot fo. The School inen fay, that affirmative precepts bind femper but not ad femper, they bindalways, but not to the aTlual performanceat all times , but at convenient and fet times : but negatives bind femper e5- ad femper, we muff at no time go againft a negative precept. For the naureof doinga good thing well, fland- eth thus, thatthere muff be a concurrence of all duecaufes and circumftances toge- ther, which belong thereto. Malian exquolibet defetiu twitter @f bonum ecaufa integra, all caufes and due tequilas muff concurr in every good aft, but the want of any one, makes an aft finful. Now all caufes and circumftances cannot always concurr, and confequently affirmative duties cannot always be pra hifed; therefore in the affir- mative part we are exempted by the nature of it, and fecondly, the ardour ofaffefti. on, that is required in doing good, fheweth, that it cannot bepraçlifed perpetually. or at all times, 3. The third and la ft is of greatelt ufe. And this upon fundry occafions receiveth diverfe judgements. The cafe is called Antinomia, aconflift of Laws. The Jews have a faying, that two Commandments make each other a lyer, till the third come, and make them agree, by reftrainingone ofthem. This therefore is afure rule, Nemo, its interduo peccata perplexus eft quinei patear exitusfine tertio, no man is fo perplex- ed between two fins but he may get out without commixinga third. And this ex- lam is tobehad, oneof thefe two ways, firft If the two precepts can be reconciled between themfclves, then ther's no perplexity or neceffityoffinning, for he may, as theSchools fay,de ponereerroneam confeientiam,by informing & rectifyinghis confci- ence : Herod, after his oath to Herodias, was in fuch a perplexity, that he thought he muff either break his oath in not performing with her, or behead 3obn Baptifl : but he might have freed himfelf by right information , that fuch an unlawful) and fafh vow was finful, and did not bind to any one thing but repentance, and then he would have let Sohn Baptif head flood (till, and thereby have commited no more fin. If they cannot be reconciled, then Agendum ell idquod eft major obligatio, that muff be done, which we are molt bound to do; for God hath ordained things in order a. The firft and principle end is his own glory, 2. The next is a mans own falvation, 3. The next is the falvation of our brethren. Therefore Gods glory muff be preferred before our own falvaion : if there two could fand in competition, and our good before our Brothers, we muff not commit fin to deliver him from fin : yet our own temporal good mutt not be preferred before his fpiritual good, we ought tohazard, yea, as Saint ÿohn faith, to lay down our life forour Brother, that is, for hisSalvation. Now Gods Glorybeing the endof the firft Table, and the good of our felves and our Brethren, the end of the fecond Table ; we fee the order between them, and how the one ought to give place to the other; but ufually it falls out o- ther wife ; for, as Saint Augafline faith, the love of temporal commodity, and the fear oftemporal difpleafure, fo blinds the eyes of men and poyfons the love of God : upon this ground we may refolve, when there's a conflift, as it is fometimes, be- tween the firft commandement and the fift, obey God, and obey your rulers; when this Antinomia falls out, it is eafily reconciled. The latter Commandment con- cerns our obediencein yielding to the commands of a Superiour; and common rea- fon tells us, that if a ftronger Arm holds us, than that which fhould raife or remove us, thenwe can never rife or be removed. But Gods authority ( whole Proconfuls on Earth Magiftratesare) is more than hisdelegates power, and his Arm ftronger to hold us in obedience than theirs. It is arule, Moms impedir ubifortiorvii detinetmo- tion, is refrainedby a ftronger power. And this is one cafe wherein Superiours are not to be obeyed. z. Another cafe of reftraint is, that nothing is to move ultra fpharam foam, be- yond its own bounds, Si quando excedunt regulam dominationir fita, when Superiours pafs theboundsof their authority their commands bind not; as if a Captain fends bis
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