A Dijptttation for Famib•oWorjl!ip. Argumer.f. 1. If Familiu art Societies of Gods ln.fiitution furnHhcd with JPccial ad:.~antaj,CJ ~nd (JPP!!r~ tanitifl for Gods folemrt TYorjh~p, h.zvint. no pr<Jbibitirm fo to ufe them: then the folemJ~ If'rJTjhzp >if. c.;od in end by families aJ Jitcb, :1 of Divine appointmem : But tbe .Antrcrdem is true: Therdor~[u zJ the Cr:nfequent· . . . . . . . For the parts of the Antecedent, r.That famthes arefocteues ofGc-ds InfhtutJon needeth no proof: 2 • That they are furni(hed with fpecial advantages and opporrunirics may appear by an <:nu– meration of particulars. I. There is the: advantage of Authority in theRuler of the tamil~', whr:r;by he qny command all that arc under l~im in God \1\'orfhip, xca,. and nu.y inAi~ pcnahits 011 ch!ldrcn and t'e[.vants that rcfufe ; yea, may cafl tOme out of the jam1ly 1f they bcobfhnatre. 2. He hath the Ad;aOtagc of a fingnbr Intereft in \tVifc and Children by which he may bring them to ir wi!liHgly, that tO they may plrform a right Evangelical \Vorfhip. 3· He harh the Advanta~c of a fing~1lar dcpn1d.mce of all upon him for daily provifions ; and of his Children for their portions for livelihood in the world, whereby he may yet fmther prevail with them for obcdi.mce .= He having a p~wcr t~ re· ward,as well as to punifh and com.mand. f •They have rhe opporwmryof cub.Jbltatioa, and {o are (hllac hand and more together, and fo in Ieadinefs for fuch employmenrs. S· Being ncareft in Relation, they ~re tlronglier obliged to further each othe~s ~alvation_, and~ help c~ch other in fcrving_ God. 6. They have here~y an Advanta~e agai~fi all preJudJcesan_d Jta4>ufles, wh1ch Hrang~ntfs and mtflak:s may raife and chcn!h among thoJethar hve at a greater d1ftance, and fa n~ay elate more heartily m Gods worfl1ip. And their nearncfs of Relation and natural aff<aions, do lm~ularly advantage them for a more affectionate conjunClion, and fo for a more forcible and acceptable ·worfhip of God, when they are in it as of one heart and foul. 7• If any mifunderftanding or other impedimen~ arife,they being fiill at hand, have opportunity to remove them, and to fatistie each orhfr; and if a!'ly dill:em.. pers of underihndin.g heart or life be in the family, the ~uler, by f~miliaricy an_d_daily conv:rfe; is enabled more parttcularly to fit his reproofs and exhorqtiOns confefhons and pem1ons accordmg· ly, which even Miuificn in the Congregations cannot fo well do. So that I have made it evident in this enumeratio,,, that farr.ilics have Advantages, yea, fpecial and motl cxcCUent advantages, and opportunities for the folerr-m Worfl1ip of God. · 3• The latl part of the Antecedent was, that they have no prohibition to ufc thefc advantages and opportunities to Gods folemn Worfi1ip. I add thi,, lcfiany fbould fay, Thou&h they have !uch ad– vantages, )'et God may rcli.rain them for the avoiding feme greater inconvenil"nces another way : as he hath reHrained Women from fpeaking in the Affemblies. But I · God hath neither rellra.ined them in the Law ofNature,nor in the written Law: Therefore not at all.He that can !hew it in eithcr,let him do it. 2· I never yet'tcad or heard any knowing Chritlian once affirm that God hathforbidden fami– lies folemnly to worfi1ip him, and therefore I thmk it needlefs to prove a Negative, when no man is known to hold the Affirmative. Indeed for feme kinds of Worfhip, as preaching and expounding Scripture, fame have ptohibired them; but not reading, catechizing, all infttucting, praying, praifcs, finging Pfalms, much lefs all folcmit Worfhip wholly. So much for the Antccedenc. 1now come to prove the Co11fequence. I· The forcfaid Advantages and opportunities are Ta– lents given by God, which they that receive, are obliged faithfully to improve tor God ; Therefore Families, having fuch Advantages and opportunities for Gods folemn 'Wodhip, are bound to improve them faithfully for God 1 in the: folemn worihippir.g of him. F.or the Antecedent, x.lt is unquefii 4 onable that thefc are Talents, that is, Impr•wable Alfcrcies given by God. For as none dlte deny them to be Mercies: So none dare ( I hope ) fay that God is not the giver of them. And then 2. That fuch Talents mull be improverl t3.irhfully for God, from whom they are received ; is plain, I· From :Matth. 25· throughout, efpecially from ver[e 14. to ver[e 31. And Luk._c 20. Ic. he requireth rhS fruits of his Vineyard, And Matth. xo. 42· if he cntrut\ us with a Cup of eold water, he exped-ech it for a Prophet, when he caileth for it. And if he entrullus with ourwiud riche5, he expcd:eth thlt wtgive tohim that a.rk,ph, Matth. 5· 42· Luke6. 30, ~8. & II· 41· & 12. 33· His Stew:uds mufi give an account of their Stewardlhips, Lu~e 16. 2· Lu~t 12. 48. Chrilt telkth us of all our Talents in general, rhat, Vma wbomfoever mHcb i1 given, (If him fhaU be much required: and to wb::m meJ~ have committed m1~ch, of him will they ark.. the more. And ofour words in pafticular Chriils tells us, Matth. 12· 3-6. th~t of every idle word men jhaO giVe .f.n accotmt at the day (If judgcmento Much more for denymg to ufe both our tongues and hear;s in Gods Wor!hip when he gives us fuch opportunities. It is required in Stewards, tbat ama1t be jou1:d. faithful, 1 Cor. 4• 2· A1 tvtry ma;: · bath received the gift, even fo minifter the fame one to llltother, as good Stewt~rds 11jthe manifold grace of Gad. If any hzan [ptak,., let him[peak,. at the Orac/u ofGod, &c. 1 Pet. 4· 10, 11. Many more of the lik~ Scriptures prove the Antecedent of the Enthymeme, and the Conftquenr needs nb proof. Argument 2.1"be[olemn Woljhip efGod i1t and by familitJ a1 fitch)H required by the t•try Law ofN:Jttlrt:, Therefore it is of Divine Jn.ftitmion. The Confequence can be denyed by no man tha[ renounceth not reafon a11d Nature it felf; denying the Larv of N:mue to be Gods Law, which is indeed parrly pre~ [upfofed in the Law fupcrnatural, and partly rehear(ed in it 1 but never [ubvertcd by it. Pofitiva are more mutable rhan Naturals are. The Antec~~ent is .thus manifcfi:ed. I· Natural reafon (or the La~ ofN.tture) requireth that all men do faithfully Improve all the Talents that God hath entrufied them with, to his honour : ~hc~c~ore Natural ~eafo~ (or the Law ofNature) doth require, that God be folemnl}i wo1:fhipped in 1-amillcS; he havmg g1ven them fuch advantages as aforefaid thereunto. 2. The L1w of N:1~ ture rcquircth, that all (ocieties that have God for their Founder or lnfiimtor, fhould to their ut– mofi cap•Cities, be devoted to him thu founded and infiitutcd them; but that God is the f'ounder ' S!f and 495
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