A '])ijptttation for Fami/y·Wcrf1ijJ. ----------- - and Inflimror of familits, is kno•.vn by t~e light of Nature it fc·lf: ThcrdOr~ the Law of NJtUrc .. quireth, that famil_ies .be.: to the u~molt ot their capacir.ics devoted to God; and con((gucntly t~~t thty {olcnmly 1-rorjlnp bun, they b:mg ca~ble of fo domg. I .need _no~ prove the M.1jor, becaufe 1 .fpeak only to men that are poffctr ol theLnv of Nature rnenttoned 1n H: and rhcrelore they knOw ~t rhemfelves to b~ true. Yet let me ro far Hay 01: t~e lllufrration, as to t? t~ll you the grounds of Jr. And r. God 1s the Alpb~ and ~me~~' the hrlt and_ the tan, the PrmCTpa\ tfli.,icm and ulti~ mate end ~fall:. and ~hcrelore of hmli~es. And t~crdore they _fho..J!d bc_for bim, as well as they are from lnm: l·or (If lmn, a;:d through bun, and to lum arc tJU thmgJ. Th1s Argumen: I draw from Namre, which. can have ;~o b~ginning but _God_, nor any en~ but God. The 2· I draw from theDi~ vim i·ntentiou, 111 the. fabncat1on and ?rdm~tlo~ of all thmgs. God _made all things for himfclf: and can have ;!OVltnnate end below hllnfelf. fhe 3• I draw from h1s Jm domiNii., his right of Propriety which he hath o~er a_ll tbingi, and fo over families aJ Jucb : they are all abfolute!y his own alone. And that wh1ch JS fole!y or ab[t)\urely a mans ow11, 1hould b~ for his ufc, and employed to hi~ honour and _end~: much more that which ~s Gods,.feeing m.m is not ca~able of fuch a plcrury proprwy of any thmg m rhe woild, as God hath m all thmgs. .4· I argue a Jrtte Imperil, from Gdr Right of Go:Jernmort. If he have a full right ofGovernmeut of f.1milies as families, then families as families, mufl honour and worfi1ip hil]l according to their llttnofi capacitiu : But h~ lurha full Rieht of abfolute Gove'-ll~enr over families as ~amilie~, Therefore•. ~heconfcqucnce ofrhe Major is grou~d~ cd on thtfe two thmgs: I· That God h1mftlf IS the end ot hts own Government: this is proper to his Regiment. All Humane Government is faid by Politicians to be terminated uhimately in rhe Publick good of the fociety. B~tt Gods Ple.:~jitrc and Glory is the end of his Governmcm; and is a:; it were cht Publick or Univerfal good. 2· In that Nature teacheth us, that Su(reamHvnoitr is due to all that arc S:eprr.Jm GovernoztrJ ; therefore they are to h1ve the melt honourable Titles, of M;,jefiy, Highncfs, Excellency, &c. and a6bonsanfw~rablc to thofc Titles, Mll. t. 6. If I be a Father, rvbere i1 mine bmo~tr l If l be a NJ.:jfcr, r-.Jhcre i1 my fear? Fear is oft put for all Gods \Vorfi1ip. If chen there be no family whereof God h not the Father or Founder, and the Maf\cr or Owner and Govcr... nour, then there is none but fhould honour him, and fear, or worfhip him, and that not only as fint..le mm, but as families: bc:c:n& he is not only the I.'ather and MaHer, the Lord and Ruler of rhem as mm, but al[o as l'amitin. Honour is as due to rhe RelJor, as Protection to the Subjtli!, and in our cafe much more. God is not a meer Tirnlar but Real Governour. All Powers on earth ar::: deriv(:d from him, and are indeed bU p(lwer. All L1wful Governours are his Oili..:ers, and hold their places under him, and ad by him. As God therefore is the pr9per Soveraign of every Commonwealth, and the Head of theChurch : fO is he th€ He:ad of r:.very flmil~'· Therefore as •every Commonwealrh £hould perform fuch WOifilip or Honour to their Earthly Soveraign, as is Due to M.m: So eachSo– ciety fhould according ro their Capacities perform Divine Worfi1ip and Honour 10 God : And if any objeCt, That by this Rule Commonwealths as, fuch mufi meet wgether to worlhip God, which is im– poJfibk.I anfwer,They mufi worChip him according to their N.1tural Caplcitic:s; and fo mult Families according to thti1·s. The fame G~neral Precept obligerh to a divers manner of duty according to the divers capacity of the Subjed-. CtJmmonwealtlu muti in thdr Rrprr{ent.Jtivu at leaH engage thcm– fClves to God as Commonwealths, and wor(hip him in the moH convenient vyay that they are capable: of. Familin may meet together [or prayer, though aNJ.tion cannot. As an Aifociarion ofChurches called a I)rovinCill or National Church, is obliged to worfhip God as well as particular C:ongrcgati.. ons, yet not in oNe place: bro.u\c: iris irnpoffible : N.1ture limiteth and maketh the diifcrence. And that the obligation of familic~ to honour and wor(hip God, may yet appear more evidenti)'• Confider that Gods Right, and Propriety, and Rule is twofold ; yet each Title plenary alone. r. H-:: is our Ow11tr and Ruler upon his Title ot Creatioit. 2. So he is by his Rigbt of Redemption. By both thefe he is not only Lord and Rlllcr ofpajOm,but ftmilicJ :, all {Ocietics being his. And the Regiment of ptrfons being chiefly exerci!t:J over them i11 focieti_es. AU powir in HeMvcn ai!dEartb i.rgiven m:4 to Cbrijt. Matth. J8,J8, and all judgement commi11erJ unto hi.m, John 5• 22· tJnd aU tbing.r dtlivercd imo b~ bandi, John I3· 3• and thenfotc to him jh.:tU every k,_me bor¥", both oj' tbingr in Heavm and things in earth and thingJ under the e.mh (either with a bowing ofWorlhip, or of forced acknow~ ledgement,) and tvcry tongue jh"ll cunfrfi that Jefur Chrij! u Lord to th< gl?ry of God the Father, Phi!. 2. 1 o. Bowing to and confeJl"ing Chrifi voluntarily to Gods glory, is rme Worlhip : All mult · do this according to their fcveral capacities : And th~refore families according to theirs. A third Confiderarion which I thought 10 have added but for lllulha<ion, may well !land as art argument it fclf; and its this. • · Argument 3· If hefider all theforementionrd op;ortunitier a1td obliglltionJ, f.JmilitJ do live in t!Ji prc– fence ofGod, mtd_oUf!.hl by f.sith to appribtnd that prrftnce, then iJ it Gods Wilt that familia as fidJ }hou!d folemnty 1Yotjhip him. But the fOrmer is tr:u,. tberrfore the !Jtttr. . . The Confequente of the Major wh1ch alone reqtures proof, I_ prove ~'Y an Argument J futttort,from the honour due to all earthly"Governours. Tbough when aKmg, a tarher, a Matter ar~ aPfent, fi.tch actual honour,to be prefcnted to them,is not DLte,bcca.ufe they arc not capable ofrece~vi.11g it (fu1~~1er than MtditJnte aliqua per}Una 1 vel re, which beareth fome reprt[entation of the Super10ur, or R~laoon to him) yet when they jiahd bj, it is a contemptuous fub)cct, a difobedicnr. Child, that ~Ill not perform adual honour, or huma1.1e Wortbip to them. Now God is ever preient not only wtr~ ea~.fl perfon as fuch,but alfo with every faniily as fuch.As he is faid to walk among theGol~en Cand.lcfiJcks 1_n his Churches, fo dorh he in the famiUeJ of aU by his common prr{tnce, and of hts forvJnts by h1s gracictu ptefincr. This they eafily tind by his directing rhem, add bl-dling the affJirs of their fa~i~ ""·
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