Fifth Comma11dmcnt. 135 ter into Wedlock without their Knowledge, or aga inft their Confent. For we find the holy Fathers have !till taken the care of the difpofal of their Children in this AtfJir. And the Apoftle, 1 Corinth.?· 36, 37· Declares, that it is in the Parints Power either to Marry their Children, or to keep them in a finglc Eftate. But yet no queftion fo, as that Children have ftill a negative Vote, and o\lght not to be forced againft their own Will and Confent. Yea, fo far doth the Authority of a Parent extend, that it reacheth alfo to the very Garb and Apparel of their Children, who ought to conform rhe~felves therein, accordi~g to theh: Allowance and J?ire(Uon, Gen. 37: 3· But tf Parents £ballftbufe thetr Authonty, by commanding what is finful, and what God bath contravcn'd by his Law and Command; yet Children arc not hereby difobliged from Obedience, but only directed to chu!e the paffive Part of it, and to bear their Wrath and Choler, yea and their Punifuments too, with all Patience and Submiffion. For, as the Apofflc fpeaks, Heb. 12. to. They often t ime; chAjlm u.s after t~eir own.Pleafure! . and yet we are to give them Reverence; we ought to bear w1th the1r Infirmtues, whether they t,e natural~ or vicious, and indeavour to hide and cover them from others. And therefore we read what a Curfe was laid upt>n Cham, for dirclofing the Nakednefs of his Father, Gen . ?• 2S· And indeed it is a curfed thing to expofe the Nakednefs and Weaknefs of our Parents to the Scorn and Derifion of others. But this is not all: For, Thirdf.J; As we muft Honour them by Reverence and Obedience, fo likewife by Remuneration and Retribution, requiting the Benefits we have received from them. fo far as we are able, and they need. This the Apoftle expreily enjoins, 1 Tim. 5. 4· If ~ny Widow; have Children, Br Nephews, let them learn jirft to fl'ew Piety at home, tmd to requite their Parent.s; that is, when they are fallen ~o poverty or decay, or o· therw ife require Affiftance from us, we are obliged liberally according to our Pro~ portion to afford it. And he affirms that this is good and acceptable before God. And therefore we find our Saviour Iharply reprehending that unnatural Dothine among the Scribes and Pharifees, which difpenfed with Children from the Relief of their Parents, Matth.15. 5,6. Ye fay, WhojoeverjhalifJJyto hi; Father or Mother, ltiJ&J Gift by whlltfoever thou mayft be profited by me, and Honour .not hi; F~1theroY hit Mother, he Jhall be free. Which Place, becaufe it is obfcure and intricate, admits of divers :Expofitions. Some fay it was the Doctrine of 'the Scribes and Pharifees, that although a Man did not Honour nor fupport his Parents, yet he fhould be guilth:fs, if he lhould tell them that he had offered in the Temple a Gift for his and their good, and that therefore they could require no more Relief from him. Others, that it was a folemn Oath among the Jews to fwear by the Gift or Offering, which was brought into the Temple, and prefented there as a Sacrifice before God; which Oath was obligatory in the higheft Degree, whatfoever the M<Jtter of it might be, Matth. 23. 18. And the Scribes did teach, that if a Man had fworn thus ro his Parents, By the Gift thou fualt have no profit by me, then he was for ever difobliged from relieving them, were their Neceffities never fo great and urgent. And according to this Expofition, the Words fuould be thus tranilatcd; But ye fay, Whofoever faith to his Father or Mother, by the Gift if thou have any Profit by me, (where mnft be underftood fome Curfe or Imprecation upon themfelves, which they did ufually exprefs, as, Let me die, or the like) then he fhal\ be free from the Obligation of honouring, that is, of relieving and maintaining his Father or Mother. Wbich~fo~ever Interpretation be mort confonant to the Corrupt DoCtrine of the Scribes, and the corrupt PraCtice of the Jews, {as I fuppofe the latter is) our Saviour condcmllS it for a moft vileHypocrify, making the Co1;nmandmentsof God of none effeCt through their Traditions. Certainly it is one of the moft tmnatural Sins in the World, for Children who have Ability and Opportunity to relieve their neceffitous Parents, to fuffer them to want a Livelihood, and comfortable Subfi.. ltence, who are the Caufe and Authors of Life and Being unto their Children. But, Fourthly; We muft honour our Parents, by hearkning unto their good In· ftruaions, and imitating their Godly Practices. So Prov. 6. 20. My Son, keep rhy F.rtther':~ ~ommandment, and. forf~ke not the Law of thy Mother. For although good lnftruChon be for the matter of It, always to be tmbraced from whomfocvcr it Thall proceed, yet when it fhall come from a Parent, it obligeth us not only becaufe it Is good, but bccaure it is Authoritative; neither are we only to hearken to their Counfel, but alfo to imitate the holy Examples of our Parents: And therefore it is commc:nded in Solomon, that he walked in the Steps of his Father Dff.vid. Suffer. 3·
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