stranger shall rest; " that is, thou shalt cause as many persons to rest as are under thy power.

IV. The Reason contains in itself two arguments: The FIRST is the example of God himself, who rested from his works on the seventh day. The SECOND is the benediction and sanctification of God, by which it was his pleasure that the seventh should be separated from the rest of the days, and devoted to himself and to his worship.

V. "To sanctify the seventh day," is, to separate it from common uses, and from such as belong to the natural life, and to consecrate it to God, and to acts which belong to God, to things divine and to the spiritual life. This sanctification consists of various acts.

VI. We think that it may be made a most useful point of consideration, How far must abstinence from those works which belong to the natural life be extended? And though we prescribe nothing absolutely, yet we should wish that [licentiam] the liberty of performing such labours should be restricted as much as possible, and confined to exceedingly few necessary things. For we have no doubt, that the sabbath is in various ways violated among Christians, by not abstaining from such things as are lawful to be done on other days.

VII. We think that the acts which belong to the sanctification of the sabbath may be included in two classes: (1.) Some per se and primarily belong to the worship of God, and are in themselves grateful and acceptable to God. (2.) Others are subordinate to those acts which are to be performed, and they answer the purpose, that those acts may in the best possible manner be performed to God by men; such are those which belong to the instruction of believers in their duty.

VIII. But this kind of sanctification ought not only to be private and domestic, but also public and ecclesiastical. For it is the will of God, not only that He should be acknowledged, worshipped, invoked and praised by each individual in private, but likewise by all united together in the great church; that He may, by this means, be owned to be the God and Lord not only of each individual, but likewise [totius universitatis] of the whole of his universal family.

IX. But because the neglect of God and of things divine easily creeps upon man, who is too closely intent on this natural life; it was therefore necessary that men's memories should be refreshed by this word, "Remember," &c.

X. But now with regard to the seventh day, which is com

manded to be sanctified: In it, this is moral and perpetual,-that the seventh day, that is, one out of the seven, be devoted to divine worship; and that it be unlawful for any man at any time, after having expended six days in the labours of the natural life, to continue the seventh day in all the same labours, or in the same

manner.

XI. But with regard to that day among the seven which followed the six days in which God completed the creation: Its sanctification is not of perpetual institution and necessity; but it might be changed into another day, and in its own time it was lawful for it to be changed, that is, into the day which is called "the Lord's-day;" because the new creation was then perfected in Christ our Head, by his resurrection from the dead; and it was equitable and right that the new people should enter on a new sabbatismus] method of keeping the Sabbath.

XII. That Reason which was taken from the example of God who rested on the seventh day, (that is, when the creation was completed,) endured to the time of the new creation: And therefore when it ceased, or at least when a second reason was added to it from the new creation, it was no subject of wonder that the apostles changed it into the following day, on which the resurrection of Christ occurred. For when Christ no longer walks in the flesh, and is not known after the flesh, all things become new.

XIII. But the benediction and the sanctification of God are understood to be transferred from the Sabbath to the Lord's-day; because all the sanctification which pertains to the new earth, is perfected in Jesus Christ, who is truly the Holy of holies, and in whom all things are sanctified for ever.

XIV. Because the Reason, by which God afterwards persuaded his people to observe the sabbath, was for a sign between Him and his people that God would engage in the act of sanctifying them; it may likewise be accommodated to the times of the New Testament, and may persuade men to the observance of the [new] sabbath.

XV. If any one supposes that the Lord's-day is by no means to be distinguished from the rest of the days [of the week]; or if, for the sake of declaring evangelical liberty, this person has changed it into another day, either into Monday or Tuesday; we think he ought at least to be considered as a schismatic in the church of God.

DISPUTATION LXXVIII.

ON THE FIFTH COMMAND IN THE DECALOGUE.

I. THIS Precept is the First of the Second Table. It contains the precept itself, and the promise attached to it. The end of the precept is, that a certain order should exist among men, according to which some are superiors and others inferiors; and which consists in the mutual performance of the duties of commanding and obeying, that are necessary for the defence of society.

II. The precept prescribes an Act, and adds an Object to which that act must be performed. The Act is contained in the word "honour:" The Object in these words, "Thy Father and thy Mother." From this it appears, according to the nature of relations, that this law is prescribed to all those who are relatively opposed to father and mother [as are sons and daughters].

III. The word "honour" is most appropriately employed to signify eminence: For honour is the reward of excellence, and its performance is a sign [cognitionis] of knowledge; and this word comprehends, either in the wide compass of its signification, all the duties which are due from an inferior to a superior; or, as an end, it comprehends all things necessary to the rendering of such honour.

IV. Three things principally are contained in this word: (1.) That reverence be shewn to the persons of our parents. (2.) That obedience be performed to their commands. (3.) That gratitude be evinced, in conferring on them all things necessary to the preservation of the present life, with respect to the dignity of their persons and of their office.

V. 1. Reverence consists both in the performance of those acts which contain [on our part] a confession of their pre-eminence and of our submission under them; and in the endurance of their faults and manners, in a connivance at them, in a modest concealment of them, and in kind excuses for them.

VI. 2. Obedience lies in the prompt and free performance of those things which they prescribe, and in the omission of those which they prohibit. This obedience must be performed not only "for wrath," or the fear of punishment, but also "for conscience' sake," and this, not so much that we may obey them, as God himself, whose vicegerents they are.

VII. 3. Gratitude, which contains the conferring of things necessary for them to the uses of life according to their dignity, ought to extend itself not only to the time when they discharg

this duty, but likewise through the whole life,-though it may happen, that, through old age or some other cause, they are rendered unfit to discharge the parental office.

VIII. The duties of superiors are analogous to those of inferiors, that they conduct themselves with moderation, [gravitatem] seriousness, and decorum, in the whole of their life, public as well as private ;-that they observe justice and equity in issuing their commands;-and that, in requiring gratitude, they do not transgress the bounds of moderation. But these points will be more particularly discussed in the Disputation on the Magistracy.

IX. The Object is enunciated in the words, "Father" and "Mother;" in which likewise are comprehended all those who are placed above us in human society; whether it be political, ecclesiastical, scholastic or domestic society; whether in the time of peace or in that of war; whether such persons discharge the duties of an ordinary or an extraordinary office; or whether they be invested with this power either [in perpetuum] constantly, or only for a season, however short.

X. But all these persons in authority are, in this commandment, fitly and not without just cause, expressed under the name of "parents," which is an endearing and delightful appellation, and most appropriate both to signify [affectum] the feeling which it is right for superiors to indulge towards inferiors, and most efficaciously to effect a persuasion in inferiors of the equity of performing their duty towards their superiors. It may be added, that the first association among men is that of domestic society; and from this follow the rest by the increase of mankind.

XI. Superiors lose no degree of this eminence by any sin, or by any [vitiositate] corruption of their own: Therefore this duty of honour, reverence, obedience and gratitude must be performed to superiors, even when they are evil, and abusing their power; provided caution be used that [partes] the interest of God be always the more powerful with us, and that thus, while that which is Cæsar's is given to Cæsar, that which belongs to God, be not taken from Him, or be not given.

XII. To this must necessarily be subjoined another three-fold caution: (1.) That no one commit an error in judgment, by which he persuades himself this or that belongs to God and not to Cæsar. (2.) That he discern correctly between that which he is commanded to do or to tolerate; and, if he must do it, whether or not it be an act about a thing or object which is subject to his power. (3.) That, under the name of liberty, no one arrogate

to himself the right of a superior, of not obeying in this thing or that, or the power of rising against his superior, either for the purpose of taking away his life, or only his rule and dominion.

XIII. The Promise which is added to this precept, is contained in the following words: "That thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee:" In which are promised, (1.) To the Jewish believers who perform this precept, length of days in the land of Canaan. (2.) And also to the Gentile believers who perform this command, the duration of the present life. (3.) Typically, to such persons are promised the eternal or heavenly life of which the land of Canaan was a type.

DISPUTATION LXXIX.

ON THE SIXTH PRECEPT.

I. ORDER in human society being appointed by the Fifth Commandment, through the mutual duties of superiors and inferiors in commanding and obeying; God now manifests his care for all those things which, in order to pass one's life in this society, are necessary for the life of each person, for the propagation of the species, for the blessings necessary to life, and for reputation: At the end of which, God adds the Tenth Commandment, in which [concupiscentia] the coveting of certain things is prohibited.

II. By these words, "Thou shalt not kill," the sixth precept provides for the preservation of the natural life, and designs the safety of men's bodies that it may be preserved inviolate.

III. The sum of the precept is,-neither in reality to injure the life of another person and to endanger his safety, nay not even our own, whether we use fraud or violence; nor to wish his injury by our will: To which must be added, that we do not intimate this kind of wish by any external token.*

IV. From this it appears, that the accident must not receive the appellation of "homicide," if, as the Scripture phrase is, any one going into a wood with his neighbour to cut down timber, and the head of his axe slips from the handle and strikes his neighbour so that he dies; nor, if, for the defence of his own life, any one be compelled at the peril of his life to repel the force employed against him by another.

V. But in this precept we are commanded to endeavour by all

* The Latin word, in all the copies, is judicio, probably a misprint for indicio.