Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 3 · Verse 10
VERS. 10.
For euen when wee were with you, this wee commanded you, that if any man would not worke, neither ſhould hee eate.
WHither any, or what the reference is, which this verſe hath to the former Scripture, is a little difficult to diſcerne. Erre I? or is it alledged to prooue their knowledge of duetie charged on them? verſ. 7. q. d. You cannot be ignorant of the duetie; for you may remember, what charge we gaue you in preſence.
In the text it ſelfe a part conſidered, wee hauehave Pauls ſanction, or ordinance for manuall labour, enforced by penaltie, prouided for willing, or wilfull loiterers.
1 The maine intention is to vrge to labour. 2 The penaltie of neglect; Idlers muſt not eat. To which adde as appertinences; 1 The generalitie of the iniunction collected from extent of the penaltie ſiquis. 2 Deſcription of delinquents whom the penaltie toucheth, not thoſe who cannot, but ſuch as will not worke.
Labour here inioyned you muſt vnderſtand manuall; by interpretation of the Apoſtle himſelfe. 1 Theſ. 4.11. Epheſ. 4.28.
2. Is the ordinance vniuerſally binding, for all perſons, times, place, ſtates of the Church? Reſp. 1. For labour and induſtrious imployment in ſome honeſt vocation, it bindes all in all times and ſtates. The Church of no time may affoord hiuing for drones: whither to manuall labour, is another quaere.
Conſent goes thus farre. 1. Manuall labour is amongſt thoſe Acts or offices, which are precepted not propter ſe, as ſimplie good and neceſſary, in like ſort as worſhip of God and honouring parents. 2. Rather propter aliud; and therefore bindes not all men in all times and ſtates; but onelyonly in caſu; ſuppoſe when the ends of ſuch labour cannot be otherwiſe atchieued.
3. Thoſe ends ſuppoſe to be, 1 Supplying our owne wants, and neceſſities of ſuch as depend on our Care, 1 Theſ 4.11. 1 Tlm. 5.8. 2 Eaſing the Church or Common-Wealth of vnneceſſary charge, 1 Tim. 5.16. 3 To preſerue body in health and vigour.
4. And, which is ſpirituall, to auoid the legions of ſinnes that waite on lazie idlenes. But where, without labour of the hands, theſe ends, with the like, may all be attained, the iniunction bindes not. Ratio; who ſo liues out of the Reaſon of the Law, liues out of the ſtroke and cenſure of the Law.
Thus therefore conceiue, the ordinance for that kinde of labour, perſonall or particular to that Church in ſtate now of diſtreſſe; binding vsus no farther, then ends of labour forementioned, and like ſtate may enforce it.
How then concernes it vsus of theſe times? Reſp. 1. Many, many are amongſt vsus, whoſe liuely-hood and neceſſarie maintenance depends on manuall labour: whoſe calling and abilities binde them to ſuch imployment: who but by it, cannot further the weale publique: doubts any man, whither the iniunction bindes them? The Reaſon of the Law toucheth them, therefore the Law it ſelfe.
2. But to the generall of labour, and induſtrious imploying our ſelues in ſome honeſt calling, whereby we may further common good, equity of this inunction, and other paſſages of Scripture binded al of all ſorts, times, & eſtates: quid ſtatis hîc otioſi? *Mat. 20.6.Idlers, the Lord of the Vineyard beares not. And to all of any office is the charge giuen,xRom. 12.7. to waite on that office: to a Miniſter is not inioyned manuall labour, prohibited rather, as both an indecorum for the perſon he ſuſtaines, and a meanes of yAct. 6.2.diſtraction, and hinderance to his labouring in z1 Tim. 5.17.the word and doctrine; yetaEzech. 34.2. woe to the idle ſhepheard, as heauy as to any that are at eaſe in Sion. Like thinke of Superiour Magiſtrates, &c.
Withall let this be conſidered: preparation to a Calling, is foreign to a calling: as when a man liues, as young Prophets of Iuric, in Schooles of Prophets, though yet not exerciſing prophecie, he is preſumed to liue in Ranke; neither without calling, nor idlie in his ſtation: but what followes not vnderunder one of theſe, lies vnderunder Cenſure of the Apoſtle, and is violation of his Canon.
Ʋſe Yet beware yee thinke not Pauls ſanction toucheth Popiſh Monkes and Fryers mendicant; that were picked wreſting the Apoſtles ſentence. Indeed now I minde it, Eraſmus ſaid of Luther, Eſtius ad locum.he meddled with two perillous things, when he touched the Popes Crowne, and his Monkes bellies.
But why ſauours it ſo ſtrong of hereticall prauitie, to impleade them guilty of breaking Pauls Canon? if Socrates ſaid true, Monachus qui manibus non laborat, ſimilis eſt praedoni.
Ob. Their labour is in prayer, watching hearing Confeſſions, contemplation, &c. Reſp. While diſtenti & crepantes they crie out, haec quanta patimur, &c. But faine I would know for my learning, where God hath warranted to any man on earth, abled for imployment in particular functions, to ſpend his whole time in deuotion and Contemplation? Where hee teacheth the performance of theſe generall offices of the Chriſtian calling, to exempt any ſuch man from imployment in particular vocation or office tending to publique good? Valeant Euchitae; Contemplation is good, ſweet aboue hony; but vita Coeli, Non Terrae; except fruites iſſue by writing, or other courfes beneficiall to Communitie. See S. Auguſtine de opere Monachorum.
But out vponupon our vagrants ſturdie Beggers, the burthens of the earth, ſcorne of heauen, ſhame of our Common-Wealth. I perſwade my ſelfe the worſt of infernall Spirits hauehave not leſſe ſenſe of piety, hauehave more ſenſeIac. 2.19. Deity, then our Canting Vagrants, drowzily, deadly in this behalfe dormit, ſtertit Reipublicae diſciplina. When may wee hope to awake it? When moſt are minded, theſe are amongſt the poore, commended to our merciful reliefe; and as chearefully deale their bread to them in the r…fulneſſe, as to the paynfulleſt Artiſan or trueſt labourer, in his hunger. Eraſmus mentions a kinde of mercy meeteſt for ſuch; 'Tis, in this language, miſerecordia puniens. Surely the whip is more their due, then foode; Bridewell to entertaine them, fitter then an Almes-houſe. Should ſuch out, by Pauls Rule? Liue, after monition, by our holeſome ſtatute?
Nor yet dwells idleneſſe all ſub dio; nor all lodgeth or lowzeth it ſelfe vnderunder Beggars Buſh: entertainenment it findes, alaſſe how ſumptuous, in ſieled houſes. Semble to your ſelues a while the life of young and Elder Gallants of our Gentrie; and tell me, if you ſeeme not to be Moſes hiscExod. 32.6. Idolaters, or Pauls d1 Cor. 15.32.Epicures, reuiued in them: men, whoſe whole life is eating, drinking, ſnorting, ſporting, or if any thing may be more Epicureal or Beſtial then this: or if you can diſcerne other in them, then Ezechiel mentions of Sodomites,eEzech. 16.49. Pride, fulnes of Bread, abundance of Idlenes; would God not alſo much of their Beſtiality:fDeut. 32.6. doe you thus requite the Lord, Oh people fooliſh and vnwiſe? Is this the thankes you render him, the ſeruice you doe him, for all that rich bounty powred out vponupon you? Potentes potentur tormenta patientur, But I ſpare you.
The penalty of wilfull neglecting the labour enioyned, with the appertinencies follow. Let not ſuch eate: hee meanes of the common charge of the Church; that if naught elſe, yet hunger and neceſſity may driue them to labour. And yet remember, Nature may not bee deſerted in extreame neceſſity: but out of that Caſe, they nouriſh Idleneſſe, who ſuccour the Idler.
The life of Law is penality, when duely executed, wherefore the great Law-giuer to his owne Iſrael, vſeth ſuch enforcements, See Exod. 21. & 22, &c.
1. Refractaries eueryevery ſtate and kingdome affords, whom, but penalty, nothing reſtraines; ſcarce doth penalty executed reforme.
2. Yet the Treacle is made of ſuch Vipers, for preſeruing others, All Iſrael ſhall heare and feare, and do no more preſumptuouſly.
3. Seruility is much in men of beſt inclination: They are not all alwaies ledde by that Spirit of Ingenuity, Pſal. 51.12.
Rules for their enacting: 1. That they be proportioned to quality and meaſure of the offence. Draco his ſeuerity is deemed ouer rigorous, prouiding death for leaſt offences: our lenity, in ſome enormities, is no leſſe blame…ble: whiles Adultery laughes at the ſheet, or ſecures it ſelfe of Redeeming that ſhame with the purſe.
2. As offences grow, though but in circumſtances ſo ought penalties to be augmented: See Numbers 15, 30, 32, 35.
For exception; 1. That it be donegDeut. 1.17. foreign; impartially. 2. Not following priuate paſſions; which turnes iuſteſt puniſhment oft into vengeance.
The queſtion I meddle not with, whither ſubmiſſion to the penalty free Conſcience from guilt of ſin, in violating holeſome Conſtitutions: who ſo affirme, had need build on better Reaſons, then ſuppoſed equiualence of ſatisfaction for dammage done to community, by bearing the penalty.
Ʋſe Maxima peccandi illecebra eſt impunitatis ſpes. There is no greater encouragement, entiſement to ſin then hope of impunitie. Licentious we are growne out of meaſure, moſt liue by that occaſion; lentitude, rather then lenity of Magiſtrates: that now wiſeſt begin to thinke, as that ſage Politician ſpake by occaſion of Neruaes remiſneſſe in gouernment. Its better to liue where nothing, then in this ſtate where all things are lawfull.
We heare daily clamorous outcries of Separatiſts and others, for, I know not what, tolerations of euill men: yet faults not the Church in hir Conſtitutions: what euill man or practiſe doe they legitimate, or but tolerate? Yer confeſſedly there is fault amoghſt vsus, that penalties are not more ſtrictly executed. How may we feare, leaſt the Lord lay to his hand, while his deputies are ſo remiſſe? See, is not wrath already gone out from the Lord? Oh that ſome Phinehas would ſtand forth hPſal 106.30.to execute Iudgement, before the Lords wrath breake forth to deuoure vsus.
Theſe Reaſons, mee thinkes, ſhould excite vsus. 1. With ſuch feare or ſeucrity thou maiſt ſaue a ſoule, and iIud… ver. 23.reſpect it, out of the fire: ſuch bleſſing God gaue to that ſternnes towardsk1 Cor. 5. & 2 Cor. 2. Collat. the inceſtuous perſon. 2. Or if the delinquents be incorrigible, yet others ſeeing their puniſhment may feare to doe preſumptuouſly:Deut 13.11. when otherwiſe, thorough Conniuence, the example is asl1 Cor. 5.6. leauen, as am2 Tim. 2.17. Gangrene, encreaſing to more vngodlineſſe. 3. And why, ſith this may propitiate the diuine Maieſty, andnNum. 25.7, 8. ceaſe the Plague, mercileſlie expoſe we the body to deſtruction? Which, with loſſe of ſome incurable members, may be preſerued. Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord giuegive you vnderſtanding in all things: Conſcience, in this.
The perſons whom the penalty toucheth are next pointed at. Any, of any ranke or quality, that will not worke. That clauſe deſerues our notice. Not want of ability, but lacke of will to worke, is ſtricken at in the penalty: for what when feebleneſſe by age, or ſickneſſe; or other impotencie by caſualty betides vsus? Suppoſe you Paul warrants to ſhut vp bowels of Compaſſion to ſuch? God forbid: where then is place for viſito, poto, cibo and ſuch like works of merciemercy, omiſſion whereofoMat. 25.41.42. excludes from heauen? Or why add we affliction to thoſe whom God hath wounded? Yea, what if in greateſt ſtrength, there want meanes of imployment? Is it not equiualent to other impotencie? Such want not will, but meanes to be imployed: Are therefore capable of the common reliefe.
Ʋſe Wickedneſſe is wittie to its owne harme, Churliſh Nabal had hisp1 Sam. 25.10, 11. pretended equity, denying to Dauid reliefe in his neceſſity. Curre-megients, who ſcarcely know any other ſentence of Scripture, yet to ſaue their peace, the crummes that fall from their table, hauehave this of Paul in their mouthes; worke for your liuing: S. Paul ſa th, he that labours not, muſt not cate. This to the feebleſt amongſt the Aged and Impotent; to the moſt decrepit and crookt with yeeres: yet ſaid not Paul, hee that doth not, but hee that will not worke, muſt not eate. Not labouring, may iſſue from impotency and want of meanes to be imployed: if ſo, it intereſſeth them to our Reliefe.
I wiſh ſuch would conſider; 1. Poore are theirqNeh. 6.5. owne fleſh. 2. Left amongſt vsus to berMat. 14.7. matter of our liberality and mercy. 3. TheirſIob 31.20. loynes may bleſſe vsus. 4. Their thankfull deuotions make way to ourtLuke 16.9. receiuing into euerlaſting Tabernacles. 5. And themſeluesuHeb▪ 13 3. are yet in the fleſh, know not what may be their owne lot. 6. HaueHave cauſe to feare their owne impoueriſhment; for, who ſo ſpareth *Pro. 11.24.more then is meet, is not likely onelyonly, but ſure to come to pouerty. And of the firſt materiall part of the Chapter, checke of Churches tolerating Loyterers, thus farre, followes the correption of the delinquents themſelues.