Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Theological treatise · Chapter 21 · Moral observations
6. Morall observations.
1. Observ. Of the love which parents ought to beare toward their children.
Vers. 5. I Love my wife and my children, &c. Hence appeareth the great love, which a man ought to beare toward his wife and children, that he should endure much wrong, yea and chuse rather to serve with them, than to have his liberty and freedome without them: Oleaster: which condemneth the carelesnesse of such parents, which preferre their owne case and pleasure before the safety of their children, worse herein than the bruit beasts, even then the savage and cruell Beare, which rageth being robbed of her whelpes, Prov. 17.12.
2. Obser. Of the duty of children toward their parents.
Vers. 15. HE that smiteth his father, or his mother, vers. 17. and he that curseth his father, &c. shall dye the death. He that abused his parents in word or in deed, that gave them but a tip or a reviling word, was to be put to death: which sheweth how much the Lord abhorreth stubbornnesse and disobedience to parents: Little thought of by too many in our dayes, and the rather because that continually in the Church there is not a beating of these points of Catechisme into childrens heads and hearts by carefull Ministers. O that they would bee once drawne to doe this duty in their severall Churches▪ soone should they find the fruit of it, and the greatnesse of their sinne in so long neglecting it, B. Babing.
3. Observ. Masters not to be cruell toward their servants.
Vers. 20. IF a man smite his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dye, &c. Upon this text Rabanus thus noteth: Sicut disciplina opus est in eruditione subjectorum, &c. As discipline is needfull in the erudition of those that are in subjection, Ita & discretione opus est, in exhibitione correp…onum▪ &c. So also discretion is needfull in the exhibiting of correction, &c. neither parents should provoke their children by too much rigour, nor yet masters shew themselves cruell toward their servants, as here the Law punisheth the immoderate severity of masters▪ yea the Apostle would have masters put away threatning from their servants, Ephes. 6.9.
4. Observ. A wrong in deed must be recompenced in deed.
Vers. 26. HE shall let him goe free for his eye. Chrysostome hereupon thus inferreth: If thou hast chastised any beyond measure: Injuriae peccatum beneficio est dissolvendum, &c. The sinne of wrong must be dissolved by a benefit: Alioquin, nisi quem factis laesisti▪ factis placaveris, siue causa eras … Dominum; Otherwise, whom thou hast wronged in deed, if thou doest not appease by thy deeds, in vaine doest thou pray unto God, &c. Hom. 11. in Matth. As then the wrong is done, so the amends or recompence must be made: he that hath offended in word, must by his words and confession acknowledge his fault; but he which hath offred wrong in deed, must also make some satisfaction for i… in deed: as here the master for putting out his servants eye, was to give him his liberty and freedome for it.
5. Observ. Superiours are charged with the sinnes of inferiours committed by their negligence.
Vers. 29. IF the oxe were w…nt to push in time past, &c. As by this Law the owner of the oxe was to make good the hurt which was done by his oxe through his negligence, because he kept him not▪ so God imputeth the sinnes of the children to their fathers, and of the subjects to the Magistrate, si … negligentia cessatum fuerit, &c. if through their negligence, that is, of the parents or governours, the children or subjects faile in their duty: as is set forth in the example of Hol…, 1 Sam. 2. who was punished for his remisnesse toward his children: by which meanes he was made accessary to their sinne, Lippo….