The Whole Sum of Christian Religion, Half title
A SHORT SVMME of Chriſtian Religion vnderunder the conſideration of the Ten-Commandementes.
¶ There is none ende of making many books: and much reading is a werines of the fleſhe. Let vsus heare the ende of al. Feare god & kepe his Commaundementes: For this is the Whole dutie of man.
A SHORT SVMME of Christian religion vnderunder the conſideration of the ten Commaundementes. ¶ The generall diſcourſe of all together.
THat peece of ſcripture which commonly goeth vnderunder the name of the ten Commaundements, as is writen in the twenteth Chapter of Exodus, from the beginning of the ſeconde, vntounto the ende of the ſeuētienth verſe, may well be diuided into a couple of principal partes. wherof the former is the Preface, or fore-ſpeache vntounto the Commaundementes: the other the Commaundements them ſelues.
In the Preface, I am the Lord thy God: which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt, out of the houſe of bondage, we hauehave to conſider two thinges: to whome he ſpeaketh; and what it is that he ſayth vntounto them. Concerning the former of them, it is no more but this: that literally he ſpeaketh to the Iſraelites onelyonly: Implicatiuely, or, in ſenſe and meaning, to vsus alſo, and to all the faithfull, or to all Chriſtiās that hauehave bene ſince in al ages. Concerning the other, firſte in plaine wordes hee doth not onelyonly ſay or affirme, that, he is the lord our God: but alſo proueth ye ſame, for yt, as he brought ye Iſraelites literally out of ye land of Egipt, the houſe of bondage; ſo hath he miſtically in in lyke ſorte broughte both them and vsus out of perdition, from the power of the diuell vnderunder whom we ſhould otherwiſe hauehave bene: a more wretched bondage then any mās heart could euer cōceaue. Then, beſides his plaine wordes he ſemeth to implie, firſt for his owne part, that He is ſuche, as may very well commaunde vsus; and we ſuch, as ought by good right obey him: ſo to make plaine vntounto vsus before hande, that yf he ſhall nowe geue or preſcribe vntounto vsus lawes of religion, it is no more then he may lawfully do. then for all others whatſoeuer, that they hauehave no authoritie to preſcribe vsus any lawes of religion; and, yf needes they wyll, yet neede not we obey them, nor may yf we woulde: becauſe they are not able to chalenge that kinde of dutie by any ſuche title; and are not able truely to ſay, I am the Lord thy God. &c.
The Commaundementes them ſelues may in like maner be diuided into a couple of principall partes: ſetting the firſte by it ſelfe: and all the reſt likewiſe aparte by them ſelues, but (in this reſpect) all coupled together.
The firſte Commaundement doth geue forth the Summe of all Religion Generally, or in fewe wordes compryſeth the whole: bringing all to this one pointe: To worſhippe, or eſteeme as God, the onelyonly true God, and lyuinge Lorde.
The other doe more Specially intreate of the ſame: diuiding this whole duty of man, or this whole ſumme of ſounde Region into a couple of principall partes.
The former of them is that part of our dutie, that immediately reſpecteth God him ſelfe: or, the worſhippe that he reſerueth to his owne Perſon. vntounto whiche, the three next commaundementes do apperteine. Of which three, the firſte declareth what kinde of worſhippe it muſt be, as touching the nature, or maner, or ſubſtaunce of it: that is, to worſhippe him as he hath appointed, and none otherwiſe. The ſeconde teacheth vsus that we may not reſt in any outwarde ſhewe of worſhipping: but that we ſhoulde inwardly hauehave ſo notable a reuerence of God, as that ſuche worſhippe as the former deſcribeth, ſhoulde euer be pouldred with true ſinceritie. The laſte requyreth a feruent zeale, or an vnfeined and an heartie deſier to attaine therevnto, by keeping holy the Sabbath day.
The other reſpecteth that parte of our dutie that concerneth oure mutuall or common ſocietie, or the order of our lyfe one with an other. whiche alſo is our dutie to God: becauſe hee hath enioyned the ſame; and we otherwiſe ſtande bound to none but to him. Of which the other …ixe Commaundementes doe entreate. and that in ſuche ſorte, that, firſte they all conſidered together doo plainely im…ly, that firſte we muſte hauehave an inwarde LoueLove, or an heartie affection, both to the whole, and to eueryevery membre thereof: then that we muſt bring forth the ſame three maner of wayes. Whereof the the firſt is, that we knit or linke together one with an other, in ſuch order, as it ſhal appeare that God him ſelfe from time to tyme doth ſet among vsus: vntounto which apperteineth the fifte Commaundement. The ſeconde, that vntounto this knitting together by honouring each other, we alſo bring with vsus a true and faythfull care of preſeruation, to be ſpread forth vntounto all, & to eueryevery one. This doth God commende vntounto vsus two maner of wayes. firſt generally, or in fewe wordes compriſing the whole charge: wherevnto apperteineth the ſixt commaundement. then more ſpecially, or deſcending to ſome particulars: vntounto whiche apperteine thoſe three that next followe. whereof the firſt, requireth ſo good regard of eueryevery one, as that we anoy none in their wedlocke; or, that our ſelues walke not ſo inordinately in that kinde of vice, that it be, eyther the ouerthrowing or els ye daungering of others: the ſeconde likewiſe, ſo vnfeyned a care of our neighbour, that we ſeeke not wrongfully to get frō him any thing that is his: the thirde in like maner, ſo good aduicement on his behalfe, that we euer ſeeke to vpholde our neighbours good name and eſtimation. The third and laſt is, that we be euer fully content with our eſtate: that ſo our common Societie may be leſſe violated by any inordinate dealing to better our ſelues; vntounto which the laſt Cōmaundement doth apperteine, and therewithal maketh the way more eaſie to the obſeruing of all the reſt.