The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2 · Chapter 8 · Commandment 5
The fifte Commaundement.
Honoure thy Father and thy Mother, that thou maist liue longe vponupon the Lande which the Lorde thy God shall geue thee.
The ende of this commaundement is, that bicause the Lorde delyteth in the preseruation of his ordre, therfore he willeth that those degrees of preeminence which he hath ordeined be not broken, the summe therfore shalbe that we reuerence those whome the Lord hath set ouer vsus, that we yeld to them honore, obedience and thankefullnesse. Whervpon foloweth that it is forbidden vsus, to withdrawe any thynge from their dignitie, either by contempt or obstinate or vnthankfulnes. For so doth the worde Honoure, in the Scripture signifieth very largely: as when the Apostle sayth,i. Tim. xv. that the elders whiche rule well are worthy of doble honore, he meaneth not oneli yt reuerence ys due vntounto them, but also such recompense as their ministerie deserueth. And bicause this comaundement of subiection, doth most of all disagree with the peruersnesse of mans nature, which as it swelleth with greedinesse of climbing hie, so it hardly abideth to be broughte lowe: therefore he hath set that kinde of superioritie for example, which by nature is moste amiable and leste enuious: bicause he mighte the easelyer meken and reclaime o…re mindes to the vse of submission. Therfore the Lord doth by little & little traine vsus to all lawefull subiection by that which is most easy to beare, for asmuch as the rule of all is alike. For to whome he geueth any preeminence, he doth communicate his own name with them, so farre as is necessarie to preserue the same preeminence: The name of Father, God, and Lorde, do so belong vntounto him alone, that so ofte as we heare one of them named, our minde muste needes be touched with a feeling of his maiestie. Therfore whom he maketh partakers of these things, he maketh to glister with a certaine sparke of his brightnesse, that thei may be honorable eueryevery one accordinge to his degree. Therfore in him that is oure father we hauehave to consider somewhat of ye nature of God, bicause he beareth not the name of God without cause. He that is our Prince or oure Lorde, hath some partakinge of honore with God.
Wherfore it ought not to be doubted that God doth here set a generall rule, that as we knowe any man to be by his ordinaunce set ouer vsus, so we yelde vntounto him reuerence, obedience, thankfulnesse, and suche other dueties as it lieth in vsus to do. And it maketh no difference, whether thei be worthy or vnworthy. For of what sorte soeuer thei be, thei hauehave not without the prouidence of God atteyned that place, by reasō whereof the lawemaker woulde hauehave them to be honored. Yet namely he hathe geuen commaundemente of reuerence to parentes, that hauehave brought vsus into this life,Exod. xxi. Leuit. xx.ix. to whiche reuerence very nature ought in a manner to instructe vsus. For they are monsters and not men, that breake the authorite of parentes with dishonore or stubbornesse. Therfore the Lord commaunded all the disobedient to their parentes,Leu. x.ix. Pro. x.x. Deu. xxi.xviij. Mat. xv.iiij. Eph. v.i. Coloss. iij.xx. to be slaine, as men vnworthy to enioye the benefite of lighte, that doe not reknowledge by whose meanes thei came into it. And by many additions of the lawe it appeareth to bee true that wee hauehave noted, that there are three partes of honoure that he here speaketh of, Reuerence, Obedience, and Thankfullnesse. The firste of these the Lorde estabelysheth when he commaundeth him to be killed that curseth his Father or his Mother, for there he punisheth the contempte and dishonoure of them. The seconde he confirmeth when he appointeth the punishment of death for ye disobedient and rebellious children. To the thirde belongeth that sayinge of Christe in the fyftene of Matthew, that it is the commaundement of God that we do good to oure parentes. And so oft as Paule maketh mention of a commaundement, he expoundeth that therein obedience is required.
There is annexed a promise for a commendation, whyche dothe the rather putte vsus in minde, howe acceptable vntounto God is the submission that is here commaunded. For Paule vseth the same pricke to stirre vp oure dulnesse when he saieth: that this is the fyrste commaundemente with promise. For the promise that went before in the first Table, was not speciall and proprely belonginge to one commaundement, but extended to the whole lawe. Nowe this is thus to be taken: The Lorde spake to the Israelites peculiarly of the lande whiche he had promised them for their inheritance. If then the possession of lande was a pledge of Gods bountyfullnesse: let vsus not meruell if it pleased God to declare his fauoure by geuinge lengthe of lyfe, by whiche a man might longe enioye hys benefite. The meaninge therefore is thus. Honoure thy father and thy Mother, yt by a longe space of life thou maist enioye yt possession of that lande that shalbe vntounto thee for a testimony of my Father. But sith all the earthe is blessed to the faithfull, we doe not woorthyly recken this present life amonge the blessinges of God. Therefore thys promise dothe likewise belonge vntounto vsus, for asmuche as their continuance of hys life is a profe of Gods good will. For it neither is promised to vsus, nor was promised to the Iewes, as thoughe it were contained blessednesse in it selfe, but bicause it is wonte to bee to the Godlye a token of Gods tender louelove. Therfore if it chaunce that an obediente child to his parentes be taken out of this life before his ripe age, whyche ys oftentimes seen, yet doth God no lesse constantly continue in the perfourmance of his promise, than if he shoulde rewarde hym wyth a hundreth Acres of lande, to whome he promised but one Acre. All consysteth in this, that we should consider yt long life is so farre promysed vsus, as it is the blessinge of God, and that it is his blessinge so farre as it is a proofe of his fauoure, whiche he by death doth muche more plentifully and perfectly witnesse and shewe in effect to his seruauntes.
Moreouer, when the Lorde promiseth the blessinge of this presente life to the children that honoure their parentes with such reuerence as they ought, he doth wythall secretly saye, that most assured curse hangeth ouer the stubborne and disobedient children. And that the same shoulde not wante execution: hee pronounceth them by hys lawe subiecte to the iudgemente of deathe, and commaundeth them to be putte to execution: and if they escape that iudgemente, hee hymselfe taketh vengeance on them by one meane or other. For we see howe greate a numbre of that sorte of menne are slaine in battailes and in fraies, and some other tourmented in strange vnaccustomed fashions, and they all in a manner are a proofe that thys threatninge is not vayne. Butte yf any escape to olde age, syth in this lyfe beynge depriued of the blessinge of God, they doe nothynge butte miserably languyshe and are reserued for greater paynes hereafter, they are farre from beynge partakers of the blessyng promised to the Godly chyldren. Butte thys ys also by the waye to bee noted, that wee are not commaunded to obey them butte in the Lorde. And that is euident by the foundation before layed: …or they sitte on hye in that place wherevnto the Lorde hathe aduaunced them, by communicatinge with them a portion of hys honoure. Therefore the submission that is vsed towarde them, oughte to bee a steppe towarde the honouringe of that soueraigne Father. Wherefore, yf they moue vsus to transgresse the lawe, then are they woorthyly not to bee accompted parentes, butte straungers that laboure to wythdrawe vsus from obedience to the true Father. And so ys to bee thoughte of Princes, Lordes and all sortes of superioures. For it is shamefull & againste conuenience of reason, that theyr preeminence sholde preuayle to presse downe hys hyghnesse, sithe theyres as it hangeth wholye vponupon it, so ought onelyonly to guide vsus vntounto it.