The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of Gods Law of Nature, and Natural Officers.
Qu. 1. BY what Laws doth God Govern the World?
Ans. How he Governeth the Spirits above us, whether by any Law besides the immediate Re…elation of his Will seen in the face of his Glory, or how else, is not much known to us, because …t doth not concern us. But this lower World of man he Governeth by the Law of Nature, and by a Law of Supernatural Revelation, given by his Spirit or by Messengers from Heaven.
Q. 2. What is it that you Call the Law of Nature?
A. In a large and improper sence some call the …nclinations, and forcing or naturally moving Causes of any Creatures, by the name of a Law: …nd so they say that Beasts and Birds are moved by the Law of their Nature; and that Stones sink downward, and the Fire goeth upward by the Law of Nature. But this is no Law in the Proper sence which we are speaking of, whatever you Call it.
Q. 3. What is it then that you Call A Law?
A. Any Signification of the Will of the Ruler purposely given to the Subject, that thereby he may know and be bound to his Duty, and know his Reward or Punishment due. Or any signification of the Rulers will for the Government of Subjects, constituting what shall be Due from them, and to them. A Rule to live by, and the Rule by which we must be judged.
Q. 4. What then is Gods Law of Nature, made for man?
A. It is the signification of Gods Governing Will, by the Nature of man himself, and of all other Creatures known to man, in which God declareth to man his Duty and his reward or punishment.
Q. 5. How can a man know Gods Will and our duty by his Nature, and by all other Works of God about us?
A. In some things as surely as by words or writings; but in other things more darkly. I am sure that my Nature is made to Know and Love Truth and Goodness, and to desire and seek my own Felicity: My Nature tells me that I was not made by my self, and do not live by my Self, and therefore that I am not my own, but his that made me: All things shew me that there is a God who must needs be Greater, Wiser and Better than all his Creatures, and therefore ought to be most Honoured, Feared, Loved and Obeyed: I see multitudes of persons of the same Nature with me, and therefore obliged to the same duty to God; I see much of Gods work in them which is Good, and therefore to be Loved: And I see that we are all parts of one World, and made to be useful to one another: These and many such things the Reason of man may discern in himself and other works of God.
Q. 6. But I thought the Law of Nature had been every mans natural temper and disposition, which inclineth him to action: And you make it to be only a notifying sign of duty.
A. Figuratively, some call every Inclination a Law, but it's no such thing that we are speaking of: Only a mans natural Inclination among other signs may notifie his duty. But I hope you cannot think that a mans vicious Inclination is Gods Law: Then you would make Original sin, and the work of the Devil to be Gods Law. One mans sinful distemper of Soul, and another mans bodily distemper (the fruit of sin) inclineth him to wrath, to lust, to idleness, to sinful sports, or drinking, or gluttony: And these are so far from being Gods Law of Nature, that they are the contraries, and the Law of Satan in our members, rebelling against the Law of God. And though the good Inclinations of our common Nature (to Justice, Peace, Temperance) be by some called▪ The Law of Nature, it is not as they are Inclinations, but as from them we may know our duty.
Q. 7. Hath God any Natural Officers under him in governing man? I pray you tell me how far Mans Power is of God?
A. God hath set up divers sorts of humane Governing Powers under him in the World, which all have their place and order assigned them; some by Nature, as entire; some by the Law of Nature since the Fall, and some by supernatural Revelation, (which is not to be here spoken to, but afterward.)
Q. 8. Because I have heard some say that God made no Government, but men do it by consent for their necessity, I pray you shew me what Government God made by Nature, and in what order?
A. 1. Next to Gods own Governing Right which is the first, God hath made every man a Governour of himself. For God made him with some faculties which must be ruled (as the Appetite, Senses, and Tongue, and other bodily members, yea and Passions too,) and with some which must Rule the rest, (as the Understanding by guidance, and the Will by command.) And this self-governing power, is so necessary and Natural, that no man can take it from us, or forbid us the due exercise of it, any more than they can bind us to sin or to self-destruction.
Q. 9. Which is the next humane Power in order?
A. 2. The Governing power of the Husband over the Wife; whose very nature as well as Original shews that she was made to be Subject, though under the Law of Love.
Q. 10. But is not this by consent rather than by nature?
A. It is by Consent that a woman is married: but when she hath made her self a Wife, Nature maketh her a Subject; unless madness or disability make the man unmeet for his place.
Q. 11. Which is the next sort of Natural Government?
A. 3. The Parents Government of their Children: Nature maketh it the duty of Parents to rule, and of Children to obey. And though some have been so unnatural as to deny this, and say that Children owe nothing but reverence and gratitude, yet there is no danger of the common prevalency of such a Heresie, which the nature of all mankind confuteth, save that licentious Youth will take advantage of it to disobey their Parents to please their lusts.
Q. 12. What is the humane Government which Gods Law of Nature hath instituted to man since his fall and corruption?
A. 4. That is to be afterward explained: But Magistracy, or Civil Government is certainly of Natural Institution, though it is uncertain how God would have governed Man in such Societies by man, if they had not sinned. The Law of Nature teacheth man the necessity of Civil Society, and of Government therein; and therefore obligeth man thereto.
Q. 13. This seemeth to be but the effect of mens own perceived necessity, and so to be but their arbitrary choice.
A. Their Necessity is Natural, and the notice of it is Natural, and the desire of Remedy is natural, and the fitness of Magistracy to its use is natural: Therefore it is the Law of God in Nature that bindeth them to choose and use it: And if any Countrey should choose to live without Magistracy, they would sin against the Law of Nature, and their own good.
Q. 14. But I have heard that God hath made no Law what Form of Civil Government shall be used, but left it to every Countreys choice.
A. God hath by nature made it necessary that there be Magistracy; that is, some men in power over Societies to enforce the obedience of Gods own common Laws, and to make their subordinate Laws about undetermined mutable matters to that end, for the honour of God and the Good of the Society.
But, 1. Whether this Government shall be exercised by one or many: 2. And who shall be the Persons, Gods Law hath left undetermined to humane Liberty: The Form and the Persons are chosen, neither by the said persons, nor by the People only, but by the mutual consent and contract of both: 3. And also by this contract the Degree of power and order of the exercise may be Stated and limited: But for all that, when humane consent hath chosen the persons, the essential Power of Governing in Subordination to Gods Laws, floweth (not from man, but) immediately from Gods Law of Nature.
Q. 15. But what if these sorts of Government prove cross to one another; and Reason commandeth one thing, an Husband another, a Parent another, and the Magistrate another; which must be obeyed?
A. Each have their proper Work and End, which none of the other can forbid. Self-Government is the Reasonable management of our own Faculties and actions in obedience to God, for our own Salvation. And no King or other can take this from us: And if they forbid us any necessary duty to God, or necessary Means of our Salvation, they do it without Authority, and are not to be therein obeyed.
A Husbands power to govern his Wife, is for the necessary Ends of their Relation, which the King hath no power to forbid. A Parents power to rule his Children, is for the Necessary Education of them for the welfare of Soul and Body; and the King hath no power to forbid it. Should he forbid Parents to feed their Children, or teach them Gods Laws, or to choose for them Orthodox fit Tutors, Pastors, and Church-Communion where God is lawfully worshipped; and should he command the Children to use the contrary, it is all Null and powerless.
But it belongeth to the Magistrate only (though not to destroy any of the three former Governments, which are all before his in Nature and Time, yet) to Govern them all, by directing the exercise of them in lawful things to the common good.
Q. 16. How far doth the Law of Nature assure us of Gods rewards and punishments?
A. As it assureth us that perfect man owed God perfect Obedience, Trust and Love, so it certifieth us, 1. That this performed must needs be acceptable to God, and tend to the felicity of the Subject, seeing Gods Love is our Felicity. 2. And that sinning against Gods Law deserveth Punishment. 3. And that Governing Justice must make such a difference between the obedient and the sinner, as the Ends of Government require. 4. And seeing that before mans obedience or sin, God made mans Soul of a Nature not tending to its own mortality, we have cause to expect that mans Rewards and Punishments should be suitable to such immortal Souls. For though he can make Bruits immortal, and can annihilate mans Soul or any Creature, yet we see that he keeps so close to his Natural Establishments, that we have no reason to think that he will cross them here, and annihilate Souls to shorten their Rewards or Punishments.
Q. 17. But doth Nature tell us what kind of Rewards and Punishments men have?
A. The Faculties of the Soul being made in their Nature to know God in our degree, to Love him, to please him, and to rest and rejoice herein, and this in the society of wise and good and blessed joyful fellow Creatures, whom also our Nature is made to Love; it followeth that the Perfection of this Nature in these Inclinations and Actions, is that which God did make our Natures for, to be obtained by the obeying of his Laws.
And sin being the Injurious contempt and forsaking of God, and the most hurtful malady of the Soul, and of Societies, and to others, it followeth that those that have finally forsaken God, be without the happiness of his Love, and Glory, and under the sence of their sin and his displeasure; and that their own sin will be their misery, as diseases are to the Body; and that the Societies and Persons that by sin they injured or infected, will somewhat contribute to their punishment. Happiness to the good, and Misery to the bad, the Light and Law of Nature teacheth man to expect: But all that I have taught you, is much more surely and fully known by Supernatural Revelation.