Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 5 · Section 14 – Section 15
§. 14. Of the vnlawfulneſſe of childrens entring into religious orders without conſent of parents.
Contrary is the opinion of Papiſts, who ſay, that children may 36. Licet filijs ingredi religionem inuitis parentibus.…er into religious orders, not only without conſent, but alſo a…nſt the minde and good like of their parents. Whereby they … not only patronize apparent diſobedience in children, againſt the expreſſe word of God; but alſo diſable children from helping their parents in caſe of neceſſitie: for both which Chriſt rebuked the Scribes and Phariſies in a like caſe.
Obiect. Papiſts doe grant that if parents be in ſuch neceſſitie, Conditio eſt, vt parentes non ſint in tali neceſſitate, vt ſine ſiliorum auxilio viuere non poſſint. Tunc enim tenentur ex praecepto Dei parentibus adeſſe. Bellarm. loc. cit.as they cannot liue without their childrens helpe, their children may not by entring into any religious order forſake their parents. For they are bound by the law of God to ſuccour their parents.
Anſw. 1. This caution hath beene extorted from them by euidence of argument taken from Gods word, and preſſed by their aduerſaries.
2. It toucheth not the principall argument taken from Gods precept, which they make of none effect by this their tradition.
3. Though parents be not at that preſent, when children firſt enter into their religious order, in ſuch extreme need, yet they may be afterwards. But after that children are once entred, they hold it vtterly vnlawfull that children for any neceſſitie of the parent, ſhould attend vponupon them for their ſuccour.
Obiect. Children being entred into religious orders may Eos iuvant quomodo religioſos decet, nimirum precibus apud Deum. Bellarm. ibid.helpe them, as becommeth religious perſons, by their praiers to God.
Anſw. 1. This is iumpe the Phariſies Corban, whereof Chriſt maketh mention, Mar. 7. 11. and whereby he notably diſcouereth the hypocriſie of the Phariſies, who made pretence of religion, an hinderance to that obedience which God required of children.
2. To pray for that which a man indeuoureth not to doe, when he may doe it, is a plaine mocking of God.
The arguments which they alledge for confirmation of their erroneous opinion, are taken from extraordinary examples, or from myſticall reſemblances, as
1. Abrahams leauing his fathers houſe.Gen. 12. 1. Deut. 33. 9.
2. Leuies ſpeech of his father and mother, who ſaid, I hauehave not ſeene him.
3. The aduice giuen to the royall Queene, Forget thy fathers Pſal. 45. 10.houſe.
4. The triall of our louelove of Chriſt by louing him more Mat. 10. 37.then father or mother.
5. Chriſts forbidding one that followed him to goe and Luk. 9. 60.burie his father.
Anſw. 1. For Abrahams example, 1. it cannot be proued that he left his fathers houſe without the conſent of his father. 2. He was then maried, and ſo of another houſe. 3. He had Gen. 12. 1.an expreſſe particular charge of God to leaue his fathers houſe, euen as he had to ſacrifice his ſonne. Except the like charge can be ſhewed, his example maketh nothing to the purpoſe.
2. For Leuies ſpeech, 1. It was noted by Moſes in relation Exo. 32. 26, &c.to a particular zealous fact of the Leuites in executing the vengeance of the Lord, and ſo to be reckoned among ſuch extraordinary things as are not exemplary. 2. That which moued the Leuites to make no difference betwixt their parents and others, was the Lords cauſe: their parents and kindred as well as others had notoriouſly ſinned againſt God, and in that reſpect the Leuites took no notice of them. But they are not ſuch parents which Papiſts teach children to forſake, but any parents. Now what conſequence is this; Some children hauehave been Gods Miniſters in executing iuſt puniſhment on their wicked parents, therefore children may enter into ſuch places as ſhall exempt them from helping any parents, though well deſeruing? 3. The Leuites had an expreſſe charge for that which they did: but that which Papiſts inferre from their Exo. 32. 27.example doth make the commandement of God of none effect.Mat. 15. 6.
3. For the *Pſal. 45. 10.aduice to the Queene, 1. It is myſtically to be taken. 2. If it ſhould be literally taken, it is to be taken as giuen to her after mariage, when ſhe was out of her parents gouernment. 3. It hath relation to the *Gen. 2. 24.law of mariage, …nd implieth not a ſimple forſaking of parents, but a preferring of a husband before them.
4. For the louing of father and mother more then Chriſt, …. It doth not neceſſarily imply a forſaking of our parents: …or we may louelove Chriſt more then them, and yet performe …uty to them. 2. If they be forſaken, it muſt be in oppoſition to Chriſt, that either Chriſt or they muſt be forſaken, in that if we cleaue to them they will draw vsus from Chriſt.
5. For Chriſts forbidding one that followed him to goe and burie his father: 1. It was becauſe of an extraordinary calling which he had. 2. It is ſet downe as a patterne to Miniſters, to ſhew that they ſhould eſpecially attend vponupon their proper function, and leaue other ſecular matters to be performed by ſuch as can performe them well enough. To apply it to childrens forſaking of parents, is to peruert the ſenſe of it.
Thus we ſee to how little purpoſe the forenamed arguments are alledged to proue that erronious opinion of childrens entring into religious orders without their parents conſent. I might further ſhew how irreligious their pretended religious orders be, and ſo ſhew how vnlawfull it is to enter into them, euen with conſent of parents: but that maketh nothing to the point in hand.
§. 15. Of the vnlawfulneſſe of childrens trauelling, and binding themſelues prentiſes without conſent of parents.
Contrary alſo to the forenamed part of childrens obedience, is the practiſe of ſuch children as trauell, and ſeeke their fortunes (as they ſpeake) without conſent of parents, like the Prodigall childe, if not worſe: for it is likely that he forced Luk. 15. 12, &c.from his father a generall conſent, in that he obtained of him his portion of goods. Theſe vſually bring great griefe to their parents, and many times make them feare more then is cauſe, as old Iaakob feared, when he knew not what was become of Gen. 37. 35.his ſonne.
Among thoſe aberrations may be reckoned a cuſtome in this land more vſuall then lawfull, for children to binde themſelues prentiſes without conſent of parents: to which fault they who take indentures of ſuch children, or otherwiſe couenant with them without knowledge of their parents conſent, make themſelues acceſſary.Arguments to proue that children may not marie without parents conſent.