Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 5 · Section 44
§. 44. Of childrens releeuing their parents according to their neede.
Beſides bearing with parents neceſſities, in ſuch caſes as parents ſtand in need of their childrens releefe and ſuccour, they muſt afford it them. In ſickneſſe they muſt viſit them, as aGen. 48. 1.Ioſeph viſited his father. In time of mourning, they muſt comfort them, as b& 37. 35.the children of Iaakob. In want, they muſt prouide things needfull for them, as c& 42. 8.the ſonnes of Iaakob, who went vp to buy food for their father; and as d& 47. 12.Ioſeph, who ſent for Iaakob into Egypt, and there nouriſhed him. It is noted of eRuth 2. 18.Ruth, that ſhee did not only gleane for her mother a poore woman, but alſo reſerued ſome of that food which was giuen to her ſelfe to eat, for her. In time of danger they muſt doe what they can for their protection and preſeruation, as f1 Sam. 22. 3, 4.Dauid had in this reſpect an eſpeciall care of his father and mother. Yea, if God be pleaſed to Vetuſtiſſima lex erat inſcripta mentibus omnium, vt liberi ſi hoc officij grauentur impendere quod pulli ciconiarum reponunt ſuis parentibus, velut impij conijciantur in vincula. Eraſm. Inſtit. Matrim.take children out of this world before their parents, and their parents be ſuccourleſſe, they muſt take what order they can for the well-being of their parents after their owne departure, as gIohn 19. 27.Chriſt, who commended his mother to his diſciple Iohn a little before his death. Theſe and ſuch like duties are particular branches of recompence, and are all compriſed vnderunder that h1 Tim. 5. 4. foreign.requitall, which the Apoſtle requireth of children: And they are but a ſmall part of requitall of all the paines, care, and charges, that parents hauehave been at with their children. Yea, this only thing, that parents hauehave brought forth children into the world, can children neuer ſufficiently requite. Nature hath taught thus much, not only vntounto heathen men, but alſo vntounto the vnreaſonable creatures. Among other vnreaſonable creatures, the example of the *Ariſt. Plin. Suidas.Storke is worthy to be noted: for it is recorded of that kinde, that when the dammes are old, the young ones feed them; and when through age, they are ready to faint in their flying, the young ones will helpe; and when they are paſt flying, the young ones carrie them on their backs. The *foreign Sin of Phariſies in freeing children from relieuing their parents.Greeke name of a Storke is taken from that word, which ſignifieth, to requite a parents kindneſſe: or elſe this word is taken from that name: they are both of the ſame notation.
Contrary is the opinion of Phariſies, who thought that children by conſecrating their ſubſtance to the Temple, might be freed from this dutie of recompence to parents, which is the myſterie of that Hebrew word iMar. 7. 11.Corban. They made a meere pretext of piety to God, a cauſe of manifeſt impietie againſt parents. Chriſt giueth this verdict of them, that kverſ. 13.they make the word of God of none effect. *See §. 14. 1. Sin of children in denying releefe to parents.Papiſts are of the ſame opinion, and ſo vnderunder the ſame cenſure.
Contrary alſo is their practiſe, who hauing the goods of this world, ſuffer their parents to want. l1 Ioh. 3. 17. Iniquiſſimum eſt patrē egere, cùm filius ſit in facultatibus. Digeſt. lib. 25. tit. 3. §. 5.S. Iohn ſaith, that the louelove of God dwelleth not in him, who ſhutteth vp his compaſſion from his brother in that caſe; how then can it dwell in ſuch a childe? Not they only who ſuffer their parents to ſtarue, offend in this extreme, but they alſo who ſuffer them to liue poorely, and baſely, when themſelues mLuk. 16. 19. 2. In bringing parents into extremities.Diues-like fare delicately, and goe gorgeouſly attired eueryevery day.
In an higher degree doe they offend, who bring their parents to ſuch extremities, as to pouertie by their lauiſh ſpending; to priſon by importuning them to be their ſureties; to exceſſiue griefe by their miſchieuous practiſes, as nGen. 37. 34. 3. In ſtriking parents.the ſonnes of Iaakob.
But what ſhall we ſay of ſuch graceleſſe children, as dare ſtrike their parents? oExod. 21. 15. 4. In murthering parents.Gods law accounteth ſuch a childe vnworthy of life, and adiudgeth him to death.
Nay, what may be ſaid of father-quellers, and mother-quellers? There was of old no particular law made againſt them, becauſe it is, ſuppoſed, that no childe can be ſo vnnaturall and inhumane. In imitation whereof pSolon cùm interrogaretur, cur nullum ſupplicium conſtituiſſet. in eum qui parentem necaſſet, reſpondit, ſe id neminem facturum putaſſe. Cic. pro Roſ. Amer.Solon, that wiſe law-maker among the heathen, made no law againſt them: and his reaſon being aſked, he anſwered, that he thought no childe would commit ſuch a fact.
When afterwards ſuch inhumane impietie was manifeſted in the world, the Ciuill Law ordained this puniſhment; qSi quis parentus fata propera uerit, neque gladio, neque ignibus, neque vlli alij ſolenni poenae ſubiugetur, ſed inſutus culeo cum cane, & gallo gallinaceo, & vipera, & ſimia, vel in vicinū mare, vel in amnem proijciatur, &c. Juſtin. Cod. l. 9. tit. 17. Cur voluerint parricidas inſui in culeum viuos, atque ita in flumen deijci, docet Cicero pro Roſ. Amer. Ad famam filij attinet, vt videatur honorem debitum patri defuncto praeſtitiſſe. Cic. Philip. 9.If any ſhall kill his parent, let him not be put to the ſword, nor fire, nor any other vſuall puniſhment: but let him be ſowed in a ſacke with a dog, and a cocke, and a viper, and an ape, and caſt into the next ſea, or riuer; that while life is in him, he may begin to want all vſe of the elements, and be depriued, while he liueth, of the aire, and when he is dead, of the earth.
This ſinne hauing beene committed among the heathen, the Apoſtle reckoneth it vp among other moſt notorious and barbarous ſinnes, 1. Tim. 1. 9. As murther is one of thoſe ſinnes, which the earth can leaſt beare, and which cryeth loudeſt to heauen for vengeance; ſo among the ſeuerall kinds of murther, this is the moſt vnſupportable, and crying.
Thus much of the duties of children, which they are to performe while their parents liue. It remaineth to ſpeake of thoſe which they are to performe when their parents are dead.