Chapter 17: Christian economy by William Perkins | AskReformation

Skip to content

:421p. 164–166

I. To bear the chief stroke, and to be the principal agent, directer and furtherer of the worship of God within his family. Jos. 24. 15. I and my household will serve the Lord. And this he doth partly by praying for & with his household, and partly by instructing them in the holy Scriptures, and in the grounds of religion, that they may grow in knowledge and reap benefit by the public Ministry. ⟨p. 165⟩Thus God commanded the men of Israel to walk in their families. Deut. 6. 7. Thou shalt rehearse them continually unto thy children, and shalt talk of them, when thou tarriest in thine house,—& when thou liest down, & when thou risest up. Again, vers. 20. When thy son shall ask thee,—what mean these testimonies, and ordinances & laws, which the Lord our God commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaohs bondmen in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt, with a mighty hand. This testimony God gave of Abraham before the law was given, Gen. 18. 19. For I know Abraham that he will command his sons, and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord. And this household of Abraham was very large, for the holy Ghost says long before, that he had three hundred and eighteen, ^*that were borne and brought up in his house, Gen. 14. 14. It was in likelihood the course of Solomon which he had learned of his father David, and given for a rule to all masters of families. Prou. 4. 1. Hear O children the instruction of a father, and give ear to learn understanding ⟨p. 166⟩—For I was my fathers son, dear and tender in the sight of my mother, when he taught me and said unto me, Let thine heart hold fast my words. The company of the Disciples were the household of Christ, and he himself did administer all parts of the service of God with them and among them. Luk. 22. 15. To this purpose^* Augustine saith, That the master of the family, doth after a sort, and in his measure perform the duty of a Churchman, or Bishop within his house.

I. To beare the chiefe stroke, and to be the principal agent, directer and furtherer of the worship of God within his familie. Ios. 24. 15. I and my household wil serue the Lord. And this he doth partly by praying for & with his houshold, and partly by instructing thē in the holy Scriptures, and in the grounds of religiō, that they may grow in knowledge and reape benefit by the publike Ministerie. ⟨p. 165⟩Thus God commanded the men of Israel to walke in their families. Deut. 6. 7. Thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children, and shalt talke of them, when thou tariest in thine house,—& when thou liest downe, & when thou risest vp. Againe, vers. 20. When thy sonne shall aske thee,—what meane these testimonies, and ordināces & lawes, which the Lord our God commanded you? Then thou shalt say vnto thy son, We were Pharaohs bondmen in Egypt, but the Lord brought vs out of Egypt, with a mightie hand. This testimony God gaue of Abraham before the law was giuen, Gen. 18. 19. For I know Abraham that he will command his sons, and his houshold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord. And this houshold of Abraham was very large, for the holy Ghost saies long before, that he had three hundred and eighteene, ^*that were borne and brought vp in his house, Gen. 14. 14. It was in likelihood ye course of Salomon which he had learned of his father Dauid, and giuen for a rule to al masters of families. Prou. 4. 1. Heare O children the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding ⟨p. 166⟩—For I was my fathers sonne, deare and tender in the sight of my mother, when he taught me and said vnto me, Let thine heart hold fast my words. The company of the Disciples were the household of Christ, and he himselfe did administer all parts of the seruice of God with them and among them. Luk. 22. 15. To this purpose^* Augustine saith, That the master of the familie, doth after a sort, and in his measure performe the dutie of a Churchman, or Bishop within his house.

*[Ethchanicau] suos initiatos.
*In Joan. tract. 51. in fine.In Ioan. tract. 51. in fine.

:422p. 166–167

II. To bring his family to the Church or Congregation on the Sabbath day, to look that they do religiously there behave themselves, & after the public exercises ended, & the Congregation is dismissed, to take account of that which they have heard, that they may profit in knowledge and obedience. Act. 10. 24. The day after, they entered into Caesarea; Now Cornelius waited for them, & had called together his kinsmen & special friends. vers. 33. Now therefore (saith Cornelius to Peter) are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. Job 1. 5. And when the days of their ⟨p. 167⟩banqueting were gone about, Job sent and sanctified them, & rose up early in the morning, & offered burnt offerings, &c. 2. King. 4. 23. And he said, wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath. For this very cause the fourth Commandment is given first of all & principally to the master of the family, that he might see the Sabbath kept, and be a principal doer in all parts of Gods worship therein. Exod. 20. 10. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

II. To bring his familie to ye Church or Congregation on the Sabbath day, to looke that they do religiously there behaue themselues, & after the publike exercises ended, & the Congregation is dismissed, to take account of that which they haue heard, that they may profit in knowledge and obedience. Act. 10. 24. The day after, they entred into Caesarea; Now Cornelius waited for them, & had called together his kinsmen & special friends. vers. 33. Now therefore (saith Cornelius to Peter) are we all heere present before God, to heare all things that are commanded thee of God. Iob 1. 5. And when the daies of their ⟨p. 167⟩banqueting were gone about, Iob sent and sanctified them, & rose vp early in the morning, & offred burnt offerings, &c. 2. King. 4. 23. And he said, wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? It is neither new moone nor Sabbath. For this very cause the fourth Cō mandement is giuen first of all & principally to the master of the familie, that he might see the Sabbath kept, and be a principal doer in all parts of Gods worship therein. Exod. 20. 10. In it thou shalt not do any worke, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-seruant, nor thy maid, nor thy cattel, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

:427p. 168–169

In case of offence, when a capital crime is committed, which incurreth public censure; he is not to punish it himself, but to bring the offender to the civill Magistrate, to inform of his fault, that he may have his desert: It was a course established by the Judicial law, which God gave unto Moses for his direction in causes criminal among the Israelites: Deut. 21. 18. 19. 20. If any man ⟨p. 169⟩hath a son that is stubborn, & disobedient, which will not hearken unto the voice of his father, nor the voice of his mother, and they have chastened him; then shall his father and his mother take him, and bring him out, unto the Elders of his city, and unto the gate of the place where he dwelleth, and shall say unto the Elders of his city; This our son is stubborn, and disobedient, and he will not obey our admonition: he is a rioter, and a drunkard. Again, Deut. 13. 6. If thy brother the son of thy mother, or thine own son, or thy daughter, or the wife that lieth in thy bosom, or thy friend which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which thou hast not known, thou, I say, nor thy fathers) thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hear, neither shall thine eye pity, nor show mercy, nor keep him secret. Zach. 13. 3. And when any shall yet prophesy, his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live: for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father, and his mother that begat him, shall thrust him thorough when he prophesieth.

In case of offence, when a capitall crime is committed, which incurreth publike censure; he is not to punish it himselfe, but to bring the offender to the ciuill Magistrate, to informe of his fault, that he may haue his desert: It was a course established by the Iudicial law, which God gaue vnto Moses for his direction in causes criminall among the Israelites: Deut. 21. 18. 19. 20. If any man ⟨p. 169⟩hath a son that is stubborne, & disobedient, which wil not hearken vnto the voice of his father, nor the voice of his mother, and they haue chastened him; then shal his father and his mother take him, and bring him out, vnto the Elders of his citie, and vnto the gate of the place where he dwelleth, and shall say vnto the Elders of his citie; This our son is stubborne, and disobedient, and he will not obey our admonition: hee is a rioter, and a drunkard. Againe, Deut. 13. 6. If thy brother the son of thy mother, or thine own son, or thy daughter, or the wife that lieth in thy bosome, or thy friend which is as thine owne soul, entise thee secretly saying, Let vs go and serue other gods (which thou hast not known, thou, I say, nor thy fathers) thou shalt not consent vnto him, nor heare, neither shal thine eye pitie, nor shew mercie, nor keepe him secret. Zach. 13. 3. And when any shall yet prophesie, his father and his mother that begate him shall say vnto him, Thou shalt not liue: for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father, and his mother that begate him, shall thrust him thorough when he prophesieth.

:433p. 172–173

I answer, that if there be just and necessary cause, either in respect of his own inability, or in regard of public employment, upon a lawful calling, whereby he is hindered, so as he cannot do any of them himself, at some times; it is lawful for him to have, and use a deputy. This our Saviour Christ teacheth in effect, when he saith, Who then is a faithful servant, and wise, whom his master hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in season? Mat. 24. 25. Thus Abraham had a steward of his house, Eliezer of Damascus, Gen. 15. 2. and he performed the weightiest matters, that concerned the establishment, and continuance of Family, not by himself, but by his Steward, as namely the choice of a wife for his son Isaac, Gen. 24. 2. Therefore Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, which had the rule over all that he had; Put now thine hand under my thigh, &c. Thus Pharaoh King of Egypt had Joseph, Gen. 39. 4. So Joseph found favour in his sight, and served ⟨p. 173⟩him, and he made him ruler of his house, and put all that he had in his hands.

I answere, that if there be iust and necessarie cause, either in respect of his owne inabilitie, or in regard of publike imployment, vpon a lawfull calling, whereby he is hindred, so as he cannot do any of them himselfe, at some times; it is lawfull for him to haue, and vse a deputie. This our Sauiour Christ teacheth in effect, when he saith, Who then is a faithfull seruant, and wise, whom his master hath made ruler ouer his houshold, to giue them meate in season? Mat. 24. 25. Thus Abraham had a steward of his house, Eliezer of Damascus, Gen. 15. 2. and he performed the waightiest matters, that concerned the establishment, and continuance of Familie, not by himselfe, but by his Steward, as namely the choice of a wife for his sonne Isaak, Gen. 24. 2. Therefore Abraham said vnto his eldest seruant of his house, which had the rule ouer all that hee had; Put now thine hand vnder my thigh, &c. Thus Pharaoh King of Egypt had Ioseph, Gen. 39. 4. So Ioseph found fauour in his sight, and serued ⟨p. 173⟩him, and hee made him ruler of his house, and put all that he had in his hands.