God and serve him whether it does them hurt or good, pleasure or displeasure: and that is the true meaning of the old brave philosophers and poets, of loving virtue for virtue's sake; they loved it when it was discountenanced, when it was the enemy of their temporal ends and prosperities; and what they called 'loving virtue for virtue's sake,' the Christian calls 'loving God purely, or for God's sake.'

11. But if we search the Scriptures, we shall but seldom see footsteps of any such metaphysical love, as to love God or do our duty without considerations of hope or fear: and amongst the braver gentiles, and amongst the better Christians in imitations and contentions to excell them, it is further observable, that when they speak of loving virtue for virtue's sake, they only mean to exclude all considerations of sordid ends, of slavish fear of laws, or the acquist of money. But even in their greatest bravery, some of them designed to themselves the reward of honour and an immortal name; and the best of them did rest in the peace of their minds, and that satisfaction which uses to reward a good action even in this life: but by both these they were by God secretly conducted to an expectation of a reward hereafter: and there was no love of God ever so abstracted by any command or expressed intention of God, as to lay aside all intuition of that reward; because, in the receiving of that reward, we are most united unto God, and shall, in the best manner and measures, glorify him for ever.

RULE III.

The End and Intention of a Law is under the Commandment, as much as the Action itself commanded in order to the End.

THIS rule is meant principally of the laws of God; because the end of all these laws is that which is simply and absolutely good, and nearer to the chief end which is primarily designed: and this is an endearment of our services and a monitor to our duty in many particulars not expressed. God hath commanded us to honour our parents; his end is, that we may receive the fruits of government, provision, and order, défence and maintenance, respectively. Upon this account, since we are more bound to comply with the purpose and end of God, than with the means to that end when it is evident and known, because the end is greater in God's account than the means; we are taught that it is the will of God so to expound the words of that commandment, as may best promote that end: and by honour is understood 'all those duties, whereby the parent is confessed honourable;' and by parents is meant 'all that are in the place of parents, and who minister to the ends of government.'

2. Now this must not be understood, as if God did design the end, and cared not for the means; for he is the best chooser of the instruments also of his own service and his own glory: and though the end is better than the means, yet those are the best means, which God hath appointed: but if we cannot obtain the means, then it will suffice that the end be acquired, as well as we can, by other instruments symbolical. Thus we are bound to profess the faith of Christ in the susception of baptism: but if we cannot obtain baptism, which is the usual and appointed publication of our faith, yet we are obliged still to pursue the end, and confess the faith of Christ by profession, by holy living, by declaring our desires of baptism, by dying for Christ if it be required.

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3. This also hath effect upon the instances of our duty so as to enforce the sincerity and ingenuity of them, and to make them really useful in order to their proper ends. Thus we must confess our sins, because we will forsake them; pray to God for his grace, because we intend to make use of it; not resting in forms of godliness, but living in the power of it. Diodorus lent to Caius ten Attic talents; but Caius is not able to pay a drachm, and therefore Diodorus forgives him; that he may be thanked, indeed, -for nothing.

Condones aut sustineas, Diodore, necesse est:
Nam tibi quod solvat, non habet arca mea.

But if Diodorus will be truly charitable, let him lend to Caius so much more; for he serves no end of charity that lets that alone, which, he knows, he can never get.

Ridiculè hæc homines, nequeunt quæ vendere, donantr.
r Avien. fab.

I deny not but it may, accidentally, serve the ends of charity to forgive him that is insolvent; it may free him from fear of trouble, and make his life comfortable; and he that does it upon these considerations, serves the end of the commandment. But he that forgives it for no other reason but because he cannot have it, he does nothing at all; for though he perform the instance of the law, yet he does nothing towards the end of it.

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4. But in human laws the case is something different; for we are only obliged to do nothing against the end of the law: for in this sense is that of the laws to be understood; "Fines mandati sunt diligenter custodiendi." "The ends of the law are with diligence to be kept."-But we are no otherwise bound to promote that end, than by observing of such means as are appointed; that is, if the end be only civil and human, and do not also include a duty of religion commanded by God. If the church command a fasting-day in order to a corporal affliction of ourselves, and an external ministry of repentance, we are bound to obey it; and though that fasting-day should accidentally be no affliction, yet by virtue of that law we are no further obliged to afflict ourselves. But we are indeed obliged to nothing that shall be against the end of that law. "Finem certum respicientia non debent contrarium operarit." We must not caress ourselves with delicious juice of fishes and costly wines upon a fish-day. The reason of these things is briefly this. In human laws the end is not always good; or if it be, it is not always necessary; or if it were, in any degree, necessary, yet the necessity of it is to be judged by the supreme, and is no otherwise to be estimated necessary by the subject, than by the conjecture, the proportion and efficacy of the means or instrument appointed by the supreme to effect that end: and therefore we are bound to restrain our liberties no more than the law restrains them; and we need not be wiser than the laws: but he that goes against the mind of the law, upbraids the insufficiency of her provisions, and shows that he obeys with an ill will.

instance of the precept, but by the purpose of it: and because we must serve God with all our heart and all our skill, our duty must be coextended with all the holiness and designs of God in every commandment; that is, we must do all that which, we really suppose, God would have to be done in every of his laws, whether it be expressed or only implied. For he that intends the just end of all human actions, that is, the glory of God, can be assured that his purposes are right, when he measures them by their tendency to the end, better than by their commensuration with the ex pressed means.

6. Χρυσᾶ δὲ οὐραῖα, said Philostratus. That is the sum of all; we must take care that the end of our actions be all of gold. If they be designed well, they are likely to end well; for this is truly χρυσῆν ἐπιτιθέναι κορώνην ", for in the service of God, a golden head shall never have the feet of clay.

Eustath. in Iliad. 4.

Nomini tuo da gloriam.

CLERUS DOMINI;

OR,

A DISCOURSE

OF THE

DIVINE INSTITUTION, NECESSITY, SACREDNESS, AND

SEPARATION,

OF THE

OFFICE MINISTERIAL.

TOGETHER WITH THE

NATURE AND MANNER OF ITS POWER AND OPERATION.

WRITTEN

BY THE SPECIAL COMMAND OF KING CHARLES I.