Ductor dubitantium, or, The rule of conscience in all her generall measures serving as a great instrument for the determination of cases of conscience : in four books / by Jeremy Taylor ...

RULE VI. A Fathers authority cannot abide after his death, but the Sons piety to his Father must, and may passe upon him some indirect obligations.

THe Son after his Fathers death is as much lord of his person and his estate as his Father was:* 1.1 and therefore although all the actions which the living Father did, which by law or the nature of the thing have a per∣manent effect, still doe abide as they were left; yet those things which are of an alterable nature, and to be administred by new Counsels, and to be determin'd by emergencies and proper circumstances, or are directly sub∣ject to Empire, or are personal concernments, these are in the power of the Son after his Fathers death. A Father cannot by his power command a Son to marry a person whom the Father does, but the Son does not love: He cannot command the Son by a just and a sufficient authority never to be a Priest, or Bishop, or a Magistrate: for in those things in which his own meer interest is concerned, his own understanding must be his guide, and his will his Ruler, for he alone does lie at stake whether it be good or bad; and it is not reasonable that he should govern who neither gets, nor looses, nor knows.

But though the Fathers authority be extinct,* 1.2 yet his memory is not, and there is piety towards the dead, and to parents much more; and of this the Heathens gave some worthy examples.* 1.3 Herodotus tells that the Issio∣nides, a people of Scythia, did use to embalm their Fathers head, and then to cover it with gold, and use it for a Divine image, and pay to it the ve∣neration of a yearly sacrifice. This they intended for an honour to their dead Father: but in this there were no signes of obedience. Nearer to this was that which Tertullian tells of the Nasamones,* 1.4 that they took their ora∣cles at the graves of their Fathers, as supposing the souls of their Proge∣nitors to have some right or care to conduct their children. But it was a pretty story that AElian saies the Brachmanes tell of a certain King of the Indians that had many Sons,* 1.5 who being all of them (the yongest onely ex∣cepted) immorigerous and rebellious, at last drove their Father and Mother from their Kingdome; and they with their yongest Son wandring in strange places were quickly consumed with age and wearinesse and inconvenience. The yong Son seeing his parents dead, burnt their bodies, and striking his head with a sword, put the ashes into the wound, by that act of piety giving his parents the most honourable sepulture, but with it also emblematically representing that his parents even after death had power upon his head, and that his head ought to be submitted to them. And it was well; if pie∣ty goes before, whatever duteousnesse or observance comes afterwards it cannot easily be amisse.

Piety sometimes does more then Authority can.* 1.6 Plus potest patria potestas in liberos quam lex, legi••ve, aut summa Dictatura, say the lawyers; A Father or a Mother can prevail, when a Consul or a Prince cannot. Cum Martius Coriolanus pergebat infesto agmine adversus Patriam, quis illi arma succussit è manibus nisi una Veturia? saith the Roman story. Coriolanus took up armes in rage against his Country; and no authority could dis∣arme him but his piety to his Mother Veturia. Now this principle is a good one; but it hath no limits of it self, but onely what we give to it our selves by prudence, and necessity, and the nature of the things that are to be done. But in things that are pious and prudent, or that are innocent and indifferent, a dying Fathers desire, or a living Fathers counsel ought to be esteemed sacred: and though they make no law, yet they passe an in∣direct obligation; that is, if they be transgressed without reason, they can∣not be transgressed without impiety. It is certain, God is pleas'd with this obedience of piety, as is apparent in the case of the Rechabites; and such actions are exemplar in a family, and make the name of Father venerable and sacred; and sometimes the neglect of a dying Fathers charge hath met with a sad event; and a petulant disobedience hath been a rebellion against the greatest reason, which sometimes is the greater by how much it ought the more to be conceal'd. Philotimus of Athens having observ'd his Son given to amours and wandring fancies, upon his death-bed charg'd him by all that was Sacred and Prophane, that however he did resolve to please his fancy and satisfy his impotent desires, he should be sure not to court or to fall in love with Paegnium. Philotimus dies, and Philodectes his Son having quickly dried up his teares which were caus'd by the smoke of the funeral pile, hath a great curiosity to visit this pretty Greek that his Father had so forbidden to him. He sees her, likes her, courts her and lies with her; and in the first night of their congresse, she being over-pleas'd, told him that she infinitely preferr'd his kindnesse before the dull embraces of his Father Philotimus which had so often tir'd her. Upon this the yong man starts and trembles, and finds his sin and shame, the rewards of an impious disobedience. His want of piety to his dead Father made him incestuous in his mixtures and impious in his lusts.* 1.7 And Pausanias telling of a Fa∣ther who meeting his Son in Charon's boat did then attempt to strangle him, to revenge his impiety and disobedience, by this does represent what their sentence was concerning the resentment of rebellion of Sons and their undecent stubbornnesse even after death.

And this is of so much the greater regard,* 1.8 if the Father charges it upon the Son upon his blessing, and with great imprecations: for then un∣lesse the Father be evidently a light or trifling person, there is to be sup∣posed some great reason for the imposition, and then nothing can warrant the laying it aside, but a great necessity, or a very great, good, and certain reason to the contrary; that is, such a cause as may make the contrary ef∣fect to be infinitely unlike any image of impiety or disregard. But of this parents also must be very cautious, and not to put a load of duty upon a trifle that ought not to bear it. For he is foolish that upon his blessing will command his Son to make much of his Sparrow or his Monkey; and that Son is prodigal of his Fathers blessing, that will venture it all to please his humor, and his itch of liberty.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1.
• * 1.2

  2.
• * 1.3

  lib. 10.
• * 1.4

  de Anima c. 57.
• * 1.5

  lib. 16. c. 5.
• * 1.6

  3.
• * 1.7

  lib. 10.
• * 1.8

  4.