Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of Ceremonies, things indifferent, and of turning Christian libertie into vnchristian licentiousnesse.
AS it is a fault to vse vnnecessary ceremonies which with the peace of the Church may be left: so it is faultie to leaue a good ceremonie, whichA good ceremonie. hath a good vse and no superstition with it.
2 The Lord commanded, Exod. 16. 33. an Homer full of Manna to bee reserued as a monument for posteritie. And so it was kept by the Lords commandement, and therefore not abused to superstition, as the brasen Serpent and Gedeons Ephod: which because they were withoutWhat ceremonies are receiued and retained in the Church with profit. Gods commandement reserued, therefore they were quickly abused. But this Manna and the Alter which the Rubenites made, hauing a warrant of Gods commandement, were not abused. Where we learne, that in bringing in ceremonies and rites into the Church, wee ought to thinke, that if they hauehave not their warrant from the word of the Lord they are like to be vsed without fruit; and in danger to be turned to hurtful superstition: but if they hauehave their warrant from the word of God, that the Lorde hath commaunded them, then may they hauehave very profitable vses in Gods Church. And they shall neuer be so much abused to doe hurt, as they shall bee profitable in the right vse of them. And therefore in bringing in ceremonies and orders we must aske counsell of the Lord, that his word may be our warrant.
3 The more ceremonies the lesse truth.
4 This is a generall rule, whatsoeuer separateth man from God, or man from man, is abrogated:Col. 2. 17. What ceremonies bee abrogated. but whatsoeuer conioyneth man to God, or man to man, is left still. In this respect the whole Law is abrogated, according to the rigour of the curse, for otherwise wee could not stand before God: So in Christ now hauing found reconciliation we are more bound to keepe the law morall then the Iewes, because Gods commandements are more cleerely reuealed, and greater strength is now giuen against sinne, therefore nothing is taken from the law that we should be carelesse: but the curse and condemnation of the law is done away, that wee may hauehave an entrance to God with boldnes. Whatsoeuer separateth man from man, is abrogated; and so the ceremoniall law is abrogated: that which is meerely ceremoniall, is meerely abrogated: and that which is in part ceremoniall, is in part onelyonly abrogated, as the Sabbath.Sabbath.
5 The Apostle, 1. Tim 4. 1. prophecieth of certaine spirits of error, which should superstitiouslyLast times. forbid the vse of Christian libertie: but 2. Tim. 3. he speaketh of another sort, who among many other properties should be louers of pleasures more then louers of God. TheLast dayes. former are said to be in the last times, but these in the last daies, one degree further thē the other, And such be wee and our times, long rid from that superstitious generation: butEschátais hemérais. Christian liberty, turned into vnchristian licentiousnes. readie now (as it is saide, Deut. 29. 19.) to adde drunkennesse to thirst, which commeth to passe for want of circumspectnes in deliuering the doctrine of libertie. And so wee fall to make Paul, Galat. 5. and Peter a cloake of our licentious life. Wee turne the grace of God into wantonnesse, (as Iude speaketh.) This then being as it were the common disease of these last and perillous dayes: the ministers of the Gospell must stand vp as in a gap, and eueryevery one is to be watchfull ouer himselfe, that he sinke not away in these pleasures, which seeme to cheere & bring good to the heart; but such a good as maketh the graces of God in some to come to nothing, and withdraweth many away from Paradise, a place of pleasure, to hell a place of torments. You know who it was, that seeing so many young GentlemenEcclesiast. 11. follow Epicurus at his first setting vp, saide the cause was, it was young mens philosophie that was professed in that schoole. For this cause Sathan laboureth especially to poysonBonum iuuenile. this age, because he knoweth if this be barren of good, that which followeth is like to be thereafter. Satan and his ministers hauehave for eueryevery age, estate, and condition, a sundrieYouth. baite; laying for Youth the baite of pleasure, for Age the bayte of couetonsnes, &c. EueryEvery man is eatē vp with one zeale or other: there is a zeale of old age, middle age, & of youth. EueryEvery man may trie his zeale by the ninth of Esa. ver. 7. The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe Zeale tried.this. It was the zeale of God, that he gaue his sonne for vsus, his most dearely beloued sonne: it is then one argument of our zeale to any thing, when wee will forgoe a pretious thing, for the thing we professe to louelove indeed. Esau was zealous for his meate, when hee would lose his blessing for it: and such is our zeale of pleasure, that wee will forgoe learning, time, the fauour of the godly, health of bodie, yea, sometimes our owne soules for it.Pleasures.
6. It hath bin alwaies the note of false prophets to preach pleasant things, and for outward matters, as the Priests of Iezabel. And Micah. chap. 2 speaketh of false Prophets, that prophesied of meate and strong drinke. Peter saith, they praise liberty: and Paul, They can reason for the bellie: All thing… (say they) are lawfull: but on the other side, Gods children1. Cor. 10. hauehave bene alwaies in the way of restraining. 1. King 19. Eliah ate, and gaue ouer▪ and fell asleepe, so that the Angell was sent to bid him eate more. It is not the f…ult of many. For we hauehave neede of an Angell to keepe vsus from eating. Timothie abstained from wine, and Paul biddeth him to vse it for the weakenesse of his stomacke. Salomon reclaimeth yong men, Eccle. 11. When Iobs children meane to banquet in course, he feareth least they curse God.Basil & Ier…ns austeritie in fasting. The austeritie of the Fathers was very great concerning meates, as of Basil, & Hierome▪ that it gaue occasion to the superstitious abstinence which followed. But now the latter times are gone and the last daies are come. Superstition is past, but men glut themselues with all Epicurisme and pleasures of this life.
7 Christians are neither Stoicks nor Epicures: Paul disputeth against both, Act. 17. The Stoicke condemnes all pleasure, the Epicure commends all pleasures. Pleasure is not good according to our election, but in respect of the obiect: if the obiect or matter wherein ourPleasures. pleasure consisteth be simply good, then the pleasure is simply good: if the obiect be simply euill, our pleasure is simply euill. But pleasures by nature being good, and bad by circumstance; they are not left as things indifferent to our election.