Pilgrimage, Book 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of the word Religion, and of the Religion of our first Parents before the fall.
HAuing thus made way to our history of Religions, the first (and therefore best) Religion, is in the first place to be declared. Only somwhat may be, not vnfitly, spoken before of the word. Religion in it selfe is naturall, written in the hearts of all men, which wil (as here we shew) rather be of a false then no Religion: but the name whereby it is so called, is by birth a forreiner, by common vse made a free-denizen among vsus, descended from the Romans, which by their swords made way for their words, the Authors both of the thing it selfe and of the appellation, to a great part of this Westerne world. But as the Latines have accustomed themselves to multiplicitie and varietie of Rites, so have they varied not a little about the Parents (as I may say) of this child, (as the Grecians sometimes, about Homers birth-place) some giving one etymologie and derivation of the word, and some another, that there needeth some Herald to shew the true petigree, or some Grammarian Dictator to cease the strife.
aSaturnal.libr.3.ca.3.Servius Sulpitius (as Macrobius citeth him) calleth that Religion, which for some holinesse is removed and separated from vsus, quasi relictam à relinquendo dictam. Servius deserveth to be relinquished, and his opinion removed and separated even with an Anathema, if he would remove and separate Religion from vsus, which is the life of our life, the way to our happines. The like is added of Ceremonia à carendo dicta, a iust name and reason of the most of the present Romish Ceremonies, whose want were their best company. Massurius Sabinus in bNoc. At.libr. 4 ca 9.A. Gellius hath the like words. Religio, with Tully, is Cultus deorū, the worship of the gods, hereby distinguished from Superstition, because they were, saith he, called Superstitious, that spent whole daies in praier & sacrifices, that their children might be Superstites, survivors after them: (or rather as Lact.l.4.c.28. Qui superstitens memoriā defunctorū colunt, aut qui parentibus suis superstites celebrant imagines eorū domi, tanquā deos penates. But they which diligently vsed and perused the things pertaining to divine worship, & tanquam relegerent, were called Religious, Religiosi ex religendo tanquā ex eligendo eligentes, intelligendo intelligentes. *Religiosum à superstitioso ea distinctione discernit Varr…, vt à superstitio…o dicat timeri deos, à religioso autem tantum vereri vt parentes, non vt hostes timeri. Aug. de Ciuit. lib 6.ca.6.Saint Augustine better acquainted with religion than Cicero commeth neerer to the name and nature thereof, deriuing it eDe Ciuit Dei libr.10.ca.4.à religendo of chusing againe. Hunc eligentes, vel potius religentes, amiseramus enim negligentes, vnde & religio dicta perhibetur: This word Religens is cited by Nigidius Figulus in Aulus Gellius; Religentem esse oportet, Religiosum nefas: Religiosus being taken in bad sense for superstitiosus. The same Father elsewhere, in his Booke de Vera Religione fIn sine.acknowledgeth another originall of the word, which Lactantius béfore him had obserued, à religando, of fastning, as being the bond betweene vsus and God. gVbisupra.Ad Deum tendentes, saith Augustine, & ci vnireligantes animas nostras unde religio dicta creditur. Religet ergonos Religio vni ommpetenti Deo. Lactantius his words are; Diximus nomen religionis à vinculo pietatis esse deductum, quòd hommem sibi Deus religaucrit & pietate constrinxerit, quia seruire nos ei vt dommo & obsequi vt patri necesseest. Melius ergo (quàm Cicero) idnomen Lucretius interpretatus est, quia dit sereligionuin nodos exolvere. And according to this ctymologie is that which Master Camden saith, Religion in old English was called Ean-fastnes, as the one and onelyonly Assurance and fast Anker-hold of our soules health. Camden Rem.
*De vocabulo Religionis vide Suarez ae Relig…li 1. & Stuck…m de sacris & sacrificijs Gentium. qui Etymon dat etiam …iuum, Cultus, Ceremonia, P…e…as, &c. Graec. Latin. Hebr.buc pertinentiu….This is the effect of sinne and irreligion, that the name and practise of Religion is thus diuersified, else had there bin, as one God, so one religion, and one language, wherein to giuegive it with iust reason, a proper name. For till men did relinquere. relinquish their first innocencie, and the Author of whom, and in whom they held it, they needed not religere, to make a second choice, or seek reconciliation, nor thus religere, with such paines and vexation of spirit to enquire and practise those things which might religare, binde them surer and faster vntounto God: and in these respects for seuerall causes Religion might seeme to be deriued from all those fountains. Thus much of the word, whereby the nature of Religion is in part declared, but more fully by the description thereof.
Religio est, saith h83. Quaest.q.31.Augustine, quae superioris cuiusdam naturae quaem diuinam vocant, curam ceremoniamque affert. Religion is heere described generally (whether falsely or truly) professing the inward obseruation and ceremoniall outward worship of that which is esteemed a higher and diuine nature. The true Religion is the true rule and right way of serving God. Or to speake as the case now standeth with vsus, iMa…n.de vera Christ relig, ….20True religion is the right way of reconciling and reuniting man to God, that he may be saued. This true way he alone can shew vsus, who is the Way and the Truth, neither can we see this same, except hee first see vsus, and giuegive vsus both eyes to see, and light also whereby to discerne him.
But to come to Adam, the subiect of our present discourse. His Religion before his fall, was not to reunite him to God, from whome he had not beene separated, but to vnite him faster, and daily to knit him neerer, in the experience of that which Nature had ingrafted in him. For what else was his Religion, but a pure streame of *Iusticia originalis.Originall Righteousnesse, flowing from that Image of God, wherevnto he was created? Whereby his minde was enlightned to know the onelyonly verie God, and his heart was engrauen, not with the letter, but the life and power of the Law, louing and prouing that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. The whole man was conformable, and endeuoured this holy practise, the bodie being pliant and flexible to the rule of the Soule, the Soule to the Spirit, the Spirit to the Father of Spirits, and God of all Flesh, which no lesse accepted of this obedience, and delighted (as the Father in his Child) in this new modell of himselfe. How happie was that blessed familiaritie with God, societie of Angels, subiection of Creatures, enuied onelyonly of the Diuels, because this was so good, and they so wicked? Nature was his Schoolemaster; or if you will rather, Gods Vsher, that taught him (without learning) all the rules of diuine Learning, of Politicall, Oeconomicall, and Morall wisdome.
The whole Law was perfectly written in the fleshie Tables of his heart, besides the especial command concerning the trees in the middest of the Garden, the one being an vniuersall and euerlasting rule of righteousnesse, the other by speciall authoritie appointed, as the manifestation of Godss Diuine prerogatiue in commanding, and a triall of mans integritie in obeying. For the first part hereof, since it was so blurred in our hearts, it was renued by the voyce and finger of God on Mount Sinai, giuen then immediately by God himselfe, as God ouer all; whereas the other parts of the Law containing the Ceremoniall and Politicall ordinances, were mediately giuen by the Ministerie of Moses, as to that particular Nation.
Neither know I any that make doubt of this whole Law naturally and originally communicated: saue onelyonly that some make question of the Sabbath. Howbeit, I must confesse that I see nothing in that Commandement of the Decalogue prescribed, but is Naturall and Morall: for, both the Rest is so farre Morall, as the outward actes of Diuine worshippe cannot bee performed without suspending for a while our bodily labours: although Rest, as a figure, bee Iewish, and in it selfe, is either a fruit of wearinesse or idlenesse. And that the seuenth dayes obseruation is naturall (I meane the obseruing one day of seuen in euerie weeke) appeareth both by the first order established in Nature, when God blessed and sanctified the seuenth day; kCaluia. Fagit…s, Pagninus, vrsinus, Hospin…tyr, tumus, Zanch. OF. colamp. Gibbins besides Perkins, round, Greenham, Rogers and others.the streame of Interpreters, especially the later, running and ioyning in this interpretation, (the Elder being somewhat more then enough busied in Allegories): by the reason in the Commandement, drawne from Gods example and sanctification in the Creation: by the obseruation of a Sabbath, before this promulgation of the Law, Exod. 16. and by the diuision of the dayes into weekes, *The Heathens by the light of Nature had their weekes; as appeareth by naming the daies after the seuen Planets: and Saturday or Saturns day was by the Gentiles sequestred from Ciuill and Martiall affaires, being esteemed most fit for contemplation and deuotion, as saith Aretius, Probl. de Sab.both then and before by Noeh, Genes.8. 10. 12. by the necessitie of a Sabbath, as well before the Law in the dayes of the Patriarkes, as in the times of Dauid or Salomon: by the perfection of the number of seuen in the Scriptures: by the generall consent of all, that it is Morall to set apart some time to the Lord of times, and an orderly set time to the God of order, which men might generally agree on for their publike deuotions: which the Patriarkes practised in their sacrifices and assemblies; the Heathens blindly, as other things, in their Feasts.
Hereunto agreeth the iudgement of Aquinas, lSecunda secunde. q.122. art.4.Praeceptum de sanctificatione Sabbathi ponitur inter praecepta decalogi, in quantum est praeceptum morale, non in quantum est caeremoniale. The Precept of sanctifying the Sabbath, is set amongst the Precepts of the Decalogue, as it is a morall, not as ceremoniall Precept. It hath pleased him, mEccles. Pol. lib.5.….70.saith M. Hooker, as of the rest, so of times to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage, neuer to be dispensed with al nor remitted. The Morall law requiring therfore a seuenth part throughout the age of the whole world to be that way imployed, although with vsus the day be changed in regard of a new reuolution begun by our Sauiour Christ, yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before, because in reference to the benefit of Creation, and now much more of renouation thereunto added by him, which was Prince of the world to come, we are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seuen, a dutie which Gods immutable law doth, exact for euer. Thus farre Hooker.
This indeed in the Sabbath was Iewish and Ceremoniall to obserue onelyonly that last and seuenth day of the weeke, and that as a figure, and lastly with those appointed Ceremonies, and that manner of obseruation. Thus saith Aquinas nVbisupra:Habere aliquod tampus deputatum ad vacaendum dominis, cadit sub praecepto morali. Sed in quantum, &c. To hauehave some set time for the seruice of God is morall: but so farre this Praecept is ceremoniall, as in it is determined a speciall time, in signe of the Creation of the World. Likewise it is ceremoniall, according to the allegoricall signification; in as much as it was a signe of the Rest of Christ in the graue, which was the seuenth day. And likewise according to the morall signification, as it signifieth a ceasing from eueryevery act of sin, and the Rest of the mind in God. Likewise according to the Anagogicall signification, as it prefigureth the Rest of the fruition of God, which shall be in our Countrie.
To these obseruations of Thomas we may adde that strictnesse of the obseruation, That they might not kindle a fire on the Sabbath, and such like. And howsoeuer some testimonies of the Fathers be alledged against this truth, & to proue, that the Sabbath was borne at Mount Sinai, as of oCited by Bellarmin. de imagin.l.2.c.7. and by others.Tertullian, Iustin Mariyr, Eusebius, Cyprian, Augustine, which denie the Sabbatising of the Patriarchs before that time, and account it typicall. Why may we not interprete them of that Sabbath of the Iewes, which wee hauehave thus distinguished from the morali Sabbath, by those former notes of difference? Bronghton in his Concent alledgeth the Consent of Rabbins, as of Ramban on Gen.26. and Aben Ezra vponupon Exod. 20. That the Fathers obserued the Sabbath before Moses. And Moses himselfe no sooner commeth to a seuenth day, but he sheweth, that pGen.2.2,3.God rested, blessed, sanctified the same.
It resteth therefore, that a time of rest from bodily labour was sanctified vntounto spirituall deuotions from the beginning of the world, and that a seuenth dayes rest began, not with the Mosaicall Ceremonies in the Wildernesse (as some men will hauehave it) but with Adam in Paradise. That which is morall (say some) is eternall, and must not giuegive place; I answere, That the Commaundements are eternall, but yet subordinate. There is a qMark.12.28,&31.first of all the Commandements, and there is a second like to this, like in qualitie, not in equalitie: and in eueryevery Commaundement, the Soule of obedience (which is the obedience of the soule) taketh place of that bodie of obedience which is performed by the bodie. MercieMercy is preferred before sacrifice, and charitie before outward worship; rAct.10.9.Paul stayeth his preaching, to heale Emychus: Christ patronizeth sMark.2.25.his Disciples, plucking the eares of Corne, and affirmeth, That the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Although therefore both rest and workes of the Sabbath giuegive place to such duties, which the present occasion presenteth, as more weightie and necessarie to that time, yet doth it not follow, that the Sabbath is not morall, no more than the Commandement of almes is not morall, because (as tQualitas praeceptorum praefigit metam. Esi. v.g. mandatum, non furaberis, & est mandatum, omni petenti re, da. Virumque quidem magnū, quoniā …trum que , diuinum, sed de non …, maius. Non aequè displicent tenaces at que fures Bern. de praecep. & dispensat.Bernard obserueth) the prohibitiue Commaundement of stealing is of greater force, and more bindeth. And in a word, the Negatiue Precepts are of more force, and uNegatiue Precepts bind at all times, & to all times: the affirmatiue bind at all times, but not to all times: and therefore negatiue are of more force. Perkins Ser. Causarum.more vniuersally bind than the affirmatiue. A man must hate his father and mother for Christs sake, and breake the Sabbaths rest for his neighbour, in cases of necessitie. And therefore such scrupulous xRefert. Tho. Rogers.fancies as some obtrude vnderunder the name of the Sabbath, esteeming it a greater sinne to violate this holy Rest, than to commit murther, cannot be defended.
Pardon this long Discourse, whereunto the longer Discourses of others hauehave brought me. But now mee thinkes I heare thee say, And what is all this to Adams integritie? Doubtlesse, Adam had his particular calling, to till the ground: his generall calling also, to serue God; which as hee was spiritually to performe in all things, so being a body, he was to hauehave time and place set apart for the bodily performance thereof. And what example could hee better follow then of his Lord and Creator? But some obiect, This is to slacken him running, rather then to incite and prouoke him; to bind, and not to loose him, can not be a spurre, but a bridle to his deuotion: but they should consider, that we do not tie Adam to the seuenth day onelyonly, but to the seuenth especially, wherein to performe set, publike, and solemne worship. Neither did Daniel, that prayed thrice a day, or Dauid, in his seuen times, or Saint Paul, in his iniunction of praying continually, conceiue that the Sabbath would hinder men, and not rather further them in these workes. Neither was Adams state so excellent, as that he needed no helpes; which wofull experience in his fall hath taught. God gaue him power to liue, yea with an euerlasting life: & should not Adam therefore hauehave eaten, yea and hauehave had conuenient times for foode and sleepe and other naturall necessities? How much more in this perfect, yet flexible and variable condition of his soule, did hee need meanes of establishment, although euen in his outward calling he did not forget, nor was forgotten? Which outward workes, though they were not irkesome and tedious, as sinne hath made them to vsus, yet did they detaine his body, and somewhat distract his mind, from that full and entire seruice which the Sabbath might exact of him. Neither doe they shew any strong reason for their opinion, which hold the sanctification of the Sabbath, Gen. 2. to be set downe by way of anticipation, or as a preparatiue to the Iewish Sabbath, ordained ySetbus Catris. 2453. Bur. Ormeerus, &c. 1454.2453 yeares after.
If any shall aske why the same seuenth day is not still obserued of Christians; I answère, this was figuratiue, and is abolished; but a seuenth day still remaineth. Lex naturalis est. coniunctam habens ceremonialem designationem diei (saith Iunius.) The Law is naturall, hauing adioyned thereto the ceremoniall appointment of the day. But why is this day now called the Lords day? I answere, euen therefore, because it is the Lords day, not changed by the Churches Constitution Meere, as some seeme to hold; except by the Churches authoritie they meane Christ and his Apostles: nor descended to vsus by Tradition, as the Papists maintaine, seeing the Scriptures Act. 20.7.1. Cor. 16.21. Apoc. 1.10. mention the name and celebration by the constant practise of the Apostles: yea, Christ himselfe, as he rose on that day, so did he vsually appeare on that day to his Apostles before his Ascension. Christ therefore and his Apostles are our authors of this change. And the Church euer since hath constantly obserued it. The Fathers teach, yea the Papists themselues acknowledge this truth. So Bellarmine de Cultu Sanct. l. 3. c. 11. sayth, Ius diuintum requirebat vt vnus dies Hebdomade dicaretur cultni diuino: non autem conuexiebat vt seruaretur Sabbathum: staque ab Apostolis in drem Dominicum versum zCongerit ibi testimonia Ignaty, Tertull. Clem. Orig. Athanas. Ambros. Hicron. Gregor. Leonin. Hilary.est. It was in the Primitiue Church called the Lords day, aChrys. Ser. 5. de Resurrect.the day of Bread and of Light, because of the Sacraments of the Supper and Baptisme, therein administred, called Bread and Light. And how it may be ascribed to Tradition, bBell. deverbo Deinon scripto, l. 4. c. 7.Bellarmine, the great Patron of Traditions, sheweth out of Iustin Martyr, who sayth, Christus hacillis (Apostolis & Discipulis) tradaidit. Iustin in fine 2. Apolog. He there also reporteth, That they had their Ecclesiasticall Assemblies eueryevery Lords day. The Rhemists, which ascribe it to Tradition in Annot. Mat. 15. acknowledge the institution thereof, in Annot. 1.Cor. 16. 2. Ignatius may be allowed Arbiter in this question of the Sabbath, who thus writeth to the Magnesians: Non Sabbatisemus, Let vsus not obserue the Sabbath after the Iewish manner, as delighting in ease; For he that worketh not, let him not eat: but let eueryevery one of vsus keepe the Sabbath spiritually, not eating meat dressed the day before, and walking set spaces, &c. But let eueryevery Christian celebrate the Lords day, consecrated to the Lords resurrection, as the Queene and Princesse of all dayes.
Now for the particular Commaundement, which was giuen him as an especiall proofe of his obedience, in a thing otherwise not vnlawfull, it was the forbidding him to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. For in the middest of the Garden God had planted two Trees, which some call Sacraments, and were, by Gods Ordinance, signes vntounto him; one of life, if he obeyed; the other of death, by disobedience: Not as the Iewes thought, and Iulian scoffed, That the Tree had power to giuegive sharpnesse of wit. And although some thinke signes needlesse to so excellent a creature; yet being mutable, subiect to temptation, and each way flexible to vertue or vice, according as he vsed his naturall power of free will, I see not why they should denie God that libertie to impose, or man that necessitie to need such monitories, and (as it were) Sacramentall instructions. For what might these Trees hauehave furthered him in carefulnesse, if he had considered life and death, not so much in these Trees, as in his free-will, and obeying or disobeying his Creator?
These Trees, in regard of their signification, and euent, are called the Tree of Life, and the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill; which was not euill or hurtfull in it selfe, but was a visible rule, whereby good and euill should be knowne, and that by reason of the Commaundement annexed, which he might by this Precept see to be grounded in obeying or disobeying the authoritie of the Law-giuer. An easie rule, and yet too easily broken. For when as God did hereby chalenge his owne Soueraignetie, by imposing so easie a fine, which might hauehave forbidden all but one (as contrariwise he allowed) and fore-signified the danger, that he might continue his goodnesse to man, continuing in obedience, yet did Man herein shew his contempt, in reiecting so easie a yoake, and so light a burthen. I will not reason whether these two Trees may properly be called Sacraments; of which (say some) the one was but for the bodily life, and better neuer to hauehave touched the other; this wee know, that in eating of this he lost both bodily and spirituall life, which the name and institution thereof fore-warned, and should hauehave preunted: otherwise, in eating of the other, immortalitie had beene sealed both in soule and bodie, to him and his for euer. Strange it seemeth, that he should need no monitorie signes to preuent that, which, euen with these helpes added, he did not eschew.