Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 14 – Section 1
14. In things indifferent make no question for conscience sake, so Mr. Bern.be that neyther holynes, meri…e nor necessity be put therein: nor they vsed for any part of Gods worship, but for decency, order and aedification.
For answer of this, sundry things are to be considered.Answ.
And first, that which the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 10. 25. 27. of the cōmon conversation of Christians in the world, and of their liberty that way, Mr. Bern. misapplieth to the case of religion, and matters of Gods worship, as though men might vse as great liberty in the matters of religion or about the same, as in their worldly affayres.
Secondly, where the Apostle, ver. 25. 27. directs the faythful to make no conscience of eating, he further addeth, ver. 28. 29. that for the offence of a weak brother scandalizing at the eating of Idolothites, they ought to make conscience and to forbeare. This latter part which is the very drift of the scripture, Mr. Bern. concealeth, and so maymeth the sence, and frustrateth the reader; and whether to thi… …nd he leaves not the words vnquoted, his owne heart knowes best.
3. Howsoever you labour to cover your Popish ceremonies (for th…se you meane though you name them not,) vnderunder the title of things indifferent, of to…es tris…es and the like, (champing them smal, that they may the easilyer be swallowed,) denying that either holynes, or necessity is put in them, or that they are made partes of Gods worship, yet hath the contrary been sufficiently manyfested by your owne men, to whose large treatises to this purpose, I refer the reader. Notwithstanding since Mr. B. casts this consideration, as a stone in the way to other matters of importance, I may not altogether overstryde it, but will turne it over as I goe, that the reader as he passeth by, may see what wormes and other vermine, lyes vnderunder it.
First then to l…t passe the holynes which thousands in the land put in the crosse, surplice, kneeling at the communion, without which they think no service or sacrament so acceptable to God, for which cause alone they ought not onelyonly to be forborne, but to be abolished much rather then the brasen serpent, 2. King. 18. it is evident that the same special vses and ends are ascribed vntounto them, and to the principall parts of Gods worship: and so agreeing in theyr ends they agree in their natures.
One mayn end & vse of the word of God, is to teach & signify vntounto vsus the good will of God, and our duety mutually towards him and towards our brethren, & to stir vp our mynds to the remembrance and performance of t… same, 2 Tim. 3. 16. And what lesse is attributed to the ceremonyes, when †Tre…tise of Ceremoniesthey are neyther dark nor dumb, but ap… to stir vp the dul mynde of man to the remembrance of his duty to God.
The proper ends and vses of baptisme are to initiate the partyes baptised into the Church of Christ, and to consecrate them to his service, & so to serve for badges of Christianity, by which it is distinguished from all other professiōs, Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 13. And for what meaner vse serves the signe of the crosse in baptism, by or with which, †service book, Ca…. 30.the childe is r…ceaved into the congregation of Christs flock, and by it as by an honourable badge of Christian profesion dedicated to the service of Christ?
And so those ceremonyes supposed indifferent, agreing with the mayn parts of Gods worship in theyr ends, must agree also in their natures with them, since fines rerum sunte formis, & so consequently must have holynes in them, or els your worship Mr. B. is very vnholy.
And what necessity is put in them, all men see when the purest preaching in the land without them is thought not onelyonly vnnessary, but even intollerable. And if *1 Cor. 9. 16.necessity be layd vponupon the Ministers to preach the Gospell, then that to which the preaching of the Gospell must give place, is more necessary, and so made.
Moreover, to make a thing indifferent, and yet to serve for decency, order and edification, includes a contradiction: For it is not an indifferent thing to minister the ordinances of Christ decently orderly and to edification, but a matter of simple necessity, 1 Cor. 14. 26. 40.
Yea I adde, if the Ceremonyes make the worship of God the more comely, orderly, and edificative, they ought continually & diligently to be vsed, yea though they were forbidden by the Highest power vpō earth: as on the contrary, if they advantage not the worship of God for those purposes, they are vayn and frivolous, & to be forborn in or about the worship of God, which abhorrs all such vanity.
Lastly, as we live in a very indifferent age for religion, wherein the most are indifferent of what religion they are; yea whither they be of any or none; so no mervayl though men stād stis…y for indifferency of things. And when they have amongst them such devises, as they neither can approve for good, nor wil condemn as evil, they baptize them into the name of indifferent things. But the truth is, there is nothing simply indifferent in the vse: but be it never so base or meane a ceremony, circumstance or appurtenance to any solemn action, it is eyther good or evill according to the furtherance or hinderance which it affoardeth to the mayn▪ If it give furtherance to a naturall action, it is naturally good; if to a civil action, civily good; if to a religious action, religiously good; and so to be reputed: otherwise it is vayne at the least: and vanity as it is every where evil, so is it in the matters of religion the taking of Gods name in vayn.
The next thing which Mr. Bern. vndertakes, is to set downe how scrupulosity of conscience ariseth in men: for which disease (if it arise) surely he sheweth himself a physitiō of no value for the healing of it: but eyther smothereth the same vnderunder the authority of the Magistrate, or dispenseth with it vponupon good meanings, or forceth it on without assurance, or entangleth it with new doubts.
In the first enquiry which he wils men to make into themselves, touching scrupulosity of cōscience amōgst other things he speaks thus.
If the ground, vz. of doubting be not a iudgement enlightened, & Mr. Bern.convinced, it is not trouble of conscunce, but a dislike working discontentment vponupon some other ground.
And this in the margent he wils the reader to note well, as inAnsw. deed he may note it and brand it, too for il & vnadvised counsayl.
For howsoever no mans conscience ought to scandalize or be troubled at the vse of lawful things (for the larger conscience the better in that which is lawfull) and that such doubts in the heart do arise from weaknes of fayth; and weaknes of faith from want of knowledge: yet since we all†1 Cor. 13. …. know but in part, & that our fayth is according to our knowledge, and our conscience according to our fayth, when a doubt or scruple ariseth in our hearts touching the lawfullnes of things, yea though it be of very ignorance, we must not passe it over lightly without trouble, least it prove as a thorn in the heele and rankle inwardly. Neyther are such scruples alwayes so easily removed, as Mr. Bern. maks account. Weak and tender consciences do oft tymes stick at a very strawe, and there must they stand, til the Lord give strength to step over.
The thing intended and promised by Mr. Bern. in the next place, is satisfaction to the perplexed conscience, and direction in that case: which he is so far from performing by sound and resolved counsayl (as were meet) as in stead therof, he propounds sundry doubtes and quaeries of his ovvn, vvhichwhich he leaves vnsatisfyed, to the further entangling of his perplexed patient: abusing also his reader too much in performing questions, where he promiseth answers.
Wel, howsoevr it be an easier thing to ty knotts then to loose them, and that a simple man may cast a stone into a ditch, vvhichwhich a wise man cannot get out agayne: yet are not those questions which Mr. Bern. propounds and so leaves vnanswered, so dark & doubtfull, that a man needs take so long a jorney as the Queen of Sheba did, for resolution.
The first quaere of weight being the 4. in order, I vvil set down vvord for vvord, though it be large, because it is of speciall consideration. The question then is.