Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 4 · Section 4
Of Hereſies.
What is hereſie.50 Now let vsus ſpeake of heretikes. The word is foreign; it is deriued of this verbe foreign, which is, To elect, or chooſe: for thoſe kind of men chooſe vntounto themſelues, ſome certeine opinions, which are againſt the holie ſcriptures, and doo ſtubbornelie defend the ſame. The cauſes of hereſies.But the cauſes of this their choiſe for the moſt part, are either, for that they be ignorant of the holie ſcriptures, or elſe if they knowe them, they deſpiſe them: and being driuen of a certeine deſire, they applie themſelues to the inuentions of ſom errors. Auguſtine.Wherefore Auguſtine in his booke De vtilitate credendi, writeth; An heretike is he, which for the louelove of gaine, or bearing of rule, either bréedeth or elſe followeth new opinions. So that the definition of hereſie is a choiſe, A definition of hereſie.and ſtubborne defending of opinions, which are againſt the holie ſcriptures, procéeding through the ignorance or contempt of them, that they may the eaſilier obteine their pleaſures and commodities. Choiſe and ſtubborne defending in this definition, are in ſtéed of the forme. But the opinions diſagréeing with the holie ſcriptures, ſerue for the matter. Pride and couetouſneſſe make hereſie. And the obteining of dignities, gaine, and pleaſures, are appointed as ends of ſo great a miſchéefe. By this definition is manifeſt inough (as I thinke) who be heretikes. I meane not now to deſcend vntounto the kinds and particulars of hereſies; I hope I ſhall hauehave an other occaſion, and place more conuenient. This will I bréeflie ſaie as concerning this queſtion, that we are to deale with heretikes in none otherwiſe than with infidels and Iewes.
51 But to drawe to an end of theſe things, In 1. Cor. 10 at the end. Auguſtine.which I hauehave ſpoken, let vsus heare what Auguſtine writeth of this matter, in his 154. epiſtle vntounto Publicola where he ſaith; Queſtions of things ſuſpected touching idolatrie.If ſo be an idolater ſhall offer vntounto idols anie portion of the fruits, or of the wine latelie ſtrained in the preſſe, that maketh not, but we may fréelie vſe that which remaineth, as well in the preſſe, as in the barne. For we be not afraid to drawe waters out of thoſe fountains and welles, from whence they tooke for the ſeruice of their idols. But he iudgeth, that he which hath the publike power, (the magiſtrate I meane) by his authoritie muſt withſtand, that no part of the profits ſhould be defalked [and imploied to] wicked worſhippings: but if this can not be hindered, thoſe things which are remaining, he maketh frée. He anſwereth alſo touching the common baines, wherin idolaters were woont to bath themſelues; the which in like maner he maketh common vntounto Chriſtians; For (ſaith he) we likewiſe take breath, and breath out aire, which we knowe to be infected with the euill ſtinke of the ſacrifices of infidels. Herevnto I would willinglie alſo adde, that albeit I confes the place of the bath for the faithfull to be frée alſo for the vſe of the beléeuers; yet that we muſt not waſh togither with vnbeléeuers: bicauſe in that kind of action, there may be noted ſome familiaritie, aſſent, and participation togither. Iohn would not waſh with Cerynthus the heretike.And this we read in the eccleſiaſticall hiſtorie, that Iohn the euangeliſt did auoid, who would not enter into a baine, when he heard that Cerynthus the heretike did waſh therein.
52 Auguſtine added, Auguſtine.that we muſt vſe nothing that we vnderſtand dooth tend to the honour and worſhipping of idols; Neither dooth it auaile (ſaith he) if thou ſaie that thy conſcience is cleare: for thy neighbour dooth not ſée into thy hart, but beholdeth thy fact. Therefore if we ſhall heare anie thing, which is either ſuperſtitious, or idolatrous, we muſt abhor and deteſt it, and not conuert it to our owne vſe. The which was expreſſelie commanded in Deuteronomie, Deut. 7, 25.when God forbad men, that they ſhould not take ſuch things vntounto themſelues. Of which opinion Auguſtine alledgeth two reaſons; Leaſt thou taking anie thing awaie, which ſerued to the ſuperſtitious worſhipping, they ſuſpect, that thou art mooued to aboliſh wicked worſhipping, not for religion, but for couetouſneſſe ſake; namelie, that thou maiſt wax rich, and to fulfill thy couetouſnes. Another reaſon there is, that if thou ſhalt laie vp at home theſe things among thy treaſure, it might eaſilie come to paſſe, that either they ſhould be had in honour of thy poſteritie; or of the vnwiſer ſort, which be in thy houſhold: and ſo, that the idolatrous worſhipping by little and little ſhould be reſtored. Howbeit, he confeſſeth, Godlie emperours hauehave applied ſuch things to godlie vſes.that thoſe ſuperſtitious things may be conuerted into publike vſes, and to the ſeruices of the true and right religion; euen as we hauehave knowne godlie emperours to hauehave doone, who hauehave taken monie giuen to the theatre, and to the temple of idols, and hauehave conſecrated them to the church of Chriſt, and to the good vſes of the Common-weale.
verſe. 26.And there is a place cited out of the ſixt chapter of the booke of Iudges, where the Lord willeth the wood of the groue dedicated to Baal, the which Gedeon did cut downe, to be tranſferred to the ſacrifice which he was to offer. And in the ſixt chapter of Ioſua we read, verſe, 24.that the ſubſtance of Hierico became accurſed, and yet what ſoeuer was there, braſſe, iron, ſiluer, or gold, all that, were they to bring to the treaſurie of the Lord. If a féeld, by anie hap ſhould be conſecrated vntounto idols, the ſame Auguſtine iudgeth, that thoſe things which grew therein, are lawfull for the beléeuers: Pſal. 24. 1.for The earth (ſaith he) is the Lords and all the fulnes thereof. And vntounto Timothie it is ſaid; 1. Tim. 4, 4.Euerie creature of God is good, ſo it be receiued of vsus with thanks-giuing and praiers. Elſe ſhould we blame Paule, who was manie daies in Athens, and vndoubtedlie fed of the fruits and commodities of the Athenien féeld; Acts. 37, 16.which féeld neuertheleſſe was conſecrated vntounto Minerua. But if there ſhould now be fruits, and thoſe conſecrated & appointed to the ſpeciall vſe or ſeruice of idols, the chriſtians ought to refraine, leaſt they might ſéeme to communicate with impietie. But bicauſe men in old time were accuſtomed ſometimes to ſacrifice vntounto fountaines and riuers; for that they attributed vntounto them a certeine kind of diuinitie, I know not what: and therefore they threw into them ſometimes, either the ſacrificed fleſh, or the inwards of the ſame; it is doubted, whether chriſtians might vſe thoſe waters afterward. Auguſtine anſwereth; Yes indéed, it is lawfull: for we knowe, (ſaith he) that there be verie manie, which doo ſacrifice vntounto the ſunne, yet feare we not to vſe the light of the ſame, and to enioie the beames thereof; yea and there be found infidels, which doo offer ſacrifice vntounto the winds, and yet neuertheleſſe we vſe the winds in our ſailing.
53 Laſt of all, The caſe of one which iournied by the waie.Publicola putteth him in mind of a caſe concerning a certeine man, which paſſing through a deſart, and the ſame man being verie hungrie, happening vponupon a church or chappell of idols, where, by chance, finding certeine fleſh ſet readie, he demandeth whether it were lawfull for him to eate, if he profeſſe chriſtian religion? Auguſtine anſwereth, bicauſe it may be, that that ſame is not ſacrificed fleſh, but is left there of ſtrangers by chance, which turned in thither, either to dine or ſup: therfore, ſéeing it is not apparant, that thoſe are ſacrificed things, he that is hungrie may vſe them. Further, as if he had not ſatiſfied himſelf, he maketh this diſtinction. Either he knoweth for a certeintie, that the fleſh was offred in ſacrifice; or he knoweth for a certeintie, that it was not: or elſe he doubteth. And he addeth, If he doubt, or elſe knowe for a certeintie, that it is no ſacrificed fleſh, he may eate lawfullie. But if it ſhall certeinlie appéere, that the fleſh was offered in ſacrifice, let him abſteine in reſpect of chriſtian pietie. Héere would I not willinglie ſubſcribe to the iudgement of Auguſtine, 1. Cor. 8. 4,for I ſée no cauſe whie he may bid a chriſtian man that is hungrie, to refraine from this kind of meate: for being in the wilderneſſe, he hath not there anie weake brethren, whom he may offend: neither yet dooth he communicate with diuels, ſéeing no ſacrifice is there in hand: neither dooth he ſet foorth vntounto the infidels his libertie to be condemned or blaſphemed. Which things were the iuſt and onelie cauſes, whie the apoſtle forbad the eating of things offered vntounto idols. Therefore I would iudge, that in ſuch a caſe it is frée, to vſe that kind of meate: for, Pſal. 24, 1.The earth is the Lords, and all that is therein.