A Care Cloth, Treatise · Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
CHAP. I. The opening of the Text.
THe Apoſtle, in this Chapter, makes anſwere to ſome queſtions, which the Corinths had by Letter propounded vntounto him, and that ſpecially concerning matter of marriage: and he giues his directions, firſt, indefinitely, to the vnmarried, married; and all ſorts of perſons in the former part of the Chapter; then ſpecially and particularly to Virgins, from the 26. Verſe to the 39. to Widowes in the two laſt Verſes. To Virgins he addreſſeth his counſell in this order, firſt, in a briefe preface, declaring the purport of his words, viz. that hee did not giuegive a preciſe Commandement, as of a thing that bound the conſcience ſtrictly, but alone aduice and counſell, as of a thing moſt fit and commodious. Secondly, he propoundeth his counſell in the 26. Verſe, which comes to this purpoſe; That it is good for a man and woman, in regard of the neceſſitie and diſtreſſe, to which in this preſent life they are ſubiect, to forbeare marriage, and to continue in Virginitie. Laſtly, he amplifieth and inlargeth this matter, more fully explicating himſelfe, which explication hee begins in the former Verſe and this, interrupts by a pertinent digreſſion in the three following Verſes: and laſtly, goes on in, and finiſheth in the fiue next.
Here then the Apoſtle is about to make his meaning ſo manifeſt (in that diſſwaſion from marriage, which formerly he had vſed) that no occaſion of hurt might grow from the miſtaking thereof. And as in the former Verſe he had aduiſed men, neither to be wearie of marriage, if they were married; nor yet to bee couetous of it, if they were looſe; ſo here he ſhewes, in what reſpects he diſcounſelleth it, viz. (firſt, negatiuely) not as a ſinne (nay, he plainely confeſſeth the lawfulneſſe of it, ſaying, If thou (being a man) ſhalt marry, thou ſinneſt not; and if a Virgin marry, ſhe ſinneth not) but (ſecondly, affirmatiuely) as a matter of more outward and bodily trouble; for ſuch, ſaith he, ſhall hauehave trouble in the fleſh: but, ſaith he, I ſpare you; that is, I will not vſe more earneſtneſſe to diſſwade you from that, that moſt mē are vnwilling to be diſſwaded from. To ſpare, is not to preſſe them ouer-hard to that, whereto they would not bee drawne, without ſome backwardneſſe. The thing then that the Apoſtle deliuers in this verſe, is in effect this, That marriage is not to be forborne, as a matter ſinfull, but troubleſome, and virginitie to be imbraced, not as a ſtate of life more holy, but alone more eaſefull; and that he diſſwadeth marriage, not as if it were in any ſort to bee reputed vnlawfull to marrie, but alone, becauſe it is commonly attended vponupon with more difficulties then ſingle life; in which regard alſo he forbeareth to vrge the forbearance of it any thing earneſtly. Now wee hauehave Pauls meaning, let vsus ſee what inſtructions his words will yeeld vsus.
CHAP. II. Containing the firſt inſtruction.
Doct. 1 ANd firſt, from Pauls ſo plaine and preciſe diſauowing of any conceite of the vnlawfulneſſe of matrimony, and endeuouring carefully and expreſſely to preuent ſuch an opinion, we may informe our felues thus much, That it behoueth men to take heed of accounting thoſe things ſinfull or vnlawfull that bee not ſo. No man muſt make more faults then God makes. Our iudgement ſhould be alwaies ſo cleare and ſound, that we might eſteeme of things as they be, and call that lawfull which is lawfull, as well as that wicked which is wicked: and as in the tribunall of humane Iuſtice, a guiltleſſe man muſt not bee ſentenced as guiltie: So at the barre of humane reaſon, a faultleſſe action muſt not bee wrongly burdened with the cenſure of faultineſſe. Whoſoeuer reades this text, will yeeld this point: yet wee ſhall hauehave it made good by a voyce from Heauen,Acts 19.15. viz. that that was ſpoken to Peter in his trance, That that God hath cleanſed, cal not thou common. The Lord had remoued the diſtinction of meates (in regard of conſcience to him-ward) which was of force vnderunder the Leuiticall Law. That Peter might be informed of this needfull truth, whereof he was yet ignorant, he is bidden (in a Viſion wherein all manner of beaſts were offered to him being hungry) to kill and eate: hee refuſeth, becauſe the things were ſuch as the Law condemned for vncleane and common. The voyce tels him the ſecond time, that it was not for him to make that common, which God had made cleane. Loe how the cleanneſſe or vncleanneſſe of things is not to bee ordered by mans authoritie, no, not by the authoritie of Peter himſelfe, ſo that a man would wonder how hee that calleth himſelfe the ſucceſſor of Peter, ſhould aduenture to do that, which to Peter himſelfe is prohibited. And what was the ſinne for which the Phariſes are taxed by the Lord?Matt. 15.2. &c. was it not this? that they would needs deeme it a great fault and pollution, to eate meate without waſhing of hands firſt; whereas the Lord in his Law, had neuer forbidden ſuch eating. The point is vndeniable, and needeth no more proofe; there is a negatiue ſuperſtitiō (conſiſting of Touch not, taſte not, handle not, &c. that is, Do not this and that, for feare of offending God, and hurting your ſoule, though the Lord hauehave neuer condemned it) as well as an affirmatiue ſuperſtition, ſtanding in Doe this, or do that, that you may pleaſe God, and benefit your ſoule. That wee may be more careful to auoyd the fault of coyning faults, let vsus conſider, what euils will inſue from ſuch miſtaking.
Reaſ. 1 Firſt, by this meanes a man ſhall vnneceſſarily cumber himſelfe, and by fretting his owne conſcience, make his life vncomfortable, and his ſoule more vnable to ſerue God with ioyfulnes in a good conuerſation. If a ſeruant put gyues or irons vponupon his owne legs, he cannot goe forward nimbly in his Maſters buſineſſe: So if a Chriſtian doe ſhackle his owne conſcience, hee cannot with chearefulneſſe performe the wil of God in holineſſe of liuing: For to him that accounts a thing ſinfull, to him it is ſinne, as the Apoſtle faith, Rom. 14.14. And ſo it will often come to paſſe, that if he doe it not, he ſhall ſinne in one regard; if hee doe it, he ſhall ſinne in another regard, as being perſwaded that it is ſinfull. Thus doth a man caſt himſelfe ineuitably vponupon a neceſſitie of ſinning, and ſo vponupon vnquietneſſe, perplexitie, and much inauoydable miſerie, to the great trouble, not of himſelfe alone, but of others alſo, with whom he liueth, to whom his intangled conſcience will not ſuffer him to performe his duty with louelove and readineſſe, as hee ought to doe.
Secondly, by this meanes a man ſhall feede his owne ſelf-conceitedneſſe, and cauſe his heart to bee ſtill ſwelling bigger and bigger in high imaginations of himſelfe: and vnleſſe the Lord beſtow ſome paines to keepe him downe by diuers aduerſities and temptations, hee will quickly grow to ſuch a dotage, as to bee little leſſe then inamored of himſelf, admiring and applauding his owne abilitie to iudge and diſcerne of things aboue other men, whom hee will repute, as very dim-ſighted or ſtarke blind, becauſe they cannot ſee ſo farre, as he conceits himſelfe to ſee. Error in this kinde, muſt needs nouriſh pride, becauſe in not knowing, a man thinkes he knowes more then other of his neighbours.
Thirdly, by ſo miſ-taking, a man is made apt (which is a neceſſarie conſequent of pride) to cenſure other men, to thinke hardly of them, to condemne them, as perſons vtterly reckleſſe and vnconſcionable, as if they regarded not at all what they did, becauſe it ſtands not with their minds, to runne in ſo narrow a line, as himſelfe runneth in. Thus in Pauls time, the men that would not eate, were alwaies forward to iudge and condemne thoſe that would eate. For when a man, out of an erring conſcience, forbeareth thoſe things, in which another vſeth his libertie, he muſt either condemne himſelfe, or another, or elſe leaue another wholly to God: ſelf-louelove will not ſuffer men to blame themſelues, ſelfe-conceitedneſſe will not ſuffer them to referre the matter wholly to God: wherefore of neceſſitie (in the moſt part of men) iudging, condemning, cenſuring, and hard conceites muſt follow thereupon.
Laſt of all, this making of new ſinnes doth offer moſt palpable violence to Chriſtian libertie, and is as direct an impeachment of that inward ſpirituall freedome, which Chriſt hath procured to the conſciences of his people, as any can be in the world. Theſe erroneous opinions inthrall the conſcience, and bring it in ſlauerie; they tye it, where God tyes it not; they doe as it were, hedge and ditch in a part of that Commons, which God would hauehave lye open, and ſuffer not the conſcience to enioy ſo large a walk as God hath allowed: they doe, in a ſort, impale, or imparke the ſoule, and after a ſort, cub it vp, that it cannot in many caſes enioy that content, peace, and comfort, nor performe that ſeruice, homage and duty, which it ought to enioy or performe. So hath Chriſt wrong, in that his ſeruants are not permitted to partake of the freedome that he hath allotted them; and God is wronged alſo, in that error takes vponupon it to be wiſer and iuſter then hee; and darkeneſſe will make it ſelfe beleeue, that it hath diſcouered more, then light it ſelfe did diſcouer; and a blind perſon will beare himſelfe bold, in the place of a guide and leader in the way. All theſe miſchiefes inſue, vponupon the reputing of ſinleſſe things ſinfull, and therefore it is not without iuſt reaſon, that our Apoſtle is ſo plaine and expreſſe in this matter; He ſinneth not: She ſinneth not.