Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of Chriſtian libertie.
1 NOw muſt we in treat of Chriſtiā liberty, which is as it were an appurtenāce of iuſtification, & is of no ſmall force to vnderſtand the force of it.
2 And it conſiſteth in three points: the firſt is that the conſciences of the faithfull, when the affiance of their iuſtificatiō before God is to be ſought do lift vp themſelues aboue the lawe, and forget all the whole righteouſnes of the law.
Obiect. Then the Lawe is ſuperfluous for the faithfull.Chriſtian libertie conſiſteth in three thinges.
An. It is not: becauſe it ſtirreth vsus vppe to that which is good. And all the whole life of Chriſtians ought to bee a meditation of Godlineſſe: but before God, not the law, but Chriſte, muſt be ſet for righteouſneſſe.
3 Therefore was Chriſt made a curſe for vsus,Gal. 3.13. &. 5 1. &. 3.20 that he might redeeme vsus from the curſe of the law*.
4 The other which dependeth vponupon that former is,2 Part of chriſtian libertie. that mens conſciences obey the law not as being inforced by the neceſſitie of the law: but that being free frō the yoke of the Law, they do freely and willinglie obey the will of God. And that cannot bee ſo long as we are vnderunder the law.
5 But ſo ſoone as we are deliuered & freed from this exaction of the law, we can merily & with great cheerefulnes anſwere God, when he calleth, & follow him being our guide. For they which are tied to the yoke of the law, are like ſlaues, to whom certain taskes are aſſigned for euerie day, they dare not come in their maiſters ſight,A ſimilitude. vnleſſe they hauehave done their work & taske. But children though they hauehave but done half their task, & hauehave left it vnperfect, yet do they without feare and freelie offer themſelues to their fathers.
6 That is the cauſe for which the authour of the epiſtle to the Hebrewes,Heb. 11.2. doth refer vntounto faith what good works ſoeuer wee read were in the holy fathers, & doth only weigh thē by faith*. Therfore Paul to the Romans reaſoneth thus, Sinne muſt not hauehave dominion ouer vsus, becauſe wee are not vnderunder the lawe.
7 The third, that we be bound before god with no conſcience of outward thinges which are of themſelues indifferent,3 About thinges indifferent. but that wee may indifferentlie ſometimes vſe them, and ſometimes omit them. The knowledge of this liberty is therefore more neceſſarie for vsus, becauſe without it, our conſciences ſhall hauehave no reſt, there ſhall bee no ende of ſuperſtitions.
Rom. 14.14.8 I know ſaith Paul that nothing is common, but who ſo thinketh anie thing common, to him it is cō mon*.1 Tit. 4.5. He is bleſſed which doth not iudge himſelf in that which he alloweth*. For all the giftes of God are ſanctified by thankſgiuing.
Chriſtian libertie is ſpirituall.9 And this is diligentlie to be obſerued, that chriſtian libertie is ſpirituall in all his parts, whoſe whole force conſiſteth in pacifying fearefull conſciences before God: whether they be vnquiet or careful for remiſſion of ſinnes, or doubtfull whether vnperfect workes doe pleaſe God, or they bee troubled about the vſe of things indifferent,A double fall. but there be two ſorts of men which offende againſt it, the one of thoſe which make it a cloake for their luſts, that they may abuſe the good giftes of God to their luſt.
10 The other is of thoſe who thinke that it is nothing worth, vnleſſe it be vſed before men. By which vnſeaſonable vſage they oftētimes offend the weak. As you may ſee ſome at this day, who think that their libertie cannot ſtand, vnles they take poſſeſſion of it, by eating fleſh vponupon the Friday.
11 Furthermore, we muſt auoid offences, wherof there is one ſort which is giuen,Double offence another taken. Therefore if thou doe anie thing either through vnſeaſonable lightneſſe and wantonneſſe, whereby the weake may be offended, it ſhall be called an offence giuen by thee.Geuen. Paul teacheth the contrarie, that we receiue the weake. That is called an offence taken when a thing which is neither euill done,2 Taken. nor out of ſeaſon, is through malice drawen to be occaſion of offence.Mat. 25.14. Such was the offence of the Phariſees*. Therefore wee muſte beware that wee giuegive none offence: if others take it wee are blameleſſe.
12 Paul ſeemeth to hauehave ſet downe a difference both by doctrine and alſo by examples,We muſt regard the weake between the weake, of whom we muſt hauehave great regard, & the Phariſees, to whom our liberty may not giuegive place. For when he tooke Timothie to his companie,Act. 16.3. hee circumciſed him*Gal. 2.3.. Hee could not be perſwaded to circumciſe Titus*. The facts were diuers, but there was no change of his minde or purpoſe. When hee was free from all, he made himſelfe a ſeruant to all, that he might ſaue manie*: and withſtood falſe brethren, which ſaith he,1 Cor. 9.66. entred in to ſpie out our libertie which we hauehave in Chriſt*. Verilie we muſt ſtudie to preſerue louelove, and wee muſt hauehave reſpect to the edifiying of our neighbour.1 Cor. 10.23. For all things are lawful but all things are not expedient*.
13 Furthermore as our libertie muſt bee ſubiect to louelove:Libertie muſt be ſubiect to louelove ſo on the other ſide louelove muſt bee vnderunder the pureneſſe of faith. Verilie euen heere alſo wee muſt hauehave reſpect to louelove, but vntounto the altars: that is, that wee offende not GOD for our neighbours ſake.
14 And nowe ſeeing faithfull conſciences hauing this prerogatiue giuē them, are not intangled with any ſnares of obſeruations in things indifferēt wee conclude that they are exempted from the power of all men. For it is an vnmeet thing that either Chriſt ſhoulde looſe the thanke for his ſo great libertie: or the conſciences themſelues the profite*.1 Pet, 1.18. For it coſt Chriſt not gold, but his owne blood*.
The gouerment of man is double.15 But leaſt any man ſtumble before he be ware let vsus marke that there is a double gouernment in man. One ſpirituall, whereby the conſcience is framed vntounto godlineſſe:Spirituall. the other politike, whereby a man is taught the dutie of humanitie and ciuilitie. For there be in man,Ciuile. as it were, two worldes, which both diuers kings and diuers lawes do gouerne. And yet we muſt take heede that wee doe not wickedlie draw vntounto the ciuill order, that which the Goſpell teacheth concerning ſpirituall libertie.
Obiect We muſt obey the magiſtrate not one lie for feare of puniſhment, but for conſcience ſake alſo*.Rom. 1*.1.5. Therefore mens conſciences are bound by the politike lawes.
What conſcience is.An. Conſcience is nothing els but that feeling which doth not ſuffer ſinnes to lie hid, but draweth men vntounto the iudgement ſeat of the iudge.
16 Thereby it commeth to paſſe, that the fruite of a good conſcience (which it the inward integrity of the heart) doth come vntounto men alſo,The lawe of God muſt not be made ſubiect to mans power. though it doe properly reſpect God alone. But the lawes of God muſt not be made ſubiect to mans power.