Commissioners Petitioning for Review of Book of Common Prayer, Commentary 2 · Preface · Section 11
Sect. 11.
[The Case of St. Paul not eating flesh,Ans. if it offended his Brother, is nothing to the purpose; who there speakes of things, not Commanded either by God, or by his Church, neither having in them any thing of Decency, or Significancy to serve in the Church; St. Paul would deny himself his own Liberty, rather than offend his Brother. Bnt if any man breakes a just Law or Custom of the Church, he brands him for a Lover of Schisme and Sedition, 1 Cor. 11. 16.]
Repl. Repl.But because at our last Meeting, it was said with so much confidence by one, that the Case in Rom. 14. and 15. was nothing to ours, we shall here say the more to what you say, that Pauls not eating flesh is nothing to the purpose: your reasons are, 1. Because he speakes of nothing commanded by God, or his Church. 2. Nor of any thing of Decency, or significancy to serve in the Church. To the first we have often told you, that which is undeniable, 1. That Paul was a Governour of that Church himself, that had no Superior to con trole him: If you say then, that he wrote not as a Governor; we Answer, yes: for he wrote as an Apostle, and wrote that Epistle that was to be a standing Law, or Canon to them; If this be no act of his Office, and Authority, there was none such; And then you must say the like of all the rest of the Epistles. 2. Moreover as Paul the Apostle excludeth all such impositions, so he wrote to all the Resident Pastors that were at Rome, for he wrote to the whole Church: and therefore these commands extend to the Governours, that they make not such things the matter of Contempt or Censures, or any uncharitable course, but bear with one another in them. Will you call men obstinate self-offenders, that differ from you, when you have no better Answers then these to the plain decisions of the holy Ghost? what we speak of Rom. 14. 15. we speak also of 1 Cor. 8. And 3. It is to the Rulers of the Church that we are speaking, and it is they that answer us: And shall the Rulers say [if it were not a thing commanded we might bear with you] when it is themselves that command them Ecclesiastically; and we intreat them but to forbear that, and to concur with us in Petitioning the King to forbear commanding them coercively; who no doubt will easily forbear it, if they do their part. 4. Yea a fortiore it layeth a heavier charge on such Governours then others. If it be so hainous a Sin as Paul maketh it to censure, or despise one another, for meats and dayes, and such like things, how much more to Excommuuicate, silence, and undo one another? and deprive thousands of Souls of the Preaching of the Gospel, that consented not to their Pastor's nonconformity? 5. Paul letteth you know, that those things are not the Center or matter of our necessary Concord, but of mutual forbearance, and therefore condemneth all that will make them necessary to our Unity, Ministry, or Communion. 6. And the difference is wholly to the advantage of our Cause; for those that Paul spoke to, were not come so high as to go about to force others to do as they did, but onelyonly to despise them for not doing it. 2. And therefore to the second Reason we answer. 1. If the things had been different, yet so was Pauls Injunction different from our request; for Paul goeth so high as to command them to deny their own Liberty, in not eating lawful meats themselves, least they offend, and hurt their Breth…en; whereas we are now but desiring you, that you would not force others to do that which they take to be a sin, and that with penalties that fall heavier on the Church, then on them; They had on both sides fairer pretences then you have: The Cases before us to be compared are four; the Case of the refusers of meats and observers of dayes then: The Case of the users of those meats, and not observers of those dayes: The Case of our imposers: And the Case of non-conformists: The pretence that their refusers of meats had, in 1 Cor. 8. was, that being offered to Idols, they thought it made them partakers of the Idolatry; and so they sinned through weakness in being offended at others, and censuring them that used their Liberty: And had they not here a fairer pretence for their offence and censures, then you for your impositions? You cannot shew half so great an appearance of good in the things commanded, as they could do of Evil in the things for which they were offended. And the offended censurer in Rom. 14. had this pretence, that the thing was forbidden in Gods own Law, even the meats which he refused; and the dayes cōmmanded which he observed: And he knew not that the Law in these matters of Order and Ceremony was abrogated (which Peter himself was ignorant of, when he refufed to eat things common and unclean:) But you have no pretence of Gods own command for the matter of your impositions, as these men had for the matter of their offence, and censure: so that here you are on the worser side. And for the other party, that in 1 Cor. 8. abused their Liberty: and Rom. 14. despised their Brethren, they had a double pretence: one was, that it was their Liberty; and if every scrupulous party should drive them from their lawful meat, and drink, they knew not whither they might drive them: Another was, that the Law was abrogated by Christ; and therefore if they complyed in practice with the scrupulous, or did not shew their difference, they might seem to be guilty of the restoring of the Law, and complying with the Jewes and the Hereticks, that both then were enemies to the Church, and agreed in this; had not these men now a fairer pretence for eating, 1 Cor. 8. and for the dissent shewed, Rom. 14. then you ever yet produced for forcing others from Ministry, and Church, (or into sin, and Hell, if they will obey you against their Consciences) and all for that which you never pretended to shew a command of God for? And others shew you (as they think) Scripture, and Councils, and Custom against: To tell us then that Paul spake of things [not Decent and Significant] is (pardon our plainness) to say much less then nothing: For it was not against imposing that Paul spake, but using, and not using, censuring and despising; and their Arguments were (suitable to their Cause) of another kind of moment, than Decency or Indecency, Significancy or Insignificancy, even from supposed Idolatry rejecting Gods Law, and complying with Jews, and Hereticks, in restoring the Law, and casting away the Liberties purchased by Christ, even in their private eating, and drinking. To be no more tedious now, we humbly offer in any way convenient to try it out, with the Reverend Brother that so confidently asserted the disparity of the cases; and to prove, that these Scriptures most plainly condemn your impositions now in qnestion; though we should have thought, that one impartial reading of them might end the controversie, and save the Church and you from the sad effects. As to that, 1 Cor. 11. 16. we answer, 1. It is uncertain whether the word [Custom] refer to the matter of Hair, or to contention: so many Expositors judge, q. d. [the Churches of God are not contentious] 2. Here is no Institution (muchless by fallible men) of new Covenanting, Dedicating, or Teaching Symbols, or Ceremonies; nor is here any unnecessary thing enjoyned, but that which nature, and the Custom of the Country had made so decent, as that the opposite would have been abusively indecent: This is not your Case. A Cross or Surplice is not decent by nature, or common reputation, but by Institution (that is, not at all; for if it be not instituted, because decent, it will not be decent, because instituted) nor are these so decent, as the opposite to be indecent. The Apostles worshipped God as decently without them, as you do with them: The Minister prayeth in the Pulpit, as decently without the Surplice, as in the Reading place with it. 3. Paul doth but exhort them to this undoubted Comeliness (as you may well do, if men will do any thing, which nature or common reputation makes to be slovenly, unmannerly or indecent, as being covered in Prayer, or singing Psalms, or any such like; about which we will never differ with you:) But even here, he talks not of force, or such penalties as tend to the greater hurt of the Church, and the ruin of the person.