The Principle of Protestant Truth and Peace, Treatise 3 · Objection 2 – Objection 4
Object. 2. The Apoſtle himſelf was enforced to change his Voice concerning Indulgence to the weak, in the Judaique Rites, and to vote the perſiſting in a Love to them damnable; and the Holy Spirit brands the Idolothytes conceded by the Apoſtle, to be afterwards the Doctrine of Balaam: So that the Weakneſs of Conſciences about Indifferent Things becomes ſo maſterleſs, unruly, and headſtrong, as to indanger main Concernments in Religion, if not reformed, the due time of Indulgence being allowed for it.
Anſw. The Miſchief, if nearly obſerved, always grows from making more Acceſſions to the Worſhip of God, and Religious Services, than God hath made: For the Judaizing in the Galatians, the Will-Worſhip and ſhew of Wiſdom among the Coloſſians, the forbidding to marry, and commanding to abſtain from Meats, all grow upon the ſame Root: Even the Idolatry and Luxury of the Idolothytes, came not from a wiſe and Chriſtian aſſerting God's Right above the Idol's, but from ſinking down into the ſenſual Worſhip of the Idol, by a daily Converſation at his Table in his Temple, and uniting Heatheniſm with Chriſtianity; of one of which, either Judaiſm or Heatheniſm, moſt Rites are but the Offspring.
The great Danger is either in exalting Gods Creatures into a ſtate, and for Uſes and Ends, above what he Ordained them, at Humane pleaſure and arbitrament; or retrenching the Liberty God hath given in the free uſe of his own Creatures; for every Creature of God is good, and nothing to be refuſed, if received with thanksgiving: For it is ſanctified by the Word of God and Prayer. Now this cannot alike extend to the Signs and Ceremonies created by Humane Imagination, and impoſed with rigour, and that not only on Civil Accounts, which we meddle not with, but upon Religious, where God is only Supreme: At which Door hath entred all the Idolatry and Superſtition into the World, winding it ſelf by leſſer Degrees, and ſo mounting it ſelf to the very top.
The great Uſe of the Apoſtle's two Diſcourſes, is therefore to be reſolved into this one main Poſition. That upon the account of Indifferencies, wherein the uſe or non-uſe cannot commend us to God, we ſhould not Scandaliſe, nor ſo much as offer Scandal to any of the Servants of Chriſt.
In all which it is duly to be conſidered, That Scandal runs in the Induſtrious Impoſing and binding Obſervation, either by Example that expects Conformity to it, or any more violent Influence upon Compliance: That which the Apoſtle therefore perſwades to, was not any thing of Ritual Diſtinction of Days or Meats, but only the not eating ſuch or ſuch Meats, happened in theſe two Caſes to be the Expedient againſt Scandal, he therefore perſwades the not eating upon theſe Contingencies, as by the by, which was a very eaſie performance for Chriſtian Charity; but the Thing he was wholly intent upon, was that great Doctrine of not Scandaliſing for the ſake of Indifferent Things. Theſe Circumſtances eaſily vaniſhed, the main Point remains unmoved. They were only a Scheme, a momentany and tranſitory one, to diſplay this great Doctrine in, and to preſent it upon.
When theſe things grew into a Ritual Religion, the Scheme was altered and ſhifted, they grew ſinful, and were condemned; the Doctrine ſtood yet, and for ever ſtands firm, planted upon them.
Object. 4. The Rites uſed are ſuch as are recommended from Antiquity, and were of uſe of old, in the Primitive Church.
Anſw. Allow it to be ſo. All that can be collected from thence, is but Example, wound up to its higheſt Peg, when it does not reach Chriſt: And whenever it does not reach him, it does not bind. Be ye followers of me, as I 1 Cor. 11. 1.am of Chriſt, ſaid the Apoſtle, juſt about to diſcourſe of the foreign, Ordinances or Traditions. Thoſe Concurrences, All, Every where, Always, muſt begin in Scripture, and be found there, elſe they do but oblige our Prudence, not our Conſcience.
Only ſo far as Antiquity, or the Primitive Church, inables us to ſee with our own Eyes the Senſe of Scripture, or the Determinations of Natural Light and Reaſon in any Caſe, ſo far it obliges us in Conſcience. All elſe is but the Deference of Modeſty and due Regard, which cannot weigh againſt Scandal, except we make the Oracles of Antiquity, equal to the Heavenly Oracles; and then we muſt demand the ſame Certainty of the Divine Inſpiration of the one, as of the other, or elſe we may quickly run into the greateſt of Scandals.