The Principle of Protestant Truth and Peace, Treatise 3 · Objection 5 – Objection 6
Object. 5. The Commands of Lawful Authority take away the Indifferency, and make Neceſſary, what was before Indifferent.
Anſw. The Queſtion is not, Whether Magiſtrates ought to be obeyed in all things Indifferent; for that is readily granted, if in all Circumſtances they are Indifferent; nor whether Rites are Indifferent Things, for that is alſo ſuppoſed to be granted; but the queſtion muſt be, Whether it is an indifferent thing to give or receive Scandal, upon the account of Indifferent Things; ſeeing that may indiſputably fall out, or the Apoſtles Diſcourſes fall to the Ground; and in one ſort of Indifferents, as well as others, elſe the Apoſtles Diſcourſe will be ineffectual to any the like Caſe: Seeing then the Tribunal and Authority of God is higher, than of any of the Supreams of this World, and that Scandal is cogniſable only before him; and that whatever incurs Sandal is inſeparable from Sin againſt God; it muſt needs follow, that in a Caſe of Doubt, from which a Man cannot acquit himſelf, he cannot obey Men in that, without diſobeying God, who hath declared to him, Whatever is not of Faith is Sin; and he that doubteth, and doth what he doubteth of, is Damned; that is, Condemned within himſelf, and in the thing it ſelf: And the Reaſon in ſuch a Caſe muſt be the ſame, as in a Caſe of Obeying Magiſtrates againſt any expreſs Divine Prohibition. For though the thing doubted of, does much differ, if it be indeed indifferent: Yet the Prohibition is as plain againſt doing what is doubted of, and what is not of Faith, as in any Caſe.
Seeing then all Humane Authority muſt lower its Top to Divine, I cannot ſee, but that, in Indifferent things in Religion, which is Gods peculiar, for we ſpeak only of that, the Magiſtrates Power is excluded, in caſe of real doubt of Conſcience, in which a Man can do nothing, but he runs into Gods danger, even as in any other caſe of ſuch danger, by reaſon of Sin. And what is offered in Relief, will not avail, viz. That Obedience to Magiſtrates is certainly a Duty; but whether there be any diſobedience to God, about ſuch or ſuch Indifferents, is in doubt; and if the thing be indeed indifferent, it is a doubt upon miſtake: And then there is a diſobedience to God, in an undoubted Rule, and Command to avoid it in a caſe not only of doubt, but of miſtake.
This, I ſay, cannot avail; Becauſe the meaſure is not to be drawn betwixt Obedience to Magiſtrates in all lawful things, or things indifferent; but betwixt Obedience to Magiſtrates, and Obedience to that Rule of the Word of God in all caſes of doubt, which is as clear, and as little ſubject to doubt, as any Rule whatever. Yet does not this evacuate the Power of Magiſtrates, it being reſtrained to things indifferent in Religion, and in Doubt, and the Doubt fixed upon a grand Principle of Truth.
Nor is that of greater ſatisfaction, That in Obedience to Magiſtrates, there are ſo many degrees of Good, and ſo many of Evil in the Diſobedience; but in doing well or ill, concerning Indifferents, there are much fewer Degrees, both of the Good, and the Evil; therefore Obedience to God, in ſo great a Morality, as Obedience to Magiſtrates, is always to be preferred before our doing well in Indifferents; and the fear of Evil in one, to be avoided much rather, than the ſame fear in the other.
The Reaſon of Diſſatisfaction is this, That the Meaſure is not betwixt the Morality of Obedience to God, in obeying Magiſtrates, and doing well or ill about things Indifferent, but betwixt the Morality of Obeying God in one of his clear and undoubted Precepts, and in another of the ſame Evidence and Clearneſs; which muſt needs be one and the ſame, and of the ſame Rate of Morality: Seeing Obedience to God is the Fundamental Morality.
If it were not thus, the Magiſtrates Prohibition of Sacrifice of the Cup in the Lords Supper, muſt exempt from Obedience to God in thoſe Duties; becauſe Obedience to Magiſtrates is a Moral Duty, but the other Ceremonial.
But it is out of Meaſure certain, Obedience to God is both the top and the bottom of all Morality; and although Obedience to Magiſtrates is a great point of Morality, yet Obedience to God is ſo before it, as to be the Meaſure of it.
Beſides, if Obedience to God be to be valued not by his Authority, but by weighing the Precepts themſelves, much more Obedience to Magiſtrates is to be eſtimated by the Commands they give, of which Indifferents in Religion will never be made out to be worthy to be the Teſts, either of their Authority, or our Obedience; whatever unthinking Men have ſaid therein.
Indeed among the Divine Commands, God hath choſen Mercy, rather than Sacrifice, honouring Parents, rather than Corban, but it is becauſe he hath ſo declared in his Word, and in Mens Conſciences.
But all the Laws of God do harmoniouſly Conſpire, and Subordinate themſelves one to another, among which Obedience to Magiſtrates, and Preſerving the Government, and Peace of Conſcience, are none of the leaſt, nor of any conteſt, or diſtance of unkindneſs between themſelves: Whoſo is wiſe? He ſhall underſtand theſe things: Prudent? And he ſhall know them; for the ways of the Lord are right in themſelves, and lye in ſtreight Lines one to another; the Juſt ſhall walk in them, though Tranſgreſſors fall therein.
In fine, Magiſtrates, eſpecially Chriſtian Magiſtrates, are as much oblig'd againſt puſhing on Scandal, as private Chriſtians, and more, as they are the Cuſtodes, the Publick Guardians of Conſcience. But if they fail in their Duty, Obedience to them cannot diſannul the Charges againſt Scandal, lying upon all Chriſtians, in Relation to one another; nor can their Laws preſcribe againſt Moderation.
Obj. 6. But when time is allowed to the Doubtful to ſatisfy themſelves, if they come not off from their Scruples, it argues Humor and Faction are higheſt in the Caſe; or a Superſtition on the other ſide.
Anſw. The Apoſtle tells us, it is a very happy, a very rare thing, when Chriſtians ſurmount their Doubts. Happy is he that Condemns not himſelf, wherein he allows himſelf; It is a very Priviledged Caſe to be well and wiſely ſatisfied after Doubt; and therefore it muſt not be haſtily cenſured, if thoſe that have been unſatisfied cannot preſently anſwer our Lure to the other ſide.
And the time is much larger, that is neceſſary in ſome Caſes, than in others: The Ceremonies of Moſes, it was reaſonable ſhould go off more quick, as Shaddows of the Night, by the brightneſs of the Goſpel, and could never return any more. But the Reaſons againſt eating at an Idols Feaſt, being nearer Moral, are much more durable, and may laſt, even while the World ſtands, where, or when-ever Idolatry has place.
In the firſt Reformation from Popery, there was Reaſon to expect, the Superſtitious Rites and Cuſtoms, that had gained upon Mens Minds with the Reputation of Religion, ſhould be daily wearing off; but the Reaſons of Doubt in Indifferents affixed to Divine Worſhip, taken from that perpetual Obligation of preſerving it pure, ſetled upon the Baſe of trueſt, ſoundeſt Reaſon, and much more favoured by Scripture, well arm'd with Experience of Events, muſt always continue in force, and ſo no Time may be large enough for getting off from thoſe Scruples that ſpring from them, but that wherein they are indeed taken away.
But if any thing of Turbulency, Faction, or Unrulineſs be ſuppoſed to lye deeper than the Scruples; it is beſt to unmask it, by taking away ſo juſt a Cauſe to mannage it ſelf, upon and by ſo great a kindneſs to Conſcience, that ought to be tendered, to heap Coals of Fire upon the heads of ſuch Perſons, either to reform them, or condemn them beyond Apologie.
Or if Superſtition, and placing Religion on the other ſide, in having a Zeal againſt Ceremonies be ſuſpected; even that does but increaſe the Scandal ariſing from theſe Indifferent Things, and makes them more neceſſary to be remov'd, as Stumbling-Blocks out of Mens way; you cure the Superſtition on the other ſide too, by taking away the Cauſe.