The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 9 · Section 15
Sect. 15. Secondly, cuſtome is another probable ground, which (with them) will ſecure a perſon from ſin in doing what is unlawful. It is ordinary with their Caſuiſts to conclude a practice innocent, when there is cuſtome for it; though otherwiſe they condemn it as a ſin. So Navar (a)Cap. 13. n. 5.determines, that if it were a cuſtome, to obſerve the Lord's day only till noon, or till Maſs were ended in the Morning: it would be no ſin, to ſpend the reſt of it in ſervile works. And that of Cajetan is obſervable, he takes notice that it is a practice in the Church of Rome, to ſing to the Organ prophane and filthy Songs, when they are at Church for worſhip; This the Cardinal reflects upon ſeverely, condemns it as a mortal ſin, and a crime of Sacrilegious Superſtition: yet in the concluſion, thinks ſomething of it (b)Excuſandos tamen illos crediderim, qui ſimplici corde credentes licere non turpia, ſed vana, quaſi pro recreatione pulſare, pro eo quod vbi que ſic vident fieri, erraverunt—tales enim ex ignorantia probabili erraverunt. Sum. v. Organ.excuſable, upon the account of cuſtome, and probable ignorance. (c)Qui habitu, geſtu, cantu, notabiliter laſcivo, in ludo chorearum utitur, ſicut faeminae inverecundae pectora laſcive nudant, viri partes inverecundas indecenter coopertas oſtendunt, peccant mortaliter.Thoſe who in dancing uſe Habit, Geſture, or Songs which are notoriouſly laſcivious; as immodeſt women who wantonly lay open their Bre…ſts; and men, who expoſe without due covering, their ſhameful parts; they ſin mortally. So de Graffijs had concluded (as any perſon that is not paſt ſhame would do); but then he preſently corrects himſelf; (d)Verum de hoc pro certo judicare non poſſumus, ſed ſtandum eſt conſuetudini patriae l. 2. cap. 120. n. 16.yet of this, ſays he, we can paſs no certain judgment, but muſt ſtand to the cuſtom of the Countrey. Though ſo much wantonneſs ſeem a mortal ſin, yet if it be the cuſtome; he cannot certainly judge it any. In like manner (e)Sum. v. Ornar. n. 7.Sylveſter determines of a Habit, that will not ſuffice to hide their ſhame, if it be a cuſtome, though not laudable, and without ill intention; no general rule, can be formed againſt it. In (f)In his quae ideo ſunt mala quia prohibita, ut communiter poſitiva praecepta, excuſat conſuetudo praeſcripta, quia tollit legem, & eſt legum interpres: Imo hac ratione dico, quod excuſat etiamſi non ſit praeſcripta, modo ſit rationabilis, & ſcienter tolerata, &c. Idem. ibid. v. ſcrupul. n. 4. reg. 5.poſitive precepts, where things are evil becauſe prohibited, cuſtom will excuſe. And ſo Fornication which in the judgment of (g)Supra.Durandus and ſome others, is of this nature: needs nothing but cuſtom, to excuſe it from being a ſin. So much they aſcribe to cuſtom, that they will have the Scripture not to direct, and regulate it; but to follow it, and be conformed to it, even in its changes; ſo that the ſenſe and obligation of the Divine Rule, ſhall be changed as the Romaniſts change faſhions. This Cardinal (b)Scripturaſ que eſſe ad tempus adopt atas, & varie intellectas, ita ut uno tempore ſecundum currentem univerſalem ritum exponerentur, mutato ritu iterum ſententia mutaretur. Epiſt. 2. ad Bohem. de uſu Com. Nec mirum ſi praxis eccleſiae uno tempore interpretatur ſcripturam uno modo, & alio tempore alio modo: intellectus enim currit cum praxi. Idem. epiſt. 7.Cuſanus affirms, the Scripture (ſays he) is fitted to the time, and variably underſtood; ſo that at one time, it is expounded according to the currant faſhion of the Church: and when that faſhion is changed, the ſenſe of Scripture is alſo changed; and again no wonder if the practice of the Church, do take the Scripture, one time one way, and another time another; for the ſenſe of it keeps pace with the practice. This wa urged in the Council of (k)Hiſtory of Council of Trent. l. 2 …. 159.Trent, and judged to be the meaning of the Lateran-Council; when it decreed that the Scripture ſhould be expounded according to the Doctors of the Church, or as cuſtome has approved. Thus it muſt come to paſs, that what the word of God, in its true meaning, did once condemn as a ſin; if it become the Roman practice, the Divine precept will change its ſenſe, and the act will be no ſin. It was a ſin once by the word of God, to deprive the people of the Cup in the Euchariſt: but ſince it was the cuſtome of Rome, the Scripture has changed its meaning, and it is now no ſin. To worſhip Images, was a crime condemned in Scripture, as that which God moſt abhorred; but being once the practice of the Romaniſts, the Scripture renounced its former ſenſe, and it is now far from being criminal. It has not only made a change in the word of God, but in the nature of the thing; and the ſame thing which was Idolatry, is now no ſuch matter. Of (l)Quaeritur quid juris de idololatria? Et dico ſuperſedendum eſſe hic: quia jam per gratiam Chriſti, non eſt in uſu v. Superſtitio. n, 3.the Law againſt Idolatry (ſays Sylveſter) nothing muſt be ſaid, becauſe now by the grace of Chriſt, it is not in uſe. It is not in uſe, becauſe it is their cuſtome: it is not the ſame thing, that it was to all the world beſides, becauſe they uſe it. And what cuſtome has done in theſe inſtances, it may as well do in any other: when all ſin is once the practice of that Church (as the worſt is already) there will be no ſin in it.