The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 28
Thou gaveſt me no water for my Feet. Text.
Aquam pedibus Chriſti non dedit, quod tamen ſuadebat publicus mos, uti hodie convivis aquam dare manibus abluendis non habet ſuperſtitionem ſed conſuetudinem, & civilitatem laudabilem, imo neceſſariam, Aret. in loc. Mirum ergo hominem al…as ſuperſtitioſum hanc civilit atē neglexiſſe, AretThis is the firſt Defect in Simons entertainment (he is twice twitted for it) and it was againſt Civility. The common uſe and cuſtome of the Country required it from him as a common courteſie; it was as ordinary to bring water for the Feet, as it is with us to bring water for to waſh the hands. And how ever waſhing was ſuperſtitiouſly abuſed by the Phariſees, wherein they were abundant, as we find, Math. 15.2 Mark. 7.3, 4. (waſhing their Cups, Baſons, Veſſels, and their dining beds (which they uſed in ſtead of Tables, as Druſius ſhews, l. 2. c. 14) (in which reſpect Simons Omiſſion of this Ceremony is the more to be wondered at) yet this Ceremony was ſo farre from Superstition, as that it was both honeſt and neceſſary, Gen. 18. 1 Tim. 5.10.
Firſt, obſerve we,
Chriſtianity is no enemy to courteſie.
The Scripture is a Schoole of good manners, it checketh ſuch as be rude and uncivill in their carriage, Pſal. 129.8. 2 Sam. 13.22. And requireth civill courteſie, a… a Grace to our Profeſſion, Eph. 4.32.
And hence are thoſe many Precepts which we find of greeting and ſaluting one another, Math. 10.12. Luk 10.1…. 1 Theſ. 5.26. 1 Pet. 5.14.2 Cor. 13.12. And ſuch hath bin the Saints Practice, Ruth 2.4. Rom. 16. 1 Cor. 16. &c.
And this is neceſſary for the maintaining of the bond of Chriſtian Peace and Amity, yea it availeth much for the nouriſhing and encreaſing of the Communion of Saints and Society with Gods people, whence it is that the Apoſtle takes ſuch care that ſalutations and greetings be not forgotte…, Rom. 16.
Vſe. Such then as profeſſe Religion, ſhould take heed how they ſhew themſelves inhumane or hoggiſh; unkind or churliſh: It is a blemiſh to your Profeſſions. As good Workes ſo good manners would doe well to attend your Faith; for (except Charity and Liberality) Courteſie is moſt regarded of men, it paies a great deale of debt and is never the poorer; it ſatisfies every man, and yet leſſons not the ſtocke. Small Ceremonious matters win great commendations, for that they are in continuall uſe and note; wheras other virtues are put to uſe, but ſeldome (in compariſon.) If you obſerve it, you ſhall find that few have riſen to great and high preferments in this world, who have not beene Courteous. We uſe to ſtroake a Dogge upon the head, that fawnes on us.
Abſolom did ſteale away the hearts of his Fathers ſubjects by his courteous carriage,2 Sam. 15.5. though his courteſie was but a cover for his treachery (like a Bullet ſpit out of the mouth of a Cannon) he grazed low to mount the higher. I know not why any one ſhould ſay, that Religion makes men rude or ruſticall; unleſſe it be for this, that ſome out of a fiery Zeale againſt Ceremonies in Religion, hate likewiſe all Ceremony in civill converſation; and will not endure ſo much by way of Salutation, as God be with you, or God bleſſe you.
Object. 2 Joh. 10.Saint Iohn will not allow us to vouchſafe ſo much as a foreign unto ſome you'l ſay. But I muſt tell you.
Reſp. Saint Iohn forbiddeth not Courteſie and Civility, which is due to all men,foreign. though not unto their manners (as Ariſtotle anſwered one who reprooved him for giving an almes to a lewd and wicked man) but ſalute them not ſo familiarly as you do the Saints of God and Bretheren of Chriſt.
2. We muſt conſider what thoſe were who Saint Iohn ſpeakes; namely, Open and notorious adverſaries of Chriſt: If we know any to be ſuch, bid him not God ſpeed. Mareion asked S. Iohn if he did not know him (in that he did not ſpeake to him) S. Iohn replied,Euſeb. l 4 c. 14. & l. 7. c. 3. Agnoſco te primogenitum Satanae, I know thee to be the first borne of Satan: Nor would Dyoniſius Biſhop of Alexandria vouchſafe foreign to Samoſatenus the Heretique. Such as theſe are, Salute not.
Secondly, in that our Saviour blames him for not bringing water to waſh withall (though that Ceremony had beene and ſtill was ſuperſtitiouſly abuſed by the Phariſees in their Lotions.) We may obſerve thus much,
Doct. Things in themſelves lawfull, ſuperſtitiouſly abuſed are not through ſuch abuſe made unlawfull to bee uſed.
Chriſt did utterly diſlike the fooliſh, yea ſuperſtitious Ceremony which the Iewes had of often purifying and waſhing themſelves; and yet at the marriage Feaſt in Cana of Galilee, where he ſaw ſixe great water pots, Ioh. 2.6.containing two or three firkins a piece ſet for that purpoſe, he made uſe both of the Pots and Element to his great Glory, and the comfort of the Gueſts: Yea and made Water (how ever by the Phariſees abuſed) to be the materiall Element of Baptiſme, D. White late Biſhop of Ely in his Epiſt. Ded. before his Treat. of the Sabboth.as he did Bread and Wine prophaned by the Gentiles in their Idoll ſervice the materiall Elements of the holy Euchariſt.
Meat offered to Idolls might be eaten at any. Feaſt ſave in the Idols Temple, when it comes out from thence it is pronounced to be cleane by the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10.and might be eaten at their Love-Feaſts, which were made when they met to receive the Supper of the Lord.
Lying along on Beds and Feaſting in that manner was much abuſed by the Romanes in their publike Idolatry, called Lectiſternia (as Stukius ſhews at large) yet it was the geſture our bleſſed Saviour conformed unto and uſed with his Diſciples in eating of the Paſſeover, Antiq. Com. Fol. 269.which appeares not onelyonly by the ſignification of the word uſed in the Story, but by that Speech, Ioh. 13.21. There was leaning on Ieſus boſome one of his Diſciples, and verſ. 25. He then lying on Ieſus breast, &c. Which Poſture could not be, had they uſed to ſit upright as we doe. Many inſtances might be produced for further Confirmation of this Truth. As Numb. 16.38. there we find that the Cenſors of thoſe Conſpirators were imployed to make Coverings for the Altar. And in Ioſhua 6.24. We find that the ſilver and gold of Idolaters was by Gods Commandement put into his owne Treaſury.
And Iudg. 6.26.Pet. Mart com in Iudg. 6.24. The Bullocke that fed ſeaven yeares for Baal was ſacrificed to the Lord. And the Wood growing in the Idols grove was by Gods owne appointment made Fewell for Sacrifice. We may find this point fully and largely handled by D. Burges in his defence of D. Morton. Chap. 4. Sect. 23. And by M. Nicholas Byſield in the ſecond Chap. of the 1. Epiſt. of S. Peter, verſ. 13. pag. 593.
Vſe. Whence the Judgement of thoſe may be informed, who ſtartle at the uſe of any thing, which in former times hath bin, or in theſe daies is abuſed by ſuperſtitious Papiſts, and Idolaters. They can ſcarce with any Peace of Conſcience, tell you the name of that Hill on which St. Paul ſtood and preached to the men of Athens, Act. 17. 22. Or the ſigne of that Ship of Alexandria wherein he departed, Act. 28.11. The daies of the weeke muſt not be called, Munday, Tueſday, &c. as ordinarily they are named and knowne, that is (with them) ſuperſtitious: But they will thus number them, the Firſt, Second, Third day of the weeke, &c. The glorious company of the Saints and Apoſtles, becauſe too much honoured or rather diſhonoured by Papists ſhall be by them Unſainted; Their Dayes muſt be called Peters, Pauls, Iohn Baptiſts, the Saint muſt be left out; and ſo for Churches. The Feaſt of Michael the Arch-Angell, the Purification of the Ʋirgin Mary, and that of our bleſſed Saviours nativity, may not be ſounded with the Maſſe, they will turne it to the Tide, Candletide, Chriſtide, Michletide, &c. Bay leaves may not be admitted in Church or Houſe, for the Heathens ſo uſed them. I know not whither they durſt ride upon a Mule (though it were King Davids owne, 1 King. 1.30.) for that Anah firſt found them, Gen. 36.24.
I blame not any ſimply for tenderneſſe of Conſcience, but wiſh that men in weightier matters were more wiſe, and leſſe ſcrupulous in things of this nature. It is not good to be over Iuſt, nor make more Commandements then ever God hath made. Tertullian diſputing profeſſedly this Queſtion,Tertull de corona militis, p. 347 Whither a thing dedicated to Idolatry or abuſed by it may not lawfully be uſed, reſolves that it may, tam in Dei rebus quam in noſtris, both in Religious and civill uſe, If the things themſelves be not otherwiſe evill; but may be of any neceſſary or commodious uſe, as he ſhews in ſundry inſtances; were it not ſo, we muſt pull down our Churches, melt our Bells, change our Fonts, &c.
Object. But God commands that the graven Images of the Heathens ſhould be broken downe and burnt with fire,Deut. 7.25. & 12.2, 3. and all thoſe places wherin the Nations ſerved their gods ſhould be deſtroyed, and forbids his people to meddle with any of their ſilver and gold leaſt they be therby enſnared.
Reſp. It is firſt anſwered thus,Wemze Exercit on the Mor. Law, l. 1. Exercit. 15. Things belonging to Idolaters were of three ſorts: Firſt, ſuch as pertained to Idolaters, but were not Idolatrous: Th…ſe were not forbidden to be uſed, David took the Crown from of the head of the King of the Ammonites, and put it upon his owne, 2 Sam. 12.3. And the Sword of Goliah, he tooke and hung it up in the houſe of the Lord, 1 Sam. 21.9.
Secondly, Such things as were Idolatrous, but not Idolatrous in state. So the Fountains out of which the Heathens drew water for the ſervice of their Idols; which Fountaines might be converted by Chriſtians to a civill or ſpirituall uſe.M. Paget his arrow againſt Seperatiſts pag 281. So Iudg. 6.26. Look as in the Law of Shalowes ſome things polluted might be cleanſed and uſed againe, as Levit. 21.8. So may it bee in this caſe; Thoſe things which were not Idolatrous in State might bee cleanſed and converted to other Uſes.
Thirdly, ſuch things as were Idolatrous in State, and had an immediate dependance upon the Idoll, carrying the marke and badge of the Idoll ſtill upon it; as their Images of gold and ſilver and their Ornaments. Theſe were thoſe things that were to be caſt away by Gods ſpeciall command, and might not be converted to any other uſe, either ſpirituall or civill, Eſay. 30.22.
Secondly,M Wil. Whatlyes Carecloth, pag. 18. we anſwer againe, that Moſes Iudiciall Lawes do not bind us as they did the Iewes; the ſtrict and preciſe Commandement, wherby God did injoyne the Iewes to ſhun all the cuſtomes of the Gentiles, even in things otherwiſe lawfull, becauſe by them abuſed was proper to the times of the Law, as being part of that partition Wall, which Chriſt hath broken downe, that he might make of both one. True it is, the equity of this Law holdeth, teaching us to deteſt Idolatry, yet it bindeth not in ſuch a manner to deteſt Idolatry, as it did them, God commanded them to deſtroy Idolatrous places, to burne the Cattle, ſpoyle the Goods, but we are not bound to follow them in the ſame manner: So God forbad his people to marry vvith the Heathen; and if in caſe they had married ſuch wives and begot Children of them, yet they were to put them away againe, Ezra 10.11. Now a greater liberty is given. The unbeleeving wife is ſanctified to the beleeving husband, 2 Cor. 12.13, 14. And ſo much for the Anſwer to this Objection.