Abolishing of Things Abused to Superstition and Idolatry, Tract · Section 11
Sect. 11.
Seventhly, THe point being thus explicated, and the reaſons given, I ſhall here ſet down ſome cautions or restrictions, whereby (comparing them with what hath been ſaid) you may come to ſee the juſt extent, and bounds of the truth we have before us, and ſo be ſecur'd from mistakes. Though it be the pleaſure of God that ſuch things as have been abuſed in ſuperſtitious and idolatrous ſervices, ſhould be laid aſide, yet
1. This hinders not, but that though his own Ordinances have been abuſed in ſuch kind of ſervices, we both may and ought ſtill to make uſe of them. They are not only ſuch things as he hath appointed, but likewiſe ſuch as are of perpetual uſe; and therefore though men do never ſo much pervert or injure them, yet we muſt ſtill retain them. This rule (ſaith Zanchy) is to be held, Tenenda eſt haec regula, &c. vol. 2. col. 678.that if thoſe things which are neceſſary in Divine worſhip happen to be abuſed, and contaminated with ſuperstitions, they neither ought, nor may be taken away; but in caſe thoſe things which are indifferent are abuſed: they both may, and ſometimes ought wholly to be taken away, as Hezekiah dealt with the brazen Serpent. There are many things neceſſary in Divine worſhip that be groſly and ſadly abus'd, and yet we muſt for all that retain them. The Jews make a plain Idol of the Law; they do not only bow to it, and kiſs the clothes wherein it is wrapped: but if it happen to fall to the ground, they preſently inſtitute a Fast, leſt the World thereupon ſhould be reduc'd to its primitive Chaos, and all turn'd into confuſion. The Papiſts moſt lamentably abuſe prayer; not contenting themſelves with praying to God, the only object of all religious worſhip, they pray to Angels, nay to Saints, and ſuch too, as we have good reaſon to think, are ſo far from being able to relieve others, that they ſtand in need of relief themſelves. And after the ſame manner do they deal with the Sacraments; they do moſt lamentably abuſe them: partly by giving them more reſpect than is due, partly by giving them too little; one while by adding, another while by diminiſhing. Of the one, they make a God, by teaching the real preſence; of the other, a meer bawble, by applying it to Bells and ſuch like things: and both of them, they cloath with ſuch a company of ſuperſtitious ceremonies, See what Comenius ſaith of Ordination. Annot. ad Rat. Ord. & diſcip. fratrum Bohem. p. 76.that they bury what is of God in the midſt of the devices of mens. Now though theſe and other Ordinances, be thus abuſed, we muſt not upon this lay them aſide; that, were to bereave our ſelves of the benefit God offers to us in them, and encourage Satan and his inſtruments in their work.
2. Neither do's this hinder but that though Gods own creatures have been abuſed in ſuch kind of ſervices, we may notwithſtanding, make uſe of them. Thoſe he hath by our very conſtitution and frame made neceſſary to us, and by an act of gracious indulgence granted us the free uſe of; and therefore though men do either one way or other abuſe them, that is no ſufficient reaſon, wherefore we ſhould thenceforth lay them aſide.2 Kings 17.16. The Iſraelites worſhipped all the hoſt of heaven: yet we muſt not upon that account turn our backs on them, and reject their light and influence; that were to equal their Idolatry, with an unrequired, ridiculous preciſeneſs. Numb. 22.40.The Heathens offered Oxen and Sheep in Sacrifice to their Idols, yet did not Moſes, or the Iſraelites, thereupon lay them aſide, but ſtill made uſe of them, both for the ſervice of God, and their own neceſſary food.Judg. 6.25. Gideons Father deſigned his Ox for Sacrifice to Baal; yet Gideon for all that, took him, & offered him to the Lord. And the Apoſtle teaches, that though ſuch and ſuch meat have been offered to an Idol, yet when it is brought into the Market, we may lawfully buy, and eat thereof.1 Cor. 10.25. Speaking of things offered to Idols, ſaith he, Whatever is ſold in the Shambles, that eat, asking no queſtion for Conſcience ſake. To go into the Idols Temple, and eat it there,See Voetius ſelect disp. part 3. p. 263. whiles it remains ſub ſigillo Idoli, & in ſtatu Idololatrico, under the Idols Seal, and in idolatrous ſtate, that we may aot do; but when it is reduced ad ſtatum uſumque communem, to common ſtate and uſe, in which, and for which it was given us of God, the Author, and Conſerver of nature, then we may do it.
But then we muſt take care that what we do, be without ſcandal: Should we by eating ſuch meat, grieve, diſcourage, unſettle our weak brother; or rejoyce, encourage, confirm Idolaters, we ſhould for all its being reduced to a common uſe, become culpable. When Moſes delivered the ceremonial Law, every creature of God in its own Nature, was then good, and nothing to be refuſed, as well as afterwards, when that Law was abrogated: and yet he forbad the uſe of many of them; and that for this reaſon (as ſeveral learned men think) that they were ſo much abuſed by the Egyptians, See Morney de verit. c. 26 p. 520. Grotius de verit. l. 5. p. 248.and that the Iſraelites might thereby be brought to abhor and abominate their idolatries. Had he allowed the Iſraelites the free uſe of all creatures without any limitation or exception, there would in all likelihood have faln out theſe two evils: the Egyptians would have been more confirmed in their own religion, and the Iſraelites would have been readier to have complyed with them in it. And for Paul, notwithſtanding his vigorous aſſerting of Chriſtian liberty, yet he was ſo tender in the caſe of ſcandal, that he paſſes his word,1 Cor. 8.13. that if eating of fleſh make his brother to offend, he will eat none, while the World ſtands.
Having thus by the way, ſignifi'd what care we muſt take to avoid ſcandal, and what abatements of our liberty we muſt make upon that account, I ſhall add thus much more; that God does not only allow us the uſe of ſuch creatures as the Heathens ſacrificed, but of ſuch likewiſe as they have ſacrificed to. How groſly the Egyptians abuſed the oxe, or calf, multitudes of Hiſtories make mention. Amongſt all the gods which they worſhipped, one (and the principal, as ſome think,Bell. t. 4. de Imag. l. 2. c. 13. Rainolds de Rom. Eccl. Idol. l. 2. c. 3. ſect. 7. p. 368. but others deny it) was Apis, who taught them husbandry, upon which account they yielded divine honour to him, under the form of an oxe. Notwithſtanding, God when he delivered the Ceremonial Law to the Iſraelites, did not forbid the uſe of that creature, either in religious or civil matters, neither did they decline it. The reſult then, in the preſent buſineſs is this: that as for thoſe creatures, which are of a ſupeior nature, ſuch as thoſe were which he allowed the Iſraelites, without whoſe uſe we cannot well ſubſiſt, 'tis none of his pleaſure, that we ſhould upon their abuſe lay them aſide; but as for thoſe things which are of an inferior nature, ſuch as thoſe were for the moſt part which he forbad them, it ſeems to be his pleaſure, that upon their abuſe, eſpecially if there be …pparent danger of ſcandal, we ſhould forbear the uſe of them.
3. Neither does this hinder, but though the neceſſary and profitable devices of men (whether framed by direction from God, or without) be abuſed in ſuch kind of ſervices, we may notwithſtanding make uſe of them. As for ſuch devices, as are unneceſſary and unprofitable, we muſt when they become abuſed lay them aſide, for the uſe will not countervail the abuſe; but when ſuch devices as are both neceſſary and profitable are abuſed, we may notwithſtanding that, retain them. Nebuchadnezzar prophan'd the Veſſels of the houſe of the Lord, by dedicating them to his gods, yet did not that hinder Zerubbabel from carrying them back to Jeruſalem, Ezr. 1.7.and reſtoring them to their former uſe. Manaſſeh defiled the Temple by his idolatrous altars and ſacrifices, yet did not Joſiah, 2 Kings 21.5.who came after him, and went ſo far in purging out Idolatry, offer upon that account to demoliſh it. Antiochus Epiphanes afterwards did the like, when he entred into the Temple, Joſeph. Antiq. l. 12. c. 7.and there offered ſwines fleſh, and ſacrificed to his own gods; yet did not the Jews upon that offer to pull it down, or our Saviour blame them for the neglect of it. The Jews following the tradition of the Elders, abuſed their water-pots to ſuperſtitious and unlawfull purifications; yet did not that hinder our Saviour from making uſe of them to glorifie God, Joh. 2.6.by the miracle, which he wrought in turning water into wine, for the ſupply of the gueſts which were at the marriage. See Chemn. Harm. in loc. Mr. Bradſh. Diſc. of Cerem. p. 15.Yet we muſt not think that theſe waterpots were of ſuch little value, as our ordinary ſmall pitchers be; they were of a more conſiderable nature. They were (as the Evangelist ſhews) not of earth, but ſtone; and ſo large, that they were not upon every occaſion carried about, but ſet in places meet for them, where the water was not poured out of them, but drawn, as the manner is with greater Veſſels. The quantity they held, was two or three Firkins apiece: From which it is evident, that they were not ordinary, trivial pots, but ſuch as were of more value and benefit, and being ſuch though they were abuſed, our Saviour makes uſe of them. The Papiſts have abuſed our Churches by their Will-worſhip, ſuperſtition, idolatry, yet did not that hinder our godly Reformers, from retaining them and converting them to the uſe, wherein they are now imployed. There are many other devices, and works of men which have been variouſly abuſed, yet being neceſſary and profitable, it is no other than reaſonable, that being ſeparated from their abuſe, they ſhould be retained. I confeſs if they are ſuch as may with any tolerable inconvenience be ſpared, and the evil that is (either already, or likely to be) committed by them, be ſuch as does over-ballance the advantage we receive from them, we ought to aboliſh them as Hezekiah did the high places, groves, and brazen ſerpent; but if it be otherwiſe, we may retain them, and go on in the comfortable uſe of them. And when it is once prov'd that the controverted Ceremonies, and other things impos'd on us, are not only lawfull, but neceſſary and profitable: ſo neceſſary, that they cannot with any tolerable inconvenience be ſpared; and ſo profitable, that the evil committed by them, does not over-ballance the advantage received from them, I ſhall ſay as much of them; but till then, I muſt needs be of this perſwaſion, that we lye under an obligation to lay them by.
4. Neither do's this hinder but that though things (eſpecially if they are in any competent degree uſeful) are in a ſlight manner abuſed, they may notwithſtanding be retained, and made uſe of. For inſtance; ſuppoſe a man ſhould be ſo ſimple as to bow to the Pen, I am now writing with, I ſee not but having told him of his folly, I may go on to uſe it as before: Or ſuppoſe, one ſhould be ſo ſilly, as to bow to Angel or Saint ſtanding for a Sign at an Innkeepers door, I do not think but the owner of it may for all that, let it ſtand. Indeed, if ſuch a thing ſhould become customary or frequent, it would for the prevention of ſin, be his duty to take it down, but for one ſingle act I think it may ſtand.
5. Neither do's this hinder, but that thoſe things that have been more groſly abuſed, in caſe there be no danger for the future, may be ſpared, and imployed either to civil or religious uſes. Had I one of the Knives wherewith the antient Heathens killed ſacrifices for their gods, I would keep it by me, and if there were occaſion imploy it to honest uſes; and I queſtion not, but I might do it without ſin. This I would do as to ſome inſtruments of Heatheniſh idolatry, but as to the instruments of Popiſh idolatry, I would not have an hand in preſerving them; For though I hope God will never ſo far forſake theſe Nations, as to ſuffer it to be reſtored, yet we are not altogether without danger; and where there is danger caution muſt be uſed.
And thus I have ſhewed you what things God upon their being abuſed would not have laid aſide. The ſum of all is this, that for ſuch things as are neceſſary either by inſtitution or uſe, without which we cannot well, either ſerve God, or live comfortably in the world: that have been ab…s'd but ſlightly, Amabo ſi auferat tibi Deut quibus abuteris omnia, quid tandem reliquum fiat? Morney de verit. c. 17. p. 343.or though more groſly, yet are now in no danger, we may, notwithſtanding their abuſe ſtill retain them. If we muſt uſe nothing that hath been abuſed, we muſt go out of the world; for what is there which hath not one way or other been abuſed. But then, for thoſe things that are no way neceſſary, and have been, and are ſtill groſly abuſed, we muſt lay them by, and not needleſly keep them up, to the ſcandalizing and indangering both of our ſelves and others.