Five Disputations of Church Government, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Prop. 13. The Constant use of things indifferent should not be (ordinarily) commanded; but they should be sometimes used, and sometimes disused.
§. 1. I WILL say but little of this, because I have opened it before in the Disputation about Liturgies. The Reasons of it are plain. 1. Indifferent things should be used as indifferent things, and therefore with some indifferency.
§. 2. And 2. The people else will be brought to think them Necessary, if they be constantly used, and custome will grow to a Law: And no contradicting this by doctrine will serve turn to rectifie the mistake: For we cannot be alway nor oft preaching on such things: And if we were, yet practice is much more observed by them then doctrine; which commonly they understand not, or forget.
§. 3. And 3. Hereupon their minds will receive a false impression about the nature of their Religion, and they will be brought to worship they know not how, and to set a high value on that which is not to be valued; and consequently it will kindle a false zeal in their affections, and corrupt all their devotions.
§. 4. And 4. It will make them disobedient against Magistrates or Pastors that would take them off from their false apprehensions, and misguided practices: and if they live in a place where the Governours are against their customs, they will disobey them on pretence of duty to God, and think that they do him service in it.
§. 5. Yea 5. They will be uncharitably censorious against their Brethren that are not of their mind▪ and …oo… on them as men that are self-conceited or irreligious, as the Papists do by all that do no entertain every opinion which they … with the Articles of their faith, and every practice which they place their Religion in.
§. 6. We see all this by sad experience among our selves. The imposers of our Ceremonies and the maintainers of them, did still profess that they were no parts, …ut Accidents of worsh…p; and they pleaded for them but as things indifferent. And yet now the Magistrate, and their lawfull acknowledged Pastors, would bring the people in some of these Ceremonies to change their customs; they will not do it, in many places, but make conscience (as they profess) of Gestures, and forms and D…yes, and such like, as if they had been of Divine Institution. If they be things Indifferent, why may not they disuse an Holy day one year as they use it another or disuse a form of Prayer one day, as they use it another, or recieve the Lords Supper one time sitting, as they do another time kneeling? But this they will not endure to yield to: so that you see that constant uninterrupted use, hath made custome a Law with them, and given the Lie to the Doctrine of the Bishops themselves, that called them but indifferent things; and caused the people to place Gods worship in them.
§. 7. And on the other side a constant purposed disuse of convenient Modes and Circumstances of worship, may draw people to think them things unlawfull, and to rise up against them as innovations, and strange things, when they are imposed.
§. 8. Yet here we must distinguish of ind…fferent things. Some are so convenient, that we cannot frequently vary, but with great inconveniency and wrong to the Church (as a due hour for Assembling, and a convenient place, and the best Translations, and versions of the Psalms, the fittest Utensils for worship, &c.) In all these cases it were giddiness to vary frequently and without need; and yet worse to tie men up from varying when they find need. Other things are of ordinary inconvenience, which therefore ordinarily should be disused: though in some cases of necessity they must be allowed. Other things depend upon the will of men, and there is no great difference in point of convenience between the using and disusing them, but what the will of man doth cause: (as in our vestures, our gestures in some of the Ordinances, as in hearing, singing Psalms, and in abundance of Ceremonies or Circumstances, this is the case.) These are they that I say should be used, but unconstantly.
§. 9. As for them that cry out of Confusion and Sacriledge, and irreligiousness, and I know not what, if Ceremonies be not constantly used, and all forced to them, but be used with an indifferency; the distempers of their own souls contracted by such Customs, is a sufficient argument to move a sober considerate man, to desire that the Church may be delivered from such endangering customs. They do but tell us that custom hath made cer…monies become their very Religion! And what a kind of Religion is that?