Moderation a Virtue, Treatise · Section 5
SECT. V.
1. Because they are Matters of great Difficulty, determinable only by exact Prudence, in a due observation of a great variety of Circumstances, which do much change the Countenance of Things.
2. Because they are Matters of Controversy between studious, wise, and pious Men.
3. Because they are in themselves Matters of small moment, some of them being but Hay and Stubble, in comparison of the Foundation, or of Gold and Silver; but Mint and Annise, in comparison of the weightier Matters of the Law.
4. Because they are Matters of Christian Liberty.
5. Because they are Matters that occasion too much Scandal; they who do them, offend the Weak that scruple them; and they who omit or refuse them, offend them that require them. And suppose that some that are now weak, may out-grow the weakness of Understanding and Judgment, yet there is a Succession of weak Ones, following one another, of Babes that have need of Milk; and by consequence there must be a continual Exercise of Moderation and Condescension.
6. We cannot deny them the Benefit of our Moderation, because there are matters of as great, and greater moment to the Life and Honour of Religion passed over, or not punished in some that are most averse from them, as any thing which they hold and insist upon, and make the reason of their dissent from us.
7. If there be any Pity in us to poor erring Souls, we must shew it in Moderation; Know we not that we our selves are subject to Errours? That many err unwillingly? that all have not a Capacity to judg? nor means and leisure to be inform'd? that many are prepossessed, prejudiced, melancholy, overturn'd by Passions? Do not we know the power of a scrupulous Conscience? That there may be Honesty of Heart in loving God and Holiness, in hating Sin, and desiring to please God in his Worship, that cannot dispute, nor understand an Argument▪ nor our Distinctions? How can we save some with Fear, making a Difference, but by Moderation? O how merciful and indulgent is our Heavenly Father to many weak, froward, pettish, complaining, sickly, staggering Children! And should not we be like him! If we cannot convince them by clear, and to us satisfying Reasons, by Love and Beneficence, by all Courtesy and Endearments, by Painfulness in our Callings, commending our selves to every Man's Conscience in the sight of God, by Holiness, and Exemplary Lives, we are at a loss; the Weapons of our Warfare being only spiritual: we will commend them heartily to God, and if we cannot gain them, we will be very careful to give them no just cause to depart from us, by denying any thing within our Power to grant them.
8. There are not many things of which most Men can be very confident; and one great and common cause of Confidence, is their abounding in their own sence, and not knowing what contrary Parties can say for their Persuasions: There is hardly any matter of Controversy between the Conformist and Nonconformist; but there are different Thoughts of the very same things among Conformists themselves: there is good reason therefore why we should be sober and modest, which are some some of the Vertues that Moderation is exercised in.
9. On the other hand, we are sensible, that Obedience, Peace, Order and Uniformity are great things; and on the other hand, I think no Man can think that the things, which are the Instances of Obedience, which are said often to be things indifferent, to be under-valued. If I say the harm and danger of precious Souls, are of far greater Consideration. If we think then, that if Authority think sit to silence the Controversy by the removing the matters of those things, not good, or necessary in themselves, that the Salvation of precious Souls may not be obstructed by a rigorous exacting of them: We make but a moderate Estimation of them if we think them of less moment than the Good or Evil to Souls for whom Christ died. Better the Controversies were buried, than that Souls should be endangered to perish for them. And though touch not, taste not, handle not, a needless Scrupulosity, Shiness and Displeasure against them, be the cause of Irregularity; yet it must be acknowledged that a Zeal for Ordinances, without unnessary Rites, is laudable, and a Zeal against Rites is not so much to be blam'd, as the Evil to be fear'd on the other hand,See Mr. Bold's Plea for Moderation, sadly and ingenuously speaking his own Experience, p. 14. to those many erring and superstitious Souls, that think Ordinances are not Ordinances without them. We cannot rhetoricate upon them as some Men do, that they are Helps and Ornaments to Devotion, that they are edifying in their Nature and Vse; for if so, they are necessary, and the Ordinances are maim'd when they are taken off. We know no Inconvenience or Dammage, but Good to have followed the Abolition of many Ceremonies formerly in use, for some of which as much may be said as for these in use. And two things prevailed upon our Reformers to lay them aside: 1. Their Multitude: 2. And principally, because they were abused by the Superstitious Blindness of the rude and unlearned; and partly by the insatiable Avarice of such as sought more their own Lucre than the Glory of God; that the Abuses could not well be taken away, the things remaining still. Of Ceremonies, why some be abolished, &c.
We have not omitted to instruct our People in these things, and yet many attribute too much to them (and those that look upon them as they are in their nature and use, cannot be stiff for them:) there is as great Reason to forbear them that scruple them, as them that are too fond of them, not to say too superstitious; to the one they are a Stone of stumbling, to the other they are a part of the Building. And setting aside the Authority which commands them, and may withdraw those Commands without detriment to Religion; they who say the Ordinances had them not, have as much at least to say against them, as they have, who cannot be without them. We are indulgent to these, who err from the Doctrine of the Church concerning them; as obedient Children, we do heartily wish we could be as indulgent to those who are of a different Mind, and as far as we may, and in some things we may be tender towards them, we cannot but we must use an honest Moderation.