The Account Audited and Discounted, Exercitation 2 · Section 8-9
Sect. 8, 9. That the laſt part of the verſe, not ſparing the body, &c.
IN the eighth Section, nothing is excepted to; foreign, p. 123. n. 4.and in the ninth nothing but a ſtrife of words, in a point, beſide the main buſineſs; [Whether the Abſtinences were well comprehended under free-will-offerings; and whether they may be called poſitive things:] Wherein I ſhall not conteſt (to ſwell this Diſcourſe) but leave the Doctor to his own opinion; though much might be ſaid therein, onelyonly theſe things might be ſaid to ſhew the difference, 1. The Doctor underſtands theſe Abſtinences [of the Gnoſticks, deteſting of marriage, p. 122. n. 2.making it damnable, &c.] ſure ſuch are not comprehended under Free-will-offerings. 2. Theſe Abſtinences are condemned by the Apoſtle, as deſtructive, whereas thoſe Free-will-offerings were allowed and commendable. 3. The Free-will-offerings were by him, made parts of Worſhip, but I think, he will not ſay ſo, of the Abſtinences from meats and marriage: If he ſhould, I would ſay, he is nearer the Gnoſticks, then I was the Epicureans; who pretended them to be (as he does here) acts of voluntary oblations, or voluntary Worſhip; and ſo acceptable to God. Had they not defamed marriage, and brought in thoſe abominable filthineſſes, the Doctor and they might have ſhaken hands. Yea, in making Abſtinence from marriage, a part of Worſhip, and a ſtate of greater perfection then marriage, (pronounced honourable in all, by the Apoſtle) both they and he do implicitly defame marriage. Offering to God a free-will-offering of abstinence, &c. p. 119. n. 5. p. 123. n. 4. n. 5.That the Doctor makes faſting and Virginity, or ſelf-denial, in matter of meats and marriage, a part of Worſhip, may appear, 1. By the Phraſes he uſes in commending of it; [Deſigning it to the honour of God; looking on it, as that which will be acceptable to God, though not commanded, and as ſuch, dedicating it to God; this ſure will be a Free-will-offering.] This was ſpoken of Faſting; but then he addes, [The ſame is as viſible of Virginal chaſtity, &c.] That is, ſo deſigned to the honour of God, ſo acceptable to God, ſo dedicated to God; All which imply the things are put into a Religious ſtate; and made Holy, Abſtaining for Religion or Piety, foreign, p. 133. n. 19. So Salmeron. p. 146. n. 21. p. 123. n. 4.and parts of Worſhip. 2. That he calls them voluntary Free-will-offerings, which confeſſedly were parts of Worſhip. 3. That here (as hereafter) he gives it the title [of greateſt perfection.] Now to place perfection in things, which God never placed in them, is a ſpecies of Superſtition, (as was diſcourſed in the former Tract.) But the Doctor to gratifie me, will throw a foreign, an apple of contention, before me; (which he is very good at, having thrown abroad more ſuch apples of contention, then almoſt any man of late; except but J. G.) [That ſuch the Abſtinences *We ſpeak of thoſe Gnoſtick abſtinences, not of ſuch, as he will fain.may he, that they ſafely and fitly may be comprehended under the ſelfe-denials and Free-will-offerings:] He inſtances in two particulars, Faſting and Virginal chaſtity. That theſe are or may be acts of ſelf-denial, is true; that is, when God calls for them: otherwiſe, they are not acts of that ſelf-denial, which our Saviour requires, as the firſt leſſon in his ſchool; Faſting, is then acceptable, when God calls for Faſting, Iſa. 22.12 by either ſome publique or private and perſonal occaſion: and yet then, is not a Free-will-offering, as being then neceſſary; nor a part of Worſhip, but an help to Worſhip, as our Divines generally hold. But for a man to ſet apart dayes of Faſting, twice a week, as the Phariſee, or oftner as Papiſts, as an Act of Religion, and Worſhip of God, when God by no juſt occaſion calls for it, is no acceptable ſervice of God, but rather, diſpleaſing and abominable, as preſcribing ſelf-deviſed Worſhip. Say the ſame of Virginity, or ſingle life; either God calls for it, and then it is a duty; or he calls not for it, and then it can be no act of true ſelf-denial; much leſs, an act of Worſhip, pleaſing to God. For thus I argue, [either the party hath the gift of continency, and then he denies himſelf in nothing:] what ſelf-denial is it, for a man to deny himſelf drink, when he is not a thirſt? [Or be hath not the gift of continency, and then he may not deny himſelf the remedy and ſatisfactions tending to it; becauſe then he expoſes himſelf to temptations.] But now, ſuppoſing a man hath the gift of continency, and ſo reſolves to keep his Virgine; if this man ſhould make his ſelf-denial, or Caelibate, a part of Religion and Worſhip, (as Papiſts do) he will be guilty of Will worſhip. And if he ſhall beſide, make this ſtate of Caelthate, See Q. of Divorce. Sect. 36. Not commanded at all, but looked on as the greateſt degree of perfection.an higher, even the higheſt or greatest perfection, and ſo advance it above marriage, in himſelf, or another; he comes near to the Gnoſticks, in defaming and depreſſing marriage, an honourable ordinance of God, and preferring his own fancy before it; and may juſtly fear, that God will give him over to vile affections, and abominable luſts, (not much ſhort of the Gnoſticks, as is viſible amongſt Papiſts) for diſhonouring honeſt marriage. And now I could, if I liſted, throw out another Apple of contention before the Doctor; [Whether he that aſſuredly hath the gift of continency, is not by God called to ſingle life?] I will give him ſome reaſons for the Affirmative, and leave them to his Determination. 1. Every Special gift of God, is a Special Talent to be improved for the glory of the Giver. But ſuch is the gift of continency, a ſpecial gift, 1 Cor. 7.7.Matt. 19.11. [All men cannot receive this ſaying, ſave thoſe to whom it is given.] And therefore he that hath it muſt improve it, for the kingdom of Heavens ſake, ver. 12. 2. Our Saviour ſeemes to lay a command upon it, ver. 12. [He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.] Which is not a bare permiſſion, but a kinde of precept. And this in the judgement of ſome learned, whom the Doctor cannot well reject. The firſt is the B. of N. Doctor Hall, of Honour of married Clergy, lib. 1. ſ. 7. Who thus ſpeaks, ſomewhat in our Doctors language; [Neither do we think that the earth affords any thing more glorious, then Eunuchiſme for the kingdom of God; which is therefore commended by our Saviour, not as a thing meerly arbitrary, by way of advice, but of charge to the able, Qui poteſt capere, capiat.] And a little after this, he ſayes of ſuch as upon trial, finde they have the gift, and make profeſſion of it, [The obſervation whereof, if they through their own neglect, ſhall let fall, they cannot be excuſed from ſin, or freed from cenſure.] But then it can be no Free-will-offering, but a duty. The other is, the learned Doctor Hamond; who ſeemes to me, to make it obligatory, to him that is able to bear it; pag. 211. n. 27. [Virginity, I hope, is not every mans duty, but at the utmoſt, his, who can receive it.] If then it be his duty, that can receive it, it is neither Free-will-offering nor high degree of perfection; which yet theſe two whoſe Teſtimonies are cited, do ſeem to make it. However, if it be free, for him that hath the gift, to marry; if yet he ſhould abſtain voluntarily, accounting it, a part of Gods Worſhip, or a degree of higher perfection, it will, I think, prove no better then a ſinful Willworſhip. But more anon of this. Thoſe men that hold Free-will in natural men, to Good, as well as to Evil, no marvail if they talk ſo much of Free-will-offerings and ſelf-denials, in theſe things; which an Heathen or an Hypocrite may do, as well as they.
The words cited out of Chryſoſt. diſtinguiſhing acts of mans will from Commandments of God, and making them, firſt, p. 124. n. 5.more rewardable then the acts which are under precept, will fall in again to be ſpoken to, more fitly; till then I ſhall forbear. [That abſtinence from marriage, n. 7.was never commanded by any Law,] I never doubted; but I never dreamed that that was here cenſured by the Apoſtle; no Interpreters beſide himſelf, that I know, ever ſo expounded it. But the Doctor having once aſſumed it, (as ſerviceable to his purpoſe) moſt confidently carries it on as yeilded him, and all along applies it to the Gnoſtick Hereſie, who, I ſaid, were not hatched, till Paul had long been dead, in the ſecond century.