The Catholic Hierarchy, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Concerning Chriſtian Liberty.
§ 1. UPon the true ſtating of Neceſſities and Indifferences depends the right underſtanding of Chriſtian Liberty: concerning the genuine meaning and extent thereof, it's needful that ſomething be ſubjoyned.
That there is ſuch a thing as Chriſtian Liberty, many places in the New Teſtament will evince: we ſhall briefly explain how the word foreign is taken. 1. For freedom from the impurities of ſin, becauſe the ways of ſin are bondage; ſo the Word of God directing to holineſs, is called the Law of Liberty, Jam. 1.25. ch. 2.12. 2. Sometimes taken for Liberty or freedom from the Curſe due to ſin, or lying upon the Creature for it in its effects, Rom. 8.21. 3. It's taken for Freedom from the darkneſs of, and bondage to the Moſaical Vail of Ceremonies, 1 Cor. 3.17. 4. For a free uſe of indifferent things foreign, 2 Cor. 3.17. Gal. 2.4. In all places I finde Liberty hath a reſpect to ſome Law whereby men are bound either under duty, or unto puniſhment. We are freed from the puniſhment of the moral Law by Chriſt, but not from duties required by it, Gal. 5.1. It is a freedom purchaſed for us, Chriſt having ſatisfied the Law in reſpect of … 1. It's taken for a Liberty from ſins dominion, which is a tranſgreſſion of the Law, Rom. 6.18, 22. Joh. 8.32. 2. It's oppoſed to the bondage of expectation of Juſtification by the works of the Law, Gal. 4.22, to the 30. Rom. 7.3. Now Chriſtian Liberty as it reſpects indifferent things, it flows from the Law of Chriſt two ways, either by way of releaſe from the bondage of ſome Law, by the repeal of it, as of the Ceremonial Law, which conſiſted in many obſervations of Days, Meats, Habits, and many Rites and Ceremonies, and is liberatio; or by allowing us and entruſting us with a Latitude in the uſe of many things, notwithſtanding all ſupervening Laws and impoſitions, and therefore this is that Liberty which we are commanded by Chriſt to maintain, Gal. 5.1, 2, 3. we are to take heed that we be not entangled again in the Yoak of bondage; that place is comprehenſive of all the Liberty purchaſed for us by Chriſt, in reſpect of the moral and all ceremonial Laws; and ſo far as we have a Liberty by Goſpel-charter, we are to ſtand faſt in it, avoiding all re-intanglements of Conſcience by the Children of men, that ſpy out our lawful Liberties, and would deprive us of them; Ye are bought with a price, be ye not the ſervants of men, 1 Cor. 7.23. which place muſt be underſtood in religious ſervice, ſuch as is done in obedience to the immediate commands of Chriſt, as appears v. 22, and 24. for Chriſt doth not prohibit ſervice to men in Domeſtick and Civil affairs, but a flavery to the wills of men in the matters of Religion and inſtituted Worſhip; be ye not time-ſervers or men-ſervers: So that by Chriſt's Law we are bound to refuſe homage to mens Uſurpations in matters of Religion.
§ 2. As what Chriſt's Law to us determines (for our practice) to good and evil in all things and actions comprehended under that Law is definite; ſo what he hath not there determined ſome way or other, either explicitely or implicitely, is indefinite, and a Chriſtian hath therein his Liberty to do or to forbear without ſin, as in ſuch matters as relate to religious obſervations in Meats, Drinks, Days, and Circumſtances attending inſtituted Worſhip, not commanded or forbidden by Chriſt, but are left by Chriſt to our Liberty to do or not to do by the judgement of diſcretion, as it hath moſt tendency to the glory of God and edification of our ſelves and others: As for example; to ſit or ſtand in hearing the Word, to kneel or ſtand, or lie proſtrate in Prayer; for a man to turn his face to the Eaſt or Weſt, or wear this or that Colour in the Worſhip of God, &c. thouſands of inſtances may be given. We ſpeak not here of natural, civil, or moral Liberty; there's no doubt but a Chriſtian as a man may claim as much of that as another, and hath as much Law-obligation as to precepts of practice; but the matter under debate is what the Evangelical Liberty of a Chriſtian is in the tranſaction of the affairs of Chriſt's Kingdom.
§ 3. A Chriſtian's Liberty is not a boundleſs and lawleſs Liberty in thoſe things wherein he is moſt free, but hath its ſpecial limits and bounds ſet unto it by Chriſt, in certain Rules and Precepts generally preſcribed by him, to which all his actions may be reduced, either as to the ſubſtance of them, and ſo fall directly under that Law; or to the general circumſtances, and ſo are ſubject more remotely. Hence there are no actions that a Chriſtian doth of religious concernment, that are compleatly indifferent, but hath aliquatenus rationem boni aut mali.
§ 4. The Spirit of God (if I miſtake not) ſets a double bound to Chriſtian Liberty, viz. Moral and Evangelical. 1. Moral, in that Chriſts Law allows none the liberty of committing moral tranſgreſſions; it owns, ratifies, and confirms all moral Precepts, Prohibitions, or Permiſſions, and none may uſe Chriſtian Liberty as occaſion of licentiouſneſs, Gal. 5.13. 1 Pet. 2.16. 2. The Evangelical bound to Liberty in matters left by Chriſt indifferent, is Expediency, by which a thing that is ſubſtantially indifferent may be relatively and circumſtantially neceſſary, pro hic & nunc, and becomes bonum aut malum contingens aut reſpectivum, and that is medium officium, foreign, when a thing lawful in itſelf becomes unlawful: the rule is plain, 1 Cor. 10.23, 28, 29. therefore, 1. All actions, and therefore indifferent, muſt be directed to the great and general moral end of Gods Glory, 1 Cor. 10.31. Rom. 14.6. a man may eat or drink, or wear this or that thing indifferently, ſo that it be to God's glory; keep a day, or not keep it; chuſe this or that time to pray in for the ſame ends. And hence Election is to be made of indifferencies according to their more or leſs tendency or aptneſs to accompliſh that great end. 2. A ſecond end, but ſubordinate, in expediency to be reſpected, is edification of our ſelves or others, 1 Cor. 10.23. and that which reſpects neither of theſe ends with at leaſt ſome tendency, is religiouſly vain, as wearing one colour more than another religiouſly in the worſhip of God, and in one part of worſhip more than another; what doth this conduce to edification, by which way, if any, it ſhould be ſublimed to God's glory? and to bring vain oblations to God in his worſhip, is abominable to him in all ages of the Church.
§ 5. God hath not by Laws determined particularly all the caſes of a Chriſtians Converſation, but left many to the management of the judgement of diſcretion by the rules of expediency, which is a skill of diſcerning between good and evil, Heb. 5.12. and between good and better. Diſcretion is the higheſt pitch of practical Judgement, which although it be guided by general rules for attaining the great end, yet it takes its particular meaſures very much from former experiences, and the ſight of various circumſtances and occurrences, and accordingly it judgeth what may be more or leſs expedient in all actions; and though in themſelves they are indifferently referrable this way or that way, yet by that time they are reduced into practice by a Chriſtian's ſpiritual Reaſon and Diſcretion, acting from ſenſes exerciſed, Heb. 5.12. there is manifeſt good or evil at leaſt relative diſcovered in them, or at leaſt put upon them by the ſaid general ends and rules of walking.
§ 6. As ſtrength appears moſt in the management of a man's ſelf according to the rules and obſervances of diſcretion, ſo weakneſs in the failure hereof is moſt diſcoverable; and by an accumulation of theſe little failures, a Chriſtian doth exceedingly miſcarry, and Profeſſion becomes very much diſparaged.
§ 7. Hence indifferent actions may become offending, grieving, and ſcandalizing unto others, by reaſon of ſome external accident, temporal or local reſpect, and ſo may be unlawful by the rules of expediency; for that which certainly is not expedient, is unlawful, though degrees are to be admitted in this caſe.
§ 8. As the ſcandalizing others is a miſchief that makes an indifferent action unexpedient, ſo alſo the betraying our own Liberty. Paul in his acting kept a watchful eye here: when he found that ſome deſigned by an indifferent thing to bring him into bondage, he gave not the leaſt place to them, as in the matter of the Circumciſion of Titus, Gal. 2.3, 4. We are to ſtand faſt in our Liberty, and not to be enthral'd in bondage, though it be but by the doing an action in itſelf adiaphorous.
§ 9. Whatever is not of Faith is ſin, and the neceſſity of every action or forbearance muſt appear to every mans Conſcience, that he may do or forbear believingly in all religious concernments; therefore all abſolute neceſſities muſt be bound on his Conſcience by the knowledge of ſome Law poſitively commanding or forbidding. And all relative neceſſities (i. e. indifferencies circumſtantial) muſt arrive at Conſcience with their Expediencies, which muſt be the ballance of Election in things equally good in themſelves; their comparative goodneſs, muſt be reſpective, or evil muſt make ſome appearance to the judgement of diſcretion; and a Chriſtians freedom in the exerciſe of the ſaid judgement according to the ſeveral caſes he meets withal, is his Liberty, which Chriſt hath purchaſed, and a Chriſtian cannot be deprived of jure by any Exotick Law.
§ 10. Where things are abſolutely indifferent, and there is no apparent reſpective difference between adiaphorous things, it's a Chriſtians liberty to take the one or the other, he ſins not againſt any rules of Expedience in taking either; for both are lawful and expedient enough: neither do I know why any additional Law ſhould make him a Tranſgreſſor in chuſing or refuſing of either in matters of Religion; for an action or thing may be equally lawful and expedient morally, which for ſome other reaſons may not, ariſing from Nature, his own inclinations, or ſome other ſmall attending circumſtances, of which it may not be fit to give an account to any humane Authority as the Tranſgreſſor of any Law.
§ 11. As particular perſons by the rules of Expediency may judge of things indifferent to prefer one before another according to their reſpect, to know precepts, or to chuſe one before another arbitrarily, where there is no difference in compared reſpects: So particular Churches and Congregations have the liberty of uſing their judgement of diſcretion in matters of indifferency, and are to walk by rules of Expediency, for Time, Place, and external Accommodations, but cannot make any binding Law to themſelves or others; becauſe thoſe things are alterable in their circumſtances, and therefore cannot be determined but pro hic & nunc, and muſt be liable ſtill to no other judgement than that of Diſcretion: Thoſe things that Chriſt hath left under it, cannot by humane Laws be removed from it; therefore indifferent things may be agreed on by common conſent in Congregations, or by the Officers thereof, according as the expediency or conveniency appears unto them, and for ſo long, and no longer. Hence they cannot undergo the Title or Denomination of a Law, but onelyonly of prudential Rules, which have no binding reaſon for obſervation, but the continuance of the agreeing circumſtances; as it may be judged moſt convenient by the Church to aſſemble at ſuch an hour, ſo long as the days are of ſuch a length; but when that circumſtance alters, then it may be more convenient at another. Many ſuch inſtances may be given, and no Church can walk comfortably as long as any Authority undertakes to prohibit them of this liberty of their Prudentials in all ſuch matters of circumſtance and alterable appendixes to the worſhip of God.