Works, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Rules for actions indifferent: firſt, In general.
A Great part of mans life is ſpent in the doing of natural and indifferent actions, which in themſelves are neither good nor evil, but as they are uſed: And being ſo common and ordinary, many ſins creep into them, becauſe wee take our ſelves free and looſe to do as wee liſt in them; which conceit grows out of ignorance of Gods wiſdome, who by his word hath tied u… as ſtraight in the uſe of them as in things moſt neceſſarily injoyned. For there is no action in which wee muſt depart from God.
Obje…t. They are therefore indifferent, becauſe they are neither commanded, nor forbidden, and therefore as they bee free, ſo bee wee alſo in them.
Anſw. Alth…ugh there bee no word commanding or forbidding, yet there is a w…rd directing and ordering in them, as wee ſhall ſee in ſome general rules concerning them all, General Rules concerning all indifferents. 1 The moſt in different muſt be by God. 1 W…rca…. 2 Leave.and in ſpecial rules applied to ſome particulars.
The general rules concerning them all, as meat, drink, apparel, recreation, i… uſes, marriage, and the like, are theſe:
1 The moſt indifferent action that is, muſt bee uſed by warrant and leave from God: Warrant is from the word, leave is by prayer; and thus muſt every creature of God bee ſanctified by the Word and Prayer, 1 Tim. 4.5. Our meat, our apparel, our houſes, our recreations muſt all bee undertaken and uſed.
Firſt, by the warrant of the word; for elſe it cannot bee done in faith, Former by the Word.Rom. 14.23. and whatſoever is not of faith, is ſin. The word muſt direct mee in this particular, as meat, apparel, recreation, that it is lawfull in it ſelf, and to mee, or elſe I ſin in it.
Sec n…ly, by prayer; for wee muſt lift up our hearts, Latter by Prayer.at leaſt in the uſe of them all: 1 In invocation for an holy uſe, ſuſpecting all our wayes, and our inclinations to corrupt our ſelves in every thing. 2 In thankſgiving for our liberty in all the creatures, that were juſtly forfeited, and Gods bleſſing; in them. This neglected, 1 Wee have the creature, Reaſ.but want the bl ſſing have bread, but not the ſtaff of bread; have money, but not a bag to hold it; cloaths, but no warmth; marriage, but not the comfort of it; and ſo in the reſt. 2 Wee do not diſtinguiſh our ſelves from the brute beaſts, who live by things before them, and never look above them to the giver. 3 Wee have no title recovered in any of them, but they all remain unclean, as was ſignified in all the unclean beaſts, as all other had been, but that they were permitted by ſpecial leave, without which wee are but uſurpers. 4 God is not acknowledged the Authour of our life and liberties, and ſo is deprived of his honour and homage, which no Lord among men will indure, in ſuch as hold the leaſt coppy under them.
The moſt indifferent action that is, muſt bee done for God, that is, 2 The moſt indifferent muſt bee done for God.to the glory and honour of God; whatſoever wee eat or drink, &c. 1 Cor. 10.31. For while wee take our part in the comforts of the creatures, God will not loſe his part of them, that is, his glory by them. Doth my eating and drinking make mee heavy and unfit for the ſervice of God, to perform it with cheerfulneſs? here I have ſinned in a lawful thing; for God looks to bee ſerved with cheerfulneſs and a good heart, in the abundance of all things, Deut. 28. v. 47. Doth my apparel tend to pride up, and advance my ſelf? This is a ſinful uſe of a lawful thing, wherein I ſhould glorifie God. Do my recreations and ſports not onelyonly juſtle out my duties of Chriſtianity, of reading and meditating, and private prayer; but ingroſs my time, ſo that I neglect my ſpecial calling? Herein I uſe my liberty unlawfully, and turn it into a wicked licentiouſneſs: Recreation was never ordained by God to bee an occupation, but onelyonly an help unto it.
3 The moſt indifferent action that is, muſt bee uſed in love, 3 The moſt in…ifferent muſt bee uſed in love. 1 N t offending others.as well as in faith, to edification, as well as in ſanctification. This general rule is in 1. Cor. 14.26. Let all things bee done to edifying, Rom. 14.21. It is evil to eat with offence▪ and it is good, neither to eat fl…ſh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any thing whereby thy brother ſtumbleth, or is offended, or made weak; and Paul would never eat, rather than offend a weak brother. In caſe of offence, indifferent things loſe their indifferency, and become ſins, and muſt not bee done, bee they never ſo ſmall, never ſo profitable, never ſo powerfully injoyned by authority, becauſe an higher authority of God, bids is nor offend our brother; the conſcience of our brother muſt bee more tender unto us, than our own peace and preferment. Dan. 1.….Daniel and his fellowes refuſing the Kings meat, might ſeem very unwiſe, and too ſtrict, for ſo ſmall a thing to loſe the Kings favour and their own advancement: but it was not frowardneſs in them, nor diſobedience to the King, but conſcience and obedience to Gods commandement in a caſe offenſive to themſelves and others: ſo they would not do the leaſt evil for the greateſt good. So, is this garment lawful to mee, and offenſive to other of Gods children? Then have I no liberty in it. Is this eating or drinking, or Tobacco-taking lawful to me, and may it offend in circumſtances? I muſt avoid occaſion of offence. Is this ſport and recreation lawful in it ſelf, and to others▪ but is it offenſive in mee a publick man, a Profeſſor, a Preacher? Wiſdome teacheth to refrain it. So the Apoſtle ſaith, All things (that is, indifferent, of which hee there ſpeaks) are lawful, but all things are not expedient.
2 But building them up.N…w as wee muſt bee far from offending any, ſo our endeavour muſt bee to build up our brethren, and our ſelves in the uſe of every indiffernt action.
Queſt. How may that bee?
Anſw. When in the civil uſe of them wee adde ſome ſpiritual meditation, as Chriſt when hee ſpake of bread, ſtirred the people to meditate on, and labour for the food that abideth to eternal life: So in eating and drinking wee ſhould ſometime think of feeding on Chriſt, the true bread and water of life; in putting on our cloaths, of putting on Chriſt as a garment; in putting them off, of putting off the old man, and the luſts thereof: In Marriage, of the contract between Chriſt and the faithful ſoul; in our j…urnies abroa… and return home, meditate with the Apoſtle Paul, of our being from home and at home wi…h the Lord, &c. Thus ſhall wee cheriſh and refreſh our ſouls with our bodies.
4 The moſt indifferent muſt be uſed in ſobriety.4 The moſt indifferent things muſt bee uſed in ſobriety and moderation: And this is.
1 When wee uſe them as helps, not hindrances to our Calling, general or ſpecial, but our hearts are kept by them in a fitneſs unto both. This is our Saviours rule, Luke 21.34. Take heed that your hearts bee not oppreſſed with ſurfeiting or drunkenneſs or the cares of this life, that that day come unawares.
2 When wee exceed not in them our ability and degree, but ſquare our ſelves to the moſt ſob…r of our age and condition: The neglect of which rule makes the feaſt of churliſh Nabal, like the feaſt of a King, and brings ſoft apparel out of Kings houſes into very Cottages, to the great confuſion of all degrees, ſo as every man is out of order; the ſervant more gallant than his Maſter or Miſtreſs, Scholars arraied in unſeemly ſort like Souldiers, the Gentle-man like a Noble-man, and the Carter like a Courtier, and every Degree, many degrees beyond it ſelf.
3 When wee hold them indifferent not in our judgement onelyonly, but alſo in affection, keeping the command of theſe, and bee ſure they command not us, 1 Cor. 6.12. All things are lawful for mee, but I will not bee brought under the power of any thing: And 2 Cor. 7.30. Wee muſt rejoyce in the creature, as not rejoycing; uſe it as not uſing; buy, ſell, and have a wife, is not having. This is to affect indifferent things indifferently.
Contrary whereunto is that exceſſive deſire and uſe of any creature, which makes our ſervants our Maſters, and puts us out of poſſeſſion of them, that wee may bee poſſeſſed by them, as when riches have our hearts, and wee have not power to command them to any good uſe; the Heathen diſclaimed this ſlavery, Divitiae mea ſunt, non ego divitiarum. Sence.My riches are mine (ſaid Seneca) not I my riches: Would God Chriſtians would ſay ſo much, to whom grace offers better things. So when a man or woman have inſlaved themſelves to any creature, and made it a Tyrant and Commander, as inſatiable Drunkards, who can no more bee without ſtrong drink or wine, than the fiſh without water, or themſelves without ayr. The Mule (they ſay) muſt have the bag hang by his mouth, and theſe muſt have the bottle or pot at their elbow continually.
Others that ſo addict themſelves to that bewitching weed Tobacco, above all ſeaſon, ſet more thoughts upon it than they beſtow upon God, beſtow more time on it by ten parts in one day than upon Gods ſervice, yea, than upon any profitable Calling, beſtow more charge upon it than upon all pious and charitable uſes, through the year; yea ſerve it, as their God night and day, and all to turn their bodies into Chimnies, their blood into Sut, their beſt and radical humour into ſmoak. This is an intemperate and ſinful uſe of a creature, in it ſelf good, if phyſically uſed: For wee condemn not drink, when wee condemn drunkenneſs, but the drunken uſe of it. Neither can theſe dry Drunkards more juſtifie their ſin than the moiſt, nay far leſs, ſeeing the one is ordained for common uſe, ſo is not the other. But without comparing them together, it is a great ſin to bee a ſlave either to a Pot, or to a Pipe.
5 In all indifferent actions, wee muſt endeavour ſo wiſely to paſs them, 5 For no indifferent, forgo better things th…n they; as, 1 Time.as wee d… not for them loſe any thing better than they; ſuch as are,
1 Time: Men muſt not caſt away much time in them. Wee ſhould eat out as little time with our meat as wee may, much leſs play away our time. Women muſt bee conſcionable to ſpend as little time as may bee in arraying and trimming themſelves, for time is better than apparel. Neither for wealth muſt wee exchange our time, but that wee reſerve ſpecial times for better ends: For all the wealth on earth will not buy an hour of time.
2 Our good name is better than any indifferent thing, 2 Good name.and ought to bee more precious than the ſweeteſt …yntment: Wee muſt not eat and drink to bee counted Gluttons and Drunkards; nor play in exceſs, to bee counted Dicers and Gameſters, which are infamous names, and ſuch perſons were baniſhed out of the Heathens Commonwealth; nor ſo apparel our ſelves as to bee accounted proud, gariſh, and wanton; nor build, to bee accounted vain and prodigal; but prefer our good names before the uſe of theſe.
3 Our goods and portion of wealth which God hath given us, 3 Eſtate.are better than the exceſſive uſe of any of th…ſe, and wee muſt not waſte our goods more than is fit for our eſtate. Men have no warrant to venture great ſums of mony upon a few caſts at Dice, or Bowls, or other ſports. Wee are not Lords of our goods, but Stewards, and muſt bee drawn to an account for them. Religion will teach a man good husbandry, and though it allow not onelyonly a neceſſary and convenient expenſe, but alſo for honeſt delight and pleaſure, in meat, drink, apparel, recreation, building &c. yet it allows no prodigality, except in the caſe of godly and charitable uſes, to the poor members of Chriſt. Oh how rich ſhould ſome mean men bee in good works, if they had given that to the poor which they have loſt in p…ay? And who can ſay but one is far better, far more comfortable than the other?
4 Our vertues and graces are far better than any indifferent thing, 4 Vertues.and therefore wee muſt not loſe theſe for the other. Againſt which rule they ſin who in meats and drinks loſe moderation, ſobriety, and temperanc…; and they who in apparel loſe their humility and lowlineſs; and they who in recreation loſe their patience, meekneſs, love and peace; and they who in Marriage loſe their chaſtity and holineſs, &c.
By all which Rules wee ſee, h…w godlineſs takes not away the uſe of Gods creatures (for it onelyonly gives liberty in them) but orders the uſe thereof, that they may bee uſed in the juſt meaſure of their goodneſs, and give place to better; and reſtrains us no further than ſo, as the Calling bee not exceeded, nor the Rules of moderation violated.