conversed The seconde hee drewe from the dispositiō of the lord who is more delighted with mercy shewed in the conversion of a sinner then with all other sacrifices And the third argument hee draweth from the end of his office which was to call sinners to repentance Math 9.12.13 Wherefore in such cases wee may lawfully keepe company with sinners without hurt vnto our selues and with much profit vnto them Otherwise wee ought to obserue the genērall doctrine to bee curious of the place and persons with whome wee keepe company lest we hurt our selues and doo them no good And thus much of the fourth observation Shall not the conscience of him that is weake bee boldened to eate c. Our Apostle foreseeing that small offences woulde grieue and perplex the weake admonisheth the Corinthians to haue a special regard not to trouble such cōsciēces with the abusing of their knowledge Frō hence we learne that such as make conscience of every thing which they do must circumspectly bee dealt with lest they bee led out of the way or bee driven to dispaire by a matter of it selfe of small importance For there are some that yeeld thēselues so humbly vnto the word preached that when any thing is denounced their harte melteth their flesh trembleth And though it bee not applyed by the preacher yet they apply it very strictly vnto them selues And if any fault whereof they are guilty be amplified or a comfort not presently ministred they are in the horrors of death brought almost into desperation Now because these are the best people and the nearest to the kingdome of God Psal 51.17 Isa 66.2 Math. 11.28 We ought to bee most carefull of them and to remoue all stumbling blockes out of their way As for example if they haue a great zeale but not according to knowledg we must gently and charitably instruct them without wrangling disputations As wee are taught him that is weake in the fayth receiue vnto you but not with controversies of disputations Rom. 14.1 And if hee by the subtlety of Sathan bee prevented with a fault as who is free from falling we must not aggravate or amplify the same but follow that rule which the holy ghost teacheth Brethren if a man bee fallen by occasion into anye fault yee which are spirituall restore such a one by the spirit of meekenes cōsidering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Beare yee one an others burthen so fulfill the lawe of Christ Gal. 6.1.2 Wee which are strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to please our selues Rom. 15.1 For if it bee David that hath sinned tell him but of it and hee will confesse it and be woe at the heart for it thou needest not to dwell much vpon it And if it be Peter that hath donne amisse let Christ but lacke backe vpon him hee will goe out forthwith and weepe bitterly Therefore such tender consciences must choisely bee dealt withall lest they be swallowed vp of over much sorrowe And thus much of the fift observation Those things that are offered vnto Idoles Our Apostle in these wordes maketh it evident that there is a 2. fold eating of that which is sacrificed vnto Idols For one man hath knowledge and thereby is instructed that the meate which hee eateth hath beene sacrificed to Idoles yet is neither bettered nor made worse thereby An other man that wanteth knowledge maketh conscience of the meate and thinketh that it is much bettered by the sacrificing and so his conscience being weake is defiled Therfore the Apostle restraineth the former from vsing his liberty vntill the latter be further instructed in the right vse of such things From whence we may draw this doctrine that a man who either hath or wanteth knowledge may by the vndiscreete cariage of himselfe in the vse of things indifferent make that sinne which God hath neither commanded nor forbidden in his worde Hee that hath knowledge may sinne one way that is by vsing his liberty to the offence of an other christian that is weake Vnto him therefore it must often be inculcated destroy not the worke of God for meate-sake All things indeede are pure but it is evil for the man that eateth with offence It is good neither to eate fleshe nor to drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or made weake Rom. 14.20.21 Therefore he offendeth God that wittingly and willingly giveth offence vnto the weake by the vsing of things indifferent Now he that wanteth knowledge may offende in the vse of thinges indifferent three waies First if he vse the same vnto an other end thē for which it was ordained of God As if a man vse this meate refuse that vse this garment and refuse that thinking therby to please God he indeede sinneth against him For hee must vnderstand that the kingdom of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse peace ioy in the holy ghost For whosoeuer in these things serveth Christ is acceptable vnto God and approved of men Rom. 14.17.18 For every creature of God is good and none to be refused if it bee received with giuing of thankes 1. Tim. 4.4 Wherefore he that inventeth an holyer vse of Gods creatures then that wherunto they were ordained doth as it were set God to schoole than which what can be more malapartly done Isa 40.13.14 secondly they that want knowledge may offende in the vse of things indifferent thus as if they haue a resolute opinion that the vse of such things offendeth God and yet will goe on in the practise thereof against their owne conscience they indeede grevously offend against God For to him that iudgeth any thing to be vncleane to him it is vncleane Rom. 14.14 And if a mans owne conscience condemne him of disobedience who can absolue him 1. Io. 3.20 And thirdly hee that wanteth knowledge may offend his God thus when hee proposeth a thing by himselfe to bee done and doubteth whether hee shall doe well or ill in the doing of the same yet for some outward respect hee puts the same thing in execution For hee that doubteth is condemned if hee eate because hee eateth not of fayth And whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 Therefore in the name of Christ Iesus let both strong and weake looke warely to their actions that they offend neither God their weake bretheren nor their owne consciences And thus much of the first parte The second part contayneth the reasons to mooue men to bee circumspect in the cariage of themselues in the matter of things indifferent Whereof the first is this that hee that omitteth this dutie shall cause him to perish for whome Christ died verse 11. the second extendeth it selfe vnto the persecuting of Christ Iesus for whatsoever is donne vnto any one of his church he taketh as donne vnto himselfe vers 12. And last of all hee that omitteth this duty opposeth himselfe against Pauls resolution who was guided by the spirit of God And thus much at this time Let vs pray c.
A SERMON PREAched at Eggington in the County of Darby concerning the right vse of things indifferent the 8. Day of August 1596. By SYMON PRESSE Minister there Feare God honour the Kinge 1. Peter 2.17 Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes and are to bee solde in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Bible 1597. TO HIS LOVING PARIshioners Mr. F. COOKE R. IOHNSON W. WALTON R. KNIGHT I. GYLLYVER R. SLYGH increase of true zeale endles felicitie VVHen I vnderstoode your attention in the heating of this sermon diligēce in noting certaine principall points paines in conferring to give penning acquainting sending your collections vnto many your worshipfull friendes at the length vnto the right honorable Sir Edmund Anderson knight Lord chiefe Iustice of the common Pleas with intent as I gesse to make my simple skill liked and allowed of them I thought it my duty to accept your endevour very kindly and to requite you with procuring the same sermon to be imprinted that all men might giue you deserved commendations and note your names amongst the number of vigilant hearers to your immoratall praise Thus not doubting of your good acceptance of the same I end Eggington the 28. of Ianuarie Yours Symon Presse For if any man see thee that hast knowledge c. 1. Cor. 8.10.11.12.13 THe occasion of these woordes was this Whē Paul as a father had begotten the Corinthiās vnto Christ by the preachinge of the gospel vppon the suddē there crept in certain who perverted the straite waie of the Lorde seeking to draw disciples vnto thēselues and prevailed so much that they had wonne them to the bent of their bow for some woulde follow this teacher and some that wherwith many godlye men amōg thē were sore grieved signified the sāe vnto the Apostle by their letters And with al moved diuers doubts wherof one was concerning meats sacrificed to idoles whervnto he answereth in this chapter and in this order First hee reproveth them that vppon an overweening conceit of their owne knowledge vsed the same without charitie Secondly he declareth that the meate sacrificed vnto Idoles was of the number of those thinges which are by nature meere indifferent and of themselues do neither hinder nor further the salvation of him that vseth them And thirdly he reporteth the rashnesse of them that vse such things to the offence of others as in this text at large is declared The sume wherof is thus much that wee ought so discreetely to behaue our selues in our christian liberty that wee doe not thereby offend our weake brother The partes whereof are these 1. The manner how they vsed their liberty to the offence of others verse 10. 2. The Apostles reasons to disswade them from that practize vers 11.12.13 which reasons are threefold The first is drawne from the hurt that is done to our brother ver 11. The second from the personnes against whome hee sinneth vers 12. And the third hee draweth from his owne resolution 13. Now to the first part 1. The manner how they vsed their liberty to the offence of others For if any man see thee that hast knowledge c. vers the 10. As if hee had saide thus in plaine termes There are amongst you Corinthians some that so much presūe of their owne knowledge that without regard of their weak brethren runne into the Idoles temples and there eate the meates that haue bene sacrificed vnto Idols and therby incourage them by eating to giue the same reverence to the Idole which they did before they were converted vnto Christ Out of these woordes If any man see thee Wee obserue first that a christian ought to be well advised in the practize of things indifferent who seeth him least hee should offend his weake brother by the want of due cōsideration the reason whereof is this that if hee omitte this dutie hee bringeth a curse vpon himselfe which is to heavy for all the world to beare as our saviour Christ forewarneth It cannot bee avoided but that offences will come but woe bee to him by whome they come It were better for him that a greate milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were cast into the sea then that hee should offend one of these little ones Luk. 17.1.2 Therefore it is very necessarie that wee should regarde them that looke vppon our actions There are 2. sorts of lookers vpon vs 1. God 2. his creatures God in every action looketh vpon the intent of the heart in whose sight nothing is good except it bee doone in sinceritye and obedience to his will Deut. 12.32 1. Sam. 16.7 Proverb 23.26 Therefore in regard of God our actions are not well donne when they are well donne outwardly but when the fountaine I meane the heart is pure and vncorrupt For no streame is sweete which cōmeth from a sower spring The second sorte of beholders are Gods creatures And they are either celestiall or terrestriall The celestiall are the angels who beholde not onlye vs in earth but also the face of God in heaven Math. 18.10 And are ready to protect or to punish as execudors of his will Psal 34.7 103.20 Heb. 1.14 Which is manifested by Senacheribs host by the deliverance of Elisha besieged in Dothan 2. Reg. 19.35 6.17 Therefore as thou oughtest by reason of the angell to tēper thy tongue frō evill words so oughtest thou to bee carefull of thy actions in his sight Eccles 5.5 The terrestriall creatures that behold vs are either vnresonable or indued with reason The vnreasonable creaturs that behold vs ought to affray vs lest as Balaams Asse had a mans voice givē him to reprooue the foolishnes of his maister so these should bee produced against vs as witnesses of our actions which wee haue donne in their presence For if it bee so that a man ought not to curse the king no not in his thought least the foules of the aire bewray him how much more should wee bee affraide to do any thing against the will of our God in the sight of his creatures whether sensles or sensible Eccles 10.20 The reasonable creatures that behold vs on this earth are devided by S. Paul into 2. sortes 1. Cor. 4.9 Wherof the former is called the world The latter men By the worlde hee vnderstandeth the wicked of the world that as they liue in the world so they delight in and loue the same nether can like any thing that sutes not to their worldly affections These men though they can for their advantage pretend much holinesse yet they intend the overthrow of religion with the preaching and practize therof Now for them no man that hath God and a good conscience to be witnesses of his well dooing needs to care but ought to go one in the same whatsoever they say to the contrarie as our saviour by his workes words hath taugh vs. Math. 15.12.13.14 The men beholders are either weake in the faith or strong in
the faith the weake in the faith are either such as are offended with the vsing of things indifferent or such as are offended with the refusing of the same The former sort are such as bee perswaded that the word of God and sacraments are prophaned where things of their owne nature indifferent but heretofore abused in the time of Popery are vsed And these men had rather flie from the word then bee presēt to see such a ceremonie as the surples worne as by experience I knewe 600. men and women flie from a sermon because the surplesse was worne in the sermon time such men are indeede weake for they will either haue Christ naked or none of him at all not considering that the kingdome of God standeth not in any outward thing Rom. 14.17 18. The weake of the other sorte are they who bee so addicted to the ceremonies that either they will haue them vsed or els they will not heare the word nor receiue the sacramēts Yea they are resolved that the word and sacramentes are betiered by the ceremonies and made of lesse force without them These men must haue Christ in what garment pleaseth them or they will haue none of him at all Now what must a minister do in this case shall hee hand ouer head vse or refuse the ceremonies I trowe not But must teach both these their weakenesses by declaring vnto them that the commaunders and vrgers of ceremonies are of two sorts and they haue either of them a severall end of their commaundement The one sorte of commaunders and vrgers are the Pope his adherēts the end of whose commandement is to bynde mens consciēces vnto the vse of ceremonies vppon paine of dānation Yea they will not stick to pursue to death such as refuse any one of their ceremonies by this meanes many a poore wretch is driven for feare of one wicked man to vse such things against his owne conscience and with the grievous offēce of the weake both which are intollerable sins against himselfe that doth the thing against his weake brother that seeth the thing done and against Christ the head of the mysticall body Any one of which offences is sufficient to cause a good christian to resolue with himselfe never to vse the surplesse or any such ceremony in such a case For God forbid that such cōmaunders and vrgers of ceremonies as are the popes friends should draw a man into the danger of his owne soule whereas wee are taught rather to obeye God then men Acts. 5.29 and to go forward in our calling without feare what man can do vnto vs. The other sorte of commaunders and vrgers are christian princes and such as are substituted of them who cōmand and vrge such things because no church government can stand without some ceremonies And it is thought fit by them that in one and the same region and regiment one vniforme order should be vsed which otherwise being left to the discretiō of everie private mā there would be as great varietie and alteration in ceremonies as there is in apparell To prevent which disorder certain ceremonies are stil retained by the Queens most excellent maiestie whome God longe preserue not to binde mens consciences with feare of dānatiō but to traine all her subiects in due obedience respecting this end that according to the Apostles doctrine all things may bee done comly and in order For as disorder in the common wealth is dāgerous So much more in the church of God for thereby men are brought from superstition to no religion a thing in these last dayes much to bee regarded But some men will aske what if the things commaunded by the prince haue beene heretofore abused in the time of superstition may we then vse them with a good cōscience I aunswer yea if the thing commaunded bee one of Gods creatures when the superstition is removed and it restored to the original without offence to his conscience that vseth the same the people beeing taught the indifferencie of the thing viz that it is not forbidden in the worde neither by expresse cōmaundement nor by necessarie consequence then it may bee vsed without grudge or scruple of conscience As for example the censors which the conspiratours against Moses and Aaron abused were lawfully made a covering for the altar of the lorde Numb 16. And also the bullocke fedd 7. yeares to bee sacrificed to Baall was now sacrificed to the lorde with the woode of the grove and by the lorde accepted For the abuse was taken away the thing was brought backe to his originall and then vsed in the service of the lorde and not by him reiected So must wee deale in the practise of thinges indifferent to cut of occasion from them that seeke occasion that God in al things may bee glorified the prince obeyed superstion banished the people edified and the peace of the church preserved Thus shall the weake of neither sorte haue any iust cause to be offēded with our vsing of things indifferent And thus much of thē that are weake in the faith The other sorte namely the stronge in the faith knowe the right vse of things indifferent aswell as hee that vseth them him selfe For as they cannot bee greeved with the vse so will they not be offended with the want of such things But when they are practised these men remember the obedience due vnto princes And when not vsed they call to mind that the woorde of God is neither bettered by them nor made worse with the want of them Where a man hath such to looke vpon him he may without scruple of conscience vse the ceremonies to shew his obedience to christiā princes Wherfore to conclude let every man in the vse of things indifferent measure his actions towards his weake brother by charitie let his charitie proceede of fayth and his faith abhorre the Pope bring forth true obedience to his prince not so much for feare of punishment as for conscience sake So shall hee neither offend his brother his prince nor his God And then needeth hee not to care who seeth him to practise things indifferent And thus much of the first observation If any man see thee c. In these words againe our Apostle covertlie giveth a caveat to every mā to take heed to his eies lest by them hee bee unboldened to imitate such thinges as are wrought in his sight From whence wee learne that sinne entereth into our souls by our eies as light into an house by that window for the eie vieweth the obiect and sendes it by degrees into the heart the hart pōdereth vpon the report yeeldeth consent and setteth the eie on worke to performe the harts desire And hereof it cōmeth that our saviour Christ sayth a wicked eye mommeth out of the hart and defileth the man Mark 7.22 Yea and proceedeth further affirming that he who looketh vpon a woman and lusteth after her hath committed adulterie alreadie with her in his hearie Math. 5.28