himselfe of the vse of that liberty so farre as n 1. Cor. 8.13 not to eate flesh whilst the world standeth But what those Restraints are and how farre they may bee admitted without prejudice done to that liberty that wee may the better vnderstand let vs goe on to The Fourth Position Sobriety may and ought to restraine vs in the outward practise of our Christian liberty §. 24. IIII. as first Sobrietie For our Dyet all Fish and flesh and folwe and fruites and spices are lawfull for vs as well as Bread and herbes but may we therefore with chriâ—tlesse prodigality and exquisite royall fare delisiously and sumptuously euery day vnder pretence of Christian liberty Likewise for our Apparell all stuffes and colours the richest silkes and furres and dyes are as lawfull for vs as cloath and leather and sheepes-russet Christan liberty extendeth as well to one as another But doe wee thinke that liberty will excuse our pride and vanity and excesse if we ruffle it out in silkes and scarlets or otherwise in stuffe colour or fashion vnsuteably to our yeares sexe calling estate or condition In all other things of like nature in our buildings in our furniture in our retinues in our dispores in our recreations in our society in our Mariages in other things wee ought as well to consider what in Christian sobriety is meete for vs to doe as what in Christian liberty may bee done Scarce is there any one thing wherein the Diuell putteth sâ—urres vpon vs more frequently yea more dangerously too because vnsuspected then in this very thing in making vs take the vttermost of our freedome in the vse of indifferent things It therefore concerneth vs so much the more to keepe a sober watch ouer our selues and soules in the vse of Gods good Creatures lest otherwise vnder the fayre title and habite of Christian liberty we yeeld our selues ouer to a carnall licenciousnesse The Fift Position Aâ— Sobriety so Charity also may §. 25. V. Secondly Charity in our selues and ought to restraine vs in the outward exercise of our Christian liberty Charity I say both to our selues and others First to our selues for regular charity beginneth there If we are to Math. 5.29.30 cut off our right hand and to plucke out our right eye and to cast them both from vs when they offend vs much more then ought we to deny our selues the vse of such outward lawfull things as by experience we haue found or haue otherwise cause to suspect to be hurtfull eyther for our bodies or soules So a man may and should refraine from meates which may endanger his bodily health But how much more then from euery thing that may endanger the health of his soule If thou findest thy selfe enflamed with lust by dancing if enraged with choler by game if tempted to couetousnes pride vncleannes superstition cruelty any sinne by occasion of any of the Creatures it is better for thee to make a couenant with thine eyes and eares and hands and sences so farre as thy condition and Calling will warrant thee not to haue any thing to doe with such things then by satisfying them therewith cast both thy selfe and them into Hell Better by our voluntary abstinence to depart with some of our liberty vnto the Creatures then by our voluntary transgession forfeit all and become the Diuels captiues But Charity though it begin at home §. 26. and others yet it will abroad and not resting at our selues reacheth to our brethren also of whom we are to haue a due regard in our vse of the creatures An argument wherein St. Paul often enlargeth himselfe as in Rom. 14. and 1. Cor. 8. the whole Chapters throughout and in a great part of 1. Cor. 10. The resolution euery where is that p 1. Cor. 14.26 all things be done to edification that things lawfull become q 1. Cor. 10.23 inexpedient when they offend rather then edifie that though r Rom. 14.20 all things indeed are pure yet it is euill for that man which vseth them with offence that albeit flesh and wine and other things be lawfull yet s Ibid. vers 21. it is good neyther to eate flesh nor to drinke wine nor to doe any thing whereby a mans brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weake Hitherto appertaineth that great and difficult common-place of scandall so much debated and disputed of by Diuines The Questions and Cases are manifold not now to bee rehearsed much lesse resolued in particular But the Position is plaine in the generall that in case of Scandall for our weake brothers sake we may and sometimes ought to abridge our selues of some part of our lawfull Libertie Besides these two Sobrietie and Charity there is yet one restraint more which ariseth from the duty wee owe to our Superiours and from the bond of Ciuill obedience §. 27. VI. Thirdly Duty in Obedience to Gouernours Oeconomicall which if it had beene by all men as freely admitted as there is just cause it should how happy had it beene for the peace of this Church Concerning it let this be our Sixth Position The determination of Superiours may and ought to restraine vs in the outward exercise of our Christian liberty We must t 1. Pet. 2.13.15.16 submit our selues to euery ordinance of man saith Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2.13 and it is necessary we should doe so for so is the will of God vers 15. Neither is it against Christian liberty if wee doe so for we are still as free as before rather if we doe not so we abuse our liberty for a cloake of maliciousnesse as it followeth there vers 16. And St. Paul telleth vs we u Rom. 13.5 must needâ— be subiect not onely for feare because the Magistrate x Ibid. vers 4. carrieth not the Sword in vaine but also for conscience sake because y Ibid. vers 1. the powers that are ordained of God This duty so fully pressed and so vniformely by these two grand Apostles is most apparant in priuate societies In a family the master or Pater familias who is a kind of petty Monarch there hath authority to prescribe to his children and seruants in the vse of those indifferent things whereto yet they as Christians haue as much libertie as hee The seruant though he be z 1. Cor. 7.22 the Lords free-man yet is limited in his dyet lodging livery and many other things by his master and hee is to submit himselfe to his masters appointment in these things though perhaps in his private affection he had rather his master had appointed otherwise and perhaps withall in his priuate judgement doth verily thinke it fitter his Master should appoint otherwise If any man vnder colour of Christian liberty shall * 1. Tim. 6.3.5 teach otherwise and exempt seruants from the obedience of their Masters in such things St. Paul in a holy indignation inueigheth against such a man not
without some bitternesse in the last Chapter of this Epistle as one that is proud and knoweth nothing as hee should doe but doateth about questions and strife of words c. vers 3.5 §. 28. Civill Now looke what power the Master hath ouer his seruants for the ordering of his family no doubt the same at the least if not much more hath the supreame Magistrate ouer his subiects for the peaceable ordering of the Common-wealth the Magistrate being Pater Patria as the Master is Pater familias Whosoever then shall interpret the determinations of Magistrates in the vse of the Creatures to be contrary to the liberty of a Christian or vnder that colour shall exempt inferiours from their obedience to such determinations he must blame St. Paul nay he must blame the Holy Ghost and not vs if he heare from vs that he is proud and knoweth nothing and dâ—ateth about vnprofitable questions Surely but that experience sheweth vs it hath beene so and the Scriptures haue foretould vs that * 1. Cor. 11.19 it should be so that there should bee differences and sidings and part-takings in the Church a man would wonder how it should ever sinke into the hearts and heads of sober vnderstanding men to deny eyther the power in Superiours to ordaine or the necessity in Inferiours to obey Lawes and constitutions so restraining vs in the vse of the Creatures Neyther let any man cherish his ignorance herein by conceipting as if there were some difference to be made betweene Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall things §. 29. and Ecclesiasticall and Lawes and Persons in this behalfe The truth is our liberty is equall in both the power of Superiours for restraint equall in both and the necessity of obedience in Inferiours equall in both No man hath yet beene able to shew nor I thinke euer shal be a reall and substantiall difference indeed betweene them to make an inequality But that still as ciuill Magistrates haue sometimes for just politique respects prohibited some trades and manufactures and commodities and enioyned othersome and done well in both so Church-gouernours may vpon good considerations say it bee but for order and vniformities sake prescribe the times places vestments gestures and other Ceremoniall circumstances to bee vsed in Ecclesisticall Offices and assemblies As the Apostles in the first Councell holden at Ierusalem in Act. 15. layd vpon the Churches of the Gentiles for a time a * Act. 15.28 29. restraint from the eating of Blood and things sacrificed to Idols and strangled Thus we see our Christian liberty vnto the Creatures may without preiudice admit of some restraints in the outward exercise of it §. 30. VII With the comparison of these 3. restraints and namely from the three respects of Christian Sobrietie of Christian Charity and of Christian Duty and Obedience But now in the comparing of these together when there seemeth to be a repugnancy betweene one and another of them there may be some difficulty and the greatest difficultie and which hath bred most trouble is in comparing the cases of Scandall and Disobedience together when their seemeth to be a repugnancy betweene Charity and Dutie As for example Suppose in a thing which simply and in it selfe wee may lawfully according to the Liberty wee haue in Christ either vse or forbeare Charity seemeth to lay restraint vpon vs one way our weake brother expecting we should forbeare and Duty a quite contrary way Authoritie requiring the vse in such a case what are we to doe It is against Charity to offend a brother and it is against Duty to disobey a superiour And yet something must be done eyther we must vse or not vse forbeare or not forbeare For the vntying of this knot which if we will but lay things rightly together hath not in it so much hardnesse as it seemeth to haue let this be our seuenth Position In the vse of the Creatures and all indifferent things we ought to beare a greater regard to our publique Gouernours then to our Priuate Brethren and bee more carefull to obey them then to satisfy these if the same course will not in some mediocritie satisfie both Alas that our Brethren who are contrary minded would but with the spirit of Sobrietie admit common Reason to be vmpire in this case Alas that they would but consider what a world of Contradictions would follow vpon the contrary Opinion and what a world of Confusions vpon the contrary practise Say what can be said in the behalfe of a Brother all the same and more may bee faid for a Gouernour For a Gouernour is a Brother too and something more and Duty is Charity too and something more If then I may not offend my Brother then certainly not my Gouernour because he is my Brother too being a man and a Christian as well as the other is And the same Charity that bindeth me to satisfie another Brother equally bindeth mee to satisfie this So that if we goe no farther but euen to the common bond of Charity and relation of Brotherhood that maketh them equall at the least and therefore no reason why I should satisfie one that is but a Priuate Brother rather then the publique Magistrate who that publique respect set aside is my Brother also When the scales hang thus euen shall not the accession of a Si tantopera cauenda sunt scandala parvulorum quanto amplius praelatorum Bernard de Praecept dispens Magistracie to common Brotherhood in him and of Duty to common Charity in mee be enough to cast it cleare for the Magistrate Shall a seruant in a family rather then offend his fellow-seruant disobey his Master And is not a double scandall against Charity and Duty both for Duty implyeth Charity greater then a single scandall against Charity alone If priuate men will bee offended at our Obedience to publique Gouernours we can but be sorry for it Wee b Prudenter aduertat qui hoc cogitat scandalum scandalo non bene emendari Qualis emendatiò erit si vt alijs scandalum tollao alios scandalizas Bernard de praec disp may not redeeme their offence by our disobedience Hee that taketh offence where none is giuen sustaineth a double person and must answere for it both as the giuer and the taker If offence be taken at vs there is no woe to vs for it if it doe not come by vs c Math. 8.7 Woe to the man by whom the offence commeth and it doth not come by vs if wee doe but what is our duty to doe The Rule is certaine and equitable The respect of private scandall ceaseth where lawfull authority determineth our liberty and that restraint which proceedeth from speciall Duty is of superiour reason to that which proceedeth but from Common Charity §. 31. VIII The inward freedome of the Conscience Three Moderatours then of our Christian liberty to the Creatures we are to allow off Sobrietie Charity and Duty vnto euery
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one wherof signifieth properly Blessing the other Thankesgiuing vsed oftentimes promiscuously the one for the other The blessing which our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ vsed at the consecration of the Sacramentall bread b Luk. 22.17.19 St. Luke and c 1. Cor. 11.24 St. Paul expresse by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Math. 26.27 St. Mathew and e Mark 14.22.23 St. Marke by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Prayer of blessing vsed before the eating of common Bread is by f Math. 15.36 Mark 8.6 Ioh. 6.11 Act. 27.35 euery one of the foure Euangelists in some places described by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by g Math. 14.19 Mark 6.41 Luk. 9.16 three of them in other some places by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the name h See Casaub. exercit 16. in Baron sect 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is somtimes found in the writings of the Ancients for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the more vsuall name whereof is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the holy Eucharist And we in our ordinary manner of speech call as well the Blessing before meate as the Thankesgiuing after by the common name of Grace or saying of Grace Both these then together Grace before meate and Grace after meate a sacrifice of Prayer before we vse any of the good Creatures of God and a sacrifice of Praise after we haue vsed them the Blessing wherewith we blesse the Creature in the name of God and the Blessing wherewith we blesse the Name of God for the Creature both these I say together is the just extent of that Thankesgiuing whereof my Text speaketh and we are now to entreat Concerning Meates and Drinkes §. 35. For meates and drinkes vnto which our Apostle hath speciall reference in this whole passage this duty of Thankesgiuing hath bin euer held so congruous to the partaking thereof that long and ancient custome hath established it in the common practise of Christians not only with inward thankfulnesse of heart to recount and acknowledge Gods goodnes to them therein but also outwardly to expresse the same in a vocall solemne forme of Blessing or Thankesgiuing that which we call Grace or saying of Grace Which very phrases whether or no they haue ground as to me it seemeth they haue from those words of our Apostle 1. Cor. 10. i 1. Cor. 10.30 For if I by grace bee a partaker why am I euill spoken of for that for which I giue thankes I say howsoeuer it be with the phrase sure we are the thing it selfe hath sufficient ground from the examples of Christ and of his holy Apostles From whom the custome of giuing Thankes at meales seemeth to haue bin deriued throughout all succeeding ages euen to vs. Of Christ himselfe we reade often and in euery of the Euangelists that hee blessed and gaue thankes in the name of himselfe and the people before meate in 14. and 15. of k Math. 14.19 15 36. Mathew in 6. and 8. of l Mark 6 41. 8.6 Marke in 9. of m Luk. 9.16 Luke and in 6. of n Ioh. 6.8 Iohn And in Math. 26. that after meate also when Supper was ended he and his Disciples o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 26.30 sang an hymne before they departed the roome And St. Luke relateth of St. Paul Act. 27. when hee and his company in the Ship who were wel toward 300. persons were to refresh themselues with food after a long fast that he tooke Bread and first p Act. 27.35 gaue thankes to God in the presence of them all and then after brake it and began to eate yea St. Paul himselfe so speaketh of it Rom. 14. as of the knowne practise of the Church among Christians of all sorts Weake and Strong He that was strong in the faith and knew the liberty he had in Christ to eate indifferently of all kinds of meates flesh as well as hearbes did eate of all indifferently and gaue God thankes for all The weake Christian too who made scruple of some kinds of flesh or other meates and contented himselfe with hearbes and such like things yet gaue God thankes for his hearbes and for whatsoeuer else hee durst eate q Rom. 14.6 Hee that eateth eateth to the Lord saith hee there at verse 6. for he giueth God thankes and hee that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giueth God thankes too Notwithstanding they differed in their judgements and opinions and consequently in their practise concerning the lawfull or vnlawfull vse of some meates yet they consented most sweetly and agreed both in their judgement and practise in the performance of this religious seruice of Thankesgiuing So then giuing of Thankes for our meates and drinkes before and after meales in an outward and audible forme §. 36. and other Creatures the Thankesgiuing of the mouth expedient is an ancient a commendable an Apostolicall a Christian practise ordinarily requisite as an outward testimony of the inward thankfulnesse of the heart and therefore not to bee omitted ordinarily neither but in some few cases There being the like necessitie of this dutie in regard of inward thankefulnes as there is of vocall Prayer in regard of inward Deuotion and of outward Confession in regard of inward Beliefe and looke what exceptions those other outward duties may admit the very same mutandis mutatis and in their proportion are to be admitted here But not â—nely Meates and Drinkes but euery other good Creature also of God whereof we may haue vse ought to be receiued with a due measure of thankfulnesse And if in these things also so often as in good discretion it may seeme expedient for the aduancing of Gods glory the benefiting of his Church or the quickning of our owne Deuotion wee shall make some outward and sensible expression of the thankfulnes of our hearts for them wee shall therein doe an acceptable seruice vnto God and comfortable to our owne soules For for this cause God instituted of old among his owne people diuers solemne feasts and sacrifices together with the Sanctifying of the first fruits and of the first-borne and diuers other ordinances of that nature as on the other side to be fit remembrancers vnto them of their duty of thankfulnes so to bee as well good testimonies and fit expressions of their performance of that duty But if not alwayes the outward manifestation thereof §. 37. but of the Heart necessary yet God euer expecteth at least the true and inward thankfulnesse of the heart for the vse of his good Creatures r Col. 3.17 Whatsoeuer you doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes vnto God and the Father by him Col. 3. s Phil. 4.6 Bee carefull for nothing but in euery thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiuing let your request be made