Apostle If he doubts and yet does what he doubts of he is condemned because whatever is not of Faith is Sin He that is fully perswaded in his own mind to use them may use them and they ought to appear of that Value to him that he can give God thanks for them with understanding for that is one Character of the Apostles Indifferents and a severe Test upon them it is But yet he must not think himself the better for them or that such things can commend him to God He must not use them to the scandalising the weaker than himself even while the World standeth that is while the Reason of Doubt can in the Nature of that Reason remain And he must allow that his Indifferents are as subject to Scandal as the Indifferents the Apostle discourses upon are and if the very reasonably-to be-suppos'd Scandal in these of themselves so harmless Indifferents be well consider'd I doubt there will be found a great and wide Sea for this Leviathan to roll it self in Now that I may make this Consideration more orderly I shall distribute it according to the several Ranges of Persons concern'd and endanger'd by Scandal in these Indifferents And I begin with 1. Those that comply with that side of them which the Strongest chuse that is the Use of them because this is immediately under the Apostles Eye I say that comply but are not fully perswaded in their own mind Now the Apostle imputes their Compliance to the Power of Example which is the freest sort of Compliance For though he had taken notice of Despisings in the former part of the Discourse yet he waves that Impositions by Church-Censures or Penalties were quite out of his Thoughts he arrests them upon Example the most ingenuous sort of Compulsion and submitting to it the most spontaneous Conformity Yet both to the Romans and the Corinths here he places the danger of scandalising and Scandal If thy Brother saith he be grieved with thy Meat that is not grieved that thou eatest but drawn to eat as thou dost yet not perswaded as thou art and so receiving a real Wound and Grief in his Conscience by following thy Example thou walkest not charitably More expresly to this purpose the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians If any Man see thee which hast knowledge sit at Meat in an Idols Temple shall not the Conscience of him that is weak be edified to eat those things which are offered to Idols Thus evident it is Example is that which the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very words points to Now in that he lays this sort of Scandalising so low as in Example he plants his Argument with greater force against any other Way that is more forcible than Example Here then is the Scandal as given The Scandal taken is the rushing against that Principle of Religion That the full sense of a Man 's own Mind and what is to him of Faith is in Indifferent Things the Square of his Actions and the contrary is Sin and Scandal This is most evident in the Apostle to the Romans his whole Discourse runs into this as the Scandal he intends to speak of To the Corinths it may be more Dispute where the Scandal lay because the Sin seems to be a Relapse into Idolatrous eating in an Idols Temple the Meats offered to Idols And that Expression of eating with Conscience of the Idol things offered to Idols as offered to Idols is at the first view almost enforcive of that Sense but by closer attention it appears much otherwise For I observe the Apostle upon the occasion discourses first the Case it self in the eighth Chapter In Chap. 9. in a Figure transferred to himself he treats the necessary Retreat from our own Liberty in some Cases as a motive to all Christians to do the same In the tenth Chapter he discourses the great danger of Idolatry it self which might be drawn as a Snare upon both the weak and the strong by often Converse with Idolaters and their Rites and the intolerable Guilt and Danger of that made forcible by several Arguments and then towards the end of that Chapter resumes the plain Case of the weak who not understanding Gods superiour surmounting Right over the Idols consider'd only the great evil of eating in honour to the Idol and believed the Meat and the Temple irrecoverably defiled by it They had not the knowledge that an Idol was nothing and therefore could not affect things themselves to all that keep themselves pure and know that Gods Right overcomes and his filling all things excludes all others and their Right becomes a Nothing But some not having this knowledge eat in a Temple Meats that had the Idols Superscription and Image upon them as they thought not in any Honour to the Idol but tyded along by Example to communicate in what they yet esteemed defiled and polluted though indeed it was not so but to those that esteemed it so This Point the Apostle plainly enters upon Chap. 10. v. 23. going off from that of Idolatry in these Words All things are lawful c. And ver 28. he thus opens what he intends If any Man as in a fright at so hainous a thing as eating the defiled Meat that had been consecrate to an Idol say unto you This is offered in Sacrifice to Idols eat not for his sake that shewed it and for his Conscience-sake not thy own that was scar'd at it as if unclean in it self and yet might be drawn to eat it as such by thy Example not Idolatrously but with a doubting Conscience And the very same Reason why out of this Case of anothers Scandal a Man might eat even because the Earth is the Lords and the fulness of it his Right cannot be retrench'd nothing can be made unclean in it self that is Gods the very same is given for not eating in case of Scandal The Earth is the Lords and the fulness of it that is We are not tied up to one Thing to assert Gods Right in that only that we must needs run our Brother into Scandal for it The Earth that has room enough and the Fulness of it a full Table besides that suppos'd to be the Idols is the Lords and his Bounty to be enjoyed in all acknowledged praised in all so that we may please All that is consult their truest Good and give no Scandal for that the Apostle means by pleasing and opposes it to grieving and wounding Thus large I have been in bringing the Case to the Romans and to these Corinthians to much the same level and pitch except the Meats be suspected fouler by Dedication to an Idol than by the meer Mosaick Interdict that the main Point of Scandal might be setled For though I shall allow just Consideration to all other Points of Scandal and to the other Interpretation viz. That the Apostle discourses against those Idolatrous Contaminations those Pangs of Devotion and Reverence of the Idol the tender
that doth but a little consider will find first It is a very good answer to endless cavil and querulousness against the best of things that can be obtain'd here that every thing in this world is injur'd disorder'd and defiled by the pravity of Humane Nature there being nothing in the whole Vniverse of Good and Excellent that is not debaucht by the lusts of men or where shall he fix himself that would upon earth remove himself from all things that have been by sin if but possible to be deprav'd by ill use to ill ends But yet this is not answer enough for the defiling the very light and the Sun even Religion it self and that in so great degrees and to so heinously contrary ends for whereas the very height and transcendency of Divine Things might in all reason plead an exemption from such debasements yet coming so near to our corrupted Atmosphaere it is even as the very light though in it self remaining always pure and clear as it self notwithstanding prostituted by men to their own abominable impieties This then alone answers so great a Doubt That God is exceedingly offended and displeas'd with Humane Nature that so excellent an instrument of the Divine Glory the Happiness of the world in present and the eternal life and happiness of it hereafter should be depraved into an instrument of greatest unhappiness and mischief to mankind both in this world and that which is to come For so far as we can see much of that Blood and Devastation Tumult and Convulsion much of the Cruelty and Inhumanity that hath fallen out had been sav'd and prevented had it not been that Religion had a place in the world Much of that deep and almost inexpiable guilt that hath been contracted through the persecution of the True Religion and opposition to it from the false had never come into account now or at the day of Judgment It is therefore evident upon the whole state of Humane Nature that though there is a main difference in regard of the goodness of God in the Mediator between it and the Angelick Nature fallen that one is universally in chains of darkness to the Judgment of the great Day and without hopes of remedy the other not universally nor without hope Yet those chains are due to the one even as to the other and in what degrees to the Divine Justice in its wisdom it seems meet it casts men into them even as it distributes as it pleases measures of the punishment of sin in taking the forfeitures of the Blessings of Earth of some and not of others when it was given to the children of men alike as to their substantial enjoyment however one might have differ'd from another in glory and laying great calamities upon some and not on others as greatly deserving of them and that in this time of general patience If it were not thus no reason could be given why so great Tracts of Humane Nature lye in the valley of the shadow of death having no light of the True Religion to shine upon them And why without the great discomposure and disturbance of the world and without the ruin and destruction of those that make the offers there can be no offers of better made to them If it were not thus no reason could be given why there is so great a corruption even of Christianity it self where it is generally profest and the attempts of Reformation in Christianity are every whit as dangerous or more than the persuasions to it addrest to Turks or Pagans the lingring Acts of Cruelty in the Inquisition and horrible bloodiness of Massacres exceeding any thing of any other kind Lastly If it were not thus those smaller Differences among Protestants themselves who have had opportunity to look over the unreasonableness and prodigious Inhumanities of Pagans Turks Jews and Papists in their persecutions could never have brought forth so much of spleen hate and sufficient proportions of the same cruelty among themselves when they have had before their eyes not only those pregnant motives to detestation of such Barbarity in those forenamed examples but that mirrour of patience meekness forbearance The Gospel of Jesus Christ Nor is it unworthy of good observation to this purpose that the proceedings against offenders in the Laws of Natural Religion or Morality are generally with leisure moderation proportion between the offence and the punishment a compassion of Humane Nature even where severity is of greatest necessity But in what men levy against different Religions all is carried in storms and whirlwind in fury and rage in blood smoke and fire arguing to us That the Cause not fairly lying before Humane Justice there being an error in the very foundation of the procedure the evil increases and grows upon mens hands till it becomes too mighty for any Government and so carries all before it into prodigious violence of Ferity and salvageness And also that Divine Justice therein shewing to man his great degeneracy and liableness to Divine severity as God himself pleases suffers the power of that Degraded Spirit the God of this World to triumph in nothing more than the abusing Religion and especially Christian Religion that great Contrivance of Heaven for mans recovery out of the state of Devils and to make it like an Engine of destruction to recoil upon man himself and fly every way with terrible death and ruin as if Hell rather than Heaven came along with it Yet notwithstanding all this it is most certain this whole misery is conceiv'd and brought forth by the sin and unworthiness of man to himself by his own stupidity and folly or by his wisdom that is worse than folly earthly sensual and Devilish for the interposal of the Mediator runs so through the whole state of Humane Nature that there are sure ground-works laid how men might in every case recover happiness even out of misery and degeneracy and principally in this very Cardinal Point of that Happiness True Religion and the Peace and Mercy of it care is taken how the World might be secured if it would both from the Ambitious and unquiet man in his designs how Government Anthority Soveraignty might be kept safe and yet unbesmear'd too with Martyrs Blood yea even the blood of those who though they are mistaken yet are willing to profuse it for their Religion For whom it should move pity the nearness of their case to the Honour and Honesty of dying for True Religion I mean when plain Foundations of Natural Religion are not destroyed for that case deserves no more mercy than poysoning Fountains or setting on fire if men could the whole course of Nature Now to discover this path or way to universal peace in Religion which is like Wisdoms The Vulturs eye hath not Job 28. 7. seen it nor the Lions whelp trod it Death and destruction say It is not with them and well they may For it is the way of peace which they have not known though they
in Hell If we could suppose a Society designedly united without Religion it would be like the Plot for building of Babel an endeavour of such a part of mankind to set up for its self and its own security as it were in defyance of Heaven A Society united in Civils and crumbled into Sects and Divisions in Religion that is in the main substantials of Doctrine Worship and Practice is a Babel as it was under the curse of Confusion of divided Language A disparagement of Religion which can be as it is indeed Religion but one as if its Name were Legion or as if in fundamental points it could not sufficiently evidence it self so as to be known to be the true Lastly a disanulling the ancient Law of Society which is principally for the Union of Religion so that if men could agree in all things else and were yet divided here it were not true humane society but would want the very noblest part or Principle of it Religion which is as a soul or spirit to it Yet too rigorous and severe a constraint of Uniformity is both to forget humane infirmity that does not allow so perfect an union in this world if a rigid Uniformity be indeed perfection and to forget also that every man is a complete Being within himself and makes a perfect Figure as he is alone and therefore to grant nothing to this consideration is rather to crowd men into a Little ease in Religion than to unite them and so pressing them too strait makes them fly out of that uneasie state for more room and dissolves the union that might else have been But in all the principal points of True Religion Union is so necessary that it stands good Humane society is for the sake of Religion yet in this state of Gods patience to the world Commerce and civil Conversation are no more than Property founded in Grace for then we must go out of the world yet still the supreme and prime end of Society is Religion Society in Divine Adorations is the state of Angels and Saints in Heaven It was designed to be the State of Innocency in this world It is a Law that cannot be repealed It is the perpetual Duty of Man Fallen Nature hath a violent inclination to it so that all societyes consent to walk in the name of some God though mistaken in the right object But the word of God and Christianity as they most clearly reveal the True Religion so the necessity of Union in it The publickness of Religion therefore that it is most choosable for the glory of it to God for the good it does to the souls of men for the blessing and acceptance it receives from God I shall plainly make evident from the reason of Scripture 1. For the Glory publick Religion presents to God it is evident although God in his Son and Spirit is a sufficient Spectator and Witness of and infinitely rich in his own Glory in the understanding of and his own eternal praises of himself so that nothing can be added to him yet it is most evident God is pleased to delight in the publickness of his service and the nearest approach of all his Creatures to him and that not in solitary service but the most conjoyn'd as if infinity received Additions of Glory from the openness and publickness of his Worship which yet we know is impossible But it is the abyss of his goodness that he delights in loving all his creatures and being universally known loved and served by them and that in the greatest Union herein that as he himself is the prime Unity and Universality and this is the perfection of his Being so his Creatures sprung from him may return to him in the same Universality and Unity in resemblance of himself which is the highest and truest worship of him In Heaven there is an Innumerable company of Angels and blessed Spirits in one general Assembly to praise and worship God The Scripture excites the praise of all the Earth of all the world of all Lands of all People Tongues Languages Nations Kindred and Families even the Heaven and Earth and things under the Earth and the whole host of them are called in to concert the Glory of God and nothing left out but Death and Destruction which cannot praise him because never made by him And when the Glory of God as it rises from his Creatures is represented at its highest pitch it is thus set out And I beheld and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb c. And every Creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them I heard saying as it were in one Quire Blessing and Honour and Glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Thus David also musters up the whole Creation to join in the praises of God not to fill up and adorn the Divine Poesie but to shew the indisputable right God hath to the services of all his Creatures and that in those which are not able to pay it immediately by themselves every wise and prudent holy man is to observe that tribute of praise that is as it were marked upon them by the wisdom that made them and to offer it up for them when the service of God is represented as most glorious in its being most publick Every thing therefore in Gods Ordination of Religion tends to publickness Our Saviour will not appear but in the fulness of his Body the Church which does as it were compleat him For it is in this sense his Complement or Fulness though he fills all in all The knowledg of God would cover the earth even as water does the Sea and is restless till it does so the Preaching of the Gospel is to be extended to all Nations to every creature In Prayer there is to be a coming of all flesh to God Praise is to rise up as one pillar of Incense from the whole world The Church especially is to publish the name of the Lord and to ascribe greatness to our God Now the sense of this is that since God hath been pleased to place his Glory in the publickness of Religion in this Universality of it all good men are zealous and earnest to draw in the publick Societies of the world as much as they can to love fear serve pray to God and praise him together God does not allow his servants that out of choice they should retire to the Religion of a Cloyster or a Wilderness or a private separated Assembly as the greatest honour to him but delights in the most publick Assemblies of his Saints servants and creatures for though the reasons here of lye deep in the Divine