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A11923 A godly and fruitfull sermon preached at Lieth in Scotland by a faithfull minister of Gods holy Gospell Murray, John, 1575?-1632, attributed name. aut 1607 (1607) STC 22236; ESTC S106434 19,379 64

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of a blynde conceit that they are partakers of this liberty cast of the law holines righteousnes and all under covert following fulfilling the lusts and vanityes of a prophane heart as though it were a loosenes or licentiousnes and not a holy and a happy liberty Agayne libertie in thinges indifferent as in meat drincke apparell c is not a loosenes but a liberty limitted The Argument of the bellygods gluttōs vayne glorious is not good who reason thus Meat drincke apparell are things indifferent therefore I may eate and drincke when and how oft and how much soever I list albeit excessively I may weare what apparel I please albeit never so costly or glorious For so thou turnest this liberty to a meere loosnes To the which the Apostle Paul setteth generally the limitts of order comelines aedification and that mutuall charitie which should be in christian society Againe the libertie of preaching and professing the truth of Gods word is not a loosenes so that a man may preach or professe what he pleaseth taking to himselfe a liberty of conscience that so many wisheth but it is a limitted liberty We must preach the word keeping our selues precisely within the compasse therof yea we must preach the word as the word there is a limitation both in matter and manner Likwise your profession must be both in matter manner as the word prescribs Lastly the liberty of the government Discipline of Gods house is not a loosnes as though mē might set downe what forme ther of they pleased but a libertie which is bounded limitted both in respect of the substātiall poynts therof which are fixed and immoveable and the circumstantiall poynts therof which are variable and changable For the first the limitts of the poynts fubstantiall is the word either expresse for the most parte or at least by necessary consequēce the word I say particularly for every one of them as the office bearers in the Church their sorts degrees authority power offices calling thereto discharge thereof in preaching the word administring the sacraments exercising of Discipline as is evident out of the Epistles of Paul and the rest Therfore that is not a good argumēt this or that as the estate of Bishops humane or such other is not against the word there is nothing in the word against it therefore it is lawfull Suppose it were so that it were not against the word yet it will not follow if it be among the substantiall poynts as concerning any office bearer his office authority or such like which are perefctly expresly set downe in the word But rather by the contrary it will follow by a sure consequence It is not with the word the word is not with it therefore it is not lawfull Otherwise this libertie is turned to loosenes For the second the limitts of the poynts circumstantiall and ceremoniall is likewise by the word but generally bouūding all and every one of thē in their use with the foresayd three limitts order comlines and aedification Where Ceremonies are placed in a Church having these three joyned with them in peace and wisdome let them be reteyned without superstition Where Ceremonies are placed in a Church breaking their boūds bringing in with them for order confusion for decency uncomely and vngraue disguyzing for aedification offence of the weake in faith of whom there hath ben ever and wil be a number in the Church of Christ in all ages and confirming of others in their superstitions let them without contention in wisdome and authority be removed otherwise this liberty is turned into loosenes Therfore this is not a good argument all ceremonies are in thēselues indifferent therefore they may be reteyned or removed placed or displaced according to our pleasure It followeth not because there is a difference betwixt the indifferency of the thing indifferent in it selfe and the indifferency of the use thereof the thing indifferent in it selfe and it owne nature being nether inclyning to good nor evil is and abideth alwayes indifferent the Christian liberty thereof being in the conscience as a benefite chiefly pertayning therto the authority of man yea of Angels is not able to alter or change the nature thereof by turning indifferency into necessitie for this is onely proper to God to change the quality of thinges by the power of his precept But the use of the thing indifferent is and abydes not alwayes and at al times indifferent in respect of the accidents that accompany the same sometimes offence uncomelines disorder following theron which taketh away the indifferency of the use bynding restrayning the exrernall work that it be not done albeit nothing touching the internall liberty of the conscience which is ever free Otherwise the abuse of the thing indifferent commeth in of necessity craving reformation thereof Somtimes againe the lawfull authority of men in a discrete cōmandement or precept of Christian charity accompanieth the same injoyning the use of the thing indifferent so obliging and bynding the externall worke to be done although not the internall liberty and conscience and that not absolutely but in case of scandall otherwise the worke without sinne may be omitted If ye will say the law giver by his superiour power concerning the externall use of the thing indifferent will remoue the offence followinge therein It will not but rather aggravate it because thereby the externall worke appeareth to be bound to the offensiue use of the thing indifferent which before was free If ye will aske whether the superiour power may not by preceept injoyne the use of thinges indifferent I answer yea but with these conditions First that it be without the opinion of merit and necessary Divine worship Secondly that it be without the offence of the weake or any of Gods children whatsoever and the strenghthening the superstitious in their blynd errors Thirdly that it be not imposed with the clause of perpetuity as though it were a thing necessary but that it be left alterable according as the circumstance of time place person shall requyre Fourthly that it be not urged under the punishment of necessity For exāple if a law or Injunction should impose the use of the surplice in time of divine service the ring in mariage c under the payne of deposition this is to make the use of a thing indifferent necessary for what other or greater shal be the punishment of fornication drunkenes c in the person of any spirituall office bearer So then of all this ye see what a gratious liberty it is wherwith Christ hath made us free and therefore how stedfastly we should stand in it not with a loose licentious heart but with affections fast setled by faith thereon that we be not entangled agayne with the yoke of bondage Thirdly the Apostle layeth out before our eyes the dolefull misery wherin they inwrappe themselues who for sake this liberty they entangle thēselues with the fearefull yoke of bondage
corruptible thinges as silver or gold but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled and without spotte 1 Pet 1.18.19 If ye aske which is the register or Charter of this libertie in and by the which our right of this liberty is sett downe and made sure we answer The word of the Old and New Testament principally the word of the Evangelists in the which this liberty all the sorts and particuler poynts therof are plainly and plentifully layd out before our eyes The word is truth if ye know the truth the truth shall make you free saith Christ Iohn 8.23 For it is both the Charter and working instrument of this liberty Now the meaning of this whole admonition is this shortly and simplie Seing ye are once set at liberty and so freed from spirituall thraldome by Iesus Christ the Lord of life and liberty stand fast to this libertie and fall not backe againe under the wofull misery of any spirituall bondage whatsoever To come to the doctrine First we see there is a libertie wherewith the Sonne of God hath priviledged his people whom Peter calleth the people set at libertie 1 Pet 2.9 which is heavenly spiritually and supernaturall and in nature far differēt from any earthly or worldly libertie which is even in all and every one of the sorts and poynts therof the purchase of his owne pretious bloud the free gift of his liberall loue the right wherof is conferred to them by the charter of his blessed word sealed up in the tables of their hearts and cōsciēces by the spirit of grace which is delivered to us from day to day by the publicke preaching of the word Therfore neither Angell in heavē nor man on earth should take upon them to chop or change in this liberty or the meanest poynt therof without the warrāt of the word unles they would that the purchaser of this libertie should be avenged of them for the violation thereof It is true in outward or earthly liberties given by men or which are amonge men for outward society or comodity men may doe as they think meet alter add impare c. But as for this liberty and the particulars therof which come as it were immediately out of the hands of Christ let men take heed how they meddle with them to add to alter to impaire or to pervert as they would wish that God should not meddle with them in wrath Yet such is the follie and presumption of mortall men that they haue oft their head and their hand in these inviolable liberties altering or disanulling thē for their owne further libertie or rather loosnes to the flesh Take an exāple from the Papists who in effect overthrow this liberty in all and every poynt thereof The libertie of Iustification and sanctification by their freewill in nature their preparations to Iustificatiō their good works chiefly of the outward man their pilgrimages purgatory and satisfactions by the which they entangle thēselues with the yoke of the law sin and condemnation the libertie of thinges indifferent or humane traditions by an heap of Idolatrous superfluous Ceremonies thrust upon the consciences of ignorant people as a parte of Gods worship necessary and meritorious The defensiue liberties by their unwritten verities and traditions mixed matched with the pure and sincere word of truth by their Antichristian Hierarchy and innumerable superstitious rites defeating yea excluding the true Discipline and comely order of the house of God Thus while they shew themselues enimies to this libertie in all the particulars of it they also declare that all the linckes of this spirituall yoke of bondage lie heavie upon the necke of their soules which is a just and deserved recompence of the violation of this liberty wherwith Christ hath made us free Therfore by their example we should beware of such for we haue great cause seing within thes few yeares it may be perceiving that we were inclyning their way in our Church govermēt they are so encreased encouraged that not onely here they set up their heades but also they haue been bold as yow know of late to set out the publicke ensignes of Idolatry as though their had been neither Prince nor Pastor in Israel as though both the edge of the civill and spirituall sword had been either broken or blunted and yet they are not much dashed nor dismayed As for us my brethren it becommeth us alwayes in holines and faithfulnes to preserue mainteine every one of these liberties so farr forth as our place or power will extend that we may stand fast in them seeing Christ by them hath made us free that we be not entangled againe with the yoke of bondage Secondly the Apostle sheweth that this happie priviledge which Christ hath purchased for us is not a loosnes but a libertie not a loosnes or a licence to sinne but a libertie in holines and righteousnes to serue the Lord not a loosenes or a loose rayne to rūne whithersoever our vayne and raging lusts leade us but a libertie which is likewies a yoke not like the yoke of bondage which is hard and heavie a yoke of iron but a goldē yoke of the which our Saviour Christ Math 11.30 saith My yoke is easie and my burden light not a loosenes that hath no limittes but a libertie which is bounded and limitted by the Lord himselfe in his blessed word which we shall easily perceiue by passing through shortly the particulers of this libertie First the liberty of Iustification sanctification is not a loosnes that they who imagine they injoy thē may doe what they lust but a liberty which should not be abused as an occasion to the flesh saith the Apostle in this same chapter 13 which hath his owne limitts prescribed by God in his word Being made free from sinne yea are made the servants of righteousnes Rom 6.18 Being freed from sinne ye are made servants unto God having your fruite in holines Rom 6 22. There is a limitte of this liberty righteousnes holines or the service of God Ye are a people set at liberty that ye should shew forth the vertues of him who hath called you out of darknes into his marveilous light 1. Pet 2.9 There is another limitte of this liberty further The freedome from the lawe is not a loosenes as though we might cast the law of God behind our backs as no way perteyning to us but a liberty limitted For albeit we be freed frō the curse and condemnation of it yet are we not simply freed from the command of it Albeit we be freed from the correction of it yet not from the direction of it It continueth to be a director and leader of us in the way of light Oh how far then are the Atheists and Epicures of this age blynded who are so in effect albeit lurking under the shadow of outward profession with all the Hypocrites in these dayes they resting themselues upon the broken reed