Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A36078
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A Discourse about conscience, relating to the present differences among us in opposition to both extreams of popery and fanaticism.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing D1568; ESTC R8393
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25,645
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43
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Church and Security of the Government under which we live Secondly Conscience I told you includes Knowledge as much in the Notion of the thing as Composition of the word where there is no Knowledge there can be no Conscience because in such a case it is withwhat to do or how to govern it self and judge aright whereupon Conscience is not so much concern'd about things that are uncertain whereof we can have no sure Proof or clear Evidence either from Sense Reason or Revelation which are the three only ways of attaining Knowledge or arriving at the certainty of any thing Thus in matters of School Question or Controversial Divinity which are banded to and fro with probable Arguments on both sides For Instance Whether The Fire in Hell be Material or Metaphorical true In the Letter or in a Figure so we do but believe there is such a place as Hell reserved for the Punishment of Wicked Men as Scripture doth assure us Conscience as to the rest is not concern'd to believe either one way or other because Scripture is silent in the case and the Arguments from Reason on either hand are alike probable and if I am induc'd to believe one part of the Question rather than the other this can arise no higher than to a private Opinion of my own not a publick Article of my Christian Faith wherein my private Judgment not my Conscience is concern'd That Christ was born of a Pure Virgin is matter of Faith and consequently of Conscience to believe because Scripture doth affirm it but whether she remain'd so all her Life long is not so Indeed it hath been an Opinion in the Church that she did but however there is no other Argument but that of Piè Credimus that can induce us to be of that mind In like manner the Descent of Christ into Hell so we do not deny the thing which hath for many Ages been a received Article of the Apostles Creed tho left out in some others it matters not greatly whether it were Local or Virtual Metaphorical or Metonymical for in all these several Senses it hath been taken by Learned and Pious Men but in which of these we need not be overmuch concern'd for this Article being not expresly Revealed or clearly delivered in Scripture we believe it chiefly upon the account of the Apostles Creed whose Antiquity ought to command our Reverence and Respect tho I think it cannot strictly oblige my Conscience especially when the Church hath not determin'd any thing in the Case any more than Scripture but left me at Liberty to judge either way as I see cause The like may be said of the Knowledge of the Saints departed with many others which for Brevity sake I now omit Thirdly Some things there are tho for certain Revealed yet being Obscure and Vnintelligible in their own nature cannt so immediately oblige our Consciences as those that are more plain and Obvious The Decrees of God Arcana of Providence the great and Stupendous Mystery of the Blessed Trinity and Incomprehensible Vnion of the Two Natures in the Son of God these are in many things above our Reach and Capacity and so far as they are above us belong not to us A modest and humble Faith is here requisite and all that is expected from the common and ordinary sort of Christians a too curious search and inquiry into these Venerable Mysteries being not convenient for all nor absolutely necessary for any A particular Explication of them concerns my Faith no further than as it is consonant to Sacred Scripture and agreeable to what is more plainly revealed in Holy Writ or else by natural and genuine Consequence may be deduced there-from But now as for other Difficulties that may arise from thence I am not bound to pin my Faith on any one man's Sleeve nor receive his Scheme or Hypothesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for inspir'd Doctrine No nor for Truth neither any further than he can confirm it by Scripture which is the sole infallible Test of Divine Truth All that in this Case I am oblig'd to do is to guide my Conscience by Scripture and my Judgment by the catholick Determinations of the Church that is I am oblig'd in Conscience to believe all that the Scripture reveals and make that the Rule of my Faith and Obedience But in all other things where difficulties may arise and Scripture is either totally silent or very obscure here we ought to believe as the Church believes mistake me not I do not speak it in a Popish Sence which sets up the Traditien of the Church in Opposition to Scripture and in an impious manner prefers them before it teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men but my meaning is that I and every body else in matters dubious and obscure ought to be so modest as to mistrust our own particular Judgments rather than that of the Church and submit our Private Opinions to her Publick Determinations If not yet the least that in this Case we ought to do is to keep our Persuasion to our selves rather than disturb the Peace or oppose the received Doctrine of the Church out of an indiscreet Zeal for any fond or affected Opinion of our own For pray consider Can it be any other than Pride or Self-conceit to call it no worse for a few private persons to oppose their particular Sentiments to the Catholick Faith and what they decry in their Governors to practise more unjustly themselves by Prescribing to their Superiors in Matters dubious and uncertain and which are perpetually controverted on all hands In all things of this nature Conscience obligeth me to be Humble and Modest rather than Positive and Peremptory and therefore it would better become us to receive our Faith from than impose ours upon the Church in whose Communion we live and of the Truth of whose Doctrine we are satisfied in the main as the Dissenting Brethren are generally with ours But however if they see Reason to Dissent in their private Thoughts from the Establisht Faith they ought to keep their Judgment to themselves and not disturb her Peace on that account In this Sense let them remember that of the Apostle He that hath Faith let him have it to himself And he that keeps it there way keep it safe enough and out of the reach of all Humane Power and Compulsion For Conscience while it keeps within its due bounds cannot ought not to be compell'd by any Power upon Earth for in that respect it is free and never to be fore't But Secondly and positively Conscience is chiefly and more immediately concern'd about such things as are more necessary and substantial plain and obvious in Religion And these in the First place are the Main Fundamental Articles of our Christian Faith which constitute the greatest part of our Creed and have an immediate influence on our Lives and they are those that are contain'd in our several Creeds which are the brief Summary of the
given no particular Command either for or against and upon that account become of a Middle nature between Good and Evil as being neither commanded nor forbidden if therefore not commanded they do not oblige Conscience in point of Obedience if not forbidden they offend not Conscience in point of Guilt This is the true and easie Notion of things Indifferent as coming under no immediate Injunction or Prohibition and therefore left free as to the Performance or Omission unless Prudence shall otherwise direct or lawful Authority interpose But some there are who will admit nothing for Indifferent but what Scripture doth expresly warrant and affirm to be so but then there can be nothing call'd Indifferent in the World because there is no Text throughout the whole Bible that speaks any thing to this purpose or makes mention of what is Indifferent and what not And yet that some things in or about Religion are indifferent and may be done or not done without Sin we have the general consent of most of our Reformed Divines Calv. Beza Bucer Pola P. Martyr cum plurimis aliis quos omnes enumerare jam taederet and that as well of Foreign Churches as of our own 'T is therefore sufficient warrant for me to judge any thing indifferent whereof the Scripture is wholly silent and makes no mention at all either one way or other as in Matters of External Rites and Ceremonies the Outward Modes and Circumstances of Divine Worship which are all of them of an indifferent Nature and wherein there is no Religion or Sin at all as consider'd absolutely in themselves and stript of all other Circumstances which may alter the case Indifferent things therefore being neither good nor evil in themselves may be done or not done without sinning against God or offending Conscience But when these things which are indifferent in their own Nature do either tend to or come under the General Rules of Order and Decency and have withal the Addition of lawful Authority to re-commend them then the Practice of them becomes not only lawful but in that respect necessary tho' they remain still indifferent as to their own Nature I say tho' the Nature of them is not changed by the superaddition of lawful Authority but remain indifferent as before yet the Practice of them is no longer so but becomes a necessary Instance of our Obedience and therefore Obstinacy in refusing to comply with such Injunctions cannot excuse from Guilt except it could be proved That Disobedience to the lawful commands of the Magistrate is no Sin and the study of the Churches Peace and Quiet is no Duty For the clearer Illustration of this I shall instance but in one Ceremony at present which by many is scrupled at but I think without any Ground either from Scripture or Reason and that is Kneeling at the Blessed Sacrament which is the only Ceremony that is enjoyn'd or requir'd from the Layety in the Communion of our Church 'T is impossible we should receive the Holy Sacrament without some Gesture which is natural to every Action whether it be Sitting Standing Kneeling or Leaning i. e. inclining the Body on one side which is generally thought to be the Posture of our Saviour and his Disciples at the first Institution thereof according to the Custom of the East Each of these Postures considered in themselves are equally indifferent and one to be scrupled no more than another because they are all of them natural to bodily Action Kneeling therefore in the First place being not forbidden in Scripture is no more unlawful than Sitting or Standing and being a natural Gesture of the Body is as indifferent as any of the rest But then Secondly as it is a devout Posture and expressive of greater Reverence and Humility than that of Sitting or Standing so it may be preferr'd as more convenient and suitable to the Piety and Devotion of that Holy Ordinance than any other Gesture But Thirdly As 't is enjoyn'd by the Authority and Governours of the Church whose Power in things of this Nature some men are unwilling to understand so it becomes more necessary and binding as to the Use thereof What was indifferent before in one respect becomes convenient in another and necessary in a third 'T is indifferent in its own nature because not forbidden 'T is convenient in regard of its natural Significancy as betokening more Reverence and Devotion and 't is necessary in respect of the Command of our Governours as an Instance of our Obedience to them which God hath made our Duty and that for Conscience sake That Action therefore which is natural and indifferent convenient and reverent and upon those Accounts commanded and enjoyned I would fain know where doth the Vnlawfulness of it lie or where is the Sin of such an Action to be found They therefore that shall scruple Kneeling at the S. Sacrament especially since our Church hath assured them that there is no intention of adoring the Elements or the supposed Presence of Christ's Body I fear understand not what Reverence and Devotion is so well as they ought but discover something of a Temper which if left loose would be troublesome and uneasie under all Government and Discipline tho' never so so pure and primitive notwithstanding they seem such Zealous Contenders for it But pray why should a Lawful Authority be blamed for doing that which particular Men and private Teachers do daily practise in their several Meetings and Illegal Assembles namely imposing upon the Consciences of Men and requiring their Submission to several things which they have no express Rule for in Scripture and yet make this the great Objection against the Worship and Discipline of our Church in which respect they are no less Magisterial if not more than our Governors whom upon all occasions they Arraign as such for without any Authority from God or the Magistrate they exercise an Arbitrary Dominion over the Consciences of those Men who have weakness enough to list themselves into their Party They take away the nature of things indifferent and make some things necessary which were not so before and some things they can dispense withal as indifferent which are necessarily required to the ensnaring of Peoples Consciences who otherwise it may be mean well and are too honest to suspect the bottom of their designs as I might instance both in the Classical and Congregational way Whereas our Church never pretended to alter the nature of things either necessary and essential to Religion or only accidental and indifferent but leaves them as they are She only directs the Practice of them so far as they tend to Order and Decency are expressive of Reverence and Devoition and become a proof of Obedience and Submission to lawful Authority a Duty which I cannot think so meanly of as some do considering how peremptorily it is enjoined by the Holy Ghost in many places of the Gospel and the great Influence it hath upon the Peace of the