18. Let us look at St. Paul’s doctrine and examples in the two following remarkable instances.
First where he declares it to be lawful for those that preach the gospel to live by the gospel, and yet makes it matter of the greatest comfort and joy to himself, that he wholly abstained from this lawful thing: and declares, it were better for him to die, than that this rejoicing should be taken from him. He appeals to his daily and nightly labouring with his own hands, that so he might preach the gospel freely, and not be chargeable to those that heard him. And this he said he did, not for want of authority to do otherwise, but that he might make himself an example unto them who followed him.
* What awakening instructions are here given to us of the clergy, in a matter of the greatest moment! How ought every one to be frighted at the thought of desiring or seeking a second living, or of rejoicing at great pay where there is but little duty, when the apostle’s rejoicing consisted in this, that he had passed thro’ all the fatigues and perils of preaching the gospel without any pay at all! How cautious, nay, how fearful ought we to be, of going so far as the secular laws permit us, when the apostle thought it more desirable to lose his life, than to go so far as the general laws of the gospel would have suffered him!
* It is looked upon as lawful, to get several preferments, and to make a gain of the gospel, by hiring others to do duty for us at a lower rate.—It is looked upon as lawful, to quit a cure of souls of a small income, for no other reason but because we can get another of a greater.—It is looked upon as lawful, for a clergyman to apply the revenue of a church, which he serves, to his own use, tho’ he has more than a sufficient competency of his own, and much more than the apostle could get by his labour.—It is looked upon as lawful, for the clergy to live in state and equipage, to buy purple and fine linen out of the revenue of the church.—It is looked upon as lawful, for clergymen to enrich their families, and bring up their children in the fashionable vanities of a worldly and expensive life, by money got by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
* But now supposing all these to be lawful, what comfort and joy might we treasure up for ourselves, what benefit and edification should we give to our neighbour, if we wholly abstained from all these things, not by working day and night with our hands, as the great apostle did, but by limiting our wants and desires according to the plain demands of nature, and a religious self-denial?
The other instance of the apostle’s I appeal to is that, where he says, it is good neither to eat “flesh, nor drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth and is offended. And again, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, that I may not offend my brother.” Hence it appears, that to abstain from things indifferent, as if they were in themselves sinful, is wrong; but to abstain from them upon other motives, may be matter of necessary duty and edification. But since the Doctor has not looked at this matter in the twofold view in which only it can be justly apprehended, he cannot well be excused from that half thinking, which he so much reproaches in others.
19. But I must further observe, that there is yet more of snare and deception, in what the Doctor has here said of this matter. For the reader may thereby be easily brought into a belief, that things in themselves indifferent, are not proper subjects of religion, or means of advancing in piety; and that he need not bring himself under any laws of religion, concerning such things.
Whereas nothing can be more contrary to truth, or more hurtful to piety than such a belief. “Eating, drinking, sleeping, dressing, resting, labour, conversation, trade, diversion, and money, are in themselves indifferent.”
But it is in the religious, or irreligious use of these that some people live up to the spirit of the gospel, and others wholly die to it. And it is from strict laws of religion, made concerning these indifferent things, that the spiritual life of every one is to be built up.
And it is for want of religious laws in the use of these things, that the spirit of the gospel cannot get possession of our hearts. For our souls may receive an infinite hurt, and be rendered incapable of all true virtue, merely by the use of innocent and lawful things.