What is here said has some truth in it, and might be useful in its proper place, and under right limitations. But as it here stands, it is a grievous _snare_ and _deceit_ to the reader. For it is to signify to him, that _wholly abstaining from_ things in themselves indifferent, cannot be made a _matter_ of true religious advancement; but is a blameable instance of excess. If the Doctor had meant only to teach, that we should not abstain from things indifferent, as if they were in _themselves unlawful_, he should have told his readers that he meant no more. He should have told them, that such things might be abstained from justly, upon a better principle, and so become very expedient and edifying; and that he did not condemn the abstaining from such things, when it was done upon a motive of piety, or for the better fulfilling any duty; but only when it was done from superstitious notion, of the things being in themselves sin.
Had he done this, he had prevented the _snare_ and _deceit_ that is now in his assertion: but then he would at the same time have made it useless, and insignificant to the design of his discourse, and would have left a door open for such advances in piety, as he is now opposing.
17. It might easily be shewn, if this was the place for it, that no one can truly fulfil the two first and greatest of all laws, that of loving God with all our heart, and that of loving our neighbour as ourselves, unless he be willing and glad, in many instances, _wholly_ to _abstain_ from things in themselves indifferent and innocent.
St. _Paul_’s doctrine is this: _All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient._ This sets the matter right on both sides. It leaves things in their own state of indifference, and yet carries us to a higher rule of acting. It directs us wholly to abstain from, some things innocent in themselves, and to do things because they are _expedient_; because by so doing, we shew a higher love of God, and a greater desire of doing every thing to his glory; because we thereby attain a greater conquest over all our inward and outward enemies, and in a greater degree help forward the edification of our neighbour.
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?