Preached January 4, 1852.

 CHRISTIAN CASUISTRY.

“Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised.  Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.  Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.  Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.  Art thou called being a servant? care not for it:  but if thou mayest be made free use it rather.  For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman; likewise also he that is called being free, is Christ’s servant.  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.  Brethren, let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God.”—­1 Corinthians, vii. 18-24.

The whole of these seven chapters of the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, is occupied with questions of Christian casuistry.  In the application of the principles of Christianity to the varying circumstances of life, innumerable difficulties had arisen, and the Corinthians upon these difficulties had put certain questions to the Apostle Paul.  This seventh chapter contains the apostle’s answer to many of these questions.  There are however, two great divisions into which these answers generally fall.  St. Paul makes a distinction between those things which he speaks by commandment and those which he speaks only by permission; there is a distinction between what he says as from the Lord, and what only from himself; between that which he speaks to them as being taught of God, and that which he speaks only as a servant, “called of the Lord and faithful.”

It is manifestly plain that there are many questions in which right and wrong are not variable, but indissoluble and fixed; while there are questions, on the other hand, where these terms are not fixed, but variable, fluctuating, altering, dependent upon circumstances.  As, for instance, those in which the apostle teaches in the present chapter the several duties and advantages of marriage and celibacy.  There may be circumstances in which it is the duty of a Christian man to be married, there are others in which it may be his duty to remain unmarried.  For instance, in the case of a missionary it may be right to be married rather than unmarried; on the other hand, in the case of a pauper, not having the wherewithal to bring up and maintain a family, it may be proper to remain unmarried.  You will observe however, that no fixed law can be laid down upon this subject.  We cannot say marriage is a Christian duty, nor celibacy is a Christian duty; nor that it is in every case the duty of a missionary to be married, or of a pauper to be unmarried.  All these things must vary according to circumstances, and the duty must be stated not universally, but with reference to those circumstances.

These therefore, are questions of casuistry,