Quest. CLXXI. What is sacrilege, and what not?
Answ. I. Sacrilege is robbing God by the unjust alienation of holy things. And it is measured according as things are diversified in holiness; as,
1. The greatest sacrilege is a profane, unholy alienating a person to the flesh and the world, from God, and his love, and his service, who by baptism was devoted to him. And so all wicked christians are grossly sacrilegious.
2. The next is alienating consecrated persons from the sacred work and office, by deposing kings, or by unjust silencing or suspending true ministers, or their casting off God’s work themselves. This is far greater sacrilege than alienating lands or utensils.
3. The next is the unjust alienating of temples, utensils, lands, days, which were separated by God himself.
4. And next such as were justly consecrated by man; as is aforesaid in the degrees of holiness.
II. It is not sacrilege, 1. To cease from the ministry or other holy service, when sickness, disability of body, or violence, utterly disable us.
2. Nor to alienate temples, lands, goods, or utensils, when Providence maketh it needful to the church’s good: so the fire in London hath caused a diminution of the number of churches: so some bishops of old, sold the church plate to relieve the poor: and some princes have sold some church lands to save the church and state in the necessities of a lawful war.
3. It is not sacrilege to alienate that which man devoted, but God accepted not, nor owned as appropriate to him (which his prohibition of such a dedication is a proof of). As if a man devote his wife to chastity, or his son to the ministry, against their wills: or if a man vow himself to the ministry that is unable and hath no call: or if so much lands or goods be consecrated, as is superfluous, useless, and injurious to the common welfare and the state. Alienation in these cases is no sin.
Rom. ii. 22; 2 Pet. ii. 20-22; Heb. vi. 6, 7; x. 26-29; 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16; Lev. xix. 8; Heb. xii. 16; Acts v. 5, &c.; Ezek. xxii. 26; xlii. 20; xliv. 23.
Matt. xii. 5.