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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	new_a	testament_n	write_v	6,542	5	5.9777	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45425	Of scandal	Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.	1646 (1646)	Wing H562; ESTC R32475	25,972	34

OF SCANDALL {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The second Edition OXFORD Printed by HENRY HALL Printer to the VNIVERSITIE 1646. OF SCANDALL 1 HE that would know the true proper full importance of the word Scandall or Offence or to be Offended or Scandalized as they are taken for the same need not seeke into many authors for it The new Testament and the Apocryphall bookes and the Greeke translation of the old Testament are the prime authors that have used these words and all other later Christian writers may justly be thought to have had them from that Fountaine ancient prophane writers not affording them 2 From hence 't will be sure just to inferre that in as many senses as the scripture Canonicall Apocry phall hath used the words in so many they may be justly used and in no more Now the uses of the word Scandall among them are either naturall as generally in the old Testament or borrowed i. e. metaphoricall as cheifely in the new It naturally signifies 3 things 1. A Trapp a Gin or Snare to catch any thing So in the Greek translation of Psal. 3 69. 22. the word is us'd being joyn'd with 2 other words which signify snare and gin and in our new translation is rendred a trapp wherefore in the place of Rom. 11. 9. where the same words are cited out of the Septuagints translation and not out of the Hebrew text of the Psalme I should conceive it should be rendred by analogy not stumbling blocks but gin or some other word belonging to this first signification In this sence it is used 1 Mac. 5. 4. where it is all one with snare and it is farther interpreted by laying wait by the way to catch them treacherously So againe Wisd 14. 11. the word is used and explained by another word signifying a trapp or snare the very same that was used in the Psalmes and to the Romans 4 2. It signifies any Obstacle or hindrance laid in a mans way by which the passenger is detain'd or stopt peculiarly a sharpe Stake such as in time of warre men were wont to put in the fields where their enemy should follow to wound their feet or leggs in their passage against which being so ordinary in war they anciently used greaves of brasse to defend their feet or leggs 1 Sam 17. 6. to which you may referre that Epithite so frequent in Homer {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to signify those greaves brasen or otherwise that the Grecians used described by that Poet {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} made of tin and covering the whole legg to the knee of so firme a substance that it made a loud noise at the stroake of the weapon on it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith he Thus is the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} used Judith 5. 1. where we render it impediments a word somewhat too generall to signify those sharpe stakes or other instruments to wound or gall the passengers which are known to every body for which I beleive we have some proper English word I thinke it is a gal trapp 5 3ly The word signifies a stone or blocke in the way at which men are apt if they be not carefull or if they go in the darke to stumble and fall and thereupon in the old Testament it is taken for a fall and so sometimes for sinne the fall of the soule as Judith 12. 2. where these words left it be an offence would more clearely be rendred out of the Greeke left it become an offence 1. a sinne or pollution as you may see in the same matter which is there treated of Dan. 1. 8. Tob. 1. 11. and 1 Sam. 25. 31. and sometimes for ruine or destruction the fall of the whole person which we are brought to by sinne as Judith 5. 20. our English renders it ruine and Ps. 49. 13. where though we read folly the Septuagint read Scandall by that rendring an Hebrew word which signifies both folly and ruine I confesse this last acception of the word for ruine is somewhat rare yet authoriz'd by our English in the place of Judith and therefore if any dislike it I shall not stand much upon it because in both those places last mentioned it may well enough signifie sin as that is a snare or stumbling blocke an occasion of ruine or falling or destruction in which sense I conceive 't is used Judg 8. 27. where 't is rendred a snare i. e. a sinne ensnaring or occasioning ruine 6 Beside these 3 significations in which the word in Greeke retained in our Language is read in the old Testament I am confident there is no other save once Psal. 50. 20 for slander or calumny or defamation for so the Hebrew there signifies a sense which is vulgar amongst us in English by a Scandall meaning a slander but that sense being but once met with in the whole Bible or twice at most Eccl. 27. 23. where yet I conceive the translation might be mended will not deserve to be taken into consideration 7 Now for the use of the word in the new Testament 't is first observeable that the best nomenclature for hard words in that is the observing the use of them in the Greeke of the old for the writers of the new Testament being Jewes not Greekes wrote in an idiom proper and peculiar to them only and those other Jewes that wrote also in Greeke somewhat differing from that of the Atticke or naturall Greeke writers And therefore we may well resolve that the uses of the word which we have there found and already observed will be very instrumentall to the understanding of the same word and others derived from it in the new Testament And so much the rather because as I said no prophane Greeke writer before the scripture is knowne to have used it only Arist ophanes once a word neare it This being premised 't will be worth our paines at least by so doing we shall put the whole matter beyond exception to survey breifly all the places in the new Testament where the word is used 8 To that end I shall beginne with the first in my Concordance which is Matt. 13. 41. the Angells shall gather out all Scandalls 't is in a sence borrowed from the second mentioned signification of a sharpe stake which he who hath once met with and been gall'd by it is wont to gather up and cast into the fire as there it followes the Angels for our sakes should do v 24. to which Saint Paul also seemes to allude 2 Cor 11. 29. in putting Scandalizing and burning together and denotes simply whatsoever may wound or gall us in our Christian course and by that meanes foreslow our pace cause us to slacken or give over or lye downe in the service of Christ so Mat. 17. 27.

converted baptised and begot them in the faith and that according to the result of that Apostolick consultation Act. 15. did continue to thinke it unlawfull to eate any thing offered to Idols or that came from an Idoll feast which yet by the way St Paul resolves was but an errour in them 1 Cor. 8. 4. and by that judgement of his you see the unobligeingnesse of that interdict Act. 15. and therefore in like manner as before those that were better instructed then they ought to have that charity to them as not to do any thing in their presence which might by the example draw them to venture on that which was against their conscience especially considering that they had not knowledge or understanding enough to judge how nothing an Idoll was v 7. 28 Having thus compared the Romans and Corinthians with the Galathians and given some account of the reason of their different usage it will not be amisse to add what St Chrysostome observes to be the cause of the like difference in Saint Pauls behaviour to the Colossians from that fore-mentioned to the Romans It is a speciall passage in his prooeme to the Epistles Where having mentioned the order wherein the Epistles were written different from the order of setting them in our bookes concludes that this was no unprofitable disquisition for thereby many passages in the booke would be interpreted As that Rom. 14. he condescends to the weake brethren but not so Col. 2. which saith he was for no other reason but because that to the Romans was written before the other and therefore as Physitians and Masters deale not so sharply with Scholers or Patients at first as afterwards so the Apostle in the beginning {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} adding that he was not so familiar with the Romans as yet having never been amongst them at the time of writing that Epistle to them as appeareth Ro. 115. 29 By all this 't is cleare indeed that those which are thus weake either in the notion of babes or sicke men so that they are not able to discerne lawfull from unlawfull as the Idoll to be nothing 1 Cor. 8. 7. meerely for want of sufficient instruction or somewhat proportionable to that principles of understanding or the like but especially if they received those errors or mistakes together with their Christianity from the Apostle or from the Church which gave them baptisme they must then 1 in meekenesse be instructed and cured of their ill habit of soule 2. not be vilified or reproacht yea thirdly be so charitably considered that till they have received satisfaction of conscience and reformation of error we are not to do any thing in their presence that may by the example bring them to do what their conscience is not perswaded to be lawfull or if we do we are said to scandalize a weake brother i. e. an erroneous Christian But then withall 't is as cleare 1 That those who have first received the true doctrine and are for some good time rooted in it that are otherwise taught by the Church that gave them baptisme are not within the compasse of this the Apostles care but as the Galathians to be reprehended chid and shamed out of their childish errors these diseases of soule that their owne itching eares have brought upon them 2 That they that have knowledge in other things nay are able to distinguish as critically as any even to divide a person from himselfe and obey one when they assault the other and by their subtlety in other matters demonstrate their blindenesse in this one to be the effect of malice of passion of lusts of carnality and not of any blamelesse infirmity or impotence are againe excluded from the Apostles care and so thirdly that they that are come to these errors by the infusions of false teachers which not the providence of God but their owne choice hath helpt them to preferring every new poyson before the ancient dayly food of soules have no right to that care or providence of the Apostle any farther then every kinde of sinner hath right to every thing in every fellow Christians power which may prevent or cure his malady i. e. by the generall large rule of charity and not the closer particular law of Scandall Nay fourthly that the case may be such and the adversaries of Christian liberty the opposers of the use of lawfull ceremonies so contrary to weake blamelesse mistakers that it may be duty not to allow them the least temporary complyance but then to expresse most zeale in retaining our lawfull indifferent observances to vindicate our liberty from enslavers when the truth of Christ would be disclaimed by a cowardly condiscending the adversaries of our faith confirmed and heightned and the true weakeling seduced a copy of which we read in St Peters {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Gal. 2. 12. and Barnabat and the Jewish converts being carried away with it v. 13. falling by his example into the same fault of dissimulation pusillanimity non-profession of the truth which is a most proper kind of scandall as frequent and incident as any and so being as dangerous as fit also to be prevented To which I might add a fifth proposition also That the Apostles speech of scandall Rom. 14. and 1 Cor. 8. hath been thought by holy men among the ancients to have much of civility in it at the most to be but an act of Apostolicall care for those weak ones proportionable to those which in other places he prescribes for every other kinde of sinner both which are farre enough from being able to infer any claime or challenge of those weak for themselves any farther then what the first part of it amounts to that of instruction or at least the second that of not being vilified as the sicke hath right to the Physitian to cure him and not to reproach him civilly to get him out of his malady i. e. to rectifie not to scoffe at his mistake For that he should challenge any right to the third part of that care that he should restraine me from the use of my lawfull liberty because else he will sin against his owne conscience do after me what he resolves unlawfull to do supposes a willfull sin of his to be to him a foundation of dominion over me so that every man that will thus damne himselfe doth for that merit and acquire command over me which if it be supposed is sure as wild an extravagant irregular way to power as that of its being founded in gratia or any that these worst daies experience hath taught us 30 Having thus farre expatiated on this last kinde of scandall and taken in that which is proper to it and also that which is more distant from it I shall now resolve it necessary to add yet one thing more instrumentall to the understanding of this kind of Scandall in the stricter notion of it by way of farther caution and restraint and