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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62878	Væ scandalizantium, or, A treatise of scandalizing wherein the necessity, nature, sorts, and evills of scandalizing, are handled, with resolution of many questions thereto pertaining / preached at Lemster, in Herefordshire by Iohn Tombes ...	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1641 (1641)	Wing T1827; ESTC R21407	96,654	466

of persecution which are chiefly meant in this place Of whom the Apostle saies 2. Thess. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble such To cleare this truth I shall distinctly answer these 3 questions 1. wherein persecution is exercised and how believers are persecuted 2. how scandalized by persecution 3. What woe belongs to such as thus scandalize them For an answer to the first of these questions persecution in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth most properly signify an eager swift motion as in running a race or in the chasing of an enemy flying with an hostile mind by translation it signifies any eager pursuit or seeking after a thing which wee would obtaine as when we are commanded Heb. 12. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow after peace the Apostle Phil. 3. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I pursue if I may comprehend or attaine to hee meanes the knowlgdge and grace of Christ. But in the Ecclesiasticall use of this word it is appropriated to those afflictions which unbeleiving and ungodly men doe set themselves to inflict on the godly and believers In this sense it is used Mark 10. 30. where our Saviour sayes that the losse of things left for him shall bee recompenced with an hundred fold in this time yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not without persecutions that is afflictions and hard usages from evill men And S. Paul 2. Tim. 3. 12. They that live godly in Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be persecuted that is be ill handled by the ungodly which thing they doe many wayes Sometimes by seeking after their lives so that nothing will satisfy them but the shedding of their blood as if nothing else could quench their thirst but a draught of a godly Christians blood Yet not all in the like cruell manner To some it 's enough that they can destroy them to others it 's not sufficient unlesse they can cause them sensim mori to dye a lingring death by torture so as to be long a dying or that if it be shorter for the time it may be with the extreamest paine or with the extreamest ignominy Nor are the impulsive causes the same in all it 's in all hatred of the godly but not for the same reason and therefore the bitternesse of this hatred is in some greater and more lasting in others lesse and sooner removed S. Paul persecuted the Church of God but he did it out of ignorance and unbeliefe and therefore was the more capeable of repentance and mercy 1. Tim. 1. 13. Iezabel persecuted the Prophet Elijah out of zeale for her Idolatry 1. Kings 19. 2. Herodias because Iohn Baptist had preached against her companying with Herod Mark 6. Herod persecuted Iames and Peter that hee might please the people Acts 12. In all there 's malice but upon different reasons And for the kind of death which they inflict on them it is different according to the divers degrees of their malice wit and power some they stone others they saw in two others they slay with the sword Heb. 11. 37. some they hang on a crosse some they cast to wild beasts some they drowne in the sea some they boyle in oyle to death some they broyle on a greediron some they burne at a stake some they make away in secret as the Histories of the Church doe abundantly testify Sometimes persecution reacheth not to the taking away the life but to bonds and imprisonment as it befell Paul and Silas Acts 16. to banishment losse of goods as it befell the Saints Heb. 11. 37. to excommunications and casting out of the Synagogue as our Saviour foretold Ioh. 16. 2. to threatnings and hard speeches Iude 15. to slanders and false accusations Mat. 5. 11. to scoffes insulting Sarcasmes which are called cruell mockings Heb. 11. 36. and with which it is said Ismael persecuted Isaak Gal. 4. 29. In a word all those wayes of inflicting evill whereby the malignant spirits of wicked men doe harme the godly in their bodies outward estates name are acts of persecution Such kind of evills sometimes happen to the godly by voluntary vndertakings as death and danger and wants by reason of travaile to promote the Gospell or the like cause but then they are acts of persecution when they are by others inflicted on them to doe them mischiefe It falls out sometimes that believers and godly persons doe molest and practise one against another by reason of private discord and grudges from corruption prevayling although they agree in the worship of the same Lord. Sometimes such kinde of practises are betweene unbeleivers themselves who seekes one anothers lives vexe spoyle expell one another by reason of private enmities sometimes they doe the like to beleevers upon private quarrells arising from ambition covetousnesse or the like cause By all which there may harming and scandalizing come But it is then in the usuall Ecclesiasticall acception of the word persecution when ungodly men inflict those evills on godly and beleiving persons quî tales as they are such for their piety or faiths sake for righteousnesse sake Mat. 6. 10. 1. Pet. 3. 14. For Christs sake and the Gospells Mark 10. 29. More distinctly when men inflict evill on others for their profession of Christ and his Gospell for not serving Idols as when the Emperour did put to death Christians for refusing to offer incense to their heathen Gods And Nebuchadnezzar cast into a fiery fornace three Iewes for not bowing downe to his golden Image or when they bring evill on them for doing their duty the reproving of sin delivering Gods message as when Ahab and Iesabel made Elijah to fly Micajah to lye in prison Herod cast Iohn Baptist in prison for declaring their sins to them and foretelling ther judgment when the Princes of Darius procured Daniel to bee cast into a den of Lions for praying to God three times aday when the Iewes drave the Apostles from one citty to another for preaching the Gospell then it is persecution And thus even at this day those that have power doe persecute christians in some places by cruell torments in some by expulsion from their dwellings spoyling their goods in some by tauntes mockes threates disgracings slanders c. For their embracing the word of life rejection of Idolatry publishing of the truth non-conformity to the vices of the world For it is the lot of Gods people which our Saviour requires us to remember Iohn 16. 20. The servant is no greater then the Lord if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you Now these persecutions doe scandalize as our Saviour tells us Mat. 13. 21. And the reason of their scandalizing may be gathered from our Saviours words who tells us that the good hearers persevere because they bring forth fruit with patience Wherefore on the contrary the scandall of the temporary beleivers is for want of patience Defect of patience to beare the assaults of

in manner of a prolepsis For whereas it might be urged if there be a necessity of offences then they are no faults nor punishable our Saviour seems to deny this consequence by telling us that though they be necessary yet they be voluntary in the scandalizers who are therefore culpable and punishable Woe unto him through whom they come Saint Hierome in his Commentary on Math. 18. conceives that in this speech our Saviour specially pointed at Iudas T is true that Christ doth pronounce a woe to Iudas Mat. 26. 24. But that these words in my Text should either aime at Iudas his particular fact or be restrained to his scandalous action agrees not with the words which speak of woe or evill redundant to the world by offences not one offence and of scandalizing indefinitely any of those litle ones that believe in him Wherefore the meaning is Woe that is misery or evill shall befall him by whom the offence cometh who ever he be And the conclusion that it affords is this That misery belongs to him that is the cause of scandalls or as in S. Mathew in that paralel place Mat. 18. 7. Woe shall be to that man by whom the offence commeth To declare which truth we are distinctly to expresse 1. What scandalizers this woe belongs to 2. What the woe is which is pronoūced against thē 3. Why it is that they incur this woe In answer to the first we are to consider that that by which scandall comes is not a bare object but a person woe be to that man as it is in S. Mathew and that as an agent in causing scandall 2. That sometimes a mā may be a scandalizer in overthrowing himselfe As is manifest by that speech of our Saviour Mat. 18. 8. If thy hand or thy foot scandalize or offend thee cut them off That is as Interpreters conceive if thy lust or will cause thee to sin deny them For mens own carnall reason the lusts of their own hearts doe ofttimes cause them to fall or to goe away An instance is the example of the Psalmist Ps. 73. 2. Whose feet were almost gone his foot-steps had wellnigh slipt For he was envious at the foolish whē he saw the prosperity of the wicked His own understanding had in a sort tripped up his heeles or scandalized him And this sort of scandalizing may not unfitly be called internall or immanent and is so far from being excluded here that our Saviour by subjoyning to the words Mat. 18. 7. Woe to that man by whom the offence commeth presently in the 8. ver If thy hand scandalize thee cut it off which is meant of this inward scandall seemes to have plainely intended it And therefore S. Chrysostome in his Homily on Math. 18. 7 calls the scandals here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all hinderances of the right way whether from within or without And indeed a Woe doth undoubtedly belong to all such as by their own vaine imagination their own evill affections doe overthrow themselves when as S. Iames speaks a man is drawn away of his own lust and entised for as it followes then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Accordingly occasion might be taken hence to consider the waies of selfe-scandalizing which are in a manner infinite and to shew the woe consequent to them and to give directions to prevent this danger But this is besides my purpose in handling this text and an immense taske it must be to shew the deceites of every sinne its manner of working c. and therefore letting this thing passe only with this admonition that it behooves every Christian to be jealous of his own heart and to watch it narrowly lest it prove a Iudas to him and how deare so ever his lust or imagination be to him yet it must be cut off that it scandalize him not remembring the Counsell of our Saviour that it is better without them to enter into heaven then with them to be cast into hell fire 3. That sometimes and that most commonly scandalizing is a transeunt action and he is said to cause offence that harmes another by his action and this may be called externall or transeunt scandall And this is undoubtedly here meant for he speaks here of scandalizing one of these litle ones that believe in him and of such scandall as whereby a woe comes to the world that is to the societies rankes of men And this sort of Scandalizing is it which I intend to treat of 4. That of this sort of scandalizing diverse definitions are given There is this definition or description in Tertullian his book de velandis virginibus where he defines scandall Exemplum rei non bonae aedificans ad delictum an example of a thing not good building to sin which description though it doe not unfitly expresse what is the scandall which is by evill example yet doth it not sufficiently comprize all sorts of scandalizing another v.g. not the scandalizing by abuse of our liberty in things indifferent nor that which is by persecution That definition which the schoole-men as Aqu. 2a. 2ae q. 43. art 1. doe cōmōly follow taken from S. Hierome comment in Math. 15. is more fit to comprize all sorts of scandall to another Scandalum est dictum vel factum minùs rectum praebens alteri occasionem ruinae that is Scandall is a saying or deed lesse or not right occasioning ruine to another This definition is good enough saying that the terme of ruine being a metaphor and according to Aristotles rule in his Topicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All metaphors are obscure is unfit for a definition till explained wherefore it is needfull we should shew more plainly what is meant by ruine in this definition By ruine or falling is doubtlesse meant here not corporall ruine or falling of the body but spirituall ruine or the falling of the minde Now this spirituall ruine is primarily understood of falling into sinne whether it be greater as Apostacy from the faith heresy infidelity Idolatry or the like or lesser as by causing a slower progresse in Religion unchearfulnesse therein impediment to any other duty a Christian or an unbeliever should doe If any be asked whether any griefe or displicency of mind or anger which are the effects of Scandall as is before shewed may be called ruine of another according to this definition whereto I answer The griefe displicency or anger that ariseeth from another mans saying or deed is sometimes just and necessary when the words or deeds be manifestly evill such was the griefe of the Corinthians for the scandall of the incestuous person our Saviours indignation at the hardnesse of the Pharisees hearts such was the griefe or vexation of righteous Lot in hearing and seeing the ungodly deeds of the Sodomites Davids griefe because men kept not Gods Law And this griefe is a necessary duty in them that

mourne but a sinne and scandall in them that cause it A ruine therefore it cannot be said to be in the primary sense as ruine imports falling into sin but ruine it may be said to be in a secondary sense as ruine imports any affliction of the soule and with this explication the terme ruine may fitly enough expresse the effect of this scandall Sometimes the sorrow displicencie and anger that ariseth in the person offended from the sayings and deeds of another are unjust both in him that is offended and in him that offends this is when a man is grieved at the use of another mās lawfull liberty in things indifferent by reason of his owne weaknesse of faith thinking that to be unlawfull which is not as those that were offended at their brethrens neglect of daies and difference of meats Rom. 14. which thing is unjust in him that is thus offended and it is also unjust in him that offends when without Charity to his brother he heeds not as he ought the avoiding of grieving his brother contrary minded And this griefe may be called ruine of the person offended not only in the secondary sense but also in the primary sense occasioning not only griefe but also uncharitable judging dis-union or diminution of affections sometimes further sins Sometimes the griefe is unjust in the person offended but not in the person offending As many were offended at our Saviours and the Apostles preaching which yet were their necessary duties such persons were not only angred but sometimes forsook them and their fellowship by reason of such preaching and so the preaching was a scandall to them and a ruine both in the primary and secondary sense but through their own default and therefore unjustly on their part With this explication I conceive the definition given to be sufficient and right enough 5. That sinnes of thought are not scandalls unlesse they break out into acts whether of wordes or deeds If smothered or stayed within they are sinnes but not scandals 6 That then an offence is said to come by a man either when his intention is to harme his brother by his fact as Balaam did Revel 2. 14. or the nature and quality of the fact is apt to harme others as in S. Peters advice Math. 16. 23. In either of these two Cases it is scandalum datum or active scandall and the man that is the agent in such facts or words is one by whom the offence cōmeth But if a man doe his duty and men are scandalized if the offence were neither intended by the agent of the fact nor come from the nature of the action but from the ill disposition of him that is offended it is to be conceived to be only ex accidente accidentally to him whose action did offend and therefore it is in relation to him only scandalum passivum a passive scandall non datum sed acceptum not given by him but taken by the offended party who is thereby the scandalizer of himselfe or he by whom the offence cometh Our Saviours discourse concerning the eating of his flesh offended the Capernaites Iohn 6. 60. 61. But this was not by reason of Christs sermon which was of a necessary truth but from their own perverse ignorance In like manner the Pharisees were offended at Christs doctrine concerning the cause of defilement Math. 15. 12. but of this scandall not our Saviours doctrine but their owne malice was the proper cause The fact of the Reubenites offended the other tribes Iosh. 22. 10. 11. 12. but this was through their own mistake Now the woe here denounced belongs not to those through whose actions scandall comes by accident but those that give or cause scandall either in their intention or according to the nature quality or manner of their action So that that to which this woe belongs is not an object but an agent not only as scandalizing himselfe but another not by an action of the imagination but of word or deed bringing ruine to another either in a primary or secondary sense not by accident but eyther by direct intention or by reason of the nature quality or manner of the action In answer to the second quaere The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or woe is used in our Saviours sayings to signifie some grievous judgement or calamity both temporall as Mat. 23. 29. the woe denounced to the Pharisees is expressed v. 33. to bee the damnation of hell And that this woe is here denounced to scandalizers appeares by the aggravation in the 2. verse where to have a milstone hanged about his necke and to be cast into the sea is made lesse than the woe here denounced to the scandalizer and Mat. 18. 7. when our Saviour had said Woe to the man by whom the offēce commeth he addes immediatly v. 8. that the hand offending should be cut off that the scandalizer by retaining his two hands be not cast into hell fire Hell fire or the damnation of hell is the chiefe and greatest woe due to the scandalizer But besides it there 's a woe also of temporall death awarded sometimes to scandalizers For this reason was Balaam the sonne of Peor slaine with the sword Num. 31. 8. that God might be avenged of him for his practise in teaching Balaak to lay a stumbling block before the children of Israel Elies sons sinned greatly in their scandalous facts for men abhorred the offering of the Lord 1. Sam. 2. 17. The issue was they were both slaine by the Philistins in one day Likewise other temporall woes on their soules bodies names estates posterity c. are inflicted by God on scandalizers Thus was David filled with trouble of soule for his sin in the matter of Vriah by which he caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheame so that hee was faine to beg hard for restitution of joy comfort Psal. 51. 8. 12. And the incestuous Corinthian was so plunged over head and eares in sorrow that hee was almost drown'd with it 2. Cor. 2. 7. hee was cast out of the Church delivered over to Satan David for the fore-named sin was haunted with griefes in his children almost to his dying day and it stil lies as a blot upon his name The Priests that make others stumble at the Law and threatned with contemptiblenesse Malac. 2. 8. 9. No active scandall scapes scot-free there 's none veniall every one hath it's measure of woe yet not all alike For some of these scandalls are more heinous then others and therefore incurre a greater woe As for instance some scandalls consist in facts in their kind evill and these are worse than other scandalls which arise onely from the abuse of our liberty in things lawfull The scandall of Elies sonnes in respect of the foule nature of their facts was worse then than the scandall of the strong in faith by the eating of meats with offence mentioned Rom. 14. 2. Some scandalls are worse than other ratione causae in respect

who out of craftie reaches and subdolous intentions for worldly advantages apply themselves to seduce others Of which sort are no doubt many emissaries out of Popish seminaries agents for separation and other seedesmen of tares Shall I take up the Apostles wish Gal. 5. 12. I would they were cut off that trouble us So indeed we wish but my text puts me out of hope of attaining it in this life therefore I can doe no more but only read their doome that a heavy direfull woe hangs over their heads which will as surely fall on them as God is true For how can it be otherwise but that Gods wrath should break forth against those that continue practises against him as his enimies Can any Prince brook the sowers of sedition the seducers of his subjects from their allegiance the underminers of his authority If Claudius Caesar were so blockish we shall seldome meet with such another Certaine it is God will not so put it up he hath proclaimed himselfe to be a God that will by no means cleare the guilty Exod. 34. 7. that he will repay them that hate him to their face Let no man deceive himselfe God is not mocked There is a treasure of wrath reserved for all such factors for hell The same cup that Balaam and Ieroboam and Iannes and Iambres and Elymas dranke of shall all seducing Iesuits inveigling Sectaries and promoters of licentiousnesse drinke of The same judgement abides them the same hell must hold them Wherefore in the next place admonitiō is needfull 1. To those that out of imprudence doe scandalize that they consider what they doe Thou that disswadest frō that which is good out of ill-advised love consider better what thou doest Wilt thou disswade that which God commands Wilt thou goe about to crosse his worke Gamaliels saying should lesson us better That which is of God we cannot overthrow least haply we be found even to fight against God Acts 5. 39. Wilt thou destroy thy brothers soule whom thou thinkest to benefit Wilt thou doe the Divell service under shew of a good office to thy friend S. Peters case should be a memento to thee that thou maist deserve the title of Satan by such officiousnesse 2. To those that out of zeale to their opinions and affection to their waies doe scandalize that they look well what it is they are zealous for It is good alwaies to be Zealous in a good thing Gal. 4. 18. But in evill the more zeale the worse Nothing worse then Iezabels zeale for Baal nothing better then Elijahs zeale for God In a wrong way the faster a man runnes the worse in a right way the better It is mischievous enough to scandalize others ignorantly it is more mischievous when it is done with zeale for that is done with more activity and after a more pernitious manner It is pitty good mettall should be ill placed It might doe much good were it rightly used use thy zeale for God it will be thy happinesse if thou use it for evill it will be thy madnesse 3. To those that scandalize others out of crafty and evill intendments that they doe but weave a net to catch themselves Thou that art willingly the Divels agent take this with thee that the divell will over-reach in the end What wages have witches the divels covenant servants but confusion And what reward canst thou that art the Divels hired servant expect but destruction Thou hast sold thy self to worke wickednesse and iniquity shall bee thy ruine while thou doest destroy thy brothers soule thou doest by the same labour damne thine own Oh take this wholesome counsell repent of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee Acts 8. 22. use thy wit and zeale for God who will doe thee good debase not thy selfe to doe the Divell service who loves thee onely as a Salvage doth that hee may devoure thee § 9. Lastly for those that are in danger of being scandalized by such practises it concernes them 1. to walke by the light of Gods word For it is light that must keepe us from stumbling If a man walke in the day hee stumbleth not because hee seeth the light of this world But if a man walke in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him Iohn 11. 9. 10. So it is concerning the soule if there be ignorance and errour in it it is easily scandalized but light and understanding preserve a man safe 2. To look well to thy goings without which thou maist stumble though thou have light before thee Remember then that of Solomon Prov. 14. 15. The simple beleiveth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings Bee not easily credulous then of mens counsells trust not lightly to their judgements Try their spirits examine their counsels opiniōs afore thou embrace them Forget not S. Pauls rule Rom. 16. 17. To marke them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which is delivered to us and avoyd them For they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple CAP. 6. Of scandalizing in speciall by persecution THe fourth way of scandalizing in the distribution before made is scandalizing by injuring or persecuting This way Maldonate conceives our Saviour specially intended vers 2. and he gathers it from the Antithesis as it is set down by S. Mat. ch 18. 5. 6. for having said v. 5. who so shall receive one such little one in my name receiveth me Addes immediately v. 6. But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me c. Where scandalizing vers 6. is opposed to receiving that is entertaining with kindnesse and therefore imports injuring or persecuting And indeed scandalizing is an effect of persecution even such scandalizing as causeth Apopostasie Our Saviour saies of the stony ground which resembles such hearers as have no roote in themselves when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended Mat. 13. 21. and that when many shall be delivered up to be afflicted many shall be offended Mat. 24. 10. Wherefore we conclude That misery or woe belongs to those that scandalize others by afflicting injuring or persecuting them Which woe belongs to all that shall cause enmities griefes and other harmings of mens minds by terrifiing them with threats by wronging them in spoiling their goods by giving them blowes or other wayes whoever the persons thus harmed be For such workes being the works of unrighteousnesse shall have their due vengeance Vnto them that are contentious that obey unrighteousnesse shall bee indignation and wrath tribulation anguish upon the soule of every man that doth evill Ro. 2. 8. 9. But yet in a higher degree the woe belongs to them that offend beleivers in Christ who are the chiefe object