Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	evil_a	good_a	see_v	2,875	5	3.5208	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78280	The Case of using or forbearing the establish'd liturgie, during the late troublesome times, and prohibition of it by the then usurpers.		1672 (1672)	Wing C1191A; ESTC R173505	15,248	44

may become guilty of scandalizing another by his Example The wayes as I conceive are but these four 1 The first is when a man doth something before another man which is in it self evil unlawfull and sinfull In which case neither the the intention of him that doth it nor the event as to him that seeth it done is of any consideration For it mattereth not whether the doer hath an intention to draw the other into Sin thereby or not neither doth it matter whether the other were thereby induced to commit Sin or not The very matter and substance of the action being evil and done before others is sufficient to render the Doer guilty of having given Scandal though neither he had any intention himself so to do nor was any other person actually scandalized thereby Because whatsoever is in it self and in its own nature evil is also of it self and in its own nature scandalous and of ill example Thus did Hophni and Phineas the Sons of Eli give Scandal by their wretched profaneness and greediness about the Sacrifices of the Lord and their vile and shameless abusing the women 1 Sam. 2.17.22 And so did David also give great Scandal in the matter of Vriah 2 Sam. 12.14 Here the Rule is Do nothing that is evil for fear of giving Scandal 2 The second way is when a man doth something before another with a direct intention and formal purpose of drawing him thereby to commit Sin In which case neither the matter of the Action nor the Event is of any consideration For it maketh no difference as to the Sin of giving Scandal whether any man be effectually enticed thereby to commit Sin or not neither doth it make any difference whether the thing done were in it self unlawful or not so as it had but an appearance of evil and from thence an aptitude to draw another to the doing of that by imitation which would be really and intrinsecally evil The wicked intention alone whatsoever the effect should be or what means soever should be used to promote it sufficeth to induce the guilt of giving Scandal upon the Doer This was Jeroboam's Sin in setting up the Calves with a formal purpose and intention thereby for his own secular and ambitious ends to corrupt the purity of Religion and to draw the people to an idolatrous worship For which cause he is so often stigmatized with it as with a note of infamie to stick by him whilst the world lasteth being scarce ever mentioned in the Scripture but with this addition Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Here the Rule is Do nothing good or evil with an intention to give Scandal 3 The third way is when a man doth something before another which in it self is not evil but indifferent and so according to the Rule of Christian liberty lawful for him to do or not to do as he shall see cause yea and perhaps otherwise commodious and convenient for him to do yet whereat he probably foreseeth the other will take Scandal and be occasioned thereby to do evil In such case if the thing be not in some degree prudentially necessary for him to do but that he might without very great inconvenience or prejudice to himself or any third person leave it undone he is bound in charity and compassion to his Brothers Soul for whom Christ died and for the avoiding of Scandal to abridge himself in the exercise of his Christian liberty for that time so far as rather to suffer some inconvenience himself by the not doing of it then by the doing of it to cause his Brother to offend The very case which is so often so earnestly and so largely insisted upon by Saint Paul See Rom. 14 13-21 Rom. 15 1-3 1 Cor. 8 7-13 and 9.12 15 19-22 and 10. 23-33 Here the Rule is Do nothing that may be reasonably forborn whereat Scandal will be taken 4 The last way is when a man doth something before another which it is not only lawful but according to the exigency of present circumstances pro hic nunc very behoofefull and even prudentially necessary for him to do but foreseeth that the other will be very like to make an ill use of it and take encouragement thereby to commit Sin if he be not withall exceeding carefull as much as possibly in him lieth to prevent the Scandal that might be taken thereat For Qui non prohibet peccare cum potest jubet In such case the bare neglect of his Brother and the not using his uttermost endeavour to prevent the evil that might ensue maketh him guilty Upon which consideration standeth the equity of that judicial Law given to the Jewes Exod. 21.33 34. which ordereth That in case a man dig a Pit or Well for the use of his Family and looking no further then his own conveniency put no Cover upon it but leave it open whereby it happeneth his Neighbours Beast to fall thereinto and perish The owner of the Pit is to make it good in as much as he was the occasioner of that loss unto his Neighbour which he might and ought to have prevented Here the Rule is Order the doing of that which may not well be left undone in such sort that no Scandal so far as you can help it may be taken thereat To apply this The thing now under debate the action proposed to present enquiry is The Laying aside of the Common Prayer Book enjoyned by Law and using instead thereof some other Form of Church Service of our own devising And the Enquiry concerning it is Whether it may be done with a good Conscience in regard of the Scandal that is given or at least may be taken thereat yea or no Now for as much as in this Enquiry we take it for granted that the thing to be done is not in its own nature and simply evil but rather in this state of affairs prudentially necessary and that they who make scruple at it upon the point of Scandal have not the least intention of drawing either the Laws into contempt or their Brethren into Sin by their example It is manifest that three of the now mentioned cases with the several Rules to each of them appending are not pertinent to the present enquiry But since the last of the four only proves to be our case we have therefore no more to do for the setling of our Judgments the quieting of our Consciences and the regulating of our practise in this affair then to consider well what the Rule in that case given obligeth us unto Which is not to leave the action undone for the danger of Scandal which besides the inconveniencies formerly mentioned would but start new Questions and those beget more to the multiplying of unnecessary scruples in infinitum but to order the doing of it so that if it were possible no Scandal at all might ensue thereupon or at leastwise not by our default through our careless or undiscreet managery