fall Little cause haue I to reioyce at anothers stumbling and falling when God in wrath disposes of another mans stumbling to make mee stumble and of another mans fall to make me fall What cause haue I to reioyce at his stumbling and falling who therfore stumbles and fals that I may stumble and fall at him And this is the very case here Such as doe giue scandals doe stumble that others may stumble at them doe fall that others may fall at them Ierem. 46. 12. The mightie man hath stumbled against the mightie and they are both fallen together It is spoken of the Egyptians ruined in war It may bee that one Captaine that hated his fellow might see him fall by the sword of the enemie Now though he were his enemie that he see fal had he any cause to reioyce Not any at all Why so Because God prouidence disposed that the fall of the first should make way for the fall and ruine of the next He that fell first should lie in his fellowes way as a stumbling blocke at which hee should stumble and fall also Thus we saw before that the fals of such as professe Religion are but as stumbling blockes in other mens wayes to precipitate them into ruine And iudge then what cause they haue to reioyce thereat If a man should see a stumbling stone or a stumbling blocke laid on purpose at a pits brinke to topple him headlong ouer into the pit would that man reioyce that that blocke were laid there I think not This is the case here Scandals are stumbling blockes laide at hell pits mouth to precipitate and head-long worldly wicked men downe into hel So that to reioyce at scandals is to reioyce at the matter and instrument of their owne sorrow to reioyce at that which will surely send them to Hell Hee that reioyces in such a case Much good may his ioy doe him I enuie no man such ioy There fell out a scandal in the Church of Corinth 1. Corinth 5. Now whereas vpon the euent of it they should haue beene mourning and heauie they were in another veine Verse 2 6. They were glorying and reioycing They did not reioyce in or at the scandal that such a man that made such a profession was fallen but they reioyced in their owne gifts in the gifts of their Preachers What Church had such Preachers what people had such gifts And reioyce they might in these things but now it was vnseasonable they should now rather haue beene mourning because of this scandal Therefore the Apostle sharply takes them vp Verse 2 6. And ye are puffed vp and haue not rather mourned your glorying or reioycing is not good If then the Apostle reprooues them thus for reioycing when there was a scandal though they reioiced not at the scandal how much more vehemently and sharply would he haue reprooued them if they had reioyced at and for the scandal How much more in this case would he haue said your reioycing is not good Woe to the world because of scandals and yet many make these matters of woe laughing matters but woe vnto them that in such a case laugh for they shall weepe and after-time and after-wit will teach them that neuer had they greater cause of weeping then euen then when they were vpon their merry pinnes because that at which they made themselues so merrie came with a woe vnto them 2. Secondly this lets vs see what great cause of feare warines and caution there is in case of scandalous euents Since they be such dangerous euents let men haue a speciall care they be not ensnared and entrapped by them When scandals fall out wee see there is a trap and a snare set there is a stumbling block laid therefore it should bee a mans wisdome and watchfulnes that he be not caught in the trap that he be not ensnared in the gin that he stumble and fall not at the block We see that God hath put that wisdome warinesse and shinesse into some creatures that if a trap or a snare bee set for them they are very shie iealous of comming neere it or medling with the baite and out of a feare of being taken they will decline and shunne the snare though tempted and allured thereto by such baites as otherwise they haue a full good mind vnto Such much more should bee the shinesse and wary iealousie of men in the case of scandalous euents Doe wee see at any time such as professe religion to fall into any fowle euils then thinke thus with thy selfe I had thought that when such euents had come to passe the danger of them had beene onely a personall danger to the partie Delinquent that it had beene onely for the discouerie and for the disgrace of him I neuer dreamt of any further matter and therefore I thought I might haue made a may-game of them and haue reioyced and triumphed in their fals But now I see there is a further matter in them then I was aware of I see that they come to passe by Diuine Prouidence to bring a woe vpon other mens heads I see they come that some may bee occasioned to stumble at Religion at the Law at the Word and from the ancient pathes that hereupon they should resoluedly reiect renounce sauing Religion and the sauing powerful profession thereof to their owne assured ruine for euer I see now that they bee disposed by a Diuine Prouidence that some men being occasioned to blaspheme Gods Name Truth may feele the weight of Gods reuenging hand I now see there is a Diuine finger in them and that they come to occasion some men to harden their hearts so as they may fall into mischiefe and be put out of possibilitie and the reach of mercie These bee great dangers and heauie woes for I see now they be but stumbling blockes at which some men shall breake their neckes into Hell I confesse I did neuer conceiue them to bee halfe so dangerous euents I neuer apprehended them such dangerous traps and snares as now vpon the opening of this point I see they are Belieue it I see it is good wisdome in such euents to looke about mee and to take heed how I come within the reach of these snares Since Diuine Prouidence sets them to make way for Diuine vengeance though such a man professing Religion haue committed a foule scandal c Iuxta semitâ—â— scandalum posuerâ—nâ— mihi noÌ„ in semitis sed iuxta sâ—mitaâ— Semitae tuae praecepta Dei sâ—nt Illi scandala iuxta semitas posuerunt tu noli recedere à semitis non irrues inscandala permisit Deus ponere scandalâ— iuxta semitas vt tu non recedas à semitis Iuxta semitas scandala posuerunt mihi quid restat Quid remedium inter tanta mala in istis tentationibus in istis periculis Dixi Domino Deus meus es tu Aug. Psal 139. Ergo cum audis vae mundo à scandulis noli terreri
world because of offences because the world is occasioned by them to reiect the sauing profession of Religion to fall fowle on Gods holy Name to iustifie themselues in their sinnefull wayes and so by these things to make hell sure their owne So that the fall of a professour of religion is as the fall of an oake vpon vnderwood and smaller trees that be neere it woe to them when the oake falls because it mischiefes brushes and breakes them in pieces by its fall It is iust in this case as it was in the ouerthrow of that Army Ier. 46. 12. The mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty and they are both fallen together first one fel he being fallen another stumbles at him and so they both lay on the ground together Thus falles it out in scandals First one falles into some great sinne others come and stumble at him being fallen and so both fall and the first mans fall is the last mans ruine And therefore woe to the world because of scandals CHAP. VI. What little reason men haue to triumph at and what great reason to bee cautelous in the euent of scandals ALl this well weighed and duely considered will giue vs to vnderstand two things the little reason of ioy and the great reason of feare and caution in case of such scandalous euents 1. It lets vs see what little reason men of the world haue to triumph insult and x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iust Mart. Epist ad Zen. Seren. reioyce as they vse to doe in the falles and scandals of such as professe religion When my foote slippeth they magnifie themselues against me Psal 38. 16. If such an one doe but tread awry or his foote but slip their enemies let not their slips slip but take occasion from small slips to make great tryumphs And if they be so ready to magnifie themselues against them when they but slip how much more when they fall and fall into the puddle into the mire How doe they magnifie themselues against them then The reproach and disgrace of their sinnefull falls yeeldes aduersaries such content that they proiect and lay on purpose for it Neh. 6. 13. Therefore was hee hired that I should be afraid and do so sin and that they might haue matter for an euill report that they might reproch me And therefore proiecting for theie falles and laying plots before hand for them if it may be no wonder that they so reioyce and triumph if at any time they fall into such sinnes whereby they may haue matter for an euil report thaâ— they may reproach them So true is that which y Papistae caelumniandi studio â—otam nostraÌ„ conuersationem abseruant Si quid ergo humani patimur sicut profecto infirmi sumus patimur nostra incommoda ibi demum tanquam famelici porci immergunt se in stercora nostra ex ijs delicias faciunt dum infirmitatem nostram exemplo maledicti Ham aperiunt traducunt vere enim esuriunt sitiunt scandala nostra Luth. in Gen 9. Luther speakes that they hunger and thirst after theâ— scandals of the Godly and if at any time through humane frailety they doe fall into an euill like hungry hogs they nuzzle in their excrements and feast vpon them as vpon dainties There being nothing that so glads their hearts that so opens their mouthes with so much insolency and triumph And as Luther compares them in this regard to hogs so z Hos ergo de nostris doâ—oribus suauitatem suae malae linguae captantes facile est vt illâ— canibus coÌ„paremus si forte â—n male intelligendi sunt qui lingebant vulnere pauperis illius qui ante ianuam diuitis iacebat c. Aug. Epist 137. Augustine to dogs namely to the rich gluttons dogs that lay licking and sucking Lazarus his sores and woundes It pleased not those dogs so much to be licking Lazarus sores as it pleases some men to haue their tongues in the scandalous wounds and sores of such as professe godlines As it is the sorrow and griefe of good hearts and that which makes them droop and mourne to see Christ his Gospell and truth reproached and disgraced by scandals so contrarily it is meate drinke to wicked ones and the very ioy of their hearts when such euents fall out a Proinde charissimi in isto scandalo quo de Bonifacio prâ—sbytero noâ— nulli perturbantur non vobis dico vt non doleatis Qui enim ista non dolent non est in eis charitas Christi qui autem de talibus gaudent abundat in eis malignitas diaboli Aug Epist 137. As such as are filled with the loue of Christ do grieue and mourne so they that are filled with the malignity of the Diuell doe reioyce in the euent of scandals Any thing that makes to the disgrace of Gods Church his cause and religion that sets and puts them into extasies of reioycing 2. Sam. 1. 20. Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistims reioyce least the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph Why what was it that should make them triumph and reioyce That verse 19. How are thy mighty fallen Saul and Ionathan were fallen not by scandal but by the sword but that fall such as it was made to the disgrace of Israel to the reproach of the God of Israel and hence their Ioy and Triumph Marke by the way who they are that reioyce in such cases vncircumcised Philistines the sonnes and daughters of vncircumcised Philistims And well becomes it such and none but such to reioyce And such doe and will reioyce Now truely all before considered we see what little cause they haue to be so ouer-ioyed there is a great deale of Ioy and merriment more then there is cause All considered wee may truely say vnto them as Iam. 4. 9. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Woe vnto the world because of scandals When scandals come into the world a woe comes vnto the world messengers of vengeance to doe executions of Iustice are sent by God And will the world be so blind and witlesse to reioyce and triumph in that which comes to bee their bane and ruine their sorrow and their smart Hath the silly beast any cause to leape and friske when hee sees the trap set vp and bayted that will ensnare and murder him It is probably thought that when Noah fell so foule and shamefully in his drunkennes that Canaan Chams sonne first * Hebreus etiam id tradebat ratione confirmabat primum Chanaan verenda aui sui vidisse suoque solum patri narrasse tanquam desene ridentem Theodoret. Quaest in Gens 57. saw his grandfather in that case and so went and told his father Cham of it for else why should Noah curse Cham in his sonne Canaan rather then in any other of his sonnes Hee had other sonnes
a great hand in sowing these tares But obserue when this enemie sowes these tares Verse 25. But whilst men slept the enemy came and sowed tares The time of mens securitie is the Deuils seedes time their sleeping time is his sowing time So that because men sleepe euen good men oftentimes fall asleepe and are not so watchfull as would become them hence comes it to passe that tares must needs be sowne and that offences must needs come Thus we see the grounds of the necessitie of scandalous euents in Gods Church CHAP. III. An Apologie for Religion and the professours thereof against the scandal of scandals GIue me leaue now for vse of all that hath beene said to doe that which all the children of wisdome are bound to doe Wisedome that is Religion is and ought to be iustified of her children Luke 7. 35. Giue me leaue to iustifie her by whom I hope to bee saued Open thy mouth for the dumbe open thy mouth and plead their cause Pro. 31. 8 9. much more then open thy mouth and plead the cause of condemned Religion Neuer doe scandalous euents come to passe but wisdome and her children doe suffer and Religion and religious ones are instantly condemned and cried downe But let this that hath beene spoken serue to teach vs not to be offended at offences not to bee scandalized at scandals It is true indeed that God should neuer bee offended but it should deeply offend vs. It should be a trouble to vs when our brother is offended 2. Cor. 11. 29. Who is offended and I burne not How much more then when God is offended and that by grosse scandals But my meaning is this that wee should not so take offence at the scandals of such as professe Religion and godlinesse whether they doe it sincerely or hypocritically as to bee offended either at the Religion or the persons of all others professing the Truth and power of godlines Two things here may stay vs in this case 1. First because our Sauiour hath d Vnde te admoneo ne granius perturberis his scandalis quae ideo ventura praedicta sunt vt quando venirent reminisceremur esse praedicta non eiâ— valde commoueremur Nam haec ipse Dominus ita praedixit vae mundo à scandalis c. August Epist 209. foretold vs that they should come wee are told of it before hand and therfore nothing in such euents falling out but what was before told why should any start oâ— stumble at them when they come to passe Why should not this preuent scandal in this case as well as in the case of the Crosse Thus Christ preuents the scandal of the Crosse and afflictions that should befall his Disciples Iohn 16. 1 2. These things haue I spoken vnto you that ye should not be offended They shal put you out of their Synagogues c. And thus also the Apostle 1. Thess 3. 3 4. That no man should bee moued by these afflictions for verily when wee were with you wee told you before that we should suffer tribulation So here our Sauiour hauing e Non te ista conturbent fili dilectissime haereses enim scandala futura praedicta sunt vt inter inimicos erudiamur ac sic fides dilectio nostra possit esse probatior Aug Epist 50. Atqui plures ait Trypho qui se Iesum profiteri dicunt Christiani nominantur audio simulachris mactata manducare *** Cui respondens eo quoque inquaÌ„ quod eiusmodi extent viri qui se profitentur Christianos Iesum crucifixum Dominum Christum laudant sed non illius doctrinas docent nos qui purae verae Jesu Christi disciplinae sectatores sumus in spe ab ipso annunciatâ fide constantiores reddimur Nam quae praedixit futura 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dixit enim c. Iust Mart. Dial. cum Tryphone Iudaeo told vs before that scandals should come why should wee bee offended thereat as if some strange thing that had neuer beene thought of had falne out No man should be moued with scandals so as to stumble at the euent of them because Christ when hee was with vs told vs before that they should come and therefore told vs before because we should not be stumbled and offended Yea these things being foretold that they should fall out amongst those of the Church and of the true Religion we should â—â—ereupon bee so farre from being stumbled that we should rather be so much the more stablished and confirmed in the truth of our Religion and Profession because wee â—â—e those things so truely fulfilled which the High Priest of our profession hath foretold 2. Secondly because we see that â—ere is a Necessitie of them Since â—ere must bee offences and since â—ere must bee scandals therefore â—ould wee not for scandals bee so stumbled as to conclude that Religion to be false and that professioâ— to bee naught where some Professors thereof giue scandal For tâ— speak properly and truly there caâ— bee no scandal giuen but by thosâ— that are Professors of true Religioâ— and godlinesse A Turke a Mahometan a Iew a Papist cannot iâ— proper and strict phrase of speeâ— giue a scandal for there is scandâ— giuen where occasion of stumblinâ— at the Truth and Power of godlinesse is giuen So that scandal iâ— onely properly giuen by the Professors of Truth whose sinnes aâ— such as make the truth of God anâ— the sauing profession thereof to bâ— stumbled at And therefore theâ— onely are scandals to bee found where Religion and Godlinesse arâ— profest And therefore when such scandal is giuen wee must not take offence at Religion because we seâ— there is a necessitie of scandaloâ— euents in the Church of God and amongst such as doe professe true Religion Indeed when scandals do fal out this is the conclusion the Deuill would haue men infer vpon them and it is the thing hee aymes at in bringing men into scandals to haue men thereupon iudge such Religion naught and all of the same outward profession to bee alike f Ecce quales sunt qui Christum colunt falsum plane illud est quod aiunt se bona discere se sanctae legis praecepta retinere Si enim bone discerent boni essent talis profecto secta est quales sectatores hoc sunt absque dubio quod docentur Mimesis Paganorum apud Salu. de Prou. lib. 4. Doe yee not see what they are Are not of the very choicest and chiefest of them scandalous As they are so are they All As they are so is their Religion they professe Surely this Religion and the profession of it are not of God But this is the Deuils Logicke and reasoning taught in the Schoole of Hell Here bee two things inferred First Therefore their Religion is naught and not to be trusted Secondly Thus they are all That men may not thus stumble at scandals consider the weaknesse of such inferences 1.