their fashion it seemes to disgrace the Church and cast reproach vpon it and to besmeare it with the mire of the fowle actions of scandalous professors of Christian religion ſ No lite mihi colligere professores nominis Christiani nec professionis suae vim aut scientes aut exhibentes Noui multos esse qui luxuriosissimè super mortuos bibent Noui multos qui renunciauerint verbis huic saeculo Nunc vos illud admoneo vt aliquando ecclesiae catholicae maledicere desinatis vituperando mores hominum quos ipsa condemnat quos quotidie tanquam malos filios corrigere studet August de moribus eccl Cathol 34. Hee confesses that indeed there were many that gaue scandal by their lustfull and luxurious lifes by their drunkennes vile wordlines and earthlines but yet giues them to vnderstand that they were iniurious to reproach the Church with the condemning of the manners of those men whom the Church her selfe did condemne and whom as euill children shee daily endeauoured to reforme If indeede others of the Church professing the same Religion had winked at them had slighted their offences or had in any kind seemed to haue countenanced their persons or approoued their courses then might the Manichees haue had some colour to haue for their sakes condemned all professours that they were all alike But professours and the Church condemning and crying downe their courses it was but malignantly and peruersly done of the Manichees to twit and reproach the Church with such mens manners CHAP. IIII. That Scandals are wofull and fatall euents to the scandalized world HItherto wee haue seene the Necessitie come we now to consider the Mischiefe of scandals That mischiefe is twofold The first is a woe to such as are scandalized that doe stumble are offended Woe to the world because of offences For the meaning of the words To the world that is to worldly and carnall men Because of offences or from offences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from offences not for offences not as if scandals were the cause for which the woe comes as if God brought a woe vpon men for their scandals but that scandals are the meanes and the Instruments by which and from which God brings wo vpon some mens heads So that these words are not to bee vnderstood as threatning of woe to such as giue offence by falling into scandalous sinnes who are threatned in the former verse and in the end of this but it is a threatning of wo to men of this world wicked and vngodly men taking offence at the scandalous actions of such as professe Religion that these scandals should prooue to such matters of woe and sorrow and from and by them should much mischiefe come to worldly men Which wordes so opened afford vs this point That the scandalous and offensiue Actions of such as professe the Gospell and Name of Christ are fatall dismall banefull and wofull euents to wicked and wordly men God that hath a prouidence in all euents hath an all-wise and ouer-ruling prouidence in euents of scandal and he in that prouidence of his orders and appoints them so to come that they make way for some great woe to worldly men Euery scandal is a stumbling blocke and when a scandall is giuen there is a stumbling blocke laid and such a stumbling blocke at which some men shall not onely breake their shinnes but their neckes But who layes this stumbling blocke This stumbling blocke God layes Ezek. 3. 20. I laying a stumbling blocke before him he shall die When God in his Iustice meanes to make sure worke with some men that they shall die he first in his prouidence disposes of a stumbling blocke to be laid in their way at which they may stumble so as they may fall and bee ruined so as they may die Amongst many other stumbling blockes that God disposes to bee laid in mens wayes this is a very frequent and ordinarie one the scandalous actions of some Professours of Religion And when such stumbling blocks are laid woe to the world they are fatal and mortal I laying a stumbling blocke that he may die The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a scandal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat propriè tigillum in instrumentis quibus capiuntur lupi aut vulpes aut mures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Hesych Melancth ad Rom 14. the Grammarians say it signifies the crooked piece in a trap to which the baite is tied at which a Mouse Rat Wolfe or any other vermin biting the trap fals downe ensnares and catches the beast So that in scandalous euents God sets vp a trap a gin a snare by which hee purposes to catch and ensnare such vermin as men in a reprobate condition bee That looke as when a man sets vp and baites a trap hee may say Now woe to Rats and Mice woe to the Foxes Wolues and the baggage vermin so when scandals fall out woe to the world Gods trap is set vp to ensnare such withall as are made to bee taken 2. Pet. 2. 12. And looke as a man when he sets vp a trap hee intends it purposely for the woe of vermin so when God in his prouidence disposes of the euents of scandals hee therein intends the woe the ensnaring the catching killing and destroying of such who had beene happie if they had beene made the vilest vermin in the world That which Salomon speakes of a wicked mans owne sinne is also true of the scandalous sinne of another Prou. 29. 6. In the transgression of an euill man there is a snare though he take a great deale of delight and pleasure in it yet it will proue a trhackling snare so in the transgression the scandalous transgressiō of a good man or a seeming good man there is a snare Though euill men take a great deale of Content and make themselues much mirth and pastime at the fals and scandals of such as professe religion yet in that scandalous transgression there is a snare for them a deadly and a mortal snare woe to the world because of offences As it is in the case of Passiue so is it in the case of actiue scādals Now in case of passiue scandals it is true wo vnto the world frō offences Such offences worke to worldly mens great smart sorrow The Apostle speakes of Christ 1. Pet. 2. 8. that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rocke of scandal or offence And Is 8. 14. 15. the Prophet foretold that he should be for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Ierusalem So that it may be truly said of such wo vnto them that Christ the rocke of scandal euer came into the world For Iudgement and for woe am I come into the world Iohn 9. Thus also is it true in case of Actiue scandals for Iudgement do they come into the world and for Iudgement vnto the world Woe be to the world for the scandalous sinnes
Apologie for Religion and the Professours thereof against the Scandal of Scandals pag. 26. CHAP. IIII. That Scandals are wofull and fatall to the Scandalized World p. 60. CHAP. V. How Scandals come to be so mortally Mischieuous pag. 77. CHAP. VI. What little reason men haue to triumph at and what great reason to be cautelous in the euent of Scandals pag. 109. CHAP. VII The sharpe and seuere Iustice of God vpon such as giue Scandal p. 136. CHAP. VIII Why God is so smart and so seuere in his Iustice against those by whom Scandals come pag. 170. CHAP. IX The great care we should haue of giuing scandal and sorrow for them giuen and the great cause of humiliation they haue by whom offences come pag. 206. The Mischiefe and Miserie of SCANDALS Both Taken and Giuen MATH 18. 7. Woe vnto the world because of offences for it must needs bee that offences come but woe to that man by whom the offence commeth CHAP. I. The Coherence and Resolution of the Text. THE drift of our Sauiour in his former Discourse was to exhort to the receiuing of little ones Verse 5. And who so shall receiue one such little childe in my name receiueth mee A strong motiue to receiue such The Apostles argument to hospitalitie Heh 13. 2 is strong Bee not forgetfull to entertaine strangers for thereby some haue entertained Angels vnawares But heere the argument carries more strength Be willing and readie to doe all Christian Offices of loue and shew tender respect to little ones and so receiue them and you shall receiue not Angels but Christ himselfe How willingly would men receiue Christ Receiue these and you receiue him And if little ones must be thus tenderly receiued and regarded how warie should men bee of doing any thing that may offend them Therfore our Sauiour doth not onely aduise to receiue such but also to take heed of doing any thing that may proue vnto young belieuers matter of offence scandal And so he takes occasion to enter vpon a large discourse concerning scandal This Verse is part of that discourse and in it there be two principall points 1. The necessitie of scandals 2. The mischiefe of scandals 1. The necessitie of scandals for it must needs be that offences come 2. The Mischiefe and the miserie that comes by them And that is a twofold woe 1. A woe to such as are scandalized that doe stumble and are offended Woe to the world because of offences Offences shall come and must come but to the sorrow and smart of some men shal they come They shall come to make way for the greater woe to some persons Such euents shall be but yet they will proue euents of woe to men of the world 2. A woe to such as do cause and giue the offence But woe to the man by whom the offence commeth As if hee had said It is necessarie that offences come and infallibly they will fall out but yet this necessitie of the euent shall no whit at all excuse or protect the offender but as a woe to them that take the offence so a woe to them that giue the offence Woe to him by whom the offence commeth To make way for what followes it is fit to consider what is heere meant by Scandal or Offence That we call a scandal which is or may be in it selfe an occasion of falling vnto another Any thing whereby wee so offend another as that hee is hindred from Good drawne into or confirmed in euill is a scandal Now a scandal may be 1. First in doctrine and this is scandal giuen in heresies false doctrines Secondly by the abuse or the vnseasonable vse of Christian libertie of which kinde of scandals the Apostle speakes Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 8. 10. Thirdly Scandal may be giuen by mens lifes when their lifes and actions are such as crosse and thwart the Religion professed by vs and dishonours the Name of God which we haue taken vp As when a man professes the Name Faith of Christ and professes it zealously and yet fals into vncleannesse drunkennesse into grosse and notorious acts of fraude and coozenage these bee scandals and offences because they be occasions to make others fall they hinder some from comming towards goodnesse and Religion and they harden and confirme some in their sinfull and euill courses Thus Dauids murther and adultery Noahs drunkennesse the incestuous Corinthians marriage were scandalous actions Now though this text reach to offences of all kinds yet I will onely meddle with offences of this last kinde such as bee the grosse and foule courses and practices of any such as haue taken vpon them the profession of the Gospell and the Name of Christ To come then to the first point The Necessitie of scandals It must needs bee that offences come There must and there shall assuredly fall out scandalous and offensiue actions in the Church of God euen amongst those that professe Religion and godlinesse For that our Sauiour speakes of the sinnes of those that are in the Church it is plaine by that Verse 15. 16. 17. If thy brother shall trespasse c. therefore he speakes of the offences of brethren If hee shall neglect to heare them tell it to the Church Now if not of the Church why should he be complained of to the Church What hath the Church to do to iudge those and exercise discipline vpon those that are without And againe scandals properly so called can be no where but in the Church and amongst such as professe the Truth of God CHAP. II. The Necessitie of scandalous euents in Gods Church THe point we haue then first to handle is this That there is a necessitie of scandalous euents in the Church of God That scandalous euents and offences shall assuredly and infallibly fall out amongst those that professe the Name of Christ It must bee and it must needs bee that offences come So Luke 17. 1. It is impossible but that offences should come And as the Apostle speakes of heresies and of offences giuen in that kinde 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies so is it true of these kinds of offences which are giuen by sinfull and foule actions that there must bee scandals This Necessitie arises from a threefold ground 1. From the decree and councell of God and his secret but most Iust Iudgement for God that brought light out of darknesse can bring good out of euill and can worke out his glory euen from those things which in their euents seeme to make exceedingly to the impeaching and obscuring thereof God can gather grapes of these thistles and figs of these thornes and therefore his pleasure it is and so will he haue it that such thornes and thistles should grow and come vp in his garden His wayes are not as our wayes nor his thoughts as our thoughts Hee can make that which for the present and in our eye and apprehension is for the great dishonour and disgrace of his Name
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 ofscandals 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 tanquaÌ„ de sene 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 besides Gene. 10. 6. And the sonnes of Cham Cush and Mizraim and Phut and Canaan Why therefore cursed bee Canaan rather then Cush Mizraim or Phut Like enough that Canaan as the Iewes probably coniecture first espied Noah in that case and he being an vngracious youngster one without all Religion and possibly an hater of all goodnesse one that had like enough beene often sagely admonished and sharply reprooued by Noah And little content did the holynesse austeritie and religious carriage of Noah giue either to Canaan or to Cham. Now therefore Canaan when hee sees him in his drunkennes and in that shamefull pickle in his nakednesse he tels it to his father and his father after to Shem and Iaphet and that with Ioy and gladnesse with mocking and derision for otherwise for Canaan to haue seene it occasionally and to haue told it his father or for his father to haue seene it occasionally and haue told it his brethren had beene no matter of offence but quest onlesse they both told it with much ioy and reioycing Like enough Canaan when he first espied it came running to his father with much ioy in his face Oh father I can tell you excellent Newes the brauest Newes that can be Newes that will doe you good at the very heart doe but goe along with me and I will shew you such a sight as you neuer saw Look where that old Dotard lies drunke and in what a base and shamefull fashion This is he that alwayes telling me of my swearing censuring mee for my want of religion this is hee that was so holy so full of his religion and godlines see there how like a beast he lies And surely if Canaan did tell Cham of it Chams fact was exceeding vnnaturally villanous the text sayes Gen. 9. 22. And C ham the father of Canaan saw the nakednes of his father not occasionally and at vnawares so might Shem or Iaphet haue done But if Canaan did first tell Cham of it as very probably hee did then C ham like an vngratious varlet as he was could not be content to heare of it but to reioyce and glad his heart the more he must goe see the sight hee must goe feed his eyes with it and that he might be sure of it and obseruing all the seuerall circumstances hee might haue the more to make vp his mouth And then after this in scorne and derision and with insulting insolency goes reports it to Shem and Iaphet So that what betweene an vngracious sonne and a gracelesse grand-childe there was sure no small Iubilation and exultation in Noahs scandal and drunkennes But now as merry and iocund as Cham and Canaan were let vs see a little what cause they had for it and consider if their were not that in it that was enough to marre their merriment and to haue turned their mirth into mourning Alas all considered full little cause had they to be thus vpon their merrie pinnes It could not be but the scandal of Noahs drunkennes must come but woe to Cham and Canaan because of that scandal God had a purpose to bring a woe and a curse vpon Cham and Canaan and vpon the Canaanites his posterity that they should be rooted out and cut off by the sword of Israel But how now should way bee made to bring this curse vpon the heads of them Noah shal fall into a scandal thereby shall they be occasioned by reason of their naughty spirits to doe as they did and then no sooner shal Noah awake from his wine but hee shall awake with a solemne curse in his mouth which should be as the oracle of God Cursed bee Canaan a seruant of seruants shall hee bee vnto his brethren And now I pray what cause haue b Sed O miser Ham quam beatâ—s eâ— qui nunc dâ—miâ— inuenisti quod quaerebas venenum scilicet insaluberrima rosa Luther in Gen. 9. Cham and Canaan so to reioyce at their fathers fall Woe be to them because of this offence because in this offence of his there is a trap and a snare set to catch them and a way preparing to bring a sorrowfull curse vpon theÌ„ both And haue they then thinke wee any great cause of merrimeÌ„t wil any man that is in his wits reioyce at that euent whose errand purposely is to bring Gods curse vpon him So little cause had Cham and Canaan to reioyce at Noahs fall And euery whit as little cause hath the world to reioyce when scandals come for then woe comes God is setting his ginnes and snares traps to catch some hee sends forth his messengers of wrath to doe seuere Iustice vpon persons that haue beene vnprofitable vnder the Gospell Suppose God should send the sword amongst men would men reioyce and bee glad at it See Ezec. 21. 9. 10. A sword A sword is sharpened and also fourbished It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter it is fourbisht that it may glitter should we then make mirth I trow not And why not make mirth in such a case Because the sword brought woe and mischiefe with it because it came to be dismall and fatal because it was a messenger of wrath and vengeance And why then make men mirth at scandals when they come May we not truely say of this laughter Thou art mad and of this mirth what doth it Eccl. 2. 2. Come not scandals with a woe as well as the sword And it hee not as mad that reioyceth at the comming of scandals as hee is that reioyces at the comming of a sword Say a scandal a scandal it is fowle and heynous it is come with woe to make
a sore spirituall slaughter should wee then make mirth and reioyce at it God forbid Woe vnto the world because of scandals and shall we laugh and sport with Gods woes This makes scandals doubly woefull That same is good counsel which Salomon giues Prou. 24. 17 18. Reioyce not when thine enemy falles and let not thine heart bee glad when he stumbles If a man haue an enemie that hates him if any crosse or calamity befalls him a man may not reioyce at it nor bee glad of it not onely when he falles and God vtterly ruines him but if he doe but stumble and God lay but some smaller crosse vpon him Now marke the reason least the Lord see it and it displease him and he turne away his wrath from him and so turne it vpon thee So that the summe of the reason is least God should bee angry and his wrath should be against thee Marke then If I may not reioyce at a mans outward stumbling and fall then how much lesse may I reioyce in a mans spirituall stumbling and falling how much more will that displease and anger God If I may not reioyce at his outward fall least God should be angrie then much lesse when in another mans spirituall stumbling and fall God is angrie with mee and out of his anger against mee disposes his 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 falling who therefore stumbles and fals that I may stumble and fall at him And thus 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. 64. 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 fall had he any cause to reioyce Not any at all Why so Because Gods prouidence disposed that the fall of the first should make way for the fall and ruine of the next Hee that fell first shoud 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 thinke 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 hell 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 cause 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 merry 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 bee 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 minde 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 enils 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 discouerse 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
should not haue any thing to say that might disgrace his profession Thus if a man would consider the highnesse of his calling the honour of his profession and would in all tentations vnto fowle and shamfull actions but thinke should such a man as I doe this or who being as I am would doe this how might hee bee preserned from many a foule scandal Mordecay told them he was a Iew doe thou in all tentations to foule actions tell Sathan thou art a Christian and should such a man as thou doe so 5. Looke vpon other mens r Propone nihil esse quod tibi accidere non possit Vita foueam in quam vides alium coram te incidisse Aliorum perditio tua sit cautio Bern de Inter. Dom. cap. 45. fals and tremble and take warning by them Say not in the pride and carnall boasting of thy spirit rather then I would haue done as he hath done I would haue died a thousand deaths To condemne such as fall scandalously is not a thing to be condemned who shall dare to iustifie such But a comparatiue condemning of other mens euils so to condemne them as to commend and bragge of our selues what in such cases we would haue done and haue beene so to condemne others as thereby to raise our owne prayses what good ones wee are and would haue beene to them so to make others blacke as to make our selfes shew the whiter this is very dangerous This sauours of much Pride and in such causes it may be ſ Tamen si alieui tanta est siducia de immobilitate propriae infirmitatis saltem follicitis reformidet ne ipse sit scandalum visibus alienis sed terreatur voce Domini comminantis vae huic mundo à scandalis Cypr. de singul Cleric iust with God so to giue vs vp to the power of our owne corruptions that wee may fall into the selfe-same euill so condemned That Prouerbe of Salomons would be thought vpon in all such euents Pro. 27. 19. As in water face answers to face so the heart of man to man Let a man looke into the water hee sees in it a face in all points answering to his owne the same spots Warts Moulds and blemishes that hee sees in the face in the water they are all in his own there is face answering to face So doth the heart of a man answere to a man The same euils corruptions lusts and sins that thou seest in another mans heart breaking out in his life the very selfe-same are in thine owne heart his heart to thine is but a face answering thy face his heart is but as the face in the water to thy face therein mayest thou see what is in thine heart And therefore his heart being the very picture of thine owne looke not vpon his fals but with feare trembling considering least thou also thy selfe mayest bee tempted and fall as fowle as he His heart naturally is as good as thine and thine naturally as bad as his and therefore no better course in the view of his fall then to feare and tremble least thine heart may serue thee as slipperie a tricke as his heart hath done Such humble feare and trembling wil awaken to an answerable caution and so may prooue a good preseruatiue against the danger of Scandals 2. A second thing this point of Gods seueritie may teach is to stir vs vp to mourne and grieue when Scandals fall out There be diuers grounds of mourning in such cases As first in regard of the woe that is to the world from offences and the great mischiefe that will bee done by them That so many will start at and flie from Religion that so many will blaspheme the Name of God that so many will bee hardened to their owne ruine here is cause enough of mourning to all good hearts There is a compassion and there be bowels to bee showne to mankinde euen to reprobate ones and a sorrow should there be for the losse of their bloud And secondly a sorrow should there be for Gods dishonour the Churches reproach But thirdly there is yet another ground of sorrow arising from this point a sorrow there should bee in such euents in regard of the woe that wil fall vpon such by whom the offence comes If their case bee such that so many woes will persue them then how should mens bowels earne with compassion towards them and out of Christian pitie commiserate their condition The course of the world is to reioyce and insult ouer such That is not lawfull in sinlesse cases Prou. 24. 17. Reioyce not when thine enemy fals namely into some outward affliction neither let thine heart bee glad when hee stumbles Therefore much more vnlawfull in cases of sin and scandal This highly displeases God Others it may be reioyce not are not glad but in the meane time they mourne not neither are they in sorrow for Gods dishonour or the offenders danger Surely as there is ioy in Heauen when one sinner repents and rises so should there be sorrow on earth when one man professing Christ sinnes and fals fowle This was the Corinthians fault 1. Cor. 5. 2. And you are puffed vp and haue not rather mourned They should therefore in that case haue mourned and sorrowed as for Gods dishonour so for the danger into which that man by his scandal had brought himselfe And this being done might be a great helpe to stir vp a man falne into a scandalous sin to mourne for himselfe For when hee shall see others lay his case to heart and to be so sensible of his ill condition how may it stirre vp himselfe to take his condition to heart much more It is said that Samuel mourned for Saul now when Saul should heare that Samuel mourned for him if there had bin any grace in his heart it could not but haue made him mourne for himselfe It must needs haue thus wrought vpon him Doth Samuel mourne for mee and lies my case heauie at his heart Alas then what cause haue I to mourne for my selfe It is I that haue sinned and it is I that must smart What is it to Samuel that I must vndergoe such woe if therefore hee how much more should I mourne Thus others sorrow might prouoke such to mourne 3. Lastly this seueritie of Gods Iustice considered it serues for the terrour and the humbling of such by whom offences come Here is that which may breake the hearts of them and make them melt into godly sorrow Woe vnto him by whom an offence comes Is an offence come by thee and art thou falne into a scandal behold here a woe out of Christs mouth pursuing thee and readie to arrest thee Behold a woe posting after thee to blast thee in thy Name to brand thee with Infamie and Reproach A woe following thee to cast thee out of the hearts and societie of Gods people A woe following thee to smite thee with pouertie and sicknesse A woe to smite
shall not be able to draw thee from the faith of the Lord Iesus Prov. 6 20 22 24. My Son keep thy Fathers commandement c. And it will keep thee So I may say here keep a good conscience and it will keepe thee it will keepe thee sound in the faith it will keepe thee from being drawne away by the error of the wicked and it will keepe thee from the Wine of the fornications of the Whore of Babylon CHAP. XV. The last Motive to a good conscience The misery of an evill one THe last Motive remaines and that is The fift motive to a good conscience The horrour and misery of an evill Conscience If men did but truly know what the evill of an evill conscience were and how evill a thing and bitter it will be when conscience awakens here or shall bee awakened in hell a little perswasion should serve to move men to live in a good conscience We may say of the evill conscience as Solomon speakes of the drunkard Pro. 23. 29. Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath wounds but not without a cause Even the man whose conscience is not good even he that liues in an evill conscience An evill conscience how miserable it is we may see by considering the miserie thereof either in this world or the world to come 1. In this life When an evill conscience is awakened in this life the sorrow and smart the horror and terror is as the joy of a good conscience unspeakable An evil conscience in this life is miserable in regard of feare perplexity and torment To live in a continuall feare and to have a mans heart alwaies in shaking fits of feare is misery of miseries And such is the misery of an evill conscience Prov. 28. 1. The wicked flees when none pursues Onely his owne guilt pursues him and makes him flee His owne guilt causes a sound of feare in his eares Iob 15. 21. Which makes Proprium autem est nocentium trepidare Male de nobis actum erat quod multa seelera legem judicem effugiunt scripta supplicia nisi illa naturalia gravia de presentibus solverent in locum patientiae timor cederet Sonec ep 91. him shake at the noise of a shaken leafe Levit. 26. 36. yea that so scares him that terrours make him afraid on every side and drive him to his feet Iob 18. 11. Yea there are they in great feare where no feare is Ps 53. 3. So that a man with an evill conscience awakened may be named as Pashur is Ier. 20. 3. Magor-Missabib feare round about as being a terror to himselfe and to all his friends ver 4. An evill conscience even makes those feare fearefull feares of whom all other stand in feare How potent a Monarch and how dreadfull a Prince was Belshazzar who was able to put him into any feare whom all the earth feared And yet when his guilty conscience lookes him in the face awakened by the palme writing on the wall see where his courage is then Dan. 5. 6. Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another Who would have had his feare to have had his kingdome Let him now cloath himselfe with all his Majestie let him looke and speak as terribly as he can let him threaten the vilest vassall in his Court with all the tortures that tyranny can inflict and let him try if he can for his heart put his poorest subject into that fright and feare that now his conscience puts him into in the ruffe and middst of his jollity But I pray what ayles he to be in this feare in this so extraordinary a feare Hee can neither reade nor understand the writing upon the wall Indeed it threatned him the losse of his kingdome but hee cannot reade his threatning hee knowes not whether they be bitter things that God writes against him why may he not hope that it may bee good which is written and why may not this hope ease and abate his feare No no. Though he cannot reade nor understand the writing yet his guilty conscience can comment shrewdly upon it and can tell him it portends no good towards him His conscience now tells him of his godlesse impieties in profaning the vessels of the Temple of the true God and that for this his sacrilegious impropriation and abuse of holy things God is now come to reckon with him Thus can his conscience doe more than all his wise men All the wise men came in but they could not reade the writing nor make knowne to the King the interpretation thereof Dan. 5. 8. But his conscience is wiser than all his wise men and when they are as puzzeld that interprets to him that this writing meanes him no good and though he cannot reade the syllables yet his conscience gives a shrewd neere guesse at the substance of the writing and therefore hence comes that extasie of feare and those paroxysmes of horror It was better with Adam after his fall After his Sin committed we find him in a great feare Gen. 3. 8 10. and hee hides himselfe for feare Now observe how his feare is described from the circumstance of the time They heard the voyce of the Lord God walking in the garden in the coole of the day Luther layes the Emphasis of the aggravation of his feare upon this word the wind or coole of the day The night indeeed is naturally terrible and darknesse is fearfull whence that phrase Ps 91. The terrors of the night But the day and the light is a cheerfull and a comfortable creature Ec. 11. 7. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun How is it then that in the faire day light which gives courage and comfort that Adam feares and runs into the thickets Oh his conscience was become Gravis malae conscientiae luxest Senec. ep 123. come evill and full of darknesse and the darknesse of his conscience turned the very light into darknesse and so turned the comforts of the day into the terrours of the night So that in this sense it may be said of an evill conscience which of the Lord is said in another Ps 139. 12. Vnto it the darknesse and the light are both alike As full of feare in the light as in the dark And besides the Lord came but in a gentle wind the coole breath of the day now what a small matter is a coole wind and that in the day time to to put a man in a feare Such small things breed great feares in evill consciences In what a wofull plight would Adam thinke we have beene if the Lord had come to him at the dead and darke midde-night with earth-quakes thunder and blustring tempest We may see the like in Cain After he had defiled his conscience with his brothers
hee haue no more to doe with Episcopal or Ministerial function And this Discipline of theirs wants not foundation in Scripture It seemes to be the same thing that God himselfe constituted Ezek 44. 12 13. Because they ministred vnto them before their Idols they shall beare their iniquitie and they shall not come neere vnto mee to doe the office of a Priest vnto me nor to come neere to any of mine holy things in the most holy place but they shall beare their shame and their abominations which they haue committed Vpon their Repentance they were receiued againe to some other places Ver. 10. 11. but they must meddle no more after that scandal of Idolatrie with the Priest-hood And this Discipline did Iosiah put in practise 2. King 23. 9. Some priuiledges vpon their Repentance were granted vnto the Priests of the high places that had defiled themselues with Idolatrie but the office of Priesthood they were quite excluded from it And this was the ancient Discipline against the giuers of offence and indeed such zeale and such seueritie it did concerne and euer will concerne the Church of God to shew to scandalous delinquents Facilitie and an ouer easie readinesse to comply with such breedes a fresh scandal to the world and giues them iust cause to n Et quoniam andâ—o Charissimifratres impudentia vos quorundaÌ„ premi verecundiam vestram vim pati oro vos quibus possum precibus vt euaÌ„gelij memores vos quoque sollicitè et cautè petentiuÌ„ desideria ponderetis vtpote amici domini cùm illo post modum indicaturi inspiciatis actuÌ„ opera merita singuloruÌ„ ipsorum quoque delictorum genera qualitates cogitetis ne si quid abrupte indignè vel à vobis promissum vel à nobis factuÌ„ fuerit apud Gentiles quoque ipsos ecclesia nosira erubescere incipiat Cypr. Epist 11. reproach the Church and opens the mouth of iniquitie to say you bee all such Whereas discommoning and discarding such from our familiar and priuate societie and when neede and power is from communion in holy things gaines the Church a great deale of honour and stops the mouth of iniquitie from calumniating Gods people to bee fauourers and countenancers of such persons Such will bee pressing in to gaine their credit and to recouer their respect but when such suddenly and easily get into credit it is no whit for the honour and credit of the Church God will bring woes vpon them in their outward state their peace their posteritie Elies sonnes runne into foule Scandals 1. Sam. 2. 22. It was scandalous for priuate persons much more for Priests to bee vncleane and adulterous It was scandalous to haue done so vnclean an act in any place but to doe it in a scared place with women comming thither vpon deuotion this was egregiously scandalous God therefore takes them to doe and does execution vpon them and cuts them both off in one day by the Sword of the Philistims God brought the wo of the Sword vpon them Nay when they ranne into Scandal because Eli did not restraine them see what God threatens vpon his Posteritie 1. Sam. 2. 36. that hee would plague them with such base beggerie and miserie that they should beg their bread If God thus punish him for not restraining how much more would he haue punished him for the committing of a Scandal If it goe thus hard with Eli that restraines not how hard will it goe with Hophni and Phinehas that commit the scandal Wee cannot haue a more pregnant and full example in this kinde then Dauid himselfe Hee after his scandal committed was truly penitent the guilt of his sinne pardoned a solemne absolution and discharge giuen him by the Prophet And yet for all this wee shall see how terribly this woe pursued him in temporall crosses in this kinde First God smites his childe with death then followes his daughter Thamars defilement by her brother Amnon then Amnons murder then the treason of Absalom in which the hand of God was exceeding smart God turnes him out of house and home Whose heart would not earne and bleede to see his dolefull departure from Ierusalem 2. Sam 15. 30. And Dauid went vp by the ascent of mount Oliuet and wept as he went vp and had his head couered and hee went barefoote and all the people that was with him couered euery man his head and they went vp weeping as they went vp Who could haue beheld so sad and so woefull a spectacle with drie eyes But this was not all his life is endangered his Concubines defiled in open view on the house top And what thinke wee was the ground of all this For the childs death we see 2. Sam. 12. 13 14. The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die howbeit because by this thy deede thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is borne vnto thee shall surely die It is verie much that fasting and praying can doe it can cast out deuils This kind goes not out but by fasting and praying Mark 9. 29. And yet fasting and praying could not keepe off this woe that Dauids scandal brings vpon him in the childes death woe vnto Dauid by whom that offence came therefore shall his childe die And for all the rest of all those wofull sorrowes 2. Sam. 12. 9. 10. 11. 12. we see the cause of them all these woes were vpon Dauid for his scandal And if Gods woe in these temporall outward calamities will thus pursue and follow a repeÌ„ting an humbled scandalous offender how much more will that hand of God pursue that man vpon whose scandal followes no Repentance and Humiliation If Dauid the man after Gods owne heart must not escape what then shall others looke for If a beloued Dauid shall haue his teeth on edge with his owne sowre grapes of his scandalous courses who then shall thinke to goe scotfree that is guilty of scandalous transgressions what a sure irresistible wo is that which Repentance it selfe cannot keepe off from a mans children his life person and goods And thus temporall woe is to him by whom offences come 2. God will pursue and pinch such as giue offence with spirituall woe God will fill such mens hearts specially if they belong to him with much spirituall woe and bitternesse of soule He will awaken conscience to smite pinch and gripe them at the heart He will so loade and burden their consciences that in the anguish and bitternes of their spirits they shal be forced to cry out woe is mee vile wretch that I was borne that euer I breathed thus to dishonour God It is true that there is an happinesse in this woe and it is singular mercy that men are not seared and hardened in their sinne but yet for all that there it a great deale of smart sorrow and a great deale of wofull bitternes in the worke
his Name dishonoured and for the scandal sake the punishment so smart in this rather then in the other A small sinne scandalous hath a greater punishment then a great sinne close and secret because there is in the scandal a pollution of Gods Name an Impeach of his honour besides the guilt of the breach of his Law So then therefore is God so seuere in punishing scandals because God is more wronged by them then by simple sinne because they pollute his sacred Name 2. God is thus seuere in the punishing of scandals because soule-bloud is not cheape with God They that spill the bloud of soules shall pay full dearely for it God will require it at their hands Now in the commission of scandalous sinnes there is a great deale of spirituall u Si quis simplici mente desiderio veniat ad Ecclesiam vt prosiciat vt melior fiat iste si videat nos qui multo iam tempore in side stetimus vel non recte agentes vel cum offendiculo loquentes efficimur nos illi lapsus ad peccatum Cum autem peccauerit trueidatus est sanguis animae eius prostuit omnis ob eo virtus vitalis abscedit Scandalizati animae sanguis effunditur cum ceciderit in peccatum propterea dixit quia requi retur sanguis eius à fratre frater tuus est qui fudit sanguinem tuum Origen in Psal 36. hom 3. bloudshed and murther Paul speaking of Scandals of an inferiour nature such as are giuen to weake brethren in the vse of Christian libertie in the vse of things in their nature indifferent makes them bloudie and murtherour Rom. 14. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died 1. Cor. 8. 12. Thorough thy knowledge shall thy weake brother perish If Scandals in such causes bee so dangerous in their issue of such mortal consequence then what are Scandals in a higher nature in the offensiue and euill lifes of such as professe Religion How much more are they of deadly consequence and how much more is bloud spilt by them If a man may haue his hand in the bloud of soules by giuing scandal in the doing of things in their owne nature lawfull then how much more by giuing scandal in the doing of such things as in their owne nature are sinfull and vnlawfull There is a Law Exod. 21. 33 34. that if a man open a pit and couer it not and an Oxe or an Asse fal therein the owner of the pit shall make it good Now in euery Scandal giuen there is a pit digged and opened euery one that giues a Scandal opens and digges a pit into which many a soule fals headlong If he that opened the pit must make good the Oxe or Asse that fell thereinto that is must pay the full price and worth of it to the owner what must hee doe that opens a pit into which a soule fals Surely God will require it at his hands and it must bee made good Doth God saith the Apostle take care for Oxen So here will God require Oxen at their hands thorough whose default they fall into pits then how much more doth he take care and will he require soules of men at their hands that by Scandals haue opened pits into which they are fallen and ruined There is another Law in the same place worth our noting to this purpose Exod. 21. 22. 23. If men striue hurt a woman with child so that her fruit depart from her yet no mischiefe follow hee shall be surely punished c. And if any mischiefe follow thou shalt giue life for life or soul for soul as the words originally are If no mischiefe follow either to the womā or the child yet a punishment was due in such a case but if mischiefe followed then life for life soule for soule Now in the case of scandals it is a sure thing that Mischiefe doth follow wee saw before what a deale of Woe and Mischiefe they bring with them Hee that giues a Scandal is as a man that smites or spurnes a woman with childe He that doth so a hundred to one but hee causes mischiefe to follow It may bee there was a man that began to haue some good in him some hope that Christ began to be formed in him Now a man giues some heynous Scandal and therevpon mischiefe followes all these hopes are dasht this man flies quite off and casts off all thoughts of medling any more with godlinesse here is one with child spurned and a mischiefe followes therefore life for life soule for soule will be required * Vae illi qui scandalizauerit vnum ex pusillis istis Vae pregnantem calcanti Ambros in Psal 118. Woe be to him that spurnes a woman with childe and causes mischiefe to follow and therefore Woe to him by whom an offence comes because by him mischiefe comes mischiefe comes to many a soule the mischiefe of reiecting religion or the mischiefe of an hardened heart And therefore is God thus seuere in his Iustice vpon such because they do bloudie mischiefe and therefore they must giue z Qui scandali conscius est animam dabit pro anima eius quem scandalizauit Origen soule for soule It may bee that many a man was like to be brought on to Religion might haue some a Factus sum opprobrium vicinis meis nimium vicinis meis nimium opprobrium factus sum id est qui mihi Ecclesiae iam appropinquabant vt crederent hoc est vicini mei nimium deterriti sunt mala vita malorum falsorum Christianorum Quam multos enim putatis fratres mei velle esse Christianos sed offendi malis moribus Christianorum Ipsi sunt vicini qui iam appropinquabant nimium opprobrium illis visi sumus Augustinus in Psal 30. thoughts of imbracing and receiuing the truth but now some Professor of Religion falling foule he fals off and will none all these thoughts are dampt and so laid aside There be so many soules lost and kept out of Heauen by that Scandal Here is the bloud of soules spilt How many might haue come to haue been godly and religious Christians if it had not beene for the Scandal of some one man professing godlinesse and religion Such a deale of mischiefe followes by such a scandal And for this cause was that woe vpon the Priests that they were base and contemptible because they had caused many to stumble at the law and to fly off from religion which was not without the mischieuing of their soules for euer It may bee many a mans mouth was shut and though hee said no good yet hee could say no euill of the way of truth now that a man falles into scandal his mouth is opened against God against Religion and he blasphemes ful mouth Now is this mans soule by his blasphemy miserably endaūgered here is soule blood spilt What a deale of mischiefe is
thy Family thy Children And shall not such a wo terrifie and mightily humble thine heart How should the dread of such a woe hanging ouer thine head lay thee in the dust If a man had no care of his owne soule or no care of his credit or no care of societie with the faithfull yet if a man had but any bowels of nature towards his poore children here is that which may make his bowels earne and roule within him Alas what haue I done I haue brought a woe vpon my selfe and children Ah sayes Dauid These sheepe what haue the done So mayest thou Alas these poore babes and innocent Lambes what haue they done An heauie woe may ouertake and smite them for my folly Woe is me the cause that my soule hath to bee humbled Oh the cause that I haue to put my mouth in the dust Here is that which should make a man hang downe his head with sorrow to thinke of that woe that is pursuing him at the heeles If a man had a Bayliffe or a Sergeant alwayes watching and dogging of him at the heeles that he could not stirre out of his doores but hee would be ready to haue him by the backe in what a deale of feare would a man bee in such a case What a deale of care would hee take to make his peace and compound with his Creditours Now when a man is fallen into a Scandal presently a woe is sent out to pursue and attach such a sinner oh then the feare the depth of humiliation and sorrow that the dread of this woe should worke in such a man It should make him doe as in that case Prou. 6. 3 4. Goe humble thy selfe Giue not sleepe to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eye-lids till thou hast made thy peace with God t Grandi plagae alla prolixa opus est medicina Grande scelus grandem habet necessariam satisfactionem Ambros ad Virg. laps Goe and doe as Lam. 3. 28 29 30. Hee sits alone and keepes silence hee puts his mouth in the dust if so bee there may bee hope He giues his cheek to him that smites him hee is filled full with reproach Sit alone and keepe silence and neuer wonder nor murmure that thou art left alone but Leuit. 26. 41. accept of thy punishment And certainly where a man is truely humbled he will doe so Sit alone I cannot find fault with it I deserue it accept it Oh put thy mouth in the dust thou that hast laid thine honor in the dust thou that hast laid the honour of religion in the dust Giue thy cheekes to him that smites Art thou reproached and filled therewith take it as the due desert of thy wayes and say with Ecebolius lying and howling at the Church doore u Calcate me salem insipidum Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 11. Trample vpon me that am vnsauourie salt If at any time thou beginne to haue but a chearefull thought in thine heart a chearefull looke in thy face a chearefull word in thy mouth dash all chearfull thoughts lookes wordes and behauiours dash them all with the thoughts of this Woe Thinke still where euer thou art what euer thou art doing that thou hearest the sound of this text and the sound of this Woe ringing in thine eares Woe to him by whom the offence comes What I laugh I bee merrie and iocund I bee chearie and iolly that haue such a Woe hanging our mine head Oh my soule droope and hang downe thine head and be in bitternesse of spirit and y Inhaere poenitentiae vsque ad finem vitae Ambros ad virg laps neuer haue one lightsome looke till the light of Gods countenance shine vpon thee Who knowes if God should see a man thus droope vnder the Conscience of his sinne thus laid low vnder the feare of this Woe but God of his mercie might in some measure mitigate this Woe at least might shew mercie to the soule in its peace and pardon FINIS