Apostle If he doubts and yet does what he doubts of he is condemned because whatever is not of Faith is Sin He that is fully perswaded in his own mind to use them may use them and they ought to appear of that Value to him that he can give God thanks for them with understanding for that is one Character of the Apostles Indifferents and a severe Test upon them it is But yet he must not think himself the better for them or that such things can commend him to God He must not use them to the scandalising the weaker than himself even while the World standeth that is while the Reason of Doubt can in the Nature of that Reason remain And he must allow that his Indifferents are as subject to Scandal as the Indifferents the Apostle discourses upon are and if the very reasonably-to be-suppos'd Scandal in these of themselves so harmless Indifferents be well consider'd I doubt there will be found a great and wide Sea for this Leviathan to roll it self in Now that I may make this Consideration more orderly I shall distribute it according to the several Ranges of Persons concern'd and endanger'd by Scandal in these Indifferents And I begin with 1. Those that comply with that side of them which the Strongest chuse that is the Use of them because this is immediately under the Apostles Eye I say that comply but are not fully perswaded in their own mind Now the Apostle imputes their Compliance to the Power of Example which is the freest sort of Compliance For though he had taken notice of Despisings in the former part of the Discourse yet he waves that Impositions by Church-Censures or Penalties were quite out of his Thoughts he arrests them upon Example the most ingenuous sort of Compulsion and submitting to it the most spontaneous Conformity Yet both to the Romans and the Corinths here he places the danger of scandalising and Scandal If thy Brother saith he be grieved with thy Meat that is not grieved that thou eatest but drawn to eat as thou dost yet not perswaded as thou art and so receiving a real Wound and Grief in his Conscience by following thy Example thou walkest not charitably More expresly to this purpose the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians If any Man see thee which hast knowledge sit at Meat in an Idols Temple shall not the Conscience of him that is weak be edified to eat those things which are offered to Idols Thus evident it is Example is that which the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very words points to Now in that he lays this sort of Scandalising so low as in Example he plants his Argument with greater force against any other Way that is more forcible than Example Here then is the Scandal as given The Scandal taken is the rushing against that Principle of Religion That the full sense of a Man 's own Mind and what is to him of Faith is in Indifferent Things the Square of his Actions and the contrary is Sin and Scandal This is most evident in the Apostle to the Romans his whole Discourse runs into this as the Scandal he intends to speak of To the Corinths it may be more Dispute where the Scandal lay because the Sin seems to be a Relapse into Idolatrous eating in an Idols Temple the Meats offered to Idols And that Expression of eating with Conscience of the Idol things offered to Idols as offered to Idols is at the first view almost enforcive of that Sense but by closer attention it appears much otherwise For I observe the Apostle upon the occasion discourses first the Case it self in the eighth Chapter In Chap. 9. in a Figure transferred to himself he treats the necessary Retreat from our own Liberty in some Cases as a motive to all Christians to do the same In the tenth Chapter he discourses the great danger of Idolatry it self which might be drawn as a Snare upon both the weak and the strong by often Converse with Idolaters and their Rites and the intolerable Guilt and Danger of that made forcible by several Arguments and then towards the end of that Chapter resumes the plain Case of the weak who not understanding Gods superiour surmounting Right over the Idols consider'd only the great evil of eating in honour to the Idol and believed the Meat and the Temple irrecoverably defiled by it They had not the knowledge that an Idol was nothing and therefore could not affect things themselves to all that keep themselves pure and know that Gods Right overcomes and his filling all things excludes all others and their Right becomes a Nothing But some not having this knowledge eat in a Temple Meats that had the Idols Superscription and Image upon them as they thought not in any Honour to the Idol but tyded along by Example to communicate in what they yet esteemed defiled and polluted though indeed it was not so but to those that esteemed it so This Point the Apostle plainly enters upon Chap. 10. v. 23. going off from that of Idolatry in these Words All things are lawful c. And ver 28. he thus opens what he intends If any Man as in a fright at so hainous a thing as eating the defiled Meat that had been consecrate to an Idol say unto you This is offered in Sacrifice to Idols eat not for his sake that shewed it and for his Conscience-sake not thy own that was scar'd at it as if unclean in it self and yet might be drawn to eat it as such by thy Example not Idolatrously but with a doubting Conscience And the very same Reason why out of this Case of anothers Scandal a Man might eat even because the Earth is the Lords and the fulness of it his Right cannot be retrench'd nothing can be made unclean in it self that is Gods the very same is given for not eating in case of Scandal The Earth is the Lords and the fulness of it that is We are not tied up to one Thing to assert Gods Right in that only that we must needs run our Brother into Scandal for it The Earth that has room enough and the Fulness of it a full Table besides that suppos'd to be the Idols is the Lords and his Bounty to be enjoyed in all acknowledged praised in all so that we may please All that is consult their truest Good and give no Scandal for that the Apostle means by pleasing and opposes it to grieving and wounding Thus large I have been in bringing the Case to the Romans and to these Corinthians to much the same level and pitch except the Meats be suspected fouler by Dedication to an Idol than by the meer Mosaick Interdict that the main Point of Scandal might be setled For though I shall allow just Consideration to all other Points of Scandal and to the other Interpretation viz. That the Apostle discourses against those Idolatrous Contaminations those Pangs of Devotion and Reverence of the Idol the tender
new-converted Christian might relapse into by eating in the Idols Temple at the Idols Feast yet the main Point is eating with offence with a Conscience not satisfied the Meats that were pure in themselves but to them appeared impure as is evident by the much different sharpness of Style the Apostle uses in the danger of Idolatry and the Case of the Doubting Conscience The immediate Principle offended against is then The Government Conscience ought to have over Man appointed it by God against which nothing Humane ought to prevail nor can do but with the great mischief of Scandal Besides this there is some other Rule or Principle of Truth guiding Conscience and pressing upon it in case of Scandal for Conscience is not to guide a Man but as it represents to him some Truth to guide it self and him by else as when the Blind lead the Blind both will fall into the Ditch And when this Principle that presses hard upon Conscience and to which Conscience defers it self is over-born then a Man is scandalised The Principle Conscience in the Case of the Romans had lying hard upon it was this Whatever God hath forbidden once as unclean is unclean and is so long unclean till we know that Prohibition is removed The weak Christian did not believe the forbidding some Meats as unclean was removed yet by the countenance of Example in the stronger Christians they were so hardy as to eat while Conscience was unsatisfied and so were scandalised Conscience in the Corinths had this Principle looking it full in the Face To eat in an Idols Right in Honour to Idols is an abomination to God The weak Christian abhorring Idols or to eat in Honour of them did not as yet understand there could be a Separation betwixt the Pollution of the Idol and the Meat or the Temple where he was worshipped yet emboldned by seeing the stronger sit at Meat in an Idols Temple they eat and were inwardly affrighted at the unclean Meat they eat they eat with Conscience of the Idol the Meat as offered to the Idol through the force of Example that is abhorring indeed the Idol and his Meat but withal fearing it as an Evil and looking upon the Meat as impure because sacrificed to an Idol In both these Cases the Apostle levels against the use of Liberty in the stronger against imposing by way of Example to the scandal of the weaker so tender a thing it is to offer but the Lowest Rule of Compulsion in these Cases The Imposer then though but by Example is he that scandalises The Complier against the Sense of his own Mind instructed not by Truth and Reason satisfying him but by Example leading him is the Scandalised Things being thus stated let us observe the Scandal it self how it works in this Case 1. There is an Act of high Disobedience committed against God and his Authority represented by Conscience both in that Conscience deputed by God is deposed and Example set up in its place as also that a Divine Law upon Conscience it self supposed to continue in force is violated for though it should be indeed antiquated yet if Conscience knows not it is so it cannot act of Faith and full perswasion and so sins 2. Conscience is hereupon grieved wounded and loses its due Comfort 3. This begets a Flatness and Formality in all Religious Services 4. A Lukewarmness to Religion in general thus a Man is weakned by his Stumble and Fall he lies prostrate in all Religious Powers 5. Conscience loses its due vigour and exercise of Authority 6. There is danger of Apostacy from Christianity it self or the true Sense of Religion 7. Hereupon the Soul is in danger to be lost and the work of God to be destroyed and he for whom Christ died to perish if not recovered by Repentance Thus it was with the Romans and the Corinths Now to bring this to the Balance with Impositions in Ceremonies or Indifferents in after-Times First Suppose the Sentiments of the Mind and Conscience of many Christians deeply ingag'd and lock'd in this Principle That in the Worship of God no Man may add or diminish so much as to a Point beyond Divine Institution and the most natural Circumstances and necessary Adherencies of all Solemn and Grave Humane Actions That there must be nothing of Humane Device for Edification or Significancy but what is prescrib'd And no Man can deny but this is a safe Position considering both the Stream of Scripture sound Reason and the Experience of all Ages how much mischief hath come stealing up from Ceremonies as high as to Idolatry and Superstition But let us withal allow That though no Man can be the better for using these Indifferents nor the worse for not using them yet there is a Liberty to use them without being the worse for using them if a Man be fully persuaded in his own mind concerning them It must remain yet that according to the Apostles Doctrine every Man that uses them and doubts of their lawfulness with respect to the forenamed Principle is condemned in the using them because not of Faith and so subject to all the just-now-recounted Mischiefs of Scandal And that therefore He that uses them so as to press those that are otherwise minded to a Conformity by his Example if it be no more much more if by Despisings Censures Vexations Penalties he does not walk charitably he sins against Christians wounds their weak Consciences and so sins against Christ in a high Degree and for his Ceremonies the work of God is destroyed and he for whom Christ died perishes if not sav'd by Repentance Now how high does this rise up to the Woe Christ denounces on him by whom Scandals come For it cannot but be suppos'd there are many that are wrought upon against the sense of their own Minds to such a Conformity as wherein they cannot but condemn themselves wherein they seem to allow themselves or do indeed allow themselves so far as the outward Act reaches Who can doubt but in these days there are such as well as in the Days of the first Christians Yea happy are many of those that Conform if they do not condemn themselves wherein they allow themselves and carry the Mischief of their Scandal within themselves silently from others and often secretly from themselves And even where Men stand out against all pressure upon them and will not receive this Dint of Scandal yet it is still a Scandal offered while unaccepted All this now seems so strong against imposing in things of Indifferency for fear of Scandal in them that it is wonder there should be any Imposition known in such things among Christians for fear of Scandal and yet in these very things of Indifferency Scandal hath run like Wild-fire bluster'd and roar'd like a Tempest in these of all things to chuse and that in all Ages within the Christian World and even under Protestancy it self But I aâ— to consider Scandal in a second Rank viz. of
those who do vehemently and zealously fall in with Conformity to these Impositions in Indifferents yet they may be scandalised and that very deeply This Case does not I confess arise out of the Apostles Discourses except by the other Interpretation of the Scope of that to the Corinths which gives it not onely as if Compliance against the Sentiments of Conscience upon the Trust of Example were the Sin and Scandal but that the weaker Christians not having the Knowledge of the stronger doing as they did and not prepossess'd as they were that the Idol was nothing sunk into some Degrees at least of Idolatrous Reverence and Worship as if they knew no other Reason of eating in an Idols Temple but Devotion to him And this kind of Scandal though I believe the drift of the Apostle is chiefly as I have explained it yet too often falls out in these Cases Those Ceremonies that have been promoted into Divine Services or into the Ornament of Religion and the Places of it have been though dangerously enough yet not so ill design'd as afterwards abused by more Ignorant Persons who greedy and fond of a sensual and external Religion have been transported upon Superstition and sometimes downright Idolatry and this often noted in Scripture under the very Name of Scandal Thus I before observ'd in the Case of Gideons Ephod his House and all Israel were insnar'd beyond the first Intention Thus in the Brazen Serpent continued no doubt in memory of the Miracle yet afterwards prov'd so great a Snare that they burnt Incense to it And it is most likely Balaam cast his Snare at first in a less-guilty Feasting with the Midianites upon their Idols Sacrifices not known to be such poysonous Meat and by degrees toll'd them on into the midst of the Congregation and Assembly of Idolaters Thus the Apostles by Divine Direction condescending to the weakness of Convert-Jews among the Romans on consideration of the Divine Command in some of their Rites but just now expiring degenerated afterward into such a Judaism that the same Apostle was most severe against it and that very Strength of the Corinthian Christians or at least the Weakness of the Unknowing following their Example became afterwards into an infamous Doctrine the Doctrine of Balaam and the very inchanting Seduction of the Prophetess Jezebel who taught the People of Christ to commit Fornication and to eat things offered to Idols in honour to them The bringing in of Pictures into Places of Religious Worship suppose it as innocent as could be suppos'd at first yet was abus'd speedily into all imaginable Corruption and it is much to be fear'd all the Remonstrances concerning more Innocent Rites as they can't vindicate them from Scrupulosity on one side so can't preserve them from Mens placing too much of their Religion in them on the other whereby the true Conscience of it is weakned the Vertue and Vigour of Conscience in things truly Religious weakned and spent by having been laid out unnecessarily upon extern Observances and loosness of Life like Fornication with eating things offered to Idols breaking in upon the Commute of such Flatteries of Conscience for substantial Piety as the Jews would exchange New-Moons and Oblations for Justice and Mercy and walking humbly with God It must be indeed acknowledg'd not onely Humane Appointments but even Divine Commands are subject to the Injury of Scandal but with this difference One cannot be cut off though Scandal presses never so hard the other may and ought For in all things not ordained by God the Principle sinned against in Scandal is the exceeding Purity of Religion the substantial Piety and most Spiritual and Rational Worship of himself God requires and expects by his Word and that all things he has commanded be adjusted to those Ends even as he provided them and all he has not commanded should stand off or at least be presently superseded when become the Prey of Scandal Yet on the other side Scandal shelters it self under Order Decency or Edification of the Ignorant Obedience to Authority and presses on to the utmost under them 3. The third sort of Scandal arising from Indifferent Things upon those that will not be at all perswaded to a Compliance with them even they may be scandalised by unlawful and very sinful Censoriousness and Passion placing too much of their sense of Religion upon their dislike of such Additions to Divine Worship Divisions and Separations on both sides from the Publickest Worship of God and National Union in Religion beyond the Merit and Quality of the Cause or further than the Case at its utmost extent can require and if the Sin of Schism be such as the endeavour'd Notion of it would make it a Fall into the great Sin of Schism The Principle offended against in this sort of Scandal is That great Love of Christians and Union in Divine Worship in Truth and Peace made so Fundamental in Christianity by Christ and the Apostles The pretence of Scandal lies too both ways That for the sake of such Additionals we may desert those much higher Considerations and Reasons and Causes of Love and Union and our Obligations to them The Apostle represents this great Mischief not under the formal Account of Scandal in the Discourse to the Romans though I doubt not he after refers to it expresly as such when he joyns Scandals and Divisions together but Rom. 16. 17. in the Discourse it self he both sets out the Heat on both sides in judging and despising and argues on both sides with highest strength of Divine Reason against the Evil both ways And this is certain The more excellent our Religion the more desirable our Publick Worship and Communion for the Piety Rationality and Order of it the more pure our National Church and Association in Religion is and the greater the Sin of Separation the more does the Apostles Argument against scandalising for the sake of Indifferencies press and urge us Why should our Good be thought evil of or blasphem'd Why should our Publick Worship and National Religion be once thought to be Ceremony Why should our Communion be clogg'd with things of no greater avail than Meat and Drink Why should we lose those from our Communion who own The Kingdom of God is Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and contend for those Divine things though they have not leisure and freedom for Ceremonies when they that serve God in them though they cannot joyn in lesser things yet as they are accepted of God so should be approved of Men Or if the Sin of Separation be so great and even Schism it self why for our Meat for our Indifferent things should they perish for whom Christ died or such a Work of God as appears in them be destroyed 4. The Severity Passion Transport beyond the Values of the things themselves and taking up the Instruments of Cruelty cannot be without Scandal upon the Imposers of Indifferency and those that will needs be
wholly out of the childishness of Ceremonies or Opinions 2. The weaker Christians whom the Apostle very gently and tacitely signifies by those that do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are under some abatement from this perfection of judgment they have somewhat of reverence for those Rites formerly of Divine Appointment though they sincerely too value Christ above all even as the perfect To the First the Apostle advises Let us wholly and intirely mind the same thing so many of us as are perfect we have nothing else to do we have nothing in the least to take us off To the Second he allows First All the Tolleration of Charity till and confidently foretells God will reveal even this to them viz. not only the supreme excellency of Christianity but the total uselesness and utter abolition of those Ceremonies But in the Second place he presses them on so far as they had attained viz. to a sense of the incomparable excellency of the knowledg of Christ to a conformity in his Death and Resurrection and that they would walk by that one Rule that they would adjust all their Actions and Motions with the perfect Christian and mind that same thing though they cannot lay aside all regard to other things immediately of that lower Rate Here then is the Christians Rule of governing himself as a Christian and it brings forth certain Peace 1. The absolute and inexceptionable Rule to every one that is a True Christian to have a supreme value for the eminency of the knowledg of Christ to know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings to be made conformable to his Death to forget things behind and to press forward for the prize If any man hath not attained this Rule he is either no Christian or under the disguise of one if he be an Vndertaker an Imposer a Master in Christianity such as the Apostle here so dreadfully brands an evil worker a designer against Christ Here is the one same Rule by which all Christians are to walk here is the one thing they are all to mind Here is no allowance no tolleration here it is they are all to be so serious of such excellent Spirits to have such a value one of another as to be able to center in Universal Love and Peace upon this point 2. Every perfect man is not to take in any thing of a lower kind of a forreign extract into so Divine and Heavenly a Religion that he may wholly and without any allocation to any thing else mind this same thing This makes him a more wise a more perfect manly and full ag'd Christian more Spiritual and Divine and more fitted to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace The overowning any way party or person takes off so from the Excellency of a Christian as to render him Carnal and Childish I could not saith the Apostle speak to you but as unto carnal as unto babes in Christ you are so 1 Cor. 1. 12. over-zealous for men and make Christ himself as if he were but the Head of a Party And this brings forth Strife Envy and Division as he tells those Corinths 1 Cor. 3. 1. 3. If any man be under such disadvantage as to have taken such assumenta such additionals to his Christianity he being right in the main Rule of the supreme value of Christ in his Death and Resurrection he is to be supported in his infirmity by all the kindness and condescension of stronger Christians in expectation of Gods timely Revelation Rom. 15. 1. but so as to be press'd on to walk up and bear aloft to that Rule whereunto he hath attained to mind that one thing and so to wear out that mistaken esteem for any thing not deserving it And this is most necessary in order to Peace seeing such infirmities are natural to this low state even of Christians in this world Wherein they that are scrupulous must take heed of judging the wiser as disorderly irregular and almost prophane if they do not observe their Rites and the stronger ought as carefully to preserve themselves from despising the scrupulous as fond superstitionists because they can't neglect them So the Apostle discourses Rom. 14. Yet so that these somewhat otherwise minded be of the same mind and rule in the main else they can neither have peace in themselves nor yeild it to the higher Christians nor grow up to the stature of full ag'd men in Christ This also is to be added as observable that the case of the weakness of the first Chrâ—â—tians can never recur exactly for those Ceremonies being of Divine Institution had just claim to an awe upon Consciences not as yet clear in their repeal whereas all later Rites can pretend no higher than humane institution custome or venerable antiquity for the suspition of Apostolick Institution in their behalf and so adding Religion to them I look upon as much weaker and worse seeing we have no Authentick Records of such Institutions and in things of so dilute a goodness as Ceremonies must be there will not be a ballance to the opposite danger of leaning a Religious weight upon a broken Reed that both pierces and deceives But it may be said Is not the scrupulous forbearing the being scar'd and terrified at Ceremonies as great a weakness as being over anxious in their observation Does not the placing a point of Religion in an abhorrence of them and thinking ones self the better for not using them detract as much from minding this same thing and walking by the same Rule as the other side solicitude No doubt it does if we justly explain and limit in the case and therefore for the resolving this question I will observe the importance of this same Rule given us by the Apostle in another of his Epistles a place very parallel to the sense and much of the same expression with this to the Philippians the right explication of which will also much confirm the exposition given of this Rule seeing as I said they are both one and the same Rule and it is that we find Gal. 6. 14 15 16. God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature And as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Here is the Joy and Glory of Christianity in the Doctrine of Christ dying for sinners and bringing in that Divinest Religion upon it â—ere is a conformity to his Death by which all worldly sensual and fleshly Glory whether in fleshly Religion or fleshly Life which minister one to another is crucifyed to a Christian and he to it But most especially the Apostle levels here against a fleshly Religion observing the enemies of Christianity so active instead of a
to be as a Lamp despised he deserves great tenderness and compassion As I shall more fully have occasion to observe under the Second Head viz. Scandal about Indifferent things to which I now proceed And I am here to undertake a particular and distinct consideration of Scandal as it hath a most peculiar interest in those so famous Debates of the Apostle concerning indifferent things Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 10. when they can any way be suppos'd to relate to God in the Notions of Religion or have a presence how circumstantial soever in Divine Worship But before I enter upon this undertaking I must remove two Prejudices 1. It must be acknowledged Scandal in these cases hath been indeed made Trivial by some Mens injudicious Zeal and ignorant dealing with the Apostles Sense herein who having a crude Conception of Scandal from what he hath spoken of it as a most formidable Evil both in him that gives it or takes it have therefore called every thing Scandal that displeases them and mean nothing by being scandalised but that they have greatly disliked such or such things without any other hazard of falling into sin than what is to be feared from their indiscreet anger and too often over-passionate Inflammation whence hath risen this Scandal dangerous enough That many are ready to believe there is no such thing as Scandal in Indifferent Things except what unknowing Zeal in a ferment creates or at least have not taken into their thoughts this kind of true Scripture Scandal or entertained a just fear of running into it or ensnaring others in it But it will be evident to any one that duly weighs that the Apostle proceeds upon much deeper and more grave Considerations 2. On the other side the Fear of Scandal or scandalising hath been blown off by some upon this mistake That Men can be in no danger to be scandalised who keep far enough from being drawn by Example into any thing they dislike and are sufficiently angry at The Obstinacy of such they think is a sufficient Bar to them against Scandal and against any ones being guilty as an Author of Scandal to them how hardly soever they press upon them while they profess so loudly their Dissent they must not so much as name Scandal without the imputation of gross Ignorance But it is to be justly apprehended a man may be He by whom Scandal comes though it find no place in him against whom it comes as hath been already observed And further Though the Apostle hath in these two Instances fixed chiefly upon that sort of Scandal within which men are drawn by following Example against their inward Sentiments yet by a parity of Reason Scandal is to be suspected to have much larger compass even in things of Indifferency and lying farther off from mens doubtful complying in what they have Example or Command for than that such complyance should be the only measure of Scandal therein And even in those that do comply with freer minds there are more secret Paths and Tracks wherein Scandals are laid than they generally and openly make complaint of and that not only in regard of inward Doubts but upon other accounts also I shall therefore lay down these two Preparatories to make these Discourses of the Apostle more concerning to us 1. That we have great Reason to be assured they have their Foundation in the Denunciations of Woe by our Saviour upon the World because of Scandal upon him by whom Scandal comes by way of transcendency and his Admonition to all that Scandals must needs come For the same Divine Spirit of Truth descended from the Master upon the Minister and fram'd like Apprehensions in him when he spake afterward of the same point Nay we have Reason to believe the latter Discourse looks back upon the former because it was undoubtedly well known to Christians then and much more to the Apostle who besides that he had immediate Revelations most probably from the Lord even of those things that were written by the Evangelists gives proof he had a very peculiar care to know all He had spoken and a singular respect to it for he expresly quotes our Saviour in those immediate Revelations as in the Case of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 23. in what was written in the Evangelists as in the Case of Divorce 1 Cor. 7. 10. And lastly in what he had attained as well testified though not recorded as in that Acts 20. 35. Remembring the words of the Lord Jesus It is more blessed to give than to receive It is not therefore reasonable to suppose in such Discourses of Scandal as these he neglected so solemn a one as our Lords upon it The Little ones in the Evangelist and the Weak Brethren in the Apostle the Wo in the one and the Conscience in the other grieved wounded weak Christians stumbling falling perishing and being destroy'd are of near affinity in their sense And those even Abjurations of Occasions of Scandal It is good neither to eat Flesh nor drink Wine nor any thing whereby thy Brother Rom. 14. 21. stumbleth or is offended or is made weak If Meat make my Brother to offend I will eat no Flesh while the World standeth 1 Cor. 8. 13. lest I make my Brother to offend or scandalise my Brother These so solemn Renunciations of Scandal are not far off from our Saviours Wo upon him by whom Scandal cometh and that great Aphorism Happy is he that condemneth not himself Rom. 14. 22. in that thing which he alloweth is grounded upon that Scandals must needs come they force an Entry at every the least Advantage and therefore Happy is he that can preclude them 2. That seeing the Instances of Scandal the Apostle debates upon viz. the Jewish distinction of Meats and Eating things offered to Idols were of a narrow and particular Nature and of a daily decreasing Occurrence the Apostles so laborious and industrious handling them being preserv'd in Sacred Records and transmitted down to after Ages argues he or rather the Holy Spirit by him designed to remonstrate to the latest Posterity of Christians the great Play Scope and Force of Scandal in these Indifferencies and in all Cases wherein they may fall out to be Scandals though not after the Similitude of these the danger of scandalising or being scandalised Having thus far premis'd I come now close up to these Apostolick Debates themselves of which I shall make such a Platform with all possible brevity and conciseness as may comprehend the whole Doctrine of the Apostle upon these two Cases and then balance with it the whole Nature of Indifferents as they come into such an Account of Religion as I have before suppos'd The Platform I lay down in these Parts of it all drawn out of these Debates 1. The stating of the Nature of Indifferents in relation to God 2. The way how Scandal invades Indifferent things when come into such a Relation 3. The several ways of
every thing revealed in his Word But in things neither Commanded nor Forbidden if Conscience be apprehensive of danger any way this is the Honour and Dignity that God hath conferred upon Conscience as his immediate Vicegerent in the Soul and carrying his Authority by always presenting it in his Word and Command that a Man should suspend his Action wherein Conscience is not satisfied and at rest concerning the Goodness of the Action and this is the Honour which those that are above either in their Authority in the Church or the strength of their Understanding Gifts or Graces should bestow upon those that are below that they should not either by their Authority Influence or Example Scandalise the little ones or the weak that are so either in regard of their low Station or the weakness of their Gifts and Graces that is draw them into the Sin of doing any thing of which Conscience hath a mistrust of displeasing God in so doing in regard that it both weakens and disables Conscience in the discharge of that Trust reposed in it for the carrying on the Soul in a Christian Course its Authority being violated and prostrated in the reverence due to it and disturbs the Peace and Comfort it ought to Minister to the Soul in that Course For by this sort of Scandal the Apostle Witnesses the Weak Christian falls into Sin his Conscience is defiled is wounded is grieved is made weak All the mischief of which the value of indifferent things is not such as that it can answer and make recompense for and so to sin thus against the weak is to destroy them for whom Christ died and therefore to sin against Christ which is the reason of those weighty Discourses of our Saviour against Scandal Mark 18. and of the Apostle Rom. 4. and 1 Cor. c. 8. and cap. 10. which being compared give great light one to another Quest But it seems that a Conscience only in doubt might be setled by the Advice Example and Authority of those that are the Elders or Eminent Members of the Church for when Doubt supposes the Conscience inclining neither this way nor that way in it self but standing between both or sometimes moving to one side and then to the other the coming in of those Considerations taken from the Example and Authority forenamed should give an over-weight to that side on which they fall Answ Yet on purpose to shew the great Dignity of Conscience and its Government without which approving and directing accordingly even Obedience to the Divine Commands wants the just Complement of a Good Action and also to shew of how little moment in Christianity all things are not under a Divine Sanction the whole weight of the Apostles Discourse is hung upon a doubting Conscience a Conscience in doubt concerning things indifferent when urg'd either way Quest But are not all Sinnews of Government hereby cut and dissolv'd even of Civil Government for Conscience may be in relation to such Commands disatisfied Answ As Scripture every where supposes the whole Government in the Church of God to be confined within the Monarchy and Word of Christ and nothing to be Imposed or Forbidden but according to that so it doth every where disinterest the Church of Christ to judge or intermeddle in Civil Government or Things pertaining to it it supposes Civil Powers will oblige to and determine Indifferencies in Civil things this way or that way as they please and therein exercise a Lordship but Christ having declared it shall not be so among his Disciples does yet Command by himself and his Apostles all Obedience to these Principalities and Powers even thus Commanding if not against Gods Command directly so that in all such things the Doubting Conscience is only to be instructed in its Rule and Duty but can have no more Relief against Obedience to Civil Commands than it hath against Obedience to the Commands of God when it is mistaken about those Commands for such Obedience to Magistrates is Obedience to the Divine Command Quest There appears so near an Assinity in the Commands concerning Indifferent Things of those that have Rule in the Church with the Commands of those that have Civil Rule that the one may be a Measure for the other or wherein is the difference especially when they joyn in one in their Commands concerning these Indifferoncies Answ The Commands of Civil Authority concerning Indifferent Things in Religion deserves a particular consideration for which a proper place shall be reserv'd But that the Church is such a kind of Political Regiment that should set up for it self as one of the Polities of this World by Canons and Constitutions of its own not founded in the Word of God but introduced on other pretences and that if Christians do not Submit to them they should be accounted Schismaticks and Excommunicated as Heathens if they do not hear the Church that is thâ— Rulers of the Church thus Ordaining in their own Wisdom and all this by the Charter of the Keys or the Power of Binding or Loosing is as gross a Forgery as Popery hath any in this Point Indeed if there were such a state of things there were reason to believe the whole Church should by proper ways and means found out by Christ be modelled into one universal Uniformity of Government and Ceremony seeing the whole Church is but one and that the Romane supposing it had not so grossly contradicted the Laws of Christ might sooner pretend to be the Metropolis of it and the Bishop of Rome the Head of the Unity than any other it being the first Imperial City that was famous for Christianity But how little Uniformity is to Christ or his Kingdom in those things wherein he hath not interposed at all but left Christians free and intended they should be free appears in the Ununiform Unity of the History of the Evangelists concerning his Life Doctrine Death and Resurection To suppose therefore the Church to be in this manner Uniformed by the Prudence of its Governours is to turn it so far into a Civil State and the Bishops of it into Lay-Elders CAP. XIII Of the Anti-Church and its Opposition in every Thing to the True Church Quest IS there not an Anti-Church or Antichristian-Church that stands in Opposition to the True-Church Answ There is and hath been so for many Ages and that hath taken upon it in the most Publick way to be the Church of Christ the House of the Living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Quest With what Advantages hath it been arm'd thus to take upon it self at all the Name of a Church Answ It having risen out of the True Ancient Apostolick Church that received the True Christianity from the Apostles at Rome and the Faith of which as the Apostle Paul witnesses Rom. 1. 8. was spoken of throughout the World it hath retain'd the Scriptures and the Fundamentals of Christianity the Writings of the First Christians and Apostolical Men and so hath continued