and foolish opinion and imaginatiō of Idolaters therfore the Idol nor the foolish cōceit that Idolaters had of their idols could not let the faythfull frō vsing the good creatures of God but the ignorant which among the christians vnderstood not that point so well as others And therefore it seemed to them they could not vse any thing that had beene dedicated to Idols but they shoulde testifie they did some reuerence to the Idols and serue them wherefore they made conscience therof did eate of that flesh in doubt by reason of their ignorance This doubt ignorance is the infirmitie which S. Paule speaketh of in this place but whē these ignorāt saw others eate of the flesh they were mooued by their exāple to eate therof as well as they with this doubt scruple of cōscience wherin they offēded God for seeing they doubted there was no faith but there was contēpt of God seeing they did it against their conscience what ignorāce soeuer there were And therfore S. Paule reproueth them that were the cause thereof Moreouer wherefore did S. Paule reprooue Sect. S. Peter in Antioch before all that were present for that he dissembled to eate flesh with the Gentiles when he saw the Iewes enter which came from Hierusalem to eate flesh and not to eate is a thing indifferent and therfore S. Peter made it no conscience to eate fleshe with the Gentiles but fearing to offend the Iewes which were weake and which vnderstood not yet that libertie he withdrew him selfe from the table seeming not to eate wherfore S. Paule reproued him openly although S. Peter did the same to a good intent and for feare to offend for in thinking to auoyd the offending of the Iewes he offended the Gentiles with an offence much more dangerous for insteede of withdrawing the Iewes from their Iudaisme he enduced the gentiles to play the Iewes by his example and troubled their conscience Then let vs consider if the holye Apostle Sect. coulde not allowe in these things indifferent that the faithfull should vse their libertie with good conscience as touching them selues if therby they haue giuen any cause of offence to the weake to confirme them in any superstition or to stirre them vp to doe any thing against their conscience howe he would permit that those which went them selues to be of the faithfull should offend God and their neighboure in thinges which are not indifferent but altogether contrarie to the commandement of God and much more execrable then one would thinke as he manifestly sheweth for he hath rather forbidden in his Law Idolatrie and the honour and reuerence which is done to Images then he hath done murder and adulterie Then if Saint Paule hath reprooued and Sect. condēned the Corinthians who by their knowledge and example in abusing their libertie licenciously haue giuen occasion to the ignorāt to eate flesh sacrificed vnto Idols with scruple and doubt of conscience what would he say of those which giue not onely occasion to others to honour and reuerence Idols against their conscience but doe leade them to doe so both by their doctrine and example For to eate fleshe then offred to Idoles as if one shoulde eate other fleshe without hauing other opinion of Idols then the faythfull haue was not sinne in it selfe to him that vsed it in that sort but it was sinne to the ignorant and weake christians which vnderstood not as yet their libertie who did eate thereof not to such intent as Idolaters which did eate thereof for honour to their idols but did eat therof with scruple of of conscience fearing thereby to offende God There was then no sin in the vsage of the thing as in it selfe but that themselues brought therto by their ignorance and the doubt in conscience they did put therin for seeing they thought that fleshe and meate vncleane and defiled although of it selfe it were pure and cleane to the faithfull which accounted it so yet to them was it polluted and vncleane for it was not purified to them by the word of God without the which euerie thing is vncleane to vs seeing they were not yet well assured thereby that they might eate therof without offending God seeing that assurance did fayle them which they could not haue but by the word of God it followeth that that they did was not done in fayth and cōsequently that it was sinne for what soeuer is done without fayth is sinne and what soeuer is done without stedfast assurance of the woorde of GOD with doubt of conscience is done without fayth wherefore following the doctrine of S. Paule wee cannot deny but that is sinne for the faythfull ought to doe nothing nor take any thing in hande whereof he is not playnly resolued and assured by the word of God otherwise he sinneth and therefore those whiche knowing the libertie they hadde to eate of that flesh fleshe were cause by their example that the others did eate thereof with that doubt they had therein they were cause that these sinned in that they which had the knowledge of their libertie had not sinned if that they had not in that point beene an offence to the others that is if they had not emboldened them to eate against their conscience of that meate whereof they stood in doubt but those that doe encourage others to communicate with Idolaters they doe much worse without comparison for that Idolatrie whiche they commit cannot be accounted as a thing indifferent neither to them that haue knowledg nor to the ignorant neither do I thinke that a man who hath the knowledge of the gospel how little so euer it be can communicate there without scruple of consciēce those thē which induce them thither are they not offensiue to them And if these outward adorations and hypocrisies Sect. were indifferent and lawfull for Christians to vse the children of the hebrewes and Daniell also had bene very rashe and obstinate Fooles yf to saue their lyues they woulde not haue fayned to obeye the kinges commaundemente as others did to alleadge against this that wee are then bound to confesse Iesus Christ manifestly when we are required or constrained to deny him or confesse him by some euident signe as they were constrained but that otherwise we may dissemble the matter especially when we are not knowen nor marked therein I knowe not what sure foundation these reasons may haue If we be bound to confesse Iesus Christ being in danger of life I cannot vnderstande how it can be lawfull for vs to deny him beeing farre from danger But how can it be lawfull for vs to offend Sect. the faythfull and to nourish and establish the faithfull in the errour of idolatrie for feare of troubling and offending the infidels whome we cannot in better sorte offend then in cherishing and confirming them in their superstitions and abuses It seemeth to mee that this feare of offending is like to the charitie of some Anabaptistes which
rather to dye thē to breake his cōmandement violate the fayth loyaltie which thou haddest promised to thy husband As for that which some alleadg also concerning offence Such disputers shew wel that Sect. they vnderstād not or wil not vnderstād what an offence signifieth For after that maner that they would auoyde offence they declare that they vnderstand by offence the disfauour that one may haue of men for that he doth and the displeasure they may haue thereby but if wee marke well in what sence the name of offence is taken in the holy scriptures we shall finde it signifieth nothing els but all hinderance that we may giue to our brother by our euill example to make him stumble and wander out of the right way of saluation or that we may take of others for if we will take all that for offence which men wil be displeased at wee can neuer serue God as we ought to do For as S. Paul saith If we shoulde please men we coulde not Gala. 1. be the seruāts of God The offence then which we ought to feare it is all let that we may put either to our saluation or to the saluation of our brother If thē I enter into the brothel house Mat. 18. with whoremongers fearing to offend them commit wickednes amongst them I giue two offēces in steede of auoyding one First in that by my dissimulation or agreement I allowe iniquitie and in allowing it yeeld my selfe pertaker therof faultie for those sinne not only which commit a wicked act but those which in any sort consent therto allow it and after the fort such a one is an offence to himselfe whereby he sheweth not to haue well vnderstood cōsidered that which Iesus Christ saith If thy eye thy hand or thy foote offend thee that is to Mat. 5. say If there be any thing which hindereth thy saluatiō seeing it ought to be as deare as precious and necessarie as thine eyes thy hand or thy feet cut pul away al that loose it rather then wholy to perish Further he is offēce to the wicked whom he doth more confirme in their iniquitie for insteede of reprehending of thē to drawe thē out of the same they defend thēselues by him by him take occasiō to approoue it Thirdly he offendeth the faythfull chiefly the weake for whē they see him in the brothel house with Idolaters although his heart be farre otherwise thē he sheweth himself outwardly yet they that see him cōsider his outward works they are troubled therwith in conscience and are led by his example eyther to doe the like thinking that to be wel done or to accoūt him for a wicked person and so they cannot but but to be offended eyther one way or other for a man cannot iudge of my heart according to my fancie but he will iudge thereof according to his owne and according to the testimonie I giue him by my workes And whatsoeuer I thinke I cannot binde my neyghboure to my thought and cannot enforce him to iudge otherwise then he seeth And to thinke me a sheepe when hee seeth mee clothed in a Wolfes skinne For this cause S. Paule admonisheth vs Sect. 8. Thes ◠that we should not onely keepe our selues frō euill but from all shew and appearance of euil Also for that cause he reproued the Corinthians who did eate flesh offred vnto Idols although the thing were indifferent of it selfe and of it selfe was not euill as is Idolatrie which in no sort can be good for we cannot commit it but we must deny Iesus Christ S. Paule reprooued not the Corinthians for hauing sacrificed in the Idol temples with Idolaters for that was to intollerable for a Christian but he reprooueth them onely for that they bought in the shambles and did eate at the tables of Idolaters the fleshe that had beene offred to Idols It is almost as if now we should buy the candles of that good Saint not to offer them vp to Idols but to light vs as if wee shoulde light our selues by others or as if wee shoulde buy bread hallowed by the Priestes or of their hallowed candles to serue our turne in the house like others without any superstition or as if we should go banket at a frier house prepared for the honour of some Saint with the other friers yet not doe it for any deuotion we bare to the Saint the Corinthians did it not for deuotion nor for any confidence they had in the Idols nor yet to make the Idolaters beleeue that they did any thing honour or reuerence them that they might the better be amongst them they did not that for anye religion nor as a Diuine seruice but they did it to serue their necessities of their bodies and as a ciuile thing wherefore as touching them selues and their owne conscience they sinned not before God nor agaynst the first table yf there were no other respect but to them only but because their worke became offēce to their neighbours they sinned against their neighboure against the second table by consequent against the first table against Iesus Christ against God who will that we should serue to his glorie to the charitie of our neighboure which is ioyned therewith These then offended not God in vsing their christian libertie knowinge that that fleshe did not differ from the other seeing they nothing esteemed the Idole But they offended him in that they abused this libertie to the offence of the simple the ignorant and the weake whom they enforced to do thinges contrarie to their conscience for amonge the Christians which were at Corinthus there were some of them more ignorant then others And therefore they were not all yet well resolued in the matter of Christian libertie for there were which made conscience to eate fleshe that had bene offered to Idols because they had learned by the Gospell that Idoles and the seruice to Idols was forbidden of God and it seemed vnto them that since the seruice of Idoles was so displeasing to God then they might in no wise vse that which was once consecrated to Idols It was the like case as if nowe wee shoulde make consciēce to vse the goods of the church and other things which were dedicated by our Ancestours to Idols and their temples for although idols displease God it followeth not therfore that I cannot applie to better vse that which the ignorant and Idolaters haue abused about Idols and therefore those whiche had more vnderstanding of christian libertie amōg the Corinthians made no conscience to vse those things which were offered vnto Idols for they did it not for honour to the Idols nor for any opinion they had in the Idols for they knewe well that the Idole was nothing but in the imagination of him that thought it somwhat wherefore the Idole was nothing to thē which had this vnderstanding were deliuered from the errours
opinion and suspition of her which might redound to the dishonesting and defaming as well of her as of her husband Ought we not to content our selues to haue Sect. liued so long beue conuersant in the brothel house of Sathan and to haue continued in our fornications and adulteries but that wee must returne thither againe euery day and euery houre as though of set purpose wee had determined to prouoke the Lord to ielousie to anger making our members seruantes to all filthinesse vncleannesse idolatrie and superstition how is it possible that we should acknowledge the great grace and mercie that God hath bestowed on vs in withdrawing vs out of this sincke ful of blasphemies and abhominations in steede of reiecting vs and casting vs of as an Adulteresse which hath violated and brokeÌ„ her fayth to her husband and that we make so light account to be conuersant alwayes with our olde companions and to serue them with so great dishonour to our true Spouse Iesus Christ Wherefore I greatly maruaile that suche kinde of spirits are to be found amongest those Sect. which will haue the names to follow the gospell and to be counted of the number of Disciples of Christ Iesus which dare yet mainteine that the faithfull and those to whome God hath reuealed the truth of his Gospel may communicate with idolaters and superstitious persons in their idolatries and superstitions and be partaker of the tables of Diuels whervnto we cannot approch without ouerthrowing the table of Christ Iesus I tremble when I heart that such speeches passe from the mouthes of those which boast themselues of the Gospell and so much the more for that so boldlie they dare giue that councell to others for their opinions are so farre contrarie to truth and so strange to any good Christian heart that it were better such men had neuer heard speake of Christ Iesus nor his religion I knowe not what Gospel or Scripture Sect. they haue studied nor howe they dare so openly gainsay the spirit of God which pronounceth so plainely that there is no agreement 2. 10. 6. Ephe. 6. with light and darknes with Christ and belial with the temple of God and the temple of Idoles To what end exhorteth he the faythfull There is no agreement betweene Christ Beliall by his holy Apostle not to cary draw that yoke among Infidels and not to communicate any kinde of way with the vnfruitfull woorkes of darkenesse but commandeth rather to reproue and condemne them I know wel from what schoole this diuinitie proceedeth not from the schoole of the spirit of God from the schoole of the fleshe which liketh not well to come out of Egypt and to renouÌ„ce the pleasures and delightes thereof therefore it seeketh coulor in the holy scriptures to cloake and couer her infirmitie because it dare not openly gainesaye the word of God whereby it is ouercome I haue heard and examined some reasons Sect. and arguments whereby those whome suche doctrine pleaseth goe about to confirme and approue it but they are too friuolous weake and sufficiently ouerthrowe themselues if one behold them narrowly I know well that such Delicate ChristiaÌ„s reasons are forged in some mens braine flat contrary to Moses for they delight too muche in Pharaos court which it grieueth them muche to forsake to bee conuersant in the desert with the people of God They haue not yet learned to preferre with Moses the approbries pouerties and miseries nor the nayles and thornes of Iesus Christ before the temporal Iewels treasures and delightes of Egypt they are constrained by vertue of the trueth to acknowledge that the superstition and idolatrie wherein they haue liued is damnable wherefore they are forced and constrained in conscience to condeÌ„ne it which willingly they do when they may without danger but because they will suffer nothing for trueth yet they dare not condemne it nor reiect it but will bee counted amongest the faithful for good men for fauourers and defendours therof not for blasphemers and persecutors they trauaile as much as they may to finde some cloke in the woorde of GOD to couer and hide their to great infirmitie of their fayth and the fornications which the fleshe committeth euery day with strange Gods Such poore blinde soules should doe much Sect. better to acknowledge and confesse their miserie and incredulity desiring pardon and mercie of God whom they offend then to defende and flatter them selues in it they ought to content theÌ„selues to offeÌ„d God many other waies not to abuse in such sort the holy scriptures nor blaspheme the holy Ghost in corrupting them and wresting them to make them serue their own affection to builde therby entertain establish idolatrie and iniquitie which ought by them wholy to be beaten downe and destroyed It is easie to be perceiued that such Christians haue neuer yet truely vnderstood the grounds rudiments and principles of the Christians religion for they will be the disciples of Christ Iesus without renouncing themselues and without carrying their crosse after him which is impossible For the maister hath 〈◊〉 the scholer is not aboue his maister nor 〈◊〉 â—â—â—uant Mat. 10. Iohn 13. Luk. 14. aboue his Lord it ought to suffice 〈◊〉 â—â—sciples and seruants to be as their maâ—â—er is And therefore he that will bee my scholer hee muste renounce him selfe carry his crosse euery day vpon his shoulders and followe mee he that hateth not that is as he expoundeth it in another place he that loueth his father or mother Mat. 1â— 16. brethren sisters or wife or children or house and possessions more then me he is not worthie to be with me nor to bee my disciple Wherfore it were much better for these Doctours to learne then to teach they ought rather to pray to God that he would strengthen them to confesse and sanctifie his holy name theÌ„ to take such boldnes vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to deny him to endeuour to draw others into the like errour We see by expertence the fruite that commeth Sect. out of this pernitious doctrine and into what pit it draweth them at length which therby will paynt themselues a Christ after their owne fantasie farre contrary vnto him that said vnto such a Disciple as they woulde bee The foxes haue holes and the birdes of heauen their nestes But the Sonne of man hath not Mat. 9. whereon to lay his heade But these men will haue castles and pallaces and will liue in the courtes of princes And because such thinke it too sharpe to rub and eate the eares of corne with Iesus Christ as his Disciples did and desire to finde the taâ—â—e layd they make no great conscience to bow the knee to Baall and after that once they haue accustomed themselues to that they take no heede but that by little and litle the knowledge of god which they had receaued and that litle measure of fayth whiche