them So hard is it euen for the most exercised Christian not to take knowledge of his owne Knowledge or doing so not to despise and neglect the infirmities of his lesse-knowing brother It was not then without good need that S. Paul should become a remembrancer to the strong in faith not to despise the weake And there is as good need the very strongest of vs all should remember it and take heed of despising euen the very weakest This Despising beeing hurtfull both to the strong and weake to the strong as a grieuous sinne and to the weake as a grieuous scandall Despising § 8. both for the sinnes sake first is a sinne in the strong Admit thy weake brother were of so shallow vnderstanding and iudgement that he might say in strictnes of truth what Agur said but in modestie and that with an Hyperbole too Prou. 30. that a Prou. 30. 2. surely hee were more brutish then any man and that hee had not in him the vnderstanding of a man yet the communitie of nature and the common condition of humanity should be sufficient to free him from thy contempt His body was formed out of the same dust his soule breathed into him by the same God as thine were and he is thy neighbour Let his weaknesse then be what it can be euen for that relation of neighbourhood as he is a man it is sinne in thee to despise him b Pro. 14. 21. Hee that despiseth his Neighbour sinneth Prou. 14. But that 's not all He is not onely thy Neighbour as a man but hee is thy Brother too as a Christian man He hath imbraced the Gospel he beleeueth in the Sonne of God hee is within the pale of the Church as well as thou though he be not so exquisitly seen in some higher mysteries nor so thorowly satisfied in some other points as thou art If it haue pleased God to endow thee with a larger portion of knowledge thou oughtest to consider first that thou art bound to bee so much the more thankefull to him that gaue it and then secondly that it is expected thou shouldest doe so much the more good with it and thirdly againe that thou art charged with so much the deeper account for it If the same God haue dealt these abilities with a more sparing hand to thy brother in despising his weakenesse what other thing doest thou then euen despise the good Spirit of God c Ioh. 3. 8. that bloweth where he listeth and d 1. Cor. 1â— 11. giueth to euery one as he listeth For though there be e 1. Cor. 12. 4. diuersities of gifts both for substance and degree yet it is the same Spirit 1. Cor. 12. And the contempt that is cast vpon the meanest Christian reboundeth vpwards againe and in the last resolution reflecteth euen vpon GOD himselfe f 1. Thes. 4. 8. and vpon his Christ. Hee that despiseth despiseth not man but GOD who hath giuen vnto vs his holy Spirit 1. Thes. 4. And g 1. Cor. 8. 12. when ye sinne so against the Brethren and wound their weake consciences yee sinne against Christ 1. Cor. 8. Thus you see Despising is hurtfull to the despiser § 9. and the Scandall as a sinne it is hurtfull also as a scandall to the despised And therefore our Sauiour in Math. 18. discoursing of a Math. 18. 6 c. not offending little ones anon varieth the word and speaketh of b Ibid. 10. not despising them as if despising were an especiall and principall kinde of offending or scandalizing And verily so it is especially to the Weake Nothing is more grieuous to Nature scarce death it selfe then for a man to see himselfe despised c Plaut in Cistel Act 4. Scen. 1. Ego illam anum irridere me vt sinam Satius est mihi quouis exitio interire could he say in the Comedy It is a thing that pierceth farre and sinketh deepe and striketh cold and lyeth heauy vpon the heart flesh bloud will digest any thing with better patience The great d Arist. lib. 2. Rhet. 2. cap. 2. where hee thus defineth Anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philosopher for this reason maketh Contempt the ground of all Discontent and sufficiently proueth it in the second of his Rhetoriques there being neuer any thing taken offensiuely but sub ratione contemptus nothing prouoking to Anger but what is either truely a contempt or at leastwise so apprehended VVee all know how tenderly euery one of vs would take it but to be neglected by others to haue no reckoning at all made of vs to bee so reputed as if wee were not or not worth the looking after e Vide opus Adag Megaâ—â—renses neque tertij neque quarti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracle said to the Megarenses And yet this is but the least degree of Contempt a f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist vbi supra priuatiue contempt onely How tenderly then may wee thinke a weake Christian would take it when to this priuatiue he should find added a g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Positiue contempt also when hee should see his person and his weakenesse not only not compassioned but euen taunted and flouted and derided and made a laughing stocke and a iesting theame when hee should see them striue to speake and doe such things in his sight and hearing as they know will be offensiue vnto him of very purpose to vexe and afflict and grieue his tender soule Certainly for a weake Christian newly conuerted to the Faith to bee thus despised it were inough without Gods singular h Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercy vpon vs for wee 〈◊〉 exceedingly filled with contempt Our soule is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud Psal. 123. 3 4. mercy and support to make him repent his late conuersion and reuolt from the Faith by fearefull and desperate Apostasie And hee that by such despising should thus offend though but i Math. 18. 6. 10. one of the least and weakest of those that beleeue in Christ a thousand times better had it been for him that he had neuer beene borne yea ten thousand times better that a Mill-stone had been hung about his necke and hee cast into the bottome of the Sea ere he had done it Despising is a grieuous Sinne in the despiser in the Strong and despising is a grieuous scandall to the despised to the Weake Let not therefore the Strong despise the Weake Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not And thâ—s much for the former branch of Saint Pauls aduice the other followeth Let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth Faults seldome goe single § 10. Despising and iudging compared but by couples at the least Sinfull men doe with sinfull prouocations as ball-players with the Ball. When the Ball is once vp they labour to keepe it vp
f Iob. 1. 5. suspicious of his sonnes for sinning and cursing God in their hearts But the iudgement here elsewhere condemned is either first when in our priuate thoughts or speeches vpon slender presumptions wee rashly pronounce men as guilty of committing such or such sinnes without sufficient euidence either of fact or pregnant signes that they haue committed them Or secondly when vpon some actions g Aperta non ita reprehendamus vt de sanitaâ—e desperemus Gloss Ordin in Rom. 14. 13. Non quicquid reprehendendum etiam damnandum est Sen. l. 6. de benef cap. 39. vndoubtedly sinfull as blasphemy adultery periury c. we too seuerely censure the Persons either for the future as Reprobates and Castawales and such as shall bee certainely damned or at leastwise for the present as Hypocrites and vnsanctified and prophane and such as are in the state of damnation not considering into what fearefull sinnes it may please God to suffer not onely his h As Paul Mary Magdalene c. chosen ones before Calling but euen his i As Dauid Peter c. holy ones too after Calling sometimes to fall for ends most times vnknown to vs but euer iust and gracious in him Or thirdly when for want either of charitie or knowledge as in the present case of this Chapter we interpret things for the worst to our brethren and condemne them of sinne for such actions as are not directly and in themselues necessarily sinfull but may with due circumstances be performed with a good conscience and without sinne Now all iudging and condemning of our brethren in any of these kindes is sinfull and damnable and that in very many respects especially these foure which may serue as so many weighty reasons why wee ought not to iudge one another The Vsurpation the Rashnesse the Vncharitablenesse and the scandall of it First § 13. 1. Vnlawful it is an Vsurpation Hee that is of right to iudge must haue calling and commission for it a Exod. 2. 14. Quis constituit te sharpely replyed vpon Moses Exod. 2. Who made thee a Iudge and b Luk. 12. 14. Quis constituit me reasonably alledged by our Sauiour Luk. 12. Who made me a Iudge Thou takest too much vpon thee then thou sonne of man whosoeuer thou art that iudgest thus saucily to thrust thy selfe into Gods seate and to c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysoft in Gen. hom 42. inuade his Throne Remember thy selfe wel and learne to know thine owne ranke Quis tu d Iam. 4. 12. Who art thou that iudgest another Iam. 4. or Who art thou that iudgest anothers seruant in the next following verse to my Text. As if the Apostle had said What art thou or what hast thou to do to iudge him that e Rom. 14. 4. standeth or falleth to his owne Master Thou art his fellow-seruant not his Lord. He hath another Lord that can and will iudge him who is thy Lord too and can and will iudge thee for so he argueth anon at vers 10. Why doest thou iudge thy brother We shall all stand before the Iudgement-feat of Christ. God hath reserued f Mâ—li operis vindictam Bâ—ni gloriam vtriusque Iudicium three Prerogatiues royall to himselfe g Isa. 47. 8. Vengeance h Deu. 32. 35 Rom 12. 19. Glory and i Rom. 14. 4. 10 Iam. 4. 11. 12. Iudgement As it is not safe for vs then to encroach vpon k Tres hominuÌ„ species maximam Deo faciunt iniuriam Superbi qui auferunt ei Gloriam Iracundi qui Vindictam Rigidi qui Iudicium Gods royalties in either of the other two Glory or Vengeance so neither in this of Iudgement Dominus iudicabit l Heb. 10. 30. The Lord himselfe will iudge his people Heb. 10. It is flat vsurpation in vs to iudge and therefore wee must not iudge Secondly § 14. 11. Rash. it is Rashnesse in vs. A Iudge must a Et nunc Reges intelligite erudimini qui iudicatis terram Psalm 2. 10. Stiudicas cognosce Sen. in Med. Act. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phocylid vnderstand the truth both for matter of b Et Formam Causam Normam secundùm quam Causam de quâ statuendum Ad Factum haec pertinet illa ad Ius ad illam Peritiâ opus est ad hanc Prudentiâ Fact and for point of Law and he must be sure he is in the right for both before he proceed to sentence or else he will giue rash iudgement How then dare any of vs vndertake to sit as Iudges vpon other mens consciences wherewith wee are so little acquainted that we are indeed but too much vnacquainted with our owne We are not able to search the depth of our owne c Ier. 17. 9. I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not hereby iustified but he that iudgeth me is the Lord 1. Cor. 4. 4. If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things 1. Ioh. 3. 21. Latet me sacultas mea quae in me est vt animus meus de viribus suis ipse se interrogans non facilè sibi credendum existiment quia quod inest plerunque occultum est Aug. lib. 10. Confes. cap. 32. wicked and deceitfull hearts and to ransacke throughly the many secret windings and turnings therein how much lesse then are we able to fadome the bottomes of other mens hearts with any certaintie to pronounce of them either good or euill Wee must then leaue the iudgement of other mens spirits and hearts and reines to him that is d Heb. 12. 9. the Father of spirits and alone e Psalm 7. 9 26. 2 Ier. 11. 20 17. 10 20. 12 Reu. 2. 23. searcheth the hearts and reines before whose eyes all things are f Heb. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word is most Emphaticall Heb. 4. Wherefore our Apostles precept elsewhere is good to this purpose 1. Cor. 4. g 1. Cor. 4. 5. Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts Vnlesse â—e be able to bring these hidden things to light and to make manifest these counsels it is h Temeritas est damnaâ—e quod nescias Sen. in Epist. rashnes in vs to iudge and therefore we must not iudge Thirdly § 15. III. Vncharitable this iudging is vncharitable Charity is not easily suspicious but vpon iust cause much lesse then censorious and peremptorie Indeede when we are to iudge of a In rerum iuditio debet aliquis niti ad hoc vt interpretetur vnuÌ„ quodque secundum quod est in iudicio autem personarum vt interpretetur in melius Aquin 2 a secundae qu 60. art 4. ad 3. and he giueth substantiall reason for it ibi in resp ad 2. Things it is
bond the bond of Gods Law which to f Sinne is the transgression of the Law 1. Ioh. 3 4. transgresse is a sinne and the bond of particular conscience which also to g Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne Rom. 14. 23. Omne quod fit contra consciâ—â—tiam aedificat ad gehennam c. 28. q. 1. Omnes §. Ex his transgresse is a sinne Whereupon there seemeth to follow an ineuitable necessitie of sinning when Gods Law requireth one thing and particular conscience dictateth thâ— flat contrary For in such a case a man must either obey Gods Law and so sinne against his owne conscience or obey his owne conscience and so sinne against Gods Law But neither in this case is there any Perplexitie at all in the things themselues that which there is is through the default of the man onely whose iudgement being erroneous mis-leadeth his conscience and so casteth him vpon a necessitie of sinning But yet the necessitie is no simple and absolute and vnauoidable and perpetuall necessitie for it is onely a necessitie ex hypothesi and for a time and continueth but stante tali errore And still there is a way out betwixt those sinnes and that without a third and that way is depâ—nere erroneam conscientiam He must rectifie his iudgement and reforme the errour of his Conscience and then all is well There is no perplexitie no necessitie no obligation no expediencie which should either enforce or perswade vs to any sinne The resolution is damnable Let vs doe euill that good may come I must take leaue § 27. The Rule applyed in two instances before I passe from this point to make two instances and to measure out from the Rule of my Text an answere to them both They are such as I would desire you of this place to take due and speciall consideration of I desire to deale plainely and I hope it shall bee by Gods blessing vpon it effectually for your good and the Churches peace One instance shall bee in a sinne of Commission the other in a sinne of Omission The sinne of Commission wherein I would instance §. 28. The former instance is indeed a sinne beyond Commission it is the vsurping of the Magistrates Office without a Commission The Question is whether the zealous intention of a good end may not warrant it good or at least excuse it from being euill and a sinne I need not frame a Case for the illustration of this instance the inconsiderate forwardnes of some hath made it to my hand You may reade it in the disfigured windowes and wals of this Church Pictures and Statua's and Images and for their sakes the windowes and walles wherein they stood haue been heretofore and of late pulled down and broken in pieces and defaced without the Command or so much as leaue of those who haue power to reforme things amisse in that kinde Charitie bindeth vs to thinke the best of those that haue done it that is that they did it out of a forward though mis-gouerned zeale intending therein Gods glory in the farther suppression of Idolatry by taking away these as they supposed likely occasions of it Now in such a case as this the Question is whether the intention of such an end can iustifie such a deed And the fact of a Numb 2â— 7 8. Phinehes Numb 25. who for a much like end for the staying of the people from Idolatry executed vengeance vpon Zâ—mri Cosbi beeing but a priuate man and no Magistrate seemeth to make for it § 29. Reserued from the rule of my Text. But my Text ruleth it otherwise If it bee euill it is not to bee done no not for the preuenting of Idolatry I passe by some considerations otherwise of good moment as namely first whether Statua's and Pictures may not be permitted in Christian Churches for the adorning of Gods House and for ciuill and historicall vses not onely lawfully and decently but euen profitably I must confesse I neuer yet heard substantiall reason giuen why they might not And secondly whether things either in their first erection or by succeeding abuse superstitious may not be profitably continued if the Superstition be abolished Otherwise not Pictures onely and Crosses and Images but most of our Hospitals and Schooles and Colledges and Churches too must downe and so the hatred of Idolatry should but Vsher in licentious Sacriledge contrary to that passage of our Apostle in the next Chapter before this a Rom. 2. 22. Thou that abhorrest Idols committest thou Sacriledge And thirdly whether these forward ones haue not bewrayed somewhat their owne selfe guiltinesse in this Act at least for the manner of it in doing it secretly and in the darke A man should not dare to doe that which he would not willingly either bee seene when it is a doing or our owne being done To passe by these consider no more but this one thing onely into what dangerous and vnsufferable absurdities a man might runne if hee should but follow these mens grounds Erranti nullus terminus Errour knoweth no stay and a false Principle once receiued multiplyeth into a b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. l. 1. Phys. â—ec 22. thousand absurd conclusions It is good for men to goe vpon sure grounds else they may runne and wander in infinit A little errour at the first if there bee way giuen to it will increase beyond beliefe as a small sparke may fire a large Citie a c â— King 18. 44 45. cloud no bigger then a mans hand in short space ouerspread the face of the whole Heauens For grant for the suppression of Idolatry in case the Magistrate will not doe his office that it is lawfull for a priuate man to take vpon him to reforme what he thinketh amisse and to doe the part and Office of a Magistrate which must needs haue bin their ground if they had any for this action there can be no sufficient cause giuen why by the same reason and vpon the same grounds a priuate man may not take vpoÌ„ him to establish Lawes raise Powers administer Iustice execute malefactors or do any other thing the Magistrate should do in case the Magistrate slack to doe his duty in any of the premises Which if it were once granted as granted it must bee if these mens fact bee iustifyable euery wise man seeth the end could bee no other but vast Anarchy and confusion both in Church and Common-weale wherupon must vnauoidably follow the speedy subuersion both of Religion and State If things be amisse and the Magistrate helpe it not priuate men may lament it and as occasion serueth and their condition and calling permitteth soberly and discreetly put the Magistrate in minde of it But they may not make themselues Magistrates § 30. The example of Phinehes examined to reforme it And as to the act of Phinehes though I rather thinke he did yet what if he did not well in so doing It is