right to exact these things of him neither can hee have action against him for not performing of them as our lawfull superiours have for our due obedience Thus they Hence then may we shape an answer unto that same frequent clamour of some tumultuous spirits that our conformity forsooth is wondrous offensive to many of our weake brethren First suppose it be so better they without thy fault bee offended scandalized at thee than that the Magistrate be with thy fault disobeyed by thee It is no safe course to provide for the peace of thy brothers conscience by wounding thine owne with the sinne of disobedience against authority to which for conscience sake thou art to yeeld subjection wee must not to comply with mens humours resist the Ordinance of God despise the voice of the Church rather than a weake brother should be offended scandalized wee may and sometimes must part with our owne right but we ought not to rob the Church of hers by bereaving her of her power by denying her our obedience Nay farther I confesse that rather than a weake brother should be scandalized wee may pro Hic Nunc in some particular times places pretermit what superiours prescribe provided they take no distast thereat and others by our example bee not encouraged to contemne their persons callings coÌ„mands for so a greater more pernicious scandall will be incurr'd thaÌ„ was declin'd But we are not upon occurrence of any scandall whatsoever taken by whomsoever either absolutely to deny and utterly refuse obedience to the lawfull in junctions of our publike governours whether temporall or ecclesiasticall or so much as contemptuously and scandalously for a while omit the practice of what they injoyne And omission of what they require is than contemptuous when they peremptorily urge the practice of it than scandalous when it hartens others to a contempt of their authority To grant any of these lawfull what were it alasse but to license confusion both in Church and common-wealth Secondly I demand whether or no the offence given to or taken by a Magistrate who is a brother and withall a Magistrate be not greater than that which is given to or taken by one who is onely a brother An impartiall judge will soone determine that the double relation of brother and magistrate weigheth downe the single and naked relation of a brother Howsoever I am sure that the whole exceeds the parts severally considered the relation of mother exacts more at our hands than that of brother and therefore in warding a blow from my brother I am to take care that thereby the same stroake light not upon the head of my mother the Church Whereupon as Paul exhorts to give none offence neither to Jew nor Gentile so he addes in a farther specialtie more to the Church of God 1. Cor. 10.37 Bâ—shop Morton The Jewes and Gentiles were but parts the Church of God the whole they but brethren shee the mother * Si nefas sit vel pusillum qué piam Scandalizare praestiterit alligata colla mola asinaria demergi quempiam in profundum maris quam scandalâ—zare unum ex pusillis Christianâ—s quam est horrendum flagitium quam atroci supplâ—câ—o vindicandum scandalizare â—os quorum unâ—us â—ffensio â—agis perâ—culoâ—a quam alâ—orum mulâ—â—rum c. Forbesius Irenic pag. 40â— If then it were better to bee throwne into the bottome of the sea with a mill-stone about ones necke than to offend a little one a poore and illiterate artizan what expression shall wee then finde answerable to the haynousnesse of a scandall given to a pious magistrate to a religious Prince to a Parliament and Convocation to a whole Church and Common wealth But suppose the action indifferent not annexed to a necessary duty wee also left to the use of our libertie what then Two things are here especially to be considered 1. The quality of the actioÌ„ excepted at 2. The difference of times and places To beginne with the first The action so quarell'd at by thy brother is either of none or great importance to thee If it be none importance as affording thee either none or but small pleasure and profit offend not thy brother by an unseasonable exercise of thy liberty Know that as authoritie so charity should also restraine it consider that by this undue use of thy libertie thou sinnest against thy brother and by sinning against him thou sinnest against Christ 1. Cor. 8.12 But now if it be of some weight and moment as yeelding thee some great profit and pleasure why thou must a while forbeare it untill thy brother may bee better inform'd and to informe him that the action is lawfull which offends him thou must take care too otherwise thou wilt prejudice the truth through thy regardlesse silence as also continue his weaknesse and foment in him a negative superstition Let every one of us saith the Apostle Rom. 15.2 please his neighbour for his good unto edification And for a man to humour his neighbour in an erroneous and superstitious opinion however it may please him yet not for his good unto aedification Upon which ground I take it that the Apostle Paul as hee refus'd maintenance at Corinth to avoid appearance of a covetous intention and mercenary affection in preaching so also his just title and unquestionable right thereunto hee at large both professeth and proveth But now if thy brother refuse and contemne information Tunc desinit esse scandalum pusilli ex infirmitate aut simplici ignorantia incipit esse scandalum Pharisaei ex pura malitia aut ignorantia affectata crassa The shelter of weakenesse is thereby taken from him his judgement being now overshadowed no longer with a meere weakenesse arising out of simple ignorance but with a proud wayward if not envious malitious perversnesse that is accompanied with a grosse wilfull and affected ignorance He is no longer then to be accounted a weake one but a proud and wilfull one and for his peevishnesse thou maist choose whether thou wilt forgoe thy liberty However yet information doth not alwayes alter the nature of scandall For the scandall of the weake as * Vbâ—dicitur articulo 7. de scandalo pusillorum si autem post redditam rationem hujusmodi scandalum duret jam videtur ex malâ—tia esse adverto quod author non assertivo verbo utitur sed opinativo dicâ—ndo jam videtur ex malitia esse potest siquidem contâ—ngere quod â—usillâ— non sâ—nâ— capaces rationis reddâ—ta vel propter prâ—stinam consuâ—tudinem qua facit apparere dissonum quod veritati consonat vel propter rationem apud cos magis appâ—rentem vel aliquâ—d hâ—jâ—smodiâ— tunc quia malâ—tia non facit scandalum sed â—gnorantia vel â—nfirmâ—tâ—â— quam vis reddita sit ratio cessandum est ab hujusmodi spirâ—tualibus non necessariis Cajetan in 2.2 â— 43 c. Cajetan and after him Petrus de Lorica
ready to object that this doctrine is prejudiciall to our Christian libertie for that reacheth to the use of all things that are of an indifferent nature and such are these actions charged with the appearance of evill and therefore if ye streighten us in the use of them you injuriously deprive us of that liberty which wee have in Christ Jesus unto the use of all indifferent things Unto this two things are to be answered First those facts that beare shew of evill however they bee in Thesi in their generall nature indifferent doe yet in in cas◠and in Hypothesi become to be accidentally evill because done against conscience when they appeare to be evill unto our selves against charity when they appeare to bee evill unto others Zuarez expresseth this though somewhat obscurely yet more fully An action saith he only evill in appearance transgresseth some vertue not prima per se primò but onely ex consequenti connexione virtutum by reason of the mutuall connexion commerce of one vertue with and dependance upon another Advertendum est inquit dupliciter contra aliquam virtutem peccari uno modo per se primo quia directè agitur contra objectum ejus vel circumstantias illi ex se debitas hoc modo actio solum mala in apparentia nullam virtutem offendit Alio modo peccari potest ex consequenti connexione virtutum Nam ut dictum est 1.2 ae quia actus virtutum sunt undique boni quando hic nunc actus alicujus virtutis potest esse contrarius alteri virtuti quamvis in objecto suo vel circūstantiis quasi intrinsecis non habeat defectum non potest prudenter fieri Atque adeo neque est actus virtutis simpliciter ideò participat malitiam contrariā utrique virtuti sed alteram per se alteram quasi per accidens consequenter Sic etiam propria malitia scandali ferè semper fundatur in alia malitia tamen ex consequenti per accidens semper habet aliquo modo illam conjunctā ex defectu circumstantiae debitae saltem propter aliam virtutem propter quam non laedendam prudenter cessandum esset ab opere hic nunc habente speciem mali quamvis ex se esset aliàs honestum Zuarez de triplici virtute Theologica tract de charitate Secondly although our Christian liberty extendeth to the use of all things indifferent yet ought wee in godly wisdome and discretion to abridge our selves of the outward exercise of this our liberty whensoever 't is very probable that it will become dāgerous to our selves or scandalous to others Ye have beene called unto liberty onely use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Gal. 5.13 As free and not using your liberty for a cloake of maliciousnesse the 1 Pet. 2.16 Now wee use or rather abuse our liberty for an occasion to the flesh for a cloake of maliciousnesse by practising such indifferences as have shew of evill for they as you have heard at large are likely to prove as occasions of sinne unto our selves so also active scandals to misguide our brethren and therefore though they be not absolutely and simply in their nature unlawfull to bee done yet they are by accident unlawfull for mee to doe as long as they carry shew of evill All things indeed are pure saith the Apostle but it is evill for that man who eateth with offence * Infirmitas nominat promptitudinem ad scandalum offensio autem nominat indignationem c. scandalum autem importat ipsam impactionem ad ruinam Aquin. 2 a 2 ae q. 44. art 1. It is good neither to eate flesh nor drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weake Rom. 14.20 21. What remaineth then Application but that all be admonished in the Lord Jesus to take to heart a matter so deeply concerning them both in conscience as a duty expresly enjoyned by God practised by Christ his Apostles and Saints and in consequence as befitting us as the sonnes subjects of God as the Spouse and members of Christ as beeing needfull to defeat Satans malice to cut off his temptations unto sinne and unto discomfort for sinne to avoid sinne c in our selves scandalls unto others unto the weake obstinate and strong If therefore there be in in you any love of God any care to walke worthy of those high relations you carry to him any regard to the safety of your owne soules any feare of Satan sinne or punishment any compassion over the consciences of your poore brethren keepe aloofe from whatsoever neighbours and borders upon sinne whatsoever hath the blush and shew thereof hate as * Ambr. l. 6 hexaem Ambrose exhorts not onely sinne but the coate of sinne the garment spotted by the flesh Even an heathen will advise you hereunto * Quint. l. 2 c. 2. Carendum non solum crimine turpitudinis verum etiam suspicione Want we inducements take wee these three It will be a course first safe and secure secondly comfortable thirdly honourable First safe and secure by it sin Satan shall be stav'd off kept out at daggers end your owne soules secured kept out of gun-shot either of infection or punishment so that they shall not come nigh scarce so much as the confines either of sinne or hell Secondly comfortable For what an unspeakable comfort will it be unto thy drooping soule in the houre of death or in the time of spirituall desertion when thy conscience can truly suggest that thou hast beene so abhorrent from sinne as that thou hast shunn'd whatsoever hath beene homogeneall thereunto whatsoever hath looked but like unto it it must needs stop Satans mouth and make thine owne soule triumph in the calmenesse of a cleare and good Conscience Thirdly honourable for 't will gain thee esteeme amongst both good and bad ones with those 't will make thy name precious 't will muzzle the mouthes of these when they behold such uprightnesse in thy life as that thou shunnest not onely downright irreligiousnesse to God injustice to men but even their very picture and resemblance this cannot but extort from thē though never so malicious an ingenious acknowledgement that thou art a true Israelite a syncere Nathaniel in whom there is found no guile Now though our maine and first endeavour must bee to keepe a good conscience yet is not the Jewel or precious oyntment of a good name to be in the meane while neglected our care should be to preserve that likewise unspotted S. Paul Acts. 24.16 professeth that hee exercised himselfe to have alwaies a conscience void of offence as towards God so towards men and hee adviseth us to provide things honest in the sight of all men Rom. 12.17 To walke honestly towards them that are without 1 Thess 4.12 To strive for a good report of them that are without 1 Tim. 3.7
ignorantiâ Tunc enim qui praebet occasionem scandali peccat peccata scandali activi quod nullâratione licet Ratio verò est quia nullâ justâ aut rationabili causâ excusari potest aliquis à peccato qui coram alio peccat vel exercet opus habens speciem mali ideò jure optimo dicitur tribuere occasionem peccandi quia tale opus ex se occasio est peccandi Vasquez opusculis Moralibus tract de Scandalo That appearance of evill in an action which is but imaginarie is onely ascribed thereunto by extrinsecall denomination from our owne or others misconceits and censures thereupon First from our owne And here if a man be in his owne conscience stedfastly fully and firmely perswaded that such an action is evill and unlawfull which yet in truth is not so See Dr Sanderson on Rom. 14.23 but lawfull what ought hee to doe Why wee must take into our consideration the nature of the action and the condition of the person that harbours this misperswasion of the action If the action in its nature bee not necessary but indifferent and arbitrary and the person mis-judging it be in respect thereof sui juris not determined therein by the command of any superiour power Why then he is bound in conscience during this his opinion to abstaine from the action For wee suppose it indifferent and a man may lawfully forbeare action where there is no necessitie of doing Wee suppose it although indifferent yet against Conscience and whatsoever is done repugnante conscientiâ with a settled reluctancie of a mans owne judgement and conscience against it cannot be of faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.24 That is whatsoever action is done with a firme perswasion of the lawfulnesse thereof let it be quoad rem and essentially in it selfe lawfull nay necessary yet it becomes quoad hominem and accidentally evill unto him it is sinne Now that action may lawfully must necessarily be forborne that can be omitted but cannot be committed without sinne But now on the contrary if either the action be in its nature necessary or the person entertaining this misprision thereof be injoyned performance of it by some superiour power that can lawfully challenge obedience from him and so the action too though indifferent for its nature be yet in its use and unto him become necessary Why then this misperswasion of its unlawfulnesse cannot bind to abstaine from it for so it should oblige unto either omission of a necessary dutie or else disobedience unto lawfull authority both great sinnes And nulla est obligatio ad illicita There is no obligation unto things unlawfull can lye upon us But yet although this erroneous conceit of the unlawfulnesse of this action supposed to be necessary either in its nature or at least in its use because coÌ„manded by authority doth not obligaere that is so bind as that I must follow it yet it doth ligare so intangle and perplexe as that I cannot without sinne oppose it because whosoever goeth against his Conscience whether ill or well informed it matters not goes against the will of God although not for the thing he doth yet for the manner of doing it although not materially Ames de Conscientia l. 1 c. 4. yet formally and interpretatively because whatsoever the Conscience dictates a man takes for the will of God each mans conscience being a Deputy God to informe direct him Looke as hee who reviles wounds kills a private man mistaking him for the King is guilty of high treason against the King himselfe soe he that thwarts the judgement of even an erroneous conscience fights against God warres against heaven because what his conscience sayes hee thinkes to be the voyce of heaven The only way then for a man to rescue himselfe out of these difficulties is to rectifie his conscience to depose correct the error thereof so he shall escape contempt of the judgement of his owne conscience on the one hand breach of either Gods or mans lawes on the other An imaginary appearance of evill issues secondly from the supposalls of not onely our selves but others that censure it whose judgments are either misled by ignorance and weakenesse or else blinded through pride and prejudice such was that in the moving of Hannah's lips not afforded by her fact but onely fastned on it by old Eli his hasty censoriousnesse nor other appearance of evill was there in our Saviours healing the diseased his Disciples plucking and eating of the eares of corne on the Sabbaoth Day 't was not grounded on their actions but onely fancied by the Pharisees swelling uncharitablenesse what other is that appearance of evill with which some unjustly charge our ceremonies 't is onely conceived by their uncharitable prÄ™judice not really given by them This imaginary appearance of evill proceeds from either supposalls of proud or weake ones The censures or supposals of proud ones we may sleight our warrant is our Sauiours President when his Disciples told him that the Pharisees tooke offeÌ„ce at his speech he made no reckoning therof but answered Scandala Pharisaeorum prorsus conteÌ„nenda naÌ„ qui non ex ignor antâ—â— aut infirmitaete sed ex malitia scandalizatur Non laborat tali altquà necessitate spirituali cui non possit ipse sine â—pe alteriâ—â— proximi facile prospirere mut andoprauam suam voluntatem ergâ— alter non tenetur tunccum aliquo suo detrimento prosâ—icere Gregor de Valentia Quoties scandalum passâ—vum alterius futurum est ex mâ—litia nuâ—lâ—â— debet omitâ—ere opus quod nec est malum nec habeâ— speciem malipropter malitiam alterius quando opus illud utile est temporaliter vel spiritualiter operants quia non postulat ratio ut malitia alterius cum dam no nostro succurramus alias quilibet malitia sua possit nobis nocere ut omitteremus opus nobis utile malitia autem alterius nobis nocerenon debet Luissius Tunianus let them alone Mat. 12.13.14 and we warranted by his example may then be secure and regardlesse of many calumnies groundlesse exceptions against the government discipline and ceremonies of our Church for there hath beene so much spoken written concerning these subjects as that the pretence of weaknesse may seeme to bee taken away from those that are capable of information But what if this imaginary appearance of evill flow from the supposall of a weake one yet an holy one Why then it must be omitted but with this caution so it may be without sinne or as the ordinary glosse upon that 15. of Mathew v. 12.13.14 resolves it Salvatriplici veritate vitae justitiae doctrinae so the threefold verity of life justice and doctrine be preserved safe Nam per hanc triplicem veritatem saith Gregory de Valentia intelligitur omnis rectitudo immunitas à peccato in actionibus humanis Veritas namque vitâ— continetur in actionibus rectis quas
fained gods But what meane I to alleage the examples of either the Chuch of Rome or Bellarmine for take wee but a view of our owne Church the lives of her Worthies will yeeld store of presidents in this kinde but I will content my selfe with one most especially deserving our notice and imitation And it is the religious care that King James of blessed memory had to free and cleare our booke of Common-prayer not onely from faultinesse in it selfe but also offensivenesse unto men and by causing an explication to be made of those things in it which were excepted against how carefull and scrupulous he was in this particular you may read in his Proclamation prefixed to the booke of Common prayer wee thought meete faith hee there that some small things might bee explained not that the same might not very well have beene borne with by men who would have made a reasonable construction of them but for that in a matter concerning the service of God we were nice or rather jealous that the publicke forme thereof should be free not onely from blame but from suspicion so as neither the common adversary should have advantage to wrest ought therein contained to other sense than the Church of England intendeth nor any troublesome or ignorant person of his Church be able to take the least occasion of cavill against it c. To heape up other either testimonies or instances were to prejudice if not the authoritie of those before mentioned yet your esteeme of them as if you were not by them sufficiently perswaded and convinced my labour I suppose will be better spent in demonstrating unto you the expediencie of that which may seeme rigour in this doctrine in discovering unto you what good reasons Saint Paul had to exact so great a measure and so high a pitch of abstinence from sinne Those that I will specifie shall bee drawne from God from Satan from our selves from our Brethren First from God wee have these two our Relations unto him our Danger in offending of him First our Relations unto him he is our Father our Soveraigne Christ Jesus is our spirituall Husband Now a dutifull child declines not only disobedience but whatsoever hath the colour of it an obedient and loyall subject startles at not onely treason but also whatsoever may occasion suspicion thereof a faithfull chast wife abhorres not onely adultery but whatsoever may make her husband justly jealous others but suspicious of her chastity And shall not every child of God every one that professeth subjection unto heaven be fearfull of the appearance of disobedience and undutifulnesse to so indulgent a Father as God of the appearance of Treason and Rebellion against so Almightie a King as God Doth it not befit the Spouse the Church every member of Christ to dread all shews and signes of disloyalty and unfaithfulnesse to soe loving a Spouse as Christ Jesus * Sueton de Jul. Caesar c. 74. Did Julius Caesar but an earthly Potentate thinke it not enough that his wife was without a fault unlesse withall shee was without so much as the suspicion of a fault And will not Christ thinke you who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords expect as great unblameablenesse in his Spouse Plutarch in the life Pompey Theophanes Lesbian to diswade Pompey from flying into Parthia tels him that his wife would be liable to a great deale of danger amongst those barbarous people and though said hee they proffer no villany unto her yet it is an undecent thing to thinke that the wife of Pompey might have beene dishonoured To diâ—wade us from the appearances and occasions of sinne it should me thinkes be an effectuall argument that our soules which are married unto Christ in righteousnesse judgement and holinesse will hereby bee obnoxious to danger of pollution what though they be not actually defiled yet it is an undecent thing to thinke that the spouse a member of Christ might have beene dishonoured might have beene foyl'd with a lust ravished vanquished by Satan defiled with sinne If from these appearances of evill our Relations to God cannot draw us yet mee thinkes in the second place our danger in offending of him should drive us for hee is a consuming fire unto as the workes so also the workers of impiety and how can wee then but be afraid to venture on not onely what we know doth but what we feare others suspect may deserve the wrath of so sinne-revenging a God That we should abstaine from all appearance of evill may secondly be gathered from Satan from the consideration first of his crueltie and malice against us Secondly of his temptations of us First from the consideration of his cruelty and malice against us which the Scripture shadoweth out by terming him a Mat. 13.39 the Enemy by way of excellencie the b Rev. 12.10 Rev. 9.11 Malach. 3.11 Joh 8.44 1. Joh. 3.15 1 Pet. 5.8 Rev. 12.9 envious man the Accusar the Tempter the Destroyer the Devourer a Murtherer froÌ„ the beginning as also by comparing him unto a roaring Lyon unto a great red Dragon an old Serpent Now me-thinkes we should feare to come not onely under the power but also into the sight of such an adversary and yet by rushing upon the shewes the occasions of evill what do we but hazard the surprizall of our soules by him This will be more apparent from the consideration 2 of Satans temptations of us of his Temptations of us to sinne of his Temptations of us to despaire or at least discomfort for sinne because in both sorts of temptations hee goes about by these appearances of evill to wreake his malice upon us For first in his temptations of us to sinne they are first the bate by which hee allures Secondly an argument by which hee perswades us thereunto Thirdly an encouragement whereby he is heart'ned to persist in tempting of us First then the appearances of sinne are a baite whereby Satan allures us unto sin which if wee bite at our consciences will soone be enlarged to swallow sinne it selfe Satan well knowing that Gods children would even startle at your grosse and more hideous sinnes such as are Idolatry Adultery Drunkennesse and the like therefore chiefly plyeth them with enticements to the signes shewes and occasions of them for these will smooth the passage unto the sinnes themselves Of this we have a remarkeable instance in Alippius who as Saint Austin relates Confess lib. 6. cap. 8. being drawne by his friend's importunitie to accompany him unto the Roman Gladiatorie Games yet resolved though he were present with his body to be absent in his heart and for that purpose to keepe his eyes shut that hee might not defile them with so barbarous a sight yet at last upon a great shout that the people gave at the fall of one of the combatants his curiositie made him behold the occasion and thereupon hee presenly became an applausive spectator of that bloudy inhumane
I will but prescribe two cautions directing how wee are to abstaine from the appearance of evill and then I shall have done with the generall application of the words Wee are to abstaine neither onely nor chiefly from the appearance of evill First not only that were foule Hypocrisie of which yet there are even a generation guilty who ouely combate with the shadow of sinne and in the meane while embrace the body of sinne reall sinnes who abstaine from the shew of every evill worke and yet remaine reprobate to every good work who professe detestation of gaine by gaming because they conceive it to be an appearance of theft and yet make no conscience of fraud deceit and cousenage in their dealings who stand at defiance with all shews of uncleannesse and yet make no scruple of the grossest acts thereof Secondly not chiefly that were a great incongruity for so care of the meanes should be greater than that of the end because abstinence from the appearance of evill is enjoyned as a preservative against the evill it selfe The evills themselves therefore should chiefly be avoided the body of sin should be opposed more than the shadow than the shewes of sinne The flesh should be abhorred in a higher degree than the garment spotted therewith You have seen the point prest generally as it concernes all mens abstinence from the appearance of all evills I will only crave your pardon to call more particularly First upon all men for abstinence from the appearance especially of some evill Secondly upon some men especially for abstinence from the appearance of all evils and then I will put a period to my meditations upon these words First wee must decline the shews of some evils above others of our master our bosome evils For from them is most danger to be feared they having commonly most strength from our natures and Satan besides knowes but too well how our tyde stands hee quickly acquaints himselfe with our predominant lusts and most raging corruptions and unto them especially fits and accords his temptations as Agrippina when shee poysoned her husband Claudius Tacitus Suetonius mixed the poyson in the meat which he most lov'd Secondly some men above others are especially to decline the appearance of all evills All publike men should do so but especially wee of the Clergie The high Priests and Nazarites under the Law were not to come nigh a dead body Levit. 21.11 Num. 6.6 And in imitation of them among the Romans the Priests might not touch the dead nay they might not see the dead for if a Priest pronounced a funerall oration 't was not without a veile drawne betwixt him and the corps Nay a Flaminians Priest might not heare the sound of pipes used at Funerals nor come into a place where there was a grave Was there such rituall purity under the Law Such ceremoniall strictnesse in heathenish priests and shall there not be found an answerable degree of morall precisenesse in the Ministers of the Gospell shall they bee willingly within sight sent and hearing of impietie except to reprove it Mr Reynold Psal 110. As a woman bigge with child for feare and danger of miscarrying forbeareth Physicke violent exercise and many meates and drinkes which otherwise shee might freely use even so those who travell in birth with the children of Christ are put to deny and abridge themselves of many indifferences I will eate no flesh saith Saint Paul while the world standeth rather than make my brother to offend 1 Cor. 8.13 Reasons enforcing their abstinence after an especiall manner from the appearances of evill are two Because in them they occasion first greater loosnesse in bad ones Secondly more heavinesse to good ones First greater loosenesse in bad ones Strange it is how the lower and more ignorant ranke of men will be hereby strengthened in their downeright sinfull courses Nay if a Minister doe but wisely and lawfully use his Christian liberty the rude vulgar will thereupon open themselves a gappe unto all licentiousnesse If he be but innocently pleasant thinke they wee may be mad If hee but sip wee may carouse If hee spend but some few houres in his honest and harmelesse recreations the common gamester presenly concludes his mispense of both time patrimony in gaming to be thence justifiable Secondly more heavinesse to good ones it grieves the spirits of the righteous to see them in any it wounds their soules it makes their bloods their hearts rise to behold them in a man of God it becomes not my weaknesse to advise onely in mine owne and others behalfe I unfainedly wish and pray that this were feriously thought upon and preached by us all that all of us in a tender regard to the reputation and humour of our high calling would walke with great circumspection make straight steps unto our feete tread every step as nicely as gingerly as if wee went among snares walk'd upon ropes or pinnacles I will conclude with that of Bernard to Eugenius lib. 3. de consideratione cap. 4. which though written particularly unto him may yet fittingly enough be applyed to every minister nay every Christian Interest tuae perfectionis malas res malas pariter species devitare in altero conscientiae in altero fame consulis It becomes your holinesse to decline as evill things so also evill appearances in that thou consult'st for thy conscience in this for thy same nay indeed if it be not presumption to adde unto the Father in this thou providest both for conscience and fame for conscience first for the puritie for the peace of thy conscience for the purity of thy conscience to keepe it void of offence both towards God towards men for the peace of thy conscience to preserve it from the violence of Satans temptations from the vexations of thine owne feares and jealousies Secondly for fame so to hedge it in from scandall as that it shall be above the reach of suspition Therefore to goe on in the words of the Father Puta tibi non licere etsi alias fortasse liceat quidquid malè fuerit coloratum non sit in fama navus malae speciei Thinke not for thee lawfull though perhaps otherwise lawfull whatsoever shall be evill coloured In thy fame let there not be so much as a spot of evill appearance so shalt thou follow things that are of good report Phil. 4.8 and thereby quite take off all private prejudices all open calumnies against either thy person or profession However thou shalt procure the testimony and approbation of God and thine owne conscience and be presented unblameable cleare from offensivenesse before men from faultinesse before God at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father holy Ghost be ascribed by us and the whole Church the Kingdome the Power and Glory from this time forth for evermore Amen THE POSTSCRIPT to the Reader WHereas from page the 57. to page the 63. we delivered that according to the