some Masters some prime Ministers of Scandal that as the Sons of Perdition push on Scandal in the World and are obstinately bent to do so and on such a sort of Men our Saviour principally fixes this Woe Now for the discoursing this great point of Scandal upon these three Fundamental Propositions I shall observe this Order 1. I will endeavour to settle a just Notion of Scandal and being Scandalised and so inlarge into the whole compass of Scandal in the general knowledge of it from Scripture 2. I will set my self to a pure and distinct Consideration of Scandal as it hath such a peculiar Interest as it appears to have in those Debates of the Apostle concerning Indifferent things in Religion in his Epistle to the Romans Cap. 14. and to the Corinthians 1 Ep. Cap. 8. and 10. 3. I 'le discourse the Reasons why Scandals must needs come 4. The Worlds woefull state because of Scandals shall be demonstrated 5. I will consider the Principal Authors of Scandal that are as the Angels of Satan in the World to that purpose 6. The whole shall be in the last place applyed to Practice I begin with the Notion of Scandal which is a Metaphorical expression taken from those Engines that are contrived and prepared on purpose for a surprizal into Mischief and Destruction and accordingly dispos'd covertly into a Mans way and passage or from what is naturally usefully or accidentally and carelesly placed in such way or passage so as that a Man unawares falls upon it as either Gin Snare or Trap or sharp Stakes or Stones that gall and cut Mens Feet if not removed or avoided Stones or Blocks that lye in the Path they are to walk and occasion their stumbling and fall oftentimes to their Death and Ruine and always to their inconvenience hazzard and danger All which Importances of the Word applyed to the several purposes of the Scripture-use in their Proprieties may be seen more at large in the most Learned Dr. HAMMOND's Discourse and Annotations upon Scandal I shall onely observe out of the Old Testament as one Instance of many that might be made That the same word that is used to express the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stumbling Block that God forbids to put before the Blind in Leviticus passes out of the Levit. 19. 14. Litteral Sense there into the Moral Sense in the Prophet Ezekiel for the stumbling Block of a Mans iniquity Ezek. 14. 3. Zephan 1. 3. which he puts before his Face and the stumbling Blocks with the Wicked in the Prophet Zephany Other the like Translations of the same and other Words of like Importance from their Native to this Moral intendment might be gathered together but that this one so plainly leads us into the main point and is so pregnant for the describing Scandal which may be thus represented Scandal is a prevailing Temptation to some great Sin or course of Sin causing the Soul to fall before it or catching and inwrapping the Soul in it and all the dreadful Consequences of it covered under the disguise and plausible pretence of a Principle of Reason or Doctrine of Religion to its greatest Mischief and Ruine if not recovered from it by the Grace of God and sincere Repentance 1. Scandal is thus when it prevails when it succeeds to its unhappy Effect of Scandalising For a Scandal may be offered and not take Our Saviour had a Scandal offered him by Peter his own Apostle Thou art a Scandal to me Matt. 16. 22 23. saith our Lord when he presented him a pretext a fair shew of Reason against suffering which was the very Law of his Mediation in the World impos'd upon him by God The Suffering yet of so Innocent so Divine and excellent a Person look'd like a Prodigy and monstrous portent to the Apostle not once to be spoken or thought of Be it far from thee Lord but our Saviour immediately discharg'd himself of it in that severe rebuke Get thee behind me Satan Thou art in this to me an Angel of Satan the first Inventer the supream Creator of Scandal The Saints and Servants of God have Scandals continually contrived into their Paths but God witholds their Feet from being taken He hath charged himself with them to keep them in all their Ways He bears them up in his Hand that they may not to their Ruine dash their Feet against any of these Stones Scandals are so many and so great as to undoe if it were possible the very Elect but for the Elects sake the Effective Power of Scandal is shortened 2. Scandal is a Temptation what the Evangalist Matthew calls being Scandalised or Offended the Evangelist Luke Matt. 13. 21. expresses by falling away in a Time of Temptation Luk. 8. 13. Scandal differs nothing from that Description of the Apostle James Every man is tempted when he is drawn Jam. 1. 14. away of his own Lust and enticed Then Lust when it hath conceived brings forth Sin and Sin when it is finished brings forth Death I say it differs nothing but that in Scandal the Temptation is covered Lust Inordinate Affection is always at the bottom of Scandal All Scandals against Religion or any of the Truths Commands or Duties of it have their Root in Lusts and sinful Corruption within Herein they are justly chargeable to Condemnation the Scandal within is the great Scandal He that hath an impure Affection quenched into the love of the Law of God hath nothing to Offend or Scandalise Psal 119. 156. him Scandal finds no place in him He that loves his Brother and God in him hath no occasion of Scandal 1 John 2. 10. in him But Scandal is Temptation so covered as I have described and therein it differs from meer Temptation Many Temptations to Sin are barefac'd and have nothing but Pleasure Profit or Vain-Glory to bait the Hook with the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye the Pride of Life all which leave the sin naked or the covering is at least so thin that Conscience is not at all impos'd upon But Scandal hath the seemingly fair ☜ Recommendation of a Principle of Reason or Doctrine of Religion how false soever And therefore though in a free way of speaking a man is Scandalised by his Right Eye his Right Hand his Right Foot interpreting them of his Lust getting the Ascendant over his Judgment and Conscience that has nothing of excuse but that he in whom it dwells has made it so necessary to him that it is become part of himself yet speaking more accurately and according to the general course of Holy Writing Scandal is Temptation shaddowed and sheltered there is some Screen betwixt the Eye of Conscience and defenceless Guilt some Attire of Vertue or Reason about the Sin There may be some places where Scandal may be very near signifying nothing but Temptation but generally there is as much difference as between Davids Fall into Murder and
that doth but a little consider will find first It is a very good answer to endless cavil and querulousness against the best of things that can be obtain'd here that every thing in this world is injur'd disorder'd and defiled by the pravity of Humane Nature there being nothing in the whole Vniverse of Good and Excellent that is not debaucht by the lusts of men or where shall he fix himself that would upon earth remove himself from all things that have been by sin if but possible to be deprav'd by ill use to ill ends But yet this is not answer enough for the defiling the very light and the Sun even Religion it self and that in so great degrees and to so heinously contrary ends for whereas the very height and transcendency of Divine Things might in all reason plead an exemption from such debasements yet coming so near to our corrupted Atmosphaere it is even as the very light though in it self remaining always pure and clear as it self notwithstanding prostituted by men to their own abominable impieties This then alone answers so great a Doubt That God is exceedingly offended and displeas'd with Humane Nature that so excellent an instrument of the Divine Glory the Happiness of the world in present and the eternal life and happiness of it hereafter should be depraved into an instrument of greatest unhappiness and mischief to mankind both in this world and that which is to come For so far as we can see much of that Blood and Devastation Tumult and Convulsion much of the Cruelty and Inhumanity that hath fallen out had been sav'd and prevented had it not been that Religion had a place in the world Much of that deep and almost inexpiable guilt that hath been contracted through the persecution of the True Religion and opposition to it from the false had never come into account now or at the day of Judgment It is therefore evident upon the whole state of Humane Nature that though there is a main difference in regard of the goodness of God in the Mediator between it and the Angelick Nature fallen that one is universally in chains of darkness to the Judgment of the great Day and without hopes of remedy the other not universally nor without hope Yet those chains are due to the one even as to the other and in what degrees to the Divine Justice in its wisdom it seems meet it casts men into them even as it distributes as it pleases measures of the punishment of sin in taking the forfeitures of the Blessings of Earth of some and not of others when it was given to the children of men alike as to their substantial enjoyment however one might have differ'd from another in glory and laying great calamities upon some and not on others as greatly deserving of them and that in this time of general patience If it were not thus no reason could be given why so great Tracts of Humane Nature lye in the valley of the shadow of death having no light of the True Religion to shine upon them And why without the great discomposure and disturbance of the world and without the ruin and destruction of those that make the offers there can be no offers of better made to them If it were not thus no reason could be given why there is so great a corruption even of Christianity it self where it is generally profest and the attempts of Reformation in Christianity are every whit as dangerous or more than the persuasions to it addrest to Turks or Pagans the lingring Acts of Cruelty in the Inquisition and horrible bloodiness of Massacres exceeding any thing of any other kind Lastly If it were not thus those smaller Differences among Protestants themselves who have had opportunity to look over the unreasonableness and prodigious Inhumanities of Pagans Turks Jews and Papists in their persecutions could never have brought forth so much of spleen hate and sufficient proportions of the same cruelty among themselves when they have had before their eyes not only those pregnant motives to detestation of such Barbarity in those forenamed examples but that mirrour of patience meekness forbearance The Gospel of Jesus Christ Nor is it unworthy of good observation to this purpose that the proceedings against offenders in the Laws of Natural Religion or Morality are generally with leisure moderation proportion between the offence and the punishment a compassion of Humane Nature even where severity is of greatest necessity But in what men levy against different Religions all is carried in storms and whirlwind in fury and rage in blood smoke and fire arguing to us That the Cause not fairly lying before Humane Justice there being an error in the very foundation of the procedure the evil increases and grows upon mens hands till it becomes too mighty for any Government and so carries all before it into prodigious violence of Ferity and salvageness And also that Divine Justice therein shewing to man his great degeneracy and liableness to Divine severity as God himself pleases suffers the power of that Degraded Spirit the God of this World to triumph in nothing more than the abusing Religion and especially Christian Religion that great Contrivance of Heaven for mans recovery out of the state of Devils and to make it like an Engine of destruction to recoil upon man himself and fly every way with terrible death and ruin as if Hell rather than Heaven came along with it Yet notwithstanding all this it is most certain this whole misery is conceiv'd and brought forth by the sin and unworthiness of man to himself by his own stupidity and folly or by his wisdom that is worse than folly earthly sensual and Devilish for the interposal of the Mediator runs so through the whole state of Humane Nature that there are sure ground-works laid how men might in every case recover happiness even out of misery and degeneracy and principally in this very Cardinal Point of that Happiness True Religion and the Peace and Mercy of it care is taken how the World might be secured if it would both from the Ambitious and unquiet man in his designs how Government Anthority Soveraignty might be kept safe and yet unbesmear'd too with Martyrs Blood yea even the blood of those who though they are mistaken yet are willing to profuse it for their Religion For whom it should move pity the nearness of their case to the Honour and Honesty of dying for True Religion I mean when plain Foundations of Natural Religion are not destroyed for that case deserves no more mercy than poysoning Fountains or setting on fire if men could the whole course of Nature Now to discover this path or way to universal peace in Religion which is like Wisdoms The Vulturs eye hath not Job 28. 7. seen it nor the Lions whelp trod it Death and destruction say It is not with them and well they may For it is the way of peace which they have not known though they
Society of Men that is truly Catholick if it be but according to the Light of Natural Religion to joyn with them in the Performance of any of such Services so far as they will admit it and keep to the Simplicity and Sincerity of them according to the Instances before-named of Jonah and St. Paul And much more should we do this when True Revealed Religion is joyned with Natural if nothing be requir'd of us that corrupts and defiles it No Man's Errour in which we are not forced to communicate should drive us from Truth or any part of it And upon these Foundations we should endeavour to win further and further upon all to bring them home to God wherein they wander We should make Allowances to every Man differing in smaller things receiving him without conditioning him to subscribe to us in things of Doubtful that is Private Disputation If any one erre from the Truth and one convert him by Evidences of that Truth let him know that he that converts a Sinner from the errour of his way shall save a Soul from Death and hide a Multitude of Sins But if we cannot be admitted to such Communions with those that are so enslav'd to False or would bring us under the power of Private or will have nothing to do with us nor admit us to them we must not yet desert our Catholick Respect to all that is True and Good among them but acknowledging what is so value and praise it desire the Divine Acceptance for them in any Good thing so as to bring them out of the Errours they have adjoyned to it and as you have opportunity reason them out of the one by the Evidence of the other CAP. V. Of the Publick or Divine Original of Sacred Writing or Scripture Quest SEeing Scripture is the only Publick Record of True Pure Natural Religion and more eminently of Revealed it is most necessary to be fully informed in all Points concerning it And first What Care God hath been pleased to take that his Word and purely that should be committed to Writing Answ God held the Hands and Pens of Holy Men by an efficacious overshadowing their Minds and conducting all their Motions that they could not erre In some things he so fully possessed their Understandings and Affections with a full Knowledge and Sense of what they were to reveal that they could not so much as muse any thing Strange or Diverse from what they were so carried and born by the Divine Spirit in even as Elijah in his Body In other things wherein they could not look round about them nor fully comprehend what the Spirit in them did signifie though they convey'd it to After-times yet they were by Almighty Impressions upon all their Faculties necessary to that Service held in stronger than Adamantine Consinements that they could not extravagate from Divine Truths Even Balaam thus overpower'd against his will could not go beyond the Word of the Lord to speak either Good or Evil upon the greatest Reward much less Holy Men whose Wills were perfectly resigned to the Divine Will Quest But was not there a Possibility those Holy Men Writers of Scripture might at other times when the Spirit was not so immediately present to them alter or add of another Alloy to what themselves had been the Instruments of conveying from God to the World Or might not Pretenders arise and give out False Scripture to the World that had none of that True Spirit Answ When once any Part of Divine Testimony was committed to Writing it became a Boundary to those very Penmen much more to all others that they were always concluded by it So that besides the Dread and Awe of God and of the great Sin of Falsification of his Truth or Name they could not alter any thing so as to disagree with what they had before spoken by the Divine Spirit whose Righteous Judgments endure for ever nor could they so much as imitate themselves when unassisted by the Holy Spirit When therefore they did not understand by immediate Assistance the utmost End and Reach of what themselves were enabled to speak and write they did and they could do no more search and pronounce by all the best ordinary Helps God afforded them but could change nothing could add nothing they searched what or what manner of Time the Spirit of Christ in them did signifie they could not pronounce of the Time when not revealed to them They knew the dreadful Anathema ready to fall even upon an Angel from Heaven that should preach another Gospel The least Iota once established by Unchangeable Wisdom and Goodness was less movable than Heaven and Earth and would bear no Addition but of the same Authority by which it self was given And even the very Manner Method Words as they meet to carry such a Sense have their Majesty and Divineness so that whatever was by Inspiration from God bridled that which was not and they that were inspir'd knew in what they were inspir'd and what they spoke as so inspired and in what they were not but were as Samson with his Locks cut no more than like other Men and most cautiously distinguish'd betwixt the one and the other Nothing therefore hath assayed to joyn it self to Scripture if any hath dar'd to do it it hath been rejected by it when not of the High and Publick Spirit of it Quest But did not the Writers of the New Testament reverse the Writings and Commands of the Old which thing so scandalised the Jews against our Lord his Disciples and Gospel Answ No otherwise than as the Sun commands the Shadow to fly away and the lesser Lights to retire when it self appears or the things typ'd out being come make useless the Types so that they necessarily give place or as Pictures vail when the Life is present Else there was such a Respect to the Scriptures of the Old Testament in those of the New as to avow them of God before them and Elder Scripture than themselves so that they vouch'd them for all they said and taught and staid the time of themselves being tried proved and sufficiently confirmed and Canonized into Scripture by the Scriptures that were undoubtedly so before them and in the very same Methods that they came into the Honour of being Scripture Upon which account the Apostle calls them the more sure Word of Prophesie more sure because of greater Antiquity and Elder Reception into Scripture than that Historical Relation and Doctrine which yet was immediately to pass into Scripture of the same Authority and Value with former Scripture and of greater Evidence and Divine Clearness and recommended by Higher Appearances of Divinity And on this same account the New Testament derives it self from the Old sometimes by Proofs out of it drawn according to the most regular Trains and Consequences sometimes by more immediate and authoâ—â—tative Interpretation but of the same Publick and Divine Inspiration with the Prophecy of Old Time it self as shall
it may seem better if holy and good men separated themselves and left the generality of a Nation out of their Religious Services But from what hath been said it is very plain that as the Ninevites and Abraham'â— Steward served themselves of the Beasts in their prayers and David served himself of the very lowest of the Creatures in his praises so good men consecrating the publick Religion though resulting from a medley of worse men turn it to greater glory to God advantage to themselves and the advantages of those worser men also in sundry respects when it does not prevail to their conversion and eternal salvation as figures of value subordinating to themselves Cyphers increase Sums to very vast The services of men not truly Religious are not so acceptable to God alone but are ennobled by the union of truly good men for that they have such a vertue is plain even Job's Friends though good men themselves received good by his offering their sacrifices and that good men may subject the services of evil men to their own is as plain by the Apostles rejoycing that Christ was preached by those that preached him out of envy and contention for while his preaching Christ out of love over ruled theirs who preached the same Christ from worser respects all their preaching of Christ was so forcibly united with the Apostles that it became as if it was wholly his own turned to his Salvation the greater truer Light drinking up the less the less noble which followed in attendance upon it so much more the prayers of less worthy men are snatched up to Heaven with the prayers of Holy men and prevail for a full acceptance of them with God leaving only some lesser portions of Blessing to those whose Hearts do not ascend with their prayers Yet we must be careful of saying to any Stand off I am holier than thou Many a man being rejected under the Appearance of a Publican whose heart 's breaking within it self to God has greater acceptance from him than what seems rather to be preferr'd among men For the Honour therefore of the most publick Conjunction in Holy Services we may observe those men who are of the most Happy memory in Scripture Men of Renown for the Efficacy of their prayers as Noah Moses Samuel Job Daniel the Apostle Paul and many others were no Monkish sort of men No men of Separation from the publique upon choice but Personages as of the most Divine spreading Reason so of a publique Wisdom Grace and Spirit containing a publique Interest and Piety within their own Breasts yet joyning with as many as they could to better their services mutually and not scrupling union with them lest they should be made worse or their services less acceptable Men of no narrow and contracted Spirits Principles or Devotion but like our Saviours converse with Publicans and Sinners they were as Physicians to the sick Helps to the weak as well as the Comparions of all that fear God pulling sinners with violence out of the Fire converting them from the error of their way saving souls from Death and endeavouring to hide the multitude of sins and therefore were so prevalent in prayers for others though at sometimes God was so incens'd as to deny Audience even to such except for their own souls Thus clear it is on the side of Publique Religion in these great Examples they separated from the sins the superstitions that were at any time become publique but joyn'd with the Publique Religion and thereby rais'd it to much higher Excellency It is impossible to make bad Things good as False Worship or Corruptions of Practise if never so many Good men fell into them It would endanger them but cannot better that which is of it self bad But that which is in it self Good which would be much dispirited through Evil handling it by Bad men may be made better by Holy mens Predominancy and Ascendency in it and so turn to general Good in some Thirty in some Sixty in some an Hundredfold which shews the Nature of the both Communicativeness and Singularity of these Holy men Communicativeness in True Worship though with Bad men Singularity from Sin and False Worship I have now dispatched this first Head I proposed concerning the publickness of Religion in general I come now to the second Head That this publickness determines it self in National Religion neither staying short of it nor expatiating beyond it And to make good this I first consider how humane Society rises and what are the first bands of Union And it is very evident the first Associations of mankind must grow out of Families as I have observ'd the Law of Humane Society was first declar'd and promulg'd upon the Institution of Marriage This was the beginning of Families Families of all greater associations of men Here also must begin all Religious Society These are the most near and combin'd here therefore are the most frequent seasons of worshipping God of daily praises of him and prayers to him The examples of it we find in Abraham's Joshua's David's Cornelius's Families and the Churches in the Houses of some Christians at the first This Domestick Body is most close with it self and more easily call'd together therefore the first seat of Religious Society Families therefore for the closeness nearness and naturalness of that Government as being the smallest of Communities but the most primitive are particularly nam'd in this Prayer against the Heathen and made another expression together with Kingdoms of Irreligious Communities For as Kingdoms are greater Families united indeed as Families but greater So Families though lesser were yet the first Kingdoms Religion therefore being a most uncontestable duty and obligation in those lessâ—r Kingdoms Families it argues to the same obligation and duty in those greater Families Kingdoms and the Religion or Irreligion of the one and the other run along one with the other Thus God first eminently himself founded Religion in Abraham's Family and so commenc'd both the Family and Religion into a Nation and Kingdom Religion therefore rises higher and settles here as upon the most advantageous Eminences as in the most full and free spread Communities call'd Nations for their greatness and numerousness Kingdoms for their Majestick government and union in it For a Nation or Kingdom is a part of Mankind canton'd indeed from the whole world and the wideness of that yet into a larger compass than Neighbourhoods Towns or Cities and is generally inclosed within some more remarkable bounds of place as Seas Rivers Mountains united by nearness of Manners Customs and Disposition arising from like Temperature of Air and Climate freedom of Conversation and Commerce having one and the same Language but especially as under the same Civil Interests Laws Government and Legislative Authority For these mutual Bonds are they which give Reason to National Religion as the most solemn instance of publick Religion and Worship of God because by vertue of these
and inflam'd with a Holy Affection in a lowly Imitation of the Divine Zeal wherewith God performs all his Holy Ordinations Thus as Princes they have power with God because they offer him their Petitions according to his Established Rules of Government and his own Holy Will concerning the things wherein they pray to him Now the understanding these Rules was extraordinary and infallible to the Prophets and Servants of God inspir'd by him but to us in ordinary by the light of the Word of God by the Laws of True and Right Reason in deductions from that word And in which word and the deductions from it if we are not mistaken the Efficacy will be certain because if we ask according to his will we are sure he heareth us and that we have in some true sense the Petitions we ask of him This is so valuable a Rule of prayer that Daniel though so great a Man of Vision yet betook himself to this ordinary means of Instruction in the mind of God Dan. 9. By Books of Holy Records and general Chronology he knew that the time of the Babylonish Captivity was near its Expiration and so set himself to prayer and was crown'd with this wonderful success and acceptance Thus prayers prevail with God and yet without any change in him there being a Configuration or Concurrence of all things according to his own unchangable Will His Counsels of old that are Faithfulness and Truth are remonstrated to him by the humble servent desires of his servants that knew them to be his Counsels and who are ordered by the same counsels to enquire or beseech him by prayer according to them and therefore by his spirit the spirit of prayer He draws the parallel lines to his own Intentions upon their Hearts Desires and Affections I have pursued this the further because it gives a solution to that Doubt how God without any change in himself hears prayers and also assures us this prayer being so remarkable as to be twice us'd in the same words most certainly bears it self upon some certain principle from which we may argue to general practise The principle it rests upon must be this There is an Establish'd order betwixt the wrath and displeasure of God His Fury and Vengeance and the Nations or Families not knowing not calling on his Name and this is known by very light of Nature His Wrath according to unchangable Laws is always prepar'd against those that forsake him and that Duty they owe to him as Nations It had been else a great presumption upon God and Breach of Charity to the Nations so to pray against them which may also give us account of all those Dreadful Imprecations and Curses David and other Prophets and Holy men pour out against their own Enemies and the Enemies of their people They are founded in their being Enemies to God his True Worship Love and Service and as such their Final Destruction was decreed against them by the most Righteous Laws of Divine Government made known unto those Holy men and so they prayed for it as publique persons and not out of private Wrath and Revenge but this by the way I proceed now in the main Argument And this principle I am upon That the Wrath of God is against the Nations that are without National Religion lyes deeper in a First and more Original principle viz. There is an Obligation a great Duty lying upon Nations as Nations to know and worship the True God For else why should God find fault why should he be angry when none had resisted his Will From hence it is That there is a Natural Order established by God between his Love and Favour and a People and their publique True Religion because it is the Observation of a Duty and the Observation of Duty is the fitting us for Blessing and â—avour as the neglect and Transgression of Duty cannot be without wrath and displeasure For thus God hath placed Life and Death one over against another yet so that Life and Blessing are always first even as Duty is always before sin For God never made Death and Destruction even as he never could be the cause of sin but they come in by the Failing of our Duty and so of that Life and Blessedness entail'd on our Duty Yet the Obligation to National True Religion is much more evident from these Holy men praying down Wrath upon them that know not God and that call not on his Name then it could have been from the praying for his Favour to them that did know him and that did call on his Name because his Favour might have been vouchsafed upon Terms much below our substantial and inviolable Duty As many of the Jewish Rites might be Arguments for and Pledges of Gods gracious Regard to the people he had so distinguish'd when the want of those signs would not have argued to the effusion of his Wrath and Vengeance there being no natural or positive Duty lying upon any but the Jews to such observances There may be many Arguments for the Bounty and Favour of God from External Rites appointed by him and observ'd by his people though indeed these all refer to their Essential Duty and argue nothing without it Yet the contrary will not enforce to the opposite Degrees of Wrath and Indignation because they are not observ'd when no substantial Duty is violated Vncircumcision that keeps the Law may have in the main the same security from wrath with Circumcision that keeps the Law also Seeing then there is so great wrath against those that know not God that call not on his Name It assures us the Duty the Obligation and the Reason of it lye deep that the omission is so subjected to the Divine Revenges and it is in this A society without Religion is a High contempt of God a making flesh our arm and departing from the Lord and so from his Favour and Blessing A principality without an Inscription a Dedication to the Glory of God to which all things are to be devoted is like the building a Tower up to Heaven A sin like the sin of Herod when he let that Sacrilegious Applause sink into him and gave not the Glory to God and therefore subjects men to be at any time smitten and blasted by God who has said Those that honour him he will honour but all else shall be lightly esteem'd whether Nation or Person It is not therefore only the Judgment upon the Irreligion of particular persons of particular Families that is here intended though this is included and suppos'd but especially upon the Irreligion of Societies knitting and strengthning themselves without the True God upon Principalities exalting themselves and not by and with the Almighty and Supreme Majesty On the other side if there be a Duty an Obligation of being publiquely Religious there is a Blessing upon it according to that Fundamental Principle He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder
themselves as well as persons wherein Religion hath prevail'd to such degrees as to be called National is conserv'd in those that are sav'd even as the honour of the Angelick nature is conserv'd in the holy and elect Angels as the humane nature in the seed of Abraham the father of the faithful of them that are saved in all Nations as in Isaac the seed of Abraham is called as in Isaac's children the children of promise are counted for the seed Thus the honour of particular Rom. 9. 7 c. Nations is treasur'd up in the elect of it so that if we suppose a Nation without Converts it is lost as to happiness or as if it had not been as the Tribe of Dan has no name among those Rev. 7. 5 c. sealed Tribes to which we had relation before And as the order of each Tribe is disposed according to the happy memory of the worthies of every Tribe and their more noble Acts in or for the True Religion as is observed by Interpreters and as there are degrees of Glory to every Christian according to the excellency of his Graces and services that abound to his account So the case is with Nations and Generations the more and more eminent men any hath brought forth the more it shall be adorn'd at that day It becomes a Diadem and Crown in the hand of God and is as the Isa 62. 3. 5. Prophet expresseth it as a Bride married by the multitude of her sons So that the last Glory and happiness of Nations is very greatly concerned in their common Faith and Religion and the nearest participation they have been capable of in one anothers holiness and piety and therefore the more they can do to inlarge and increase it the more they add to the common glory and salvation and do most ensure their own On the other side Although there be a lessening of honour to a Nation by the fewness of those that are saved and in the many of those that perish yet it is not so as that the Glory is counter-ballanc'd by the disadvantage for there is a much higher account of Glory to the Goodness Grace and Mercy of God to the salvation of Christ in that excellent state of Gods Creation in the elect Angels and the recovered parts of mankind in that new Heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness than there is depression of that Glory in those that perish and their contrary state so the the Glory of the Angelick and humane nature it self and so of Nations is more conserv'd in those that are saved of them than in those of them that are lost for there is a much more a much higher reign of righteousness and life asserted by the Apostle than of Rom. 5. 17. sin and death although Scripture and general observation give reason to fear there are more that perish than that are sav'd and however we cannot unfold the mystery of it This then stands as an impregnable argument for National Religion If it conduces so much to the future happiness and salvation of Nâ—tions and so to the more exalted Glory and salvation of all those that are zâ—alous herein and both these in a more National visible way than things are transacted before our eyes in this world but that there shall be some such future state whether at the the day of Judgment or throughout Eternity we cannot define yet that it shall be cannot be denied when so much of Scripture so much of Reason concur in it and so on the contrary that the irreligion of Nations towards the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent shall be revenged by the most sensible apparent infamy contempt and wrath from Heaven in which those that have had the most malignant influence into such irreligion shall have a double measure and all this in a National way I know not what can perswade more to National Religion than so great a consideration And so I finish this fourth Argument The Fifth Argument for National Religion shall be only a complication Argum. 5 of consequential benefits flowing from true National Religion united in which may indeed be made use of to perswade union in Religion whether true or false yet they are only applicable upon true Reason to the true Religion 1. National Religion contributes to the most happy state peace and union of Nations Jâ—rusalem by virtue of its National Religion as the Psalmist says was as a City compact together now that which hath a fitness and aptitude by the very law of Nature and the reason of things to strengthen and corroborate a Nation may very justly be chosen by it for its own conservation and happiness upon that very account but especially when it is subordinated to better reasons too and of a much higher nature Every one therefore should give the advantage to National Peace by consenting in National Religion so that we lose not the truth of Religion for the sake of National Peace which may be supposed too to rise from a National Religion though false But National true Religion is a means fitted by God to the peace of Nations and such a means as is acceptable and well pleasing to him First For the sake of Religion for Unity in Religion gives excellency to Religion and makes all the services of it more acceptable as I have already shewn It is also well pleasing to God as it cements the peace of Nations which is of high price with the God of peace and Christ the Prince of peace who hath commanded us to seek peace and pursue it To study to be quiet to live in peace as much 1 Thes 4. 11. Rom. 12. 18. Prov. 6. 19. Mat. 5. 1. Psalm 133 as lies in us and if it be possible with all men who hath branded the sowing discord among Brethren as one of the principal Abominations to him but hath blessed the peace-makers owning them as his children He hath made truth and peace the stability of any time these are the pillars that are the Lords and he hath set the Nations he loves upon them Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to live thus together in Vnity It is like the precious Oyntment of the Sanctuary and the Dew of Heaven where it is found the Lord hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Thus Religion by being National is freed from the charge of being a design and occasion of disturbance Thus the Hearts of Princes safely trust in it thus it becomes the very ligament and sinews of Government a pia mater to the sacredness of Authority and makes Soveraignty easie and sweet both to Prince and people What but Truth can be weighed against this Peace And that not all Truth but Truth dwelling so near the essence of Religion the very purity of Divine Worship that as it cannot be sold nor parted with so it may not be concealed A man may not have it to himself
so many Remarkable Instances His Little-Child-like Inoffensiveness his easie Recession from his Just Rights for the Gospels sake his Inoffensiveness and Desire to please all to win upon all that they might be saved â—is dread of Danger lest whilst he Preached to others he himself should become a Cast-away Nor ever was there a clearer Comment upon cutting off the Right Hand and Foot and plucking out the Right Eye than his weighty Admonition of being Temperate in all things and bringing the Body into subjection One thing more I cannot but yet adjoin that the Apostle is so wary of Imposing upon any one in Indifferent Things appertaining to Religion in a positive or affirmative kind of observance that though for the avoiding Scandal he dehorts from Eating Meats or drinking Wine that may scandalise any in the very Eye of their Doubting Conscience and draw them into Sin yet he no where to the same purpose of avoiding Scandal perswades to the esteeming or observing a Day to the Lord though another may be Scandalised if he does not so Such abstinence yet in a full Freedom of Thoughts being a much easier performance of Charity extending only to Meats in Doubt under the Eye of the Doubting mind but observing a Day requires direct acts of Devotion From laying the obligation of which upon any Man the Apostle hath wholly withdrawn his Hand even in case of Scandal and only preserves from Despisal such a doubting Christian and then only when the Out-date of the Divine Command for such observance was but just come and not fully understood Pag. 38. l. 25. What therefore I have intimated contrary to this Account I retract as not fully considered And I now bow my Knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory that he would inspire the Hearts of Civil and Ecclesiastical Governors who are constituted as Guardian Angels of Conscience against Scandal and of all Christians in general that out of his Kingdom throughout the World and particularly in this Nation may be gathered all such things that offend and all those that wâ—rk iniquity on account of Them THE Woe of Scandal Matth. XVIII 7. Woe unto the World because of Offences or Scandals for it must needs be that Offences or Scandals come but woe to that Man by whom the Offence or Scandal comes A Free use of the word Scandal and to Scandalise for Offence or to Offend can need no Apology the Original being so well known and now become English more significant of the thing intended than the other Of which Scandal our Saviour was in a deep and intense Contemplation in this Chapter and of the state of things because of it both in his Church and the World in the World especially as it confines upon his Church is in the Neighbourhood of it and view of what is done in it or indeed as within the Armes of it by a Profession of Christianity though an unsound and insincere Profession for so there is the World in the Church as well as the Church in the World The Lord turns himself to behold and observe this Scandal how it discharges it self on all sides with Woe Mischief and Ruine and with Compassion foretells and warns all of it as of the most destructive way of sinning the most to be abhorred kind of Mischief and Ruine This must needs make every thinking Christian afraid of Scandal of having any thing to do with it either in giving or receiving it and much more of being a Projector or Pusher of it on in the World and most of all in the Church Now to this whole Discourse there will be a continual occasion to have recourse in this Treatise But the words themselves offer to Consideration these Three Propositions 1. That the present state of the World is such that Scandals must needs come Scandal is very pressing and crowding in upon the World in regard of its multitude its Name is Legion it throngs the World our Saviour expresses it in its number Scandals In regard of its vehemency or importunity it must needs be that Scandal comes It thrusts in every where it perverts the best things and twines about them it plays in things Indifferent how much more in things purely Evil. Scandal comes it comes as an Eagle hasteth to the Prey it comes supping and blasting as an East Wind it comes as an Invader with its Troops And the World how willing is it to receive Scandal It calls for and invites it it opens all Gates and Doors to it it even surrenders and betrays it self to it it is mad after Scandal both to give and receive it It must needs be then that Scandals come Yet the World lies under great Misery because of the Propos 2. multitude of Scandals the Efficacy of Scandal upon it It is more miserable in regard of Scandal than meerly in regard of Sin For when the Lord Emphatically denounces a Woe upon the World because of Scandal he intends something more than the Scripture generally declares against Sin and Sinners for that is a known Case that there is a Woe upon Sin Our Saviour remonstrates this case as more rarely and yet of all most necessary to be understood observed and profoundly considered And though it will appear it is always in the Sense of Scripture joined with Sin yet it hath thus much more of Danger in it than that meerly it is sinful It is Sin some way guarded and defended against Divine Truth and so holds its Goods more in Peace It s wound is no less deadly yet more secret and unexpected and therefore the worst sort of Death It is an Ambush of Death In the Sin of Scandal most eminently it is even as in that most Enchanting Sin That a Man goes after it as an Oxe to the Slaughter and as a Fool to the Correction of the Stocks till a Dart strike through his Liver As a Bird hasteth to the Snare and knoweth not that it is for its Life Scandal wipes its Mouth when it destroys and says It hath done no wickedness when it speaketh fair there are seven Abominations under it As against those Men of Scandal the Pharisees so against Scandal it self hath the most merciful Saviour of the World made his keenest Remarks There is still however guilty the World be an Accumulative Propos 3. Woe and Misery upon that Man by whom the Scandal cometh Woe to the World but Woe to him by which our Saviour does not yet intend every one that Administers Scandal for so good Men often do in the doing their Duties even himself his Doctrine was an occasion of stumbling and a Rock of offence nor is every Man pointed at here that through Error or fall into Sin offers Scandal though this Woe spreads far in some degrees of it upon the Generality of Mankind yea upon every Man without Repentance seeing all Men one way or other guiltily convey Scandal along But there are some Engineers
Adultery and Peters Denial of his Lord the one was plain Temptation the other Scandal arising from the to him uninterpretable Suffering of our Saviour though both were great and grievous Sins 3. Scandal is a Temptation to some great Sin or course of Sin For though the least Sin introduc'd upon the Counterfeit of Religion and Reason is truly Scandal and partakes in its Woe Yet those Scandals of daily almost unavoidable Incursion in this imperfect State are broken in their deadly effect by the daily and general Repentance and desire of Pardon and Faith in the Blood of Jesus all true Converts live in the Practice of Who can understand his Scandals Deliver thou me from secret ones may every good man pray But keep back thy Servant from Insolent Scandals that they may not have Dominion so that I be Innocent and free from the great Transgression The sins that Scandal precipitates upon may be either in the refusal disavowment rejection or despight to some of the prime manifestations of God in the World in Infidelity or Unbelief or some great Enormity of Practice and it may be absolv'd and finished in some Notorious Act of Sin or may run through the whole Course of a mans Life in an habitual State of sin or Transgression of the Rule that he acts in all a-long Lives and dies in this Snare of Satan in this Captivity under him It may be partial only there being a reserve of the Soul preserv'd by Grace by which the renewed Soul recovers it self as the Apostles were Offended or Scandalis'd in Christ on the Night of his Passion and Peter in a fouler manner and yet theirs even his Faith did not fail They and he most Eminently escap'd out of the broken Snare But men devoid of any Principle of true saving Grace are though in several degrees lock'd within the Scandal and cannot be rescued out of it but by a Renovation to Repentance the first Repentance Yea even the best men under the power of Scandal as we now discribe it are for the present inwrap'd and involv'd so that the whole man seems to fall and the whole strength for that time so far as is visible is taken Captive Now by all this that hath been spoken it is undeniable that a Man is never Scandalised but when he sins he is not Offended in this Scripture-sense but when he himself Offends To be justly displeas'd with other mens sins or defiling Religion with impure mixtures is not to be Offended but when a man himself displeases and offends God and against his Duty 4. Scandal in wraps in Sin and the dreadful consequents of it for in the mischief and deadly issue of Sin is the complemental nature and notion of Scandal It is in the way of Righteousness onely that there is Life and in the Path-way thereof that there is no Death none of the beginnings and first strokes of it of the avant Couriers of Death It is Wisdom alone that is Health to the Navel and Marrow to the Bones whose ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are Peace But the ways of Scandal so closely united with Sin though they seem right in a Man 's own Eyes yet are all along the ways of Death and most evidently so in their end Guilt Divine displeasure Perplexity Anguish of Mind Grief if the Sin be felt however a wound a stripe upon Conscience and a mark of that stroke of that wound and stripe whether felt or not that can never be worn off but by Repentance and Faith in the Blood of Christ Weakness Inability loss of Vigour to a Holy Life 〈◊〉 Action and often down right Apostacy are the Fruit◠〈◊〉 Scandal for every Sin is a prejudice a mortification 〈◊〉 dead works upon the Consciâ—nce dispiriting it to Holiâ—â—â—â— more and more It is the way of Righteousness that is strength to the upright and the joy of the Lord therein is his double strength Through Scandal Men stumble and fall are discouraged and lye down at length out of Choice and with resolution to continue where they are as most easie Qui jacet in terris non habet unde cadat Upon all this ensues at last Eternal Death if not prevented by Repentance 5. Scandal is covered under some plausible pretence or disguise of a principle of Reason or Doctrine of Religion For Reason being an efflux from God the Sovereign Reason and Light from the Father of Lights any true principle of true Reason and rightly applyed is undoubtedly a Divine Oracle and would justifie any pretension grounded upon it Now in all Cases wherein Divine Revelation is refused or avowedly forced from the genuine Sense because either the Revelation or all Natural Interpretation will not serve the turn of Scandal but detects and exposes it it then flyes under an umbrage of Reason as separated from such Revelation or sets it up to limit and control such Revelation But if it professes to own the Scripture it then serves it self of Divine Revelation but wrested and mis-applyed for the higher the Authority is that is vouched and pretended the deeper the Scandal as we may see in the Pharisees the greatest both Masters and Bondmen of Scandal that ever were in the World except the Galley Slaves of it in the Romans Antichristianisme and they were so because they were defended and flanked on all sides as they miserably deluded themselves with the Authority of the Old Testament the Law and the Prophets together with the to them equall or indeed superiour awful Traditions of the Elders by which they circumscribed and kept under the Authority and Sense of Scripture as the Papists do at this day by like Traditions and Faith of their Church Now all these as they would have it joyned in perpetuating the Ceremonial Law as irreversible by God himself and settling an indefeisible state of Inheritance in the true Religion upon the Jews alone without the calling of the Gentiles to be the People of God but as their meer Proselytes All these as they deemed represented a Messiah of quite another Figure another Character than our Saviour and therefore he as they concluded must needs be an Impostor and his Doctrine Blasphemy upon which Rock of offence the Vessel of their Church and even Nation it self besides their particular Souls was most dismally Shipwrack'd But not only things of so good a Title and Claim as the Jewish Religion are counter-scarf'd with a Doctrine but even such vile things as Balaam taught eating things Sacrificed to Idols in honour of the Idol and committing Fornication when contrived into Scandal must have a Doctrine for them For so the Spirit of God calls it the Doctrine of Balaam In Scandal even Jezabel puts on the Vail of a Prophetess and calls her self so and under it teaches and seduces which may abate to us the wonder of Romes calling it self a Church and its Adulteries Sorceries and Idolatries Catholick Christian Religion 6. Scandal by such a Principle of
Succession from the Apostles without cautioning for any thing of their true Spirit and which so hangs Salvation at the Girdle of those that would be their Successours as turns Christianity into a most Arbitrary and Tirannick Party But they that know the Scriptures know assuredly Christ hath founded no Rule Government or Authority in his Church whatever but whose whole display of it self is in Teaching Instructing according to his Word If that be not clear and evident the whole Authority and Power falls to the Ground This Word appearing in and with it self though by the Ministers of it hath the sole Power over Conscience They that would Rule without this as Rulers appointed by Christ in his Church are but Lay-Elders Lay-Bishops or indeed they leave the Word of God and serve Tables But in this Universal Rage of Scandal God hath not so forsaken the World but that his Spirit lifts up a Standard against it Evil is not Infinite but is at all times stopp'd by Evidences of God and true Goodness environing it on every side and bounding it that it cannot do what it has a mind to do and is therefore forced to leave it undone for it can go no farther than the Beings that carry it can go and God is always above them and hems them in on every side Scandal hath only a permission from God a Dispensation to manifest it self it is always subject to Truth as Night is to Day It is subject to be reduc'd and contracted as God pleases And thus have I finished the Third Head of Discourse concerning Scandal It must needs be that Scandals come I come to a brief Dispatch of the Fourth Head The Demonstration of the World's Woe because of Scandal 1. Let the Scandal be never so fair and plausible in its Pretence or Reasons of Seduction from God and our Duty there is so great a Force of Truth and Higher Reason against it that our Guilt and Condemnation is unavoidable in not resisting the Temptation Nothing can justifie a Plea against the Divine Law not an Angel from Heaven we must pronounce Anathema upon him if he undertakes it There are such Foundations of Truth laid by God that cannot be moved and they have such Evidence and Assurance to all sincere Minds that there is no excuse against the Guilt of being taken with Scandal 2. There is therefore always some most Guilty Cause of Scandal and its prevalency within every Man that is taken by it Some Lust and love of Evil that betrays him and on which he is condemned When Scandal rages most abroad and comes with lying Signs and Wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness it is because Men have pleasure in unrighteousness and receive not the Truth in the love of it 3. Scandal is it self Misery and Ruine A Man cannot fall and be snared he cannot be wounded and broken but he must be miserable Life Health Salvation are only in Obedience to God and Conformity to his holy Will Who hath Woe Who hath Wounds Who hath Grief But he that hath received Scandal against the Divine Truth This is a deep Ditch he only that is hated of God falleth into it as not to recover It is vain to pretend the Force the Power the unavoidableness of Scandal when it self is Death and Ruine How many are pleased with their Scandals and will by no means part with them Many excuse themselves they could not withstand their Deceipt and Violence and will not apprehend their Case The first closely embrace Death or as Solomon says love Death The latter can have no other Pity at the highest but that they are undone their Scandals are upon them and they pine away in them as they speak in Ezekiel and how then should Ezek. 33. 10. they live God hath no pleasure in their death yet still they dye except restor'd by Repentance 4. Were it not for Scandal were it not some unhappy and mischievous mis-representation of Divine Goodness and Truth were there not something that imposed upon the Understanding and seduced the Will with a false appearance of Truth and Good Rational Beings could not resist Truth nor fall out with Infinite Goodness or on the other side entertain Falshood or fall in love with Evil and so would be every way secure from Destruction Surely were it not for Scandal some most mischievous possession upon our Minds while there are any hopes of Mercy we could not refuse and reject it nor cleave so fast to sin and death which can have no desirableness but to the deceived Soul as Holiness and the Favour of God cannot be disgustful to any but the Scandalised Were it not for some indissolvable Scandal even the sin against the Holy Spirit might be repented of and forgiven some irreconcileable prejudice retains both the sin and so the punishment And in Hell there is that Eternal Scandal for ever holding fast the Damned That a Creature deprived of God justly hate and rebel against him Or it is best for it in that Circumstance so to do Were it possible to be loosed from this Snare of Death this Everlasting Chain of Darkness there might be an escape out of Hell it self Were there not an Eternal Discontent and Disgust to God Hell could not be Hell nor Devils Devils any longer so miserable a thing is Scandal The fifth Head in this Discourse is the accumulative Woe to him by whom Scandal cometh the Woe by way of Transcendency 1. The Designers of Scandal must be as so many Satans in the World of the just contrary Spirit and Action to God and Christ and the Holy Spirit in the World and therefore shall be for ever separated from that Blessed Presence into that Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels the God and the Angels of Scandal Some have in all Ages been brandedly infamous herein but none like him whose coming is after Satan with lying Signs and Wonders and all deceivableness of Vnrighteousness All those Atheistical Defamations of God and Religion and the Scurrilities of Prophane Wits are deeply dyed in this Guilt They are like the throwing of Firebrands Arrows and Death so is the Scandalising of Men in such sports of Wit to their Ruine They that offer themselves as Coppies and Patterns of Wickedness in defiance of Heaven dwell near to this insupportable Woe They whose Laws Armed with cruel Penalties are so many destructive Traps and Engins of Mischief against all that are Professors of true and sincere Religion shall be gathered out of Gods Kingdom their Scandals and themselves that work iniquity by them They that in Indifferent Things that they themselves acknowledge Indifferent use a violent Example that must be answered with Conformity though Men do with greatest Seriousness and Solemnity protest their Doubt in the Case and though Scandal be planted every where in their Indifferencies had need as our Saviour bids them take heed they offend not they despise not though they should be but the Little ones in
Christianity Let them sit down and count their danger a Milstone about their Necks and the bottom of the Sea is safer in our Lords Judgment of the Case Wherever the Instruments of Cruelty are in any Habitations upon the account of lesser Differences in Religion Oh my Soul come not thou into their Secret Oh my Honour be not thou united to their Assembly In their Anger they dig down Walls of Defence and Security to Religion Protestant Religion Vnhappy very unhappy is their Anger for it is fierce and their Wrath for it is cruel They divide Jacob and scatter Israel 2. They that are the Authors of Scandal by their great Mistakes in Religion by their unhappy and miserable Falls into Sin by their involving others in their own Sin without considering the sad Consequence and End of both they have this great Aggravation of Guilt that Scandal Mischief and Death have spread from them and faln as a Snare upon others Yet their Guilt is measured by the proportion of the Scandal in its own Nature the malignancy of the Intention the stupid or seared carelesness of the Event but not by the Event it self whether the Scandal prevail upon others or not or whether they that are Scandalised repent or not Because the Guilt of the Scandalised is reckon'd to him by his own Degrees of Light his circumstances of defence against or extream danger of falling into the temptation by his own love of Sin or enmity against the Divine Law in which every Man is the principal Scandaliser to himself and his recovery out of the Scandal depends upon his own Repentance or Obduracy against the means of Repentance The Guilt of the Scandaliser is measured also by his own state in Sin in general his state in relation to that Sin of Scandalising his Continuance in it or Repentance from it and not by what befalls the Scandalised else the Apostle Paul's Salvation had been hopeless without the certain Repentance of all those he compelled to Blaspheme Repentance and Faith in Jesus Christ and the Mercy of God in him are the only means of recovery out of this Snare of Death both to the Scandaliser or Scandalised and a certain means it is to either Before I come to the last Head of this Discourse viz. to draw down the whole Meditation so as that it may be most fitted to Practice I will endeavour to resume the whole diffusive Notion of Scandal into one Uniform Representation descending from the General into the Particulars of it Original Scandal is that dislike and exception the Rational Creature took to the Creator's Supream dispose over it and its disgust to that State wherein infinite Wisdom and Goodness had placed it so that instead of a thankful acquiescency in it to its happiness it hath proved a Fugitive and a Vagabond from it to its Ruine Reason of this at first there could be none but a disdain to have its large Capacities of Understanding confined or dictated to or its Freeborn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bridled or restrained its Liberty of Will manacled or fettered by a Divine Law As if it were not indeed greatest Understanding to be conformed with Truth and noblest Liberty to adhere to Infinite Goodness or as if Understanding were not Understanding if it could not take measures of Truth for it self without God Authoritatively superintending it nor Free-will be Free if it could not chuse wholly for it self and owe no account to God And whether this Scandal is first in the Understanding or Will is not material for the Union is so Vital between them both that what is in one is at the same time and as they say ipso facto in the other The Devil at the same time he abode not in the Truth had as our Saviour tells us swelling Lusts in his Will suitable John 8. 44. to his Prevarication from the Truth The very same may be observed in the fall of Adam there was in one Act a deception upon his Understanding deserting Truth a sensual Eye upon the Fair but forbidden Fruit and the Lusts of the Mind aspiring to an imaginary Gen. 3. 6. more mounted condition than God had placed him in to be as Gods knowing Good and Evil. This then is the first great Scandal at which the Angels and Adam fell a discontent at a state of Obedience and Subjection to God and his Commands how Holy Just and Good soever as if it were too Arbitrary upon Beings that could understand and chuse for themselves to be so limitted They did not like to consider to retain upon their Reasons not only that they had their Beings given them and that their Obedience was an absolute Due to the Creator but that it was Obedience to an Infinitely Good and Faithful Creator truer to the Interest of his Creatures than themselves could be This Scandal therefore prevailing upon them drew along the whole Tain of misery with it Scandalised Spirits always report ill of God and his Laws so far as they are Scandalised and they that are entering into Scandal too contentedly hear ill of him as appears in the Dialogue betwixt the Serpent and the First Man and Woman Spirits utterly lost by Scandal act in defiance of God and are the more enraged by finding the Misery of their Scandal pressing upon them even to despair as we see in the Devils Humane Nature is more modest and tender being succoured by Grace and the promised Seed in our first Parents and their Posterity preserved from the utmost mischief of Scandal by that Great Restorer from Scandal Not perfectly recovered but in a state of second Probation of rising after so great a Fall or being most unhappily again sunk below those hopes and made for ever the prey of Scandal even after Grace offered This State of Humane Nature is waved and various In some things Men are more clear and free in others hooked and staked with Scandal and wherein they are Right in the Generals they are often insnared in the Particulars and so that their freedom in the one giving them more room and space to stir inwraps them more in the Scandal of the other By degrees if not restor'd men lose the modesty and tenderness preserv'd to them by Grace and fall into the very Scandal of the Devils themselves or very near to it However in all Scandal there are some of the Lineaments of Primitive Scandal and the greater the Scandal the more and the more apparent are those strokes of the first Scandal There is in every Scandal an Understanding that will be wiser than God is for it a disgust to self Resignation into the Divine Will There is some Lust that clouds and darkens the Mind and there is some false Principle that imboldens Lust Scandal always wraps up sin with it self else it were not Scandal sin hath always Scandal to introduce it else there could be no sin Although therefore when we come to particular Cases there are many sins lye
are Infamous Malefactors Male-contents under the most wise and sage Government or Wits ill employed that Lampoon it 6. Let us continually look to Jesus who in himself subdued the whole power of Scandal keeping steady and uniform Obedience to the Divine Will and did always the things that were pleasing to it though Scandals of all sorts pressed in on every side Who being in the Form of Phil. 2. 6. God thought it not robbery to be equal with God yet made himself of no Reputation but took on him the Form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient to death even to the death of the Cross Hereby even by the Dignity of his Person and the Profound Humility of his Obedience he hath not only done that Honour given that Glory to the Divine Soveraignty and Righteousness the Glory of that Supreme Authority as hath made Recompence for all the Scandals of Angels and Men so far as that Soveraignty or Righteousness are absolutely concerned whether any should believe in him or not but hath also made Attonement perfect Attonement and Reconciliation for all that do believe in and obey him into a share of which I make no doubt the Holy Angelical Nature immediately entred according to their state even from the time he was declared the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Through his Obedience and Meditaion ador'd and applyed to they have persever'd free from Scandal by which so great a part fell upon account of which when the First begotten came into the Heb. 1. 6. World all the Angels of God Worshipped him The virtue from himself as the Exemplar as the First-born among many Brethren Rom. 8. 29. to whose Image they are Predestinated to be conformed does by degrees extirpate all the very remains of Scandal in his Church and he presents it without blame spot wrinkle blemish or any such thing even by real and efficacious operation before the Eyes of Glory His Example alwaies stands before them as the most absolute and sublime Pattern to which they daily are exercised in fashioning themselves Thus our Lord does every way dissolve the Works of the Devil and deliver them who by reason of Scandal were all their lives time subject to bondage by destroying Scandal and him that hath the great Power of it the Devil 7. This should make Heaven desirable to us where no Scandal dwells nor any more since the Angels of Scandal were cast out of it can so much as once enter where there is perfect light without any variation or shaddow of turning The Holy ones there are vext with Scandal's Wiles no more with the Wiles of the God or Ministers of Scandal or those that by his Stratagems are made any way serviceable to it 8. It makes Hell more dreadful the seat and Center the Fund of Scandal where all the good Principles men have had or seem'd to have while they were in the World or the Church the best state of this World and their Temporary good Actions are all swallowed up and by the great power of Scandal turned all into it self wherein all the temporary partial Righteous men of this World whose being Scandalis'd as to the main the true love of God and his Children turned their best things now into a sort of Splendida peccata better complexioned sins have then all that they seemed to have taken from them And by reason of that great Stumbling Block the Eternal loss of God They turn from all their Righteousness and all that they have done is not remembred to them any more for ever They sink into that unpardonable Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit whch is an irreconcilable Enmity to what is known to be of God undeniably of him and that Enmity expressed in the proper language of Scandal Blasphemy and is never forgiven whether committed in this World or that which is to come Now what is there more dreadful to the mind that hath any thing remaining of an Ingenuous sense towards God that hath but so much Love and Reverence towards him though too faint for true saving Grace as will answer a profession of God and the Lord Jesus but will be horribly afraid at the supposition of such a hatred of God such a Blasphemy of him and so of Hell on this account that every sin boils up there into this Height of Scandal 9. We are dreadfully warned from being the Ministers of Scandal either through Design or through great Falls and Miscarriages in our Religious Course this we ought to take care of in Relation to the World in general but especially towards the Little ones that believe in Christ stronger Christians are most out of our danger who grieve or have a just Zeal against our Scandals but in the mean time themselves grow stronger and stronger as Trees that cast their Roots the deeper for being assailed with the Winds But the Little ones are in the Eye of Christ of the tenderest concern because they need it most While we are in the way of our Duty if any receive Scandal and are resolved to do so they create it to themselves we must let them alone but in all things wherein we can save a Soul from Scandal let us consider the Recompence we save a Soul from Death and hide a multitude of Sins a glorious Reward without any more And herein let us always remember we have an Eminent Seat of Doctrine not to Scandalise for the sake of Indifferent Things a Doctrine prepared on purpose for all Ages of the Church of Christ concerning Indifferents one of the Eminent Seats of Doctrine of the New Testament and more particularly in relation to Scandal and therefore by no means to be lightly regarded To Conclude all that we may neither give nor receive Scandal three things are most necessary to which I shall subjoin great Counsels of Scripture in each Case 1. That we have our Judgments well settled within our selves in all the substantials and necessary points of true Religion upon a Divine and not an Humane assurance only that in that part we may neither Offend nor receive Offence for which Solomon's Advice is our great Security Bow down Prov. 22. 7. thine Ear to the Words of the Wise and apply thy Heart to my Knowledge For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee they shall withal be fitted in thy Lips That thy Trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee Have I not Written to thee excellent things in Counsels and Knowledge That I might make the know the certainty of the words of Truth that thou mightest answer the words of Truth to them that send unto thee Or those Admonitions of the Apostle Paul That we henceforth be no more as Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every Wind of Doctrine by the sleights of Men and cunning
highest elevation is but Created and Created is not firm and sure enough for a Foundation nor can it raise an Assent noble and generous enough for a Faith in that which is Divine All that can be summon'd may be an outward Fortification or Introduction but the Rock of Truth is the Son of God Divinity it self Upon this the Church is built that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it Quest But are there no Parts of Scripture that receive greater Service from Humane Testimony than others Answ There are some Parts of Scripture that are but Ministerial and almost Servile in comparison of others And that these are found in all Authentick Copies and have been delivered down from Age to Age with the Sacred Rolls may depend more upon Humane Testimony especially where the Connexion with the more Divine Parts is not evident For these being but as the Body and some of them of the more remote Parts from the Soul of Scripture cannot sparkle that Divine Light and Heat the Spirit of Scripture does and so may stand in need of borrowed Light from the Superiour Luminaries of Sacred Truth and in many Cases may like the Moon need Reflexions of Light from our very Earth but the Sun of Scripture receives the Highest Testimony by the strongest Reflexions of its own Original Beams Quest How comes it to pass that there are such different Degrees of Scripture-Excellency in the several Parts of it and that it is not one Even Form of Doctrine methodically laid together and of the same Tenour of Discourse Answ In this seeming Disorder appears the great Wisdom and Majesty of Divine Contrivance that without obliging it self to the low and even pedantick Laws of Humane Discourse it raises so great a Record of Truth upon variety of Occasions and by an Infinite Foresight predetermining to it self the several Measures and Ends of Scripture raises them out of a great variety of Accidents and in such an Order as seem'd best to it self for those Ends so as to give easie and ready Advantages to him that runs to read and gather Instructions of weightiest moment and also of quickest and suddenest sally upon his Mind of greatest aptness to fix upon the Memory without loading it and yet in the mean time to lay the Obligations of all Degrees of Search and Diligence to join one part of Scripture to another so as to comprehend the whole Complex of Divine Doctrine and extract the Order of History For by a most natural free and unaffected occasional way all Truths to make wise to Salvation and a complete Sum of all Goodness is to be found in Scripture with infinite Varieties of Address all the ways possible to the Understanding Will Affections Conscience Memory Imagination suited to all Capacities States Conditions full of plain and obvious of most retir'd secret and farthestreach'd Wisdom which no Mind can fully grasp nor Tongue express And with these Things of main Importance runs along such a Chronology of the Dealings of God with the World and especially with his Church as serves the main Design All Learning and Knowledge in the mean time attending with lowliest Submission and not with pompous Appearance Now from this Supreme Dispose of all things to the Ends of God in Scripture out of such a variety of Emergencies of all sorts arises such a diversity of several Excellencies in the Parts of Scripture that yet all meet in that Great Center of the Glory of God in a Communication of his Counsels concerning Man and that turn round those Two Globes that little one of the present World a Point like this Earth and the other that vast Circumference of Eternity Quest But is there not as great a difference arising from the various States and Conditions of the Writers of Scripture and the so different Periods of Time they were upon Answ That there is and must needs be a difference is undeniable yet to the great Glory of Scripture and assurance it is from God even those smallest and lowest things last spoken of are all treated with all the Purity Gravity becoming the Penmen of the Holy Spirit and with all the Usefulness their Nature can extend to Even so the Holy Men used by God in this Service how various and differing soever in their several Ages and Times of writing in their Circumstances of State and Condition in this World High Low Rich Poor Learned Unlearned how distant soever in their Times of Writing in the outward Forms and Modes of their Worship of God in the Things that fell under their Account and Relation before the Law under the Law in the Days of the Messiah after his Death yet there is the same Spirit Scope Chastness of Style Majesty and Authority in the Contexture one Aspect upon the Glory of God Obedience to him Desire of his Favour as the whole Happiness of Man the same Reflexions upon the great Evil of Sin and the consequent Misery and even of their own Sins So that where any Combination or Conference to concert things was impossible yet there is such an Union without a set Uniformity as assures the One Hand of the Divine Spirit and Guidance upon All. Quest Is not the Church of God the Trustee and Depository of Sacred Oracles Answ It is so in Divine Ordination and the general Course of Providence but yet it adds nothing to them but receives all from them The Church is known to be the Church by the Scriptures not the Scriptures by the Church except declaratorily only The Church is the Pillar and Rest of Scriptures where God is pleas'd to fix them that they may be exposed to Publick View but their Authority is of God evident in themselves Quest Do we then attribute nothing more to the Church in which we were Baptiz'd and received the Knowledge of Religion Answ A very great Favour it is of God that when he writes up the People he counts that we were born within his True Church where all the Springs of Salvation run but as to the Proof of Religion or the Records of it it can be no more than a Private Proof For till we make a true Judgment by what is Divine and Publick and of God in the true Church it does no more than equal other Societies walking with Confidence and Assurance with great Awes and Devotion in the Name of their God in the Profession of their Religion Till therefore there is a Trial of every Religion and the Records of it all such Societies are upon the same Level When the Religion and Oracles of every Religion come to be tried and duely examined the Church of God rises to Heaven and all else except so far as they joyn in any Parts of the same Truth sink down beneath Quest But how can we know that every Book of Scripture is Scripture but by the Testimony of the Church or that we have all the Books of it but by the same Testimony Answ That the Books we own