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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bring_v	sin_n	wage_n	4,080	5	11.1858	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62878	Væ scandalizantium, or, A treatise of scandalizing wherein the necessity, nature, sorts, and evills of scandalizing, are handled, with resolution of many questions thereto pertaining / preached at Lemster, in Herefordshire by Iohn Tombes ...	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1641 (1641)	Wing T1827; ESTC R21407	96,654	466

in manner of a prolepsis For whereas it might be urged if there be a necessity of offences then they are no faults nor punishable our Saviour seems to deny this consequence by telling us that though they be necessary yet they be voluntary in the scandalizers who are therefore culpable and punishable Woe unto him through whom they come Saint Hierome in his Commentary on Math. 18. conceives that in this speech our Saviour specially pointed at Iudas T is true that Christ doth pronounce a woe to Iudas Mat. 26. 24. But that these words in my Text should either aime at Iudas his particular fact or be restrained to his scandalous action agrees not with the words which speak of woe or evill redundant to the world by offences not one offence and of scandalizing indefinitely any of those litle ones that believe in him Wherefore the meaning is Woe that is misery or evill shall befall him by whom the offence cometh who ever he be And the conclusion that it affords is this That misery belongs to him that is the cause of scandalls or as in S. Mathew in that paralel place Mat. 18. 7. Woe shall be to that man by whom the offence commeth To declare which truth we are distinctly to expresse 1. What scandalizers this woe belongs to 2. What the woe is which is pronoūced against thē 3. Why it is that they incur this woe In answer to the first we are to consider that that by which scandall comes is not a bare object but a person woe be to that man as it is in S. Mathew and that as an agent in causing scandall 2. That sometimes a mā may be a scandalizer in overthrowing himselfe As is manifest by that speech of our Saviour Mat. 18. 8. If thy hand or thy foot scandalize or offend thee cut them off That is as Interpreters conceive if thy lust or will cause thee to sin deny them For mens own carnall reason the lusts of their own hearts doe ofttimes cause them to fall or to goe away An instance is the example of the Psalmist Ps. 73. 2. Whose feet were almost gone his foot-steps had wellnigh slipt For he was envious at the foolish whē he saw the prosperity of the wicked His own understanding had in a sort tripped up his heeles or scandalized him And this sort of scandalizing may not unfitly be called internall or immanent and is so far from being excluded here that our Saviour by subjoyning to the words Mat. 18. 7. Woe to that man by whom the offence commeth presently in the 8. ver If thy hand scandalize thee cut it off which is meant of this inward scandall seemes to have plainely intended it And therefore S. Chrysostome in his Homily on Math. 18. 7 calls the scandals here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all hinderances of the right way whether from within or without And indeed a Woe doth undoubtedly belong to all such as by their own vaine imagination their own evill affections doe overthrow themselves when as S. Iames speaks a man is drawn away of his own lust and entised for as it followes then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Accordingly occasion might be taken hence to consider the waies of selfe-scandalizing which are in a manner infinite and to shew the woe consequent to them and to give directions to prevent this danger But this is besides my purpose in handling this text and an immense taske it must be to shew the deceites of every sinne its manner of working c. and therefore letting this thing passe only with this admonition that it behooves every Christian to be jealous of his own heart and to watch it narrowly lest it prove a Iudas to him and how deare so ever his lust or imagination be to him yet it must be cut off that it scandalize him not remembring the Counsell of our Saviour that it is better without them to enter into heaven then with them to be cast into hell fire 3. That sometimes and that most commonly scandalizing is a transeunt action and he is said to cause offence that harmes another by his action and this may be called externall or transeunt scandall And this is undoubtedly here meant for he speaks here of scandalizing one of these litle ones that believe in him and of such scandall as whereby a woe comes to the world that is to the societies rankes of men And this sort of Scandalizing is it which I intend to treat of 4. That of this sort of scandalizing diverse definitions are given There is this definition or description in Tertullian his book de velandis virginibus where he defines scandall Exemplum rei non bonae aedificans ad delictum an example of a thing not good building to sin which description though it doe not unfitly expresse what is the scandall which is by evill example yet doth it not sufficiently comprize all sorts of scandalizing another v.g. not the scandalizing by abuse of our liberty in things indifferent nor that which is by persecution That definition which the schoole-men as Aqu. 2a. 2ae q. 43. art 1. doe cōmōly follow taken from S. Hierome comment in Math. 15. is more fit to comprize all sorts of scandall to another Scandalum est dictum vel factum minùs rectum praebens alteri occasionem ruinae that is Scandall is a saying or deed lesse or not right occasioning ruine to another This definition is good enough saying that the terme of ruine being a metaphor and according to Aristotles rule in his Topicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All metaphors are obscure is unfit for a definition till explained wherefore it is needfull we should shew more plainly what is meant by ruine in this definition By ruine or falling is doubtlesse meant here not corporall ruine or falling of the body but spirituall ruine or the falling of the minde Now this spirituall ruine is primarily understood of falling into sinne whether it be greater as Apostacy from the faith heresy infidelity Idolatry or the like or lesser as by causing a slower progresse in Religion unchearfulnesse therein impediment to any other duty a Christian or an unbeliever should doe If any be asked whether any griefe or displicency of mind or anger which are the effects of Scandall as is before shewed may be called ruine of another according to this definition whereto I answer The griefe displicency or anger that ariseeth from another mans saying or deed is sometimes just and necessary when the words or deeds be manifestly evill such was the griefe of the Corinthians for the scandall of the incestuous person our Saviours indignation at the hardnesse of the Pharisees hearts such was the griefe or vexation of righteous Lot in hearing and seeing the ungodly deeds of the Sodomites Davids griefe because men kept not Gods Law And this griefe is a necessary duty in them that

persecution is that which causeth the persecuted beleiver or hearer of Gods word to be scandalized For the heart of man is swayed by paines and delights Arist. lib 2. Ethic ad Nicom makes voluptatem dolorem pleasure and griefe the generall objects or matter about which vertues and vices are conversant The reason of which is because in all morall things pleasure and griefe doe move and sway men to or from a thing Hereupon it is that when men have not roote of faith and strength of patience their resolutions are altered their courses changed their minds broken by suffering hard things so that rather then undergoe them they will yeild to that sin which is their ruine The spirits of strong men are apt to be broken with calamities even as a strong Oake by a mighty wind yea the feare of things grievous doth oft prevaile to scandalize men S. Peter who was a man of great resolutions was dashed by the charge of a weake mayd when it tended to bring him into danger and all the Disciples were offended because of Christ as soone as he was apprehended Mat. 26. 31. As for the woe that belongs to such scandalizing it is the same which is awarded unto other sorts of scandalizing if not greater Forasmuch as this kind of scandalizing hath more of malice in it then the rest For all persecutors are moved by bitter malice towards the godly to injure and molest them 'T is true sometimes their malice is pure malice sometimes mixt but alwayes malice The Pharisees who persecuted our Lord Christ out of pure malice they said hee had an uncleane spirit Mark 3. 30. they called him a Samaritane a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners They sought to intangle him to destroy him though his miracles convinced them that he was a teacher sent from God and that God was with him Iohn 3. 2. But others persecuted out of malice compounded with ignorance Luk. 23. 34. saith our Saviour Father forgive them for they know not what they doe compounded with blind zeale The time cometh saith our Saviour Iohn 16. 2. That whosoever killeth you will thinke that hee doth God service S. Paul sayes that out of zeale hee persecuted the Church Philip. 3. 6. This malice is lesse then pure malice and the woe due to this scandalizing by persecution lesse then to the former 1. Persecution out of blind malice is the more pardonable and the lesse punishable then that which is done out of pure malice which may perhaps be utterly unpardonable when it is the sinne against the Holy Ghost Whereas S. Paul alleadgeth for himselfe that though he were a persecutor and a blaspheamer yet hee obtained mercy because hee did it ignorantly in unbeleife 1. Tim. 1. 13. Neverthelesse all persecution of the godly all scandalizing by evill handling of men without repentance hath eternall death for its wages It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you saith S. Paul 2. Thes. 1. 6. what is the tribulation He tells them v. 9. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction frō the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power And though God suffer such enemies of his Church to prevaile for a time yet few of them in the end escape his hand but by some exemplary death or other grievous judgment they beare the punishment of their iniquity Neither Pharaoh nor Saul nor Herod nor Nero nor Domitian nor any of the Chaldaean Syrian Roman persecutors have escaped without deserved vengeance As it is just with God to recomdence tribulation to them that trouble his people So he doth undoubtedly inflict it seriùs aut citiù● sooner or latter unless his revēging hand be held up by the repentance of the persecutor For application of this truth first wee may hereby discerne the danger of those that this way scandalize others The impetuous malice of persecutors carries them violently with rage against beleivers so that they neither perceive their sin nor the woe due to it Even like a horse that runs furiously and violently observes not into what precipices pits down-falls it casts it selfe so a persecutor that is driven by malice and blind zeale to breath out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of Christ and to spoyle the Church runs as we use to so say without feare or wit neither considering whom he persecutes nor how hard a thing it is for him to kick against the pricks they see not what a tempest hangs over their heads what a pit they are falling into For even then when they study cruelty devise mischiefe on their beds while they act it with their tongue cutting like a sharp rasour weigh the violence of their hands in the earth use their strength authority power as men that know not the way of peace but destruction unhappines are in their wayes while they hire souldiers arme executioners invent torments for the Saints even thē all that while God is whetting his sword and bending his bow and making it ready hee is preparing for him the instruments of Death he ordaineth his arrowes against the persecutors that their mischiefe may returne upon their owne head and their violent dealing may come downe upon their pate Ps. 7. 12. 13 16. God is diging up a pit for the wicked Psal. 94. 13. And as sure as Pharoah Saul Iezabel Herod Nero Domitian and the rest of persecutors have suffered divine vengeance so surely shall all cruell Inquisitors barbarous Turks unjust oppressours ungodly scoffers divellish belyers of Gods people perish It is determined in heaven upon the wicked hee shall raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall bee the portion of their cup. For the Lord tryeth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soule hateth Psal. 11. 5 6. 2. This may justly deterre men from this way of scandalizing by persecution A way of scandalizing it is that Satan who vseth all practises to stumble men vi dolo by force and Craft hath set on foote in all times in all Churches where princes are infidels or heretiques he seeks to raise them vp to waste the Church to vexe the godly where they have professed and Countenanced the Gospell and godlynes there hee sets on worke some or other as secret vnderminers of their peace such as may reach at them with their tongues if they cannot with their hands And it is so still as in some places there are persecuting souldiers and persecuting Iudges so there are in other places persecuting scoffers persecuting accusers whose busines is to discourage beleevers to affright the godly not only infidell princes and hereticall Prelates but also the whole rabble of vitious men riotous livers sons of Belial will bee out of their malignity practising against the Saints that are opposite to their wayes And the divell knowes this to be a prevailing way by reason of the love men have to