fratres impudenâ—ia vos quorundam premi verecundiam vestram vim pati oro vos quibus possum precibus vt euaÌ„gelij memores vos quoque sollicite cautè petentiuÌ„ desideria ponderetis vtpote amici domini cum illo post modum iudicaturi inspiciatis actum opera merita singulerum ipsorum quoque delictorum genera qualitates cogitetis ne si quid abrupte indignè vel a vobis promissum vel a nobis factum fuerit apud Gentiles quoque ipsos eclcesia nostra crubescere incipiat Cypr. Epist 11 reproach the Church and opens the mouth of iniquitie to say you bee all such Whereas discommoning and discarding such from our familiar and priuate societie and when neede and power is from communion in holy things gaines the Church a great deale of honour and stops the mouth of iniquitie from calumniating Gods people to bee fauourers and countenancers of such persons Such will bee pressing in to gaine their credit and to recouer their respect but when such suddenly and easily get into credit it is no whit for the honour and credit of the Church God will bring woes vpon them in their outward state their peace their posteritie Elies sonnes runne into foule Scandals 1. Sam. 2. 22. It was scandalous for priuate persons much more for Priests to bee vncleane and adulterous It was scandalous to haue done so vnclean an act in any place but to doe it in a sacred place with women comming thither vpon deuotion this was egregiously scandalous God therefore takes them to doe and does execution vpon them and cuts them both off in one day by the Sword of the Philistims God brought the wo of the Sword vpon them Nay when they ranne into Scandal because Eli did not restraine them see what God threatens vpon his Posteritie 1. Sam. 2. 36. that hee would plague them with such base beggerie and miserie that they should beg their bread If God thus punish him for not restraining how much more would he haue punished him for the committing of a Scandal If it goe thus hard with Eli that restraines not how hard will it goe with Hophni and Phinehas that commit the scandal Wee cannot haue a more pregnant and full example in this kinde then Dauid himselfe Hee after his scandal committed was truly penitent the guilt of his sinne pardoned a solemne absolution and discharge giuen him by the Prophet And yet for all this wee shall see how terribly this woe pursued him in temporall crosses in this kinde First God smites his childe with death then followes his daughter Thamars defilement by her brother Amnon then Amnons murder then the treason of Absalom in which the hand of God was exceeding smart God turnes him out of house and home Whose heart would not earne and bleede to see his dolefull departure from Ierusalem 2. Sam. 15. 30. And Dauid went vp by the ascent of mount Oliuet and wept as he went vp and had his head couered and hee went barefoote and al the people that was with him couered euery man his head and they went vp weeping as they went vp Who could haue beheld so sad and so woefull a spectacle with drie eyes But this was not all his life is endangered his Concubines defiled in open viewe on the house top And what thinke wee was the ground of all this For the childs death we see 2. Sam. 12. 13 14. The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die howbeit because by this thy deede thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is borne vnto thee shall surely die It is verie much that fasting and praying can doe it can cast out deuils This kind goes not out but by fasting and praying Mark 9. 29. And yet fasting and praying could not keepe off this woe that Dauids scandal brings vpon him in the childes death woe vnto Dauid by whom that offence came therefore shall his childe die And for all the rest of al those woeful sorrowes 2. Sam. 12. 9. 10. 11. 12. we see the cause of them all these woes were vpon Dauid for his scandal And if Gods woe in these temporall outward calamities will thus pursue and follow a repeÌ„ting an humbled scandalous offender how much more will that hand of God pursue that man vpon whose scandal followes no Repentance and Humiliation If Dauid the man after Gods owne heart must not escape what then shall others looke for If a beloued Dauid shall haue his teeth on edge with his owne sowre grapes of his scandalous courses who then shall thinke to goe scotfree that is guilty of scandalous transgressions what a sure irresistible wo is that which Repentance it selfe cannot keepe off from a mans children his life person and goods And thus temporall woe is to him by whom offences come 2. God will pursue and pinch such as giue offence with spirituall woe God will fill such mens hearts specially if they belong to him with much spirituall woe and bitternesse of soule He will awaken conscience to smite pinch and gripe them at the heart He will so loade and burden their consciences that in the anguish and bitternes of their spirits they shal be forced to cry out woe is mee vile wretch that I was borne that euer I breathed thus to dishonour God It is true that there is an happinesse in this woe and it is singular mercy that men are not seared and hardened in their sinne but yet for all that there is a great deale of smart sorrow and a great deale of woeful bitternes in the worke of Repentance after a scandalous fall And before such shall recouer their peace with God he will giue them many a woefull gripe of Conscience and many a bitter potion to drinke Wee haue an example of it in the Incestuous Corinthian He indeede recouered his peace and his pardon but yet how woefull was his case before it was done 2. Cor. 2. 7. Least such an one should bee swallowed vp of ouer much sorrow See then in what a woefull plight he was euen in a sea and gulfe of sorrow ready to bee absorpt and swallowed vp therein The Lord therefore pluÌ„ged him into the deeps of bitter sorrow of spirit and plunged him so deep as that he was ready to despaire and to bee wholly cast away Thus God would make his soule smart and his heart ake for this scandal of his would make him feele the truth of Christs saying woe vnto him by whom the offence comes It was Dauids case before him When hee had fallen into scandal in the matter of Bathsheba and Vriah before hee comes to a redintegration of his former condition God brings him vpon the racke Ps 51. 12. Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation therefore that was taken away gone that sweet sunshine was ouerclouded yea that sunne was dreadfully eclipsed and how fearefull such eclipses be they knowe
I care for drunkennesse whilest it is made but a Veniall sin and a Venial sinne is such as our Rhemists say is pardonable of it own nature so slight Rhem. in Rom. 1 32. as a man need not make confession of it such as makes no breach of friendship betweene God and vs so small a triffle as may bee pardoned by a knocke on the breast by the Bishops Blessing by the sprinkling of holy Water saying a Pater Noster as they teach Now I say if drunkennesse be but a veniall sin and veniall sins bee such nothings why by the principles of his religion should a Papist feare to bee drunke i Profligata Christipietas extincta quando quilibet pro modo pretij quod in merces illas expendit peccandi impunitatem sibi pollicetur Hinc stupra incestus adulteria periuria homicidia c. originem traxerunt Quodenim malorum amplius iam horrebunt mortales quando sibi peccandi licentiam impunitatem nedum in hac vitâ sed post obitum aere licet immodico comparari posse persuasum habent Cent Grau Germ. art 3. So what need hee care what sinnes he runnes into so long as their Priests haue a iudiciarie power of Absolution and the Church hath a treasurie of Indulgences and for small summes great Pennances and great sinnes may be remitted There is no religion wherein a man can sinne so good cheape Now therefore if wee see those of that religion take libertie to loose and sinfull courses it is no iniustice to lay the blame and condemnation vpon their religion whose Principles and Doctrines are such as giue men libertie enough So if I should see a man of the Pelagian faith and profession to liue licentiously in the neglect of the meanes of grace and to denie himselfe no carnal libertie I would here condemne his religion from his life because the Grounds and Principles of his faith are such as giue men libertie to liue as they list For if so be there be a power of Free will in me that I may repent and belieue if I will and when I will what need I then care what courses I take what sinnes I runne into so long as I can be saued when I list I will trie such and such sins and when I haue taken my fill at my pleasure I will repent and belieue So that in such a case it is not amisse to crie downe a Religion from the scandalous courses of the Professours thereof and in such a case a man may innocently say This is your Religion But on the contrarie when a Religion is pure Religion Iam. 1. 27. A Truth which is according to godlinesse Tit. 1. 1. and the doctrine thereof according to Godlinesse 1. Tim. 6. 3. When a Religion teaches Godlinesse Holinesse Puritie Fidelitie Iust and vpright dealing and bindes the Conscience to these things vpon the paine of death eternall if any Professour of such a religion fall into scandalous sinnes here to crie downe a Religion that is Holy Iust and Good because a Professour thereof does wickedly vilely and vniustly this is the greatest Iniustice and the most vnequall and iniurious dealing in the world It is true that amongst the Professors of true Religion scandals must bee but must they needes bee from the grounds and doctrines of that Religion Must scandals needs be because that Religion teaches men to doe so Nay doth not that Religion teach the contrarie vpon danger of Hell binde to the contrarie And why then is the Religion condemned and cryed downe What fowle Iniustice is this that an innocent Religion should suffer for a nocent Professour If the Religion they professe doe k Quae si vera sunt nulli vel sexui vel aetati parcite ad peâ—nas rapite cum vxoribus liberis funditus extirpate Athenag legat pro Christian principle and teach them to bee Drunkards Adulterers to be Coozeners Cheaters Defrauders throw dirt in the face of that Religion yea stones at the head of that religion and spare it not Not reproaches scoffes squibs taunts but euen the stake and the fire is too easie a punishment for such a religion But if religion and its Principles teach nothing but Holinesse and righteousnesse nothing but Sanctitie and Honestie why must a good and holy Mother be smitten and wounded and haue her face spitted on for the miscarriage of a degenerating vngracious child If the Daughter play the Whore and the lewd Filth will it stand with any iustice or equitie that the Mother a graue sober chaste Matrone that hath instituted her better should be carted and haue filth and dirt throwne at her And yet this is the equitie and iustice of the worlds dealings Because sometimes some of wisdomes children that should haue beene so wise by their godly and holy lifes to haue honoured and iustified their Mother because I say they doe sometimes play the fooles the scandalous and notorious fooles therefore they cannot bee content to scourge and cart these vngratious children and to cast abhominable filth vpon them as they deserue but they must needs fall foule vpon the poore and good Mother and the keenest and sharpest of their teene must bee wreackt vpon her she must be lasht with the Scorpions of mens malignant tongues euen to the very bones What is this but the ancient Iewish l Non vt principes vestri viuimus c. Quod si quos etiam inter nos tales esse sciatis non continuo ea de causa Scripturas Chri-tstum maledictis proscindite Iustin Mart. Dial cum Tryph. Iudaeo practice against Christian religion Who if at any time any of the Christians fell into any scandalous euill fell a rayling vpon Christ and the sacred Scriptures And will we call this Iustice Why rather as in other cases learne wee not to pitie and lament the case of a good Mother in the miscarriage of a lewd vngracious childe It should bee the wisdome of men to set the saddle vpon the right horse let euery man haue the blame and shame of his owne euill actions but take wee heed that wee doe not flie in Gods face by falling fowle vpon religion for mens scandalous miscarriages It is not the religions but the mans fault if one professing religion miscarrie had he held him to the rule of his religion that had kept him from that euill That which was of ancient pleaded with the Heathen on the behalfe of Christians had a great deale of reason in it They desired but the same equitie and moderation towards them which was vsed towards their Philosophers m Si conuicti fuerimus puni amur non propter nomen sed propter crimen Hoc modo illos etiam qui philosophiam profitentur iudicari cernimus Nemo eorum ante causam iudicio cognitam propter scientiam vel artem suam bonus malusue iudici esse videtur sed postquam improbitas alicuius dedetecta fuerit paenâ—s
Iniquitie more then to Iustifie them in their sinfull wayes There is a Iustification of a sinner from his vngodlinesse and there is a Iustification of a sinner in his vngodlinesse The first is a blessed thing and makes a man happie Psal 32. 1 2. The second is woeful dismal and dangerous Iustification of a sinner from his sins is called a Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. But Iustification of a sinner in his sinnes is a Iustification of death that seales vp a man to damnation Iustification of a sinner from sinne is an Act of Gods grace and mercie and so he iustifies the vngodly Rom. 4 5. on him that iustifies the vngodly by acquitting discharging and absoluing him from the guilt of his vngodlinesse Iustification of a sinner in his sinne is an act of Gods wofull vengeance punishing men for former vngodlinesse and making way for the infallible ascertaining of his damnation And for Iustification of a sinner in his sinnes is way made by scandalous euents And that scandalous euents doe iustifie vngodly men in their sins and so harden them therein may appeare by that Ezek. 16. 51. Neither hath Samaria committed halfe thy sinnes but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more then they and hast iustified thy sisters in all their abominations which thou hast done Samaria was one of Iudahs sisters The Samaritans were an idolatrous wicked people Iudah shee professed her selfe the people of God Now Iudah that professed her self Gods people fel into foule and scandalous abominations Samaria committed not halfe her sinnes Vpon this Samaria begins to Saint her selfe and to iustifie her selfe being iustified by Iudah Which may be vnderstood not only of the euent that Samaria was lesse vniust and vnrighteous in comparison of Iudah but also of the effect or consequent of that euent because Samaria in comparing her selfe with Iudah finding herselfe more iust that is lesse vniust did thereby positiuely iustifie her selfe as if shee were in a good case and a good way because Iudah's abominations were so many and so great and because Iudah is blacker then she therefore she beginnes to imagine her selfe Lilly white I sayes Samaria it is no maruell that Iudah is so godly so religious so holy a people and that I am so idolatrous and so sinfull I am sure I am not halfe so bad as she For all their godlinesse and Religion they talk of for any thing I see my life courses dealings are as good and honest nay more iustifiable then theirs And if Iudah that professes such singular holinesse doe thus and thus I hope my wayes being better then hers my condition is better I am therefore resolued to ride on in the old road still I will not change lifes and wayes with Iudah for all her godlinesse and Religion Thus questionlesse did Iudahs abominations occasion Samaria to iustifie her selfe and by such iustifying of her selfe she hardened and strengthened her selfe in her sinnes and so were Iudahs scandals and abominations woefull euents to Samaria because thereby her heart was hardened to her destruction It is with scandals as it was with those false Prophets Ezek. 13. 22. Yee strengthened the hands of the wicked that hee should not returne from his wicked way Men cannot bee saued if they bee not turned from their euill wayes men cannot be turned from their euill wayes if their hands bee strengthened in them and their hearts hardened Now here was the mischiefe and the woe that came by those false Prophets they strengthened mens hands and hardened their hearts in their euill wayes that they could not be saued Such is the mischiefe and the woe of scandals men cannot bee saued vnlesse they returne from their wicked way they cannot returne from their wicked way so long as their hands bee strengthened and woe to the world because of scandals for they strengthen the hands of the wicked and so make way for their fatall ruine Scandals are that to the World that those things were to the Iewes Rom. 11. 9. Let their table bee made a snare a trap and a stumbling blocke and a recompence vnto them When no meanes of grace will soften hard hearts and bring them to Repentance God in his Iustice disposes of scandals and they are made snares traps and stumbling blockes and a recompence vnto them that God may recompence them for their vnprofitablenes and by those scandals occasion them to harden their hearts to their ruine that would not bee softened vnto life It is otherwise to the World from the scandals and fals of Professors then it was to the Gentiles from the fall of the Iewes from Christ The fall of the Iewes was for the happinesse of the Gentiles Rom. 11. 11 12. Haue they stumbled that they should fall that is fall quite and cleane off God forbid But through their fall saluation is come vnto the Gentiles The fall of them is the riches of the world But now in scandalous fals of Professors into foule sinnes it is contrarie Thorough their fals damnation comes to many and they are the mischiefe miserie and vndoing of many And that on this manner God many times vouchsafes the meanes of grace and repentance to a people in those meanes striues a long time with them but striues in vaine Therefore he resolues thus My spirit shal striue no longer with them but since they will not they shall not be saued I will take a sure course for their damnation I am resolued they shall not be saued and because they shall be sure neuer to bee saued I will make sure they shall neuer be conuerted And that they may bee made sure for euer being conuerted I will take a course that they shall not vnderstand the word they heare with their hearts and that they may not vnderstand the word they heare I will take a course for the hardening of their hearts for the thorough hardening of their hearts some professour of religion shall fall into scandal and thereby shall their hearts bee hardened seuen fold more then euer they shall iustifie themselues in their sinnes and so by an hard heart shall put themselues out of all possibilitie of Conuersion and so out of all possibilitie of saluation How often would I haue had you risen and yee would not rise therefore now shall you fall into hell for he that â—ardens his heart shall fall into â—ischiefe Prou. 28. 14. That therefore yee may fall into a mischiefe and with a mischiefe yee shal be hardened and that you may fall into greater hardnes of heart some man shall fall into scandal his fall into scandal shall make way for a woe to fall vpon your heads His scandal shall harden you that hardnes shall make you fall into mischiefe And thus woe to the world because of offences because they come to stiffen and harden their spirits and as messengers of wrath to bind them sure hand and foote that they may be prepared to bee throwne out into vtter darkenesse Thus woe to the