Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	love_n	receive_v	unrighteousness_n	1,627	5	10.8118	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62865	Christs commination against scandalizers, or, A treatise wherein the necessitie, nature, sorts, and evils of scandalizing are clearly and fully handled with resolution of many questions, especially touching the abuse of Christian liberty, shewing that vengeance is awarded against such as use it to the grievance of their weake brethren / by Iohn Tombes ...	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1641 (1641)	Wing T1802; ESTC R1928	96,775	467

scandalized For as some are prone to lay stumbling blocks so others are as apt to stumble at them First Generally unmortified or prevalent corruptions dispose men to fall by scandals Silly women laden with sinne led away with divers lusts are easily deceived by those that have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power of it 2. Tim. 3. 6. And those that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse are not onely by Gods just judgement but also by their owne propensitie ensnared by signes lying wonders deceaveablenesse of unrighteousnesse and strong delusions to believe lies 2. Thessal 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. Corrupt qualities make men like straw or tinder the least sparke of evill example or counsell will set them on fire Yea bare objects if seen or heard of will overthrow them A voluptuous man shall not need to be invited to sports merriments c. Sponte sua properat he runnes of his own accord he will smell them out himselfe as a vultur doth a Carcase Even as sores of the body will draw corrupt humors to them so will vitious hearts make scandals to themselves Secondly In speciall some particular sinnes make some accidents to become a stumbling block to them Enmity against our Lord Christ his person impatience to be rebuked false opinions from example of others common conceit weaknesse from ignorance dulnesse to conceive mistakes of his speeches caused the Pharises and others to stumble at Christ and his words Math. 13. 57. Mat. 15. 12. Ioh. 6. 61. Ioh. 7. 3. 48. spirituall pride made the Iewes Rom. 9. 32. to stumble at Christ ignorance of their brethrens liberty made those weake ones mentioned Rom. 14. to stumble at their brethrens lawfull practise fearfulnesse of heart caused Peter and the Disciples to be offended upon Christs apprehension Mat. 26. 31. Even as a mist afore the eyes mistake of the unevenesse of the way hasty going a sudden weaknesse and many more such accidents may cause the body to stumble that otherwise hath not any setled debilitating sicknesse so in the minde many scandals may arise from alienations of minde mis-reportes mistakes c. both of them that are habitually depraved by a corrupt lust and also of them that are otherwise right hearted 3 Nor may we forget the agency or working of Satan in assigning the causes of Scandalls For he is the primus motor the first mover the incendiary in all these mischievous things It is his imployment to walke about seeking whom he may overthrow and devoure He hath a trap for a Iudas a snare for a Simon Magus a gin for Ananias and Sapphira And he wants not a stumbling block for a David a Peter or any of the best of Gods Saints And these he laies thick with much art and cunning baiting each with his peculiar baite that were it not for the wonderfull care of the Almighty by his preventing and sustaining grace no man could escape overthrow by them so that if we consider the second causes we see reason enough of the multitude of Scandalls Let us raise our thoughts higher from earth to heaven from second to the first from the subordinate to the supreme Cause and from thence we shall see a reason of the necessity of Scandalls The prediction of them by God proves the necessity of them for Gods prescience cannot be deceived But these following texts of Scripture doe import more then a necessity by prescience to wit a necessity by appointment or ordinance of Gods will And voluntas Dei est rerum necessitas it 's an axiom in the Schooles Gods will is the necessity of things Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they are appointed saith S. Peter 1. Ep. ch 2. 8. Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence Rom. 9. 33. God hath given them the spirit of slumber c. Rom. 11. 8. 9. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye 2. Thes. 2. 11. So that what ever be the way it is from God that Scandalls fall out and therefore there is a necessity of them But we may here aske with the Apostle Rom. 11. 11. Have they stumbled that they should fall Are scandals ordered by God onely for the ruine of men Doubtlesse no There are other ends aimed at by God in the event of scandals both in respect of him selfe of men In respect of himselfe he orders the happening of scandals to become subservient to the fulfilling of his owne counsell Pharoahs stumbling was made an occasion to shew Gods power Exod. 9. 16. and the disobedience of Hophni and Phinchas for the inflicting of Gods just vengeance 1. Sam. 2. 25. the unbeliefe of the Iewes the shewing mercy to the Gentiles Rom. 11. 31. 32. In all of them there is a depth of wisdome riches of knowledge in God who by unsearchable judgements and undiscernable paths brings his owne counsells to passe v. 33. Though wee know not how nor why God doth permit such pernicious evils as scandals in thēselves be yet the Almighty whose thoughts are above our thoughts whose waies are higher then our waies doth know This wee are to hold as certaine God lets nothing no not scandals to fall out without excellent though unsearchable wisdome for righteous and good though undiscernable ends And yet God doth not so conceale this matter but that wee so far know his minde that hee intends scandals as for the intrapping of false hearted disobedient persons so for the probation of thē that are sincere The wōders and signes of false Prophets and Dreamers of dreames were permitted sometimes to come to passe to try whether wee love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soule Deut. 13. 3. And oportet esse haereses there must be also heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest 1. Cor. 11. 19. And in the businesse of the Embassadours of the Princes of Babylon who sent unto Hezekiah to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart 2. Chron. 32. 31. So that one while God discovers a secret Hypocrite another while manifests the hidden corruption or weaknesse that is evē in a godly person Here he lets a stumbling block be the destruction of an obdurate sinner there it becomes to bee the witnesse of the faith obedience patience aud constancy of an upright believer S. Augustines saying is received in schooles Nisi esset hoc bonum ut essent mala nullo modo esse sinerentur ab omnipotente bono unlesse this were good that there should be evills they would by no means be suffered to be by the omnipotent good Nor is the laying of scandals lesse evill in man because God permits

the words of the second proposition of the Text. Parag. 2. That a woe belongs to scandalizers Parag. 4. Who are scandalizers and to what scandalizing woe belongs Parag. 5. What woe belongs to them Parag. 6. 7. Why a woe belongs to them Parag. 8. Application 1. to manifest the danger of scandalizers Parag. 9. To admonish them of their sinne Parag. 10. Directions to avoyd it CAP. 3. Of scandalizing in speciall by sinfull example Parag. 1. SCandalizing distributed into foure wayes Parag. 2. A woe belongs to them that scandalize by sinfull example Parag. 3. What actions of sinfull example doe scandalize Parag. 4. How they doe scandalize Parag. 5. Why a woe belongs to such Parag. 6. Application 1. to move them to mourne that scandalize by sinfull example Parag. 7. 2. To move men to take heed of scandalizing by sinfull example Parag. 8. 3. And others that they be not scandalized by sinfull example Parag. 9. Directions to prevent it CAP. 4. Of scandalizing in speciall by abuse of liberty in things lawfull Parag. 1. A Woe belongs to scandalizers by abuse of liberty in things lawfull Parag. 2. Reasons thereof out of S. Paules Epistles Parag. 3. The difficulty of this point and quaeres propounded to cleare it Parag. 4. Answer of the first quaere what are things lawfull and indifferent and what is our liberty in their use Parag. 5. What wayes our liberty in things indifferent may be restrained Parag. 6. The summary of the Apostles resolutions about scandall in the use of things indifferent delivered Rom. 14. Parag. 7. And 1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. Chapters Parag. 8. Quest. 1. Who are to avoyde scandalizing by abuse of liberty in things indifferent Parag. 9. Quest. 2. Scandalizing of whom by such abuse is to be avoyded Parag. 10. Quest. 3. Whether strong ones are obnoxious to such scandall Parag. 11. Quest. 4. Who are to be accounted weake ones not to be thus scandalized Parag. 12. Quest. 5. What evill consequent on our actiō makes scandalizing of this sort Parag. 13. Quest. 6. How long we are to forbeare our liberty for feare of scandall Parag. 14. Quest. 7. What foresight of scandall consequent is necessary to make a man capable of scandalizing this way Parag. 15. Quest. 8. Whether the restraint of our liberty for feare of scandall be universall Parag. 16. Quest. 9. Whether scandall may be by omission of the use of our liberty Parag. 17. Quest. 10. Whether a community or a Magistrate may be scandalized Parag. 18. Quest. 11. What we are to doe when there is danger of scandall one way and of disobedience to the Magistrate another way Parag. 19. Quest. 12. What we are to doe in case of scandall either by using or not using our liberty Parag. 20. Quest. 13. What we are to doe when the forbearing of our liberty indangers the losse of it Parag. 21. Quest. 14. What wee are to doe when there is danger of life by not using our liberty of scandall by using it Parag. 22. Quest. 15. What we are to doe when there is feare of scandall to some and hope of good to others by use of our liberty Parag. 23. Quest. 16. How farre we are to regard the scandall that ariseth from meer fancy without any probable reason Parag. 24. Application 1. To manifest the uncharitablenesse of scandalizers by abuse of their liberty Parag. 25. 2. To disswade them from this sinne with directions against it Parag. 26. 3. To admonish men that they be not scandalized by anothers use of his liberty and directions to that end CAP. 5. Of scandalizing in speciall by enticing practises Parag. 1. A Woe belongs to scandalizers by enticing practises Parag. 2. How men scandalize by enticing practises Parag. 3. Difference of scandalizers by enticing practises in respect of the part they act therein Parag. 4. Difference of scandalizers by enticing practises in respect of the motives which incite them Parag. 5. Difference of scandalizers by enticing practises in respect of the matter wherein they scandalize Parag. 6. The reasons of the woe due to this scandalizing Parag. 7. Application 1. To manifest the great guilt of scandalizers in this kind Parag. 8. 2. To admonish men to take heed of scandalizing this way Parag. 9. 3. And those that are apt to be scandalized CAP. 6. Of scandalizing in speciall by persecution Parag. 1. A Woe belongs to scandalizers by persecution Parag. 2. How beleivers are persecuted Parag. 3. How persecutions doe scandalize Parag. 4. What woe belongs to scandalizers by persecution Parag. 5. Application 1. To discover the danger of such scandalizers Parag. 6. 2. To deterre them from it Parag. 7. 3. To advise them that are in danger of being scandalized by persecutions CAP. 7. Of the aggravation of the woe belonging to scandalizers Parag. 1. THe explication of the third proposition in the text parag 2. Those that believe in Christ are little ones Parag. 3. Some lesse then others in spirituall gifts and graces Parag. 4. In power and dignity Parag. 5. Beleivers commonly lesse then others in the world Parag. 6. Little in their owne eyes Parag. 7. Application 1. To advertise us of the estate of beleivers in this world Parag. 8. 2. To teach beleivers contentednesse in a low condition Parag. 9. 3. To quicken their hope after Heaven Parag. 10. 4. To aggravate the sinne of scandalizing beleivers Parag. 11. That the woe due to scandalizers of beleivers is greater then any temporall death Parag. 12. Who are to be accounted beleivers in Christ. Parag. 13. Why so great vengeance is awarded to scandalizers of beleivers in Christ. Parag. 14. Application 1. To manifest Christs tender care over his people Parag. 15. 2. To teach us to commit our cause to him when we suffer for him Parag. 16. 3. To advertise scandalizers of the greatnesse of their sinne and punishment Parag. 17. 4. To deterre them from their sinne VAE SCANDALIZANTIUM Luke 17. 1. 2. 1 Then said he to the Disciples it is impossible but that offences will come but woe unto him through whom they come 2 It were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea than that he should offend one of these litle ones CAP. 1. Of the meaning of the Text and the necessity of Scandalls THe wordes of the wise saith Solomon are as goades and as nailes fastned by the masters of assemblies which are given from one Shepheard Such words are these the words of the wise even of him who is Wisdome it selfe given from one Shepheard even him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe only Shepheard and Bishop of soules to the masters of assemblies the holy Apostles to be as goades to provoke unto love and as nailes to fasten men in unity All the words of this preacher were acceptable words and although all are not written yet all that are written are upright even words of truth This present speech was conceived so usefull that two

offending them There 's not due the same tendernesse of offending an unbeliever or evill person as of a christian brother but as there is due to a christian brother a more affectionate love so likewise a more tender regard of not scandalizing him Servants are to bee carefull of not hurting their Masters cattle but most carefull of their children so ought christians to bee carefull of not offending evill men who are Gods creatures but most carefull not to offend the godly who are his children Yet that the resolution of this question may be more full I conceive that unbelievers or evill persons are differently considerable in this matter of not scandalizing them according to the diversity of their estrangednesse from the true faith or obedience For 1. there are some who though they yet professe not the truth nor shew themselves to be regenerate have yet some beginnings of affection to the truth we professe and the obedience we practise that are lesse vitious more inclinable to hearken to the truth then some others that begin to perceive some part of the truth As our Saviour said of the Scribe that answered him discreetly telling him that to love the Lord with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soule and with all the strength and to love our neighbour as our selves is more then all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices whereby hee shewed that he had not the dreggs of Pharisaisme in him which was to conceive themselves righteous by observing the outward ceremonies and duties of the law that hee was not farre from the kingdome of God Mark 12. 34. Now of such we are to bee tender that we scandalize not them by intempestive use of our liberty If a Nicodemus among the Pharisees be but a listner to his doctrine our Saviour thinks good not to reject him but to draw him on further if a Papist yet remaining in the Roman Church begin to mislike the Idolatry of that church their magnifying their owne merits c. and yet out of a reverend esteem though erroneous of the Church of Romes orders mislikes the eating of flesh on a friday Charity should make me rather forbeare in such a ones presence to eat flesh at such a time then to give occasion to such a one to count our religion licentious and thereby estrange him the further from the truth For sith a principall end of not offending our brother by the abuse of our liberty is that wee may seeke his profit that he may bee saved if in true judgement or our opinion the not scandalizing him would tend to that end we ought to forbeare out liberty that wee may not offend him It being a sure rule Finis dat mediis ordinem mensuram amabilitatem The end gives order measure and desireablenesse to the meanes thereto tending 2. Some unbelieving evill or unregenerate persons are further off from the kingdome of God being plaine and professed adversaries to the way of truth and righteousnesse but yet not out of wilfull malice but blinde zeale As the Iewes of whom the Apostle speaks that they had a zeale of God though not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. Now the scandalizing of such men is not so much to bee regarded as of the former because there is lesse likelyhood that our forbearing our liberty should alter their judgements or practise yet for as much as according to the nature of vehement persons out of ignorance though they bee impetuously carried in that they doe yet if they discover their errour they are as soone turned therefore it is probable that some yielding to them may win upon their affections and make way for such insinuation as may give opportunity to discover to them the truth we ought so far to abstain from our liberty as not to confirm them in hard conceits of the truth and so farre to please them in the use of our lawfull liberty as may serve to make way for the recovering of them out of errour As for example sake If wee should meet with a zealous Papist that never understood the truth of our profession but is an adversary to it upon misinformation of his Priest his parents acquaintance as that our religion is meere novellisme carnall licentious c. We ought so farre to abstaine from our lawfull liberty or to please him in a thing lawfull which he affects as in our apprehension we conceive may make way to our reducing him into the right way And this I find agreable to the Apostles resolution 1. Cor. 9. 19. 20. 21. 22. Though I bee free from all men yet have I made my selfe servant unto all that I might gaine the more And unto the Iewes I became as a Iew that I might gain the Iewes to them that are under the the law as under the law that I might gaine them that are under the law To them that are without law as without law being not without law to God but under the law to Christ that I might gaine them that are without law To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some Lively exemplifications of which professions were his practise of taking a vow on him related Act. 21. of his forbearing his power 1. Cor. 9. 18. 1. Thess. 2. 6. 9. wherein he did not shew hypocriticall policy like those that Proteus-like can transform themselves into any shape for evill purposes but serpentine wisdome joyned with dove-like innocency commended by our Saviour Mat. 10. 16. the end being not his own advantage but the salvation of others 3. Some are adversaries to the truth out of malice being setled therein by love of unrighteousnesse and hatred of righteousnesse The converting of these being in a sort desperate the scandalizing of them by the use of our liberty is not to bee regarded Our Saviours example Mat. 15. 14. is a sufficient rule to direct us in this case When the Pharisees were offended because of his doctrine that that which goeth into the mouth defiles not a man our Saviour bids let them alone sith they are wilfull and incurable Let them fall into the ditch T is true wee are bound by Gods law not willingly to provoke any to anger much lesse to provoke any greater sinne in him but rather to avoyde such things as may cause these evills But when we meet with such enemies as being wholly possessed by Satan are setled in their enmity against us and the truth we professe wee then are to be carelesse of offending them by enjoying our conveniency as knowing that our restraint may be uncomfortable to us and unprofitable to them A third question may be whether strong ones may bee scandalized by the use of Christian liberty Aquin. 2 a 2ae q. 43. art 5. propoundes this question whether passive scandall may befall the perfect and hee denies it alleaging a sayng of S. 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