Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	damn_v	meat_n	see_v	17	3	2.0843	3	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

not using them as arguing the affectation of Novellisme and singularity Against reason For sith scandall ariseth from the opinion that is had of a thing indifferent when the action of him that offendeth dasheth against it and it is undoubted that even godly men may have opposite opinions of things indifferent one thinking them fit another unfit one thinking them needfull another evill it is plaine in reason that it may so fall out that the doing or not doing of somthing indifferent may crosse the one or the other of the opposite opinions and so scandalize either the one or the other The resolution of Calvin Epist. 379. is right and good that a scandall of a few must not sway us in a thing not repugnant to Gods word Vbi major numerus pervincit where the greater part is on the cōtrary no not though it draw an evil consequence after it And in like manner may it be said ubi potior numerus pervincit where the better part is on the contrary as the governor the most wise learned and faithfull Christians Likewise consideration should be had to offend those rather whose offence is easier remedied or the consequēce of their scandall lesse pernitious then those whose offence is more hardly redressed or the consequence of their scandall more pernitious For in such cases prudence must rule our consciences to respect primarily the more considerable par to avoyd the more dangerous consequence A thirteenth question may be It may so fall out that either by the frequent or incommodious forbearing of the use of our liberty at some time our lawfull liberty may be so indangered that an opinion may thereby be setled as if it were unlawfull simply which we forbeare onely by reason of the feare of scandall or as if it were necessary which wee onely doe to avoyde scandall what is a christian to doe in this case Answ. The example of S. Paul is commonly by Divines produced as a resolution of this question We read Acts. 16. 3. that Paul tooke and circumcised Timothy to avoyd the offence of the Iewes though the law of circumcision and other legall ceremonies were then abolished and hee had liberty to omit it But hee tells us Gal. 2. 3. 4. that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised and that because of false brethren unawares brought in who came in privily to spye out our liberty which we have in Christ Iesus that they might bring us into bondage To whom saith he v. 5. We gave place by subjection no not for an houre that the truth of the Gospell might continue with them While the liberty of uncircumcision was unchallenged he did with security circumcise Timothy to avoyde offence but when the truth of christian liberty was challenged and endangered he would not yeild to doe the same to Titus From which practise avouched by S. Paul and therefore propounded by the holy Ghost as imitable by us this rule may bee safely inferred that when by use or disuse of our liberty the truth of our liberty is in danger to be impeached wee are then rather to put our selves on the hazard of scandall then to loose our liberty it selfe For it is a more pretious thing not to have our consciences in bondage or the truth impaired then can be countervailed by the pleasing of some men Truth is an unvalluble Iewell which wee are not to forfeit to win mens affections Praestat ut scandalum admittatur quam veritas amittatur is the approved rule of S. Augustine Better admit scandall then loose truth A fourteenth question may be whether if on the one side our life should be indangered by forbearing the use of our liberty and on the other side there be likely-hood of scandall if we use it is our liberty to bee used to save our lives or to be forborn to avoyd scandall Answ. It is a rule received which Aqu. 2 a 2ae qu. 43. art 7. cites as out of S. Hierome that that which may be omitted Salvà triplici veritatescil vitae justitiae doctrinae a threefold truth of life righteousnesse and doctrine being preserved ought to be omitted to avoyde scandall According to which exception it followes that wee are not to omit our liberty when our life is endangered And there is plain reason for it from the precedency of our selves among the objects of charity before others wee are to love others as ourselves not afore our selves 2. In respect of the greatnesse of the danger of loosing our life above the danger of scandall For 1. the danger of loosing life may be more certain in forbearing our liberty when naturall necessity requires us to use it then the event of scandall can be depending on the changeable mind and will of man 2. The evill of loosing life is plainely remedilesse life lost cannot be recovered by man but the evill of scandall is not simpliciter irremediabile simply remedilesse but that instruction advise example prayers may by Gods blessing restore the person scandalized If it were so that it were revealed by God that by using my liberty to save my naturall life I should inevitably cast my brother into everlasting fire surely charity bindes mee to loose my life rather then to damne my brother But this no man doth by using his liberty at least God reveales no such thing But what means the Apostle then 1. Cor. 8. 13. when hee saith If meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth least I make my brother to offend I answer The Apostles resolution is not to abandon all meat and dye to avoyd offence but to eat no flesh without which he might live And accordingly wee are to forbeare our conveniences and priviledges which serve us ad benè esse to our well-being but not our lives or lively-hood that is necessary ad esse simpliciter that wee may have a being A fifteenth question may be whether if there appear danger of scandal to some in using our liberty and likely-hood of opposite good to others by using it we are to forbeare it Ans. No For in this case the use of our liberty to that end is a duty as being a greater exercise of charity the scandall being not remedilesse unlesse by reason of a perverse mind which kind of scandall is not to be regarded A sixteenth question may be whether wee are bound to forbeare the use of our liberty to avoyde the scandall of our weake brother offended with our action as conceiving it evill without any probable ground Answ. I thinke not For there was probable ground of the evill of eating the Idolothytes 1. Cor. 8. and of the eating of the meates and neglect of dayes mentioned Rom. 14. And in reason if a mans conceit without shew of reason on meere fancy shall hinder me in the use of my liberty my liberty is no liberty in effect Besides if hee conceive ill of my action without some probable reasons

that besides the principall and immediate effect of scandals many other evills by breach of charity contentions schismes c. follow upon them which as they bring woe to the world so doth the woe brought on others justly rebound on the head of him that casts it For application of this truth 1. That which hath been said manifests unto us both the sinfulnesse and the danger of those that heed not their wayes to avoyde scandalizing of others that watch not over their words or actions least they cause others to stumble It is not to bee denied but that there are some who through overfearfullnesse of giving scandall doe omit things fit for them to doe which ariseth through want of knowing in what cases scandall is to bee feared in what not out of imprudence in not discernning the difference of persons This errour is the more pardonable in that it likely comes not out of an evil disposition but out of a tender conscience joyned with a weak understanding Nor likely doth it procure other hurt than the lessening of the esteem of the person scrupulous the exposing him to contempt and derision in some to pitty in others excepting when such scrupulosity causeth disobedience to the necessary commands of governours or breeds superstition or the like evils Yet this is an evill in that it is an errror and somewhat intrencheth on Gods prerogative in making that to bee sin which he hath not made sin and therefore is to bee shunned not to be cherished But such likely are but few The most of people mind and prosecute their pleasure profit credit preferment content c. but litle or nothing regard what scandall followes thereon many are of that impetuous resolutiō that they will have their sports not unlawfull in themselves though they will certainly occasion drunkennesse quarrelling blood-shed idlenes undoing of families and such like evils So that in a sort they resolve like unto that Pope who said that hee would have his dish of meat in spight of God so these are bent to have their sports in spight of their brethren yea and of God too that commands them not to offend their brethren And as men are affected to their pleasure so they are to their profits preferments credit ends yea their vaine customes So violent is the streame of their wills that they will have their course although they not only overthrow many lives and states but also drowne many soules in perdition Too too many are of Cains mind who when he was demanded of God where his brother was answered angerly Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper They care not whether they sinke or swimme their consciences be whole or wounded they stumble or goe upright they perish or be saved would it could be truely said that there were no ministers of the Gospell no Magistrates no Parents no masters that by their courses shew that they make light account of the stumbling of mens soules so they may have their will surely there should bee if there were any sparke of true charity in men a zeale to the good of their brethrens soules and accordingly of some to have compassion putting a difference and others to save with feare pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the slesh that it may not infect others Iude 22. 23. Knowing that hee which converts a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Iames 5. 20. But alas so great is the vitious selfe-love of men that for their owne pleasures profit preferment vaine glory and such like ends they draw innumerable soules into hell with them sometimes by perverting their faith sometimes by corrupting their devotions sometimes by vitiating their manners and yet as if they were all Popes no man must say unto them what doest thou To omit other instances of lesse account To maintaine the great Idoll of latter ages the Papall Monarchy What grosse superstitions have been maintained what practises have been devised and used to the seducing of whole nations of people holding them in blindnesse and superstition to their perdition yea to the reproach of the religion of Christ even by Iewes Turks and Infidels it were infinite to relate How carelesse many others are to scandalize milions of soules that they may attaine to or maintain secular greatnesse I forbeare to speak it being too manifest to the world All which dispositions and practises how damnable they be oh that men would consider that they may prevent the woe here denounced by our Saviour and take heed how they slight their brothers spirit lest they draw downe eternall vengeance on themselves from the Father of spirits and by valuing at so low a rate their brothers soule make the market cheap for their owne Wherefore in the second place we are to be admonished that as we are to look to our feet that we stumble not our selves so to take heed to our actions that they overthrow not others The Almighty hath forbidden in his law to curse the deafe and to put a stumbling block before the blind Levit. 19. 14. it being an unworthy and injurious thing to take advantage from weaknesse to hurt those whom humanity reason should cause us to helpe But it is a thousand times more injurious and cruell to lay a stumbling block before mens soules in as much as the danger of a soules falling is incomparably greater then the ruine of the body Surely he that hath any estimation of the preciousnes of a soule any love to it any compassion any sense of the evill of a soules perdition ought to be most tender of doing it any hurt ready to doe it any good Wherefore it concernes us to be watchfull over our words and actions appearing to men that they become not Scandalls We are to look heedily to our thoughts that we be not found hypocrites before God and to every action we doe that we may keep our peace with God But for a farther reason we are to look to those that are in the view of the world as it were on the stage We are to be carefull of our privy thoughts as knowing that God sees us and hates all uncleannesse in the inward parts But of our open actions we are to be carefull for a double reason because God sees them and men too so that we may not only grieve Gods spirit but also hurt mens soules if they be not right For as there be likely some who as Ieremiah speaks of himselfe Ierem. 20. 20. will waite for our halting if in any thing we stumble that they may reproach us so there are others whom we shall probably make to halt to their ruine if we cast any stumbling block before them Besides we may safely conceive that they are carelesse of their own soules that are not carefull to prevent the scandall of other mens soules and that in foveam incident quam foderint they shall by