Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Section 8
#Sect. 8. The Croſſe is ſcandalum datum, notwithſtanding there be no intent to drawe any ſinne thereby.
SEcondly, it will appeare, Sect. 8.that there is euen a ſcandalum datum in the Croſſe and the reſt of the ceremonies controuerſed, it not hindering (which ſome doe argue) there is no intent to draw any to ſinne by them. Firſt, who can thinke there be none in the land, that retaine and vrge their vſe, with an intent to drawe backe to Egipt againe? Is our church happier (eſpecially in theſe declining daies) then the church of Iſraell was in her growing tyme, in which there were found Egiptians many, which not well purged from old Idolatrie, tooke euerie occaſion, to ſolicit to a returne. Secondly, a man may intende to drawe to ſinne and ſuperſtition, other explicitè (which men for the moſt part doe not in theſe ceremonies) or a implicitè, num. 11.4.as a thing is intended in the occaſion and in the cauſe,uSomma. Silveſtrin. in verb ſcā dal. ſect. 2. of which intent they muſt be guiltie, who now doe vſe them. For example, he that intendeth to runne thorough a river, doth intend implicitè to durt and wet his feete. he that intendeth to touch pitch, doth intende implicitè to defyle his handes. ſhee that intendeth to come into the company of him, that is in louelove with her (neceſſarie buſines only excepted) doth intende implicitè to ſtirre vp louelove or luſt. ſo in caſe we intend to vſe the Croſſe, we muſt implicitè intende of neceſſitie, to durt and defile, and ſtirre vp popiſhe luſt. ſtande we a little vponupon this laſt inſtance. Is not the croſſe an harlot? ſuppoſe ſhe were but a bewtiful woman, that hath no neceſſarie buſines to doe in the ſervice of God (euen by our adverſaries owne confeſſion) in this caſe the Croſſes preſence it ſelfe is ſcandalous. This appeareth bybCypr. lib. de ſingular. clericor. Cyprian (or the author of that worke which is commonly imputed to him) omnis inconveniens ſodalitas mulierum, gluten eſt delictorum, & viſcus toxicatum, quod diabolus aucupatur. this appeareth by the canon lawe, which forbiddeth to prieſtes all cohabitation and preſence with woman, where no neceſſarie buſines intercedeth: becauſecDecret. pa. 1. diſtinct. 81. cap. 29. vbi talis fuerit commorantium cohabitatio, antiqui hoſtis ſtimuli, non deſunt. This appeareth by SaintdGregor. li. 7. epiſt. 39. Auguſtine, who would not dwell with his owne ſiſter, becauſe quae cum ſorore mea ſunt, ſorores meae non ſunt. as now the things which doe accompanie the Engliſh Croſſe, are not the Engliſhe Croſſe. This appeareth by the councells.eConcill. Turonic. 1. Can. 3. one of which thus, nullam clerici, cum exiraneis faeminis (and the Croſſe is a ſtrange women) habeant familiaritatem. quia frequenter per hanc indecentem occaſionem contingit, vt diabolus, qui in ſidiatur ficut Leo in cubili ſuo de ruinae ſeruorum Dei exultat. We read offCaeſar. Baron. anal. in. ann. 233 Alexander (after Biſhop of Comana) that being very bewtifull, hee became a Collier, ne alienis oculis, caſus & offenſiones materi…n praeberet. whoſe example if wee follow, we muſt remoue the Croſſes bewtie into ſome cole-houſe, which till it bee donne, there will bee a matter left behinde of ſtumbling to Gods people. Thirdly, an active ſcandall is not only given by a purpoſe to drawe to ſinne, but alſo when hauinggThm. Aquin. 2.2. queſt. 43. art. 1. reſponſ. ad 4. no intent a man doth that, which of it ſelfe is inductiue to it, becauſe not intentio operantis, maketh vp a ſcandalum datum only, but conditio operis alſo. And this conditio operis maketh ſcandalum datum, euen when it is the corrupt mind of the partie ſcandalized, that is cheefly in fault. whence ariſeth thathIbid. ſcandall, which is datum and acceptum, actiuum and paſsiuum alſo. In regard hereof it is nothing which ſome ſay, none is hurt by the ceremonies, but thorough his owne fault. for ſo it is granted, that there is nulla cauſa ſufficiens ſcandali, lIbid. in reſponſ. ad 3.but i propria voluntas, it ſufficing to a conditio operis ſcandaloſa that it do inducere aliqualiter, not as a cauſe, but as an occaſion, to wit, as cauſe imperfecte, ſuch as the ſigne of the Croſſe is in the higheſt degree: as euerie carefull man doth knowe in his experience that taketh knowledge of common courſes. Further, that this ſcandalous conditio operis ſhould inducere aliqualiter, as an imperfecte cauſe, it is not needfull it ſhould be an example of ſinne, it may doe this, though it be but amIbid. in reſponſ. ad 2. ſhewe of ſinne, a likenes of ſinne, a ſimititude of that which is ſinnefull, from which none without ſinne, can cleare the Croſſe, as hath been ſhewed elſewhere. Fourthly, the very hurtfull event it ſelfe that followeth of a thing indifferent, is enough to evict a ſcandalum datum, becauſe men being commaunded to forbeare all things indifferent, to avoyd offence, when hurt is known to come vſuallie of them, a ſcandall is given for the neglect of this dutie of forbearing. The ſcandall paſsiuum ſine actiuo, is that, which is guiltleſſe only, nowe this is only in nThom. Aqui. vb. ſub. art. 1. reſponſ. ad 4. Math. 15.12rectè factis: oMagdebu. Centur. 1. lib. 2. cap. 4 Col. 448.or as our writers vſe to ſpeake, quando impij offenduntur, in vera doctrina, & bonis moribus. as when the Phariſies are, offended with Chirſt, for doing of an neceſſarie dutie, if it be in facto non neceſſario that hurt riſeth, there it maketh a man guiltie, by whom after it ſhall be vſed. I come to the verie papiſtes themſelues, when Paule will eate no meat al while it offendeth, they interpret it de pThom. Aquin. vb. ſup. art. 8. reſpon. ad 3tali cibo which is not neceſſarie to bee eaten, not de tali which is needfull to preſerue life.qCaietan. in commē. ibid. art. 7 Euen the popiſh ſchoole then holdeth, that things not neceſſarie muſt all be forborne, rather then offence ſhould riſe. So Caietan, abſtinendūeſt etiam à bonis ſpiritualibus, non neceſſarijs, when ſcandall groweth out of them. To this tendeth, the decree of Gregorie, rGregor. li. 9. epiſt. 39.ſunt quaedam ſcandala, quae omninò deſpicienda ſunt: quaedum verò cum vitariſine culpa poſſunt, deſpicienda non ſunt, ne cum culpa ſeruentur, for aſmuch as hee holdeth a man giueth a ſcandall, when he doth that, which is not neceſſarie to be done, but may without fault bee omitted. Againſt this doctrine I finde there are two things obiected: Firſt, there issSumma. Silueſtrin. in verb. ſcandal. ſect. vlt. ſcandalum puſillorum, and there is ſcandalum Phariſcorum, and though for the weake mans ſake a thing not neceſſarie muſt be forborne, yet not for the Phariſies ſake that is malitious, whoſe, offence our Sauiour ſaith, is not to bee cared for. If this be all the warrant wee hauehave, not to forbeare in a thing indifferent for the malitious, then hauehave wee no warrant at all, becauſe the ſcandall (there) not cared for, is when the Phariſies are offended, at his abſtayning from their waſhings, and his preaching of true doctrine: both of which were neceſſarie duties for him to doe. Luk. 13.15. Mat. 12.7.And when he defendeth his healing on Sabbothes, and his Diſciples plucking eares, vponupon this reaſon they are duties of neceſſitie and of charitie, he plainlie inſinuateth, there is no defence for deedes vnneceſſarie, when the malitious are ſcandalized, when the thing was indifferent, doth he not forgoe his libertie to pleaſe them? as when hee payed tribute leaſt hee ſhould offende them, Mat. 17.27.although he knewe they were malitious? Herevpon Gregorie, tGregor. Cōcil. tom 2. pag. …99Quid eſt quod de ſcandalizatis, dicitur, finite illos: & alijs ne ſcandalizentur à Domino tributum ſolvitur, quod etiam non debetur? Quid eſt quod aliud ſcandalum eſſe permiſit. alijs veró venire prohibuit, Niſi vt nos doceret, & illa ſcandala quae non adpeccata implicant, contemnere, & ea quae placare ſine peccato poſſumus, modis omnibus mitigare They were malitious at Corinth and ſeekers of occaſion againſt Paule, that were likely to be offended by his taking of wages there, 1. Cor. 9.11.yet the thing being no neceſſarie dutie, he thinketh it his duteie to forbeare his power therein. The Heathens are malitious to take offence, when Chriſtians goe to Lawe for their owne, yet becauſe going to Lawe is not a dutie neceſſarie, it muſt be forborne, and Chriſtians rather muſt looſe their owne, 1. Cor. 6.7.then giuegive occaſion of ſcandall to them. The papiſtes are malitious nowe, if they doe rapere uBucer. in Cenſur. ca. 9. pa. 472.abſque data cauſa ſome accuſtomed ceremonie of ours to an approbation of their ſuperſtition, yet our writers doe affirme, that to prevent, this offence of theirs, we are to forbeare all ſuch things as are not neceſſarie in Gods ſervice, and ſuch as Chriſt himſelfe commaundeth. Secondly, it is obiected, that if we tender a reaſon for that which we doe in a thing indifferent, then the ſcandalum is ſedatum and we are guiltleſſe, though we doe what ſcandalizeth. This if it be true, then ſee we an ende of all the duetie of bearing with the11. Theſſ. 5 14. weake: of forbearing our2Rom. 14.16. owne libertie,31. Cor. 9.12. power, and41. Theſſ 2.7. authoritie in things indifferent for their5Act. 20.34. ſupportance: yea, an end of all the6Mat. 18.6.7. care, to prevent their offence, by giving themwCornel. Ianfenius in concord Euangelic. cap. 71. occaſiō aut condemnandi factum nostrum, aut illud imitandi, contra conſcientiam, which we hauehave ſoxAuguſt. de morib. Manickeor. lib 2. cap. 14. often, ſo ſeriouſlie, with ſo many reaſons, obteſtations, yea woes & threatnings, commaunded to vsus throughout the word, what needed Paule to write ſo much againſt the ſcandall of7Rom. 14.20. meates, and againſt the ſcandall of81. Cor. 8. Idolothius meates? this one precept might hauehave ſuffized, let the ſtrong giuegive a reaſon for his eating, the Nicholaitan giuegive a reaſon of his eating meates that are ſacrificed and there an end. Paule 91. Cor. 8. vlt. 1. Cor. 10.28proteſteth he will neuer eate meate as longe as he liueth, rather then offend a brother. Fooliſh Paule, what needeth this forbearāce, giuegive him a reaſon of thine eating and ſo eate on, omnia munda mundis. But hee, though he hath giuen many reaſons to them of Corinth, for the lawfulnes of taking wages: though he hath giuen diverſe reaſons, for the lawfulnes of all fortes of meates to them of Rome, yet neither will hee take wages himſelfe, nor ſuffer others to eate all meates, when others are offended. And what is that which hee writeth, Rom. 14. take and receaue the weake for their ſupportance? and not for controverſie of diſputation? For diſputing & reaſoning here, being oppoſed to ſupportance, is not a bare reaſoning condemned, which worketh ſupportance by forbearing? Further, when a Corinthian is told, this meat is ſacrificed to idolls, is he willed only to giuegive a reaſon, as to ſhew that it was bought at the ſhābles? or that in private vſe it was lawfull, & ſo to eate it? muſt he not forbeare it alſo? Once more, Ma…. 5.29.what need to pull out an eye, that offendeth, to cut off an hand that offendeth, as Chriſt preſcribeth, if in caſe a reaſon given, appeaſeth a ſcādal ſufficientlie? Is the croſſe as deare as an eye? the ſurplice as near as an hand vntounto vsus, with which ſo many are now offended, that vpō a reaſon givē they muſt ſtil remaine? when the eyes, & eares them ſelves of the churches, cānot be ſuffred to remayne in their places, although they give many ſufficient reaſons for their ſtaying in: and againſt theſe offenſive rites, which are ſo farre from being members, as that (indeed) they deſerue not to be called, ſo much as the humors or ſuperfluities of a body? But whoſoever is offended, after a reaſon is once given in a thing that is indifferent, we may hold him obſtinate? God forbid: for what if God deny vnderſtanding? what if peace and reſolution of conſcience? to receaue a reaſon is a poynt of ſtrength: he that is weak, hath this for a part of his weaknes, that he cā not receane a reaſon. The Romans hauehave receaued reaſons many, yet Paul doth nor hold them obſtinate, that doe not beleeue them, but willeth the meates be forborne, that doe offend them. We are willed to receaue the weak, & to beare with them, as we would that Chriſt ſhould receaue & beare with vsus. Now are we cō tented, that Chriſt ſhould caſt vsus off for obſtinate, Rom. 15.3.when wee receaue not all his worde, nor conſent to it, nor performe it? & what if the papiſtes condemne this vncharitablenes? ſure thus axCaietan. in Thom. Aquin 2.2 q. 43. a…. 7 Cardinall. whereas it is ſaide in the 7. article, touching the ſcādall of the weak, if after a reaſon givē, the ſcandall doe ſtill remayne, it ſeemeth to be of malice, you muſt note the Author doth not vſe [verbo aſſertiu e] [ſed opinatino] ſaying, it ſeemeth to be of malice. for it may fall out, that the weake are not capable of the reaſon that is rendered, either by reaſon of his former cuſtome, which maketh that to appeare diſcordant which is cōcordant with the truth, or for ſome reaſon which in his eyes is more apparant, or by reaſon of ſome ſuch like cauſe, & then it is not out of malice that he is offended, but out of ignorāce & infirmitie. So it appeareth by theſe premiſſes, that this firſt exceptiō of thoſe who acknowledge the hurt of the ceremonies healeth no ſore, to wit, that their hurt is not ſcandalum datum, but acceptum only.