The Drunkards Character, Section 206
§ 206.
AGaine,Object. some will alledge, we give offence to them that are without,Another objection answered. which is contrary to the Apostles precept, who saith, Give none offence, neither to the Iews, …or to the Grecians, nor to the Church of God, 1 Cor. 10. 32. as they will make a crooked staffe serve to beat a Dog, when a streight one cannot be found.
Nothing but ignorance is guilty of this scruple:Answ. for the offence is only taken, not given: and herein they pervert the Apostles words, touching offences, as Pharaoh's servants did the same word, when they said unto their Master concerning Moses, How long shall he be an offence unto us? Exodus. 10. 7. for he meaneth in that place, only such offences as are contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell, as he hath expounded his own meaning, Rom. 16. 17. And if nothing might bee done▪ whereat vvi…ked men are offended, then the vvord of God must not be preacht, nor his holy and divine precepts walked in, yea, Christ must not have come into the vvorld to redeem it, for he was to the Iews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishnes, 1 Cor. 1. 23 But all vvhichwhich God hath commanded must be done; and all vvhichwhich he hath left, indifferent, may be done, and none may, or ought to censure the doing of it. The precept is plaine, one believeth that he may eate of all things; and another which is weak eateth hearbs, saith the Apostle, and vvhat followes? let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not, condemn him that eateth; for God hath received him, Rom 14. 2. 3.
If I know the thing to be good, and that I doe it to a good end, what care I for their idle misconstruction? morally good actions must not be suspended, upon danger of causelesse scandall: in things indifferent and arbitrary, it is fit to be over-ruled by feare of offence: but if men will stumble in the plain ground of good; let them fal without our regard, not without their owne perill.
Now that the Cuckoe may acknowledg this for her owne egg, notwithstanding she hath laid it in the Doves nest; let the men of the world know, that it is not an offence given by us, but taken by them; yea, they first give an offence to us by their ungodlinesse, and after take the just reward of the same, namely, to be excluded our society for an offence: wherein they imitate Athanagor as, who (as Tully reporteth) would alwayes complaine of his punishment, but of his fault he would say nothing: or Adam, who was ashamed of his nakednesse, but not of his sin: wicked men are neither sensible of doing injury, nor patient in suffering for it. It's a rule of justice, that what men deserve, they should suffer: yea, in this particular case, Gods rule is, if thou take away the precious from the vile, thou shalt bee according to my word, Ier. 15. 19. And we would have them suffer this exclusion no longer, then till they deserve it no more: let them returne unto us, (doe as Themistocles, who being in his youth vicious and deboyst, afterwards made the world amends, by his brave exploits) and wee will returne unto them, keepe them company, account them true friends, good men: otherwise wee have an absolute prohibition from God himselfe, Ier. 15. 19. let them returne unt… thee, but returne not thou unto them. And good reason there is for it, in a musicall instrument, the strings that be out of tune, are set up, or set down to the rest; but the strings that bee in tune, are never stirred, nor medled with: though indeed I might have stopped their mouthes with this very question, whether is better to obey God, or humour sensual men? As our Saviour Christ stopt the high Priests mouthes, when they asked him, by what authority hee cursed the fruitlesse Figgtree; cast the buyers and sellers out of the Temple, &c. by demaunding of them, whether Iohns baptisme was from heaven or of men, Mar. 11. 29.
But in case they will not returne unto us, we had rather offend each of them once, then our selves every day. It is pity that ever the water of baptisme was spilt upon his face, that cares more to discontent the world, then to wrong God. They are unjust and ouer partiall, that will goe about to exact from us, that which we owe not, with more rigor then they will exactfrom themselves, that wch they owe.
And so I have given you the reasons, why such as are, or desire to be conscionable and religious▪ breake off company with them; and vindicated the most usuall exceptions against it. I will now make some use of the point; …nd so leave it for them to chew upon.