Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · 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, nor 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 vvicked 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. 1.2 3 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 Athanagoras, 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 unto 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 exact from 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; ond ſo leave it for them to chew upon.