Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 71
Now concerning the hurt or hinderannce of the life of the soule of man.
Quest. What are the things that hurt or hinder the life of the soule of man?
Answ. They are either such things as hurt and hinder the life of a mans own soule, or such as hurt and hinder the life of the soule of another, or the life of the soules of others.
Quest. What are the things that hurt or hinder the life of a mans owne soule?
Answ. Two things especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; his sinning against God,Pro. 6.32. Pro. 8.35. Ezech. 18.4. Rom. 2.5. and especially his liuing and continuing in any knowne sinne wilfully and obstinately, when a man liues in any knowne sinne, especially a grosse sinne, and goes on in the practice of it wilfully and obstinately, and will not bee reformed, hee thereby murders his owne soule,…it. 3.11. and is guiltie of selfe-murder in regard of his soule.
Quest. What is the second thing that doth hurt, or hinder the life of his owne soule?
Zach 7.11.12. Heb. 2.3. Reuel. 3.1.Answ. This; his carelesse neglecting, or his wilfull reiecting of the meanes that God hath ordained to saluation, for the beginning and continuance of spirituall life in the soule; as the Word preached or read, the Sacraments, Prayer, and the like; when a man doth carelessely neglect, or wilfully reiect these meanes of spirituall life, and of saluation, hee thereby murders his soule, and is guiltie of selfe-murder in respect of his s…ule.
Quest. How doe men carelessely neglect, or wilfully reiect the meanes of spirituall life and of saluation, and so murder their owne soules?
Answ. Three wayes especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Pro. 1.24. Pro. 28.9 Isai. 66.4. Ierem. 7.13. Act. 13.16. 1 Cor. 11.26.Answ. This; by not hearing the word of God preached ordinarily, and by not reading the Word of God, and other good Bookes, and by not vsing the Sacraments, Prayer, and the like, when they may, and when they ought to vse them.
Quest. What is the second way by which men doe carelessely neglect, or wilfully reiect the meanes of spirituall life, and of saluation, and so murder their owne soules?
1 King. 17.13.14. Ier. 25.4.5.6.7. Ier. 44.16.17. Ezech. 33.…1. Act. 7.51. Act. 18.6.Answ. This; by not yeelding to the Word of God truly and faithfully preached to them, and by resisting and withstanding the Spirit of God in the Ministery of his Messengers sent to them.
Quest. What is the third thing by which men doe carelessely neglect, or wilfully reiect the meanes of spirituall life, and of saluation, and so are guiltie of murdering their owne soules, or selfe-murder?
Ioh. 3.19. 2 Thes. 2.10.11 2 Tim. 4.3.4. 2 Pet 3.16.Answ. This; by giuing heed to fables and fancies, and not to the truth of the word of God in louelove to it, and by corrupting and peruerting the word of God.
Quest. What are the things that hurt or hinder the life of the soule of another or others?
Answ. They are either things common to all persons, that are of yeares and discretion; or things proper to superiours, and especially to Ministers.
Quest: What are the things common to all persons being of yeares and discretion, that hurt or hinder the life of the soule of another or others?
Answ. They are either such things by which men hinder one another or others, in the way of spirituall life and saluation, or such things by which men cause the fall or damnation of another or others.
Quest. What are the things by which men hinder another or others, in the way of spirituall life and saluation?
Answ. Two things.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; by giuing offence to another or others, either by word or deed, when a man either saith or doth any thing that giues an offence to another or others; and whereby another or others are occasioned to fall to sinne; he thereby hinders them in the way of spirituall life and saluation. Thus Peter was an offence to Christ though hee tooke it not. Mat. 16.23. Mat. 18.6.7.
Quest. How doe men giuegive iust offence to another or others, and occasion them to fall and sinne?
Answ. Two waies.
Quest: What is the first of those?
Answ. This; by leading an open wicked,Exod. 34.12. 2 Sam. 12.14. sinfull and scandalous life; when a man liues wickedly and scandalously, and so sinnes as that another or others may take notice of it, hee thereby giues them iust offence, and occasioneth them to sinne.
Quest. When doth an open wicked sinfull and scandalous life, and sinning so as others doe or may take notice of it, giuegive greatest offence and doe most hurt?
Answ. When it is either to to the iust offence of many,Pro. 29.12. 1 Cor. 5.2. 1 Sam. 2.17. 2 Sam. 12.14. as the whole Church or congregation; when a man that is of speciall note for place and calling, or for profession of Religion, liues wickedly and scandalously; or by some foule sin giues iust cause of offence.
Quest. What is the second way by which men giuegive iust offence to another or others, …at. 17.27. …om. 14.21. Cor. 8.9. &c. the end. Cor. 10.28.29and occasion them to fall and sin?
Answ. This; by abusing of Christian libertie in things indifferent vnseasonably, not in fit time and place and before fit persons.
Quest. Who are the persons before whom things indifferent may be vsed?
Answ. Such persons as are strong and more fully instructed in the doctrine of Christianity, and hauehave sound knowledge touching things indifferent; and are rightly informed touching the indifferency of those particular things that are vsed: that they are things neither good or euill in themselues or in their owne nature:Rom. 15.1. but may be vsed well or ill, and may also not be vsed well or ill.
Quest. Who are persons not fit to hauehave things indifferent vsed before them?
Rom. 14.1.2 3.13.20. 1 Cor. 8.9.10.11 1 Cor. 9.22.Answ. Such persons as professe the truth of Religion, and yet are weake in knowledge, and not so well instructed touching things indifferent: especially touching the indifferency of those particular indifferent things that are vsed.
Quest. Is the vse of things indifferent to be forborne in respect of all that are ignorant and not so well instructed touching the indifferency of them?
Answ. No; it is not in regard of such as are simply ignorant, it is to be forborne for a time, but in respect of such as are wilfully ignorant or malicious, and seeke aduantage against Christian liberty to ouerthrow it: the vse of things indifferent is not to be forborne. Leuit. 19.14. Mat. 18.10. Act. 16.3. Gala. 2.3.4.5.11.12.13. Peter by that fact of his hardened the obstinate Iewes whome he should hauehave withstood openly.
Obiection. Peter in that fact of his condescended to the weaknesse of the Iewes, and therefore therein he sinned not.
Quest. How is this to be answer…d?
Answ. Thus; Peters fact considered simply by it selfe was not a sinne, but the circumstances of it make it a sinn, in that he abstained not among the Iewes at Ierusalem, but at Antioch amongst the Gentiles, where a little before he had done the contrary: and he did auoid the scandall of the Iewes, but it was to the hardening of those Iewes who came to spie out the libertie of the Gentiles; and it was with greater offence to the Gentiles whom he constrayned by his example to doe like the Iewes. vers 14.
Quest. What if the Magistrate command the vsing of a thing indifferent not as part of Gods worship or as necessary to saluation; but as a thing indifferent may be commanded: may it then be forborne in regard of such as are simply ignorant of the indifferency of it?
Answ For a certaine time it may, so as it bee not with contempt of …he Magistrates au…hority, but only to yeeld to their weakenesse that are so ignorant: but altogether and at all times it may not be forborne: for men that so doe yeeld, not as they ought to the lawfull power of the Magistrate, and they giuegive him iust cause of offence and if others be off…nded; a man vsing it after a certaine time, they take offence vniustly, whe…e none is iustly giuen; and they are offended for doi…g of a lawfull thing and a duty,Mat. 15.12. as the Pharisees were with Christ.
Quest. What is the second thing by which men hinder another or others, in the way of spirituall life and saluation?
Answ. This; by daunting and discouraging another or others from a good and holy way;Pro. 12.18. Ezech. 13.22. when men seeke to daunt and discourage another or others from going on in the way of true holin…sse, by mocking, scoffing and deriding them; by threatning them, by punishing them for well doing and the like: they doe as much as in them is, hinder their saluation and become their soule-murderers.
Quest. What are the things common to all persons be…ng of yeeres and discretion, by which men cause the fall or damnation of another or others?
Answ. Foure things especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. This; by prouoking another or others any way to sinne: when men by bad counsell, by perswasion,Gen. 3.4. Num. 31.16. 2 Sam. 16▪ 21. Pro. 1.10.11.12 13.14. Isa 56.12. Mat. 27.20. or any way by word or deede doe excite and stirre vp, or draw on another or others to some euill; as to anger, to reuenge, to drunkennesse or the like: Thus Satan stirred vp Eua to sinne, and therefore is he said to be a murderer from the beginning. Iohn 8.44,
Quest. What is the second thing common to all persons being of yeares and discretion, by which men doe cause the fall or damnation of another or others?
Answ. This; by encouraging and heartning another or others in sinne;Iob 8.20. 2 King. 3.14. Ier. 23.14.17. Ezech. 13.22. as when men praise others when they doe ill, or doe openly countenance sinners and lewd persons.
Quest. What is the third thing common to all persons being of yeares and discretion, by which men cause the fall or damnation of another or others?
Psal. 50.18. Pro. 29.24. Isai. 1.23. Ephes. 5.7.Answ. This; by consenting to another or others, and by partaking with another or others any way in sinne, and in doing of euill.
Quest. What is the fourth thing common to all persons being of yeares and discretion, by which men cause the fall or damnation of another or others?
Answ. This; by sowing dissentions amongst men, and by stirring vp contentions, brawles and quarrels betweene parties; especially betweene such as by the bond of nature or grace, or any other neere bond are ioyned together: as betweene parents and children,Pro. 6.19. Pro. 10.12. brethren, husband, wife, and such like: this the Lord hateth: it comes from hatred.
Quest. How doe men sow dissentions and stirre vp contentions brawles and quarrels betweene parties, and so cause their fall or their damnation?
Leuit. 19.16. Pro. 11.13. Pro. 25.9.10. Pro. 26.20. Ezech. 22.9.Ans. Thus; especially by carrying tales betweene parties, and by disclosing both the secret intents and faults of the one to the other; for by that meanes men are stirred vp to contention: and many times on the hearing of a false tale, men doe rashly condemne the innocent, and so are caused to fall into a foule sinne.