The Cure of Church Divisions, Directions · Direction 24
DIRECT. XXIV.
Make conscience of scandalizing one party as well as another: and those most who are most in danger by your offence.
MAny persons pretend the avoiding of scandal, only to slatter one party and to preserve their own reputation and interest with that side which they are lothest to displease. And perhaps discern not the deceit of their own hearts in all this; but think that it is indeed the sin of scandal which they avoid. But why make you no conscience of scandalizing others, on the contrary side? Who perhaps are more in number, and whose salvation should be as much desired by you? The Papist perhaps will not deliver the Lords Supper in both kinds, nor will forbear his Image-worship, lest he offend the Roman-Catholicks: But he careth not much that by so doing he offendeth the Protestants and other Churches; Nor that his Images are a scandal to all the Mahometans, and keep them from the Christian faith. And thus every sect saith; If you do this or that, you will scandalize and offend many good people: Meaning their own side: But they …ever regard how many others they shall really scandalize by the contrary: One saith, It is scandalous to use extemporary prayers; And another saith, it is scandalous to pray by forms and books: And both sides usually mean no more, but that their own party will be displeased and take it for a sin. But as he is not scandalized by me, who only taketh my action to be a sin; but he that is ensnared by it in any sin himself; so whether it be displeasing or tempting that you mean, you must regard one side as well as the other. The heavenly wisdome is without partiality and without hypocrisie. Jam. 3. 17.
And usually they talk most against scandalizing those whom they account to be the lest: And the best are least in danger of sinning. And so they accuse them to be the worst, or else they know not what they say. For suppose a separatist should say, If you hold communion with any Parish minister or Church in England, it will be a scandal to many good people! I would ask such a one why call you those good people that are easily drawn to sin against God? Nay that will sin because I do my duty? He will say, No, they will not sin, but they will take it to be your sin, and they will be troubled at it? I must answer him, you talk of scandal, and know not what scandal is: scandal is not troubling men, nor making them take me for a sinner; but occasioning them to sin themselves by some unlawful or needless act of mine. Therefore if you know what you say, you make the separatists almost the worst of men, that will sin against God because another will not sin: yea if they would but sin, because another sinneth it were bad enough. I would ask you therefore, whether you take not the people of the Parish Churches to be more than you? and to be worse than you? If you took them not for much worse than your selves, you would not separate from them. And if you do think them worse, you must think that they are more in danger of sinning, or being turned from the liking of godliness and of the Gospel. And if so, then we are bound to be more afraid of giving scandal to them than unto you. Are not men most afraid of overthrowing the children and the weak, rather than those that are stronger than themselves? If you are apter to sin and turn from Christ than the people of the Parish Churches, we should rather separa…e from you than from them. If not, we must more take heed of scandalizing them than you.
Obj. But Christ pronounceth a …o to them that offend his little ones.
Answ. If by [offending them] be meant only persecuting and hurting them as many think, then it is nothing to the question in hand. For I hope communicating with others is not a persecuting you▪ And bare [displeasing them] it is certain that the text doth not mean at all. But if by [offending them] be meant scandalizing them, that is, laying snares before them, whether by fraud or persecution, to turn them from Christ, and draw them to sins, then it confirmeth all that I say: And the term [little ones] conteineth the reason of the words: Because as little children are easily overthrown & easilier deceived, so the young & weak believers of little faith, are most in danger of being turned away from Christ, or ensnared in any sin or errour. And therefore if you think the Parish Churches to consist of weaker persons than your selves, the woe is to you or us if we offend them.
The truth is, offending and giving scandal, is commonly taken in the Gospel, for any action (which is not our necessary duty) by which either Heathens and In…idels and enemies to Christ, are like to be drawn to harder thoughts of the Christian faith; or any wicked man is like to be kept from a godly life; or else by which the young ungrounded and unsetled sort of Christians, may be tempted to turn back and forsake the faith which they have professed, or fall into any dangerous sin. And therefore seeing the separatists profess to be setled in the faith already, and many in the Parish Churches are weak, and many averse to some duties of Religion, and more in danger of being turned away, we are bound to be much more afraid of giving scandal to the Parishes, than to the separatists.
Obj. But Christ cared not for offending such perverse ones as Herod or the Pharisees?
Answ. Christ feared not to displease the greatest, when it would be done by doing good: No more must you or they be pleased by our neglect of any duty. But Christ was against laying any trap before either Herod or the Pharisees, to make them sin.
And it is not your censure of others that will warrant us to use them as Reprobates, forsaken of God. If every man that can be uncharitable enough, to call his neighbours Pharisees or enemies of Christ, without proof, shall keep us from communion with them, then the worse any man is, the more he shall be Lord of all other mens consciences.