A Treatise of Scandalizing, Treatise · Chapter 1

A Treatise of Scandalizing · Treatise · Chapter 1

p. 2CAP. 1.

Of the meaning of the Text, and the necessity of Scandalls.

THe wordes of the wise (saith Solomon) are as goades, § 1. Eccl. 12. 11 The speaker and occasion of the words.Eccl 12:11and as nailes fastned by the masters of assemblies: which are given from one Shepheard: Such words are these: the words of the wise, even of him who is Wisdome it selfe, given from one Shepheard, even him who is foreign, the chiefe & only Shepheard, and Bishop of p. 3soules to the masters of assemblies, the holy Apostles, to be, as goades to provoke unto love, and as nailes to fasten men in unity. All the words of this preacher were acceptable words, and although all are not written, yet all that are written are upright, even words of truth. This present speech was conceived so usefull, that two of the Evangelists have preserved the first part: S. Luke here, and Saint Mathew Ch. 18. 7. and three the latter part: S. Luke here, S. Matthew with some inversion of the order used by S. Luke, and Saint Marke, p. 4ch. 9. 42. The occasion of this speech is distinctly related by S. Matthew, to wit, the disciples disceptation about preeminence; to decide which controversie our Saviour sets before them a litle child, as an embleme of humility, and upon this text reads a lecture to them, of which these words are part, S. Marke ch. 9. 39. inserts another accident, to wit, S. Iohns forbidding some that were not in Christs retinue, to cast out Divels in his name, togither with our Saviours reply. Saint Luke ch. 9. v. 46. &c. relates the same accidents, but not this part of his p. 5course in this place. In which it is in vaine to seeke for connexion. That which Maldonate hath observed is right, that the occasion is plainly set downe, and the order right in S. Matthew; here in S. Luke the words are put loco alieno in another place.

These two verses in S. Luke doe containe three Categorical propositions:§ The partition of the text. in S. Matthew there is a fourth put before two other, which is, woe to the world because of offences: which because my text omitteth I shall let it passe. Of the three propositions in S. Luke, the first is Modall, p. 6and declareth the necessity of Scandalls: It is impossible but that offences will come: the second foretells the wofull condition of Scandalizers: woe unto them through whom they come: the third v. 2. aggravates that woe to them that Scandalize one sort of persons called little ones, by an uneven comparison of their woe with a lesse, but a very grievous one:§ 3. The explication of the word Scandall in the proper acception. It were better &c.

To begin with the first proposition foreign is as much as foreign, in Saint Matthew foreign, is as much as foreign often used by Aristotle as p. 7equivalent to foreign: and it doth here void an unavoidable necessity. And foreign is as much as foreign or foreign, to be or happen. That which most requires explication is the word foreign translated offences: which word is originally a greek word, but by use taken into our English language, as it is into the Latine & other tongues: it is very frequent in the new Testament: Greek Grammarians tell us that originally foreign signified some part of a trap made to kill or catch wild beasts: Hesychius in his Lexicon, foreign, Scandall, a p. 8part of mouse-traps. The Greek Scholiast on Aristophanes his Acharn: Lexic. in voce foreign.and Suidas after him tell us that foreign, were certain crooked peeces of wood, unto which wild beasts coming (because the bait was thereunto fastned, say some) did cast downe on themselves, or cast themselves upon some frame of wood, by which they were hurt, killed, maimed, or made halte and so caught: and therefore they derive these words foreign, from halting which hapned to the basts that dashed on them. Such accidents the Prophet Isaiah intimates p. 9to follow on the putting of foreign Isay. 8. v. 15. where foretelling that Christ should be foreign translated by S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. 7. foreign he tells us that many shall stumble and fall, and be broken and be snared, and be taken: But what ever the originall of the word be, certain it is, that in the new Testament it is Synonymous to foreign, that at which a man dasheth his foot, as Rom. 14. 13. S. Paul puts these two words as of the same sense, Rom. 11. 9. foreign is used as equivalent to foreign & foreign, which signify a snare or toyle, by p. 10which in hunting wild beasts are taken. By which words the Hebrew words foreign from foreign to fall (to which foreign most aptly answers) and foreign and foreign used Psal. 69. 22. Isai. 8. 14. 15. which signify a gin, or snare, are rendred by the Apostle. Out of that which hath bin said, we may easily perceive that a Scandall in the notatiō of the word signifies such a block, piece of wood, stone or the like, at which a beast or man dashing or hiting themselves fall or otherwise catch harme, as by bruising maining, halting or the like.

p. 11Scandall then properly is applied to that wherby the body is hurt the laying of which is forbidden Levit. 19. 14.§ Scandall in the Scripture use. and therefore a woe belongs to him that laies it. But here doubtlesse our Saviour means not such a stumbling-block as hurts the body, but (as it is commonly translated to signify) such a one as whereby the mind or soule is harmed. Now the harming of the mind is by causing griefe, and so Rom. 14. 15. foreign is grieved, is as much as foreign is scandalized, or stirring up anger, displeasure, enmity, as whē our Saviour saith Math. p. 1217. 27. foreign that we may not scandalize them, that is, we may not provoke them to anger or enmity against us. But chiefly the mind or soule is harmed by committing sin, as the action of him that sate at meat in the Idols temple became a Scandall in emboldning others to cōmunicate with Idolaters in Idol-service 1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. and Balaam is said to teach Balac to lay a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to Idols, and to commit fornication, Revel. 2. 14. which hurt of the soule is by laying it open to Gods wrath, and by defiling p. 13and wounding the conscience: And here is to be noted, that whereas in common use to offend is as much as to displease, in the Scripture use he is said to be offended who is induced to sin, though he be pleased thereby: so that to offend, is not onelyonly to displease, but also to harme the soule even by pleasing. Now this laesio animi, hurting of the minde is sometimes by a meere object without, at which the person offended dasheth himselfe, and hurteth his soule, the thing which is the scandall acting nothing to move the person to harme p. 14himselfe, which therefore may not unfitly bee called an objective scandall. Thus images, silver and gold are termed,Ps. 69. 23.Ps 69:23 Ezek. 7. 19.Rom. 11. 9Rom 11:9 The stumbling block of mens iniquity. So was the Babylonish garment to Achan, Bathsheba's nakednesse to David, the Altar of Damascus to Ahaz, &c. Such are to many others a glasse of wine, a wanton picture, a book of Magick, and the like. Now in this sort of scandall it is the person hurt that scandalizeth himselfe, as being active therein: and therefore most truly the scandall is in himselfe. In which respect S. Iohn 1. p. 15Epist. Ch. 2. v. 10. tels us that hee that loveth his brother abideth in the light, foreign, and a scandall is not in him, that is, hee doth not make his neighbours prosperity his brothers preferment, &c. to be a stumbling block to him to make him covetous, envious, &c. For the antithesis, v. 11. and the coherence of the text shew it to be meant not of scā dall, whereby through defect of love a mā causeth another to stumble, but of scandall whereby a man may cause himself to fall for want of light in himselfe. And to the same purpose it is said in p. 16that parallel place, Psal. 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy law, foreign and there is no stumbling blocke to them, that is, by reason of their adhering to Gods law, outward objects become not scandall to them.

2 Sometimes the hurting of the soule is by the action of another,§. Of the sorts of effective scandall. which I therefore call effective scandall, as Ieroboams setting up the golden Calves was a scā dall to Israel: Davids sin a scandall in causing the enimies of the Lord to blaspheme. Now such actions may bee scandall p. 17three waies. 1. In potentia, in possibility onelyonly, when the action is in it's nature scandalous, or in the intention of the agent, but not so in the event, because of the stedfastnesse and uprightnes of the person tempted. So was the action of Iosephs Mistris to Ioseph. Peters persuasion to our Lord Christ, Mat. 16. 23. and this is termed Scandalum datum, sed non acceptum, given but not taken. 2. Inactu, actually. In the event, but not frō the nature of the action, or intent of the agent, but by accident by reason of the erroneous judgement, or evill disposition p. 18of the person scandalized, as Christ's preaching of eating his Flesh, and drinking his Blood was a scandall, Iohn 6. 60. 61. and the preaching of Christ crucified is to carnall men. 1. Cor. 1. 23. and is termed Scandalum acceptū sed non datum, a scandall taken though not given. 3. Inactu & per se, actually in the event, and of it selfe, that is from the nature of the action, as in Davids sinne, 1. Sam. 12. 14. Or intent of the agent, as in Balaams fact, Rev. 2. 14. In Ieroboam's fact, 1. Kings 12. 29. 30. and this is termed, Scandalum datum & acceptū: p. 19a scandall both taken and given.

Now although I conceive our Saviour intended specially this last sort of Sandalls in this place,§. 6. The necessity of scā dals. they being the scandals by which a woe comes to the world, and a woe belongs to the authors of thē, yet I know no absurdity in it to extend this proposition in the handling of it to all those sorts of scandalls, by which the soules or minds of men are hurt. According to which the sense is this. It is impossible or it cannot bee otherwise, but that mens minds or soules will bee hurt with displicency, p. 20griefe, anger, enmities, sinns occasioned by outward objects & actions of men, which either by accident, or of themselves become scandalls to them. So that our Saviours assertion is in briefe this: That while men live on earth there will certainly be offences and scandalls to the harm of mens soules. When our Saviour tels us, Mat. 13. 41. That in the Consummation or end of the world, the sonne of man shall send his Angells, and they shall gather out of his kingdome foreign all scandalls, hee doth plainely intimate that till p. 21then there will bee scandals even in his Church; that the Church in it's present condition on earth is but as a field in which wheat and tares grow together, scandals and good example: that it is a mixt company of good and bad; wise, and foolish; weake, & strong; and therefore scandalls will arise.§. 7. In respect of scandalizers.

This necessitie of scandalls is. 1. In respect of the second causes. 2. In respect of the first & supreme cause of al things. The second causes are, 1. The persons scandalizing. 2. Scandalized. 3. Satan, who hath ever p. 22a finger in all mischievous things. 1. A necessity of Scandalls is from Scandalizers; first, in generall from vitiousnesse of life which every where abounding makes scandals to abound. All sin against God is venemous: it being the very poyson of the old Serpent. And all open sins are like the Basilisk infecting those that come within the sight of them, unlesse well fenced with Antidotes. It is so connatural to men, that they are ready not onelyonly to take, but even to suck in the infection. Faciles imitandis turpibus ac pravis omnes sumus. In opē p. 23sins scarse any man sins alone: specially if their persons bee eminent either in authoritie, dignitie, or any other reputed excellencie: One Ieroboam is sufficient to make a whole kingdome to sin: the prophanenesse of one Hophni is enough to cause a whole Church to abhorre the offerings of the Lord. And if persons be not scandalized with infectiou of open sinnes; yet doubtlesse they will be with griefe of minde; so that one way or another all open sins sinnes will beget scandalls, and therefore such sins being so many and so certaine, it cannot bee but that duplicate page p. 22duplicate page p. 23p. 24there should bee an innumerous brood of scandalls. 2. But besides vitiousnesse of life in generall; there are some speciall evills by which scandalls are multiplied. As 1. by malice. There are that doe data opera of set purpose lay snares for their brethren. It is the delight of some to be Satans agents to harm the soules of their brethren, they sleep not except they have done mischiefe, and their sleepe is taken away unlesse they cause some to fall. Prov. 4. 16. Balak hires Balaam, Balaam deviseth and teacheth Balak to lay a stūbling block before the p. 25children of Israel, Rev. 2. 14. Ionadab the sonne of Shimeah directs Ammon how to commit Incest with his sister, 2. Sam. 13 5. And these promoters of scandalls are likely none of the dullest, but the most active and subtill: Satan hath wit enough to choose the ablest instruments for his purpose. They use craft, eloquence, diligence us que ad extremum virium, to the utmost of their power to further evill. So devoted they are to the divells service that he can have them ready to serue his turne at small wages, magna merces quieta movere. It's wages enough p. 26for thē to doe hurt. Their own disposition makes them active of their own accord. And this cause must needs be a fruitfull mother of scandalls. Secondly, proud contempt of their brethren causeth many scandalls: while men sleight the harme of their brethren, that they may have their own wills: As those, Rom. 14. 3. that despised thē that did not eat as themselves & those whose knowledge puffed up, as the Apostle speakes, Cor. 8. 1. Thirdly, Imprudence in many causeth scandalls: for so it may bee that men may by their speech and actions scandalize through p. 27ignorance, as S. Peter did Mat. 16. 23.

2 Nor are scandalls more avoidable,§ 8. Of persons Scandalized. if wee consider the qualities of persons scandalized. For as some are prone to lay stumbling blocks, so others are as apt to stumble at them. First, Generally unmortified, or prevalent corruptions dispose men to fall by scandals. Silly women laden with sinne, led away with divers lusts, are easily deceived by those that have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power of it. 2. Tim. 3. 6. And those that receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, but have p. 28pleasure in unrighteousnesse, are not onelyonly by Gods just judgement, but also by their owne propensitie ensnared by signes, lying wonders, deceaveablenesse of unrighteousnesse and strong delusions to believe lies. 2. Thessal. 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. Corrupt qualities make men like straw or tinder, the least sparke of evill example or counsell will set them on fire. Yea bare objects if seen or heard of will overthrow them. A voluptuous man shall not need to be invited to sports, merriments &c. Sponte sua properat, he runnes of his own accord, he will smell them p. 29out himselfe as a vultur doth a Carcase. Even as sores of the body will draw corrupt humors to them, so will vitious hearts make scandals to themselves.

Secondly. In speciall some particular sinnes make some accidents to become a stumbling block to them. Enmity against our Lord Christ his person, impatience to be rebuked, false opinions from example of others, common conceit, weaknesse from ignorance, dulnesse to conceive, mistakes of his speeches, caused the Pharises and others to stumble at Christ and his p. 30words. Math. 13. 57. Mat. 15. 12. Ioh. 6. 61. Ioh. 7. 3. 48. spirituall pride made the Iewes Rom. 9. 32. to stumble at Christ: ignorance of their brethrens liberty made those weake ones mentioned Rom. 14. to stumble at their brethrens lawfull practise, & fearfulnesse of heart caused Peter and the Disciples to be offended upon Christs apprehension. Mat. 26. 31. Even as a mist afore the eyes, mistake of the unevenesse of the way, hasty going, a sudden weaknesse, and many more such accidents may cause the body to stumble, that otherwise p. 31hath not any setled debilitating sicknesse: so in the minde many scandals may arise from alienations of minde, mis-reportes, mistakes &c. both of them that are habitually depraved by a corrupt lust, and also of them that are otherwise right hearted.

3 Nor may we forget the agency or working of Satan,§. 9. Of Satan. in assigning the causes of Scandalls. For he is the primus motor, the first mover, the incendiary in all these mischievous things. It is his imployment to walke about seeking whom he may overthrow and devoure. He hath a trap for a Iudas, p. 32a snare for a Simon Magus, a gin for Ananias and Sapphira. And he wants not a stumbling block for a David, a Peter, or any of the best of Gods Saints. And these he laies thick, with much art and cunning, baiting each with his peculiar baite, that were it not for the wonderfull care of the Almighty, by his preventing and sustaining grace, no man could escape overthrow by them: so that if we consider the second causes we see reason enough of the multitude of Scandalls.§ 10. Of God.

Let us raise our thoughts higher, from earth to heaven, from p. 33second to the first, from the subordinate to the supreme Cause, and from thence we shall see a reason of the necessity of Scandalls. The prediction of them by God proves the necessity of them, for Gods prescience cannot be deceived. But these following texts of Scripture doe import more then a necessity by prescience, to wit, a necessity by appointment or ordinance of Gods will: And voluntas Dei est rerum necessitas, it's an axiom in the Schooles, Gods will is the necessity of things: Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, p. 34even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they are appointed, saith S. Peter. 1. Ep. ch. 2. 8. Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence. Rom. 9. 33. God hath given them the spirit of slumber, &c. Rom. 11. 8. 9. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lye. 2. Thes. 2. 11.Ezek. 3. 20.Ezek 3:20 So that what ever be the way, it is from God that Scandalls fall out: and therefore there is a necessity of them.

But we may here aske with the Apostle,§ 11. For what ends ordered by him. Rom. 11. 11. Have they stumbled that they should fall? p. 35Are scandals ordered by God onelyonly for the ruine of men? Doubtlesse no: There are other ends aimed at by God in the event of scandals, both in respect of him selfe, & of men. In respect of himselfe he orders the happening of scandals to become subservient to the fulfilling of his owne counsell. Pharoahs stumbling was made an occasion to shew Gods power, Exod. 9. 16. and the disobedience of Hophni and Phinehas for the inflicting of Gods just vengeance, 1. Sam. 2. 25. & the unbeliefe of the Iewes, the shewing mercy to the Gentiles, Rom. 11. 31. 32. p. 36In all of them there is a depth of wisdome, riches of knowledge in God, who by unsearchable judgements and undiscernable paths, brings his owne counsells to passe, v. 33. Though wee know not how, nor why God doth permit such pernicious evils as scandals in thē selves be, yet the Almighty whose thoughts are above our thoughts, whose waies are higher then our waies doth know. This wee are to hold as certaine. God lets nothing, no not scandals to fall out without excellent, though unsearchable wisdome, for righteous and good, though undiscernable p. 37ends? And yet God doth not so conceale this matter, but that wee so far know his minde, that hee intends scandals, as for the intrapping of false hearted disobedient persons, so for the probation of thē that are sincere: The wō ders and signes of false Prophets, and Dreamers of dreames were permitted sometimes to come to passe, to try whether wee love the Lord our God with all our heart, & with all our soule. Deut. 13. 3. And oportet esse haereses, there must be also heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest, 1. Cor. 11. 19. And p. 38in the businesse of the Embassadours of the Princes of Babylon, who sent unto Hezekiah to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart, 2. Chron. 32. 31. So that one while God discovers a secret Hypocrite; another while manifests the hidden corruption or weaknesse that is evē in a godly person. Here he lets a stumbling block be the destruction of an obdurate sinner, there it becomes to bee the witnesse of the faith, obedience, patience aud constancy of an upright believer.Enchir. ad Laur c. 96. S. Augustines p. 39saying is received in schooles, Nisi esset hoc bonum ut essent & mala, nullo modo esse sinerentur ab omnipotente bono: unlesse this were good that there should be evills, they would by no means be suffered to be by the omnipotent good. Nor is the laying of scandals lesse evill in man, because God permits them to be for righteous & good ends. For however they bee ordered by good intendmēts in God, yet they proceed from evill principles in men: and therefore are no whit the lesse vitious in men, because by accident to their intentions good is willed by God. p. 40As when it is said of Iosephs brethren, Gen. 50. 20. they thought evill against him, though God meant it unto good, their sin was not the lesse because Gods goodnesse was the greater.§. 12. The application. 1. To iustifie religion notwithstanding the scandals of the professors of it.

For application of this truth. 1. From hence we may frame some answer to those that accuse religion by reason of the Scandalls that are given by them that professe it. If Scandals fall out among Protestants, presently the Papists inferre, that we are not the true Church, the Separatist that we are but an Antichristian Synagogue, the Libertine, and p. 41Carnall worldling, that those that professe more piety, then themselves affect, are but a sort of hypocrites. As if where there fall out any dissentions between the Teachers, any evill practises in the Schollers, there could be no true doctrine, nor good men, nor holy society. But these inferences are indeed nothing else but the unjust accusations of malitious minds. For if malice did not blind them, they might by the same medium conclude against themselves, there being no sort of men among whom evill practises doe not happen. Even p. 42among the disciples of Christ there was a theefe, in the first Church of Christians there were a paire of Sacrilegious hypocrites, in the best Churches there were dissentions, variances, and Corruptions. The worst that can be hence inferred is that no Church on earth is pure without mixture of drosse, that wheat and tares grow together untill the harvest. They that imagine a Church on earth without Scandalls in life, without corruption in discipline doe but fancy an Vtopia, an Idea of a Church in their braines, which neither is p. 43nor ever will be in rerum naturâ. We have wherewith abundantly to justify our Religion and Church notwithstanding the accidents of Scandalls, in that they are condemned in our doctrine, punished in our governement, disclaimed by most, practised by few. But that they are necessary, by reason of mens corruptions, and Satans working even where there is true religion, true Church, true Godlinesse, it's enough to answer them, that from the event of Scandals would argue, that our Religion is not true, or our Church false, or p. 44our piety hypocrisy.

2 A better use of this point is to take occasion to acknowledge & magnify the wise and gratious providence of God in ordering of Scandalls.§. 13. To magnify the providence of God. That there should be multitudes and multiplicities of Scandals in the world, that every where Satan should, I say not lay, but sow, and that thick too, snares and gins to catch the Saints by the heeles, that over and besides the world, both good and bad should cast stumbling-blocks in our way, either wittingly or by imprudence, & withall naturall corruption be so apt to be busy with p. 45them, and yet the Saints escape hell, get to heaven, sometimes without any dangerous falls, sometimes without any wounds, this is the admirable and gratious providence of God alone. It's a thousand times more then to passe by the mouth of a hundred pieces of ordinance discharged against a man, and yet be unhurte, to break through the host of Philistins with safety, to walk on high pinacles & not to fall downe headlong, to saile in the most rough and dangerous seas, to shoote the most perilous gulfs, and yet arrive in safety at the haven. p. 46The Psalmist Psal. 107. extolles the immense goodnesse of God in his preservation of men from many dangers: but none of them all is equall to this of the delivery of his people from Scandalls, & therefore none deserves greater thanks: on the other side, that the Almighty so orders it, that the obdurate sinner is insnared by Scandalls to his perdition, yet no injustice, no fault in God, this is the wonder of Gods providence, to be entertained by us with the Apostles exclamation. O altitudo! O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome p. 47and knowledge of God. Rom. 11. 33.

3 But then though it be the ever-vigilant providence of God,§ 14. 3 To teach men to walk circumspectly. that preserves the saints from ruine by Scandalls, and his just judgemēt that leaves the wicked to his own perdition to be caught by them; yet this excludes not, but requires care in the Godly to take heed of them, and condemnes the impiety of the wicked in yeelding themselves to stumble at thē. For it is the vitiousnesse of the one, that makes scandalls to be actually such to him, & the holy wisdome of the other, whereby God keeps him p. 48from being overthrown by them: wherefore it behoves them to learne to walke circumspectly, not as fooles but as wise. Ephe. 5. 15. And to this end, 1. to get as much spirituall prudence as they can to discerne them, to be acquainted with their own hearts by frequent examination, by through-knowledge of their naturall corruption, to be well seen in the wils and methods, and artifices of Satan, whereby he seekes to deceive and devoure, to know the dispositions of wicked men, and weaknesse of good men whom Satan may work by. 2. To be p. 49ever sober, and watchfull, not laid a sleep by any lust of our hearts, any pride & selfe-confidence, or the like, as David, Hezekiah, Peter, &c. were, when they were scandalized. 3. That we study constantly in Gods law, and cleave to it with upright hearts, which is a sure antidote against this poison of scandalls; For great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. Psal. 119. 165. 4 That as we have one eye still to our way that we stūble not, so the other still on God in fervent praier to him, who alone can, and will keep us when we p. 50seek him.

4 Lastly,§. 15. 4. To waite for Christs comming. sith notwithstanding all the vigilancy and warinesse of a Christian, scandals will be till the sonne of Man shall send forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend, and them which doe iniquity. Mat. 13. 41. The righteous must learne with patience and longing desire, to expect the comming of the son of man. Even as the husband-man waiteth for the pretious fruit of the earth, so must they be patient unto the comming of the Lord. Iames 5. 7. Till then there will be cause for them to be exercised, p. 51in humbling themselves, and mourning for the dishonour of God by scandalls; as Lot vexed his righteous soule with hearing and seeing the deeds of the Sodomites, & to possesse their soules in hope and assurance that Christ will come, and bind up Satan, & remove all scandalls, and perfect his Church, that they may follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth.