Truth Maintained, Commentary · Part 8
SERMON Paragraffe 26.
Laſtly, with carefulneſſe not to give any juſt offence to the Papiſts.
EXAMINER.
I Z wonder you would here expreſſe an indulgence which is not allowable, and the memory of the Parliament will be honourable for that; they knew ſo much divinity, as taught them not to value their offence, & to proclaim to them both in England andA Ireland an irreconcilable warre. This carefulneſſe and tenderneſſe you plead for, was the firſt principle which our Church ſo farre, as to take up their Altars and Ceremonies to avoid offence. Saint Paul was of another ſpirit who forbore not B a Diſciple and Apoſtle. When I ſaw, ſaith he, that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Goſpell. You much miſtake the Divinity of Chriſt, in matter of offence, who never forbore to preach, or publiſh any neceſſary truth: Nay, when his Diſciples were ſcandalized, and ſaid, this is an hard ſaying, doth this offend you, ſaith he? What and if, &c. He goeth on C and purſues the offence, till they left him and his Doctrine too. And for the Papiſts, they are much of the relation and conſtitution of the Scribes and Phariſees, not without, as you ſay nor within & yet ſee if you can find our Saviour or his Apoſtles letting out themſelves into ſuch reſtrictions and moderation, and cautions. Thoſe truths which are eſſentially, D univerſally, alwayes and at all times holy ought not to be meaſured by the unbrage and ſcandall of the Adverſary. Indeed in things meerly civill or indifferent, our uſe or liberty may appeare more but for ſuch truths as our Reformation ſhall bring they will be alwayes an offence to the Adverſary: We preach Chriſt, ſaith the Apoſtle, unto the Jewes a ſtumbling-blocke, and to the Greeks fooliſhneſſe, and yet the Apoſtle preacheth, E and layes theſe blocks, & this rock of offence in the way too.
TREATIS.
Z I wonder you ſhould here expreſſe an indulgence which is not That it is utterly unlawfull to give any juſt offence to the Papiſts or to any men whatſoever.allowable.) I wonder and am ſorry withall, to ſee a Proteſtant take unjuſt offence at this Doctrine, that no juſt offence is to be given to the Papists. Know Sir, that beſides thoſe Papiſts in England andA Ireland to whom you ſay, the Parliament hath proclaimed an irreconcilable war; there be alſo many of their Religion in Spaine, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, &c. all Europe over, with whom the Parliament hath not as yet, any profeſſed open hoſtility, and to theſe no offence muſt be given. The eye of all Chriſtendome is upon us, the Sea ſurrounds, but doth not conceale us: Preſent Papiſts read the text of our actions, and their poſterity will write comments upon them; we cannot therefore be too wary.
Beſides, grant that this irreconcilable war you ſpeak of ſhould bind men in a martiall way to kill all Papiſts; yet I pray take notice, that in ſome caſes we may juſtly kill them, whom in no caſe we may juſtly offend. Though a malefactor be condemned by the Judge to be executed, yet the Sheriffe is a murderer if he torment him to death, contrary to the ſentence of law. Now giving unjuſt ſcandall to the Papiſts, is torturing of them, and tyranny to their ſouls which may eternally deſtroy them; and you are the firſt Divine, and I hope ſhall be the laſt, which ever held this to be lawfull.
Whereas you ſay, I much mistake the Divinity of Chriſt in matter of offence. I ſhould be very thankfull to you; if you be pleaſed to rectifie my erroneous judgement, to which end I will crave the Readers leave, the more largely to expreſſe my opinion in this point.
I hold that we ought not to give juſt offence to any man whatſoever: Indeed there is no danger of giving offence to the divell. He who fears to offend Satan, offends God with his fooliſh fear: Becauſe the divels very nature is all miſchief and malice, nothing being good in him ſave his being which he hath of God, and he is utterly incapable of ſalvation. But ſeeing in the very worſt of men there is ſome goodneſſe, or at leſt a capability of grace here, and glory hereafter, through repentance and faith in Chriſt, we may not give any man juſt offence, as being againſt the rules of Piety, Charity and Chriſtian Prudence.
Againſt the rule of Piety: Becauſe God hath ſaid give no offence to any. Againſt the rule of Charity; becauſe thereby we are 1. Cor. 10. 32. 2 Cor. 63.cruell to them which are our Brethren by nature, and may be by grace. Againſt the rule of Chriſtian Prudence, becauſe we cannot give any juſt offence, but alſo thereby we doe give them a juſt advantage againſt us. I beleeve Sir, were you to diſpute in an Univerſity againſt Popiſh Opponents, you would ſo warily ſtate the queſtion which you defend as that you would not willingly give any upper ground to your Adverſaries, more then what they could get for themſelves. Wherfore as the wreſtlers in the Olimpian games uſed to annoint themſelves with oyle, not only thereby to ſupple their joynts, but alſo to make their naked bodies the more ſlick and ſlippery, that ſo thoſe who wreſtled with them might catch no hold upon them, ſo ought we, who are like to have conſtant oppoſition with the Papiſts, to give them no more advantage then what they can earn, & if we give them more, they will be more ready to jeere us for our folly, then thank us for our bounty unto them.
Yea, in this reſpect it is more dangerous to give juſt offence, and therby juſt advantage (for the one cannot be done without the other) to the Papiſts then to any meer Pagans: For Pagans being rude, dull and ignorant, though an advantage be given them, cannot in point of learning husband and improve it to the utmoſt. But the Papiſts whom we doe know and muſt acknowledge cunning fencers in the School of wit and learning, are ſo well skild, as ever to keep and inforce the advantage we once beſtowed on them. And though we need never feare them and all their art, ſo long as we have God and a good cauſe on our ſide, ſo if we betray our cauſe by giving them juſt advantage, it is juſt with God to deliver us over into their hands, to beat us with our owne weapons.
And heare let the Reader be pleaſed to take notice, as much materiall to our purpoſe, that there is a grand difference, betwixt the Removing of things, bad in their owne nature, and betwixt the manner of removing them. If any thing be bad in it ſelfe, it may not be continued, it muſt be removed. None can diſpence with the retaining thereof, though never ſo many or … Perſons take offence at the taking of it away. If … … offended thereat, let them turne their girdles, with all their knots in them behind them, whilſt wee neede not care for their cauſeleſſe anger. They who were ſo quick fighted that they could ſee an offence, where it was never given them; Let them looke againe in the ſame place, and their quick eyes will behold there, the amends which were never tendered them.
But now, as for the manner of removing of things badd in themſelves, when there is a liberty and latitude leſt unto us after what faſhion we will doe it, either this way or that way we muſt doe it ſo as to give none any juſt offence. For where it is at our choice and pleaſure to uſe variety of waies, our diſcretion muſt pitch on the beſt, whereby God may receive the moſt glory, the action the moſt luſter, wee our ſelves the greateſt comfort, and all others no juſt cauſe of offence. And here once againe let mee requeſt the Reader to obſerve, that in my Sermon, I never mentioned any rendernes, to give the Papiſts offence, in removing of thinges bad in themſelves, but this caution of not giving the Papiſts juſt offence, was inſerted in the proper place, when we came to ſhew how diſcretion is to appeare in the manner of a reformation.
Yea the ſame thing for ſubſtance may be done and juſt offence, either may or may not be given according to the different manner of doing it. For inſtance, ſuch Pictures which are in the ſuburbs of ſuperſtition; becauſe the gate of that City is alwaies open, may without any giving of juſt offence be fairely taken away. But to ſhoot off the head of the ſtatue of Chriſt, either to ſpite the Papiſts, or ſport our ſelves giveth juſt offence. Though the Image be nothing, yet ſuch uſage thereof is ſomething, the bullet ſhott at the picture, wounds pietie: For to do ſerious worke in a jearing way, is inconſiſtent with Chriſtian gravities, and argueth not light of knowledge but lightneſſe, not to ſay lewdneſſe of behaviour.
Another inſtance. Suppoſe that ſome ceremonies ancient for time, uſed by the fathers, (though abuſed by the Papiſts (reduced by the Proteſtants, defended by our Engliſh, not oppoſed by forraigne Devines, be practiſed in our Church. And withall ſuppoſe, that ſuch ceremonies as they are harmeleſſe ſo to be uſeleſſe, and not without the ſuſpition of danger, as the preſent times ſtand. In this caſe it will give no juſt offence to the Papiſts to take them away under the Nation, of things unneceſſary, and unſuting with our preſent condition. But to remove them as things prophane, Idolatrous, or ſuperſtitious, giveth juſt offence and great advantage to our Romiſh adverſaries, by the diſgrace we put on Antiquity. Beſides, hereby we betray our friends which have don good ſervice for our Religion, namely ſuch Engliſh Devines who with their penns have Learnedly and truly aſſerted the lawfulneſſe of ſuch ceremonies, and this our retreating from them and leaving them ingaged, (as Ioas ſerved Vriah *2. Sam. 11. 35.at the ſiege of Rahab treacherouſly) ſhews much baſeneſſe in us and in ſuch a caſe, the diſhonouring of good men, is the diſhonoring of God himſelfe.
But if I ſhould in Courticie yeeld ſo much unto you (which I never will) that it were lawfull to give juſt offence to & grounded dedicated Papiſts, yet know there be ſome, who in their opnions, & affections, the borderers betwixt us & the Papiſts, almoſt Proteſtants not far from our Religion, having one foote in it, and the other likely to follow, ſuch People when they ſee, that we take no care, and make no conſcience, to give juſt offence to the Papiſts, will be ready to retract their reſolutions, and call back their forward affections, ſay not that ſuch men are better loſt then found. Is this the bowels of Chriſtian compaſſion, which ought to be in us, If we wilfully blaſt ſuch bloſſomes, we are not worthy of any ripe fruite, and it is both cruelty and profaneſſe to caſt ſuch doe bake cakes to the Doggs, which by ſtanding a while longer in the Oven, would make good and wholſome bread. Nor herein do I write only by gueſſe, but too much by knowledge, ſuch as I can, neither well conceale nor comfortably, relate. For when the Religious paines of ſome reverend Devines whom I know, have brought ſome Papiſts to the doore of our Church, the juſt offence given them, by the moderne extravagances of ſome undiſcreer Proteſtants, cauſed them to fale backe againe to Popery. And now to returne to your Examination. All things contained therein, are eaſily to be anſwered by that which we have promiſed.
B. Saint Paule was of another Spirit, who forbere not a Diſciple *Gall. 2. 11and Apoſtle, Saint Paule perceiving a dangerous error, in Peter, reproved him, both preſently while the wound was greene, and publiquely, that the plaiſter might be as broad as the ſore. But in thus doing he gave no juſt offence to Peter but blamed Peter for giving juſt offence to other Chriſtians.
C. He goeth on and perſueth the offence till they left him) This inſtance of Chriſts his cariage herein nothing advantageth you. Give me leave to repeate what I ſaid before, If things be bad in themſelves, they muſt be removed, though they give never ſo many offence, or rather though never ſo many or great men, take offence thereat, ſo alſo if a neceſſary Truth bee to be introduced, it muſt be preached and brought into the Church, though never ſo many be offended thereat. And if there be but one way, and no more allowed us, how and in what manner to do it, according to that one way, it muſt be don, not valluing the offending of any. But if verity of way be permitted unto us, God expects that we ſhould give the leaſt; and if poſſible no offence to any. Now to apply the truth which our Saviour heare preached, and preſſed, was of abſolute and neceſſary concernment. Namely that he was the true Manna Meſsiah and broad from heaven. Such truths muſt bee preached, and if any burne with anger thereat, let not their fire be quenched, till it goe out for went of fuell. The caſe is forre otherwiſe in this Reformation, betwixt us and the Papiſts. We had all eſſentiall truths before, and if any ornamentall, or additionall truths be now to be brought in, they muſt be ſo done as to give no juſt offence to the Papiſts.
D. Thoſe truths, which are eſſentially, univerſally, alwaies, and at all times holy ought not to be meaſured, by the umbrage and ſcandall of the adverſaries.) If hereby you meane, that neceſſary truths muſt not bee forborne to bee preached, for feare of giving any offence, I clearely concurre with you. OnelyOnly I ſay that all ſuch truths are in our Church already, and not now to bee newly brought in, (as you intimate) by the Reformation.
E. And yet the Apoſtle Preacheth, and layes thoſe blockes and this rock of offence in the way too.) The Apoſtle preached Chriſt, and intended him to be a rock of deſerue to all, As for thoſe who perverted him to bee a rock of offence to themſelves, this ſcandall was not juſtly given to them, but unjuſtly taken by them. If Papiſt take offence at any ſuch truth, it ſhall affect us no more then the cryes of Baals Prophets *1 King. 18. 29.affected any of whom it is ſaid, there was none to anſwer them nor any that regarged them. But as for the manner of removing away any errors, or bringing in any Truths, we ought to bee wary and circumſpect, for our own ſakes, as well as theirs, to give them no juſt offence.
To conclude. For mine owne part Sir I pittie the Perſons of all Papiſts, & heartily deſire their convertion, but hate theirs, and all other errors, with a perfect hatred. And this my enmity to all Popiſh Tenents, doth the more plainely appeare to be grounded on my Judgement not on my paſſion, Becauſe I would have almen ſo cautious, as not to give them juſt advantage leaſt out actions fight for them, whilſt our affections fight againſt them. What Frier will not laugh in his Coule at this your opinion, that it is lawfull to give Papiſts juſt offence? Well, you never ſhall have my conſent, to combate as our Churches Champion, againſt Rome for the Proteſtant cauſe, untill you have learnt more skill in fencing, and not to lye at ſo open a guard. And if you hold it lawfull to give Papiſts juſt offence, by the next returne you will hold it lawfull to give juſt offence to all, which are termed Popiſhly affected, the Gangrean of which expreſſion, is by ſome extended to taint as ſound and hearty Proteſtants, as any be in England.