A17384:1154
A commentary
A commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Offence taken, is either from our selves, or from others: A man may be an offence, a stumbling block to himself, by dallying with some special beloved corruption: of which our Saviour Christ saith, If thine eye offend thee, pull it out, or thy hand, or thy foot, &c. Math. 5.29. Scandal taken from others, is either that they call humane, or that they call diabolical: Scandal taken, which they call humane, may either be found in Godly men or wicked men: Godly Christians that are weak, may be offended, or hindered in Religion divers ways: as either by reason of the persecution and oppression of the godly: or by the Heresies, or dissensions of men in the Church, or by the flourishing estate and prosperity of the wicked: as also by the liberty some of the godly take in things indifferent, for the advancing of the Gospel in case of necessity: As when Paul, for the gaining of the Gentiles, neglected Moses Law. This was an offence to many beleeving Jews et contra, &c.
Offence taken, is either from our selues, or from others: A man may bee an offence, a stumbling blocke to himselfe, by dallying with some speciall beloued corruption: of which our Sauiour Christ saith, If thine eye offend thee, pull it out, or thy hand, or thy foot, &c. Math. 5.29. Scandall taken from others, is either that they call humane, or that they call diabolical: Scandall taken, which they call humane, may either bee found in Godly men or wicked men: Godly Christians that are weak, may be offended, or hindred in Religion diuers waies: as either by reason of the persecution and oppression of the godly: or by the Heresies, or dissensions of men in the Church, or by the flourishing estate and prosperity of the wicked: as also by the liberty some of the godly take in things indifferent, for the aduancing of the Gospel in case of necessity: As when Paul, for the gaining of the Gentiles, neglected Moses Law. This was an offence to many beleeuing Iewes et contra, &c.
Wicked men also take offence, as here in this text is manifest. Now, the offence which they call Diabolical is that, when men wilfully and perversely will provoke themselves to sin freely, because of the examples of the vices of Godly men: as when the drunkenness of Noah, the incest of Lot, the adultery and murder of David, the perjury of Peter, or the like is alleged to maintain themselves in a liberty of sinning: It is the scandal of wicked men, which is here meant.