A26892:8487
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
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.
§. 4. I will give you one instance of scandal in Scripture, which may help this sort of people, better to understand it. Gal. 2. 10. to 16. Peter there giveth true scandal to the Jews and Gentiles: He walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, but laid a stumbling block before the Jews and Gentiles: And this was not by displeasing the Jews, but by pleasing them: The Jews thought it a sin to eat with the Gentiles, and to have communion with uncircumcised men: Peter knew the contrary, but for fear of them of the circumcision, lest they should be offended at him as a sinner, he [withdrew and separated himself]. This scandal tended to harden the Jews in their sinful separation, and to seduce the Gentiles into a conceit of the necessity of circumcision: and Barnabas was carried away with the dissimulation. Here you may see, that if any think it a sin in us to have communion in such or such Congregations, with such persons, in such worship, which God alloweth us not to separate from, it is a sin of scandal in us to separate to avoid these mens offence. We scandalize them and others, even by pleasing them, and by avoiding that which they falsely called scandalous. And if we would not scandalize them, we must do that which is just, and not by our practice hide the sound doctrine which is contrary to their separating error.
§. 4. I will give you one instance of scandal in Scripture, which may help this sort of people, better to understand it. Gal. 2. 10. to 16. Peter there giveth true scandal to the Jews and Gentiles: He walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, but laid a stumbling block before the Jews and Gentiles: And this was not by displeasing the Jews, but by pleasing them: The Jews thought it a sin to eat with the Gentiles, and to have communion with uncircumcised men: Peter knew the contrary, but for fear of them of the circumcision, lest they should be offended at him as a sinner, he [withdrew and separated himself]. This scandal tended to harden the Jews in their sinful separation, and to seduce the Gentiles into a conceit of the necessity of circumcision: and Barnabas was carryed away with the dissimulation. Here you may see, that if any think it a sin in us to have communion in such or such Congregations, with such persons, in such worship, which God alloweth us not to separate from, it is a sin of scandal in us to separate to avoid these mens offence. We scandalize them and others, even by pleasing them, and by avoiding that which they falsly called scandalous. And if we would not scandalize them, we must do that which is just, and not by our practice hide the sound doctrine which is contrary to their separating error.