The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

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 ⟨p. 137⟩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 separate from you than from them. If not, we must more take heed of scandalizing them than you.

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 ⟨p. 137⟩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 separae from you than from them. If not, we must more take heed of scandalizing them than you.