A37042:129
The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal…
The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal divided into four parts ... : in each of which there are not a few choice and useful questions, very shortly and satisfyingly discussed and cleared / by ... Mr. James Durham ... who being dead (by this) yet speaketh ; and published by John Carstares ... ; to which is prefixed an excellent preface of famous Mr. Blair ... ; together with a table of the contents of the several chapters of each part.
Edinburgh: printed by Christopher Higgins, 1659
Part 1 › Chapter 8: Holding forth what is called-for when Offences abound.
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.
1. A man would not only respect his own clearness in conscience as to the lawfulness of a deed, but would even have respect to the satisfaction of the consciences of others, as it is, 1 Cor. 10. 29. The neglect of this casteth a door open to many evils; and did this abound, that men were burning with any offence taken by others, as was Pauls case, 2 Cor. 11. 29. there would be fewer offences given. It ought to affect us, as it were a pang or stound at our hearts, to hear or see of any that are offended. This is a principal remedy from an inward sympathy to study this, and there will be directions furnished where that touch is, Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? Sooner would we put our head in the fire than hazard to offend any, if this were.
1. A man would not only respect his own clearnesse in conscience as to the lawfulnesse of a deed, but would even have respect to the satisfaction of the consciences of others, as it is, 1 Cor. 10. 29. The neglect of this casteth a door open to many evils; and did this abound, that men were burning with any offence taken by others, as was Pauls case, 2 Cor. 11. 29. there would be fewer offences given. It ought to affect us, as it were a pang or stound at our hearts, to hear or see of any that are offended. This is a principal remedy from an inward sympathie to study this, and there will be directions furnished where that touch is, Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? Sooner would we put our head in the fire than hazard to offend any, if this were.
2. As men would be careful not to give offence, so also not to take offence, or to stumble even when blocks are cast in the way. It is a piece of our folly sometimes to be exclaiming against the frequency of offences and the givers of them, and yet not to be adverting, but to be stumbling at these our selves;