The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal…

The Grounds of this Treatise.

Amongst other things that troubled the Church in the primitive times, Scandal, or, offence, was a chief one; and the many directions that are given concerning it, and the reproofs that are of it, show that it is a main piece of a Christians conversation to walk rightly in reference thereto, and a great evidence of looseness where it is not heeded. On ver. 6. we show that this was a foul fault of the Nicolaitans to be careless of offending, or of giving of offence, and not to regard Scandal; and here the Lord holdeth it forth to be so, by comparing it with ⟨p. 3⟩Balaam's practice, ver. 14. which is aggreaged from this, that he taught Balac to lay a stumbling-block before Israel. From which these doctrines may be gathered, 1. That there is such a fault incident to men in their carriage, even to lay stumbling-blocks before others, and to offend them. 2. That men ought to walk so as not to offend others, or so, as to lay no stumbling-block before them: So that it is not enough not to stumble themselves, (if this could be separated from the other) but also they ought to be careful not to stumble others▪ 3. The Lord doth take special notice how men do walk in reference to others in this, and is highly provoked where He seeth any guilty of it. 4. The devil hath ever endeavoured to have offences abounding in the Church, and to make some lay such stumbling-blocks before others. 5. It is most hurtful to the Church, and destructive to souls where offences abound, and men walk not tenderly in reference to these; so that the Lord expresseth it with a twofold woe, Matth. 18. as being a woe beyond sword or pestilence. 6. We may gather, that corrupt doctrine never wanteth offences joined with it, and that ordinarily those who spread that, are untender in this. 7. That offences often accompany the rise and beginning of any work of Christ's amongst a people; these tares of offences are ordinarily then sown. 8. That some offences are of a public nature, and that Church-officers should take notice of such, and that it is offensive to Christ when they are over-seen and not taken heed unto. 9. Church-officers, even such as otherwayes are approved in their carriage and ministry, may fall in this fault, as by comparing the Epistles to Pergamos and Thyatira, is clear. 10.