Again, They seem to be against Christian Charity, as being stumbling-blocks to doubting Souls, occasioning their fall into sin. Our Dear Lord Jesus left us the Sacraments pure, Divine, altogether free from any scruple. But now the mystical Ceremonies are so interwoven and coupled in use with ⟨p. 85⟩them, that Scrupulous Christians, in partaking of that which Christ institutes, run into that which Conscience scruples; and in following that which is lifted up in the Example of Pious and Learned Church-men, fall and wound their Souls. The law of Charity puts a restraint upon indifferent things in the case of Scandal. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak, saith the Apostle, Rom. 14.21. Indifferent things are in charity to be abstained from in case of scandal. The Apostle presseth this by very weighty Arguments. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, v. 17. Religion doth not stand in such things. We must not in such things grieve or destroy our brother, v. 15. We must not for them destroy the work of God, v. 20. that is, our Brother's Soul, which is his work by way of eminency. We must not destroy him for whom Christ died, v. 15. Scandal in indifferent things is not a wounding only, but a killing of our Brother, a kind of Soul-murder. Now if indifferent ⟨p. 86⟩things, in case of scandal, are not to be admitted in common use, much less are those things (which have speciem mali, an appearance of evil) in such case to be admitted into holy Sacraments; thither we come by Christ's appointment, not to grieve and wound, but comfort and heal our Souls. Charity should not suffer any Stumbling-block or Scandal to be seen there, every thing there should minister comfort and edification. I know many Answers are given to this, but scarce any satisfactory ones. 'Tis said, that in case of scandal we must abstain from indifferent things, whilst they remain indifferent, but not after they are determined by Authority. But to me it sounds exceeding harsh, to say, that in case the Magistrate commands it, we may wound or destroy our Brother. A Scandal in its nature is spiritual Murder, which no Command of Man can make tolerable. Avoiding of Scandal is a main duty of Charity, which no Command of Man can dispense with.
Again, They seem to be against Christian Charity, as being stumbling-blocks to doubting Souls, occasioning their fall into sin. Our Dear Lord Jesus left us the Sacraments pure, Divine, altogether free from any scruple. But now the mystical Ceremonies are so interwoven and coupled in use with ⟨p. 85⟩them, that Scrupulous Christians, in partaking of that which Christ institutes, run into that which Conscience scruples; and in following that which is lifted up in the Example of Pious and Learned Church-men, fall and wound their Souls. The law of Charity puts a restraint upon indifferent things in the case of Scandal. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak, saith the Apostle, Rom. 14.21. Indifferent things are in charity to be abstained from in case of scandal. The Apostle presseth this by very weighty Arguments. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, v. 17. Religion doth not stand in such things. We must not in such things grieve or destroy our brother, v. 15. We must not for them destroy the work of God, v. 20. that is, our Brother's Soul, which is his work by way of eminency. We must not destroy him for whom Christ died, v. 15. Scandal in indifferent things is not a wounding only, but a killing of our Brother, a kind of Soul-murther. Now if indifferent ⟨p. 86⟩things, in case of scandal, are not to be admitted in common use, much less are those things (which have speciem mali, an appearance of evil) in such case to be admitted into holy Sacraments; thither we come by Christ's appointment, not to grieve and wound, but comfort and heal our Souls. Charity should not suffer any Stumbling-block or Scandal to be seen there, every thing there should minister comfort and edification. I know many Answers are given to this, but scarce any satisfactory ones. 'Tis said, that in case of scandal we must abstain from indifferent things, whilst they remain indifferent, but not after they are determined by Authority. But to me it sounds exceeding harsh, to say, that in case the Magistrate commands it, we may wound or destroy our Brother. A Scandal in its nature is spiritual Murther, which no Command of Man can make tolerable. Avoiding of Scandal is a main duty of Charity, which no Command of Man can dispence with.
