Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

this is to be their Rule, that even this innocent Liberty is not to be used whenever they have Reason to believe it will be a Snare to their Christian Brethren; or, in other Words, that they themselves are not to eat, in cafe they have just Caufe to apprehend that their Example will have Influence enough on their weak Brethren to induce them to follow it, tho' contrary to their Confciences and their Duty. What foever is fold in the Shambles, or fet before you at fuch a Feaft, eat, fays the Apoftle (x. 23, 25, 27.) ail Things of that Kind are lawful, and you need afk no Questions for Confcience fake: Whether it be Meat offered to Idols, or not, you may freely eat, unless it appears not to be expedient. But if any Man fay unto you, this is offered in Sacrifice to Idols, (ver. 28.) thereby intimating, that he judges it not to be eaten; in that Cafe eat not, for his Confcience fake who tells it. For if he who is weak (viii. 10.) fees thee, who haft Knowledge, eat, thy Example will probably induce him to eat too, and then through thy Knowledge fhall the weak Brother perish, for whom Chrift died; and thou, by thus finning against him, finneft against Christ, (ver. 12.) And therefore, fays the zealous Apostle, If Meat fcandalize or offend my Brother, or, as we render it, make my Brother to offend; if I by my Example, even in ufing my innocent Liberty, lead my Brother into Sin, I will eat no Flesh while the World ftandeth, left I offend

my

my Brother, or, in other Words, make my Brother to offend. And agreeable to this was his great Mafter's own Conduct, when the Collectors came to demand of him the ufual Tribute which the Jews annually paid to the Temple. He firft declared to St. Peter, that he was under no Obligation of paying it, and therefore might innocently refufe it; and then adds, notwithstanding, left we should offend them; that is, left I by my Refufal, tho' innocent, should lead others to refuse it likewise, which in them would be criminal, and I by my Example should lead them into Sin; Go, take and give unto them for me and for thee, Matt. xvii. 27.

So that, upon the whole, to offend, or give Offence, is in the general Language of Scripture to become acceffary to the Crimes of others, and to share in the Guilt of them, by having promoted them by our Advice, Direction, Power, Authority, or Example. It is to work upon the Hopes or Fears, the Affections or Prejudices of our Brethren, and by this means knowingly and willingly to induce them to do fuch things as either are finful in themfelves, or at least are thought by them to be criminal, though in themselves indifferent. Barely to do an Act which is offenfive to others, is not to give them Offence, in a Scriptural Senfe, or at least in fuch a Senfe as the Holy Scriptures condemn. Were the Duty of not giving Offence to be understood in this Lati

tude,

tude, it would not only be burthenfome and difficult, but utterly impracticable. Were every Man, amidft the numberless Sects and various Doctrines which prevail concerning Duty, not to do whatever other Men diflike, and are in the usual Senfe of the Word offended at, and condemn as wicked, the whole World would become a Scene of Inactivity, with refpect to Religion at leaft; and not only all falfe Religions and immoral Actions would be at an end, but almoft every Act of true Religion and real Virtue must likewise be fufpended with them. Befides, nothing can be more plain, than that the Opinions of Men can never alter the Natures of Things, or the Laws of God, and make Evil good, or Good evil; and that therefore whatever shall Man to appear to to any be his Duty, either from the eternal Reasons and Differences of Things, or from the Precepts of any undoubted Revelation, all that he must be indifpenfibly obliged to perform, without regard to the different Opinions, or unjust Cenfures of the rest of Mankind. And therefore I confine the Duty of not giving Offence to the most usual Meaning of the Word in the facred Writers; that is, to the Forbearance of all fuch Acts as tend to feduce and corrupt our Neighbour; to the careful avoiding all Connivance or Concurrence, much less Advice, Direction, or Command, in any thing contrary to the Laws of God: And the Chriftian Rule is plainly this, that our Care in

thefe

thefe Inftances is to be extended fo far, that even indifferent Things are to be omitted, and innocent Pleasures foregone, whenever we know, or have great Reafon to believe, that our Neighbour's falling into Sin will be the Confequence of our doing or enjoying them: I fay, when we know or have great Reafon to believe this; because without this Knowledge or Affurance we may freely make use of our Christian Liberty, and either eat or not eat, act or not act, as we think proper, without afking any Questions for Confcience jake. But if our weak Brother tells us, that what we are about to do is finful, and we have Reafon to fear the Influence of a Precedent in us will be great enough to prevail on him to follow it, though contrary to his Judgment, and confequently to his Duty; in that Cafe the Rule is plain, that we are not for the fake of indifferent Things to enfnare our weak Brother, for whom Chrift died, but rather to forego them, than be a Stumbling-block to him. This, as appears by the foregoing Inftances, was not only St. Paul's Cafe, but confirmed by the Practice of the Lord Jefus Chrift, whofe Example is to be our Pattern, as well as his Precepts our Rule, if we would be approved by him, and be made Partakers of his Glory.

Indeed Offences in general have fometimes a more extenfive Signification, but most probably not in the Text, as will appear by proceeding to fhew,

VOL. II.

E

IIdly,

IIdly, The Neceffity, Guilt, and fatal Confequences of them, implied in thefe Words, Wo unto the World becaufe of Offences, it must needs be that Offences come.

If indeed we confider thefe Words as connected with those immediately before them, they require this confined Interpretation. To offend one of thefe little ones, in the preceding Verfe, is doubtlefs to revile, defame, and perfecute them; and in this Senfe the World may here fignify, as it certainly does in fome other Paffages of Scripture, the Land of Judæa only'; the Denunciation may be understood to relate primarily to the Jews only; and then Offences will here mean their Oppofition to the Gofpel of Christ, and their Perfecutions of its Profeffors. The Sense will then be, Wo and Mifery attend this People on account of their Offences against those who fhall believe in me; it must needs be that the Jews, while influenced by their prefent Prejudices and Paffions, will hate, betray, imprison, and kill you for my Name's fake; but wo unto thofe Governors who begin and authorize thefe Things; the Days will come, when there shall be great Tribulation in this Land, fuch as was not from the Beginning of the World, no, nor ever shall be. It must needs be that Men, so much under the Dominion of their Lufts as thefe Men are, will act in Pursuit of them; that Men, thus obftinate in refifting all Evidence, will contradict those

« VorigeDoorgaan »