child that is weaned of his mother my soule is even as a weaned child The reasons hereof are 1. Because by faith they behold Gods infinite greatnesse and then comparing themselves with him they cannot but thinke themselves as nothing Abraham was a great man in his time he had great wealth and was so potent that by the forces of his owne houshold hee overthrew foure conquering Kings yet when he comes to speake with God hee doth in most humble manner acknowledge his owne meane condition Behold now I have taken upon mee to speake unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. When a man surveyes the earth by it self it is a great and vast body but when it is compared with the heavens it is instar puncti but as a small point that hath no quantity So for those men that looke on themselves or compare themselves with other men or inferiour creatures they are apt to imagine themselves to bee some great mes as Simon Magus vaunted himselfe Acts 8. 9. But those that acquaint themselves with God walke and converse with him they find such an infinite disproportion betweene God and themselves that they conceive themselves as nothing even lighter then vanity it selfe 2. As by faith they behold Gods infinite greatnesse and thereby find themselves as nothing So by faith they behold Gods infinite power riches and soveraignty and thereby see that they have nothing that the things they have are not their owne but Gods that they have them from him not by any merit of their owne But ex dono of free gift Nebuchadnez Zar he swels when hee lookes on his greatnesse as his owne Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty Dan. 4. 30. But holy David is in another tune Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all But who am I and what is my people c. 1. Chron 29. 11 12 14. And godly Iacob Gen 32. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am little the phrase of my text in respect of all the mercies all the truth which thou hast done to thy servant All was mercy and all the truth of God which he had and therefore he was but little the apprehension of this that all was to bee ascribed to Gods truth and mercy caused him to see nothing hee had that might puffe him up though hee had much to be thankfull for He doth not say this is my house my land my dignity my wit c. But these are the lands the children c. which God hath given that hee hath lent me He doth not take himselfe to bee a proprietary but a borrower not a gayner of them but a receiver And therefore as a borrower thinks not himselfe rich because hee hath much substance in his hands of other mens so neither doe beleivers thinke themselves to bee great because that which they have they know it is but borrowed For application of this truth 1. We may hereby bee advertised what is the estate of beleivers in this life some are lesse then others and all little in this world so accounted by others and by themselves The present condition in which they are is not the estate of men come to ripe yeares but of children in their minority of whom the Apostle sayes Gal. 4. 1. that though they be heyres yet as long as they are children they differ nothing from a servant though they be Lords of all It is so with the Saints in this life all things are theirs they are Christs Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3. 22 23. yet they have command of nothing nor perhaps the use of so much as wicked men As it is with the heire of all his fathers goods while he is young he is set to schoole there corrected fares harder and hath lesse money in his purse lesse to mannage then many of his Fathers servants and yet all is his and for him so it is with Gods children they are held hard to it they have little in hand they are low in the eyes of men and in their owne and yet this is no impediment to their future glory it 's a preparative to their receiving their inheritance The men of this world doe grossely mistake the case of Gods people they imagine God neglects thē because they are not in high places and great power on earth but this is their folly while they measure Gods love and care of his people by their owne affections not by Gods judgement they imagine those unhappy who are most blessed and themselves happy who are most accursed 2. Christs little ones should bee wiser they should know that their present condition is to be little and accordingly to bee contented with small things not mind great things in this world as if they could not be happy without them It was the end wherefore our Saviour used the Embleme of a little child Mat. 18. 2. to which the phrase of little ones in my text alludeth that he might admonish his Disciples not to strive for dignities and precedencies in this world And S. Paul Rom. 12. 16. changeth christians not to mind high things but to condescend to men of low estate Excellent was the advice of Ieremiah to Baruch Jerem 4. 55. Seekest thou great things for thy selfe Seek them not Wee must remember for the present our condition is to have our allowance and to bee stinted by God and therefore ought to bee contented with it though it seeme little sith wee know God is our Father and though now wee bee little yet hereafter hee will make us great though now we be humbled yet hereafter wee shall bee exalted though wee bee now poore in this world yet wee are rich in God and heyres of all things 3. Answerably hereto it concernes them to quicken their hope and to excite their endeavours after those great things which God hath prepared for them The lesse beleivers in Christ are now the more should they long for and pant after their greatnesse in heaven By this they must comfort and support their soules in their present condition If they looke for great things on earth they shall bee sure to misse them if they look for great things hereafter they shall bee sure to have them Heaven is their countrey there is their preferment On it they must fixe their hopes by it they must sustaine their soules Lastly this consideration that scandalizing of them that beleive in Christ is the offending of little ones aggravateth
have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power of it 2. Tim. 3. 6. And those that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse are not onely by Gods just judgement but also by their owne propensitie ensnared by signes lying wonders deceaveablenesse of unrighteousnesse and strong delusions to believe lies 2. Thessal 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. Corrupt qualities make men like straw or tinder the least sparke of evill example or counsell will set them on fire Yea bare objects if seen or heard of will overthrow them A voluptuous man shall not need to be invited to sports merriments c. Sponte sua properat he runnes of his own accord he will smell them out himselfe as a vultur doth a Carcase Even as sores of the body will draw corrupt humors to them so will vitious hearts make scandals to themselves Secondly In speciall some particular sinnes make some accidents to become a stumbling block to them Enmity against our Lord Christ his person impatience to be rebuked false opinions from example of others common conceit weaknesse from ignorance dulnesse to conceive mistakes of his speeches caused the Pharises and others to stumble at Christ and his words Math. 13. 57. Mat. 15. 12. Ioh. 6. 61. Ioh. 7. 3. 48. spirituall pride made the Iewes Rom. 9. 32. to stumble at Christ ignorance of their brethrens liberty made those weake ones mentioned Rom. 14. to stumble at their brethrens lawfull practise fearfulnesse of heart caused Peter and the Disciples to be offended upon Christs apprehension Mat. 26. 31. Even as a mist afore the eyes mistake of the unevenesse of the way hasty going a sudden weaknesse and many more such accidents may cause the body to stumble that otherwise hath not any setled debilitating sicknesse so in the minde many scandals may arise from alienations of minde mis-reportes mistakes c. both of them that are habitually depraved by a corrupt lust and also of them that are otherwise right hearted 3 Nor may we forget the agency or working of Satan in assigning the causes of Scandalls For he is the primus motor the first mover the incendiary in all these mischievous things It is his imployment to walke about seeking whom he may overthrow and devoure He hath a trap for a Iudas a snare for a Simon Magus a gin for Ananias and Sapphira And he wants not a stumbling block for a David a Peter or any of the best of Gods Saints And these he laies thick with much art and cunning baiting each with his peculiar baite that were it not for the wonderfull care of the Almighty by his preventing and sustaining grace no man could escape overthrow by them so that if we consider the second causes we see reason enough of the multitude of Scandalls Let us raise our thoughts higher from earth to heaven from second to the first from the subordinate to the supreme Cause and from thence we shall see a reason of the necessity of Scandalls The prediction of them by God proves the necessity of them for Gods prescience cannot be deceived But these following texts of Scripture doe import more then a necessity by prescience to wit a necessity by appointment or ordinance of Gods will And voluntas Dei est rerum necessitas it 's an axiom in the Schooles Gods will is the necessity of things Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they are appointed saith S. Peter 1. Ep. ch 2. 8. Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence Rom. 9. 33. God hath given them the spirit of slumber c. Rom. 11. 8. 9. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye 2. Thes. 2. 11. So that what ever be the way it is from God that Scandalls fall out and therefore there is a necessity of them But we may here aske with the Apostle Rom. 11. 11. Have they stumbled that they should fall Are scandals ordered by God onely for the ruine of men Doubtlesse no There are other ends aimed at by God in the event of scandals both in respect of him selfe of men In respect of himselfe he orders the happening of scandals to become subservient to the fulfilling of his owne counsell Pharoahs stumbling was made an occasion to shew Gods power Exod. 9. 16. and the disobedience of Hophni and Phinehas for the inflicting of Gods just vengeance 1. Sam. 2. 25. the unbeliefe of the Iewes the shewing mercy to the Gentiles Rom. 11. 31. 32. In all of them there is a depth of wisdome riches of knowledge in God who by unsearchable judgements and undiscernable paths brings his owne counsells to passe v. 33. Though wee know not how nor why God doth permit such pernicious evils as scandals in thēselves be yet the Almighty whose thoughts are above our thoughts whose waies are higher then our waies doth know This wee are to hold as certaine God lets nothing no not scandals to fall out without excellent though unsearchable wisdome for righteous and good though undiscernable ends And yet God doth not so conceale this matter but that wee so far know his minde that hee intends scandals as for the intrapping of false hearted disobedient persons so for the probation of thē that are sincere The wōders and signes of false Prophets and Dreamers of dreames were permitted sometimes to come to passe to try whether wee love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soule Deut. 13. 3. And oportet esse haereses there must be also heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest 1. Cor. 11. 19. And in the businesse of the Embassadours of the Princes of Babylon who sent unto Hezekiah to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart 2. Chron. 32. 31. So that one while God discovers a secret Hypocrite another while manifests the hidden corruption or weaknesse that is evē in a godly person Here he lets a stumbling block be the destruction of an obdurate sinner there it becomes to bee the witnesse of the faith obedience patience aud constancy of an upright believer S. Augustines saying is received in schooles Nisi esset hoc bonum ut essent mala nullo modo esse sinerentur ab omnipotente bono unlesse this were good that there should be evills they would by no means be suffered to be by the omnipotent good Nor is the laying of scandals lesse evill in man because God permits them to be for righteous good ends For however they bee ordered by good intendmēts in God yet they proceed from evill principles in men and therefore are no whit the lesse vitious in men because by accident to their intentions good is willed by God As when
that which the Magistrate commands only mediately I answer Though it bee true that for this reason the thing which the Magistrate commands is not so strictly our duty as that which God commands the Magistrates commands belonging only to his owne subjects Gods commands to all the Magistrates constitutions binding us only in reference to a superiour authority and a superiour end the publique good and therefore when they are contrary to the law of God or nature when there is some pressing necessity that cannot bee avoyded by reason of which wee cannot doe the thing commanded if the necessity bee true and not fained and the not-doing of the Magistrates command be without contempt of authority or ill example to others or if the thing commanded should be in truth plainely contrary to the publique good as it may happen sometimes some commands may if strictly urged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the letter But Gods commands binde absolutely without limitation I say though for these reasons the thing which the Magistrate commands be not our dutty so strictly as that which God immediately commands yet when it is a duty as it is when it opposeth not Gods law the law of nature or the publique safety there is a necessity of obeying the command of the Magistrate as of obeying Gods immediate precepts nor may the one bee omitted to avoyde scandall any more then the other As for that which is said that the Magistrate cannot restraine our charity 'T is true for charity is an inward affection of the soule which none but God can command as none but hee can search and punish yet the Magistrate may restraine the shewing of our charity somewayes as in forbidding to relieve malefactors rebels vagrants c. so that hee should sin that should preferre such a worke of charity before a worke of obedience to the governour which is a worke of piety to a publique person and the Father of the countrey whereas the other is to a private person of common respect But the Magistrate cannot command our consciences Answ. That the commands of men doe in no sort bind the conscience cannot bee said without contradicting of S. Paul Rom. 13. 5. Ye must needes bee subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake They that say least for governours say they may by their lawes binde the conscience mediately and by vertue of Gods precept although not immediately and of themselves Now this is enough to prove that it is the duty of Christians to doe the lawful commands of the Magistrate As for that which is said that the danger of scandall is before the disobedience to the commands of men I suppose not for the evill by disobeying of the Magistrate is as certaine if not more certaine then the evill of scandall the evill of scandall more remediable then the evill that followes on the disobeying the Magistrates command for the one is likely onely some transeunt harme in the mind or conscience of the scandalized person the other a constant permanent harme in the common wealth such as many times overthrowes government and in fine dissolveth a commonwealth the one usually extends to few the other to the whole community And it is taken for a plain truth Praestat ut pereat unus quam unitas Or as Caiaphas once said It is expedient that one should dye for the people and that the whole nation perish not Io. 11. 52. Adde hereto that there is a scandalizing of the publique Magistrate and others by disobedience as § 17. was determined which is as regardable as well as the scandalizing of private persons unlesse too much partiall respect sway men that they will not judge righteous judgement 2. I argue thus If it be not determined that the obeying of the Magistrates command were to bee preferred before the declining of scandall that may happen by such obedience then it will follow that both the Magistrate is bound to revoke or suspend his lawes when there is likely-hood of scandall to follow For he is not to urge men to doe that which is evill Now this would make all governours that make conscience of their commands almost perpetually uncertaine whether they may command any thing or no or make their constitutions invalid sith they can seldome make any orders but that scandals will arise as experience in all ages hath proved And subjects also shall have power to neglect such constitutions and so to make them as no lawes in the same case The consequent of which being granted I suppose can bee no lesse then Anarchy and confusion The mischiefe of which is greater then I can expresse and such as the avoyding of scandalizing of some soules cannot countervaile wherefore as it is said in the case of exacting an oath of a persō that it's likely will forsweare himselfe Fiat justitia ruat coelum Let justice proceed though the heaven fall so say I let goverment stand though subjects bee scandalized 3. Lastly If a man in doing any lawfull thing make it knowne that hee must doe it by reason of the command of authority or it bee otherwise manifest that that is indeed the reason of his doing surely he that is offended is rather unrighteous and evill minded then weake that will think that lawes must bee broken to please him and therefore the scandalizing of such not regardable A twelfth question may be If it fall out that in the doing or omitting of a thing indifferent some will bee scandalized if it be done others if omitted some offended if it be done this way some offēded if not done this way so that there is apparent danger of scandall either way what is to be done in such a case Ans. D. Ames l. 5. de conscientia c. 11. § 18. denies the case and sayes nulla datur talis perplexitas ut necessarium sit pio homini sive hoc vel illu à faciat sive non faciat scandalum alicui dare There can bee no such perplexity that it should bee necessary for a godly man whether he doe this or that or not doe it to scandalize some one Which assertion of his is both against experience and reason Against experience For the contrary fell out in S. Peters case Gal. 2. 12. in which it is plaine in the carriage of that matter that if he did eat with the Gentiles he was in danger of scandalizing the Iewes if hee did not eate with them to scandalize the Gentiles And it falls out too frequently in our own dayes that in the use of some rites in themselves indifferent some are offended with the use of them as Popish some with the not using them as arguing the affectation of Novellisme and singularity Against reason For sith scandall ariseth from the opinion that is had of a thing indifferent when the action of him that offendeth dasheth against it and it is undoubted that even godly men may have opposite opinions of things indifferent one thinking
it was by tying a stone to their necke but rather by putting the malefactor into leade And it may seeme by a passage which he cites out of Polybius that it was rather reckoned among the easier then more grievous sorts of punishment Maldonate conceives it might bee that our Saviour in using this resemblance did allude unto the pride which hee here censures as he did Math 11. 23. when hee said And thou Capernaum which art exalted to heaven shalt be brought down to hell What ever the allusiòn be Saint Hierome rightly notes that our Saviour meant hereby to let us understand that it were better for scandalizers to receive a short punishment here then eternall torments Or that though to be cast into the sea with a milstone about the necke be a certaine grievous irrecoverable destruction yet the woe of scandalizers is more certaine more grievous more irrecoverable And it is considerable that the Emphasis of our Saviours words in averring this seemes to intimate that He spake this with some vehemency as if he had said to this purpose though it bee that those that beleive in me are litle ones in their owne and others eyes yet I tell you it will be more tolerable for a man to bee thus dolefully cast into the sea then for him to incurre the punishment of offending these litle ones as little as they be yea though hee offend but one of these little ones Now from this speech of our Saviour wee may observe that those that beleive in Christ are litle ones which is true whether we compare them among themselves or with others for Magnum parvum are relatives as Aristotle observes in his Categories in the chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now compared among themselves they are some lesse then others Our Saviour Math 25 40. by saying In as much as yee have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren yee have done it unto mee Intimates that some of his brethren are lesse then others And indeed so it is 1 In respect of spirituall gifts and graces some are lesse then others Our Saviour in his charge to Peter concerning his pastorall office distinguisheth betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his little Lambes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his sheepe Ioh. 21. 15 16. and requires Peter to doe as it was foretold of himselfe Isay 40. 11. that he should feed his flocke like a shepheard that hee should gather the Lambes with his armes and carry them in his bosome and should gently leade those that are with young The Apostle distinguisheth between the strong in faith and the weak in faith Rom. 14. 1. and 15. 1. Thus it hath beene and it is still Some are Christians come to maturity others are in the blossome and bud some are novices Catechumeni yongling in Christ some are confirmed Christians strong men in Christ. Which thing happens First because of the sutablenesse of it to the condition of a body For as it is in the naturall body all members are not of equall growth so it is in the mysticall body of Christ it is fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of each part Ephes. 4. 16. There is a different measure of each part that there may be a meete Symmetry in the whole Secōdly Besides all members have not the same office And therefore Gods spirit gives not to all a like measure of knowledge and other gifts Rom. 12. 4 6. Thirdly Againe all parts have not a like meanes for growth not a like instruction and nurture not a like time for growth There is a different working in the severall parts and accordingly a different growth Ephes. 4. 16. Fourthly If all Christians were of equall strength Faith wisdome aud other graces there would be a subtraction of the matter of sundry principall duties there would be no need one Christian should edifie one another beare with one another avoyd the offence of another give helpe to another restore one another c. Wheras God hath so tempered the parts of the mysticall body as well as the naturall that the members should have the same care one of another 1. Cor. 12. 25. 2. In power dignity authority wealth c. Both in the Church and in the world some believers in Christ exceed others Among many meane Christians some are noble in birth and dignity among many Christian subjects there are some soveraigne Kings and Princes that are Christians among many illiterate believers there are some learned believers In which thing God hath admirably ordered that as there should be some nobles some Princes some learned among his people that they may help defend his Church so there are not many nobles not many mighty not many wise after the flesh that the support and raising of his Church may appeare not to be by an arme of flesh not by might but by his spirit that no flesh should glory in his presence 1. Cor. 1. 26 29. If wee compare them with others they are but little I meane in dignity secular honour power strength among men Except a David or a Constantine and some other christian Kings how few of Gods people have injoyed any eminent degree of worldy glory the triumphant Cōquerors the mighty Monarchs of the world have been most of them Infidels The Almighty that intends a better inheritance for his Saints even a kingdome that cannot be shaken Heb. 12. 28. bestowes not on them the great Monarchies Dominions and dignities of this world which are meaner gifts And accordingly the world makes small account of beleivers as if they were but contemptible persons For the men of this world have eyes of flesh and fleshly minds they magnify and admire the world and the pompe thereof sumptuous palaces gorgeous attire great command great observance and attendance But the worth of spirituall excellencies the glorious priviledges and endowments of Gods sons they know not even as Christ was unknowne in the world so are his members 1. Iohn 3. 1 2. Lastly those that believe in Christ are little in their owne eyes that is humble which it's likely was chiefly here meant by our Saviour For to this Christ specially applyes the Embleme of a little child Math. 18. 4. And in this sense Saul is said to have been little in his own eyes 1. Sam. 15. 17. Thus certainly are all the Saints David was as great in the eye of others as any man in the world in his age yet he was not so great in the eyes of others but he was as small in his owne Who am I saith he to God 2. Sam. 7. 18. and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And Psal. 131. 1. c. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither doe I exercise my selfe in great matters or in things too high for me Surely I have behaved and quieted my selfe as a
Solomons caveat Prov. 22. 22 23. Robbe not the poore because he is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in the gate For the Lord will pleade their cause and spoyle the soule of them that spoyled them Consider what a doome is here threatned to scandalizers of beleivers Bee assured that Gods righteousnesse his love to his people his owne cause requires this severity at his hands Know that ther 's no escaping unlesse they could fight against God and were stronger then hee Provoke not then a couragious Lion stirre not up the wrath of the Omnipotent God Touch not his annointed doe his Prophets no harme Shew them all kindnesses on earth that what they cannot their Saviour may recompense in heaven that when yee faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations FINIS § 1. Eccl. 12. 11 The speaker and occasion of the words § The partition of the text § 3. The explication of the word Scandall in the proper acception Lexic in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § Scandall in the Scripture use Ps. 69. 23. Rom. 11. 9 §. Of the sorts of effective scandall §. 6. The necessity of scaÌ„dals §. 7. In respect of scandalizers § 8. Of persons Scandalized §. 9. Of Satan § 10. Of God Ezek. 3. 20. § 11. For what ends ordered by him Enchir. ad Laur c. 96. §. 12. The application 1. To iustifie religion notwithstanding the scandals of the professors of it §. 13. To magnify the providence of God § 14. 3 To teach men to walk circumspectly §. 15. 4. To waite for Christs comming §. 1. The explication of the words of the second proposition of the Text. § 2. That a woe belongs to Scandalizers § 3. §. 4. Who are Scandalizers and to what Scandalizing woe belongs Iames 1. 14. Qu. Ans. Lib. 4. de gubernat Dei § 6 Why a woe belongs to them Rom. 7. 13. §. 7. § 8. Application 1. to manifest the danger â—f scandalizers §. 9. 2 To admonish them of their sin § 10. Directions to avoide it § 1. Scandalizing distributed into foure waies § 2. A woe belongs to them that scandalize by sinfull example § 3. What actions of sinfull example doe scaÌ„dalize Qu. Ans. Qu. Ans. §. 4. How they doe scandalize Lib. 4. de guber Dei §. 3. Why a woe belongs to such §. 6. Application 1. to move them to mourne that scandalize by sinfull example §. 7. 2. To move men to take heed of scandalizeing by sinfull example § 8. 3. And others that they be not scandalized by sinfull example §. 9. Directions to prevent it §. 1. A woe belongs to scandalizers by abuse of liberty in things lawfull §. 2. Reasons thereof out of S. Paules Epistles §. 3. The difficulty of this point and quaeres propounded to cleare it §. 4. Answere of the first quaere what are things lawfull indifferent and what is our liberty in their use §. 5. What waies our liberty in things indifferent may be restrained § 6. The summary of the Apostles resolutions about scandall in the use of things indifferent delivered Rom. 14. § 7. And 1. Cor. 8. 9. 10. chapters §. 8. Que. 1. Who are to avoyde scandalizing by abuse of liberty in things indifferent §. 9. Que. 2. Scandalizing of whom by such abuse is to be avoyded §. 10. Que. 3. Whether stroug ones are obnoxious to such scandall § 11. Que. 4. Who are to be accounted weake ones not to be thus scandalized § 12. Qu. 5. what evill consequent on our action makes scandalizing of this sort §. 13. Que. 6. How long we are to forbear our liberty for feare of scandall §. 14. Que. 7. What foresight of scandall consequent is necessary to make a man culpable of scandalizing this way §. 15. Que. 8. Whether the restraint of our liberty for feare of scandall be universall §. 16. Que. 9. Whether scandall may be by omission of the use of our liberty §. 17. Que. 10. Whether a community or a magistrate may be scandalized § 18. Que. 11. What we are to doe where there is danger of scandall one way and of disobedience to the Magistrate another way §. 19. Que. 12. What we are to doe in case of scandall either by using or not using our liberty §. 20. Que. 13. What we are to doe when the forbearing of our liberty endangers the losse of it §. 21. Que. 14. What are we to doe when there is danger of life by not using our liberty of scandall by using it §. 22. Que. 15. What we are to doe when there is feare of scandall to some and hope of good to others by use of our liberty §. 23. Que. 16. How farre we are to regarde the Scandal that ariseth from fancy without any probable reason §. 24. Application 1. To manifest the uncharitablenes of scandalizers by abuse of their liberty §. 25. 2. To disswade them from this sin with directions against it §. 26. 3. To admonish men of being scandalized by anothers use of his liberty and directions to that end §. 1. A woe belongs to scandalizers by enticing practises §. 2. How men Scandalize by enticing practises §. 3. Difference of scandalizers by enticing practises in respect of the part they act therein §. 4. Difference of scandalizers by enticing practises in respect of the motives which incite them §. 5. Difference of scandalizers by enticing practises according to the matter wherein they scandalize §. 6. The reasons of the woe due to this scandalizing §. 7. Application 1. To manifest the great guilt of Scandalizers in this kind §. 8. 2. To admonish men to take heed of scandalizing this way §. 9. And those that are apt to be scandalized §. 1. A woe belongs to scandalizers by persecution §. 2. How beleivers are persecuted § 3. How persecutions doe scandalize § 4. What woe belongs to scandalizers by persecuiion § 5. Application 1. To discover the danger of such scandalizers § 6. 2. To deterre them from it § 7. 3. To advise them that are in danger of being scandalized by persecutions § 1. The explication of the third proposition in the text § 2. Those that believe in Christ are little ones § 3. Some lesse then others in spiritual gifts and graces § 4. In power and dignity §. 5. Beleivers commonly lesse then others in the world § 6. Little in their owne eyes § 7. Application 1. to advertise us of the estate of beleievrs in this world §. 8. 2. To teach beleivers contentednesse in a low condition §. 9. 3. To quicken their hope after heaven §. 10. 4. To aggravate the sin of scandalizing beleivers §. 11. That the woe due to scandalizers of beleivers is greater then any temporall death §. 12. Who are to be accounted beleivers in Christ. §. 13. Why so great vengeance is awarded to scandalizers of beleivers in Christ. §. 14. Application 1. To manifest Christs tender care over his people §. 15. 2. To teach us to commit our cause to him when we suffer for him §. 16. 3. To advertise scandalizers of the greatnesse of their sin and punishment §. 17. 4. To deterre them from their sin