Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	great_a	life_n	2,755	4	4.1264	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62878	Væ scandalizantium, or, A treatise of scandalizing wherein the necessity, nature, sorts, and evills of scandalizing, are handled, with resolution of many questions thereto pertaining / preached at Lemster, in Herefordshire by Iohn Tombes ...	Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.	1641 (1641)	Wing T1827; ESTC R21407	96,654	466

Americanes to abhorre Christian religion As a holy life in the professors is a great attractive inducement to draw mens hearts to the love of it so an ungodly and unrighteous conversation is a certaine impediment and disswasive from it Partly because as Seneca saith plus oculis quam auribus credunt men are guided by their eyes more then their eares partly because good religion and vertue of men that doe evill things is taken to be either non-ens or nullius pretii either nothing or of no worth even as a pearle or gold covered with dirt is passed by as if it were not or of no value For the third quaere The reason why such woe as hath been said belongs to this scandalizing by sinfull example is 1 Because in every scandall by sinfull example there is a double iniquity one in that it is against the precept of cleaveing onely to that which is good Rom. 12. 9. an other in that it is against the precept of good example in which wee are enjoyned that our light should so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorify our Father which is in heaven Mat. 5. vers 16. 2. Because it produceth two great evills one in that thereby the name of God is dishonoured so is against the love that is due to God the other in that it becomes the ruine of his brother and so is against the love that is due to him Yet for as much as all sinfull example is not alike grievous but some sinfull examples crosse the precept of love to God more some lesse some dishonour God more some lesse nor alike scandall some being more against the love we owe to men some lesse some harming them more some lesse therefore the same degree of misery is not awarded to all scandalizers by sinfull example There are some that by a continued evill practise doe scandalize others who are accustomed to doe evill as if it were their occupation others that scandalize by a foule sinne but into which they were brought by infirmity as Noah when he was overtaken with drūkennesse Whose woe is doubtlesse lesse then the formers Some there be that scandalize by totall and finall Apostasy others by a grievous fall but so as they recover by repentance as S. Peter and their woe is lesse Some break out into sinfull example after warning given them to take heed of it others because they wanted a Monitour to warne them and their woe is lesse Some there be whose scandalls by reason of their eminency of place gifts or profession are more notorious and more heinous others whose evill exāple reacheth not farre and their woe is lesse Some that overthrow many by their evill example some but few their woe is lesse Some that overthrow by their evill example their own children their own naturall brethren their own flocks of whom they ought to be most tender others overthrow strangers only and their woe is lesse Thus by variety of circumstāces the scandalls of some may bee worse then others and their woe greater however there be a woe allotted to every one that scādalizeth by sinfull example For application of this truth 1. Hence men are to bee advertised what reason there is they should bewaile mourn for such scandalls as they have caused by sinfull example The greatnesse of the sinne and the greatnesse of the danger should both cause this humiliation If S. Paul saw cause to mourne to be humbled for the uncleannesse fornication and lasciviousnesse of the Corinthians how much more cause had the Corinthians to mourne for themselves Every one that tenders Gods honour his own peace is to shew his hatred of sinne by mourning for the abominations he sees acted by others such are marked and observed by God Ezek. 9. 4. Greater cause there is that the Actors themselves should mourn who have harmed others and destroyed themselves suo gladio by their own sword T is true there are no small number of men that make a sport of sinne that rejoyce to doe evill and that they cause some to fall It were fitter for them to learne S. Iames his lesson Ch. 5. 1. to weep and howle for their miseries that shall come upon them For as all sinnes are mischievous so doubtlesse scandalls by evill example will be very mischievous to the layers of them You then that by your evill example have made others dissolute debaucht quarrelsome brawlers fighters murderers lascivious prodigall gamesters drunkards lyers common prophaners of Gods holy name and time deriders of Gods word holy services servants idle undutifull to superiors froward factious cōtentious deceitfull injurious superstitious c. oh goe bewaile these sins as a double evill dishonouring God destroying men overthrowing them and bringing woe on your selves and therefore requiring double treble mourning for such mischiefes 2 It concernes likewise all persons for the same reasons to take heed of giving evill example to the scandall of others specially of those that should be neare and deare to them It much imports every Christian for the comfort of his owne soule the glory of God the good of others to have his conversation honest among men that they which speak against him as an evill doer may by his good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of their visitation 1. Pet. 2. 12. It is exacted even of women the weaker sexe that their conversation should be such in their subjectiō to their husbands that their lives should have the effect of a Sermon to win others to godlines 1. Pet. 3. 1. 2. The reaping of such fruite by well doeing should be a great motive to make Christians abundant in good works much more should the certainty of eternall life assured to those that patiently continue in well doing Rom. 2. 7. provoke them to love and to good works However humane commiseration should move us to take heed of destroying our brethren by our evill life Should it not bee a griefe to thee to destroy him whō thou art bound to help Can a man take delight to damne his Child his friend to enjoy his lust Should it not be a joy to a man to lead others towards heaven to keep them from hell Oh what a blessed condition would it be to every man that of him it may be said as the Apostle of the Corinthians 2. Cor. 9. 2. that his zeale had provoked very many his life had been a light to guide others into the way of peace 3 And as it concernes all men to take heed of scandalizing others by evill example so likewise to take heed of being scandalized by such example It is their sin that scandalize it may be also their ruine that are provoked by them They shall receive more punishment that lead into evill they also shall have misery that follow marke our Saviours words Mat. 15. 14. If the blind lead the blind both fall into the

generations As the remembrance of the vertues of ancestours may provoke posterity to doe worthily and thereby their memory be blessed as it is Prov. 10. 7. so the remembrance of the cruelty tyranny and such like vices of Ancestours doth oft times revive their sinnes in their children cause their names to rot and to stinke above ground when their bodies are low enough in the ground As the valour of Militiades at Marathen stories report provoked Themistocles to doe great exploits and the relation of Achilles his prowesse inflamed the mind of Alexander the Great so the memoriall of Sylla taught Caesar to oppresse his countrey For which reason it concernes all that desire to doe good to those that come after them to leave a good name behind thē least the evill savour of their bad example infect the world in many generations Possibly it may be yet farther asked whether sinfull omissions of things wee should doe may become scandalls I answere yes Experience shewes that the remissenes of great Schollers in duties of Godlinesse is often the cause of Coldnesse Lukewarmenesse in religion in others that leane much on their example the negligence of governours in frequenting Gods service causeth many times the subjects to think there 's no necessity of Constancy and diligence therein So that he that would not scandalize his brother must not only be free from open sins of Commission but also from sinnes of omission For answer to the second quaere I say that scandalizing by evill example doth harme the minds of others unto their ruine many waies 1. Because it provokes men to the imitation of that particular sinne in which the scandall is whereby their soules are harmed Thus S. Peter by not communicating with the Gentiles drew Barnabas in like manner to Iudaïze with him Gal. 2. 13. The example of an eminent person is never single if such a one doe evill he carries with him others as the stream doth that which floats upon it Iter efficax per exempla saith Seneca the most prevalent way of drawing men is by examples by which men are guided more than by Lawes or reasons In evill things examples are most forcible sith they agree with our naturall lusts men need not to be urged to them they learne them of thēselves at the first sight ut vident pereunt 2. The sinfull example of men becomes a scandall to others it that it hardens them in the sins they have committed For the deceitfulnesse of sin so infatuats mens hearts as that they are ready to imagine the sinne of another man to be a good excuse or plea for their owne As it is said by the Prophet Ezek 16. 51. That Iudah had by her abominations justified Samaria in all her sinnes Not as if the sinne of one man could be intruth a sufficient plea to acquit another that commits the same sinne But it is so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the opinion of men who doe alleage nothing more commōly for defence of their facts and consequently for hardning them in their evills then this that others have their faults all are sinners good men have bin overtaken with the same sins eminent men in profession of religion have done as themselves and therefore they hope they have done no great hurt there 's no such cause of others reproving them or that their own consciences should be much troubled 3. There is another way of scandalizing which comes by evil practises in that it makes men to stumble and fall one upon another by jarres variance fightings What was it which set the Benjamites and the other tribes in such a combustion but the horrible sin committed on the Levites Concubine Iudg. 21. 12. The treacherous murder of the Sechemites by Simeon Levi made Iacob to stink among the inhabitants of the land aud to combine against him Gen. 34. 30. so true is that of S. Iames that warres and fightings come from mens lusts that warre in their members and set men one against another Iames 4. 1. 4. Besides sinfull examples create griefe to the good and thereby scandalize them To this purpose speaks David Psal. 119. 158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy word And S. Paul feared that when he came to the Corinthians God would humble him and that he should bewaile the uncleannesse wherein they had sinned 2. Cor. 12. 21. Righteous Lot dwelling among the Sodomites in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their unlawfull deeds 2. Pet. 2. 8. As by stumbling sometimes there 's fraction of a member alwaies anguish so by scandals sometimes there 's perverting of men from the right way alwaies dolor and paine even in the best and soundest 5. Adde here unto that sinfull examples doe most grievously scandalize in that they cause men ill affected to blaspheme God to reproach his waies religion service Through the sins of the Iewes the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles Rom. 2. 24. David by his foule crime in the matter of Bathsheba had given occasion to the enimies of the Lord to blaspheme 2. Sam. 12. 14. It is a frequent thing for evill men to set their tongues against heaven against God his word true religion as if they were none of them good when any that seemed to follow thē fall into grosse transgressions Wherein however they foolishly impute that to God which he condemnes and punisheth and charge religion godlinesse with that which is the fruit of mens corrupt lusts contrary to Godlinesse yet it serves Satan as an engine to stirre up mens enmity against God his waies and an occasion for evill men to vent their venemous hatred of Gods word his people and religion Salvian at large relates how frequent in his daies such speeches as these were in the mouths of Pagans when they beheld the evill lives of Christians Christians would surely doe holy things if Christ had taught them holinesse look into the lives of Christians and you may know what is Christs doctrine In like manner by reason of the lewdnesse of Gnosticks Nicolaitanes and such like damnable teachers Christian religion was much reproached by the heathen and as S. Peter foretold 2. Pet. 2. 2. The way of truth blaspheamed And so it is still the vitiousnesse of a Protestant in his life opēs the mouth of a Papist to diffame the reformed Religion and the falling of any that seemed to be zealous of Gods word causeth the impure mouthes of licentious persons to speak evill of the truth which is according to godlinesse 6. Lastly the sinfull examples of men that have the name of Gods people doe scandalize in making men to loath and to be averse from Gods-service and the way of his feare The sinne of Hophni and Phinehas caused men to abhorre the offerings of the Lord. 1. Sam. 2. 17. 24. The Cruelty and coveteousnesse of the Spaniards in the west Indies caused the miserable