Of Abjlaining from the Appearance of Evil. 41 I contrary to the perfwafion of the moft Pious and moft fober ChrifiiahSj rhis oughr ro far eo prevail, as to m~ke Men fu~petr ~e.fi rhey ar~ miflak~n, ahdi:o pur rhem upon a diligent Enquuy, and an tmpa rnal Search meo .rhetr Grounds and Arguments; bur after all, ftill follow t~ar _whic~ you are convinced ih. your own Confcience is your Du~y, how evil f?ever 1t may appe~r tO othe~s. either one way or orher. And..ffi.a~he firft Parttcular : If rhofe thtngs appear evil ro others chat are our ducy, of\(leceffary, or that aP.pear fo to us, we ought nor to regard the Cenfures and opinions of orhets COncerning it. Secondly, If fo be chafe rhings char are in the~felves indfffi:ent, ~nd appear r.o ·us foro be have yer an eVil 11ppearance unco mhers,tf they be offended and kan~ahzed at rhe:n then che Rule of Chrifiian Charity obligerh us eo abfiain from them. I call thofe'Things indifj"crenr, rhar are neither in themfelves forbidden, nor jet commanded bur only permitted and left to the arbitrary·g<wernmem of every !private Chri'fii-an's Prudence and Difcretion. A~ for inftance, tmd.er the~roiti ·cal La1v fomekindsofMeat were unlawful; asmLro.r:r. Aod fomekmdsof G.trment: were unlaWful ro be wbrn; ·as in Lro. 19. I9. But riow, under the Goff el fince the abolifhing of rhofe Carnal Ordinancn, as the .Apojllt calls them, Htb.; 4- borh all forts of M eat beco.t1le lawful, whilft we ufe them within [he DoundsofTemperance and Moderanon; and all forts of GarmtntJ may be lawfully worn whilc-\.ve ufe them within rhe Bounds of Modefty and I>ecency: Thefe .Things ~re lefc free for us to ufe them, or not to ufe them, without Sin, ac· cordiug to our own co.nveniency and difcretion. Thefe Things.} call indifferent Things. And yer fuch is the ftrictnefs of Chrijl:~mJ Rdig~on, that t.hefe indifferent, lawful Things, are nor ro be ufed at random netrher. le JS a cercam Truth,though it may fee m a Paradox, that we never fin in any thing more than in doing that .which is it felf lawful; in thefe things we ufually offend, either by ufing them immoderately, or with a neglect, yea, with a contempt of thofe Confciences that are weak. The Ufe of our Chrijlian LibertJ is not unconrroulable; but God bath fubjected it to the Con{ciences of others; fo that it is uttclrly unlaWful for us to do that which is in ic felf lawful, if it give offence unto others. How this ought to be limited I !hall !hew you by and by; in the mean time, fee it clearly proved out> of I Cor. 1 o. from v. 2 f· to the end, where the Apoftlt decides thiS .ffl.!!eftion, Wh~ rher it 1vtre la1JJ(ul to eat MeAt that 1Vasoffired to Idols. Forrhe under..: ftandingof this, you mufi know, it was a cuftom am~ng the Heathens to offer Canel in Sacrifices to their IdolGods; pare whereof chey did eat in thei~ Re/jgious FeaF/J in the Temple, felling the Remainder in the common Market. Now the Queftion was not, Whether it was unlawful to join with thCH'eathensineacingof their Sacrijicu in the T tmple before their IdolJ; for this were to join with them in their ldolt~ t rous Worfl,ip? Due there were fome more (crupulous Chrifliam among them, that judged it unlawful to e11t of thofe SacrificeJ when fold in the ShambltJ, or common Market; the··Apoftle now there determines this Matter 'to be altogether indifferem, in v er. 2f. !Vhat{oe'Ucr is fold in the Shamblu , whether offeted to ldoh, or not, that eat; but :yet, if any 7veak. Chriftian even fo fcrliple to eat that which is offered to !doh aher it is fold in the Sbamblu, and if he Be offended at orhers for eating of it,the Apojlle then give's thls Rule,That the ihong ouohc not to ear for the fake of the weak,though the thing be indiffercnc,and mighfhe done ; yet the Hrong €)ught not to eat for the fake of the weak, in v. 28. If any [ay,This waJ offered ;, Sacrifice to Idols,though fold in the Shambles~yet eat not for his fl.ke that jhnved y ou it. Now what the Apoftle here fpeaks of Meat offered in Sacrifice to ldo!J, holds true proportionably in Apparel, in Retreatiom, and the like indif.... ferenc lawful Things, all which become Sin to you, if they become Offinus and Scandals unto others. Now the Reafon of this is evident ; becaufe when Men ra!hly do what they think is lawful,_ without regarding the Scruplu of others, hereby they ~o a~ the .Apojllt fp,eaks, 10 Rom.. 14. I;. put. a Jlum'bling-block, and an ?uafio,J of j~tlmg m tktz~ Brotker J 1vay, that ts, they brtng him into thC ~ommtffion o( a Stn, and tht.s 1s agamft the Law of Charity . For fays the Apoftle, !" v . . 14. if. thy B;other bt gnro.cd at thJ Mtat, thou 1~c.lkeff not ckaritablJ. Now m domg that whtch apptarJ1tvtl to others, though u be lawful m it felf. yet it may be an occafion of Sin eo them two Ways. ' G g gg z Firft,
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