Practical Directions against Offence and Hurt by others

Direct. I. Lay well your foundation, and understand the nature and reasons of religion; and then you will be so far from disliking it for the errors and falls of others, that it will be written upon your minds, as with a beam of the sun, That there can be no reason against obeying God, and against the careful securing of our salvation. This will be the first and undoubted principle, which nothing in the world can make you question. Whatever scandals, persecutions, or sufferings may attend a holy life, you will still be past doubt that there is no other way; no other eligible, no other tolerable, no other rational, or that will lead to happiness. Whatever falls out in the world, if the most great, or learned, or religious fall away, it will not make you question, Whether a man be a living creature, nor whether the sun be light, nor whether two and two be four. No more should it make you question, Whether God be better than the creature, heaven than earth, or a life of holiness than a life of sin. You will say as Peter, “Lord, whither should we go? thou hast the words of eternal life,” John vi. 68. Whatever scandals are given, or whatever befall the church, or if all the disciples of Christ forsake him, this remaineth as sure as that the earth is under us, that there is no other way than holiness, for a wise man once to take into his thoughts.

Direct. II. Get once a sincere love to God and a holy life, and then no scandals will make you jealous of it, nor think of looking any other way. It is want of true and hearty love, that maketh you so easily taken off.

Direct. III. To this end, know religion by experience; and this will put you past all doubt of his goodness. He that never tasted sugar, may be persuaded by argument that it is not sweet, or may think it bitter when he seeth another spit it out; and he that knoweth godliness but by looking on, or hearsay, may thus be drawn to think it bad; but so will not he that hath truly tried it: I mean not only to try what it is to hear, and read, and pray; but what it is to be humble, holy, and heavenly, both in heart and life.

Direct. IV. When you see any man sin, be sure you do that duty which it calls you to. Every fall that you see of others doth call you to see the odiousness of sin (as you will do when you see a drunkard spewing, or a thief at the whipping-post). And it calleth you to search for and lament the root of such sin in yourselves, and to set your watch more strictly upon such a warning; and it calls you to compassionate the sinner, and if you have hope and opportunity to endeavour his recovery. If you will conscionably do this duty which is your own, you will be the less in danger of hurt by scandal. It is duty that must help to prevent infection.

Direct. V. Be watchful among all men, high and low, learned or unlearned, good and bad. Venture not blindly upon the singular opinion of any men whatsoever; nor into any new unproved way. Remember that all men are a temptation to others; and therefore be armed and watch against such temptation. Know well what it is, that is the peculiar temptation, which the quality of those that you have to do with, layeth before you. Spend no day or hour in any company, good or bad, without a wise and careful vigilancy.

Direct. VI. Be as little as you can in scandalous and tempting company. Presume not to touch pitch, and promise yourselves to escape defilement. Especially fly from two sorts of scandals. First, The discourses and societies of heretical or schismatical men, who speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them, Acts xx. 30. Those that presume to run into such snares, and think their own understanding and stability are sufficient to preserve them, do show by their pride that they are near a fall, 1 Cor. x. Secondly, The company of sensual persons, at stage-plays, gaming, inordinate plays, and wanton dalliance. For this is to bring your tinder and gunpowder to the fire; and the less you fear it, the greater is your danger.

Direct. VII. Look more at the good that is in others, than at their faults and falls. The fly that will fall on none but the galled, ulcerous place, doth feed accordingly. Is a professor of religion covetous, drunk, or other ways scandalous? Remember that it is his covetousness or drunkenness that is bad. Reprove that, and fly from it, and spare not; but religion is good; let that therefore be commended and imitated. Leave the carrion to dogs and crows to feast upon; but do you choose out the things that are commendable, and mind, and mention, and imitate those.

Direct. VIII. Lastly, Think and speak as much against the sin and danger of taking scandal, as against the sin and danger of giving it. When others cry out, These are your religious people, do you cry out as much against their malignity and madness, who will dislike or reproach religion for men’s sins; which is to blame the law-makers or laws, because they are broken; or to fall out with health, because many that once were in health fall sick; or to find fault with eating, because some are lean; or with clothing, because some are cold. Open to yourselves and others, what a wicked and perilous thing this is, to fall out with godliness, because some are ungodly that seem godly. Many cry out against scandal, that never think what a heinous sin it is to be scandalized, or to suffer men’s sins to be a scandal to you; and to be the worse, because that others are so bad. No one must differ from them in an opinion, or a fashion of apparel, or in a mode or form of worship, but some are presently scandalized; not knowing that it is a greater sin in them to be scandalized, than in the other by such means (supposing them to be faulty) to give them the occasion. Do you know what it is to be scandalized or offended in the Scripture sense? It is not merely to be displeased, or to dislike another’s actions (as is before said); but it is to be drawn into some sin, or hindered from some duty, or stopped in the course of religion, or to think the worse of truth, or duty, or a godly life, because of other men’s words or actions: and do you think him a good christian, and a faithful or constant friend to godliness, who is so easily brought to quarrel with it? or is so easily turned from it, or hindered in it? Some peevish, childish persons are like sick stomachs, that no meat can please; you cannot dress it so curiously, but they complain that it is naught, or this aileth it, or that aileth it, when the fault is in themselves; or like children, or sick persons, that can scarce be touched but they are hurt: do you think that this sickliness or curiosity in religion is a credit to you? This is not the tenderness of conscience which God requireth, to be easily hurt by other men’s differences or faults. As it is the shame of many ladies and gentlewomen, to be so curious and troublesomely neat, that no servant knoweth how to please them; so is it in religion a sign of your childish folly, and worse, to be guilty of such proud curiosity, that none can please you who are not exactly of your mind and way. All men must follow your humours in gestures, fashions, opinions, formalities, and modes, or else you are troubled, and offended, and scandalized; as if all the world were made to please and humour you! or you were wise enough, and great and good enough, to be the rule of all about you! Desire and spare not, that yourselves and all men should please God as exactly as is possible. But if the want of that exactness in doubtful things, or a difference in things disputable and doubtful among true christians, do thereupon abate or hinder your love or estimation of your brethren, or communion with them, or any other christian duty, or tempt you into censoriousness or contempt of your brethren, or to schism, persecution, or any other sin; it is you that are the great offenders, and you that are like to be the sufferers; and have cause to lament that sinful aptness to be thus scandalized.