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drawing back fome weak converts to their heathenish Superstition.

Others affirmed it to following principles.

be lawful on the

That the meat it

felf could not defile their Conscience, provided they had no fuperftitious view in eating it; that the chriftian ftate into which they were entered, gave them a liberty of eating any thing, provided they received it with Sobriety and Thanksgiving; and that it was not fit that this part of their chriftian liberty fhould be abridged by the weakness or unreasonable scrupulofity of another Man's Conscience.

The Apostle stands as Umpire or Moderator between these two different parties; and does not abfolutely decide the point in favour of either of them: but here, as well as in the fourteenth Chapter to the Romans, where he handles this matter more at large, he steers a middle course; and tells both parties that in fuch a matter as this, which was not effential to Christianity, they might each of them pursue their own way, and act according to their own judgment; provided that

an inoffenfive Conduct.

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herein they had a particular regard to thefe SERM, three things; 1. Not to act contrary to their Confcience, or the perfuafion of their own mind concerning the lawfulness of the thing they allowed. 2. Not to disturb the peace of the Church, which they should endeavour by all means to maintain; and 3. To give no juft offence to others: For, fays he, if thy Brother be grieved by thy meat, thou walkeft not charitably (a). So in the Text, give none Offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of GOD; that is, to no one person in the World: for the Jews, the Gentiles, and Chriftians (which laft are here meant by the Church of GoD) comprehended at that time all mankind.

In treating of thefe Words, I propose,

I. To open to you the nature of the Duty here recommended.

II. To enforce it with fome proper heads of Motive.

1. I am to open to you the nature of the Duty here recommended, Wherein I fhall

fhew you,

A 4

4. What

(a) Rom. xiv. 15.

SERM.

I.

1. What we are to understand by the word Offence.

2. With what reftrictions the Precept in the Text must reasonably be taken.

3. What is the proper latitude and extent of it in a few particulars, wherein men are most apt to forget it.

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1. What are we to understand by the word Offence.

This word is taken in two fenfes. The Scripture acceptation of it is very different from that in which it is commonly used.

In the facred Writings it generally fignifies a Stumbling-block; or whatever is the occafion of another's Fall. Thus it is used Rom. xiv. 20, 21. It is evil in that man who eateth with Offence, (that is, though eating this kind of meats be in itself an indifferent thing, yet if a man, by using this Liberty of his, be the occafion of drawing another to act contrary to his Confcience, his eating in that cafe is no longer indifferent, but finful;) for it is good neither to eat Flesh, nor to drink Wine, nor any thing whereby thy Brother fumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. In this fenfe it is explained ver. 13, of that chapter, Fudge this rather, that no Man put a Stum

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I.

bling-block, or an occafion to fall, in his Bro- SERM. ther's way. To offend a Brother, in this sense, is to cause him to offend; and to give him Offence, is to be the occafion of his Sin; and to draw him on, by our Example, to act contrary to his own Confcience.

But the word Offence, in the common acceptation of it, is taken in a very different sense, to fignify an occafion of Anger, Grief, or Resentment. Whoever finds these paffions stirring in his mind, is faid to be offended; and whatever be the Incentive or Cause of them, is called the Offence. And this diftinction ought carefully to be remembered; because an inattention to it hath created many needlefs fcruples of Confcience, and been the ground of much confufion in our Ideas concerning the juft nature and extent of the Duty here required.

But in this latter fenfe we fometimes find the word used in Scripture, as well as in the former. As Pfal. cxix. 165. Great peace have they that love thy Law, and nothing fhall offend them; that is, nothing fhall greatly interrupt that Peace. Mat. xvii. 27. Never theless, left we should offend them, go thou to the

·Sea, and caft an Hook, and take up the Fish

that

SERM. that first cometh up; that is, that we may not

I.

give them any just cause of Anger or Refentment against us; or let us wave our Privilege at prefent for Peace fake.

It is this latter fenfe in which I intend to

open

and improve the words of the Text; and confider them as a Precept, to follow after things that make for peace, and to keep our Confcience void of Offence towards all men. In which fenfe I proceed now,

2. To confider with what reftrictions this Precept must reasonably be taken.

For there are certain limits within which it is circumfcribed, and beyond which if it goes, it is no longer a Virtue. The Apostle's Exhortation is, If it be poffible, and as much as in you lies, live peaceably with all men. But that very command implies, that sometimes the thing is not poffible. There are indeed a great many things which a wife man would facrifice to peace; but there are fome things which a good man cannot. The rights of confcience are facred, and the obligations of Religion inviolable. And whilst a Chriftian stedfaftly refolves at all times to keep them fo, it is not poffible but he must give Offence to fome. The bright

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