SERM. ye fin fo against the Brethren, and wound II. ~ their weak confcience, ye fin against Chrift: Wherefore if Meat make my Brother to offend, I will eat no meat while the World ftandeth, left I make my Brother to offend. Laftly, THE fame queftion he again determines, in the fourteenth chapter to the Romans: I know, faith he, ver. 14. and am perfwaded by the Lord Jefus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to Him it is unclean: But if thy Brother be grieved with thy meat, Now thou walkeft not charitably :- All things indeed are pure, but 'tis evil for that man who cateth with offence: It is good therefore, neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy Brother fumbleth, or is made weak: Haft thou Faith? have it to thyself before God. His meaning, in thefe laft words, is; not, (as fome have wickedly perverted the words,) that provided a man has right notions of religion himself, he need not openly own and profefs them before Others: But his meaning is, that in things of an indifferent nature, (of which only he was here fpeaking, ) men of understanding had better keep to them Selves II. felves their lawful Liberty, than run the SER M. hazard of incouraging others to venture further than their Confciences will innocently permit them. Haft thou Faith? i. e. haft thou affurance of the innocency of what thou doft? have it to thyself before God. THE Sum is This: To do any Evil Action, that Good may come of it, is not lawful: But to forbear any innocent action, when fuch forbearance is the likelieft means to prevent another man's falling into Sin, is both lawful and commendable. Nay, the acting otherwife, is, in such cafe, Uncharitableness towards our Brother: Rom. xiv. 15. If thy Brother be grieved with thy Meat, Now walkeft thou not charitably. To apply this to Other cafes. We affirm, and with great reason, that fuch Ufe of Images in religious Worship, as the Church of Rome injoins, is direct Idolatry. But fuppofe it were not; yet, so long as the generality of the people cannot poffibly pray otherwise amongst them, than with Confcience of the Idol, as St Paul expreffes himself, 1 Cor. viii. 7. 'twould be the greatest Injuftice in the world, for D 3 Them II. + SERM. Them to cause their Brethren to perish, for whom Chrift died; by impofing upon them needlefly, and without warrant of Scripture, fo manifest a ftumblingblock, and fo evident a caufe of falling into Sin. And the like may be faid in proportion, concerning the Violent and Obftinate Impofition of any dubious doctrine, or any dangerous Ceremony, beyond the original Plainnefs and Simplicity of the Gospel. "Tis chufing to hazard the Salvation of Men, and to cause Divifions, and Strifes, and unneceffary Difficulties of Confcience among the Servants of Chrift, for the fake of Pride and Vanity and Love of Dominion over men, Whoever is fincerely defirous to do all things to the Glory of God; as he will be heartily forry for all his own Sins and Offences, fo he will really endeavour, as much as in him lies, to prevent the Sins of Others; He will avoid every thing, that may lead them into Sin; he will fet them an example of Virtue, in the Practice of his own life; he will recommend to them in his Difcourfe, upon all fair and proper occafions, the excellency and the reafonableness of Religion; he II. will rejoice and be truly pleafed, to fee SER M. Virtue, Righteoufnefs, and univerfal Charity, and Good-will, prevail and profper in the World; he will lead no man into Error, nor be eafy to fee any man continue in it; but will wish with Mofes, that all the Lord's people were Prophets; and contribute, as much as in him lies, towards enabling them to be fo. And, if he be in Power or Authority, he will defire not to grieve or burden the Consciences of Men; but will efteem it of much more Importance to unite Chriftians in the plain Simplicity of the Gofpel, and in the bonds of Righteousness and true Charity; than to establish for Himself any Power or Dominion over the Confciences of his Brethren, either by prefumptuously claiming to himself a falfe Spiritual Authority which Chrift has not given him, or antichriftianly and atheistically making ufe of Temporal Power to compel or awe men in matters of Religion. THUS have I briefly explained the Two Primary and Great Inftances, wherein confifts a man's doing All things to the Glory of God, It implies first, that he D 4 regu II. SER M. regularly fhow forth the Sense he has of God upon his Mind, by Acts immediately and directly religious; and 2dly, that hẹ refolves against being at Any time guilty, of Any Action which is directly Irreligious, But further, 3dly, IN all great Actions, Actions of moment and confequence in the main course of a man's life; although they be not such, as have any direct relation to Religion; yet ought he exprefly to intend the Glory of God, as his chief and main end. He ought to intend the Glory of God; that is, the promoting of Truth and Right, of Justice and Goodness in the World. For whatever is Therefore chofen, because it tends to the promoting of Virtue and Goodness, is (in the Scripture-fenfe) done for the Glory of God: And whatever is for That Reafon avoided, because it has, in any manner, a Tendency to Evil; is avoided for the Glory of God. Now there is no confiderable Action in any man's Life, no Action of confequence and importance in the World; but which, even though it has not any direct relation to Religion, yet fome way or other has in the whole a Tendency, to promote the Caufe |