cular instance, cannot be kind to both, she must first love her own children.

12. Eighthly, But when the question is between pleasing and contenting the fancies of a friend, and the gaining of an enemy, the greater good of the enemy is infinitely to be preferred before the satisfying the unnecessary humour of the friend. And therefore that we may gain persons of a different religion, it is lawful to entertain them in their innocent customs, that we may represent ourselves charitable and just, apt to comply in what we can, and yet for no end complying further than we are permitted. It was a policy of the devil to abuse Christians to the rites of Mithra, by imitating the Christian ceremonies. And the Christians themselves were beforehand with him in that policy; for they facilitated the reconcilement of Judaism with Christianity by common rites; and invited the Gentiles to the Christian churches, because they never violated the heathen temples, but loved the men, and imitated their innocent rites, and only offered to reform their errors, and hallow their abused purposes: and this, if it had no other contradictory or unhandsome circumstance, gave no offence to other Christians, when they had learned to trust them with the government of ecclesiastical affairs to whom God had committed them, and they all had the same purposes of religion and charity. And when there is no objection against this but the furies or greater heats of a mistaken zeal, the compliance with evil or unbelieving persons, to gain them from their errors to the ways truth and sincerity, is great prudence and great charity; because it chooses and acts a greater good

of

at no other charge or expense but the discomposing of an intemperate zeal.

13. Ninthly, We are not bound to intermit a good or a lawful action as soon as any man tells us it is scandalous: (for that may be an easy stratagem to give me laws, and destroy my liberty :) but either when the action is of itself, or by reason of a public known indisposition of some persons, probably introductive of a sin; or when we know it is so in fact. The other is but affrighting a man: this only is prudent, that my charity be guided by such rules which determine wise men to actions or omissions respectively; and therefore a light fame is not strong enough to wrest my liberty from me; but a reasonable belief, or a certain knowledge; in the taking of which estimate we must neither be too credulous and easy, nor yet ungentle and stubborn, but do according to the actions of wise men and the charities of a Christian. Hither we may refer the rules of abstaining from things which are of evil report for not every thing which is of good report is to be followed; for then a false opinion, when it is become popular, must be professed for conscience' sake: nor yet every thing that is of bad report is to be avoided; for nothing endured more shame and obloquy than Christianity at its first commencement. But by good report we are to understand such things which are well reported of by good men and wise men, or Scripture, or the consent of nations. And thus for a woman to marry within the year of mourning is scandalous, because it is of evil report, gives suspicion of lightness, or some worse confederacy, before the death of her husband; the thing itself is apt to minister the suspicion, and this we are bound to prevent: and

unless the suspicion be malicious, or imprudent and unreasonable, we must conceal our actions from the surprises and deprehensions of suspicion. It was scandalous amongst the old Romans not to marry; among the Christians, for a clergyman to marry twice, because it was against an apostolical canon but when it became of ill report for any Christian to marry the second time, because this evil report was begun by the errors of Montanus, and is against a permission of holy Scripture, no lay-christian was bound to abstain from a second bed for fear of giving scandal.

14. Tenthly, The precept of avoiding scandal concerns the governors of the church or state in the making and execution of laws; for no law in things indifferent ought to be made to the provocation of the subject, or against that public disposition which is in the spirits of men, and will certainly cause perpetual irregularities and schisms. Before the law be made, the superior must comply with the subject; after it is made, the subject must comply with the law: but in this the church hath made fair provision, accounting no laws obligatory till the people have accepted them, and given tacit approbation. For ecclesiastical canons have their time of probation: and if they become a burden to the people, or occasion schism, tumults, public disunion of affections, and jealousies against authority, the laws give place, and either fix not when they are not first approved, or disappear by desuetude. And in the execution of laws no less care is to be taken: for many cases occur in which the laws can be rescued from being a snare to men's consciences by no other way but by dispensation, and slacking of the discipline as to certain

particulars. Mercy and sacrifice, the letter and the spirit, the words and the intention, the general case and the particular exception, the present disposition and the former state of things, are oftentimes so repugnant, and of such contradictory interests, that there is no stumbling-block more troublesome or dangerous than a severe, literal, and rigorous exacting of laws in all cases. But when stubbornness or a contentious spirit, when rebellion and pride, when secular interest, or ease and licentiousness, set men up against the laws, the laws then are upon the defensive, and ought not to give place. It is ill to cure particular disobedience by removing a constitution decreed by public wisdom for a general good. When the evil occasioned by the law is greater than the good designed, or than the good which will come by it in the present constitution of things, and the evil can by no other remedy be healed, it concerns the lawgiver's charity to take off such positive constitutions, which in the authority are merely human, and in the matter indifferent, and evil in the event. The sum of this whole duty I shall choose to represent in the words of an excellent person, St. Jerome: "We must, for the avoiding of scandal, quit every thing which may be omitted without prejudice to the threefold truth, of life, of justice, and doctrine." Meaning, that what is not expressly commanded by God or our superiors, or what is not expressly commanded as an act of piety and perfection, or what is not an obligation of justice; that is, in which the interest of a third person, or else our own Christian liberty, is not totally concerned; all that is to be given in sacrifice to mercy,

and to be made matter of edification and charity; but not of scandal; that is, of danger, and sin, and falling, to our neighbour.

THE PRAYER.

O eternal Jesus, who art made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, give us of thy abundant charity, that we may love the eternal benefit of our brother's soul with a true, diligent, and affectionate care and tenderness. Give us a fellow-feeling of one another's calamities, a readiness to bear each other's burdens, aptness to forbear, wisdom to advise, counsel to direct, and a spirit of meekness and modesty trembling at our infirmities, fearful in our brother's dangers, and joyful in his restitution and securities. Lord, let all our actions be pious and prudent, ourselves wise as serpents, and innocent as doves, and our whole life exemplary, and just, and charitable: that we may, like lamps shining in thy temple, serve thee and enlighten others, and guide them to thy sanctuary; and that, shining clearly, and burning zealously, when the bridegroom shall come to bind up his jewels, and beautify his spouse, and gather his saints together, we, and all thy Christian people knit in holy fellowship, may enter into the joy of our Lord, and partake of the eternal refreshments of the kingdom of light and glory, where thou, O holy and eternal Jesu, livest and reignest in the excellencies of a kingdom, and the infinite durations of eternity. Amen.

DISCOURSE XVIII.

Of the Causes and Manner of the Divine Judgments.

1. God's judgments are like the writing upon the wall,' which was a missive of anger from God

1 Πάντη δ ̓ ἀθανάτων ἀφανὴς νόος ἀνθρώποισι. Solon.— "The designs of the immortals are inscrutable to man."