man might do to himself; in which case he is to be severe, though most gentle to others. For, in his own case, he must show no mercy, but abscission: for it is better to cut off the offending hand or foot,' or 'extinguish the offending eye,' rather than, upon the support of a troublesome foot, and by the light of an offending eye, walk into ruin and a sad eternity, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." And so Jesus ended this chain of excellent discourses.

18. About this time was the Jews' feast of Tabernacles, whither Jesus went up, as it were, in secret; and, passing through Samaria, he found the inhabitants of a little village so inhospitable, as to refuse to give him entertainment; which so provoked the intemperate zeal of James and John, that they would fain have "called for fire to consume them, even as Elias did." But Jesus rebuked the furies of their anger, teaching them to distinguish the spirit of christianity from the ungentleness of the decretory zeal of Elias. For, since" the Son of man came" with a purpose "to seek and to save what was lost," it was but an indiscreet temerity, suddenly, upon the lightest umbrages of displeasure, to destroy a man, whose redemption cost the effusion of the dearest blood from the heart of Jesus. But, contrariwise, Jesus does a miracle upon the ten leprous persons, which came to him from the neighbourhood, crying out, with sad exclamations, for help. But Jesus sent them to the priest, to offer for their cleansing. Thither they went, and but one only returned to give thanks, and he a stranger, who, "with a loud voice, glorified God," and with humble adoration worshipped and gave thanks to Jesus.

19. When Jesus had finished his journey, and was now come to Jerusalem, for the first days he was undiscerned in public conventions, but heard of the various opinions of men concerning him: "some saying he was a good man, others, that he deceived the people ;" and the Pharisees sought for him, to do him a mischief. But when they despaired of finding him in the midst of the feast and the people, he made sermons openly, in the midst of the temple; whom when he had convinced, by the variety and divinity of his miracles and discourses, they gave the greatest testimony in the world of human weakness, and how prevalent a prejudice is above the confidence and conviction of a demonstration. For a proverb, a mistake, an error in matter of circumstance, did, in their understandings, outweigh multitudes of miracles and arguments; and because "Christ was of Galilee," because they knew whence he was," because of the proverb, that "out of Galilee comes no prophet," because "the rulers did not believe in him," these outweighed the demonstrations of his mercy, and his power, and divinity. But yet "very many believed on him; and no man durst lay hands to take him; for as yet his time was not come," in which he meant to give himself up to the power of the Jews: and therefore, when the Pharisees sent officers to seize him, they also became his disciples, being themselves surprised by the excellency of his doctrine.

20.

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After this "Jesus went to the mount of

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| Olivet," on the east of Jerusalem, and "the next day returned again into the temple," where" the scribes and Pharisees brought him a woman taken in the act of adultery," tempting him to give sentence, that they might accuse him of severity or intermeddling, if he condemned her; or of remissness and popularity, if he did acquit her. But Jesus found out an expedient for their difficulty, and changed the scene, by bidding "the innocent person among them cast the first stone at the adulteress;" and then "stooping down," to give them fair occasion to withdraw, "he wrote upon the ground with his finger," whilst they left the woman and her crime to a more private censure: Jesus was left alone, and the woman in the midst," whom Jesus dismissed, charging her to "sin no more." And, a while after, Jesus begins again to discourse to them, "of his mission from the Father, of his crucifixion and exaltation from the earth, of the reward of believers, of the excellency of truth, of spiritual liberty and relations; who are the sons of Abraham, and who the children of the devil; of his own eternal generation, of the desire of Abraham to see his day." In which sermon he continued, adding still new excellencics, and confuting their malicious and vainer calumnies, till they, that they might also confute him, "took up stones to cast at him;" but he "went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."

21. But, in his passage, he met a man who had been born blind: and after he had discoursed cursorily of the cause of that blindness, it being a misery not sent as a punishment to "his own or his parents' sin," but as an occasion to make public "the glory of God;" he, to manifest that himself was "the light of the world" in all senses, said it now, and proved it by a miracle: for, sitting down, "he made clay of spittle," and, "anointing the eyes of the blind man," bid him "go wash in Siloam ;” which was a pool of limpid water, which God sent at the prayer of Isaiah the prophet, a little before his death, to satisfy the necessities of his people, oppressed with thirst and a strict siege; and it stood at the foot of the mount Sion, and gave its water at first by returns and periods, always to the Jews, but not to the enemies. And those intermitted springings were still continued, but only a pool was made from the frequent effluxes. The blind man "went, and washed, and returned seeing;" and was incessantly vexed by the Pharisees, to tell them the manner and circumstances of the cure: and when the man had averred the truth, and named his physician, giving him a pious and charitable testimony, the Pharisees, because they could not force him to disavow his good opinion of Jesus, "cast him out of the synagogue." But Jesus, meeting him, received him into the church, told him he was Christ; and the man became again enlightened, and he "believed, and worshipped." But the Pharisees blasphemed for such was the dispensation of the Divine mysteries, that the blind should see, and they which think they see clearly should become blind, because they had not the excuse of ignorance to 8 Epiphan. de Vita et Interitu Prophet. c. 7.

cies in his perishing goods: he was snatched from their possession, and his soul taken from him, in the violence of a rapid and hasty sickness, in the space of one night. He discourses of Divine providence and care over us all, and descending even as low as grass. He exhorts to alms-deeds, to watchfulness, and preparation against the sudden and unexpected coming of our Lord to judgment, or the arrest of death: tells the offices and sedulity of the clergy, under the apologue of stewards and governors of their Lord's houses; teaches them gentleness and sobriety, and not to do evil upon confidence of their Lord's absence and delay; and teaches the people, even of themselves, to judge what is right concerning the signs of the coming of the Son of man. And the end of all these discourses was, that all men should repent, and live good lives, and be saved."

27. At this sermon "there were present some, that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices." For the Galileans were a sort of people, that taught it to be unlawful to pay tribute to strangers, or to pray for the Romans; and because the Jews did both, they refused to communicate in their sacred rites, and would sacrifice apart: at which solemnity, when Pilate, the Roman deputy, had apprehended many of them, he caused them all to be slain, making them to die upon the same altars. These were of the province of Judea, but of the same opinion with those who taught in Galilee, from whence the sect had its appellative. But to the story: Jesus made reply, that these external accidents, though they be sad and calamitous, yet they are no arguments of condemnation against the persons of the men, to convince them of greater guilt than others, upon whom no such visible signatures have been imprinted. The purpose of such chances is, that we should "repent, lest we perish" in the like judgment.

28. About this time a certain ruler of a synagogue renewed the old question about the observation of the sabbath, repining at Jesus, that he cured "a woman that was crooked, loosing her from her infirmity, with which she had been afflicted eighteen years." But Jesus made the man ashamed, by an argument from their own practice, who themselves "loose an ox from the stall on the sabbath, and lead him to watering :" and by the same argument he also stopped the mouths of the scribes and Pharisees, which were open upon him, for curing an hydropic person upon the sabbath. For Jesus, that he might draw off and separate christianity from the yoke of ceremonies, by abolishing and taking off the strictest Mosaical rites, chose to do very many of his miracles upon the sabbath, that he might do the work of abrogation and institution both at once; not much unlike the sabbatical pool in Judea, which was dry six days, but gushed out in a full stream upon the sabbath. For though, upon all days, Christ was operative and miraculous, yet many reasons did concur and determine him to a more frequent working upon those days of public ceremony and convention. But, going forth from Joseph. de Bello Jud. lib. vii. c. 24.

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thence, he went up and down the cities of Galilee, re-enforcing the same doctrine he had formerly taught them, and daily adding new precepts, and cautions, and prudent insinuations: "advertising of the multitudes of them that perish, and the paucity of them that shall be saved, and that we should strive to enter in at the strait gate;' that the way to destruction is broad' and plausible, the way to heaven' nice and austere,' and few there be that find it;' teaches them modesty at feasts, and entertainments of the poor: discourses of the many excuses and unwillingnesses of persons who were invited to the feast of the kingdom, the refreshments of the gospel; and tacitly insinuates the rejection of the Jews, who were the first invited,' and the calling of the gentiles, who were the persons' called in from the highways and hedges.' He reprehends Herod for his subtilty and design to kill him; prophesies that he should die at Jerusalem; and intimates great sadnesses future to them, for neglecting this, their day' of visitation, and for killing the prophets and the messengers sent from God.'”

29. It now grew towards winter, and the Jews' feast of Dedication was at hand; therefore, Jesus went up to Jerusalem to the feast, where he preached in Solomon's porch, which part of the temple stood entire from the first ruins: and the end of his sermon was, that the Jews had like to have stoned him. But, retiring from thence, he went beyond Jordan, where he taught the people, in a most elegant and persuasive parable, concerning “the mercy of God in accepting penitents, in the parable of the prodigal son' returning; discourses of the design of the Messias coming into the world, to recover erring persons from their sin and danger, in the apologues of the lost sheep,' and 'groat;' and, under the representment of an unjust but prudent steward, he taught us so to employ our present opportunities and estates, by laying them out in acts of mercy and religion, that, when our souls shall be dismissed from the stewardship and custody of our body, we may be entertained in everlasting habitations.' He instructeth the Pharisees in the question of divorces, limiting the permissions of separations to the only cause of fornication: preferreth holy celibate before the estate of marriage, in them to whom the gift of continency is given, in order to the kingdom of heaven. He telleth a story or a parable, (for which is uncertain,) of a rich man (whom Euthymius, out of the tradition of the Hebrews, nameth Nymensis) and Lazarus; the first a voluptuous person, and uncharitable; the other, pious, afflicted, sick, and a beggar; the first died, and went to hell; the second, to Abraham's bosom; God so ordering the dispensation of good things, that we cannot easily enjoy two heavens; nor shall the infelicities of our lives, if we be pious, end otherwise than in a beatified condition. The epilogue of which story discovered this truth also, that the ordinary means of salvation are the express revelations of Scripture, and the ministries of God's appointment; and whosoever neglects these, shall not be supplied with means extraordinary, or, if he were, they would be totally ineffectual."

30. And still the people drew water from the fountains of our Saviour, which streamed out in a full and continual emanation. For, adding wave to wave, "line to line, precept upon precept," he "reproved the fastidiousness of the Pharisee, that came with eucharist to God, and contempt to his brother; and commended the humility of the publican's address, who came deploring his sins, and, with modesty, and penance, and importunity, begged, and obtained a mercy. Then he laid hands upon certain young children, and gave them benediction, charging his apostles to admit infants to him, because to them, in person, and to such, in emblem and signification, the kingdom of heaven does appertain. He instructs a young man in the ways and counsels of perfection, besides the observation of precepts, by heroical renunciations, and acts of munificent charity." Which discourse, because it alighted upon an indisposed and an unfortunate subject, (" for the young man was very rich,") Jesus discourses "how hard it is for a rich man to be saved; but he expounds himself to mean, 'they that trust in riches; and, however it is a matter of so great temptation, that it is almost im- | possible to escape, yet with God nothing is impossible.'" But, when the apostles heard the Master bidding the young man "sell all, and give to the poor, and follow him," and for his reward promised him "a heavenly treasure ;" Peter, in the name of the rest, began to think that this was their case, and the promise also might concern them; and asking him this question, What shall we have, who have forsaken all, and followed thee? Jesus answered, that they should "sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

31. And Jesus extended this mercy to every disciple, that should "forsake either house, or wife, or children, or any thing, for his sake and the gospel's," and that they "should receive a hundredfold in this life," by way of comfort and equivalence, "and, in the world to come," thousands of glories and possessions, in fruition and redundancy. For "they that are last shall be first, and the first shall be last;" and the despised people of this world shall reign like kings, and contempt itself shall swell up into glory, and poverty into an eternal satisfaction. And these rewards shall not be accounted according to the privileges of nations, or priority of vocation, but readiness of mind and obedience, and sedulity of operation after calling: which Jesus taught his disciples in the parable of the labourers "in the vineyard," to whom the master gave the same reward, though the times of their working were different; as their calling and employment had determined the opportunity of their labours.

that is, such as are novices and babes in christianity, it concerns us to learn our duty, and perform it, that we may avoid the curse: for, "Woe to all them by whom offences come." b And although the duty is so plainly explicated, and represented in gloss and case, by the several commentaries of St. Paul, upon this menace of our blessed Saviour; e yet, because our English word "offence," which is commonly used in this question of scandal, is so large and equivocal, that it hath made many pretences, and intricated this article to some inconvenience, it is not without good purpose to draw into one body those propositions, which the masters of spiritual life have described in the managing of this question.

2. First By whatsoever we do our duty to God, we cannot directly do offence, or give scandal, to our brother; because, in such cases where God hath obliged us, he hath also obliged himself to reconcile our duty to the designs of God, to the utility of souls, and the ends of charity. And this proposition is to be extended to our obedience to the lawful constitutions of our competent superiors, in which cases we are to look upon the commandment, and leave the accidental events to the disposition of that Providence, who reconciles dissonances in nature, and concentres all the variety of accidents into his own glory. And whosoever is offended at me for obeying God, or God's vicegerent, is offended at me for doing my duty; and in this there is no more dispute, but whether I shall displease God, or my peevish neighbour. These are such, whom the Spirit of God complains of, under other representments: they "think it strange we run not into the same excess of riot;" their 'eye is evil, because" their Master's " eye is good:" and the abounding of God's grace also may become to them an occasion of falling, and the long-suffering of God the encouragement to sin. In this there is no difficulty; for in what case soever we are bound to obey God, or man, in that case, and in that conjunction of circumstances, we have nothing permitted to our choice, and have no authority to remit of the right of God, or our superior. And, to comply with our neighbour in such questions, besides that it cannot serve any purposes of piety, if it declines from duty in any instance, it is like giving alms out of the portion of orphans, or building hospitals with the money and spoils of sacrilege. It is pusillanimity, or hypocrisy, or a denying to confess Christ before men, to comply with any man, and to offend God, or omit a duty. Whatsoever is necessary to be done, and is made so by God, no weakness or peevishness of man can make necessary not to be done. For the matter of scandal is a duty beneath the prime obligations of religion.

3. Secondly: But every thing which is used in religion, is not matter of precise duty; but there are some things, which indeed are pious and religious, but dispensable, voluntary, and commutable; such as are, voluntary fasts, exterior acts of discipline and mortification, not enjoined, great degrees of exterior worship, prostration, long prayers, vigils: and c Rom. xiv. 1 Cor. viii. Gal. ii.