going forward, and make him, though neither to fall, nor to stum∣ble, nor to halt, yet to have a smaler progresse. Or 5. If none of these evils be produced in our brother, yet when either through our intention, and the condition of the deed togither, or through the condition of the deed alone, occasion is given him of sinning any one of these wayes. Opu•…•… nostrum (r) saith a great Proctor for Popish Ceremonies, quot•…•…s sive natura sua, sive superaddito accidente alicujus circum∣stantiae, est inductivum proximi ad peccatum, sive causativum magni mali, sive turbativum boni spiritualis; sive impeditivum fidei &c. quamvis etiam effectus non s•…•…queretur, malum est & peccatum.
VI. A passive Scandall, which is taken and not given, is not onely faulty, when it proceedeth of malice, but also, when it proceedeth [Sect. IV] of ignorance and infirmity: and Scandalum pusillorum, may be Scandalum acceptum, on the part of the offended faulty, as well as Scandalum Pha∣ris•…•…orum. When weake ones are offended at me for the use of a law∣full thing, before I know of their weakenesse, and their taking of offence, the Scandall is onely passive, and so we see, that weake ones may take offence where none is given, as well as the malitious. Now, their taking of offence, though it proceed of weaknesse, yet is sin∣full, for their weaknesse and ignorance is a fault, and doth not ex∣cuse them.
VII. A Scandall may be at first onely passive, & yet afterward be∣come active. For example, Gedeons Ephod, and the brasen Serpent, were monuments of Gods mercies, and were neither evill, nor ap∣pearances of evill, so that when people were first scandalized by them, the Scandall was merely passive, but the keeping and retai∣ning of them, after that Scandall rose out of them, made the Scan∣dall to become active also, because the reserving of them after that time, was not without appearance of evill.
VIII. The occasion of an Scandall which is onely passive should be removed, if it be not some necessary thing, & we are not onely to [Sect. V] shunne that which giveth Scandall, but also that whereupon follow∣eth a Scandall taken, whatsoever it be, if it be not necessary. This is so evident, that Papists themselves subscribe to it, for both Cardinall Cajetan, and Dominicus Bannes say, that we should abstaine even 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spiritualibus non necessariis when Scandall riseth out of them.
IX. Neither can the indifferency or lawfullnes of the thing done, nor the ordinance of Auctority commanding the use of it, make the Scandall following upon it, to bee onely passive, which otherwise, i. e. in case the thing were neither lawfull, nor ordained by Aucto∣rity, should be active. Not the former; for our Divines teach, that Scandalum datum riseth sometimes, ex facto-in se adiaphoro when it is done intempessive, contra charitatis regulam. Not the latter; for no