A compendyous treatyse of sclau[n]dre declarynge what sclaundre is, and what it sygnifyeth, and how many kyndes of sclaundre there be.

SClaundre is or synifieeh an of∣fence / whereby mans mynd is sore disquietid or trobled: that is to say / it is other discoura∣ged or couraged to or frō the imitacyon or folowynge of a thing.* 1.1 leaf; There is a double kynde of sclaūdre / one is pha∣risaycall / which comenly they call sclaundre taken: and that is whan that ypocrytes be of∣fēded other with right doctry¦ne / or with necessary doyng / & therupon cometh hatred of the gospell and of godly men: as the pharisyes hated the gospel and the teachers of the same / & pretended gret causes of their grefe & hatered taken of mans* 1.2

wytte & reason: for what man endued but with a meane wyt wolde not be greued / that the facyon of relygion shulde any thing decay / that comen peace shuld be disquyeted / that sys∣mes shulde ryse in the church / that hye powers and commen welthes shulde be brought to nought. They sawe that their relygion & maner of worship∣ping of god was lytle estemed and that the comen welth was hyndred / and the auctoritye of superyoures contempned: But although these be great causes / which worthely doth moue men / yet it is mete to know / that before these causes yea / before all thynges / that the cōmaundement of god be prefarred after this rule: It is

necessary rather to obeye God than men.* 1.3 Therfore this pha∣risaycall sclaunder or offence is not to be eschewed / for the cōmaūdement of god excuseth vs. But it is necessary y^e doc∣tryne be true certayne & profy∣table to the church. For it is a very greuous syn to troble the church with euyll / vncertayne or vnprofytable disputacions.

leaf; There is another kynde of sclaūdre / which they call sclaū¦dre gyuen.* 1.4 And it is vngodly doctryne or euyl exāple which hurteth / other bycause they fo¦lowe it / or bycause it scarreth men from the gospell. All wyc¦ked doctrynes ar sclaundres & offences of this kynde. Also i∣dolatrers worshippynge and mens inuencyons / which can

not be obserued & kept without synne: as worshippyng of y∣mages / goyng on pylgryma∣ges / purchasyng of popysshe pardons for remissyon of syn∣nes. Christ threat the auctors of these sclaunders chefely.

leaf; Wo be to the men by whom sclaundre cometh.* 1.5 & ce. Than these sclaundres and offences with great dilygence must be eschewed / lest we be other auc¦tours or alowers of vngodly doctryne & folowers of suche wycked worshippyng. &c.

* 1.6leaf; There is also another kynd of sclaundre to be eschewed / that is / whā that a work which is indyfferent / is done out of tyme: as the vntymely vse of christyan lyberte. Of this ly∣berte / there is often dysputa∣cyons

and reasonyng / whan it is lawfull / and whan it is not lawfull. It is synne to breake mens tradicyons / in case that the brekyng of them shulde be occasyon of sclaūdre or offence to any man. Therfore the rule of Poule is to be holdē as tou¦chyng the vse of lyberte.* 1.7 Poul cōmaundeth the lerned men to bere thinfyrmyte of the vnler∣ned and weke / & folowe their myndes / and certify them for their good & for their edifyeng that is / that through their gen¦tylnes they may courage them to the Gospell and not skarte them: For not alonly ipocryts and the vngodly sorte / but al∣so godly men / & men of sobre lyuyng / specyally they that be not taught nor suffyciently in∣structe

whan they se auncyent customes broken / they iudge by that maner of doctryne / men to be gyuen to a wylde ly¦berte / and become all vngodly and so be skarred frō the know¦ledge of the gospell. Therfore lybertye is not to be vsed afore them which haue not yet herd this maner of doctryne / as a fore / men not yet suffycyently confyrmed / but the•• ample of saynt Poule is to be folowed: I haue ben weke to them that are weke:* 1.8 If my meate doth offende my brother / I wyl ne∣uer eate flesshe / lest I offende my brother. But now where as the gospell is clerely prea∣ched / and the church meanely confirmed in the same / the gre¦uous obseruacyon of vnprofy∣table

tradicyons is not gretly to be requyred. yea / Poul for to shew example of lyberte / he wolde not syrcumcyse Tyte.* 1.9 And Christ excused his Apo∣stles / brekyng the tradicyons of the fathers / and sayth:* 1.10 Let them alone / they be blynd / and gydes of the blynde. &ce.* 1.11 But yet in this thyng it is good to vse sobrenesse and dyscrecyon / for euen amonge enemyes ther be some that rather shulde be reconsyled than styred & prouo¦ked / and it becōmeth christen men to refarre all their doing{is} not to their owne affectyons & lustes / but vnto the profyte of other / & to the glory of Christ.* 1.12 But many there be that breke auncyent customes / not to pro¦fyte or do seruyce to other / or

to do better thynges / but by∣cause this lyberte delyteth thē. This is a wycked thynge to dyspyce auncyent customes & lawes / it is no christyan thīge Furthermore / the brekynge of comen customes / redily stores vp gret vprore / and cōmociōs ought not rasshely to be excy∣ted: for it is an harde thynge afterward to haue conscyence that thou hast gyuen occasyon of comen calamytes & myseres

* 1.13The secōd rule. Also in chur∣ches ryghtly instructe / there is to be had a consyderacyō of sclaundre / lest our example do hurte other / as these be: Ofte tymes not to force of the comen customes / & to shew any con∣tempte / & to cause other to be forceles / or to gyue occasyon

to dyssencyons / sysmes / sectes or factions without necessary cause. If any man after this maner breketh tradicyons / cer¦taynly he doth synne. Without suche occasyon of sclaundres / we vndrestande tradicyons to be free. This moderacyon & equytye in tradicyons is very good to hold / for it kepeth the auctoryte of tradicyons & con∣serueth the comen customes & good ordre / and it delyuereth mens conscyences frō that old tyrāny / whan that they knowe that tradicyons be outwarde thynges & indyfferent / & maye be omytted & lefte without syn except it be in case of sclaūdre.

* 1.14Furthermore / the sclaundres and offences of doctrynes / be moche worse than euyll exam∣ples

ī maners. Therfore with great dilygence / a man must be ware / fyrst that he teche no vngodly thynges / vncertayne or vnprofytable. Furthermore whan ye teache true thynges / that ye set theym not forthe so confusely and doutefully / that the herers conceyue any euyll opinyons in suche confused and doutfull doctryne: as we se howe moche it profyteth the people to be monysshed after what maner mens tradicyons may be reproued: and agayne for what purpose / and to what vse tradiciōs ought to be kept and loued. Excepte these thin∣ges be aptly & discretly expres¦sed / they that be vnlerned con∣ceyue a contempte of al lawes and customes. Thus also in

other artycles / excepte they be aptly & clerely expressed / there ryse opinyons very perylous.

Whan that men be iustifyed by fayth / how detestable opy∣nyons doth there ryse / excepte the herers be monysshed what thing is entreated of / and that the persone is reconcyled by fayth / and after that / our obe∣dyence is necessary / & in men reconcyled / is ryghtousnesse.* 1.15 Lyke wyse of free wyll / that god is not the cause of euyll / and many other thynges / that deseruynge is not taken from workes / bycause we can do no thynge that can deserue out of god / but bycause the promyse of god is our forgyuenes / that the remissyon of synne may be certayne.* 1.16* 1.17* 1.18 More ouer in men recon¦cyled

/ good workes be also me¦rytoryous.* 1.19 So in all places dilygence must be gyuen / that without sofestry or craft / they be expressed aptly & distynctly Therfore wolde Paule that a bysshop shuld be apte to teche that he shuld teche aptely and distynctly.* 1.20 And Christ wolde that a lerned man / instructe in the kyngdome of god / shulde belyke vnto a good father of houshold / which in his techīg can vse discrecyon in vttryng both newe thynges and olde. For excepte prechers vse this diserecyon & dilygence / many mens conscyences be sore tro∣bled / and euyll opinyons ryse in their myndes / whiche wyll hurte religyon and maners / and than springe vprores and

many other maters of sclaun∣dre and offence. Therfore let vs beware and do oure dily∣gence that our maners beuty∣fye the gospell. Moreouer al∣so / that the waye of prechyng and playnesse of the same may conforte mennes conscyences / ryd them of all doutes / and redresse their erroures.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ii. maner of sclaū∣dres. one phariscy¦call / ano∣ther cal∣led sclaū¦dre takē.
• * 1.2

  Mat. xv
• * 1.3

  Actu. v.
• * 1.4

  Sclaun∣dre gyuē
• * 1.5

  Mathei. xviii.
• * 1.6

  A rule of the vse of lyber∣tye.
• * 1.7

  Rom. xv
• * 1.8

  i. Corin. viii.
• * 1.9

  Gala. ii.
• * 1.10

  Mathei. xxb.
• * 1.11

  Mat. xb xx .iii.
• * 1.12

  Apoc. v.
• * 1.13

  The se∣cōd rule
• * 1.14

  Sclaun∣dre of do¦ctryne.
• * 1.15

  Rom. v.
• * 1.16

  Fre••yll
• * 1.17

  Ephe. ii.
• * 1.18

  Actus. ii
• * 1.19

  ••••ot. x.
• * 1.20

  Titua. i