The exposition of Dionysius Syrus written above 900 years since on the evangelist St. Mark / translated by Dudley Loftus ... anno 1672 ; wherewith are bound up several other tracts of the same authour, and an ancient Syriack scholia on the four evangelists, as also some Persian, Armenian, and Greek antiquities, translated as aforesaid : the titles whereof are set down immediately after the Epistle to the reader, with refereuce [sic] to the several pages where they are.

DIONYSIƲS SYRƲS CONCERNING FREE-VVILL, IN HIS Exposition on the Eighteenth Chapter of MATTHEW, Ver. 7.

Translated by D. L. J. U. D.

FOR it is necessary that offences should come. By the word necessary, he doth not take a∣way the liberty and power which they have in themselves, but hath regard to the Scan∣dals which by their own liberty and will they were to bring necessarily upon themselves, by reason of which they were to be condemn'd.

Again, He did not cast them under a constraint of fact, but foresaw that they were incurably sick, and of their own will were to produce Scandals, and therefore he said, It is necessary, forasmuch as they were to be the cause thereof; for if they had been unwilling, they would not have come.

But if it were necessary that Scandals should come, why

doth he denounce a Woe unto the World? We say, That as he abstain'd from the doing of some things as he was God, so being Man, he suffered passions, and did what∣soever became him; but because they were not the better, he denounces a Woe unto them: They were honoured, and were not the better; but when they were scourged, they were amended. And as a Physi∣tian, taking care of his sick Patient who will not obey his commands, saith, Woe to such a man by reason of his sickness, which he increaseth by his own disobedi∣ence.

If it be necessary that Scandals should come, how is it possible that we should escape them? We say, It is neces∣sary that Scandals should come, but it is not necessary that we should perish thereby; even as a Physitian saith, it is of necessity that such a man should be sick, yet it is not necessary that he should be destroyed thereby, who is forewarned thereof; and it is certain∣ly known from hence, that there have been vertuous men who have escaped from evils and scandals; there∣fore that a man is destroy'd, proceedeth from his ne∣glect.

If every man were upright, and no man should bring Scandals, this saying would be false, It is necessary that they should come. We say, That if they were to be upright, he had not said, It is necessary; but because he knew that they were not to be upright, he said, It is necessary (i. e.) absolutely* 1.1.

And wherefore did not he grant unto them that they should not be troubled with Scandals? We say, That of neglect they were scandalized, if destruction proceed∣ed from the cause of Scandal, every man must necessa∣rily have been destroyed; but if some escape, he who doth not escape, may repute himself the cause thereof.

Otherwise thus, It is necessary Scandals should come. Some men say, That these words are founded upon the passion and death of our Lord, for his death was ne∣cessary; this is clear from hence, That he said, A grain of wheat, unless it fall into the ground and dye, beareth no fruit. And Paul, that by his death, we vanquish him who had power; and if the vanquishing of death is necessary, so also is the death of our Lord, and Rege∣neration necessary. And we ought to know, That although the Passion of our Lord were necessary, yet the Actors and Authors thereof were not of necessity, nor did they unvoluntarily attempt the same, other∣wise he had not pronounc'd a Woe against him by whom Scandals should come; and if according to their madness the Treachery of Judas was of necessi∣ty, who was the cause of his bursting and hanging himself?

Notes

• * 1.1

  Om••imod•• venient scan∣dala.