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 SECTION VII. OFFENCE. "WOE unto the world because of offences ! hut woe to that man by whom the offence comet h,^—^ Am I my brother's keeper," was the reply of a murder- er ; and to a certain degree, it is the language of every unregenerate heart. What do the wicked know of the Church of God, or what do they care for offending the members of the Church? But to all who profess the Christian religion, and especially to those who are renewed in the spirit of their minds, and devoted to the service of the Redeemer, the wo pronounced by him is full of meaning, and suggests very serious reflections. An OFFENCE is the displeasure, disgust, or scan- dal which arises in consequence of the improper and sinful conduct of others. This, in some instances, it is acknowledged may be improperly excited, and offences taken where there is no just cause for an