special, properly belonging to them that are strong, that they abuse not their liberty, with offence to the weak, vers. 13.
Vers. 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Ie∣sus, that there is nothing unclean of it self: but him that esteemeth any thing to bee unclean, to him it is unclean.
Hee prevents an Objection: Some might say, I am perswaded by the Grace of Christ, that no meat is im∣pure or prohibited under the Gospel: Therefore I may eat any meat indifferently: Hee answers by denying the consequence, because pure meat, is made impure to him that eats, after two sorts: First, if hee that eats thinks it unlawful.
Vers. 15. But if thy Brother bee grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou uncharitably; Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
Secondly, Meat is impure, if any one (perswaded of his liberty) eat to the offence of his Brother: In which case, hee proves that hee must not eat with scandal, or that hee must take heed, that hee abuse not his liberty, and that by eleven Arguments.
Argum. 1. It fights against charity, to act in things indifferent to the offence of the weak: Therefore wee must not abuse our liberty.
Destroy] Argum. 2. To lay a stumbling block before the weak, from the nature of the deed, tends to the de∣struction of a Brother for whom Christ dyed, and hee that puts an offence in his Brothers way, in a judicial sense, de∣stroies his Brother: For as much as in him lies, hee is the cause of bringing destruction upon him: Therefore wee must not abuse our liberty.
For whom] Argum. 3. Hee that eats with offence, thereby opposes the merit of Christs death, and the intent of it, for hee died that the weak might bee saved: but hee that eats with offence, doth what is in him, to destroy him that is weak: Therefore wee must not abuse our li∣berty.
Vers. 16. Let not then your good bee evil spoken of.
Argum. 4. Eating with offence causeth the Christian Faith to bee evil spoken of, and to bee brought into con∣tempt, and that Christian liberty bee evil reported of, by those that are weak, and without: Therefore wee must not abuse our liberty.
Vers. 17. For the Kingdome of God, is not meat, and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Argum. 5. Because (as it is, 1 Cor. 8.8.) meat and drink nothing promote the spiritual Kingdome of Christ, but righteousness, peace, and joy, and the other fruits of the Spirit: Therefore wee are bound to abstain from meats, or things indifferent, when there is danger, that by an unseasonable use of our liberty wee should disturb the Kingdome of Christ.
Vers▪ 18. For hee that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Argum. 6. They that use these, as meat, drink, and the like indifferent things, wisely to the service of Christ (taking them by his leave, and abstaining, that the work of Christ may bee promoted) are acceptable to God and men: Therefore wee are to use our Christian liberty without offence.
Vers. 19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edi∣fie another.
Argum. 7. By way of Consequence from the former Argument, drawn by way of Exhortation. So must wee use our liberty, that, by peace and edification of others, the Kingdome of Christ may bee promoted: Therefore wee must not use our Christian liberty, but so far as it may bee most serviceable to peace and edification.
Vers. 20. For meat, destroy not the work of God: all things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
Argum. 8. The work of God ought not to bee destroy∣ed, or the salvation of thy Brother brought into danger, for a light matter (as the use of a certain kind of meat at a certain time:) Therefore wee must not eat with of∣fence.
All things] Hee prevents an Objection: Some might say, all things are lawful, i. e. those meats whereof wee speak. Hee answers, It is true, considering the things by themselves, but they are unlawful (in case of scandal) to him that eats with offence, to them that are weak.
Vers. 21. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink Wine, nor any thing whereby thy Brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Argum. 9. It is good to abstain from all meat and drink, when there is danger that our Brother, in the mat∣ter of Religion, may bee made worse, by our using meats and drinks: Therefore in such a case wee ought to ab∣stain.
Vers. 22. Hast thou Faith? have it to thy self before God. Happy is hee that condemneth not himself in that thing which hee alloweth.
Hee here meets with an Objection: I have Faith con∣cerning my liberty, and it is necessary that I profess it. Hee answers, by denying that profession is necessary, by way of fact, in matter of scandal, because liberty consists no less with abstinence, than the use of the thing; where∣fore hee commands that the Objector bee content in such a case, concerning the liberty of his Faith, by an inward professing of it towards God.
Blessed] Hee confirms his assertion by an Aphorism, wherein the tenth Argument is contained. Hee is blessed, who (in that hee certainly knows to bee lawful for him, that hee may use it, or refrain from it) so using his liberty, that by abusing of it to the offence of others, hee make not himself guilty of condemnation: Therefore in such a case wee must refrain.
Vers. 23. And hee that doubteth, is damned if hee eat, because hee eateth not of Faith; for whatsoever is not of Faith, is sin.
Argum. 11. There is danger, lest a weak and doubt∣ful person, should bee drawn by the meer example of him that eats, to eat with a doubting conscience, and sin, running headlong into the guilt of condemnation: There∣fore in such a case wee must abstain.
By this Argument hee deters the weak, from eating with a doubtful conscience by the example of any man; and hee deters the strong from unseasonable eating, lest hee bee the cause of another mans sin and guilt.
Whatsoever] Hee proves him to sin that eats with a doubting conscience, because hee eats not of Faith, or out of perswasion, that the deed is lawful; and whatever is not done of Faith, that it may bee a lawful deed, hee pronounceth it to bee sin.