Like a moderatour and peace-maker between the firme Christians (who were the Gentils) and the
infirme (who were the Christian Iewes, hauing yet a scruple to cease from keeping the
ceremonial meats and daies of Moyses Law) be exhorteth the Iew not to condemne the Gentil vsing
his libertie; and the Gentil againe, not to condemne the scrupulous Iew: but rather to abstaine
from vsing his libertie, then offending the Iew, to be an occasion vnto him of apostating.
1. AND him that is weak in faith, take vnto you; not in disputations of cogitations.
2. For one beleeueth that he may
Eate al things.
The Apostles meaning about eating or not eating certaine meats.
By similitude of words the simple are soone deceiued, and Heretikes make their
vantage of any thing to seduce the vnlearned. There were diuers meats forbidden in
the Law of Moyses, and for signification made counted vncleane, whereof the Iewes
might not eate at al, as porke, hare, conny, & such like, both of fishes, soules,
and beasts, a great number. Christ discharged al them that became Christians, after
his Passion, of that obseruance and al other ceremonies of the old Law.
Notwithstanding, because diuers that were brought-vp in the Law, had a religion
and conscience, sodenly to foresake their former manner, the Apostle here admonished
such as be stronger and better instructed in the case, to beare with the weaker sort,
that being Christians could not yet find in their harts to eate and vse the meats
forbidden by God in the Law: as on the other side he warneth the weak that would not
eate, not to take offence or scandal at them that did eate without scruple, any of the
irregular or forbidden meats in the Law, nor in any wise to iudge or condemne the
eater, but to commit that to God, & finally that they should not condemne each other
for eating or not eating.
The Heretikes fondly abuse this place against the fasts of the Church.
Now the Protestants fondly apply al this to the fasts of the Church, and differences
of meats in the same: as though the Church did forbid any meat wholy neuer to be eaten
or touched, or made any creatures vncleane, or otherwise prescribed any abstinenc,
then for chastising of mens bodies and seruice of God.
Foolish Heretikes see not the difference of things.
It is a great blindnes that
they can put no difference betwixt Christes fast of fourtie daies, Mat. 4.
Iohn's abstaining from al delicate meats and drinkes, Mat. 3,11. the widow
Annes, Luc. 2,37. the Nazareites, Num. 6. the Recabites,
Ierem. 35,14. the Niniuites, Ion. 3. S. Paules, 2. Cor. 11,27.
S. Timothees, 1. Tim. 5,23. Iohn's Disciples and Christ's Disciples fast
Mat. 9,14. 15. (which he said they should keep after his departure from them:)
and the ceremonial distinction of creatures and meats, cleane and vncleane, in the
old Law. Of which it is euident the Apostle treateth in al this chapter, & of none
other at al. Therfore when the Protestants by the words of this place would proue,
that we be either made free from fasting and from obeying the Churches commandement or
following Christes example in that matter, or that the obseruers of Christian fasts be
weak in faith, & ought not in any wise condemne of sinne the breakers of the
prescribed fasts of the holy Church, they doe abuse ignorantly or wilfully the
Apostles words and discourse.
eate al things: but he that is weak,
✟
'eateth'
let him eate
herbs.
3. Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not: and he that eateth not,
let him not iudge him that eateth. For God hath taken him to him.
4. Who art thou that iudgest another man's seruant? To his owne Lord he standeth
or falleth. And he shal stand: for God is able to make him stand.
5. For one iudgeth
Between day and day.
Distinction of daies.
By the like deceit they abuse this place against the Holy-daies of Christ and his
B. mother & Saints, which concerneth only the Iewes festiuities and obseruation of
times, wherof in the Epistle to the Galatians c. 4,10.
between day and day; and another iudgeth euery day: let
Euery one in his owne sense.
The text explicated concerning euery man's conscience in Iudaical meats and
dinkes.
The Apostle doth not giue freedom, as the Churches enemies would haue it, that
euery man may doe or thinke what he list. But in this matter of Iudaical obseruation
of daies and meats, & that for a time only, til the Christian religion should be
perfectly established, he would haue no restraint made, but that euery one
should be borne withal in his owne sense: yet so, that they should not condemne one
another, nor make necessitie of saluation in the obseruation of the Iudaical rites
of meats, daies, &c.
euery
one abound in his owne sense.
6. He that respecteth the day, respecteth to our Lord. And he that eateth, eateth to
our Lord: for he giueth thankes to God. And he that eateth not, to our Lord he eateth not, and
giueth thankes to God.
7. For none of vs liueth to himself: and no man dieth to himself.
8. For whether we liue we liue to our Lord; or whether we die, we die to our Lord.
Therfore whether we liue, or whether we die, we are our Lord's.
9. For to this end Christ died and rose againe; that he may haue dominion both of
the dead and of the liuing.
10. But thou, why iudgest thou thy brother? or thou, why doest thou despise thy
brother? For
*
2. Corinth. 5,10.
we shal al stand before the iudgement seat of Christ.
11. For it is written: Liue I, saith our Lord,
*
Isai. 45,23.
that euery knee shal bow
to me; & euery tongue shal confesse to God.
12. Therfore euery one of vs for himself shal render account to God.
13. Let vs therfore no more iudge one another. But this iudge ye rather, that you put
not a stumbling block or a scandal to your brother.
14. I know and am persuaded in our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ, that nothing is
✟
Common, that is, Vncleane. See Annot. Marc. 7,2.
common
of it self, but to him that supposeth any thing to be common, to him it is common.
15. For if because of meat thy brother be greeued; now thou walkest not according to
charitie.
*
1. Corinth. 8.
Doe not with thy meat destroy him for whom Christ died.
16. Let not then our good be blasphemed.
17. For the Kingdom of God is
Not meat and drinke.
Not eating, but disobedience damnable.
The substance of religion or the Kingdom of God standeth not in meat or drinke;
and therfore the better might they vse indifferencie & toleration in that point
for a time, for peace sake and to auoid scandal. But if the precept of Moyses Law
had bound stil as before, then (not for the meats sake, but for the disobedience)
it had been damnable to haue eaten the vncleane meats.
not meat and drinke; but iustice, and peace, and ioy in
the Holy Ghost.
18. For he that in this serueth Christ, pleaseth God, and is acceptable to men.
19. Therfore the things that are of peace let vs pursue: and the things that are of
edifying one toward another let vs keep.
20. Destroy not the worke of God for meat.
*
Titus 1,15.
Al things indeed are cleane: but it is il
for the man that eateth by giuing offence.
21. It is good not to eate flesh, and not to drinke wine, nor that wherein thy brother
is offended, or scandalized, or weakned.
22. Hast thou faith?
Haue it with thy self.
Thou that art perfect, and beleeuest or knowest certainly that thou art free from the
Law concerning meats and festiuities, yet to the trouble and hindrance of the feeble
that can not yet be brought so farre, be discrete and vtter not thy self out of
season.
haue it with thy self before God. Blessed is he that iudgeth not
himself in that which he approueth.
23. But
He that discerneth.
To doe against our conscience, is sinne.
If the weake haue a conscience, and should be driuen to eate the things which in his
owne hart he thinketh he should not doe, he committeth deadly sinne, because he doth
against his conscience, or against his owne pretensed knowledge.
he that discerneth, if he eate, is damned; because not of faith. For
Al that is not of faith.
What actions of infidels are sinne, & what are not.
*The proper sense of this speach is, that euery thing that a man doeth against his
knowledge or conscience, is a sinne, for so by the circumstance of the letter,
faith must here be taken, though S. Augustin sometimes applieth it also to proue
that al the actions of infidels (meaning those workes which directly proceed of
their lacke of faith) be sinnes. But in any wise take heed of the Haretikes
commentarie, who hereby would proue that the infidel sinneth in honouring his
parents, fighting for his countrie, tilling his ground, and in al other workes. And
no maruel that they so hold of infidels, who maintaine **that Christian men also
offend deadly in euery good deed.
*Chrys. ho. 26. in ep. Ro.
**Luther
al that
is not of faith, is sinne.