Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 14 · Dialogue 9
DIAL. IX.
Verses 21, 22, 23. It is good neyther to eate flesh, nor to drinke, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or made weake. Hast thou faith, (or thou hast faith) hauehave it to thy selfe before God, happy is hee which condemneth not himselfe in that which he alloweth. And hee that doubteth, &c.
Tim.
VVHat is contained in the 21. verse?
Silas.
The conclusion of the former exhortation to the strong, that in the vse of meates they giuegive no offence to the weake, and so generally in the vse of all indifferent things; which in themselues are good and lawfull, but beeing done with offence are euill, tending to destroy the worke of God. Hauing saide this in the former verse, that eating with scandall is euill, now on the contrary he concludes, that to forbeare eating or drinking or doing any thing else which may offend is good, as that which makes to edification and peace.
Tim.
What is meant heere by good?
Silas.
The positiue is put heere for the comparatiue, good for better; as if he should say, it is more pleasing to God, and more to the edifying of our neighbour, and for the peace of the Church, to abstaine rather then to eate with offence.
Tim.
Why doth hee mention heere not onelyonly flesh, but wine and eueryevery other thing?
Silas.
First, to make the instruction more generall and large, also to teach that in things simply necessary to life, we are not to forbeare them, though others bee offended; as if one should take offence at our eating bread or drinking beere, whereby our life is maintained: but for some kinde of flesh and wine, or whatsoeuer else it is which we may be without and yet liue, wee are bound in case of offence to refraine such things, at least for a time, till such as do stumble be better perswaded by instruction.
Tim.
Is there any difference betweene stumbling, beeing offended, or being made weake? or … they signifie one and the same thing?
Silas.
Howsoeuer some distinguish them and vnderstand (by slumbling) that which elsewhere is called the wounding of the weake conscience, being troubled & not knowing what to hold or doe, 1. Cor. 8, 9. and (by being offended) a quite falling away or breaking off from the faith or Gospell, which is called before to bee destroyed, yerse 15. and to perish, 1. Cor. 8, 11. and (by being made weake) that which before in verse 15. was in other tearmes saide to be grieued. (Of which distinction there may follow this good obseruation, that so soone as wee see the conscience of our brother begin to wauer by our actions, it is our duty to cease & giuegive ouer ere it come to be wounded and wracked;) yet for my part I doe rather iudge that one and the selfe same thing is signified heere by the heaping vp of diuers words, namely thereby the better to insinuate that great heed, care, and circumspection be taken, (as he saide before verse 13.) that no stumbling blocke or occasion of sinning bee put in our brothers way, which might be eyther by making them doe that which they saw others doe with a wauering minde; or causing them to detest the faithfull, as prohaneners of Moses law, by going against his prohibitions in vse of dayes and meates.
Tim.
What instructions may we take from this verse thus opened?
Sil.
Heere is laide foorth the condition of weake Christians, which lacke the knowledge of the word: such are apt to stūble like blind men, & like sicke persons they be weak, ready to trip and to fall vponupon eueryevery occasion. This must serue to humble the infirme and weake of iudgement, & stirre them vp to seeke for more store of grace, and light of knowledge, to be able to walke more firmely.
Secondly, it is much better in case of offence, to sorbeare our liberty in things indifferent, then to vse it, as the saluation of a Brother, is a farre more precious thing then the nourishing of our flesh or body. Also, thereby we preferre peace and edification to our pleasure.
Tim.
In the 22. Verse, what is meant by Faith, [Thou hast Faith,] for with M. Beza, I had rather reade these Wordes by way of concession, then by interrogation, Hast thou faith?
Silas.
Faith signifies the knowledge and perswasion of our liberty in indifferent things, as verse 14. in his owne example he expounds it. These words contain another secret obiection, in the behalfe of the strong, thus. I know and beleeue my liberty which I hauehave by Christ, that nothing is vnpure to me, why should not I prosesse it in words, and expresse it in acte, without respect had of others? This Obiection the Apostle answeres first by granting, Thou hast this Faith, I yeeld it vntounto thee. Secondly, by distinguishing thus: HaueHave thy faith vntounto thy selfe, in thine owne Conscience, but expresse it not to the hurt of thy Brother, (for this must be vnderstood necessarily) enioy thy knowledge to thy edification, but vse it not to anothers destruction.
Tim.
What then, shall my Faith lye hid and be smothered?
Silas.
No (saith the Apostle) hauehave it [before God,] approoue it vntounto him, vse it so, as one that knowes he must giuegive an account of it before God, and comfort thy selfe in it in his sight; and be thankfull to him for that knowledge which he hath giuen thee, and that is fufficient in this case. Thou needest not make any ostentation of it to the hurt of thy brother: let it euen be enough to thee that God knowes thy faith. This is like vntounto that precept of Christ, Math. 6, 6. Thy Father that seeth in secret, shal reward thee openly, As in some cases, and sometimes, wee may hide our Prayers, so the profession of our faith, lest we boast vntounto the danger of others.
Tim.
What then, is it lawfull for Christians to dissemble their Faith and profession of it? Will it bee sufficient in time of persecution, to hauehave Faith in his heart before God? Howe then hath Christ commanded vsus, to confesse him before men? Also see Rom. 10, 10. where both faith and confession, are required vntounto saluation.
Silas.
Our Apostle heere speaketh neither of generall Faith by which we beleeue the whole word both of Law and Gospell; nor yet of iustifying Faith, whereby wee receiue Christ, or the promises of Christ vntounto saluation, but of a particular faith, whereby we beleeue something to be lawfull. Secondly, euen this particular faith (which is a perswasion of our liberty in indifferent things) is thē onelyonly to be concealed, when it cannot bee professed and practised, without offence and scandall vntounto our weake brother. Not the profession then, but the vnseasonable hurtfull profession of this faith, is heere prohibited. Heerewith a greeth the iudgement of Chrysostome vponupon this place: This text (saith he) is not to be vnderstoode of the faith of doctrine, but of that which appertaineth to the argument in hand, namely, the Faith about things indifferent. Touching the former faith (saith hee) it is written, With the Mouth confession is made to Saluation. Againe, He that denieth me before men, before my Father will I deny him. This faith is oppressed, if it be not expressed; but the other faith about middle things is then subuerted, when it is vnseasonably shewed.
Tim.
Tell vsus now what the Apostle doth in the rest of the Chapter to the end thereof?
Silas.
Hee giueth three short and pithy rules to direct both strong and weake, in the vse of things indifferent: The first concernes the strong onelyonly; the second the weak onelyonly; the third them both: The first is set downe by way of acclamation, O blessed is the man which condemneth not himselfe in that which he allowes. Touching the vnderstanding of which rule note, that Apostle speakes first touching a mans condemning himselfe, and not beeing condemned of others, or making themselues worthy to be condemned of others. Secondly, he speaketh of condemning and allowing in the same person, not of disallowing in another what he persormes in himselfe. Thirdly, hee is to be vnderstood of one and the same instant whereby one man in his iudgement condemneth, and in his practise alloweth one and the same thing. The summe then of the rule is thus much, that hee is indeede a happy man whose practise in outward acte agrees with the inward iudgement of his conscience. More plainely thus: In conscience to be perswaded, that a weake brother is not to bee offended by vndue and vntimely exercise of our liberty, so to allow this, as by no contrary deede to condemne it, it is the happinesse of a man not to bee accused of his heart. Let all men striue for this happy condition, after the examples of Iob, chap. 27, 6. and of Paul, 2 Corinth. 1, 12.
Tim.
What is the second Rule which belongs to the weake?
Silas.
He that doubts is damned if he eate, because hee eates not of faith, that is, not beleeuing so in his heart, as hee shewes in acte. The rule more at large is thus much: that such a one is guilty of sinne, hurts his conscience, and offends God, which eyther eates or doth any thing else with a wauering doubtfulnesse, and not beeing well perswaded, whether they doe well or ill, please God, or displease him. A Christian which will please God and keepe his conscience pure and vnspotted, must be able to discerne of that which he doth, whether it bee lawfull or vnlawful, according to that which is written before, Let eueryevery man be perswaded in his owne minde: to doe a thing which is good, and yet do it doubtingly, (the minde beeing tossed too and fro with diuers reasons) doth pollute the action to him that doth it, and makes it to be sinne, lacking right rule, and end: for it is neyther gouerned by knowledge of the word, nor done to Gods glory. Let men therefore learne to resolue of their deeds before they acte it, and enterpise nothing so long as ones conscience and minde is doubtfull, what he may doe: for so long our deeds cannot be referred to Gods praise, and this very thing is enough to make it sinfull; for it is sinne whatsoeuer misseth of the due end.
Tim.
What is the third rule?
Silas.
That it is sinne whatsoeuer is not of faith, whereHe meaneth by faith an vndoubted certainety of minde, … of the truth of God, …. the word [faith] cannot bee interpreted of conscience, for this interpretation is against the beginning of the 23. ver. for if there faith were alone with conscience, the meaning then should be, hauehave a conscience in thy conscience, which is absurd. Secondly, wicked men and … hauehave a conscience but no faith; also hereticks faith is no faith, yet they want not conscience. Thirdly, weake ones eate without faith, for to the strong onelyonly is faith ascribed, verse 22: but not without conscience, 1. Cor. 8. and 1. Cor. 10, 29. therefore faith and conscience are not all one. I expound it therefore both of that speciall faith which is the knowledge of our liberty, but chiefely of Christian saith, or the faith of Christ, without which neither our persons nor actions please God, Heb. 11, 6. This is the faith which is grounded vponupon the word, and giueth certaine direction both what we are to beleeue and doe: the workes then of all Infidels and naturall men are sinfull, though glorious for shew, and good for substance; because they come not from faith, and whatsoeuer comes of … will is good morally, but not spiritually. Also this admonisheth all Christians as they will keepe sinne out of their workes, to vndertake all things by the leuell of the word; bee sure it bee written and found there, and then hauehave trust and affiance of acceptation by Christ, doe it that God may bee pleased and honoured. Wicked men (saith Chrysostome) delight in that which themselues inuent, but the faithfull measure all by the word, whether they thinke, speake, or do. They shewe themselues to bee but hickscorners and cauellers which to ouerthrow this wholesome doctrine of gouerning our whole Christian course, and eueryevery step of our way, to heauen, by the word of Faith, doe most childishly alledge, that then for the taking vp of a chippe or a straw, &c. we must hauehave our warrant from the Scripture, which we say is our mistris to teach vsus Religion and all maners, both faith and life, 2 Tim. 3, 15, 16.
Any thing that is of saluation to be beleeued, as an Article of Faith, or practised as a seruice of God, or done as a duty to God, to men, or to our selues, wee are to hauehave our warrant either from the expresse worde, or by some necessary deduction and consequence from it: for it teacheth all truth of godlinesse, it conuicteth all error in religion, it reprooueth all vice, it instructeth in eueryevery vertuous way. The wayes of the young man (to whom for his youth some liberty might be allowed) yet be not cleane and pure, except they bee purged and ordered by the word, Psal. 119, 9. which how is it a Lanthorn to our feete, and a light to our steps, if there be any part of our Christian faith and conuersation, for which it giueth not direction? For if it be so perfect, as it hath sufficiency to enable the man of God to eueryevery good worke of his calling how much more men of other vocations? Worthily then hauehave the ancient Doctors of the Church (as I hauehave tofore shewed) honoured the worde of Scriptures with this commendation, that it is Regula Religion is & morum; Magistra Fidei & vitae: norma Controuer siarum & canuersationis. For what imperfectiō can be in that word which hath bin inspired by a Spirit of infinite wisedom? Would the most wise and good God leaue to his Church but halfe a rule, a lame & maimed Canon? which should be supplied by decrees and traditions of men, by good intentions of our owne (as they are called,) by direction of reason, by suggestion of eueryevery mans conscience? As our Romanists would hauehave [Faith,] in this text, to be vnderstood of the perswasion of eueryevery mans conscience; so as an Heathen and Infidell doing that which in reason & conscience he iudgeth right, that cannot be sinne: but whatsoeuer any doth (beleeuing it in his conscience to be lawfull) that is a good worke, and pleaseth God. If this were spoken of a conscience, and of reason grounded on the word of God, it were well; but being generally vttred, it is not well: for the very Gun-powder Traitors made conscience of their doing.
The conscience is made good by the knowledge andActs 15, 9. faith of the word, without which, there is no right andTitus 1, 15. godly vse of our reason. By benefit whereof, howsoeuer we may doe things naturally or morally good, yet not spiritually good, so as God be pleased. For it cannot be, that any worke of ours bee pleasing to him, till the person be reconciled and pleasing: and this is not done otherwise, then by being engrafted in Christ by Faith, in whom God is well pleased, Math. 3. verse last. Heb. 11, 6. Though we do not say, that the making and ministring good Lawes, education of Children, reuerence of Superiours, succouring of Parents, speaking truth, keeping promises, defending their countrey, &c. in Paganes and prophane Christians be sinfull, but rather vertuous acts,An Infideil is … of sinne, because he dooth his workes not of faith, or to the end for which he should, and he doth them with an vngodly will. (if we respect the substance of the thing done,) yet if we regard circumstances (as that they were done not vntounto a due end, or out of a good minde, and for the persons of the dooers were not of Christ) so they were sins, and displeased God. Thus Origen: it is turned into sinne, whatsoeuer good the wicked doe, because they are not done in faith. And Augustine: Vertues must be iudged not by actions, but by ends; and vnbeleeuers doe nothing to a right end. Againe (saith he,) There is no good worke, where there is no faith.Aug.