CHA P. XIV. The CONTENTS. The Reverence which the Jewish Converts still retain'd for the Mofaical Law, made them nice and fcrupulous in feveral Matters, in themselves indifferent, fuch as the Ufe of feveral Meats, and the Obfervation of certain Days, &c. while the Gentile Chriftians, who had been obliged to no fuch Diftinctions, and knew the Chriftian Religion did not at all infift upon them, took their Freedoms, and openly enjoy'd perfect Liberty from fuch Restrictions, not without fome Contempt of the Jewish Niceties, to the great Difguft and Disturbance of that weaker Part of the Church. To prevent the Mischiefs arifing from hence, the Apostle here gives Inftructions to both Parties, advifing the Jewish not to condemn and cenfure the Gentile Liberties, nor the Gentile to vex and prejudice the Jewish Convert, by a too open and imprudent Ufe of his lawful Freedoms. 1.HIM that is weak I. O preferve you from thofe A. D. 57. in the faith re- 2. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another who is weak, eateth 2. The Gentile Chriftian, for Inftance, that was never bound to the Laws about Meats and Drinks, fully believes (and that rightly too) that Chriftianity allows him to ufe any Diet without Diftinction; the Jewish Chriftian, on the contrary, that has been used herbs. U 2 to A. D. 57. to a Reverence for those Laws, and does not perfectly fee Chriftian Liberty, thinks himself yet obliged, at certain Times, to eat nothing but Herbs. 3. Let not him that eateth, defpife him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not, judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 3. Don't let the Gentile Chrif tian defpife or deride the Jewish one for his unneceffary Nicety; nor the Jewish cenfure the Gentile, as if his Freedom in fuch Matters made him unworthy to be a Member of God's Church. For I tell you it does not. 4. Who art thou that judgeft another man's fervant? to his own mafter he standeth or falleth: Yea, he fhall be holden up: for God is able to make him ftand. 4. What has any of you to do to judge them you have no Authority over? You condemn each other, as ready to renounce their Chriftianity by their Freedoms or Niceties in these indifferent Cafes. Leave every one to GOD, our common Lord and Mafter. If they offend in no greater Points than thefe, he will hold them up from falling from their Profeffion. 5. One man efteemeth one day above another another efteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully perfwaded in his own mind. 6. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord 5. Again, The Jewish Chriftian thinks fome Days of the Week have more Holiness in them than others. The Gentile Chriftian thinks them all alike. For Peace Sake, let every Man enjoy his own * Sentiment. 6. He that pays this Respect to particular Days, does it out of Confcience towards God; and he that pays none, does it out of a full Perfuafion that God has freed him Ver. 5. "Exas ir T isiq voi wangopogsiw. That I have given the true Senie of this Phrate, let the Reader fee Grotius upon the Place: The London Cafes against Dissenters, p. 190, 193. Fol. Edit. and Dr. Sander fon's excellent Sermon on ver. 23. In all which Paffages, he will also find the Paraphrafe of that laft Verse of this Chapter fully and clearly afferted. 2 him from all Obligation to it. A. D. 57. You that eat all Foods indifferently, do it out of the fame Principle, and are thankful to God for fuch a Liberty; and you that are fo nice in your Distinctions of them, do it because you think that Obligation is not yet taken off, and you are thankful for allowed you. And then where is those you think are the Harm of all this? 7. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himfelf. 7. For none of you, I hope, does or omits any of these Matters, but with fome Refpect to God and Chrift, whofe Servants you are; not purely from your own Humour, and of your own Head; for as you hope to be happy in Chrift when you die, you are now to live with a juft Respect to his Will and Commands. 8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we 8. For it is your indispensable Duty and Condition to live to his Honour, as 'tis your Privilege then to die in his Favour; fo that livlive therefore or die, his Children, of his Church and ing and dying, we Chriftians are Family. we are the Lords. 9. For to this end Chrift both died, and rofe and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. tians, as his peculiar 10. But why doft thou judge thy brother? or why doft thou fet at nought thy brother? for we fhall all ftand before the judgment feat of A. D. 57: 11. For it is written, As I live, faith the Lord, every knee fhall bow to me, and 12. So then every one of us fhall give account of himself to God. 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a ftumbling-block, or an occafion to fall in his brothers way. cording to thofe Words of Ifaiah 450 12. And if we are all to be judged by him alone, it very ill becomes any of us to take his Judgment out of his Hands. 13. Instead therefore of cenfuring one another, and being nice and quarrelfome about these indifferent Matters, make it your Endeavour to understand and practife this plain Duty, viz. That no Man ought to do any indifferent Thing (be it never fo lawful in itself) that he knows before-hand will be an Occafion to prejudice, difcourage, or mislead another Man against his Chriftian Profeffion. 14. I know, and am perfwaded by the Lord Jefus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that efteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 14. I may be, and indeed am fully fatisfied the Chriftian Religion allows me the Ufe of all Meats alike, and I use them accordingly. But a Jewish Convert that is abfolutely perfuaded of the contrary, muft not do fo; and 'tis unreasonable I fhould urge a Man to act full against his own Confcience. 15. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkeft thou not charitably. Deftroy not him with thy meat, for 15. And tho' you Gentile Chrif tians may lawfully enough eat what another thinks he ought to abhor; yet if you plainly fee your eating before him will shock and difturb, and bring him into an ill Opinion of you, and your Religion, you ought to forbear it in pure Charity. You muit not endanger the Soul of a Chriftian, which you may prevent by forbearing an indifferent Thing, when whom Chrift died. you Ver. 11 & 12. See Dr. Clark's Scripture Doct. Trin. p. 119. NOTE in N° 623. and his Anfw. to Neljon, No 29. you confider Chrift had fuch a Tenderness for that very A. D. 57. Soul, as to lay down his own Life for it. 16. Let not then 16. Your Liberty in these Mat your good be evil ters is indeed right and good, but fpoken of. 7. For the king- and you must not use it fo imprudent- 17. Efpecially if you reflect how needlefs it is for you to do fo: For the Effence of the Chrif tian Religion is no Way concerned in your abstaining or not abftaining from these Things; but 'tis very highly concerned in the Practice of Piety towards God, in a peaceable and charitable Temper towards your Fellow-Chriftian, and in a modeft Joy, and humble Satisfaction in the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit. 18. For he that in these things ferveth Chrift, is acceptable to God, and approv ed of Men. 19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. mon Profeffion. 20. For meat deftroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it 18. Such Things as thefe it is, 19. Make it your utmost En- 20. Do not deftroy a Chriftian Brother who is the Workmanship of God in Chrift Jefus, by urging him to act against his Confcience. For tho' to eat or abftain from thefe Meats, be in its felf indifferent, yet to ftrain and injure People's Confciences and Principles about them, is not so, but a very unjust Thing. is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to to 21. Much better is it for you U 4 and |