re not _de jure_, and if
we disliked the ceremonies, and were offended at them, for some other
reason than their unlawfulness, for this offence they would abstain. It
may be his reverend fathers return him small thanks for this device. For
let some men be brought forth, acknowledging the ceremonies to be in
themselves indifferent, yet offended at them for their inexpediency,
whether they be weak or malicious, the Doctor thinks he should abstain for
their cause.

2. How knows he that they who were offended at Paul's taking of wages at
Corinth, thought not his taking of wages there unlawful, even as we think
the ceremonies unlawful?

3. Why judgeth he that we are not scandalised through weakness, but
through malice and contumacy? So he giveth it forth both in this place and
elsewhere.(409) Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?

But, 4. If we were malicious in offending at the ceremonies as things
unlawful, and in urging of non-conformity as necessary, should they
therefore contemn our being scandalised? Those that would have Titus
circumcised, were they not malicious? Did they not urge circumcision as
necessary? Held they it not unlawful not to circumcise Titus? Yet did the
Apostle abstain because they were to be scandalised, that is, made worse
and more wicked calumniators by the circumcising of Titus, as I have
showed;(410) so that albeit we know not to take care for the displeasing
of men that maliciously (as necessary) abstaining from that which is
lawful to be done, yet must we take care for scandalising them and making
them worse; rather, ere that be, we ought to abstain from the use of our
liberty.

5. If an ecclesiastical decree had commanded Paul at that time to take
wages at Corinth, the Doctor thinks he had contemned ecclesiastical
authority in not taking wages, though some should be offended at his
taking wages. What! could an ecclesiastical decree command Paul to take
wages in the case of scandal? or could he have obeyed such a decree in the
case of scandal? We have seen before that no human authority can make that
no scandal which otherwise were scandal, so that Paul had not contemned
ecclesiastical authority by not obeying their command in this case of
scandal which had followed by his obeying, for he had not been bound to
obey, nay, he had been bound not to obey in such a case, yea, further,
albeit scandal had not been to follow by his taking wages, yet he had no
more contemned the church by