Should not the Gentiles, notwithstanding of this
constitution, have abstained because of the scandal of the Jews? How comes
it then, that that which the Apostle writeth against the scandal of meats,
and the reasons which he giveth, are found to hold over good, whether
there be a constitution or not?

4. As for his remedy against the scandal of particular men, which is to
instruct them better, it hath been answered before.(421)

_Sect._ 16. Now, if I reckon Paybody to be no body, perhaps some body will
not take it well. I will therefore examine how he handleth this argument.
Four things are answered by him(422) to those places, Rom. xiv. 16; 1 Cor.
viii. 10; Matt. xviii. 6, which are alleged against the use of things
indifferent, when we cannot use them without scandal.

First, he saith, that all those Scriptures which are quoted as condemning
the scandalising of others in things indifferent, speak only of
scandalising them who are weak.

_Ans._ 1. Be it so, thought he, that they are all malicious, and none
weak, who are offended by the ceremonies. He himself describeth the weak
whom we are forbidden to scandalise, to be such as are weak in knowledge
and certainty of the truth. Now there are many who are in this respect
weak, scandalised by the ceremonies. But I say, moreover, that his
description is imperfect; for there are some who know the truth, and that
certainly, who are, notwithstanding, to be accounted weak, in regard of
the defect of that prudence which should guide, and that stability which
should accompany all their actions, in the particular usage of such things
as they know certainly, in their general kind, to be agreeable to truth
and righteousness. Such Christians are impeded by the ceremonies from
going on in their Christian course so fast as otherwise they would, if not
also made to waver or stumble. And thus are they properly scandalised
according to my fifth proposition. _Si quis nostra culpa vel impingit, vel
abducitur a recto cursu, vel tardatur, cum dicimur offendere_, saith
Calvin.(423) _Porro scandalum est dictum vel factum quo impeditur
evangelii cursus, cujus ampliationem et propagationem, totius vitae
nostrae scopum esse oportet_, saith Martyr.(424)

2. It is a fault to give offence even to the strong, or else Peter was not
to be blamed for giving offence to Christ, Matt. xvi. 23. Yea, it is a
fault to offend the very malicious by things that are not necessary, as I
have proved in my twelft