ded them, namely, their withdrawing of
themselves from the Gentiles, and keeping company only with the Jews,
whereby both the Jews and the Gentiles were scandalised, because both were
made to think (at least occasion was given to both for thinking) the
observation of the ceremonial law necessary. That which deceiveth Paybody,
is the confounding of _scandalising_ and _displeasing_. Peter, by eating
with the Gentiles, perhaps had displeased the Jews, but he had thereby
edified them, though the scandal which he gave them was by Judaising;
_Judaizabat olim Petrus per dissimulationem_, saith Gerson:(428) by this
Judaising through such dissimulation and double-dealing, as was his eating
with the Gentiles first, and then withdrawing of himself, when certain
Jews came; for keeping company with them only, he scandalised the Jews and
confirmed them in Judaism, as Pareus noteth.(429) How then can it be said,
that he that scandalised them by his eating with the Gentiles? For
hereupon it should follow that there was a necessity of doing evil laid
upon Peter, so that he behoved to offend the Jews either by his eating
with the Gentiles, or by his not eating with the Gentiles; for he could
not both eat with them and not eat with them. This is therefore plain,
that if he scandalised the Jews by his not eating with the Gentiles, as I
have showed, then had he not scandalised them, but edified them by his
eating with the Gentiles.

I perceive he would say, that the scandal of non-conformity is a greater
scandal than the scandal of conformity; and so he would make us gain
little by our argument of scandal. He is bold to object,(430) "Where one
is offended with our practice of kneeling, twenty, I may say ten thousand,
are offended with your refusal." O adventurous arithmetic! O huge
hyperbole! O desultorious declamation! O roving rethoric! O prodigal
paradox!

Yet, I reply, 1. Though sundry (yet not ten thousand for one) are
displeased by our refusal, who can show us that any are thereby
scandalised; that is, made worse and induced to ruin? This man is bold to
say well to it; but we have solidly proved that scandal riseth out of
kneeling and the rest of the ceremonies: let it be measured to us with the
same measure wherewith we mete.

2. Put the case, that ten thousand were scandalised by our refusal, will
it thereupon follow that our refusal is a greater scandal than their
practising? Nay, then, let it be said that the cross of Christ is