ge is to be gyuen vnto the infirmitie of the weake brother /
but euen with Paule / we will not suffer that to be done / but
in thinges indifferent. But those thinges which of them selues ar
euell and forbidden of Godd / must not be done in respect of any
man.
[[Rom. 3.]]
For that same Rule doth stonde certayn which gyueth leaue to no
man to do euell that goode maye comme theron. To abstayn / or not
to abstayn from meates / was then a thing indifferent. In such
thinges they which be stronger must beare with the Infirmitie of
the weaker: but meate eating and Massehauntinge are not lyke /
for this is no thing indifferent / but manifestly euell / as it
is sufficiently proued / and therfor it is not to be done in
respect of bearing with any man that is weake. But are the weake
alwayes to be borne with all in thinges indifferent? no truly /
we must not alwayes yealde to the weake but only whylest they be
taughte: And when they do vnderstonde the thing that is taught
them / and yet do wauer and doubt of a wilful scrupulositie /
their infirmitie is no longer to be norished nor born with all:
For we must not so beare with them / that out libertie shal be
in subiection to their frowardnes / nor that therby we do hurte
others by our example.
Agayn they obiect and saye: Yf we shuld do as ye wold haue vs to
do / then must we eyther flye out of our countrithe / or els
forthwith shall we suffer death and so the congregations shalbe
left vtterly desolate / ther shall be none lefte to teache and
norishe those afflicted membres which shall remayne in our
churche: Better it is / that by our bearing and dissemblinge /
ther do remayne yet sum leight / then that by doing as ye wold
haue vs all together shuld be putt out.
[[1. Cor. 15.]]
If sum do remayne ther / it wil brust forthe at lengthe / and a
litill leauen will soure the whole lumpe of dowe. &c. Truly for
all this goodly clooke / it is easily perceyued that through
this dissembling the edifying of the churche is hindered and not
furthered. These men pretende with Athlas to beare vp heauen withe
their shulders / but they do ouerthrow altogether: Godd doth se
more then we / in the thinges which shall happen to the churche:
We must obeye hym in seruyng hym and his churche with the
confession of truthe. The issue / and succes / let vs committ vnto
hym to whom the churche doth belonge: And let vs do that
wherunto we ar called. The churche shall be destroyed then / thow
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