[Translated from the French.]
WE are fond of giving all our lessons at once, and of insisting that every one shall, without hesitation, receive what we ourselves are convinced of. The apostle condemns this summary mode of proceeding. But in this forbearance of others, there is no concession of any part of the truth.
We dislike to be restrained in our actions, and we thus, by our example, hurry into presumption those who have not yet got rid of their ill-founded scruples. The apostle condemns the heartless violence which is thus inflicted on the weak. But this regard for the consciences of others does not involve the giving up of any part of the truth.
We should have consideration for the weak, in not requiring them to receive everything at once. They ought to advance step by step, as, in fact, we ourselves have done. It is a strange thing to imagine that our brethren should in one day accomplish what it has taken us so long a time to do ... .
The conduct prescribed to Christians toward the weak, in general, is similar to what we pursue toward little children. A father walks with short steps when leading his child who is trying to walk; he does not say to him, “You are tall, you are strong, you must walk like a man.” He says, “You are little and weak, and you often fall; but when you grow tall, you will walk like a man.” ...
If it be difficult for us to love those that are weak sufficiently to restrain ourselves from saying and exacting everything at once, it is perhaps more difficult for us to abstain, on their account, from certain lawful actions which might give them offense, or tempt them to go beyond their present convictions. It is so natural to make use of the coarse mode of preaching by our deeds, and harshly to wound consciences not yet thoroughly enlightened, instead of beginning by convincing them! The person that breaks the image of a saint, or insults a procession, imagines that he has done something for the conversion of Roman Catholics; whereas he has only driven some away from the truth by wounding them, whilst he has led others into unbelief by giving them an example which they will follow in defiance of the protestation of their secret feelings.
This is precisely what the apostle says in the four-tenth chapter of the epistle to the Romans, and in the eighth and tenth of the first epistle to the Corinthians. Doubtless, the advanced Christians in Rome and Corinth had the right to eat of all kinds of meats, without troubling themselves to ascertain whether they came from idolatrous sacrifices― “for the idol is nothing;” they would have been acting quite according to rule, provided they abstained from attending the festivals which were held in the temples, and from eating those meats which it was expressly told them had been sacrificed to idols; for, on the one hand, “the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God,” but believers “cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils” (1 Cor. 10:20, 2120But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. (1 Corinthians 10:20‑21)); and, on the other hand, the injunction is given, “Eat not, for his sake that sheaved it, and for conscience sake....conscience I say, not thine own, but of the other.” (vss. 28, 29.)
It was commanded to abstain only on these two accounts; but there were weak Christians, both in Corinth and in Rome, who were suspicious of all kinds of meats, and who, having an unfounded persuasion that the idol was something, and that what had been offered to it was thereby defiled in itself, would not eat any flesh. Now, observe in what manner the Holy Spirit enjoins us to act toward them, while, at the same time, He tells them that they are weak, and repeats eight or ten times in what their weakness and error consist: “To him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walked thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died...For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense.” (Rom. 14:14, 15, 2014I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. (Romans 14:14‑15)
20For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. (Romans 14:20).) “There is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled... Take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.... Through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.” (1 Cor. 8:7, 9, 11, 127Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. (1 Corinthians 8:7)
9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. (1 Corinthians 8:9)
11And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. (1 Corinthians 8:11‑12).) “All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth... Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” (1 Cor. 10:23, 24, 32, 3323All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. (1 Corinthians 10:23‑24)
32Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:32‑33).)
The secret of this charity, coupled with faithfulness, which the apostle here teaches, is to have consideration for others, and not for ourselves. We are perpetually apt to fall either into that indifference as to doctrine, which is ready to sacrifice the truth, or into that unyielding severity which goes straight forward without making allowance for any person, or anything. The disposition to judge others keeps us from exercising courtesy towards the weak, from avoiding those things which offend them, from dealing tenderly with even their ill-founded scruples, from warning them with love, and from leading them in this way to the full reception of the truth. “Why dost thou judge thy brother?” adds Paul, “or why dost thou set at naught thy brother?... Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block, or an occasion to fall, in his brother’s way.” (Rom. 14:10, 1310But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (Romans 14:10)
13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (Romans 14:13).)
The disposition to judge others is not only hurtful to those who are its objects, but it exposes ourselves to great danger also. “Pride goeth before destruction” (Prov. 16:1818Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)); the man who thinking himself strong, despises the weak, shall himself fall grievously. “Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor. 10:1212Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12).)
Paul said, “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
This does not mean, that we have the right to hold sacred a single error, or to change a single truth, or the smallest portion of the truth, whether doctrinal, moral, or ecclesiastical, in order to gain souls.
It does mean, that we have need of instruction in a profound science―the science of self-denial and self-subjection. To pride ourselves upon our performance of duty; to give forth immutable and peremptory formulas; to forget, in regard to others, that progressive course by which we ourselves attained the knowledge of the truth; and to wish to impose, in the mass, the whole of our convictions upon our brethren, is not imitating the apostle who became “all things to all men.” It is not imitating Jesus, “who pleased not Himself;” but who, putting Himself within the reach, and, as it were, on the level of His hearers, stooped down toward them that He might raise them, and began the building up of their faith by laying the first stone deep down. Jesus unceasingly humbled Himself; He was in every respect here below “as he that serveth;” and yet, did He ever enter into a compromise with any error? ― did He ever accommodate Himself to any prejudice? The life of our Master is the Divine commentary upon the words of the apostle. Go to the Saviour, ye who do not know what it is to become all things to all men, and He will teach you. From Him you will learn to put yourselves in the place of others—to begin with them at the beginning-not to judge them; and, to sum up all in one word, to forget yourselves.
I possess a right, but I can give it up when necessary. I have convictions, but I would not condemn those who have not as yet attained to them all. I protest against errors; but I would abstain from giving to my protestations the peremptoriness which would destroy souls, either by shocking them, or by inciting them to compliance without having convinced them. I would keep myself from a disposition to judge others; and, while immovably faithful in the defense of the whole truth, I would learn how to combat as a Christian, to discuss as a Christian, entertaining love for my adversaries, and respect for their persons, and possessing that true courtesy which does not in any degree involve a departure from uprightness. With my eyes fixed on Him who was “meek and lowly in heart,” I endeavor to “overcome evil with good.” Alas! we have been telling what we ought to do, ―what we desire to do; we dare not speak of what we actually do.
Thus, as we have just seen, it is very easy to become all things to all men at the expense of truth—it is less so to do it at our own expense; but this second way is the only way authorized by God.
TROUBLE AND PEACE. ―Sorrow in some shape or other is our portion here. “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” We must not expect it to be otherwise, but should take up our daily cross. The blessed Lord when here was despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. The world lieth in the Wicked-one, it has no sympathy with Christ, or His followers. Our adversary goeth about tempting and deceiving, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. In our flesh dwells no good, and we have the sentence of death in ourselves. Our true peace and consolation are alone in God, through Christ. His faithful, unchangeable love is our never-failing spring of comfort. Hence, in the deepest sorrow, we may sing,
‘Though waves and quicksands deep,
Through all my passage lie,
Yet Christ will safely keep,
And guide me with His eye:
My anchor hope shall firm abide,
And I each boist’rous storm outride.’