Or else we may meet with simple-minded and ignorant persons, weak in
the faith, as the Apostle calls them, who are as yet unable to apprehend
that liberty of faith, even if willing to do so. These we must spare,
lest they should be offended. We must bear with their infirmity, till
they shall be more fully instructed. For since these men do not act thus
from hardened malice, but only from weakness of faith, therefore, in
order to avoid giving them offence, we must keep fasts and do other
things which they consider necessary. This is required of us by charity,
which injures no one, but serves all men. It is not the fault of these
persons that they are weak, but that of their pastors, who by the snares
and weapons of their own traditions have brought them into bondage and
wounded their souls when they ought to have been set free and healed by
the teaching of faith and liberty. Thus the Apostle says, "If meat make
my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth" (1
Cor. viii. 13); and again, "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus,
that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth
anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. It is evil for that man
who eateth with offence" (Rom. xiv. 14, 20).
Thus, though we ought boldly to resist those teachers of tradition, and
though the laws of the pontiffs, by which they make aggressions on the
people of God, deserve sharp reproof, yet we must spare the timid crowd,
who are held captive by the laws of those impious tyrants, till they
are set free.
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