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Chapter 11ParrLament.1.11

The Men Regenerate by Christ, and Those Offended at Trifles

The Regenerate: Not Offended

Those renewed by Christ despise the world, are humble and discerning, follow Christ's example, and are never offended by anything, drawing spiritual fruit from every circumstance.

Those regenerated by Christ despise the world and all its vanities and pleasures. They don't love themselves, for they feel how evil and weak they are, unable to do any good without the help of God—from whom they acknowledge all goodness proceeds.1 They do not flatter themselves by thinking that everything which shines to the world is good and holy, for they know that all external and outward works—however glorious and fair they may look to the world—may be done by the evil as well as by the good; and therefore they hold the outward show of holiness in very little esteem, because they are wholly spiritual, lifting their eyes to heavenly things, neither looking at nor regarding earthly things, for those things are vile and worthless to them.2 They possess the simplicity of the dove and the shrewdness of the serpent: through simplicity, they desire to do good to everyone and harm no one, even when given the chance; and through shrewdness, they provide no just cause for anyone to find fault with their teaching.3 They are also not like a reed shaken by every wind: when they are battered by the tempests and storms of the world, they remain most firm, steady, and quiet, feeling in spirit that God (as their best Father) both sends and allows all things for their good and benefit.4 Christ is their rule, their measuring line, and their example of the Christian life.5 They are never offended at anything, even when occasion is given them: for just as Christ, when Peter would have drawn him back from death, answered and said, “Get back from me, Satan, for you offend me”—that is, “As much as lies in you, you give me occasion by your words to pull myself back from death, though I did not yield to it, for this urging of yours cannot put out the burning desire I have to shed my blood for my chosen ones”—even so the perfect are never offended at anything: for even if the world were full of sin, they would not withdraw from doing good, nor grow cold in the love of the Lord.6 Much less would they be moved toward evil; rather, they are all the more moved to do good. Those reborn in Christ are never offended by the works of God, because they know by faith that God does all things well and that he cannot err—not for lack of power, nor by ignorance, nor by malice; for they know him to be almighty, that he sees all things, and that he is most abundantly good.✦ They see and feel in spirit that from that will—most highly perfect—nothing can come but the most perfect works.7 Likewise they are not offended by the works of people: for if those works are good, they are moved by them to take the chance to follow them, and to acknowledge God's goodness with thanksgiving and by praising his name all the more each day; but if the works are indifferent—the kind that may be done with good or evil intent—they put the best construction on them, thinking they may be done for a good purpose, and so they are built up; but if the works are so evil that they cannot be taken in a good light by any means, still they are not offended—though occasion is given—rather, they are built up, insofar as they take the opportunity to become better, even though the opposite is set before them.8 Then they begin to think and say: 'If God had not kept me by his grace, I would have committed this sin, and worse. Oh how deeply I am bound to confess and acknowledge the goodness of God!'9 They go on thinking and saying further: 'The one who has sinned may be one of God's elect; perhaps the Lord has allowed him to fall so that he may better know himself.' ‘I know he is one of those for whom Christ shed his blood, and one of my Christian brothers and sisters.✦ Truly I will admonish and rebuke him; and if I find him in despair, I will comfort him and show him the great goodness and mercy of God in Christ; and with godly consolations I will see if I can lift him up.’✦✦10 And so you can see how those regenerated by Christ gain and receive fruit from everything.

Offended at Trifles

Spiritually immature people take offense at small matters, judge harshly, and would have been offended even at Christ's own actions, lacking the charity that interprets all things rightly.

By contrast, the immature and imperfect take offense at small trifles: putting the worst construction on everything, grumbling and murmuring against their neighbor; and the more fervent they show themselves in doing so, the more they are judged—by the blind world and by themselves—to be people of great zeal for God.✦ Even if this were the greatest evil of these immature people, it would not be the worst; but I fear they are so blind and ignorant that they take offense at good things as well, and judge nothing good except what they themselves embrace and count as good—grumbling against everyone who does not follow their ways.✦11 If there are any of this sort, may the Lord give them the light of his truth, so that they may increase and grow in godly strength. I suppose that if such immature and imperfect people had seen Christ and his disciples eat with unwashed hands, or not fasting with the Pharisees, they would have been offended, taking him for a breaker of human traditions.✦✦✦12 Their affections train their eyes to scrutinize other people, and they see nothing in themselves; whereas charity—though it is all eyes for the faults of others, whom it longs to amend—thinks no evil, but interprets all things carefully and rightly, and by that reading everything is taken more justly and truly.✦1314 Now these superstitious weaklings, if they had kept company with Christ and seen him live his life sometimes with women, sometimes with Samaritans, with tax collectors, sinners, and with the Pharisees, would have muttered against him. Also, if they had seen Mary pour the precious ointment on Christ, they would have said with Judas, "This ointment could have been sold and given to the poor." If they had also seen Christ drive the buyers and sellers out of the temple with whips, they would have immediately judged that he was troubled and moved by anger, and not by zeal of charity.✦15 How offended would they have been if they had seen him, going to the Jews' feast, heal a sick man on the Sabbath, speak with the woman from Samaria—yes, and show her his most divine teaching and life?16 They would have seized the opportunity to hate and persecute him, just as the scribes and Pharisees did. And even so, Christ the Savior of the world would have been an offense and a ruin to them.17

Excusing Sin by Others' Falls

Another kind of imperfect person uses the sins of those reputed holy as an excuse for their own evil, revealing a faith based on human opinion rather than on Christ, and may even grow proud in their supposed virtue.

There is another kind of little ones, imperfect, who take offense in this way: when they see someone reputed and esteemed as holy commit a sin, they immediately learn to do that and worse, grow cold in doing good, and settle themselves in evil; and then they excuse their wicked life, making it public with slander against their neighbor. If anyone reproves them, they say, 'So-and-so did this, and worse.' So it is clear that such people would deny Christ if they saw other people do the same.✦ If they went to Rome and saw the terrible sins of the church leaders that are said to reign there among them, I have no doubt that if they saw one of those regarded as holy commit sin, their faith would be lost—but not the faith of Christ, which they never had. Rather, they would lose that human opinion they had of the goodness of church leaders.18 For if they had the faith of Christ, the Holy Spirit would be a witness to them and would be mighty in them, so that even if the whole world denied Christ, they would remain firm and steadfast in the true faith.✦ The Pharisees also used the evil of others as an occasion to become haughty and proud, counting themselves more perfect than anyone else because of their virtue—just as the Pharisee did when he saw the tax collector's humility. And so they take offense at every little thing—judging badly, murmuring against their neighbor—and for that very reason many consider them holier and better, when in fact they are the more wicked.✦

Offended at God Himself

The most wicked are offended even by God—despairing over their own sin, questioning his justice in allowing evil, and misinterpreting his ways to justify their own wickedness.

The most wicked people are offended even by themselves; because of their lack of stability in goodness and their detestable, evil lives, they find reasons to despair—when they really ought to commit themselves all the more to God, asking for mercy for their offenses, and immediately giving thanks that it has pleased him, in his goodness, to bear with them for so long. But what more needs to be said? Wicked people are offended even by the works of God. They see God bear with sinners, so they conclude that sin doesn't displease him; and because they don't see the good rewarded with riches, they often imagine that God doesn't love them. It seems to them that God is partial because he has elected some and rejected others; therefore, they claim the elect are sure of salvation and use that as an excuse to do plenty of evil, saying, 'Whatever God has determined will be carried out.'19 If they also see good people oppressed and evil people exalted, they judge God unjust and use it as an excuse to live wickedly, saying, 'Since God favors the wicked, let us do plenty of evil so that he will do us good.'20 If, then, the wicked are offended even by God, it's no wonder if they are offended by those who follow and walk in his paths and ways.

Read the original English

The men regenerate by Christ despise the world and all the vanities and pleasures thereof. They be no lovers of themselves, for they feel how evil and infirm they be, not being able to do any good thing without the help of God ─ from whom they knowledge all goodness to proceed. They flatter not themselves with thinking everything which shineth to the world to be good and holy, for they know all external and outward works ─ be they never so glorious and fair to the world ─ may be done of the evil as well as of the good: and therefore they have in very little estimation the outward show of holiness, because they be all spiritual, casting up their eyes upon heavenly things; neither looking nor regarding the earthly things, for they be to them vile and abject. They have also the simplicity of the dove and the policy of the serpent: for by simplicity, they have a desire to do good to all men, and to hurt no man; no, though they have occasion given; and by policy, they give not nor minister any just cause to any man, whereby their doctrine might be reproved. They be not also as a reed shaken with every wind: when they be blasted with the tempests and storms of the world, then remain they most firm, stable and quiet, feeling in spirit that God (as their best Father) doth send and suffer all things for their benefit and commodity. Christ is to them a rule, a line, an example of Christian life. They be never offended at anything, although occasion be ministered unto them: for like as Christ, when Peter would have withdrawn him from death, answered and said ‘Go back from me Satan, for thou offendest me’, that is: ‘as much as lieth in thee, thou givest me occasion with thy words to make me withdraw myself from death, although I yielded not thereto, for this thy procurement cannot extinguish the burning desire I have to shed my blood for my chosen’: even so the perfect men are never offended at anything: for although the world were full of sin, they would not withdraw themselves from doing of good, nor wax cold in the love of the Lord.

And much less they would be moved to be evil: yea, rather they be so much the more moved to do good. The regenerated by Christ are never offended at the works of God, because they know by faith that God doeth all things well, and that he cannot err: neither for want of power, nor by ignorance nor malice; for they know him to be almighty, and that he seeth all things, and is most abundantly good. They see and feel in spirit that of that will, most highly perfect, cannot but proceed most perfect works. Likewise they be not offended at the works of men: for if they be good, they are moved by them to take occasion to follow them, and to reknowledge the goodness of God with giving of thanks and praising his name daily the more; but if they be indifferent and such as may be done with good and evil intents, they judge the best part, thinking they may be done to a good purpose, and so they be edified; but if they be so evil that they cannot be taken in good part by any means, yet they be not offended ─ although occasion be given ─ nay, rather they be edified, inasmuch as they take occasion to be better, although the contrary be ministered unto them. Then begin they to think and say thus: ‘If God had not preserved me with his grace, I should have committed this sin, and worse. O how much am I bound to confess and knowledge the goodness of God!’ They go also thinking and saying further. ‘He that hath sinned may be one of God's elect; peradventure the Lord hath suffered him to fall, to the intent he may the better know himself.’

‘I know he is one of them that Christ hath shed his blood for, and one of my Christian brethren. Truly I will admonish and rebuke him, and, in case I find him desperate, I will comfort him and show him the great goodness and mercy of God in Christ; and with godly consolations I will see if I can lift him up.’ And thus ye may see how the men regenerated by Christ of everything win and receive fruit.

And, contrary, the younglings and unperfect are offended at small trifles: taking everything in evil part, grudging and murmuring against their neighbour; and, so much the more as they show themselves fervent in their so doing, they are judged, of the blind world and of themselves, great zeal bearers to God. If this were the greatest evil of these younglings, it were not the most evil; but I fear they be so blind and ignorant that they are offended also at good things, and judge nothing good but such as they embrace and esteem to be good ─ with murmuring against all such as follow not their ways.

If there be any of this sort, the Lord give them light of his truth that they may increase and grow in godly strength. I suppose if such younglings and unperfect had seen Christ and his disciples eat meat with unwashed hands, or not to have fasted with the Pharisees, they would have been offended; seeing him a breaker of men’s traditions. Their affections dispose their eyes to see through other men, and they see nothing in themselves; where charity (although it be most fullest of eyes to see the faults of others, whom it coveteth to amend) thinketh none evil, but discreetly and rightly interpreteth all things, by the which more justly and truly everything is taken.

Now these superstitious weaklings, if they had been conversant with Christ and seen him lead his life sometime with women, sometime with Samaritans, with publicans, sinners and with the Pharisees, they would have murmured at him. Also, if they had seen Mary pour upon Christ the precious ointment, they would have said with Judas ‘this ointment might have been sold and given to the poor’. If they also had seen Christ with whips drive out of the temple those that bought and sold, they would forthwith have judged Christ to have been troubled and moved with anger, and not by zeal of charity. How would they have been offended, if they had seen him, going to the Jews’ feast, heal a sick man upon the Sabbath day, practice with the woman of Samaria, ye, and shew unto her of his most divine doctrine and life? They would have taken occasion to have hated and persecuted him, as the scribes and Pharisees did. And even so should Christ the saviour of the world, have been to them an offence and ruin.

There be another kind of little ones, unperfect, which are offended after this sort and manner: as when they see one that is reputed and esteemed holy to commit sin, forthwith they learn to do that, and worse, and wax cold in doing of good, and confirm themselves in evil; and then they excuse their wicked life, publishing the same with the slander of their neighbour. If any man reprove them, they say ‘such a man did this, and worse’. So it is evident that such persons would deny Christ if they saw other men do the same. If they went to Rome and saw the enormities of the prelates which is said to reign there among them, I doubt not, if they saw one of them sin which were reputed and taken for holy, their faith should be lost; but not the faith of Christ, which they never possessed: but they should lose that human opinion, which they had of the goodness of prelates. For if they had the faith of Christ the Holy Ghost should be a witness unto them, which should be mighty in them; that in case all the world would deny Christ, they would remain firm and stable in the true faith. The Pharisees also took occasion of the evil of others to wax haughty and proud, taking themselves to be men of greater perfection than any other because of their virtue, even as the Pharisee did when he saw the publican’s submission; and so they be offended with every little thing ─ judging evil, murmuring against their neighbour ─ and for the same, they are of many reputed and taken for the more holy and good: whereas, indeed, they be the more wicked.

The most wicked persons are offended even at themselves: for at their little stability in goodness and of their detestable and evil life they take occasion to despair, where they ought the more to commit themselves to God, asking mercy for their offences, and forthwith to give thanks that it hath pleased him of his goodness to suffer them so long a time. But what needeth it any more to say: the evil men are offended even at the works of God. They see God suffer sinners, therefore, think they, sin displeaseth him not; and because they see not the good rewarded with riches, oftentimes they imagine that God loveth them not. It seemeth to them God is partial, because he hath elected some and some reproved; and therefore they say that the elected be sure of salvation, taking by that occasion to do evil enough, saying: whatsoever God hath determined shall be performed. If also they see the good men oppressed and the evil men exalted, they judge God unjust, taking occasion to live evilly, saying ‘inasmuch as God favoureth the naughty men, let us do evil enough, to the intent he do us good’. If then the wicked be offended even at God, it is no wonder if they be offended at those that follow and walk in his paths and ways.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Mark.7.37 — And they were utterly astonished, saying, 'He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.'
  2. ↩Eph.1.7;1Pet.1.18-1Pet.1.19;Heb.9.14 — In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 1Pet.1.18 — knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things—silver or gold—from your futile way of life handed down from your fathers, 1Pet.1.19 — but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot Heb.9.14 — how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God
  3. ↩Eph.2.4-Eph.2.7;Titus.3.4-Titus.3.5 — But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, Eph.2.5 — even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— Eph.2.6 — and raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph.2.7 — so that in the coming ages he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Titus.3.4 — But when the kindness and the love for humankind of our Savior God appeared, Titus.3.5 — not by works of righteousness that we ourselves had done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of renewal and rebirth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,
  4. ↩Gal.6.1;1Thess.5.14 — Brothers and sisters, even if someone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness, watching yourself, lest you too be tempted. 1Thess.5.14 — And we urge you, brothers: admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient toward all.
  5. ↩Rom.10.2 — For I testify that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
  6. ↩Matt.11.6 — And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.
  7. ↩Matt.15.1-Matt.15.2;Mark.7.1-Mark.7.5 — Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, Matt.15.2 — Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before eating bread. Mark.7.1 — Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him. Mark.7.2 — and saw that some of his disciples were eating bread with common hands, that is, unwashed hands. Mark.7.3 — For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands according to the prescribed ritual, holding to the tradition of the elders. Mark.7.4 — And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash themselves. And there are many other traditions they have received and hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, [and dining couches]. Mark.7.5 — And so the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"
  8. ↩Matt.9.14;Mark.2.18;Luke.5.33 — Then the disciples of John came to him and said, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?' Mark.2.18 — Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to him, 'Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?' Luke.5.33 — And they said to him, "The disciples of John fast often and pray, and likewise the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink."
  9. ↩Mark.7.8-Mark.7.9;Matt.15.3 — You abandon the commandment of God and hold fast to human tradition. Mark.7.9 — And he said to them, 'How skillfully you set aside the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition.' Matt.15.3 — But he answered them, "Why do you also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"
  10. ↩1Cor.13.5 — It does not dishonor others, it does not seek its own, it is not easily provoked, it does not keep a record of wrongs.
  11. ↩John.2.17 — His disciples remembered that it is written, 'The zeal of your house will consume me.'
  12. ↩Matt.10.33;2Tim.2.12 — But whoever denies me before people, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. 2Tim.2.12 — If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us.
  13. ↩Rom.8.16 — The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
  14. ↩Luke.18.9-Luke.18.14 — He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: Luke.18.10 — Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Luke.18.11 — The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed these things toward himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.' Luke.18.12 — I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get. Luke.18.13 — But the tax collector, standing far off, was not even willing to lift his eyes to heaven, but kept beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner.' Luke.18.14 — I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than that one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Early modern “knowledge” here means acknowledge/confess; “infirm” rendered as “weak.”
  2. 2 ↩“Abject” rendered as “worthless”; sense is contemptible/low in estimation, not merely pitiable.
  3. 3 ↩Early modern “policy” means prudent cunning/shrewdness (serpentine wisdom), not public policy; “reproved” rendered as “faulted.”
  4. 4 ↩“Suffer” here means allow/permit; “commodity” means advantage/benefit, not commercial goods.
  5. 5 ↩“Line” taken as a straightedge/measuring line for life, not a written lineage.
  6. 6 ↩“Offended” keeps the source’s scandal/stumbling sense (being turned aside), not mere annoyance; “perfect men” rendered “the perfect” as spiritually mature, not morally flawless in a modern casual sense.
  7. 7 ↩Source's dense early modern syntax ('of that will, most highly perfect, cannot but proceed') rendered as: only perfect works can proceed from a perfectly perfect will.
  8. 8 ↩Source 'reknowledge' rendered as 'acknowledge' (recognize and confess); early modern 'knowledge'/'reknowledge' = acknowledge.
  9. 9 ↩Source 'knowledge' (verb) rendered as 'acknowledge'; early modern 'knowledge' = acknowledge/confess.
  10. 10 ↩Source ‘desperate’ is rendered as ‘in despair’ (spiritual despair), not mere situational urgency.
  11. 11 ↩Source: 'If this were the greatest evil … it were not the most evil.' Rendered as a concessive setup for the worse fear that follows: even this fault is not their worst, because they also take offense at what is good.
  12. 12 ↩Source 'meat' is Early Modern English for food in general, not flesh specifically; rendered as ordinary eating to match Gospel hand-washing controversy.
  13. 13 ↩Source 'charity' retained for the theological virtue (against disordered 'affections'), not generic kindness; 'thinketh none evil' keeps the 1 Cor 13 sense of refusing to put a bad construction on others.
  14. 14 ↩Source 'see through other men' rendered as scrutinize/inspect others, not modern idiomatic 'see through' as detect a deception.
  15. 15 ↩Source "zeal of charity" is kept as charity for the theological virtue; "love" is an equally allowed rendering under lexeme policy.
  16. 16 ↩Source "ye" is read as "yea" (affirmative intensifier), not the pronoun "ye"; rendered "yes".
  17. 17 ↩"Offence" is rendered "offense" in the biblical sense of stumbling-block/scandal, not mere social annoyance; paired with "ruin" for destructive spiritual consequence.
  18. 18 ↩Source contrasts a fragile human 'faith' (confidence in reputedly holy prelates) with true 'faith of Christ,' which these persons never had.
  19. 19 ↩Source 'reproved' opposite 'elected' is rendered 'rejected' (reprobation sense), not mere correction or rebuke.
  20. 20 ↩Source 'naughty men' means wicked/base people, not modern mild 'naughty'.

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