Matthew Poole and continuators on Romans 14:22

22. Hast thou faith? have it to thy self before God . Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth .

Some read the first clause without an interrogation: Thou hast Faith, either way the sence is the same. The Apostle here anticipates an Objection. The stronger Christian might be ready to say, as it's in the 14. verse, I know, and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus, that nothing is unclea[illegible: 1 letter] of its self. I firmly believe, that now under the Gospel all meats are lawful, and that I have liberty to use or eat what I please; and is it not fit that my practice should be agreeable to my Belief: That I should act according to my Judgment? To this he answereth; That if a man hath such a Faith or perswasion, he should not unseasonably discover it to the offence of his Brother, but rather conceal it. He doth not speak of Faith in the Fundamentals of Religion, this mu[illegible: 2 letters] be professed and acknowledged, let who will be offended; [illegible: 1 word] of Faith in indifferent things (which are the subject matter he is treating of) our belief or perswasion therein is not to be unseasonably uttered or declared, so as to occasion scandal or contention.

An excellent aphorisme respecting all, especially the stronger and more knowing Christian; the sence is, he is a happy man, that when he knoweth a thing to be lawful, he doth so manage the practise of it, that he hath therein no reason to accuse or condemn himself. Or else, that doth not inwardly condemn himself, for doing that against his conscience, which he openly alloweth, or practiseth: Such a one is happy in this respect, because he is free from those terrors that torment those who act against their consciences.

Marginal references: Or, have it [illegible: 1 span].; Or, judgeth [illegible: 1 word] himself [illegible: 1 span] which he [illegible: 1 word].