I. CORINTHIANS 8, 13. 151

that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." This last quoted pas- sage shows how serious a matter our Lord considers it to lead even the weakest Christian into sm. It is still worse to lead him into error, for error is the mother of many sins. It shows also how great an evil sin is, and justifies the strong language of the apostle that he would never eat flesh rather than cause his brother to offend. It is morally obligatory, therefore, to abstain from indulging in things indifferent, when the use of them is the occasion of sin to others. This is a principle the application of which must be left to every man's conscience in the fear of God. No rule of conduct, founded on expediency, can be enforced by church discipline. It was right in Paul to refuse to eat flesh for fear of causing others to offend ; but he could not have been justly exposed to discipline, had he seen fit to eat it. He circumcised Timothy, and refused to circum- cise Titus. Whenever a thing is right or wrong according to circumstances, every man must have the right to judge of those circumstances.