『苟非犯罪、萬事皆可為之、』然亦有緩急輕重之分。『苟非犯罪、萬物皆可享之、』然亦不可令外物累吾之心、而使心為形役也。

凡事我都可行，但不都有益处。凡事我都可行，但无论哪一件，我总不受它的辖制。

“凡事我都可行”，但不是凡事都有益处。“凡事我都可行”，但无论哪一件，我都不受它的辖制。

“凡事我都可行”，但不是凡事都有益处。“凡事我都可行”，但无论哪一件，我都不受它的辖制。

凡事我都可以做，但并非事事都有益处；凡事我都可以做，但我不受任何事的辖制。

什么事我都可以作，但不是都有益处。什么事我都可以作，但我不要受任何事的辖制。

“什么事我都可以做”，但不都有益处；“什么事我都可以做”，但我却不受任何事的辖制。

凡事我都可行，但不都有益處。凡事我都可行，但無論哪一件，我總不受它的轄制。

「凡事我都可行」，但不是凡事都有益處。「凡事我都可行」，但無論哪一件，我都不受它的轄制。

「凡事我都可行」，但不是凡事都有益處。「凡事我都可行」，但無論哪一件，我都不受它的轄制。

凡事我都可以做，但並非事事都有益處；凡事我都可以做，但我不受任何事的轄制。

甚麼事我都可以作，但不是都有益處。甚麼事我都可以作，但我不要受任何事的轄制。

『凡事於我都可行』，但不都有益。『凡事於我都可行』，但我總不受任何事物的轄制。

「什麼事我都可以做」，但不都有益處；「什麼事我都可以做」，但我卻不受任何事的轄制。

凡物皆宜於我、然不盡有益、凡物皆宜於我、然不受其制、

或以為無不可之物、我則謂不盡有益、或以為無不可之事、我則謂不可役於彼、

物於我無不可用、但不盡有益、物於我無不可用、但我不服於一物、但我不服於一物或作但無一物能主我

“ I have the right to do anything,” you say— but not everything is beneficial.“ I have the right to do anything”— but I will not be mastered by anything.

Some of you say,“ I have the right to do anything.” But not everything is helpful. Again some of you say,“ I have the right to do anything.” But I will not be controlled by anything.

“ All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful.“ All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

You say,“ I am allowed to do anything”— but not everything is good for you. And even though“ I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.

“ Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial.“ Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.

All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any.

“ Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is helpful.“ Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything.

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

“ All things are lawful for me”– but not everything is beneficial.“ All things are lawful for me”– but I will not be controlled by anything.

“ All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient.“ All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything.

凡依法之事、未必有益於己，依法之事、未必有益於人也。吾人不可一意孤行、亦須為他人設想也。凡購於市上者、食之；為良心平安計、勿問原委。聖詠不云乎：『大地及所載、莫非主之物。』凡有不信者邀爾、爾如應邀、食其所陳之物、則為良心平安計、勿問原委。若有人告曰：『此為祭餘之物、』則雖為其人之故、亦不可遽食；是亦為良心平安計耳。此所謂良心平安、非指爾之良心、乃指彼之良心。寧能以吾之自由、供他人之腹誹乎？我既每飯不忘主恩、奈何以謝恩之由、轉成他人訾議之因。是故飲食舉止、皆須以天主之光榮為前提。無論對猶太人、或希臘人、或聖教同人、皆須小心謹慎、莫為厲階。吾本人之所以和光同塵、舍己從人者、亦欲感化眾人、誘其歸主而已矣。

予且痛鞭吾身、使之馴伏、蓋恐傳道於人而己遭擯棄也。

我本人與主耶穌默契、深信天下本無不淨之物。惟人如視任何物為不淨、則斯物之於斯人也、誠為不淨矣。倘爾以食物細故、而貽兄弟以無謂之疑慮、則爾不復以仁愛之道而行矣。夫基督不惜為彼而死、爾乃以爾之食物致彼於死、毋乃不可乎。是故勿以爾之所長、轉成獲罪之由。究竟天主之國、不在飲食、惟在正義和平、與夫怡然自得於聖神之中耳。若能秉此精神以事基督、則既能取悅於主、亦能見容於人矣。是故凡屬和平之術、令人易於為善、以達己立立人之目的者、皆吾人所當盡心也。豈可為食物之細故、而破壞天主之妙工。凡物皆淨、固矣；然若以爾之食、為厲之階、凶莫甚焉！孰若不食肉不飲酒、以免滋人疑惑之為愈乎。爾所具之信德、存之於己、以對越天主可也。人能於己所行內省不疚、樂在其中矣。然既有疑而仍食焉、是不啻自納於罪、以其所行不本乎信心；而凡事之不本乎信心者、莫非罪也。

然非人人具此真知灼見；頗有數輩、至今尚以偶像有靈潛存於意識中、若知所食者為祭餘之物、則其脆弱之良心為所浼矣。夫食物之事、亦焉能令吾人見悅於天主乎蓋不食不為損、食亦不為益也。惟爾其慎之、莫使爾之自由、成為弱者躓蹶之由。人若見爾有知者宴於偶像廟中、則無知者亦將背其良心而食祭餘之物矣。是則爾之有知、適足陷稚弱兄弟於淪亡；而基督固為之捨生矣。然則得罪於兄弟、傷害其脆弱之良心、直獲罪於基督耳。是故食物若為吾兄弟躓蹶之緣、吾寧永不食肉、而不敢為兄弟之厲階也。

吾人非無權要求供養也；顧欲以身作則、俾爾等知所取法耳。

又宜互相檢點、莫使有一人退化、而自絕於天主之聖寵；莫使辛螫之根苗、萌櫱滋蔓、為厲之階、而令眾人受其沾染；莫使有一淫邪或不道之人如伊梢者、以貪一飯之微、而拋擲其固有之嗣業。

關於祭肉問題、吾人固知偶像皆屬子虛烏有；亦知天主之外更無真神。

吾人固知法乃屬靈之器、然我乃血氣之倫、自鬻於罪、而作其奴。

在爾等愛席之上、彼必與共、惟有恣其口腹、靦然自飽、以玷爾清潔耳。此輩實同無雨之雲、為風所逐；秋後之樹、不結果實；外枯中乾、根株盡拔。

他人尚且對爾享此權利、況吾儕乎？然吾儕向未行使此權、而甘受困乏者、蓋不欲在基督福音道上、置任何之障礙也。