Deat.3 a. rt;er.. Sintieeuer moltodious when masked with Religion TheLawwhere. vntovfefull. Vpon the Fryday thruffsin his fingers betweene , to ftretch it wider and makeit moreeafre; the Felon to gethimfelfefree, fais to thefiling off his Irons; andtheSlaue,the ring ofIron thathe bearsabout his neck.Mofes Gals it Tejlimoniam,a Teflimonie.Deut. faith, That the Bookeofthe Lawwas appointedtobeput in oneof thecorners of theArkeof the Tef ainent,Thatit mightremain thereas is Court-rol or euìdence againfl thee, & asaLiegcr-booke ofLaws and Sratutes,whereby to pronounce Sentenceagainffthee. Andas t.Mofes, for the kale thathebare vnto the People brake thofetables, as he came downe the Mountaine,whereinwas the written Law,by the vertáe and tenurewherof, there fhould not aman ofthem hauebin left aline that hadcommitted Idolatrie : So the antient Dodors,flreigghtned lìy therigour and ftriCtn eofthe Law,did goe ftretchingand enlarging itat their pleafure. And thereFore iris Paid, They haue f atteredthe Law ; or ( as another Tranflation hath it)They haueenlargedit. TheLawwas offire, rnhisrighthand is afrrieLaw ;andbeing burntwiththe flames thereof,they went aboutto quench it with thewater.oftheir Glofl'es.The wineofthe Lawwas ffrong, and there- fore theywouldmixeit with thewater oftheirCommentsand their Lies ; Thy WineWmingled'with mater. Saint Paulfpeaketh a little plainer, and (ayes, kW. termites YerbumDei , 4ldulterating theWord ofGod ; the Greekeword is Caupo- natstes, Giuing it adaJ ; akindofVintners,who by watringthe WineofGods Word, take away its ftrength and life. Andif Yzzs,but for touchingthe Arke whereintheLawwas,were fudden- ly death- flrucken,Whatmaythey thenexpeël,who deface &deftroy the Law it felf:' Chrift indefenceofhis Dottritie,fatd,ake openlyto theWorld; for the which hewas buffetted & fmitten onthe faceSyabale rafcal :our Sauiorfigni- fying thereby,That heputs intoone & thefelfe fame ballance,the buffettingof his face, and the abufmgofhis Doctrine. Where by the way Iwould, haue you confider, That the worffof this fault confiftsnot in the defacingonely of the Law,but in making the Gloffethe Text ;andofmeere naughtinefïe,aLaw. Godcomplainesby teremie, That theydid offer their fonnes anddaughters toMoloch,in imitationofAbrahams Sacrifice ;the circumftanceof committing of fogreatacrueltie inhis Houfe,& in his Temple,made thecafemore foule: thiswas tomake God the cloake of their abhominations, and to baptize their Idolatrie with the name ofhis feruice. When Pilat was topronounce Sentenceofdeath againftour Sauiour, he faid,rfindnsthinginhim t5iudeferue,b it, erc. But then the lewescriedout, WehamaLam,andaccordingto thatLuw hee ought tody;though thercouldbeno law totake awaythe life ofonethatwas in- nocent.Exceeding greatwas theirwickednesintakingawayofhis life,but much more in makingthis theirwickedneffe a Law.Itwas agreat finne inSaul,topre- ferue out ofcouetoufnefl'e the Heards andFlocks ofdmalec;bur agreater fault, tomakeof.his couetoufnes,Obedience & Sacrifice. The Heretickefoundeth his Herefievpon the Scripture ;the Lawyer hisvniufffentencevponthe Law. Andas agreenglafie,the beamesof theSunne pallingthrough ir,makesall to feemgreen; fo the Flefhturneth to it'sown colortheLaws of God, & prea- chethasaLawfrom God, Thatwefhould hate our enemie. Whence Irenaus inferreth, That fuch Doctors as thefeareworfe than theDeuill : forwhen the Deuill tempted our Sauiour Chr,he did not alledge afalfe Text,liut a true, though ill interpreted ; but thefeDoorsdoequote lies Prophetstuiprophet4. bentmendacium,&populusapplaudebat manibue,ThyProphetspreachalies, and the peopleapplaudedthemforit. It wasplc them ofold. Antiquitie hath beene held the Fountain of all good
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=