? $ cal '[rentsfe Apoí}les, a charge; againe that things required therein are neceffarie : yec will it not followbygood confequenr, that the law !imply binds confcience; becaufe it was giuen with a referuation of Chriílian libertie , foas out of the cafe offcandall, that is, ifno offence were giuen to the weake Iewes, it might freelybeomitted. And that willappeare by thefe reafons. Firíl ofail Peter faith, that it is a tempting ofÇod,toimpofevpon the Gentiles the yokeof Iewifhceremonies : he therefore rnuftneedesbe contrarie tohim- felfe, ifhe intend to bindemens confçiences to abflinence from flrangled, blood,and thingsoffered roidols.A replie is made,thatthis abllinence is pre. fcribed not by theancient law of Mofes, but by a new Eccicfiaficall or A. poílolicall authoritie. I anfwer againe,thata MofaicalI ceremonie is 1111 the fame thing , though it be flablifhed by a new authoritie. And whereas Chrillbyhis death put an end to theceremoniall law,it isabfurd to rhinke that theApoitles bytheir authoritiereuiued fornepart ofitagaine,& bound mens confciences thereto. Secondly the Church of God in all places fuffe- red this commandementtoceafe,which the faithful]feruantsofCod would neuer haue done,iftheyhadbeene perfwaded that this lawhadbound con- fcience liimply. It is anfwered, that this law ceafednot becauíë the giuing ofoffence vnto the Iewesceafed, but becaufe it ceafed vniseerfajj :yeabut it could not haue ceafed vniuerfally,ifit had bound confcience, ípecially. confidering it was propounded ro the Church without anv mention or li. mitationoftime. Thirdly Paul was prefrnt in this counfell, and knew the intentofthis law verywell, and therefore no doubt he did not in anyofhis Epiílles gainefay the. fame. This beeinggraunted, it can not be, that this law fhouldbinde confcience out ofthe cafeofoffence. For hereacheththe 40r.8,so Corinthians that things offered to idols may beeaten, fo be it the weake brother benor offended. Hereit is aniwered, that when Paul writ his tint Epiílle to the Corinthians, this commaundcmenr chile Apofllcs touching things firangled and blood was not come vnto them.Wel,tograntall this, which cannot be prooued, let it be anfwered,why Paul did not now deliucr ir, and why hedeliuereth adoc`Irine contrarie to that which he had decree- ed at lerufalem, which was that the Gentiles fhould abfoiutcly abfiaine, from things offered to idols. As for the tct+iwonic ofrhe fathers theyare a- fpeLcap9.hb. bufed. IndeedeTertullian faith plainely, that Chriflians in his daiesab- é Pudicitia. flained from eating ofbloode, andhe perfwades men to continue infodo- ing, becaufe he is ofopinion (beeing indecde farre deceiued)that this very lawofthe Apoflles muff laft to the ende ofthe world which conceit if the 8. viva Papills hold not, whatmeane they to build uponhim.Origenfaith,thatthis law was verynecefiarie in his daics: and no mantel'. For by Idolithyteshe vnderílands, not things that haue beene offered to idols, and are afterward z brought to privatehoufesor to the market asother common theates;buthe vnderflar..ds things that remaitaeconfecrated to idols,andare nowhere elfe vied burin their temples,which wegraunt with himmull for euet beauoi- tied as m anusandinflrumcntsofI'dolatric, the!aweoftheA-
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