rVf Commentarie -vpon Chap.z.. place,tlw thmuth 1 the Gojpd migh• ca..timu _!A ofl;umane tradicions,'beeing indeed,ayoakc with J'"· , · farre heauiet, then that of the ceremonial! Thcfirfi degrccor fieppe in their vrging , l>w, Againe,whenmcnprofelfethenamcof ofcircumc;lion,was,rhar Th']eotne i• priuil;: Chritl, the diuell is content with it:and he inthat is,they ioyned themfclues in fellow(hJ p deauours with all his might, euery whereto with the Apoltles, and in lhew pretended the hold them vnder the bondage offinne,and to furtherance of the Gufpel t and yet indeedc hold them in hi• fimeat his will. Thus vnder meant nothing lelfc: though their fraud, and thename of Chri£lianitie, there be fwatmes wickcdnclfe was not pcrceiued. Here then the ofArhei£ls,Epocures,Libertines, worldlings, foundation rhey lay ofaH their naughric deaand prophane perfons. Atthiuimc , accor• ling, is their dilfembling, which PauL here 1 dingro auncicnt cufiome, we celebrate the noresand condemncs. On ihccontraric,our memoriallofthc birth ofChrifi: and yot no duty is,to oc indeed that !t•hich we pcofelfe ', timefo full ofd1fordcr as this, For rhc moll ourfelues'tb be:andtoprofelfcnomorc outthatprofclfeChri£1, take and challenge to wardly,then 11e areinwardly:and to approooe th:mfdues,al:ccnti<>u• ilbcrtic,roliueand do our hearts to God, forthat whkh·.vc profelfc B astheyWl:and thiskindoflibertic,is Ratbonbefore men. dagc, But·chcy thatare feruauts of<':hnfi inThe fccond tleppe or degree is, that they deeci,Otould takeheed of rhis bondage: Ftlr fpu •ul)f11Lihmitwhicb'Pa•l, andrht reflh•d huing(mfromfin.e, th'} {boNid lu fomaniJ 1 AyChrif/: thatis,tlfeyconferrc_with theApo· nothmgbutr~ghuoufn;JJ'. Rom.6.t8. They lilcs, andinquirccfthcm what libertie they that be ofa corporation, {land forthrirlJberhaue by Chn{l,in «fp'etl ofrhe Ccrcmoniall ties:whata fltame then is it, thatmen lhould Jaw ofGod:and thuthey doe, not'ofa mindc loue in bondage, and negledrhe fpiritualllidelirous to learne, bur for aduantogc fake.' berrk,wl11ch they hauc by Chrill1 There betwo.kinds offpying:onc lawfull; the T bus wefer, how the falfc brethren vrged orhcc•·nla~•full, Lawfull;as when in iufi and circumciGon:now lctvscometoP••isrcfufal. l~wful'warrc,weir.guircinrp rhecounfels and The firll point is, thattb'J wsu/Jnolgitupl•ce I dolhg ofour cncn!lcs,Nt'Jmb.q.1.Vnlawful, f oran houre. _lr fecmesthey were requeficd to , when men prie into any rhing, ormatter, to vfec~rctJmctfJOn butonce;buttheywouldnot ' 6nd a faCJlr.Tchushypocritcsfpie faults 10 the yecld, fo much as once: becaufe their act porfons and IJUcs of mco;~hatthey may hane would haue tended to the prciydice of Chri· fomewhat wh'ercby ro difgraccthem, Math. C fiianliber:ic,in all places.Hcrewelearnc,thot 7. 4· Thus~theiUsprieinto rhe Scriptures, we may notvfethelea(! cercmonie!l'at is in that rbey may confute them. Thus fundrie the calcofconfcffion before our ad\icrfaries, heams,~ome to fermos,that they may carpe. tbatis,when theyfeekc to opprtlfe the uurh Thus our cnemic:s, inquire into our religion) by f01ce,or byfraud, and makeceremonies, that they may6n~e(as they fuppofc)exceptifignes,and tokcns,ofrheconfel!ionofanyvnons,vntruthes , and contradictions. And in trwh. /u/i~tntheEmpc:rouFGtring inachaire the Church of Ierufalem, falfc bretlitcn inofdlate, gauegoldto his fould;ers, one by qui're, how farrc Chriltian liberty extends, one, withall commanding to cafioffrankinthat they may ouetthrow ir. Th" kind of cenfe,fomuchasagrainintothefire,thatlay fpying,is acommon fault;we mufi take hcede vpon an hcathcmfh altar before him. Now ofir,and apply the cic ofour mind to a better Chrillian fouldiers refufed to doe it:and they v(e. Fir£l,wearcrobefpics,inrefpcClofour which had not refu(ed, afterward recalled ownc fins and corruptions, tofpie them our. their aCl,and willingly fuffered death. Lam.3.40, Letvs(farch Dltrwlf.iu,andinqrtJre, Agame, herewe.Jc:arnc:, that we arenot to 11ndturtu againetDthe Lord. Againe, we are to yecld from the lcafl part of the trurh of the plaie the fpies,in refpe~of our fpirituall encGofpel, that God bath reuealcd to vs. This mies, that we may finde outthe temptations D truth is more pretiou•, then the whole world oftbe Aclh,the world,and the diueli.Thirdly, · befide:and heauen and earth lbal-ratherpalfe, we mufi be as fpi<s, in fcarchiogof rhe Scripthen theleafi title of itlball not bee accom· rures, Ioh. 5. 39· that we may vndetfiand the plifned, The commi£lion oftheApollleswas w01doofthclaw ofGod,and findc comfort to to teach rhem, to~ocall things, which God ourfoules. hadcommaunded. Therefore the vnicn or Thethirdand lafi degree of vrging,is,that mixture ofourreligior. with rhe Popi9J reh· thefalfebrethren feeke ro bring theApojlluin gion,is bur adreamc ofvnwifePolllicks:forin 16o11dag~. that is, to bindethem to a neceffaric this mixture, wemufiyedd, and they mufl l lobferuation of thecercmoniaillaw. Here!er yeeld fomerhmg: burwe may not yeeld a ior vs markethe pracbfe, and peilictc of the diofthe truth reuealcd to vs. Thm is nofrUowucll. Libcrriefrom finnc,death,and the cerefoip ofiighrwirh J.,~,f.-j](. >.Cor. 6, ColacinI rnoniall Jaw,isrhc treofurc ofthe Church:and rhus anaughric pot hearbe, marred awhole timeforethe diuell (eekes to ouerrhrow ir,by pot ofportage, ' ,King. 4·4'?< Chnfl fauh in 1 holdmg men in bondagevnder abolilhedcc· rhelikecafe of the Pharifics; Lmhemalon" 1 rcmomes, T hus ar this day, they ofthe Poth'] arr r/, 6/mdele.dmof she 6/md, Marh.15. prfhchurch, arc 111 bondage vnder an hcape 14. We may yccld in things md;ltercnr,but not Thcodorct. hifi.l.• . c.16.
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