EpiElle ofs. Paul to Vim. CHAP. LI 5. .geth with boldnes into the pretenceofGod,it reacheth Chrifl in whom 307 the Father is well pleafed, it refloreth our right in the moll common be- nefits,euen to the aire which we breath in,it maketh praiers tobe heard, the word to beprofitable, aimes and workes ofmercy to beecomforta- ble: whereas without it a curie folioweth the vie of all blefl'ings,all feruices are reie6ted thy praiers are abhominable who turnefl thy care from hearing the law ; thyhearingand reading the word , is the reading and hearing of the fentence of thine owne condemnation: thou giuefl aimes of that which is noneofthine owne ; all thy paines and labour is but to get thee to hell : O thereforePeeing fuch are theprerogatiues ofa belecuer,get faith into thy foule,which is the onely purchaseofthc:with Get them by ic. great fummes ofmoray thefe freedoms cannot be obtained,onely the be- teener is freeborne. Which ifit be fo, what a wofull thing is ir, that fo fewe prize there priuiledges as theyought ; fo few care for the gift of faith offered in the preaching oftheword, by which alone they can be- come pure to the creatures, and the creatures veto them ; yea they pure to all things andall things voto them : by wofull experience we finde the truth ofthat ofthe Apofilc, admen bilge notfaith: nay ir is a gift , and t.lhed:r.a. givenbut to a verse fewe: for there arebut a fewe freemen in a corpora- tion in comparifonof the rcfl: and yet fewer benchers then freemen as the Saints are; a few counfellers in a flate, as beleeuers are; and yet better were it to be no man then no beleeuer. And in the fecond place, z when by much labour and meanes, we baneobtained there freedoms,we xcepc them muff be as carcfull to ntaintaitie them: for otherwife we loofe moll pre- cious things purchafed with theprecious bloodof the Sonn ofGodahe commandement is to flandfafl in the liberrie in whichCbria hath fet vs Gals.t. free: we muff Puffer no cauiller to infringe our charter,nor bind vs where Chrifl hath loofed vs.lf the Lordbaue pronouncedall things, that is, in- defferent,pure,and free to thepure be/ecoer,let a Popifh fpirit coe e & boafl ofhis vowe of voluntary pouerry, offingle life,of abfiinencefrom flcfh, &c. we haue learned otherwife from this Scripture, that not onely all e- Awonderthat flates, bondage orlibcrtie,riches orpouertie,marriage or Gnglelife,are to men fopure alikeveto God: but allo that all creaturesare fan&:fied to the fanEtified poadonwould receiuer;and confequently that all their vowes,befides that they arc out be, fo many fortsof mat of thepower of him that voweth, do aothiot elfe but reuoke and abolifh cures fhouldbe Cluiflian libertic. And lallly , we are to teflifie our thankefulneffe for impure,ae neats,marine, Inch liberties purchafed;efpeciallyby abhorring the wickedneffeof Po- dales, &c. perie which bringeth vponmen a more deteflablebondage then that cf Egypt : t. bybinding them to feekc for righteoufnefle,and iuflificarion before God by the workes of thelawe. 2. by impo_ ing a malle of tra- ditionarie preceptsand commandements amen: whereby, .they fleale V t away
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