by Moses alleadged to that end neither can by any at this day be so applied as before we shewed And as you teach contrary to Pauls Doctrine unto the Romans so do you the like to that which he taught the Corinths For will you say unto us in Amsterdam as he said to them in Corinth Whatsoever is sold in the shambles eat and whatsoever is set before you by an unbeliever eat making no question for conscience sake Then may we eat both blood and strangled seeing some such things are often sold and set on Table before us But you by your Letter would have us touch no Idolathites eat no strangled taste no blood and this you teach as firme and a sure Doctrine to this day as any other testimony of holy Scriptures to be observed of all the true faithful till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And if this be so then it behoveth us to ask many questions for conscience sake otherwise then Paul taught For we must enquire at the shambles touching every * little beast bird that we buy whether it were duely slaine or no and the blood let out according to the law Levit. 17.13 At every strangers table that we come we must do the like both for strangled things and blood which often is mixed with other meats especially of broths wherein meat not throughly cleansed of the blood is boiled Yea we must come to the Jews superstition that buy not their flesh at the shambles of the Gentiles but flay them themselves for the perfect letting out the blood for otherwise we may offend like the Israelites in the days of Saul 1 Sam. 14.32 33,34 Thus as Paul taught a Doctrine of Christian liberty and comfort for the conscience in meats and drinks so you teach a Doctrine of bondage yea of fear and doubt and distraction of Soul whiles you urge abstinence from these things even as any other Doctrine of the Gospel The Lord Jesus which cast out that dumb spirit that rent and tare the possessed mans body and threw him to the ground and sometimes into the fire sometimes into the water cast out by his grace this spirit of error from you that thus distracteth and tortureth the conscience and casteth it down to earthly traditions and rudiments of the world At the least he preserve us and all his from it and stablish our hearts with grace not with meats in which they have not been profited that have walked These things have we written according to the measure of grace given unto us for your good and reclaiming if such be the will of God which we desire If not yet for the confirmation of others in the truth and liberty of Christ and discharge of our duties before him who as he hath in mercie vouchsafed us the kingdome of his grace here on earth so let him in like mercie give us and all his people in due time the kingdome of his glory in the heavens Amen The Elders of the English Church at Amsterdam subscribing in the name and with consent of the whole Church Fran Iohnson Henr Ainsworth Daniel Studley Stanshal Mercer Amsterdam Mon. 12. 7. 1602. FINIS * 2 Tim. 2.3 Rev. 19.14 * Heb. 2.10 Heb. 11.4 See the 5 Books of Moses and Ains. Notes on them 1 Cor. 2.13 Isai. 8.20 Rom. 10. Act. 20.27 Eph. 4.14 Prov. 30.4 1 Thes. 2.13 2 Pet. 1.19 Psal. 119.104 72 162. Psal. 33.1 Rev. 3.4 * Isa. 9.3 2 Kings 5. * Prov. 10.7 Psal. 71.17 18. a Rom. 12.3.16 b 1 Cor. 14.36 c Heb. 7.18 d Gen. 8.20 12.7 e Gen. 7. f Gen. 14.20 c. 28.22 g Gen. 4.4 h Gen. 17. i Joh. 7.22 * Heb. 9.14 †Gen. 4. * Exod. 23.19 h vers. 2,3 c. verse 5,9,10 Prov. 12.10 Levit. 17. Deut. 12. Gen. 2.2,3 Gen. 9. Levit. 17. Exod. 20.10,11 Exod. 31.13 Heb. 11.3 Reve. 4.11 14.7 Heb. 4.10,11 1 Thes. 5.23 verse 6. verse 5. 1. Cor. 10.25,26 Psal. 24. verse 4. The like may be said for the sabbath day as before we have shewed Rom. 16.25,26 Reve. 5. Gal. 3.28 Gal. 3.24 Col. 2.2 â—8 Mat. 28.18 Psal. 8.6 1. Cor. 15.27 1 Cor. 3.21 22. Gal. 4.7 Rom. 8.17 Col. 2.16 Rom. 14.14 Matth. 15.11 1 Tim. 4.1,3 Gal. 4.9 Gal. 2.5 verse 5. verse 24. verse 20. verse 39. verse 21. verse 10. verse 12. verse 14,15 verse 19. 1 Cor. 8. verse 25. verse 27. verse 26. Psal. 24.1 1 Cor. 3.21.22 1 Cor. 8.28 Verse 4. Rom. 15.1 Chap. 14.20,21 1 Cor. 10. Rom. 14â— 1 Cor. 10â— Chap. 15 2 To Corin. Gal. Col. Tim. Titus Idolathites Strangled Mark 1.14 Mat. 13.38 Psalm 2.6 Luk. 16.16 Acts 28.31 Rom. 14.14 1 Cor. 10 1 Cor. 10 1 Cor. 10 Col. 2.21 * as coniâ—s c. 1 Cor. 10.29 Mark 9.17 verse 22 1 Tim. 4.1 Heb. 13.9
require your blood wherein your lives are at the hand of every Beast c. Whereby he sheweth how precious the blood of men was in his eyes that would punish the shedding thereof both on men and Beasts and therefore to the end they might forbeare the spilling of each others life he withheld them from eating the life that is the blood of Beasts It might seeme a kinde of cruelty to eat Beasts blood and want of humane clemencie wherefore Solomon noteth a righteous man even by this that he regardeth the life of his Beast and addeth on the contrary But the mercies of the wicked are cruel By which opposition it appeareth that God in restrayning the life or blood of Beasts intended hereby to restrain men from cruelty 3. We hold the abstinence from blood to be figurative and temporarie upon that which is written Col. 2.16,17 Let no man condemn you in meat and in drink or in respect of an holy day or new moon or sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ Where he plainly reckoneth meat and drink among other shaddows and excepteth not any meat no not blood nor any feast no not the Sabbath If it be said Paul speaketh of meats and drinks under Moses law onely and not of blood which was forbidden long before to Noah wee answer 1. that blood was also forbidden in Moses law amongst other meats therefore is here also abrogated among other meats 2. Again as much may be said for the Sabbath of the seventh day as for blood yea more both in regard of the antiquitie and of the use and end For the prohibition of blood began but in Noahs time but the seventh day was sanctified from the beginning of the world so that if blood may be exempted from the Apostles general abrogating of meats because that edict was more ancient then the Law then much more may the seventh day be exempted from amongst the other sabbaths because it was of farre greater antiquitie The use and end also of the seventh day was more excellent then that of blood for blood was forbidden as you alledge because it was the life of the Beast but worke on the seventh day was forbidden for a rememberance of the creation of the world and rest of God and for a signe that we might know that the Lord doth sanctifie us so that the end of the sabbath in this respect excelleth the end of blood And if further it be said as afterwards in your Letter you urge that blood was forbidden because it was the life and seeing it is the life to this day therefore to this day it may not be eaten we answer As much may be said for the Sabbaths that to this day and always a rememberance is to be kept of the creation of the world and rest of God now and always it is the Lord that sanctifieth us Wherefore we conclude from this Testimonie of Pauls that if none may condemn us in respect of the seventh day more then of the other feasts and sabbaths so neither may any condemne us for blood more then other meats or drinks which were shaddows of things to come whose body wee have in Christ 4. That the prohibition of eating blood in Gen. 9. was figurative appeareth by the punishment of murther there presently annexed the Lord saying Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Yea at the hand of every Beast as well as of every man God required the blood of man And of the beast he required it thus as at the publishing of the law appeareth that the oxe which goared to death man or woman should be stoned to death and the flesh thereof not eaten Exod. 21.28 And that this was figurative your self we think will not deny for you mention no scruple thereof in your Letter But if any would make conscience of suffering such a beast to live or eating the flesh thereof he might fetch his ground from Noahs time as well as you that will eat no blood 5. It may be shewed to be a Type or shadow and now abrogated by the same reason that Paul alledgeth for eating all other meats saying Every thing that is sold in the Shambles eat ye making no question for conscience sake for the earth is the Lords and the plenty thereof which testimonie of David if it be of weight to settle the conscience touching other meats then of blood also seeing it is a part of the plenty of the earth and the Lords as well as any other thing which now he hath given us free use of by Christ according as it is written that this world and all other things are ours we Christs and Christ Gods 1 Cor. 3 21,22-23 Thus have we shewed you something of that which may be said against the perpetuity of that law in Gen. 9. which is the ground of your erronious building The next reason by you alleadged from the law of Moses falleth with the former and by all the arguments which we have brought is shewed to be Typical and you may aswel deny any other of Moses ordinances to be shaddows as this Yet you say that Levit. 17.11 is misalledged where God saith For the soul of the flesh it is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls If this be misalledged as you write and proveth it not to be a shaddow then we must believe it is the substance and truth Then atonement for mens sins is wrought by the blood of Beasts in deed and truth not in Type and figure See whither your error leadeth you The Holy-Ghost saith It is unpossible that the Bloud of Bulls and goats should take away sins Heb. 10.4 but it is the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all sins 2 Joh. 1.7 Whereas therefore the Law saith I have given Beasts blood upon the altar to make atonement for your souls it must needs be figuratively spoken And you are greatly to blame to write as you have done that this Scripture is misalledged Yet to qualifie the matter and help your self you write that you confesse as the truth is that the sacrificial blood had two causes why it might not be eaten the one general because it was the life the other particular because it was the atonement But this is not to confesse as the truth is for you confesse not at all that it was typical which you must do except you will renounce Christ who is the truth Nay afterward you write very peremptorily that It was not is not nor ever shall be proved that the not eating of all blood was typical Yea that it had not any foot of type or ceremony in it And further from the truth is that which followeth in your Letter that the cause of forbidding common blood was one onely to wit because it is the life which remaineth still the cause before the
Lord why it might not be eaten and shall remaine the cause till the comming of Christ Herein you deceive your self and would deceive others making a figurative and temporary cause to be a cause in truth and for ever For the strength of your reason seemeth to be this Blood might not then be eaten because it was the life the same cause continueth now for it is the life still and so shall continue till the coming of Christ therefore it may not now be eaten The falsehood of which Argument we will shew you by the like In Levit. 11.7 God saith The swine because it parteth the hoofe but cheweth not the Cud it shall be uncleane unto you you shall not eat thereof Whereupon the Jew might thus argue Of a swine we might not then eat because it parted the hoof but cheweth not the Cud and the same cause continueth still for to this day the swine parteth the hoofe but cheweth not the Cud therefore to this day we may not eat of swines flesh Such is your reason against eating of blood whiles you make the cause to be in the nature of the Creature which you should put in the will and appointment of the Creator For why might not Beasts that chewed not the Cud be eaten then as well as Beasts that did chew the Cud but because it pleased God to exempt them in Type and figure for otherwise all Gods Creatures are in their own nature good and cleane Gen. 1.31 Rom. 14.14 Even so may it be said Why might not the blood be eaten as well as the flesh but because God would exempt it also in Type and figure as before we have proved He that said Ye shall not eat the blood because it is the soul might also have said if so it had pleased him You shall not eat the flesh because it is the body But of his mercie he permitted them the flesh for the comfort of their Bodies and of his Soveraignty and like mercy he restained the blood for the instruction of their souls even as by other like shaddows he led them to Christ If you say the sacrificial blood was a figure because it was used in the worship of God upon the altar c. yet the common blood of all beasts was no figure for thereof was no use in the worship of God it is not of weight for neither was there any use of swine or other uncleane Beasts in the worship of God yet were they all Types and figures as the Scripture teacheth us Act. 10.11,12 c. and so we have before proved all blood to be Unto which proofs we will add this one reason further and so conclude this point The restraint of blood before Christs comming seemeth to be for the honour of the Son in whom and by whom the Father would give all good things to his Church both for soul and body and without whom we have no right to any thing having lost our Soveraignty by Adams fall And first for spiritual things Paul teacheth us that the Revelation of the mystery of the Gospel and mans salvation was kept secret since the world began till now under Christ it is opened and published among all nations by the scriptures of the Prophets at the commandment of the everlasting God None in heaven or in earth could open the book or loose the seales but that Lyon of the Tribe of Juda And as heavenly so earthly things are loosed and restored by Christ Before his coming the Land of Canaan was Gods peculiar possession and the Jews his chosen Heritage now all the ends of the earth are given to Christ all peoples and nations are his no difference either Jew or Gentile male or female freeman or servant In like sort men were debarred of many earthly Creatures before his coming and were nourtured as Children under the School-Master of the law with Touch not taste not handle not and the like restraints But now all power is given to Christ in heaven and in earth all things are put in subjection under his feet sheep and oxen all of them yea and the Beasts of the field the fowls of the air and the fishes of the sea and now also by Christ all things are made ours we being the heirs of God through him so that no man may condemn us for meat or drink for we know and are perswaded through the Lord Jesus that there is nothing uncleane of it self neither can any thing that goeth in at the mouth defile the man We may eat the soul of the Beast aswel as the body for the earth is the Lords and the plenty thereof 1 Cor. 10.25.26 This honour hath the Father given to the Son and the Son to all the Saints Wherefore we conclude that this forbidding of any meat even of blood derogateth from the power and liberty of Christ which he hath given to all that believe in his name and so it is a false and pernitious Doctrine even a Doctrine of devils as Paul calleth it turning men back from Christ to the beggerly rudiments and types of the Law But you say If it had any jet of Type or ceremony in it the Apostles would never have forbidden it to the Gentiles no not for an hour for that had been to Bring them into bondage It remaineth therefore that now we examine your third reason and see what it was that they forbad the Gentiles and for what cause In the 18. of the Acts it was determined that those Gentiles whom certaine Pharisees had troubled with words and cumbred their minds should be written unto to abstain from pollutions of Idols that is things offered to Idols and fornication and the strangled thing and from blood The reason hereof is also shewed to be this For Moses from old times hath them that preach him in every city being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath Now the occasion of this Edict and the end thereof with all other Circumstances of the same and the practice of the Apostles and Churches afterwards all plainly teach us that this was no permanent law but for the present time and occasion not for any unlawfulness in the Creatures themselves of Idolathites strangled things or blood but for bearing with the Jews which were so zealous of Moses law and for the quiet of the Church And this we confirm by these reasons 1. Because we find not that such abstinence from meats was ever taught by any of the Apostles before this present time and occasion which if they had been permanent and not legal shadows we are to think they would have preached with other Doctrines of the Gospel 1. In the disputation about this Question Peter calleth the Doctrine by them urged a tempting of God a yoke not able to be born Paul and Barnabas confirme it by telling the wonders that God had done among the Gentiles by them without exception or
whole Church then at London we have now written briefely what God hath given us to see in this matter hoping that this joynt sentence of our Church confirmed by the Word of the Lord will take effect through his grace for the disswading and reclaiming of you from your Errour otherwise that you may have the less excuse in the day of Christ And God which hath taught us from our youth until now forsake us not even in our old-age and gray heads till we have declared his Gospel unto this generation and the truth thereof to so many of those that are to come as it shall please him The Doctrine which in your Letter you would maintain for the truth of God wherein you are obedient unto him you say as all others must be that truly fear his Name is That you will not willingly eat blood nor things strangled nor things offered to Idols For the abstaining from Bloud you alleadge three Reasons 1. The commandment of God to Noah Gen. 9.4 2. His commandment by Moses to Israel Deut. 12.16 Levit. 17.13,14 And 3. by the whole company of the Apostles Elders and brethren at Jerusalem to the Churches of the Gentiles Acts 15.23,28,29 From which you conclude that it remaineth firm and sure to this day as any other testimonies of holy Scripture to be observed of all the faithful till the coming of Christ After this you make answer to certain mis-alleadgings as you call them of other Scriptures against this truth And first for the commandment given to Noah you write that nothing hath been or can be said against it Whereto we answer that we have cause to doubt of your fidelity when you affirm nothing hath been said and to blame your confidence for avouching nothing can be said against the perpetuity of that commandment And for the first to free your self of suspicion we pray you send us a true and perfect Copie of all that Mr. Barrow to omit others did write unto you for there we are perswaded something hath been said against it For the later we wish you to follow the counsel of the holy Ghost that saith a Vnderstand according to sobriety and be not wise in your self considering that the Word of God b came not out from you neither came it unto you onely The abstinence from blood commanded to Noah we hold to be temporary and was then a figure for the time present but is now disannulled c for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof And that for these Reasons 1. Because the other observations of Religion in those times before the Law was given by Moses were for the outward things figures and shadows d as building of Altars offering of Sacrifices e difference of beasts clean and unclean f paying of Tythes offering of g First-fruits h Circumcision and sundry the like So that it helpeth not to say abstinence from bloud was commanded before the Law of Moses and therefore is now to continue more then it will help a Jew to say Circumcision c. was commanded before Moses Law Yea Christ himself saith i it was not of Moses but of the fathers therefore it is to continue still 2. We understand according to that small measure of light which God hath given us in those dark shadows that abstinence from blood was a figure of our sanctification and that in three respects 1. The first concerning Gods Worship and Service which that it might with the more holiness and reverence be used and regarded he would have some special things not profaned or in common use of men So he forbad the making or using of that holy Oyl wherewith his Sanctuary and Priests were anointed Exod. 30 23,31-33 and the like of that precious Perfume Exod. 30.37 Also he forbad them to eat that fat of beasts which they should burn on the altar to the Lord Levit. 7.25 And that the blood was forbidden also in this regard appeareth by Levit. 17.11 For that the soul of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you saith the Lord for an atonement for your souls So that the common eating of any blood might have bred in them a contempt of the price of their atonement which was in figure the blood of beasts but in truth the * blood of Christ And for as much as this sacrificing of Beasts was in Noahs time and †before it was meet in the wisdom of God when he gave them flesh to eat to debar them of the blood for the cause mentioned The second respect concerned thankfulness to God for the use of his creatures which he giveth unto the sons of men Therefore of them all the Lord reserved one principal part from himself that thereby his people might acknowledg his goodness Such was the law of all * first-fruits Deut. 26. which every man was to bring before the Lord acknowledging h his own unworthiness and Gods mercie in giving him the increase of that good land In like sort they were forbidden to do any work with their first-born bullock or sheere their first-born sheep or eat them otherwhere then before the Lord Deut. 15.19 Yea all their own first-born Children they must redeeme and the very unclean beasts they were to redeem or kill Exod. 34.19,20 Every tree that they planted for meat they might not eat thereof the first three yeares in the fourth year all the fruit was to be holy to the praise of the Lord and in the fifth year they did eat Levit. 19.23 When they eat of the bread of the land they must offer a cake of the first of the dough Num. 15.19,20 and sundry the like Accordingly do we understand the Lords minde here that giving them flesh to eat he restrayned the blood as being a thing wherein they had no interest but the Lord for that it was the soul or life that is the Chiefest part of every beast and so their restraint from blood to be an occasion for them to praise the Lord that had permitted them the flesh to eat The third respect concerned the love of men each to other that they should abstain from Cruel affections and salvage fierceness and put on the bowels of meekness gentleness compassion c. not onely towards their friends but also their enemies whereunto they were led by sundry figures and taught their duties to men by their behaviour to brute beasts Of this sort were the abstayning from any bird when they took the eggs or the Yong Deut. 22.6,7 The helping of their neighbours yea their enemies beast when it is strayed or lay under the burthen Exod. 23.4,5 Deut. 22.4 The not muzling of the oxes mouth that trod out the corn Deut. 25.4 The resting of Beasts on the Sabbath day Deut. 5. which such like And that the Lord in sparing the blood of Beasts had regard herein to the blood of men appeareth by the next words in Gen. 9.5 saying And surely I will
mention of this Doctrine of blood c. then James approveth in like manner Peters words and would not have the Gentiles troubled but onely written unto about these things and maketh the reading of Moses in the Synagogues a reason thereof so that the Jews which had been accustomed to Moses law from old time were subject to be offended with these things whose weakness was to be born withall so much as might be as the Apostles did teach by their own example for which see Acts 21.20,21,23,24 1 Cor. 9 20. 3. The Apostle Paul having occasion to deal afterwards with the Church of Corinth about one of the things here mentioned namely meats sacrificed to Idols doth plainly teach that they might eat such meats if it were not to the offence of any mans conscience making this his ground that all things were lawful for him but not all things expedient or edifying 1 Cor. 10.23 Wherefore any things sold in the shambles they might buy and eat and whatsoever was set before them at an unbelievers Table they might eat asking no question for conscience sake so that neither things sacrificed to Idols whereof he there treateth nor strangled nor blood nor whatsoever else that might be prepared at an Infidels banquet could defile them with the eating or Trouble their conscience and this he proveth by Scripture for the earth is the Lords and the plenty thereof which testimony of David if it be of weight to prove we may eat any meat as the Apostle alledgeth it to that end then may we eat things sacrificed to Idols and strangled and blood because they are a part of the plenty of the earth all which is the Lords and by Christ ours But for the offence of others he saith Eat it not And why because of him that shewed it saith he and for that other mans Conscience not thine own adding withall For why should my liberty be condemned of another mans conscience whereby he evidently teacheth that it is our Christian liberty to eat any thing even meat sacrificed to Idols which yet was one of the things forbidden in the 15 of the Acts And would we have a better expounder of that decree then an Apostle and one that was present and imployed in that business and knew well the occasion and end of such writing to the Gentiles as then was which by this his Epistle he maketh so plain as none of any Judgment need doubt what was meant Now for your Objections where first you say If it had had any jot of type or ceremony the Apostles would not have forbidden it to the Gentiles for an hour We answer that neither did they in that sence that you alledge from Gal. 2.5 which was a bringing into bondage and loosing the truth of the Gospel but in another regard for the weakness of their brethren they would did and might For Paul an Apostle writing to the Romans which were Gentiles saith We which are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weake and againe All things indeed are pure but it is evil for the man that eateth with offence it is good neither to eat flesh nor drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother is offended And to the Gentiles of Corinth as before is shewed he saith Eat not meat sacrificed to Idols for the conscience of him that sheweth thee And himself gave an example who because of the Jews that were zealous of the law purified himself and offered in the Temple Acts 21.24,26 which we think you will not deny were types and figures Next whereas you say touching 1 Cor. 9,20 that Paul became a Jew to the Jew c. but he became not a Jew to the Gentiles and if this thing were ceremonial he must needs be counted to become a Jew to the Gentiles contrary to his own Doctrine and practise Gal 2.5 You shew no reason of this your assertion yea the contrary is most plain in that the Commandment Acts. 15. was in the Jews behalf whom the Gentiles were to bear with according to Pauls example and with him to become Jews to the Jews that they might save and not offend them It is you rather that are become a Jew to the Gentiles whiles you thus observe and urge all Christians of the Gentiles to observe the Jewish Types and shadows Unto 1 Tim. 4.4 where Paul saith Every creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused c. you answer that Christians liberty there is all one and the same which God gave to Noah no more nor no less when he saith Gen. 9 3. Every thing that moveth and liveth shall be meat for you It is strange that you will thus write For upon that liberty given to Noah there is presently restrayned even in express words the blood of all beasts but in this place of Paul every creature is permitted without any manner restraint either in expresse words or by any necessary Collection so that except you will deny blood to be a creature you cannot deny it to be permitted there of Paul Neither are his words drawn by us further then himself and other places of Scripture do allow for we have shewed many Scriptures that confirm this evident truth But then we must needs affirm you say that Paul in this behalf was yea yea with the rest of the Apostles in Acts 15. and by himself nay nay in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus We answer there is no need thus to affirme for he was yea yea in Acts. 15. for the weakness of his brethren as before is proved and so he alwaies continued even in his Epistles He was nay nay against observing legal Types as touching the things themselves both in the Acts of the Apostles and in his written Epistles But you that would bring us back to the ordinances of Moses and would burthen us with traditions of Touch not taste not handle not are in this your error nay nay not onely to the Epistles of Paul but also to all other Scriptures as hath been proved Finally where you alledge the coâ—firmation of that decree Act. 15. was ratified by Paul himself Act. 21. after that the Epistles of Timothy and Titus were written and thereupon would inferre that his words in those Epistles are drawe further then he intended it is before answered and proved that the decree you mention was but for the time and for the quiet of the Church and for the bearing with the Jews but the Doctrines in Pauls Epistles are perpetual and do concern the creatures themselves and our liberty in Christ to use them So that nothing which you have said can turne away the evident force of these Scriptures which as a sharp sword do wound and cut down this Jewish error which you to the hurt of your own soul and trouble of the Church have renewed in these last dayes whereof we pray God to give you a sight and Christian sorrow for
the same In the next place you write of Idolathites or meats sacrificed to Idols more briefly and more fearefully as seeming to have a Check in your own conscience For we agree you say in one thing that no Christian may eat them in the Idol-temple but in the second point we differ that some will eat them when they be brought from thence though it be shewed them that they are sacrificed to Idols not caring who be offended c. though the conscience of him that is offended should stay him and his conscience from eating of it as it is written 1 Cor. 8.13 10.28,29,30 And is the difference between us but in this second point of eating with offence as you would pretend Then we hope you will not blame them that eat without such offence Then is not the thing of it self unlawful but in regard of the Circumstances and we which live here and are not offensive one to another for eating such things may lawfully eat them by your own grant And thus also you yeeld up one of your chiefest forts of your error to wit the Edict in the 15 of the Acts for there Idolathites were as fully and absolutely forbidden as blood whereupon it followeth that if Idolathices were forbidden but in regard of offending others then blood also was forbidden but in the same regard Thus the truth inforceth you in some sort to yeeld In some sort we say for you make no full nor free acknowledgment You write not it is lawful to eat them if it be without offence of others neither do you plainly avouch much lesse prove the contrary though both before and after you bewray you erroniously hold the contrary Before you said you will not willingly eat meat sacrificed to Idols and after when you alledge the law of the damned thing Deut. 13. and say that the places to Timothy and Titus are misalledged in this behalf as for blood we have before spoken of that 15 of the Acts and by comparing it with this place of Paul 1 Cor. 10.23 c. have proved it to be the minde of the holy Ghost not to forbid those meats in regard of themselves but for the present peace of the Church in bearing with the weake And so plaine is the evidence of this Scripture for it that your self which are so diligent to amove all doubts as you leave not the scruple of fishes blood unanswered yet can say nothing at all against this Wherefore we rest in that which hath been already said concerning it But you alledge that law Deut. 13.17 There shall cleave none of the damned thing to thine hand and say these things are so called wherein you quite mistake and misapply the Scripture For 1. That law is made for such as being of the Church should revolt from God and fall to Idolathites verse 12. 2. Not onely the Beasts but the men also with all that they had were to be slaine and utterly destroyed the City to be burnt with fire and made an heape for ever and might not be built againe verse 15,16 3. Not onely the beasts but all other substance of those Idolaters were alike damned things neither were they onely forbidden to eat the flesh but to have or use any of their Cattel alive or dead for nothing of that damned thing might cleave to their hand verse 17. But such is not the estate of meats offered to Idols for they may be bought and sold in the shambles 1 Cor. 10.25 they may be eaten even at an Infidels Table without scruple of conscience verse 27. Because the earth is the Lords and the plenty thereof and the Idol is nothing 1 Cor. 8.4 10.19 and so cannot defile the good creature of the Lord Therefore what God by his word hath sanctified call not you unclean or damned Acts 10.14 Lastly you refer us to your answer by Acts 21.15 â—nto the places of Paul to Timothy and Titus for this as well as for blood And we which before have discussed this point refer you againe to that which we there wrote in refutation thereof As for things strangled you count them as one thing with blood for if the thing strangled were killed by letting the blood from it it is lawful you say to be eaten This is all you write of it And we which before have proved that blood was a figure and may now be eaten of any Christian have thereby also proved it lawful to eat of the strangled thing which is not otherwise unlawful but for the blood by your own Confession There is yet another place misalledged you say by the ignorant against all these things and that is Rom. 14.17 that the Kingdome of God consisteth not in meats and drinks c. which place by Paul as you affirme was altogether alleadged against them that did eat with offence and not at all against them that did not eat or were offended with eating such things Doubtless this place was not alleadged so ignorantly as you have answered it for though Paul applied it to the present particular occasion yet the position is general and for ever true that Gods Kingdome is not meat or drinke wherefore as it was applyed by the Apostle against them so may it by us against you For you by your Letter would teach us the contrary that the kingdom of God consisteth if not in drink yet in meats as Idolathites and strangled and blood which you now urge as a Doctrine of the Gospel which is the Gospel of Gods kingdom to be observed of all Christians which are the Children of that kingdom as in obedience to Christ who is the King of that kingdome And seeing the Law and the Prophets were to John Baptist and since that time the kingdome of God is preached and Paul a chief laborer in and preacher of that kingdome hath taught us that it is not meat and drink knowing and being perswaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is uncleane in it self and therefore willeth us to eat whatsoever is sold or set before us without any scruple of conscience we cannot henceforward if you persist thus to teach esteeme you herein for a Preacher of the kingdome of God but of the rudiments of the Law and burdenous traditions yea of the Doctrine of Devils and so of the kingdome of Satan as it is called by the holy Ghost 1 Tim. 4.1,3 Againe you should minde that a general Doctrine such as is that position of Paul Rom. 14.17 may be applied to all particular times places and persons as occasion is offered which if you will not learne of Paul who applied those words of David The earth is the Lords c. to his particular Doctrine of meats whereas David himself never so alleadged or applied them yet learne it at least wise of your self who a little before alleadged the law of the damned thing from Deut. 13 against eating of meats offered to Idols though it were not