Glorie Luke 24. 7. 26. that was the day of his exaltation Ephes 1. 20. Then became he the head stone of the corner Psal 118. 22. The head of the Church Ephes 1. 22. and 5. 23. Gaue gifts to men Ephes 4. 8. as on a chiefe Festiuall Day Nehem. 8. 12. Esth. 9. 22. prooued his Resurrection Luke 24. 39. preached his ascension Iohn 20. 17. Gaue the Holy Ghost Iohn 20. 22 and authoritie to the Apostles to binde and to loose to remit and retaine sinnes Verse 23. Opened their vnderstandings to vnderstand the holy Scriptures Luke 24. 45. Powred out more abundantly the gifts of the Holy Ghost Act. 2. 1 2 3 4. Gaue Peter power to conuert so many thousands Verse 37. 41. All were on that Day baptized Verse 41. The Church established and manifestly distinguished Ver. 44. The Disciples met on this day at breaking of Bread Act. 20. 7. This Daies Festiuitie was instituted in the Churches of Corinth and Galatia as appeares by the Almes appropriate thereto 1. Cor. 16. 1 2. The Reuelation opened to Iohn in Patmos Reuel 1. 10. It was knowne to the seuen Churches of Asia by its owne name as a peculiar Day Thus to the Law all daies are now alike yet to the Lord a Day yea a Sabbath Day one of the seuen is to bee obserued alike to the Law for that to the Law we are all dead and a dead man keepes all daies alike yet wee who are raised againe from the dead Ephes 5. 14. wee that liue no more the life of the flesh but by the power of the Spirit not according to the flesh but to the Spirit doe set apart weekly one day of seuen for the Lords Seruice which very day as is prooued Paul writing to the Hebrewes according to his wont endeuouring to speake to their vnderstanding calleth a Sabbatisme Heb. 4. 9. And to the Gentiles a day to the Lord Rom. 14. 5 6. And Iohn expresly the Lords Day Reuel 1. 10. This is then the Day which the Lord hath made and if any be contentious for that other day with the Iewes or deny any Sabbath Day and so would leaue it as a bare Ordinance of man with the Libertines or haue both daies obserued with the Ebionites wee answere them all Wee haue no such custome nor the Churches of God 1. Cor. 11. 16. Obiect As for that Law of difference of things for food Leuit. 11. Deut. 14. if any say such a Law hath beene euer and precisely obserued by Israels Common-wealth while that Iewish Politie stood and that all sorts of transgressors are terribly threatned and for it the Israelites were chiefly reiected Ans The answere is It is true that a difference was put euen in Paradise between things for food and after mans expulsion therefrom a difference held betweene things for Sacrifice and say for food yet was that difference taken away when Noah had free libertie to eate of euery moouing liuing thing as of the greene herbe before he had eaten Gen. 9. 3. And albeit after that againe another limitation was made to one peculiar people when God began to distinguish betweene the Nations and chose to himselfe one peculiar Nation to be his owne people Leuit 20. 24 25. yet was that difference of wholesome Creatures no longer continued then all Mankind remained seuered by that partition wall Ephes 2. 14. Acts 10. 28. But when once the fulnesse of time was come and by the bloud of Iesus all things were reconciled to God Col. 1. 20. which were before in bondage and seuered for mans transgression Rom. 8 20. 21. then God also declared to Peter by a Vision that such obseruations put no longer difference betweene men and men But as hee himselfe had mixed all sorts of Creatures in one Sheet and none of them might any more bee termed vncleane seeing out of Heauen they came and into Heauen were againe receiued so Peter by that learned to esteeme no man from thenceforth vncleane for any want of legall clensing or by reason of the practice of that Lawes transgression Act. 10. 11 16 28. And hath now taken out this Lesson That it is Faith in Christ Iesus that is required of euery man for his acceptance with God Heb. 11. 6. For so Peter after confesseth in the face of a Councell that God put no difference betweene himselfe and the Gentiles after their hearts were purified by faith Act. 15. 9. And by this it may appeare that this Law ceased and had its period by that Cornelius a Gentile and not obseruing the Law but onely exercised in those powerfull Duties of Fasting Prayer and Almes-deeds was by Faith accepted as well as Peter who till that time not onely beleeued as now Cornelius did but also was able with boldnesse to protest before God that no common or vncleane thing had euer entred into his mouth so the Churches of Iudea were all zealous of the Law Act. 21. The Churches of the Gentiles obserued no such things Gal. 2. And these accepted and as famous Churches as any of those and Paul speaking expresly of daies and meates legall concludes thus I know and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus that there is nothing common or vncleane of it selfe Rom. 14. 14. That is if mens hearts bee purified by Faith Titus 1. 15 16. Then all things are pure to them That is all such things as that Law made vncleane for food Those things which some through weakenesse giuing heed to Iewish Fables esteemed vncleane As for that threat to the Gentiles which seemes so terrible to such as vnderstand it not aright it is nothing else but a powerfull application of the Prophets speech to the present hypocriticall Iewes who stood so much on their Prerogatiues and Priuiledges and their segregation from other Nations and yet by their secret abominable practises did breake downe that partition wall with which for the present they were seuered from others by doing the same things or as vile which they so much abhorred in the Gentiles practise To them the Prophet saith in effect that when the Gentiles Church shall be come in and all promises accomplished euen to that nation and people of the Iewes that then shall follow a day of vengeance wherein God shall come with fire and sword in terrible indignation against all that haue abused his long suffering and patience whether Iews or Gentiles and at that day those present hypocrites to whom he then spake shall share in torments with the whole world of damned men Isa 66. 12 13 16 17. Neither is it any prophecie at all of any caters of Swines flesh at this day but at that time for so speaketh the Text in the present tense Sanctificanâ—â—s or Qui sanctificant They that doe sanctifie themselues and not in the future tense they that shall And if any say we are commanded to touch no vncleane thing at this day Let the occasion of that precept be but duely considered and it is cleare that there
fulfilled by the flesh but by Faith onely So that by Christ wee doe fulfill both the Forme and the Truth the Letter and Spirit the olde and new Couenant By Faith wee are formally righteous according to the Lawes exact rule by Loue truly righteous according to the Morall Truth of the same Law So that by this the Morall Law is confessed to be still holy iust and good if lawfully vsed 1. Tim. 1. 8 9. It serues still to conuince all men of sinne and to bring them to Christ for perfect obedience and full satisfaction yea so farre are wee from granting the Laws abolishing in part or in whole that we still affirme God will bee euer iust and transgressors shall neuer escape his terrible and powerfull hand Neither shall this Law lose its force in all sorts of men yea in the godly themselues to weaken the old-man and to humble them daily vntill it may bee triumphantly said O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee vnto God who hath giuen vs the Victory through our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 15 55 56 57. And this is that by which all Enmitie is slaine and Peace made yea all that beleeue whether Iewes or Greekes Male or Female bond or free haue free accesse by one Spirit to worship the Father through the Sonnes mediation and this Liberty is part of that Glorie which the very Angels themselues desire to behold 1. Pet. 1. 22. CHAP. III. Answeres to some Obiections which seeme to be against this Libertie HAuing now expounded and testified there are some Questions to bee examined that doe concerne this Liberty that all lets being remooued the imbracing thereof may be the more boldly perswaded to all that shall acknowledge so glorious a condition and the contrarie appeare as it is an intollerable bondage too heauie for any to vndergoe Obiect And first some say If it bee so that the Law Morall is still of force why then haue wee left off the Seuenth Day Sabbath which that Law expresly inioynes our Lord obserued the Apostles were taught to keepe and did obserue after Christs death and Resurrection Resol The answere is That a Sabbath wee doe keepe and a Seuenth Day wee doe still obserue vnto the Lord yet not that Sabbath not that Seuenth Day so wee haue learned to obserue no dayes nor moneths nor times nor yeeres as that Law inioyned Gal. 4. 10. But wee haue learned to esteeme all dayes alike in respect of that Law that olde Letters seruice Rom. 14. 5. wee are not now so to serue God Rom. 7. 6. A new spirituall seruice wee are to yeeld And that a Sabbath Day we doe still acknowledge it is by vertue of the Commandement it selfe as farre as it is Morall which saith Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath Day or remember the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee Exod. 20. 8. Deut. 5. 12. But all the strife is what day it must be kept seeing the seuenth from the creation was blessed to that end and made holy for that purpose And what God hath blessed is blessed for euer what he hath made holy no man may pollute He is not as man that hee should repeat he hath spoken and it cannot be reuersed This is granted to be vndoubtedly true but withall the end must be considered why that day was instituted vpon the ground of creation to be also obserued in that manner And for this let vs heare the doctrine of the Lord of the Sabbath where hee saith That the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath Mat. 2. Matt. 12. If then man were not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man God may also dispose and change it for mans good for whom it was made as well in the day it selfe as the manner of keeping it Neither may it be said that the day remaineth any longer blessed and holy then man for whom it was made and whom it serueth can receiue holinesse and happinesse thereby Seeing man is not subiect to it but it is subiect to man by vertue of Christs Lordship which as the Sonne of man he hath of the Sabbath Mark 2. 27 28. And as it partly appeareth by some bodily labours which Christ himselfe commanded some to doe in case of necessitie as to take vp their beds and goe to their houses which some held vtterly vnlawfull at that time and by that the Priests might without scandall kill and dresse and offer the sacrifices on that day Mat 12. And Children were also circumcised on that very day Iohn 5. 8. 9. Iohn 7. 22 23. Now then as with the destruction of Israels common-wealth the holy temple which serued their vse was destroyed and the holinesse vanished and Canaans blessednesse is also gone as it stood distinguished from other lands And all mans holinesse and happinesse naturall is now vanished the Iewes prerogatiue aboue all other nations abolished So also the holinesse and blessednesse of that seuenth day is vanished and quite done away with the death and destruction of man himselfe Indeed had man to this day retained and continued in his first estate that day had retained its first blessednesse and continued its holinesse still but as little comfort as man hath left in himselfe at this day of any holinesse or blisse by vertue of creation so little benefit shall man find in that daies obseruation on that ground and in that manner as it was inioyned And in steed of blessednesse and holinesse which he may for a while fondly expect by obseruing that day he will soone find the great arerages of curses which he runs daily into by that laws transgression So that if God at this day did require that dayes obseruation in that manner no flesh could stand with any comfort before his maiestie As for their Argument à principio from the beginning Man himselfe hath beene also from the beginning yea mans creation is more ancient then that daies institution yet as that proues not mans blessednesse now by that his creation is so ancient vnlesse he seek it another way so is that no sound reason to proue that day to bee now obserued by man seeing wee haue many probabilities that it was neuer obserued resurrection Mat. 13. 34. Ioh. 16. 25. And it might parabolically denote that they should pray that they might not be vtterly extirpate and rooted out as they must be if surprized in the Winter when they cannot flie farre or on the Sabbath day when they were secure and not willing to escape or take filght at all For that if they be set vpon when they were either vnwilling or vnable to escape they must then perish and be vtterly destroyed for euermore The sum then of that Prayer is that God would lay no more vpon them then they were able to beare but giue them an issue with the triall
A TREATISE OF LIBERTIE FROM IVDAISME OR An Acknowledgement of true Christian LIBERTIE indited and published By IOHN TRASKE Of late stumbling now happily running againe in the Race of Christianitie ISID in MAT. 11. 29. Quid iugo Christi suauius quid onere leuius à scelere abstinere bonum velle omnes amare nullum odisse aeterna consequi praesentibus non capi nolle inferre alteri quod sibi perpeti sit molestum LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for N. Butter and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the pyde Bull neere S. Austens gate 1620. TO MY HOLY AND TENDER MOTHER THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND ALL INCREASE OF Peace Prosperitie and holy Vigilancy vnto the glorious appearing of IESVS CHRIST To whome ON Earth rather then to you blessed blessing Mother should I direct my Supplications Deprecations and my Thankes Seeing by Gods grace and your prudent patience amidst so many sore tryals I haue yet a breathing time left may for a while sit downe contemplate and admire O the vnspeakeable loue of God in reducing me into nesse of my pollutions made mee both afraid and ashamed to point at mine owne deformities Incumbred I was with many thoughts how to discouer my minds change how to walke for the time to come and yet after a few daies I could not but disclose it It was within me like a fire in my bones I was weary with forbearing and could not stay and I resolued that it was both my duty and safetie to addresse my selfe to those whose lips preserue knowledge and hands authoritie If a Leaper was to shew himselfe to the Priest and such as were full of vncured Blaines and Sores to shew themselues to the High Priest why should I bee afraid to present my selfe in my Scars to the Guides and Gouernours of this Church for the glorifying of that grace which purged my Corruptions and healed my Sores I therfore forthwith addressed mee to the most Reuerend Father of this renowmed Church by him imploring reconciliation to my iustly offended Mother And since how open hath her bosome beene to her returning sonne how ioyfully hath shee receiued readily instructed and willingly restored me to my sacred Office againe and how blessedly haue some beene reduced by my weake helpe into the the way of peace from which they had swerued with me though not all by me I am not able to expresse with Pen. Neither shall I cease to vse all my industrie to bring again all that haue straied by my word or example as by my Mothers leaue I shall bee authorized so to doe seeing through Gods Mercie they are not manie and those that are no way dangerous being such as haue little force to perswade any and the most such as imbraced those things without my aduice and some contrarie to my iudgement at that time and as I haue publiquely by preaching againe proclaimed my true change so shall I priuately by practise confirme it to all with whom I shall conuerse by Gods grace vnto my liues end And who am I that I should be any more troublesome to so indulgent and gracious a Mother No verily I shal neuer forget her mercie wisdome bountie and meekenesse towards one so farre gone though I should participate no more of her loue And I am the more bold to disclose my whole heart vnto her because she knowes that greater more eminent learned and glorious members haue had their foule slips And though I for beare to name any lest some should think I doe parallel my selfe with them nor had we any to name either vnder the Law or Gospel as examples to induce vs to be willing to acknowledge own our deformities for the magnifying Gods Mercie edifying his Church and humbling our selues yet we cannot but know that there is nothing so couered that shall not be reueiled nor hidden that shall not be knowne Neither shall hidden things of darkenesse lurke alwaies in secret The Lord will come and all mens sinnes shall be layed open such as goe not before to iudgement to their sauing they must follow after to their eternall torment Neither can I conceiue that in this light and loue of the Gospel in the middest of true Israelites in whom is no guile especially in the knowledge of my tender Mother any derider shall be suffered to disport himselfe with the nakednesse not of a father but a failing brother or any scoffing Ismaclite to mocke at Isaacs minoritie or any vncharitable inconsiderate brother to vpbraid with what hath beene formerly done much lesse any Idolatrous Rabsakeh to raile on the least seruant of God But that on any such iust occasion giuen it shal be lawful for such as haue an heart to the combate to enter the lists againe in the spirit of Meekenesse though onely with a sling and such smooth stones as may be chosen in our holy riuer of life And in the confidence of this later with the excitement of those former motiues I am incouraged to penne what is done concerning the Christian Libertie I doe now vnderstand And though I am yet farre short of what my most iudicious Mother may expect for my large time yet well knowing that she is so like our Lord of glorie that she hath learned long since to accept of weak works where she perceiues willing mindes according to what her children haue and not according to what they haue not I now rest and am resolued to reremaine though of late seemingly departed for a season yet sincerely returned for euer And at this time thy dutifull and obedient sonne IOHN TRASKE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Courteous READER IF I may not question thy Christianitie then I hope not suspect thy charitie in the view of this short Treatise And though it bee somewhat confused yet better is a tattered habite where the body is sound and the heart sincere then gorgeous and well set attire on a false heart and rotten carkasse And what euer this booke may seeme to portend yet I aime at nothing but mine owne discharge of dutie in the free acknowledgement of all my failings I meddle not with the instruction of any but the helpe of such as haue beene hurt by mee and that all may know that I haue done with Iudaisme Helpe mee therefore as I should helpe thee against secret slanders and willing mistakings of some maleuolent ones And tell them that with me that Pentameter is so true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euerie forced businesse is grieuous That I should neuer haue done ought by costraint Yea I know certainly that Nemo inuitus bene agit etiamsi bonum est quod facit No man vnwillingly doth any thing well though that which he doth he verie good It is almost a whole yeare since God graciously relieued mee in so great a straite And though some pennes haue runne as I since perceiue and tongues beene exercised in wounding mee causelesly in other things yet God is sufficient to take iust reuenge