except a * Looke the 2. Observation upon this confess Priest be ordained in the Church to the ministerie of teaching he cannot rightly take unto him neither the name of a Priest nor the name of a Bishop Out of the Confession of SUEVELAND Of the Office dignitie and power of Ecclesiasticall Persons TOuching the ministery and dignitie of the Ecclesiasticall Order Artic. 13. we doe thus teach First that there is no power in the Church but that which tendeth to edifying 2 Cor. 10. Secondly that we must not thinke otherwise of any man in this state then Paul would have men to esteeme either of himselfe or of Peter and Apollo and others As of the servants of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of God in whom this is chiefly required that they be faithfull For these be they which have the keies of the kingdome of God and the power to binde and loose and to remit or retaine sinnes yet that power is so limited that they be neverthelesse the ministers of Christ to whom alone the right and authoritie to open heaven and forgive sinnes doth properly pertaine For neither he which planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. Neither is any man of himselfe fit to thinke any of those things as of himselfe but if any man be found fit thereunto he hath it all of God Who giveth to whom it pleaseth him to be the ministers and preachers of the New Testament to wit so farre forth as he giveth them a mind faithfully to preach the meaning and understanding of the Gospel and useth them hereunto that men may be brought by a true faith to his new covenant of grace Furthermore these be they which doe minister unto us the dead letter that is such a doctrine of truth as pearceth no further then to humane reason but the spirit which quickneth and doth so pearce into our spirit and soule that it doth throughly perswade our heart of the truth These are the true fellow-labourers of the Lord 1 Cor. 3. opeaing indeed heaven and forgiving sinnes to those to whom they declare the doctrine of faith by meanes of the grace and spirit of God Whereupon Christ sending out his Apostles to exercise this dutie he breathed upon them saying Take ye the holy Ghost And furthermore he addeth whose sins ye remit c. Hereof it is manifest that the true and fit Ministers of the Church such as be Bishops Seniors annointed and consecrated can doe nothing but in respect of this that they be sent of God For how shall they preach saith Paul except they be sent That is except they receive of God both a minde and power to preach the holy Gospel aright and with fruite and to feed the flocke of Christ And also except they receive the holy Ghost who may worke together with them and perswade mens hearts Other vertues where with these men must be endued are rehearsed 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Therefore they which are in this sort sent annointed consecrated and qualified they have an earnest care for the flocke of Christ and doe labour faithfully in the word and doctrine that they may feede the people more fruitfully and these are acknowledged and accounted of our preachers for such Bishops as the Scripture every where speaketh of and every Christian ought to obey their commandements But they which give themselves to other things they place themselves in other mens seats and doe worthily take unto themselves other names Yet notwithstanding the life of any man is not so much to be blamed as that therefore a Christian should refuse to heare him if peradventure he teach something out of the chaire of Moses or Christ that is either out of the Law of God or out of the holy Gospel that may serve for edification They which bring a divers or a strange voice whatsoever they be they are in no account or estimation with the sheepe of Christ Iohn 10. * Looke before the third Observation upon the August confession Also after sect 17. 3. observat upon the same confession of August Yet they which have a secular power and soveraigntie they have it of God himselfe howsoever they be called therefore he should resist the ordinance of God whosoever should oppose himselfe to that temporall government These things doe our Preachers teach touching the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall persons so that they have great injurie offered to them in that they are blamed as though they sought to bring the authoritie of Ecclesiasticall Prelats to nothing whereas they never forbad them that worldly government and authority which they have But they have often wished that they would come neerer to the Ecclesiasticall commandements and that either they themselves would instruct and faithfully feed the consciences of Christians out of the holy Gospel or that at the least-wise they would admit others hereunto and ordain such as were more fit for this purpose This is it I say that our Preachers have oftentimes requested of the Prelates themselves so farre they have beene from opposing themselves at any time to their spirituall authoritie But whereas we could not either beare any longer the doctrine of certaine Preachers but being driven thereunto by necessitie we have placed others in their roome or else have retained those also which have renounced that Ecclesiasticall superioritie We did it not for any others cause but for that these did plainely and faithfully declare the voyce of our Lord Iesus Christ the other did mingle therewith all mans inventions For so often as the question is concerning the holy Gospel and the doctrine of truth Christians must wholly turne themselves to the Bishop of their soules the Lord Iesus Christ and not admit the voyce of any stranger by any meanes wherein notwithstanding neither we nor they doe offer violence to any man for Paul saith All things are yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and ye Christs and Christ Gods Therefore seeing that Peter and Paul are ours and we are not theirs but Christs and that after the same manner that Christ himselfe is his Fathers to wit that in all things which we are or may be we might live to him alone Furthermore seeing to this end we have power to use all things yea even men themselves of what sort soever they be as though they were our owne and are not to suffer that any man or any thing should hinder us therein no Ecclesiasticall person may justly complaine of us or object to us that we are not sufficient by obedient to them or that we doe derogate any thing from their authoritie seeing that the thing it selfe doth witnesse that we have attempted and done all those things according to the will of God which we have attempted against the will of Ecclesiasticall persons These therefore be those things
cleane contrary to the meaning of Christ our Lord and of the holy Scripture whereof the Apostle speaketh after this sort The time will come when 2 Tim 4. 2 Pet. 3. they will not suffer any longer the holy doctrine but having their cares itching shall after their own lusts get them an heap of teachers and shall turne their eares from the truth and shall be given unto fables The other evill or offence that we are to consider in Antichrist is a corrupt and naughtie life giving unto others a very ill example and is full of horrible sinnes hurtfull filthinesse and all kinde of vices which in the Antichristian church are openly practized and that freely without any kinde of punishment whereof the Apostle saith This know also that in the last daies shall 2 Tim 3. come perilous times For men shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents unthankefull prophane without naturall affection such as cannot be pleased false accusers intemperate fierce not lovers or desirous of that which is good traiterous headie high minded lovers of pleasure more then of God having a shew of godlinesse but have denied the power thereof turne away therefore from such Of which time also Christ forespake in these words And then many shall be offended Matth. â—4 at these examples and shall betray one another and hate one another And many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many And because iniquitie shall increase many waies the love of many shall be cold But he that indureth to the end he shall be saved These words are to be understood of them which doe continue in the doctrine of Christ enduring all adversities where with they are assaied And in another place Christ crieth out Woe to the world because Mat. 18. Matth. 11. of offences And Blessed is he that shall not be offended in me Out of the FRENCH Confession THerefore we beleeve that it is not lawfull for any man to Artic 26. withdraw himselfe from the congregations and to rest in himselfe but rather that all men are to defend and to preserve the unitie of the church submitting themselves to the common instruction and to the yoake of Christ wheresoever God doth appoint that true Ecclesiasticall discipline although the Decrees of Magistrates doe gain-say it from which Order whosoever doe separate themselves they doe resist the ordinance of God We beleeve that very carefully and wisely the true Church Artic. 27. the name whereof too many do abuse is to be discerned Therefore we affirme out of the word of God that the Church is a company of the faithfull which agree together in following the word of God and in imbracing pure Religion wherein also they doe daily profit growing and confirming themselves mutually in the feare of God as they which have need daily to goe forward and to profit and who although they profit never so much must notwithstanding of necessitie daily flie to the remission of sinnes Yet we doe not deny but that many Hypocrites and Reprobates are mingled with the faithfull but their guilefull dealing is not able to take a way the name of the Church Therefore seeing we beleeve this to be so we withall boldly Artic. 28. affirme that where the word of God is not received and where there is no profession of that obedience which is due thereunto nor any use of Sacraments there if we will speake properly we cannot judge any Church to be Therefore we condemne the Papisticall assemblies because that the pure truth of God is banished from them and among them the Sacraments of Faith are corrupted counterfeited and falsified or altogether abolished and to conclude among whom all Superstitions and Idolatries are in full force And therefore we thinke that all they who joyne themselves to such actions and communicate there with doe separate themselves from the body of Christ Yet notwithstanding because that in Papacle there be some small tokens of a Church and the substance especially of Baptisme hath remained the efficacie whereof doth not depend upon him by whom it is ministred we confesse that they which are there baptized need not to be baptized the second time howbeit by reason of the corruptions which are mingled therewith no man can offer Infants there to be baptized but that he must defile himselfe Out of the ENGLISH Confession VVE beleeve that there is one Church of God and that the same is not shut up as in times past among the Iews into Artic. 4. some one corner or kingdome but that it is Catholike and universall and dispersed throughout the whole world So that there is now no nation which may truely complaine that they be shut forth and may not be one of the Church and people of God and that this Church is the Kingdome the Body and the Spouse of Christ that Christ alone is the Prince of this Kingdome that Christ alone is the Head of this Body and that Christ alone is the Bridegroome of this Spouse Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve and confesse that there is one Catholike or Vniversall Artic. 27. Church which is the true Congregation or companie of all faithfull Christians which doe looke for their whole salvation from Christ alone in as much as they be washed in his blood and sanctified and sealed by his spirit Furthermore as this Church hath been from the beginning of the world so it shall continue unto the end thereof The which appeareth by this that Christ is our eternall King who can never be without subjects This Church God doth defend against all the fury and force of the world although for a small time it may seeme to be very little and as it were utterly extinguished to the sight of man even as in the perilous time of Achab God is said to have reserved to himselfe seven thousand men which bowed not their knees to Baal To conclude this holy Church is not situated or limited in any set or certaine place nor yet bound and tied to any certaine and peculiar persons but spread over the face of the whole earth though in minde and will by one and the same spirit through the power of faith it be wholly joyned and united together We beleeve that seeing this holy Companie and Congregation Artic. 28. consisteth of those that are to be saved and out of it there is no salvation therefore no man of how great dignitie and preheminence soever ought to separate and sunder himselfe from it that being contented with his own solitary estate he should live apart by himselfe But on the contrary side that all and every one are bound to associate themselves to this companie carefully to preserve the unitie of the Church to submit himselfe both to the doctrine and discipline of the same finally to put his necke willingly under the yoake of Christ as common members of the same body to seeke the edification of their
ordinary and lawfull discipline of the Church to be brought into the way againe and to be chastised but if he will not repent nor be healed then he ought first to be remooved from the executing of his charge and from the ministerie and afterward as an unprofitable servant as a member which causeth offence a dry branch and unsavoury salt to be cast out or banished from the fellowship of the Church and injoying of salvation of whom the Lord saith that this salt is henceforth good for nothing that which Matth. 5. Joh. 15. Matth. 5. 1 Tim. 5. Paul also teacheth when he saith Those that offend meaning those that are Elders reproove or chastise before all men that the rest also may stand in feare But the people ought so to behave themselves toward such Teachers either growne out of kinde or entangled with errors or toward other Elders also not repenting and excommunicated as the holy Scripture sheweth and first Christ saith Take ye heed of false Prophets which come to you in Matth. 7. sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening woolves ye shall know them by their fruits and Paul Now I beseech you brethren marke Rom. 16. those diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesu Christ but their own bellies Of the Keyes of Christ CHAP. 14. THE fourteenth Chapter of Ecclesiasticall doctrine is of the Lords Keyes of which he saith to Peter I will give thee the Matth. 16. Keyes of the kingdome of heaven and these Keyes are the peculiar Function or Ministerie and administration of Christ his power and his holy Spirit which power is committed to the Church of Christ and to the Ministers thereof unto the end of the world that they should not onely by preaching publish the holy Gospell although they should doe this especially that is should shew forth that word of true comfort and the joyfull message of peace and new tidings of that favour which God offereth but also that to the beleeving and unbeleeving they should publikely or privately denounce and make knowne to wit to them his favour to these his wrath and that to all in generall or to every one in particular that they may wisely receive some into the house of God to the communion of Saints and drive some out from thence and may so through the performance of their ministerie hold in their hand the Scepter of Christ his kingdome and use the same to the government of Christ his sheepe Therefore the condition and proper office of the Keyes is first first to open and loose that is in Christ to appease and still the conscience of the faithfull ones and of those that turne againe by repentance to make it knowne unto them that their sins be forgiven and to strengthen them in a sure hope of salvation and by this means to open the kingdome of heaven unto them to give them courage against all temptations and to stirre upstedfastnesse and cheerefulnesse in them And all these things are done by the faithfull Shepheards of souls in the Lords stead not doing this of themselves but upon Christ his commandement not by their own and proper vertue but by Christs and by the efficacie of his Word and Sacraments as those that are Stewards and Dispensers of the mysteries of God and Ministers onely In the administration of which things they may use some seemely and indifferent ceremonies that is which are no way necessary such as are * Looke the 6. observation 1 Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 3. 5. to lay on hands or to reach out the right hand or else they may omit them On the other side the office and proper worke of the Keyes of Christ is to shut and binde that is by the commandement of Christ and the authoritie of this office given by him to the Church which is his power and scepten to denounce against all stubborne impenitent unbeleeving and other such like sinners Gods horrible judgement and his intollerable wrath which no nature carrabide and his severe sentence and so by the word of Christ according to the qualitie of the offence to reproove sinne to sever them from the fellowship of Christ our Saviour and from the fruit and participation of the Sacraments and to cast them out of the Christian Church and in a word to shut the kingdome of heaven upon them and at the length to deliver them to Sathan This power of his Scepter and spirit hath the Lord granted and delivered to the holy Apostles and in them to all Ministers of Churches lawfully ordained that they might exercise in hisstead and he granted it to them by these words As the Father hath John 20. sent me so doe I send you also And by and by he addeth these words Receive ye the holy Ghost If ye forgive any men their sins they are forgiven them and if ye retaine any mans sins they are retained Moreover a manifest example of using the power of the Keyes is layed out in that sinner of Corinth and others whom St. Paul together with the Church of that place by the power and 1 Cor. 5. authoritie of our Lord Iesu Christ and of his spirit threw out from thence and delivered to Sathan and contrariwise after that God gave him grace to repent he absolved him from his sins he tooke him againe into the Church to the communion of Saints and Sacraments 2 Cor. 2. and so opened to him the kingdome of heaven againe By this we may understand that these Keyes or this Divine Function of the Lords is committed and granted to those that have charge of souls and * Looke the 7. observation to each severall Ecclesiasticall Societies whether they be small or great Of which thing the Lord saith to the Churches Verily I say unto you whatsoever things ye binde on earth Matth. 18. shall be bound in heaven And straight after For where two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Moreover this is likewise taught * Look the 8. Observation that every Christian so often as he needeth these Keyes of the Lord ought to require them particularly for himself of the Pastors of souls of that Church or fellowship of which himselfe is a part and to which he belongeth and that he use them with full confidence no otherwise then if he received them of Christ himselfe seeing that Christ hath delivered them unto the Pastours and that he by no meanes doubt that by the ministerie of these keyes through the vertue and power of Christ his sins are forgiven him and that he is freed from them according John 20. Luke 10. Matth. 10. John 13. to Christ his own saying whose sins you forgive c. And He that heareth you heareth me and he that receiveth you in the behalfe to wit of the Ecclesiasticall ministerie and
Observat upon this confession Artic. 6. Lucifer which preferreth himselfe before his Brethren that he hath forsaken the faith and is the forerunner of Antichrist Further we say that the Minister ought lawfully duely and orderly to be preferred to that office of the Church of God and that no man hath power to wrest himselfe into the holy Ministerie at his owne pleasure Wherefore these persons doe us the greater wrong which have nothing so common in their mouthes as that we doe nothing orderly and comely but all things troublesomely and without order And that we allow every man to be a Priest to be a Teacher and to be an Interpreter of the Scriptures Moreover we say that Christ hath given to his Ministers power Artic. 7. to binde to loose to open to shut And we say that the office of loosing consisteth in this point that the Minister either by the preaching of the Gospell offereth the merits of Christ and full pardon to such as have lowly and contrite hearts and doe unfainedly repent themselves pronouncing unto the same a sure and an undoubted forgivenesse of their sins and hope of everlasting salvation Or else that the same Minister when any have offended their brothers mindes with some great offence or notable and open crime whereby they have as it were banished and made themselves strangers from the common followship and from the body of Christ then after perfit amendment of such persons doth reconcile them and bring them home againe and restore them to the companie and unitie of the faithfull We say also that the Minister doth execute the authoritie of binding and shutting as often as he shutteth up the gate of the kingdome of heaven against unbeleeving and stubborne persons denouncing unto them Gods vengeance and everlasting punishment Or else when he doth quite shut them out from the bosome of the Church * Looke the 1. observation upon this confession by open excommunication Out of doubt what sentence soever the Minister of God shall give in this sort God himselfe doth so well allow it that whatsoever here in earth by their means is loosed and bound God himselfe will loose and binde and confirme the same in heaven And touching the Keyes wherewith they may either shut or open the kingdome of heaven we with Chrysostome say They be the knowledge of the Scriptures with Tertullian we say They be the interpretation of the Law and with Eusebius we call them the word of God Moreover that Christs Disciples did receive this authoritie not that they should heare the private confessions of the people and listen to their whisperings as the common massing Priests doe every where now a dayes and doe it so as though in that one point lay all the vertue and use of the Keyes but to the end they should goe they should teach they should publish abroad the Gospell and be unto the beleeving a sweet savour of life unto life and unto the unbeleeving and unfaithfull * Looke the 2. observation upon this confession a savour of death unto death and that the mindes of godly persons being broght low by the remorse of their former life and errours after they once begun to looke up unto the light of the Gospel and beleeve in Christ might be opened with the word of God even as a doore is opened with a Key Contrariwise that the wicked and wilfull and such as would not beleeve nor returne into the right way should be left still as fast locked and shut up and as Saint Paul saith waxe worse 2 Tim. 3. and worse This take we to be the meaning of the Keys and that after this sort mens consciences be either opened or shut We say that the Priest in deed is a judge in this case But yet hath no manner of right to challenge an authoritie or power as Ambrose * Looke the 3. Observavation saith And therefore our Saviour Iesus Christ to reproove the negligence of the Scribes and Pharisees in teaching did with these words rebuke them saying Woe be unto you Scribes and Luk. 11. Matth. 21. Pharisees which have taken away the Keyes of knowledge and have shut up the kingdome of heaven before men Seeing then the Key whereby the way and entry to the kingdome of God is opened unto us is the word of the Gospel and the expounding of the Law and Scriptures we say plainly where the same word is not there is not the Key And seeing one manner of word is given Matth. 16. to all and one onely key belongeth to all we say there is but one onely power of all Ministers as concerning opening and shutting And as * Looke the 4. Observat upon this confession touching the Bishop of Rome for all that his flattering Parasites sing these words in his eares To thee will I give the keyes of the kingdome of heaven as though these keyes were sit for him alone and for no body else * Looke the 4. Observat upon this confession except he goe so to worke as mens consciences may be made pliant and be subdued to the word of God we deny that he doth either open or shut or hath the keyes at all And although he taught and instructed the people as would God he might ofice truely doe and perswade himselfe it were at the least any piece of his dutie yet we thinke his key to be never a whit better or of greater force then other mens For who hath severed him from the rest Who hath taught him more cunningly to open or better to absolve then his brethren Out of the Confession of BELGIA VVE beleeve that this Church ought to be ruled and governed Artic. 30. by that spirituall regiment which God himselfe hath delivered in his word so that there be placed in it Pastours and Ministers purely to preach and rightly to administer the holy Sacraments that there be also in it Seniours and Deacons of whom the Senate of Church might consist that by these means true Religion might be preserved and sincere doctrine in every place place retained and spread abroad that vicious and wicked men might after a spirituall manner be rebuked amended and as it were by the bridle of discipline kept within their compasse that the poore is like manner and those that be afflicted may be releeved either with aide or comfort according to the severall necessitie of every one For then shall all things in the Church be done in due and convenient order when faithfull and godly men are chosen to have the government of the same even as St. Paul hath prescribed in the first to Timothie the 3. and the first to Titus We beleeve that the Ministers Senours and Deacons ought Artic. 31. to be called to those their functions and by the lawfull election of the Church to be advanced into those roomes earnest prayer being made unto God and after the order and manner which is set downe unto us
Chapt. touching Prayers did appertaine to the 15. Sect. if they might fitly have been separated most holy works and such as doe very much beseeme Christians whereunto our Preachers doe most diligently exhort their hearers For true fasting is as it were a renouncing of this present life which is alwaies subject to evill lusts and desires and a meditation of the life to come which is free from all perturbation And prayer is a lifting up of the minde unto God and such a familiar speech with him as no other thing can so greatly set a man on fire with heavenly affections and more mightily make the minde comformable to the will of God And though these exercises be never so holy and necessary for Christians yet seeing that a mans neighbour is not so much benefited by them 1 Cor. 13. as man is prepared that he may with fruit and profit have regard of his neighbour they are not to be preferred before holy doctrin godly exhortations and admonitions and also other duties whereby our neighbour doth presently receive some profit Whereupon we reade of our Saviour that in the night time he gave himselfe to prayer and in the day time to doctrine and to heale the sicke For as love is greater then faith and hope so to beleeve those things which come neerest unto love to wit such as bring assured profit unto men are to be preferred before all other holy functions whereupon S. Chrysostome writeth that Among the In Matth. Hom. 48. whole companie of vertues fasting hath the last place Of the commanding of Fasts CHAP. 8. BVt because that no mindes but these that be ardent and peculiarly stirred up by the heavenly inspiration can either pray or fast aright and with profit we beleeve that it is farre better after the example of the Apostles and the former and more sincere Church by holy exhortations to invite men hereunto then to wring them out by precepts such especially as do binde men under pain of deadly sin the which thing the Priests that were of late tooke upon them to doe when as then the order of Priests had not a little degenerated But we had rather leave the place time and manner both of praying and also of fasting to the arbitrement of the holy Ghost then to prescribe them by certaine laws especially such as may not be broken without some sacrifice of amends Yet for their sakes that be the younger and more imperfect sort our Preachers doe not dislike that there should be an appointed time and meanes both for prayer and also for fasting that as it were by these holy introductions to exercises they might be prepared hereunto so that it be done without binding of the conscience We were induced thus to thinke not so much for that all compulsion being against a mans will is repugnant to the nature of these actions but rather because that neither Christ himselfe nor any of his Apostles have in any place made mention of such kinde of precepts and this doth Chrysostome also witnesse saying Thou seest that an upright life doth helpe more then all other things Now I tearme an upright life not the labour of In Matth. Hom. 47. Fasting nor the bed of haire or ashes but if thou doest despise money no other wise then it becommeth thee if thou burne with charitie if thou nourish the hungry with thy bread if thou overcome thy anger if thou doest not desire vain glory if thou be not possessed with envie for these be the things that he teacheth for he doth not say that he will have his fast to be followed howbeit he might have proponed those fortie dayes unto us but he saith Learne of me because I am meeke and lowly in heart Yea rather on the contrary side saith he eate all that is set before you Moreover we doe not read that any solemne or set fast was enjoyned to the ancient Church but that fast of one day For those fasts which as the Scripture doth witnesse were ordained of Prophets and of Kings it is certaine that they were no set fasts but enjoyned onely for their time to wit when as evident calamities either hanging over their heads or presently pinching them did so require it Seeing therefore that the Scripture as Saint Paul doth affirme doth instruct a man to every good work and yet is ignorant of these fasts which are extorted by precepts we doe not see how it could be lawfull for the successours of the Apostles to overcharge the Church with so great and so dangerous a burthen Truly Ireneus doth witnesse that in times past the observation of fast in Churches was divers and free as it is read in the Ecclesiasticall historie lib. 8. cap. 14. In the same booke Eusebius maketh mention that one Apollonius an Ecclesiasticall Writer among other arguments used this for one to confute the doctrine of Montanus the heretike Because he was the first that made lawes for fasts Thereupon Chrysostome saith in a certaine place Fasting is good but let no man be compelled thereunto And in another place he exhorteth him that is not able to fast to abstaine from dainties and yet affirmeth that it doth not much differ from fasting and that it is a strong weapon to represse the furie of the Devill Moreover experience also it selfe doth more then prove that these precepts concerning fasts have been a great hinderance to godlinesse Therefore when we saw it very evidently that the chief men in the Church did beside the authoritie of the Scripture take upon themselves this power so to enjoyne fasts as to binde mens consciences under paine of deadly sinne we did loose the consciences out of these snares but by the Scriptures and chiefly by Pauls writings which doe with a singular endeavour remove these rudiments of the world from the necks of Christians For we ought not lightly to account of that saying of Paul Let no man condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath daies And again Therefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though ye lived in the world are ye burdened with traditions For if Saint Paul then whom no man at any time did teach Christ more certainly doe earnestly affirme that through Christ we have obtained such libertie in outward things that he doth not onely not give authoritie to any creature to burden those which beleeve in Christ no not so much as with those ceremonies and observations which notwithstanding God himself appointed and would have to be profitable in their time but also denounceth that they be fallen away from Christ and that Christ shall nothing at all profit them who suffer themselves to be addicted thereunto what shall we then thinke of those commandements which men have devised of their owne braine not onely without any oracle but also without any example worthy to be followed and which are therefore made