Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. 1. Wherein is ſhewed: firſt that we come to know the true religion by the true knowledge of God, 2. That there is one God, and that he is the onelyonly law-giuer. 3. Therefore there is but one Catholike and vnchangeable religion, whereof God is author and maintainer. 4. For this cauſe Christ and his Apostles teach the ſame religion, which is in the olde Teſtament, and the gentils are adopted to be Children vntounto Abraham. 5. Here is taken away the obiection which might ariſe by the difference, which ſeemeth to be in the three times, before the law, vnderunder the law, and after the law: that is, vnderunder the Goſpell, that although there was a difference in ceremonies and maner of gouernment, yet the religion al one in faith and louelove. 6. Here is opened how faith and louelove are ſubſtancial and perpetual, and ceremonies and maner of gouernment changeable. 7. And that although ceremonies and maner of gouernment are not of the vnchangeable ſubſtance of religion, yet are they to be reuerently vſed and not violated during the time of Gods aſsignment and preſcription, as neceſſary dueties in the worſhip, ſeruice, and obedience, which wee owe vntounto God.
TO know the true, ancient, catholike annd vnchangeable religion (that is, the vndeceiuable way of ſaluation and perfect rule of vpright liuing) we muſt get the knowledge of the true & liuing God. For in the*Eph. 4.17. Tit. 3.3. 2. Pet. 1.3. ignorance of God, is the eſtate of the wicked & the cauſe of damnation: and whoſoeuer knoweth God aright, he hath by the diuine gift of Chriſt, all things pertaining to life and godlines. Therefore our bleſſed Sauiour, ſpeaking to his father the almightie and glorious God, conſtantly affirmeth.aIoh. 17. ver. 3 This is eternal life, to know thee to be the onelyonly verie God, and whom thou hast ſent Ieſus Christ. So the Prophets foretell, that the happie eſtate of the word ſhould be then; whenbEſai 11.9. The earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord, & cHier 31.31.32.the people know God from the leaſt to the greateſt. Such was the glad tidings of the Goſpel which maketh bewtiful the feet of him which declareth and hubliſheth peace, ſaying vntounto Syon (that is to the church) Thy aEſai 52.6.God reigneth, and the ſame vntounto all nations is proclaimed by the name of the greatb1. Tim. 3.16. miſterie of godlines: God manifested in the fleſh. And the effect of the goſpell preached agreeth thereunto, for thoſe nationscGal. 4.8. 1. Theſ. 1.9. who being led by the impotent and beggerly rudiments of the world knew not God, and did ſeruice vntounto them which by nature were no Gods, by the hearing of the goſpel preached, did know God, & turned from dumbe idols to ſerue the liuing and true God. Hereof the almightie giueth ſentence by his holy ſeruant Hieromie ſaying:dHier. 9.23. Let not the wiſeman glorie in his wiſdom, nor the ſtrong man glory in his ſtrength, neither the rich man glorie in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he vnderſtandeth and knoweth me &c. And according to this frame, is the laſt iudgement literally deſcribed, namly thate2. Theſ. 1.7. the Lord Ieſus ſhould ſhew himſelfe from heauen, with his mighty angels in flaming fire, rendring vengeance vntounto them that doe not know God &c.
2. And herein we ſhall find that he which knoweth God is inſtructed in two things. Firſt that God is one and that there is no other God beſide him, euen as Moſes ſaithfDeut. 6.4. Here O Iſrael, the Lord our God is Lord onelyonly, and how is he one? namelygEſai 44.6. the firſt and the laſt, the beginning and the ending, which is, which was and is to come,hMaluch. 3.6. he neuer changeth nor hath ſo much as aiIacob. 1.17. ſhadow of turning. Therefore ſaith the Pſalmiſt:kPſal. 90.2. Before the mountaines were made and before thou haddeſt formed the earth and the worlde, euen from euerlasting to euerlasting, thou art God. Secondlie that God is thelIacob. 4.12. onelyonly law-giuer and teacher of righteouſnes & ſaluation, as ſaithmPſal. 94.10. Micas. 6.8. Pſal. 98.2. the Prophets: He teacheth man knowledge, ſhewing him what is good, and what the Lord requireth of him, he declareth his ſaluation & his righteouſnes he reueileth in the ſight of the nations.
3. Now in the true and perfect vnderſtanding of theſe true things, we ſhall clerely ſee, that there is but one true & catholike religion, from the beginning of the world to thend thereof, fitly proportioned to the nature of the only God, the author, foūdor, & maintainer therof. For as Chriſt teacheth becauſenIoh. 4.24. God is a ſpirit, he muſt be worſhipped in ſpirit and truth: So the nature of God being one & vnchangeable, & his ſupreme authority, to be the only lawgiuer, there can no religion pleaſe him, but onlie one which varieth not, whereof himſelfe is the author. For this cauſe in one part of our religion which is our iuſtification & ſaluatiō, S. Paul reaſoneth thus.aRom. 3.29. God is hee the God of the Iewes only, & not of the gentils alſo? for it is one God, who ſhall iuſtifie circumciſion of faith, & vncircumciſion thorow faith. Thereby ſhewing that as God is one, namely, as wel ouer the Gentils, as ouer the Iews: ſo he will iuſtifie, circumciſion, (which are the Iewes) & vncircumciſion (which are the gentils, that is, al other nations) by one way of religion, that is to ſay, thorough faith and beleefe in his ſonne Ieſus Chriſt. For which cauſe this religion is called thebTit. 1.1. faith of Gods elect: becauſe al the elect are but of one religion, and therefore ſaint IudecIud. ver. 3. wiſheth vsus to contend for the faith which was once giuen to the ſaints: affirming that in writing thereof, hee writeth of the common ſaluation. And it is called in the former place of ſaint Paul. The knowledge of the truth according to Godlines, vnderunder the hope of eternall life, ſhewing what is the matter of this religion, and laſtly to ſhew the author, he ſaith which God that cannot lye, hath promiſed before the world began, & hath made manifeſt in his times &c. To which ſence are theſe words in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes:dHeb. 13.8. Ieſus Christ yesterday, and to day and the ſame is for euer: where ſpeaking before of the word of God and faith, and after admoniſhing them not to bee caried about with diuers and ſtrange doctrins: he meaneth by Ieſus Chriſt, (putting the cauſe for the effect) the doctrin and religion whereof he is the founder, that as he in regard of his Godhead, is without change, beginning and ending, ſo he is eternally the foundation of the church: and that doctrine and religion, which he teacheth, is the truth euerlaſting, infallible and not to be altered, as it ſeemeth to be expounded in the epiſtle to the Epheſians.eEphe. 4.4. There is one bodie, and one ſpirit, euen as you are called in one hope of your vocation: there is one Lord, one faith, one baptiſme, one God and father of all, which is aboue all, and thorow all, & in you all. And for this cauſe ſaintfEpiſt. 2. ver. 9. Iohn is bold to ſay: whoſoeuer tranſgreſſeth & abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the father and the ſonne.
4 For the more plaine euidence of this matter we may obſerue in the new Teſtament two thinges. Firſt that Chriſt and his apoſtles, profeſſed & taught no new religion, but the ſame which the ſcriptures of the old teſtament did before inſtruct: and ſecondly that in it the gentils were made and adopted children vntounto Abraham. The former Chriſt ſheweth where he ſaith,aMatt. 5.17. Thinke not that I am come to deſtroy the law or the prophets, I am not come to deſtroy them but to fulfil them, and againe.bIoh. 5.39. Search the ſcriptures for in them ye thinke to hauehave eternal life, & they are they which testifie of me. And ſaint Peter affirmeth, thatcAct. 10.43. To him giuegive all the prophets witnes, that through his name all that beleeue in him, ſhal receiue remiſsion of ſinnes, and ſaint Paul ſaith that he ſpake,dCap. 26.22. no other thinges then thoſe which the Prophets & Moſes did ſay ſhould come, and eRom. 16.26.that the Goſpell and reuelation of the miſery of Ieſus Chriſt, is opened and publiſhed among all nations by the ſcripture of the prophets at the commandement of the euerlasting God for the obedience of faith. Therefore Chriſt and his Apoſtles taught no new thing differing from the old Teſtament, the writings of Moſes and the prophets. Now for the ſecond Chriſt ſaith:fMatt. 8.12. Many ſhall come from the eaſt and from the weſt, and ſhall ſit downe with Abraham, Iſaacke and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen. Heare he ſpake of the calling of the gentils, inſinuating that they muſt bee ſaued by the ſame faith and religion, by which Abraham was, and for this cauſe, entring into the houſe of Zacheus a gentile and finding faith in the promiſe made to Abraham he ſaith.gLuk. 19.9. This day ſaluation is come into this houſe, for aſmuch as he is alſo become the ſonne of Abraham; and it is ſhadowed in that phraſe of Chriſt, where hee ſaith that Lazarus was in Abrahams boſome.Cap 16. But it is made more plaine by the Apoſtle ſaying.hGal. 3.29. If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams ſeede, and heires by promiſe: So then the goſpel adopteth vsus into Abraham to be his children, and the ſame religion, faith, & way of ſaluation, which the new Teſtament teacheth, is the ſumme of the law and prophets and of the fathers before the law, & namely of Abraham, who is theiRom. 4.16. father of vsus all.
5. But it may bee obiected, that the religion of Gods church did differ and alter; namely that before the law, from that which was after & that of the law, from that which is now vnderunder the goſpel: For the firſt age had not the law of Moſes; the ſecond were altogether ſubiect to that law: and we after the law, are ruled by the goſpel & are free from that law. For the eaſe of which ſcruple, we are to conſider, that as in material things, there are ſomthings of the ſubſtās & eſſence, which cannot be altered, except the thing it ſelfe periſh, & ſomthings are adioined, & as it were hanging vponupon the thing, as moueable properties, accidents or ornaments, as in a man the bodie & ſoule vnited are ſo farre off the ſubſtance, that if theſe, or either of theſe faile he is not a man: there be alſo ioined to a man his outward countenance, apparel, ſtature & age, & theſe make a man in outward ſhew, to differ much from himſelfe, yet is he one and the ſame man ſtil: So is it in the caſe of religion there are ſom things of the ſame nature, that if they be abſent, there can be no religion at all; ſuch is faith and louelove: ſome thinges are ſeruants and dependances vponupon theſe as ceremonies and manner of gouernment; and theſe differ according to the time, and change not the nature of religion. For as a childe is a true naturall man, though hee hauehave not the ſame ſtature or countenance of face, as when hee is olde and growne vp; and howſoeuer hee change his apparell, yeeres, ſtature, or countenance, yet is hee the ſame verie man, hee was before. So in religion; ceremonies and maner of gouernment, hauehave altered in their times, and yet make no alteration or change of religion, but doe further garniſhe and beutifie it, more or leſſe according to their ſeaſons; which ſimilitude I vſe becauſe the holie ghoſt hath the like compariſon Gal. 4.1. ſhewing the ſtate of religion vnderunder the law, to be as a child, that although he be heire yet is vnderunder tutors &c. So God appointed the fulnes of time vnderunder the goſpell, when hee woulde beutifie religion which ſuch ornaments, that it ſhold be like the freedome of an heire, when he enioyeth the poſſeſſion of his inheritance, the like wee finde in an other place where he compareth this life vntounto the life to come, by theſe wordes,k1. Cor. 13.11 When I was a child, I ſpake as a child, I vnderstood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childiſh things. And hee expoundeth this caſe where hee ſaith:lGal. 3.17. The lawe which was 430. yeeres after cannot diſanull the couenaunt, that was confirmed before of God in reſpect of Christ, that it ſhoulde make the promiſe of none effect. Whereby he ſheweth that the law came not as a new religion, faith, or doctrin of ſaluation; that the religion before the law ſhould be aboliſhed, & the law as a new, come in the roome therof; But that it had ſome other vſe, as an accidentarie ornament or ſeruant to that former religion which God had taught Abraham ſhold belong vntounto all nations, as after he ſheweth that the law was added becauſea16. ver. 19.23.24. of tranſgreſſions, & we were ſhut vp vnderunder the law, and the law was our ſchoolemaſter to bring vsus to Chriſt, that we might be made righteous thorow faith, wherby it appeareth that the giuing of the law altered not the religion, faith and doctrin of ſaluation, but was as an helping ſeruant to further the ſame; as a priſon or ſchoolemaſter to driue vsus to the true and pure religion of Abraham, that by faith in the promiſe concerning Chriſt, we are iuſtified and ſaued as Abraham was.
6 But that you may the better vnderſtand what is now in hand, I will open vntounto you what I meane by faith and louelove, and what by ceremonies and maner of gouernment. By faith, I vnderſtād the doctrin of the couenant of mercy and grace, which is ſo called, becauſe it is apprehended by faith, as in theſe words.bGal. 3.2. Receiued ye the ſpirit by the workes of the law, or by the hearing of faith. In which doctrine wee beleeue the trinitie and vnitie of God, the perſon and office of Chriſt, the creation and fall of man, his corruption, redemption, iuſtification, reſurrection of the dead, eternall life and ſuch like. For all theſe depende one vponupon an other, as in the firſt eleuen chapters to the Romanes, to the diſcreete and attentiue reader may appeare. By louelove I vnderſtand all the duties in the morall law both to God and man, as they are the fruites of faith: and as it is expounded by our Sauiour Chriſt ſaying:cMath. 22.37. Thou ſhalt louelove the Lord thy God, with al thine hart, with all thy ſoule, & with al thy mind: this is the firſt and greateſt commandement, and the ſecond is like vntounto this: thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe. By ceremonies and maner of gouernment I vnderſtand all outward rites and ordinances, with the manifeſtation of the ſpirite, which ſerue for the furtherance, beautifying and more fit expreſſing and exerciſe of theſe two aforeſaid. And ceremonies I find to be of two ſorts: ſome which are for the time, maine parts of Gods worſhippe: and ſuch are all Sacraments, as the ſacrifices and circumciſion before the law, the paſſeouer & al ſacrifices commanded by the law, by ſignes and figures of Chriſt to come, & ſuch are Baptiſme and the Lords ſupper now vnderunder the goſpel: The other ceremonies concerne the time and place of the Church meeting, and the maner & order in the decent vſage of all the partes of Gods worſhippe, which before the law is ſaidaGen. 21.33. to bee in groues, and as for other circumſtances there is little mention, as matters of no great moment: vnderunder the law theybLuc. 4.16. Act. 15.21. had ſinagogues, and appointed miniſters for the ſame, and the reading of the law with preaching euerie Saboath day: in the goſpell touching all ſuch thinges wee hauehave this rulec1. Cor. 14.4.: Let all things be done honeſtly and in order. The ordinaunces with the manifeſtation of the ſpirit, be conteined in the perſons, their offices, degrees, and dignities, their excellencie and power in their giftes, and the order of adiminiſtration. As before the law thedGen. 12.7. & cap. 17.23. father of the family,eExod. 24.5. Numb. 3.40. or the firſt borne, was the perſon, by whom the word & holy thinges of God were adminiſtred. Their degrees, dignities, &c. are not much ſpokē of, ſaue only they are caldfGen. 20.7. cap. 49 1. prophets, & did tel of things to come, & ordred the church in the families, as they wereg2. Pet. 1.21. Gen. 15. & 17. & 21. &c. guided by the ſpirite of God in propheſie, or receiued commandement by viſion or dreame from God. VnderUnder the law there is thehThis is taught in Exodus, Numbers, & Leuiticus, & expounded in Deuteronomy & all the prophets. prieſthood in the houſe of Aaron, & the Leuites vnderunder thē, attend vponupon the holy adminiſtration, by diuers orders and ordināces, keeping the people vnderunder the pure religion of faith & louelove. VnderUnder the goſpel there be alſo diuersi1. Cor. 12.4.5.6. &c. Mat. 28.19. Epheſ. 4.11. Rom. 15.18.19. adminiſtrations, giftes and works ſet in the church to rule and feede the flocke of Chriſt, to make them obedient to the faith in worde and deed. And thekMath. 13.17. cap. 11.11. & 2. Cor. 3. manifeſtation of the ſpirit is more excellent & abundant in the latter times then in the former. Now in theſe three times you may ſee, touching theſe ceremonies and maner of gouernment, great difference, and that the word of God doth not eſteeme of theſe outward thinges as of the ſubſtance of religion vnchangeable, as he doth of the inward and ſpirituall, namely faith and louelove. And firſt, as touching the time before the law, Chriſt teacheth that the Iewes could not be Abrahams children:lIoh. 8.39. becauſe they did not the works of Abraham: which workes are not in ceremonies and maner of gouernment, for they were two curious in thoſe things, and therefore Chriſt ſaith in another place:mMath. 9.13. Go and learne what this meaneth, I will hauehave merciemercy and not ſacrifice. Thereby declaring the morall duties of louelove, to be ſubſtantiall in a religious profeſſion, & not ceremonies as ſacrifice, waſhing, tithinge &c. And S. Paul on the other ſide ſaith thus:aRom. 4.10.11.12. Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteouſnes, before hee was circumciſed, and that after he receiued the ſigne of circumciſion, as the ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of the faith which he had when he was vncircumciſed, that he ſhould bee the father of all them that beleeue. Where hee ſheweth that Abrahams religion whereby hee was iuſt before God, was his faith, and that was before hee was circumciſed and without circumciſion: then his circumciſion was onelyonly a ſigne and a ſeale to ſtrengthen his faith, in ſealing vp of his righteouſneſſe, but not of the matter or ſubſtaunce of his righteouſneſſe. Secondly, that this was ſo deuided, that the gentilles which were not circumciſed might bee iuſtified through the ſame faith without the obſeruing of the lawe, and the Iewes though circumciſed, were not iuſtified except they walked in the ſteppes of Abrahams faith: So that herein conſiſteth Abrahams religion, euen in his faith and walking in the ſteppes thereof, the ceremonies were onelyonly ornamentes and outward helpes to the ſame. After which manner the prophetes alſo do interprete the law. For when the people preferred the ceremonies and maner of gouernment before the morall dueties and faith. Eſay ſaith vntounto them:bEſai. 1.10. Heare the word of the Lord, O princes of Sodom, herken vntounto the law of our God, O people of Gomorrah: What hauehave I to do with the multitude of your ſacrifices, ſaith the Lord &c. Where he calleth thē frō the fooliſh and curious obſeruation of ceremonies and maner of gouernmentcverſ. 16. Repentance and the fruites thereof according to louelove, and of faith in the conſent and obedience to Gods word and mercy.dverſ. 19. And in another place he ſaith thatecap. 66.1.2. God eſteemeth neither temple nor ſacrifice, but the humble and contrite heart, who trembleth at his word. Hereof Hieremie: fHier. 7.3.4.Amend your waies and your works, & I will let you dwell in this place, truſt not in lying wordes ſaying the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord &c. For this cauſe the Pſalmiſt ſheweth that the endgPſal. 78.5.7. why God gaue Iſrael his law, that they ſhould teach it there poſteritie, was this: That they might ſet their hope on God, and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements. And the cauſe of all the plagues was not in regard of ceremonies or maner of gouernment (for he ſaithhPſal. 50.8. I wil not reproue thee for thy ſacrifices) but for their falling away from faith as it is written:aPſal. 106.13.14.24. They forgat his workes & waited not for his counſell, but luſted with concupiſcence &c. and beleeued not his worde: And therefore it is ſaid in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes.bHeb. 3.2. The word that they heard profited not them, becauſe it was not mixed with faith in thoſe that heard it. So likewiſe in the whole tenor of the goſpell, what is the principall aime of the holy Ghoſt, to make men religious? are not theſe two namely faith and louelove? is not the ſumme of the goſpel in theſe two:cMarc. 1.15. Repent & beleeue the goſpell. Did not Paul ſay, that when he taught the Epheſians all the counſell of God, that he taught themdAct. 20.20.21.: Repentance towardes God, & faith in Ieſus Chriſt: and what is this els, but that wee ſhould leaue the wickedneſſe of our heartes and liues, and walke in all dueties of louelove to God and man, and hold faſt his holy couenant by a true & liuely faith: Therefore he ſaith els where, thateGal. 5.6. in Ieſus Chriſt, neither circumciſion auaileth any thing, neither vncircumciſion, but faith which worketh by louelove. Where by circumciſion he meaneth the ceremonies, and maner of gouernment of the law as hee expoundeth it, verſe 3. and ſo contrarily vncircumciſion ſignifieth the order and maner of the gentils. Therefore theſe outward thinges are not the maine ſubſtance but onelyonly faith and louelove. Hereof it is that the ſpirite of God commendeth thefEph. 1.15. Coloſſ. 1.4. 1. Theſ. 1.3. churches for their faith and louelove, hope and patience: and Saint Paul ſpeaking of himſelfe ſheweth how hee became a religious Chriſtian, ſaying:g1. Tim. 2.13. Before I was a blaſphemer, and a perſecutor, and an oppreſſor, but I was receiued to merciemercy &c. but the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and louelove, which is in Chriſt Ieſus. Whereby you ſee that a wicked life and vnbeliefe, make a prophane and irreligious perſon, but faith and louelove a true and religious Chriſtian. And hereof followeth the difference, betweene an hipocrite and a true Chriſtian: the one is altogether ſuperſtitious in outward thinges,hMat. 23.5. labouring by ſuch obſeruations to appeare righteous & religious vntounto men, but within is full of hipocriſie and iniquitie: the other hathi1. Tim. 1.5. louelove out of a pure heart, and of a good conſcience & of faith vnfained. And this is the cauſe that the Corinthiansk1. Cor. 10.1.2 3.4.5.6.7. &c. are threatened with the feareful examples of the Iſraelites in their abode in the wilderneſſe, that hauing the word of God and his holy ſacramentes, they walked not faithfully with God, and therefore were puniſhed; So the Corinthians ought not to put their truſt in their ſacramentes and liue contrarie to faith and louelove, for thē they are like to be puniſhed as the Iſraelits were. So thē you ſee what is ſubſtātial & perpetual, & what is changeable according to times.
7 Howbeit here is to be vnderſtood, that thoſe ceremonies & outward things in the maner of gouernment are neceſſarie and in their times religiouſly to bee obſerued, though not ſo highly eſteemed as the parts of the vnchangeable ſubſtance of religion: but being the cōmandemēts of God by which he wold for the time be outwardly worſhipped, or els teach & ſeal his couenant to his people, that they might be ſteadie & increaſe in faith & louelove, & that all things in the vſe, profeſſion & exerciſe of their faith might be done comely, ſeemly, orderly & cōmendably according to his worde: whoſoeuer offended in any of theſe were ſubiect to puniſhment, not onelyonly that he whichaHeb. 10.28. Deut. 19.17. diſpiſed Moſes law ſhould die without mercy vnderunder two or three witneſſes: butbHeb. 2.2. alſo eueryevery trāſgreſſion & diſobedience receiued a iuſt recompence of reward.cLeuit. 10.1. As Nadab & Abihu the ſons of Aaron, for offering ſtrange fire, (that is ſuch as God had not appointed) were deuoured with fire which came frō the Lord.d2. Sam. 6. Vzzah was ſmitten with ſodain death for holding the Arke, vntounto which he had no office & calling:e2. Cron. 26.19. And Vzziah king of Iudah was ſtriken with a leproſie, for vſurping the prieſts office. Therfore in their times, and during ſo long time as God appointed theſe ceremonies and maner of gouernment to be vſed in his church they were to be obſerued with all care & conſcience, becauſe of the commandmēt of God: only taking heed, that no affiance ſhould be put in thē aboue their proper vſe, but only make them helpes and ornamentes to the more ſubſtantiall pillars of faith & louelove. And when the time was come that they ſhould bee aboliſhed, then was the church free from ſuch ordinances, for they were as the holy GhoſtfHeb. 9.9. ſaith, figures for the time preſent vntil the time of reformation, gCap. 10.11.they were ſhadowes of good things to come, & not the very image (or ſubſtāce) of the things themſelues. Namely in as much as Chriſt by the oath of God became a prieſt for euer after the order of Melchiſedeck, to make perfect that which the Leuiticall prieſthood could neuer accompliſh: the prieſthood of Aaron & al the law of Moſes were changed, and the ſeruant gaue place to him that was Lord of the houſe, as is at large diſputed in thehCap. 3.7.8.9.10. epiſtle to the Hebrewes. Hereof it came to paſſe, that all the ſacrifices before the law, & circumciſion which were of the fathers, and all the miniſterie of Moſes gaue place at the comming of this great high prieſt, the ſonne of God the Lord & head of the Church, Ieſus Chriſt. And heiDan. 9.27. confirmed the couenant, and cauſed the ſacrifice and oblation to ceaſe, heaEph. 2.14.15. brake the ſtop of the partitiō wall, abrogating through his fleſh the law of cōmandemēts ſtanding in ordināces, that aſwell gentils as Iewes might hauehave acceſſe vntounto God by his ſpirit,bGal. 5.1.2.3. he hath ſet vsus at liberty frō the yoke of bondage which was by the low: ſo that nowcIoh. 4.21. we are not tied to Hieruſalē, to worſhip the father: but that wed1. Tim. 2.8. may pray eueryevery where lifting vp pure handes. AndeAct. 15.9. God putteth no difference betweene men, for theſe ceremonies and maner of gouernment when their heartes are purified by faith: yet is it not his diuine wiſedome and goodneſſe, that we ſhould be altogether without ceremonies & gouernment: For in ſtead of the prieſtes & Leuites, he hathf1. Cor. 12.18. Eph. 4.11. ſet in his church, Apoſtles, Prophets, Euangeliſts, paſtors, and teachers, to teach vsus & guide vsus in the pure religiō of faith & knowledge of the ſon of God, & for our further help, we hauehave in ſtead of all ſacrifices before and vnderunder the law, the ſweet preaching of Chriſt only ſacrifice (by which they were ended & accōpliſhed) to aſſure our conſciences, that he isgHeb. 7.25. ca. 9.28. & 10.18. able perfectly to ſaue them that come to God by him, and that by one ſacrifice once made, hee did ſo fully take away ſin, that there is now no more offering for ſin. Andh1. Cor. 5.7. & cap. 11.23. in ſteade of the paſſeouer which was a figure of Chriſt to come, wee hauehave the holy ſupper of the Lord to ſhew forth his death til he come again. AndiColoſ. 2.11. Tit. 3.5. & Math. 28.19. for circumciſion, which ſignified the putting of the ſinfull fleſh by the bloude of Chriſt which was to come: now Chriſt is come, wee hauehave baptiſme for the waſhing of the new birth, & renuing of the holy Ghoſt, to enter vsus into his holy church. And generally, we are taught by the goſpellk1. Cor. 14.26.33. to doe all things in the church vntounto edification & without confuſiō. And all thoſe euangelicall ordinanceslIbi. ver. 37. & 1. Tim 6.13.14 are the commandements of God to be kept vnblameable & vnchangeable vntill the comming of Chriſt.