A09453:329
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Again, we hold this practise to be wicked, because it taketh away the liberty of ⟨p. 227⟩Christians: by which, unto the pure all things are pure. And the Apostle, Gal. 5. bids us to stand fast in this liberty, which the Church of Rome would thus abolish. For the better understanding of this, let us consider how the Lord himself hath from the beginning kept in his own hands as a master in his own house; the disposition of his creatures for the use of man, that he might depend on him and his word for temporal blessings. In the first age, he appointed unto him for meat every herb of the earth bearing seed, and every tree wherein there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed. Gen. 1. 18. And as for flesh, whether God gave unto him liberty to eat or not to eat, we hold it uncertain. After the flood the Lord renewed his grant of the use of the creatures, and gave his people liberty to eat the flesh of living creatures: yet so as he made some things unclean: and forbade the eating of them: among the rest,1 the eating of blood. But since the coming of Christ he hath enlarged his word, and given liberty to all both Jews & Gentiles, to eat of all kinds of flesh. This word of his, ⟨p. 228⟩we rest upon; holding it a doctrine of devils, for men to command an abstinence from meats, for conscience sake; which the Lord himself hath created to be received with thanksgiving. Socrates a Christian historiographer saith, that the Apostles left it 2free to every one to use what kind of meat they would on fasting days, and other times. Spiridion in lent dressed swines flesh, and set 3it before a stranger, eating himself and bidding the stranger also to eat: who refusing & professing him self to be a Christian, therefore (saith he) the rather must thou do it: for to the pure all things are pure, as the word of God teacheth us.