A17183:1321
Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)
Fifty godly and learned sermons divided into five decades, containing the chief and principal points of Christian religion, written in three several tomes or sections, by Henry Bullinger minister of the church of Tigure in Switzerland. Whereunto is adjoined a triple or three-fold table very fruitful and necessary. Translated out of Latin into English by H.I. student in divinity.Fiftie godlie and learned sermons diuided into fiue decades, conteyning the chiefe and principall pointes of Christian religion, written in three seuerall tomes or sections, by Henrie Bullinger minister of the churche of Tigure in Swicerlande. Whereunto is adioyned a triple or three-folde table verie fruitefull and necessarie. Translated out of Latine into English by H.I. student in diuinitie.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralph Newberrie, 1577London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralphe Newberrie, 1577
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.
Lastly, of such as creep by the ground no small number are noted. For men altogether wrapped in worldly muck do utterly displease the Lord. I have of purpose not reckoned up, all the names of the forbidden creatures, partly because it would have been too tedious unto you, and partly because the interpreters of the Bible do wonderfully stick in the interpretation of their names: so that I can never marvel enough at the extreme blind stubbornness of the Jewish people in keeping so strictly the choice of their meats, when their own Rabbins do stick and cannot tell certainly what creatures they be that the Lord did forbid them.
Lastly, of suche as créepe by the grounde no small number are noted. For menne altogether wrapped in worldly mucke doe vtterly displease the Lorde. I haue of purpose not reckoned vp, all the names of the forbidden creatures, partly because it wold haue béene too tedious vnto you, and partly because the interpreters of the Bible do wonderfully sticke in the interpretation of their names: so that I can neuer meruaile ynough at the extréeme blinde stubbernenesse of the Iewish people in kéepinge so strictly the choice of their meates, when their owne Rabbines do sticke and cannot tell certeinly what creatures they bée that the Lorde did forbid them.
To this belongeth, that even before the law, in the time of Noah, 1God did forbid to eat the blood, and the flesh with the blood of any thing torn by wild beasts, or strangled. Before the deluge the fathers did eat the herbs and fruits of the earth. After the flood they had leave given to eat the flesh of living creatures, but so yet that they should cut the throat off, and drain the blood out of the body. The place is extant in the ninth Chapter of Genesis. Moreover in the law the Lord with great severity saith: Whatsoever man it be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood, I will set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. Leviticus 17. And the same law is repeated in the nineteenth Chapter of the same book, and in the 12 and 15 Chapter of Deuteronomy. It is again rehearsed in the third and seventh Chapter of Leviticus. Neither is it without very just and great causes that he did so severely forbid the eating of blood. For first of all, after the words above rehearsed he addeth immediately: For the life of the flesh is in the blood: & I have given it unto you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For blood shall make an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel: Let no soul among you eat blood &c. Lo in these words a most evident reason is given, why it was not lawful to eat blood, because blood was the most excellent and precious thing, as that which was ordained for the sanctification of mankind. For God gave blood to be as the price, wherewith sins should be cleansed, to be I say, the price of redemption, whereby men should be absolved of their sins. Blood also is the life, that is, the nourishment of life.