A76991:879
The True Bounds of Christian Freedom
The true bounds of Christian freedom or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the several late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned John Cameron's, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.The true bounds of Christian freedome or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the severall late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned Iohn Camerons, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.
London: printed by J.L. for Philemon Stephens, 1645
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1. We abuse Christian liberty, when in the use of it we scandal others: liberty was purchased for the comfort of our selves, not for the affliction of others; they abuse it indeed, who so use it, as to others affliction. We read of some young Christians of Corinth would eat meat offered to Idols, to that end only to show their liberty: But the Apostle tells them, 1 Cor. 10.24. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. And Saint Paul is frequent in instructing them, how to exercise Christian liberty in case of scandal. Gal. 5.13. Brethren you have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Christ hath taken off our former yoke of bondage, not that we should be more Wanton, but more careful: Indeed for the comfort of our selves, but not to destroy another, as the Apostle argues, 1 Cor. 8.11. Through thy knowledge shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ dyed, &c.
1. We abuse Christian libertie, when in the use of it we scandall others: libertie was purchased for the comfort of our selves, not for the affliction of others; they abuse it indeed, who so use it, as to others affliction. We reade of some young Christians of Corinth would eate meat offered to Idols, to that end onely to shew their libertie: But the Apostle tels them, 1 Cor. 10.24. All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expedient. And Saint Paul is frequent in instructing them, how to exercise Christian libertie in case of scandall. Gal. 5.13. Brethren you have been called unto libertie, onely use not libertie for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Christ hath taken off our former yoake of bondage, not that we should be more Wanton, but more carefull: Indeed for the comfort of our selves, but not to destroy another, as the Apostle argues, 1 Cor. 8.11. Through thy knowledge shall thy weake brother perish for whom Christ dyed, &c.