Four books on the eleventh of Matthew

And then Thirdly, In the ceremonial Law, there the very service of God had a kind of burden in it, for there were so many external performances, that the Holy Ghost calls them beggarly Rudiments, so many outward ceremonies, outward things, that were a burden to the outward man, and they were mean things, and childish things, in comparison of the Gospel, they are called by the Apostle Beggarly Rudiments: And truly, one would think, that when we shall read such a Scripture as that, that shall call the ceremonies of the Law beggarly rudiments, that were the ceremonies appointed by God himself, and yet when they came to be abrogated they were called but beggarly rudiments, one would admire how it is possible that any one that professeth Christianity, should come and conform themselves to so many ceremonies as they have done, to such beggarly rudiments; certainly, these must needs be beggarly rudiments much more, and what a strange pass were we brought into, that we should count such things the great Ornaments of Gods service, whenas God did not require them but at that time, and that they are so vilified by God now. But inventions are never required by God, and therefore they are to be accounted more vile, and ⟨p. 722⟩it is a great mercy to be delivered from the bondage of the outward ceremonies of the Law, though such things as were once appointed by God, to spend so many days as they did from their outward business, this is somewhat, Surely, if it were in mans power to appoint ceremonies, and make days holy as many did undertake heretofore, we had been brought into a greater bondage than ever the Jews were under the Law, but Christ would have ease in the outward administration of his worship.

And then Thirdly, In the ceremoniall Law, there the very service of God had a kind of burden in it, for there were so many external performances, that the Holy Ghost cals them beggarly Rudiments, so many outward ceremonies, outward things, that were a burden to the outward man, and they were mean things, and childish things, in comparison of the Gospel, they are called by the Apostle Beggarly Rudiments: And truly, one would think, that when we shall read such a Scripture as that, that shall call the ceremonies of the Law beggarly rudiments, that were the ceremonies appointed by God himself, and yet when they came to be abrogated they were called but beggarly rudiments, one would admire how it is possible that any one that professeth Christianity, should come and conform themselves to so many ceremonies as they have done, to such beggarly rudiments; certainly, these must needs be beggarly rudiments much more, and what a strange pass were we brought into, that we should count such things the great Ornaments of Gods service, whenas God did not require them but at that time, and that they are so vilified by God now. But inventions are never required by God, and therefore they are to be accounted more vile, and