A89503:391
A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude
A practical commentary, or An exposition with notes on the Epistle of Jude. Delivered (for the most part) in sundry weekly lectures at Stoke-Newington in Middlesex. By Thomas Manton, B.D. and minister of Covent-Garden.
London: printed by J.M. for Luke Fawn, 1658
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.
2. There are frequent and constant dissuasives from this perverting our liberty in Christ to the service of any fleshly design: The Spirit of God foresaw how corrupt nature in us would tempt us to abuse our privileges to an evil purpose; yea many had already attempted it in the Apostles days, as the sect of the Nicholaitans, the school of Simon, and after them the Gnostics and Basilikians, who under colour of Evangelical liberty, gave up themselves to lawless and brutish practices (as before was hinted) therefore by way of prevention, dissuasives are very frequent every where, as Rom. 6. 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid: As if he had said, you will not want such corrupt Teachers, nay your hearts will be marvellous apt to frame such kind of consequences and conclusions; but reject them with indignation. So Gal. 5. 13. You are called to liberty, only use not your liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Christ hath done his part, purchased glorious privileges for you; only take you heed that you do not abuse them, your base hearts are apt enough: so 1 Pet. 2. 16. As free, but not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness. Freedom by Christ will be an unfit cover and pretence for so vile a practice.
2. There are frequent and constant disswasives from this perverting our liberty in Christ to the service of any fleshly design: The Spirit of God foresaw how corrupt nature in us would tempt us to abuse our priviledges to an evil purpose; yea many had already attempted it in the Apostles dayes, as the sect of the Nicholaitans, the school of Simon, and after them the Gnosticks and Basilikians, who under colour of Evangelical liberty, gave up themselves to lawlesse and bruitish practices (as before was hinted) therefore by way of prevention, disswasives are very frequent every where, as Rom. 6. 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid: As if he had said, you will not want such corrupt Teachers, nay your hearts will be marvellous apt to frame such kind of consequences and conclusions; but reject them with indignation. So Gal. 5. 13