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598 [598]

K. Richard. 2. The story of Walter Brute with his declarations

oftentimes offeryng the selfe same sacrifices, whiche neuer can take away sinnes. But this man offering one sacrifice for sinnes, doth for euer and euer sit at gods right hand, lookyng for the rest to come till that his enemyes, be placed to be his foote stoole. For with one offeryng hath he for euer made perfect those that be sanctified. By whiche thinges it plainly appeareth, that Christ by one offeryng hath clensed his from their sinnes: who could not be clēsed from the same, by all the ceremonies of the lawe, and so did fulfill that whiche the priesthoode of the law could not. Wherfore onely the morals and iudicials be fulfilled by the lawe of charitie, and by grace: and the ceremonials, by one offering vp of his body in þe altare of the crosse. And so it is plaine, that Christ fulfilled þe whole law. MarginaliaAll shadowes ought to cease amōg Christians.Wherfore sithens that the holy thinges of the law, were a shadow of those thinges that were to come in the tyme of grace: it were meete that all those things should vtterly cesse amongest Christians, whiche should either be agaynst charitie, or the grace of Christ. Although in the tyme of the lawe, they were lawfull, and not vtterly cōtrary to it, but were figures of perfections in Christes faith: yet it were meete that they should cesse at the commyng of the perfection whiche they did prefigurate: as circumcision, the eating of the paschall lambe, and other ceremoniall pointes of the lawe. Whereupon also Paul to the Hebrues the 7. chapter saythe thus, MarginaliaHeb. 7.
Where the preisthoode is remoued ther also the law is remoued.
Yf therefore the makyng vp of þe perfectiō of all was by the Leuiticall priesthoode (for the people receiued the law vnder him) why was it necessary besides, that an other priest should rise vp after the order of Melchisedech, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For when the priesthoode is remoued, it must nedes be, that the lawe also be remoued. For he, in whom these thinges are spoken, is of an other tribe, of which, none stoode present at the alter. Because it is manifest that our Lord had hys ofspringe of Iuda: in whiche tribe Moses spake nothing of the priestes. And besides this, it is manifest: if accordyng to the order of Melchisedech there do rise vppe an other priest, whiche was not made accordyng to the law of the carnall commaundemēt, but accordyng to the power of the lyfe that cannot be loased. For thus he beareth wytnes, that þu art a priest for euer, after the order of Melchisedech: so that, the commaundement that went before, is dissalowed for the weakenes and vnprofitablenes therof. For the law hath brought no body to perfection. By whiche thynges it appeareth that Christ making (an end of þe priesthoode of Aaron) doth also make vp a full ende of the law belongyng to that priesthoode.  

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The following passages contain an attack by Brut on tithes and Foxe's attempt, in a marginal gloss, to explain that what Brut really meant was that tithes could not be defended by citing Old Testament law.

Wherupō I meruell that your learned men do say, that Christen folkes are Marginalia* Bound, as a matter of religion or as by the necessity of Gods law and not mans: wheras now tithes stand by mans law, & not by necessitie of the old law.bounde to this small ceremonie of the payment of tythes, and care nothing at all for other aswell the great as the small ceremonies of the law. MarginaliaTithes whether they stand necessary now by gods law, or not.It is plaine, that the tythes were geuen to the sonnes of Leui, for their seruing in the tabernacle and in þe temple of the Lord, as the first fruites were geuē to the priestes, and also part of the sacrifices, and so were the vowes for their ministerye, as it appeareth in the booke of Numbers the xxij. chapter. MarginaliaThe cause ceasyng, the effect also ceaseth.But forasmuch as the labour of those sacrifices did cease at the comming of Christ: how should those things be demaūded, which wer ordained for that labour? MarginaliaHe meaneth that necessity of tythes, which standeth by the necessitie of the old law to cease.And seing that the first fruites are not demaūded of Christians, which first fruites were then rather and soner demaunded thē the tythes: why must the tythes be demaunded, except it be therfore peraduenture because that þe tythes be more worth in value then be the first fruites? MarginaliaThe necessity of first fruites ceaseth: Ergo, the necessitie of tithes also ceaseth by the olde law.Secondly, why are the lay people bound to the payment of tythes, more then the Leuites and priestes were to the not hauing of possessions of realties and lordships amongst their brethren? MarginaliaIf tithes be claimed by force of the old law, by the same law priests are bound to haue no temporal ties, by the which law they are bounde to take tithes.seing that the self same law in the self same place (where he sayth that the tythes ought to be geuen to the Leuites) sayth also to the Leuites, You shall be contented with the offering of the tythes and haue none otherthyng amonst your brethren. Wherfore seing that the priestes be not bound, to the not hauing of temporall lordships: how are the lay people bound, by that law (of God he meaneth, & not of mā) to the payment of tythes? MarginaliaHe proueth not contrary, but that thithes be due, by the positiue law of man. Although not by the ceremoniall law of Moses.Thirdly as touching circumcision, which is one of the greater ceremonies of the lawe, and was geuen before the lawe, and was an vniuersall ceremonie, concerning the couenaunt betwene God and his people and was so much regarded in the law, that therof it was sayd, The soule, whose flesh shall not be circumcised in þe foreskin, shall perishe from amongst his people: yet did this ceremonie vtterly cease at the comming of Christ, MarginaliaCircumcision ceaseth: Ergo, the ceremonies do cease.although that certain of the Iewes did say in þe primatiue church, that the Christians must nedes kepe the cōmaundement of circumcision with the fayth: whom Paule reproueth writing thus to the Galathians the iiij. chapter, where he speaketh of the children of the bondwoman and of the freewoman, which do signifie the ij. Testamentes. MarginaliaGalat. 4. But we (O brethren) are the childrē of þe promise after Isaac, but like as at that time he þt was borne after the fleshe, did persecute him, which was after the spirite: euen so it is now also. But what sayth the Scripture? Throw out the bondwoman and her sonne. The sonne of the bondwoman, shall not be heire with the sonne of the freewoman. Wherfore brethren, we are not the sonnes of the bondwoman, but of the free. MarginaliaChristian liberty from the bōdage of the lawStand ye stedfast in the libertie, wherwith Christ hath deliuered you, and be not ye holden againe vnder the yoke of slauerye. Beholde I Paule say vnto you, if you be circumcised, Christ shall nothing profite you. For I testifie againe to euery man that circumciseth himselfe, that he is bound to kepe all the whole lawe. Ye are vtterly voyde of Christ: whosoeuer will be iustified in the law, are fallen from grace. In like maner, we may reason, if we be bound to tything, we are debters, and bound to keepe all the whole lawe. For to say that men are bound to one ceremonie of the lawe, and not to the others, is no reasonable saying. MarginaliaBound in one thing (he meaneth) bound in all.
Either bound to all, or to none.
Eyther therfore we are bound to all of them, or to none. Also, that by the same Marginalia* Here he expresseth his mening plainly* olde lawe, men are not bound to paye tythes, it may be shewed by many reasons, which we nede not any more to multiply and encrease, because the thinges that be said, are sufficient. Wherupon some do say, that by the Gospell we are bound to pay tythes, because Christ sayd to the Pharisies, Math. 23. chapter, Woe be to you scribes and Pharisies, which pay your tythe of mynt, of Anets sede, & of commyn: & leaue iudgement, mercy, & truth vndone, being þe weightier thinges of the law: boeth should ye haue done these thinges, and also not haue left the other vndone. O ye blinde guides, that straine out a gnat, and swallow vp a camell. MarginaliaThe one is disalowed, the other is not commaunded.Thys worde soundeth not as a commaundement or manner of bidding, wherby Christ did cōmaund tythes to be geuen: but it is a word of disalowing þe hipocrisie of þe Pharisies, who of couetousnes did rather weigh & esteme tithes, because for their own singular commoditie, rather thē other great & weightie cōmaundements of the law. MarginaliaPriests wrast religion to theyr owne profite.And me semeth that our men are in the same predicamēt of the pharisies, whiche do leaue of all the ceremonies of the olde law, kepyng onely the commaundement of tything. It is manifest and playne ynough by þe premisses, and by other places of the Scripture, that Christ was a priest after the order of Melchisedech, of þe tribe of Iuda, not of the tribe of Leuy: who gaue no new commaundement of tything of any to him and to his priestes whō he would place after him: but whē his Apostles said to him, Behold, we leaue all thyngs & haue folowed thee, what then shall we haue, he did not aūswere thē thus: MarginaliaTithes not expressely commaunded a new by Christ in the Gospell.Tythes shalbe paid you, neither did he promise thē a tēporal but an euerlasting reward in heauen. For he, both for foode, & also apparel taught his disciples not to be carefull. Be ye not careful for your life, what ye shal eate, or for your body what ye shall put on. MarginaliaMath. 6.Is not the lyfe of man more

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