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BEfore the lawe, in the tyme of Noe, God did forbid the eatyng of bloud, and flesh, with the bloud of any dead thing, either beyng killed of wild beastes, or els being strangled. The fathers did eate herbes and frutes of the earth before the drowning of the world. And af∣ter,
God graunted them libertie to eate of the beastes, and commaunded to kill them, and to shed their bloud. Furthermore in the law, God with a great seueritie, saith: whosoeuer of the house of Israel, or of the inhabi∣taunts which do dwell amongst you, shall eate any bloud, I wil set my face agaynst such a soule, and I will put him out from among the people. Nor it was without iust and very great causes, yt God did forbid with so great seueritie the eating of bloud. For at the beginning after the wordes reci∣ted, he addeth: For the soule or life of the fleshe is in the bloud, and I gaue it you vpon the aultar to purge your soules. For the bloud shal clense the soule. And therfore I sayd to ye children of Israel: let neuer a soule among you eate bloud. &c. Lo, a very cleare and manifest reason is here rendred in these wordes, why it is not lawfull to eate bloud, seing that bloud is a most excellent thing, being appoynted for the sanctification of men. For God gaue bloud to be as it were a price, whereby sinnes might be clensed, a reward, (I say,) for their redemption, by the whiche they might be ab∣solued from their sinnes. Furthermore, bloud is life, that is, the nourish∣ment of life. The bloud therfore signified, Christes bloud to be shed vpon the Crosse, by the which as a most full and perfect propitiation, the faith∣full beleuers, are purged and sanctified, and in the which is the nourish∣ment of the soule vnto euerlasting life. And as it was not lawfull to eate of the flesh of the Sacrifices, the bloud wherof was brought into the holy places, for sinnes, but the Sacrifices were brent without the court: so like wise, it was vnlawfull to eate bloud, as though it were a purging for sinne. He therfore did eate bloud, which attributed the perfect clensing of sinne by the bloud of Christ, to his owne strength and workes, or els, thought Christs bloud to be prophane and vnholy, not ascribing vnto the same a full sanctification of all sinnes. He did not eate bloud, but poured it out at the altar, who soeuer ascribed the benefite of our redemption to the onely merite of Christ, and estemed it so much as it ought worthyly to be estemed. Moreouer God would haue this thing depely imprinted in the mindes of men, that no mā should shed mās bloud, or liue of the bloud and bowels of man, the whiche thing the hired and wicked soldiours do, couetous men, vsurars, & deceyuers also cōmit the same, shedding or de∣uouring the bloud of sely wretched men, by crafty meanes and iniurious dealings with them.
* 1.1Also God, when he spake and communed with Noe, by fearfull and ve∣ry grieuous meanes, manaced them, saying: I my selfe, (if men be slacke) will take vengeaunce for the shedding of bloud, for man is made and cre∣ated like to the image of God. Therfore God doth accompt that contume∣ly and reproche to be done to him, whiche is done to man being his image. For who soeuer throweth downe the image of a kyng, he offendeth the
king him self, and is accused of treason. Furthermore this law was made of strangled meates: Thou shalt not eate with bloud.
Also do yu not eate of any carkeis or slaine thing, killed of wild beasts, &c. By straungled meates & dead carkesses, are signified dead workes, frō the which he is cōmaunded to purge him selfe by the grace and mercy of God, whiche desireth to please God. Therfore he did eate straungled meates, whiche liued in his wickednes without repentaunce, nor greatly cared for Christes bloud.
Gen. 9