repealed, as I said before, but expired also, there being now no such things among us, as any meat offered in sacrifice to Idolls, only the generall respects of scandall, bind us still, according as oc∣casion may be, as those places do abundantly urge.
A third thing was, not eating things strangled, and this was also Ceremoniall, being specially forbidden, because the bloud was not powred out of it, Lev. 17.13. and the repeale of it may be clearly evidenced, not only from the former place, 1 Cor. 10.25, 27. Which is generall, but also from the 1 Tim. 4. and Col. 2. which allowes plainly all kind of meat; yet this also was necessary to be forbid∣den, so long as bloud was forbidden, of which we come now in the last place to speak.
The fourth thing then here mentioned, was the not eating of Bloud, the most antient of all the other, being as old as Noahs age, immediately after the floud. Gen. 9. and oftimes urged by Moses, and mentioned in the Prophets with all earnestnesse, and severe threatnings, and gracious promises. Yet that this also is repealed, may appear; not only,
First, Because bloud, having a nourishing quality, and being by God, in Nature, made fit for meat (as appears by experience) it comes fairly within the compasse of those Generall sentences, allow∣ing all kinds of meat, mentioned before. But specially, because,
Secondly, it was, at the very first institution, a document of a spi∣rituall thing, namely, to teach them to abhorre shedding the Bloud of men, and accordingly it is joyned with it, Gen. 9. as if God had said more plainly, Because I will inure you, not to shed the bloud of men, I do forbid you to eate the bloud of any Beast, or Foule, or other Creature, the flesh of which I shall allow you to eate: like that Law, afterward given to the Jewes. That they should not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe, that treads out the corn, which (sayes the Apostle) 1 Cor. 9. was written altogether for our sakes; that the Ministers should be maintained. Seeing then the forbidding of Bloud was a part of the Pedagogy, of the Infant-Church, of the Old Testament, it is fairly argued, that it is now ceased when that Church is come to age.
Thirdly, because, Bloud was also expressely made a Type of the Reconciliation of Christ, by his Bloud shedding, and in that respect was forbidden to be eaten or drunk, God would reserve it from common