thinges might be well
vsed. But these are thinges vtterly euell and can not be well
vsed. They after Christes ascenscion into heauen wer not
forbidden / and therfor might be obserued / so long as the
Temple and common welth of Israel did continue and the citie was
vndestroyed / and vntill the full reuelinge and preachinge of
the gospell was had / vntill by it the churche of Christe /
which was to be gathered of the Iues and gentils / were well /
and fully vnited and knitt together.

[[Aug. Epistol. 19. ad Hieron.]]

Neyther wer those ceremonies / as Augustine saith / suddenly and
without honor to be buried and throwen awaye. But these masses /
and such popish supersticions / which are farsed full with
Idolatrie / alwayes haue beene / are / and shalbe forbidden.
Those thinges might therfor be keapt and obserued for a tyme /
so that men did not vse them with that mynde (as I sayed) to be
iustified by them. Wherfor yf thow wilt consider the matier it
self / that is / the nature of the acte / Paule can neither be
therin reprehended / nor yet can these dissemblige Massehaunters
vse his well doinge as a defence for their euell doinge: but
much les can this be done / yf thou wilt searche out the mynde /
councell / and entent of Paules doinge. Bothe these thinges
these mayntayners of massehaunting do want. For furst they are
occupied in a thing which is contrary / and repugnant to Godds
worde / as it is already declared. Secondly / in thys their
dissimulacion they do only seke themselues / for to thend that
they maye retayne their riches / dignitie / and estimacion by
falling to poperye they offend the weake and drawe them by their
example from Christe to Antichrist / wheras Paule did herin
obserue thinges commaunded in Goddes worde / and then to this
ende only / les the beleauing Iues shuld fall backe from Christ /
and that he might the more easily drawe others / which yet
beleaued not / to the gospell of Christe. Furthermore these men
do saye / that they by their dissimulacion will auoide offence.
For (saye they) yf we shuld so vtterly forsake the Masse as ye
wolde haue vs / we shulde be taken as wicked men and euell doers /
and so shall we geue great offence in out countrithes. I graunte
that these men do seke to auoyd offence / but what offence? euen
the offence of the world. They will not offend / but whom?
Tyrauntes / and such as ar the very limmes of antichrist. And why?
les they shuld procure against themselues