Law taught to the people so much truth as was necessary to their Salvation till the coming of the Baptist and of our Saviour I press them not so far as that these taught no Errors And if they taught not the former Truths judg what a case the People were in who had no Copy of the Law themselves and also had such an Injunction in Deut. 17.18 upon pain of death for their presumption v. 12,13 to obey these Law-expounders § 15 But against what hath been said are urged several things considerable α First here is urged our Saviour's manifestly declaring elsewhere not only against the lives but doctrines of the Pharisees and warning the people or at least his disciples to be aware of these doctrines see Matt. 16.6 compared with 12. β declaring that they transgressed the commandements of God by their Tradition and that in vain they worshipped God teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Matt. 15.3.9 γ Again that they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men or as S. Luke hath it c. 11. v. 52. that they had taken away the key of knowledg neither going in themselves nor suffering those that were entering to go in Matt. 23.13 δ That those whom they made Proselites they made them twofold more the chlldren of hell than themselves Matt. 23.15 ε And that they were blind leaders of the blind and that if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch Matt 15.14 ζ And what dangerous blind leaders they were we see when as they taught the people that Jesus was not the Messias and excommunicated his followers Jo. 9.34 and at last this highest Spiritual Court or Ecclesiastical Synod condemned this Saviour of the world to death for a Seducer a Blasphemer a destroyer of the Law and so also his Apostles after him η To which may be added Esai 8.20 where the Prophet directs the people immediately to the Law and Testimony To the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them All which seems inconsistible with Mat. 23.2 as it is interpreted § 16 I answer No. 1. Because tho it cannot be denied that some doctrine or doctrines of the Pharisees there were that were damnable and destructive of salvation such was that wherein they taught the people contrary to the evidence of the Law Jo. 5.39 45. c. that Jesus was not the Messias yet our Saviour and the Baptist and the twelve Disciples sent abroad in these taught the people contrary to them whom as we have said before the people were bound to believe and not them because now the Messias not the Sanedrim was the Supreme Judge upon which the Cardinal no enemy to the High Priests Supremacy is facile to grant that Non fuit necessarium ut Pontifices Judaeorum non possent errare quando Christus summus totius Ecclesiae Pontifex praesens aderat Ecclesiam per se administrabat which High Priest to guard the people from this pernicious Pharisee-doctrine sent forth not only twelve at one time but seventy Disciples at another and both with miracles to publish in all the coasts of Israel the coming and the Kingdom of the Messias that none might plead ignorance of his coming or be misled in these things by their former Masters denouncing the greatest woes to them who should reject Him or His. Matt. 10.14 15. 11.21 § 17 2. Because tho other doctrines of these Pharisees there were that were erroneous as several mis-interpretations of the Law and the preferring also the observance of several Traditions of their own before some greater things of the Law yet so as they taught the observance of both which doctrines also I know not how far they might be damnable to themselves who had light enough to have known the contrary had not corrupt affections ambition covetousness hypocrisy c. blinded their judgment yet these errors of theirs were not damnable i.e. such as would bring damnation to all those others who submitted to them because that inculpable ignorance in people that neither had nor were able to study the law themselves and their obedience yeilded in these things to none but their appointed Guides and Superiors excused so many of them at least as never had the opportunity from our Saviour or his Missions to learn the contrary Some of those particular Doctrines of the Pharisees in this kind which we find our Saviour to have taxed are these Their tenet Mark c. 7. v. 3. that eating with unwashen hands or in an unwashen dish or on an nuwashed Table c. which perhaps some unclean person or thing had used or touched defileth a man and their more scrupulously observing this and by their example inducing others to it than the much weightier matters of God's law see Matt. 23.23 Mark 7.21 That no work tho an act of mercy among the rest some say no medicinal cure except some things that seemed more necessary perhaps because of their profit the watering or the saving the life of their Beast Luk. 13.15 14.15 might be done on the Sabboth day That one who had vowed his goods or supernecessaries to God or to the Treasures of the Temple tho perhaps doing this on set purpose was upon this free from relieving his indigent parents therewith the Pharisees many of whom were Priests perhaps eying also herein their own profit or as others one who had made a folemn oath upon some offence taken never to relieve his Parents was obliged to keep such oath see Matt. 15.5 That in an assertory Oath the voluntary swearing of some Truth by some things more remotely sacred as by the Temple or Altar was not faulty or in promissory Oaths was not obligatory but the swearing by things of a higher sanctity and more nearly consecrated to Him as they conceived the Golden-inside of the Temple and the Sacrifice offered to God on the Altar to be this rendeed men accountable See Matt. 23.16 c. compared with Matt. 5.33 c. Such as these I say were the Pharisees erroneous Doctrines But provided that a subject of the Church was taught by the same Doctors all other necessary points of God's law and walked in them with sincerity tho in these he were deceived or also in his actions preferred some of these before greater duties yet not so far as by the Pharisees wicked example to omit those greater duties I doubt not but that such a disciple of theirs upon a general repentance for all unknown sins might attain Salvation § 18 3. Concerning these particular errors which our Saviour reprehended we know not whether several of them were not the Tenents only of some of the violenter and worser but a smaller part of that Sect and not of the whole chair of Moses In which chair some sate who were not Pharisees and some Pharisees also were good men and believers in Christ Jo. 12.42 amongst whom were Nicodemus and Joseph of
of Judgment And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place shall shew thee according to all that they inform thee According to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee thou shalt do or as the Vulgar Quodcunque docuerint te juxta legem ejus facies Thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand or to the lest And the man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Priest that standeth to Minister there before the Lord or to the Judg as his Cause is Ecclesiastical or Civi even that man shall dy And all the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously Thus Deuteronomy Again in 2 Chron 19.5 8 10 11. where Jehoshaphat in his Reformation amongst many other reduc'd this Law into practice the same thing is cxpress'd in these terms First v. 5. And he set Judges in the Land through-out all the fenced Cities of Judah c. answerable to Deut. 16.18 and then v. 8. Moreover in Jerusalem the place the Lord had chosen did Jehoshaphat set the Levites for under Officers and of the Priests and of the chief of the Fathers of Israel v. 11. for the judgment of the Lord and for controversies And he charg'd them saying what cause soever shall come unto you of your Brethren that dwell in their Cities between Blood and Blood between Law and Commandment Statutes and Judgments ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord c. And behold Amasiah the chief Priest is over you in all matters of the Lord concerning his Law and Religion and Zebadiah the Ruler of the House of Judah for all the Kings matters concerning the King's Law and Civil Subjection Also the Levites shall be Officers before you c. See 1 Chron. 23.4 26.29 30. § 8 In these two places you may note That it is not or not only concerning matter of fact as some would have it that when doubt arose at the Country Sessions they were to repair to this Court at Jerusalem which fact was most easie and most fit to be judged upon the place But concerning matter of Law or Statute when question arose about that between Plea and Plea Law and Commandment statutes and judgments saith the Text see Diodate's Comment in Deut. 17. 8. and according to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee c. Again it is not for matter of Law in such a sense as some would have it namely that the Litigant was to be put to death if he obey'd not the sentence of the Judg whensoever he judg'd right and according to the Law of God But that he judging otherwise he was not tied to obey him nor might be put to death for disobedience in such case For so Bishop Andrews Tort. Torti answers Bellarmin urging this place Quali Sacerdotis imperio obediendum Ita praecedentia verba babent imperio Sacerdotis juxta legem Dei docentis Tum sequeris sententiam ejus turn si superbierit c. But who is it that shall judge when this Supreme Court appealed to judgeth juxta legem Dei when not Surely it must be the litigant or no body unless there can be a Super-supreme Court But then how absurd this for so whenever the Litigant judgeth the Judge to have judged not according to this law he is free from obeying his sentence and consequently from punishment for any disobedience thereof unless the Judge can by God's law punish him for doing only what God's law permits him Therefore Quodcunque docuerint te juxta legem Dei in the Vulgar which the Bishop here is pleated to make use of meaneth only this Quodcunque doenerint te esse juxta legem Dei these being the supreme expositors of the Law to the people as is clear from the Hebrew rendred thus Super os legis quam docebunt te super judicium quod dicent tibi facies and from the Septuagint Secundum legem secundum judicium quodcunque dixerint tibi and the Syriack Secundum praescriptionem legis quam tibi indicabunt and the other famous Translations and also from the English according to the sentence of the Law which sentence they shall teach thee and clear also from the context requiring also most strict and absolute obedience Thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand nor to the left He that will not hearken to the Priest that man shall dy § 9 Again it is not only in a case of suffering and patiently submitting to a punishment which this Court shall inflict as some would have it see Chilingworth c. 5. § 109 110. but also of doing what it shall direct For the words are plain Deut. 17.9 Thou shalt observe to do all that they shall inform thee not turning to any hand and 2 Chron. 19.10 it is said to the Judges Ye shall warn them that they trespass not against the Lord which cannot be meant of punishments but in breaking his laws Again it is nor meant of doing neither what this Court shall direct that is in such things wherein meanwhile we are not bound to think also their determination lawful and their sentence just As one may lawfully pay a mulct of an 100 l. wherein he is condemned by the Court without thinking their sentence lawful because any one when wrong is done him may cedere suo jure without sinning therein Thus Mr. Chilling worth would avoid this place urged by Mr. Knot and in his instance indeed no more is required than he affirms but it seemeth also an obligation to think such determination and sentence just and lawful as in all those instances may be made appear where the party is enjoined by this Court to perform some neglected duty to God or his Neighbour and not only sentenced to undergo some punishiment as certainly all the decrees and determinations of that Court were not only about passive obedience satisfactions and punishments but active too duties and service Now this is certain that none may do any thing which he doth not first think is lawful to be done or at least which he doth not go so far as to think that it is unlawful to be done for Conscientia erronea obligat And next he cannot think such thing lawful to be done so long as he thinketh that God hath forbidden it or commanded the contrary of it to be done Therefore as long as he thinketh that he may lawfully do it so long he thinks or at least is not certain but that it is agreeable to God's command and so long he thinks or is not certain of the contrary but that the determination of this court is right and just But here if any one would say That one may think a thing lawful to be done by him because it is commanded him by those Superiors whom God hath charged him in all things to