Negatives Touch not Tast not Handle not are called the Commandements of men Col. 2. 22. Which place I note the rather because the appellation here used and cited out of Esai 29. according to the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not found any where else in the whole Testament besides in the relation of this storie save in that one place onely By the analogy of which places in as much as there is mention made in them all as well of Doctrines as of Commandements and that in some of them with the Conjunction Copulative between them we are warranted to bring within the extent of this word according to the general intention and scope of our Saviour in this place Doctrinals as well as Morals that is to say as well those that prescribe unto our Judgments what we are bound to believe or not to believe in matter of Opinion as those that prescribe unto our Consciences what we are bound to do or not to do in matter of Practice Although the special occasion whereupon our Saviour fell into this discourse against the Pharisees and the special instance whereby he convinceth them do withall shew that the Morals do more principally properly and directly fall under his particular intention and scope therein In the full extent of the word then all those prescriptions are to be taken for the Commandements of men wherein any thing is by humane Authority either injoyned or forbidden to be believed or done especially to be done which God in his Holy Word hath not so enjoyned or forbidden Jonadab's command to the Rechabites that they should not drink Wine they nor their sons for ever and the Pharisees tradition here that none should eat with unwashen hands were both the commandements of men This is clear enough yea and good enough hitherto if there were no more in it but so For you must observe or else you quite mistake the Text and the whole drift of it that it is no part of our Saviours meaning absolutely and wholly to condemne all the Commandements of men For that were to cut the sinews of all Government and Order and to overturn Churches Kingdoms Corporations Families and all other both greater and lesser Societies of men none of all which can be upheld without some posttive Laws and Sanctions of mans devising We do not therefore find that either Jonadab was blamed for commanding the Rechabites not to drink wine or that they were blamed for observing his commandement therein But rather on the contrary that God well approved both of him and them yea and rewarded them for their obedience unto that command though it were a command but of mans devising and had no more than a bare humane Authority to warrant it And therefore those men are very wide that vouch this Text against the Ecclesiastical Constitutions or Ceremonies with such confidence as if they were able with this one Engine to take them all off at a blow not considering that it is not barely the Commandments of men either materially or formally taken that is to say neither the things commanded by men nor yet mens commanding of them but it is the teaching of such Commandments for Doctoines that our Saviour here condemneth the Pharisees for What that is therefore we are next to enquire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men In the 29. of Esaie the substantives have a Conjunction copulative between them in the Septuagint and they are read in the very same manner and order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by St. Paul alluding thereunto in Col. 2. But in the Greek Text in all Copies extant both here and in Mark 7. where the same Historie is related they are put without the Conjunction by Apposition as the Grammarians call it The meaning is the same in both readings onely this latter way it appeareth better and it is in effect this Whosoever shall endeavour to impose upon the judgments of men in credendis or in point of faith any thing to be believed as a part of Gods holy truth or shall endeavour to impose upon the Consciences of men in agendis or in point of manners any thing to be observed as a part of Gods holy will which cannot be sufficiently evidenced so or so to be either by express testimonie of the written Word of God rightly understood and applied or by clear natural and necessary deduction therefrom according to the Laws of true Logical discourse is guilty more or lesse of that Superstition our Saviour here condemneth in the Pharisees of teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men And a fault it is of a large comprehension It taketh in all additions whatsoever that are made to that absolute and all sufficient Rule of Faith and Manners which God hath left unto his Church in his written Word In what kind soever they are whether in Opinion Worship Ordinance Injunction Prohibition Promise or otherwise From what cause soever they proceed whether from credulity ignorance education partiality hypocrisie misgoverned zeal time-serving or any other For what end soever they may be done whether those ends be in truth intended or but in shew pretended say it be the glory of God the reformation of abuses the preventing of mischiefs or inconveniences the avoiding of scandals the maintenance of Christian liberty the furtherance of piety or whatever else can be imagined If they have not a sufficient foundation in the sacred Text and yet shall be offered to be pressed upon our judgments or consciences in the name of God and as his Word they are to be held as chaffe fitter to be scattered before the wind or cast out to the dunghil than to be hoarded up in the Garners among the wheat alas what is the chaff to the wheat or as wood hay or stubble meeter to become fewel for the Oven or Hearth than to be coffered up in the treasurie among gold and silver and precious stones And he that bringeth any such doctrine with him let his piety or parts be otherwise what they can be should he in either of both or even in both match not onely the holy Apostles of Christ but the very blessed Angels in heaven yet should we rather defie him as a Traitor for setting Gods stamp upon his own Bullion than receive him as his faithful Embassadour and salute him with an Anathema sooner than bid him God speed Especially if the doctrine be apparently either false or ungrounded and yet positively and peremptorily delivered as if it were the undoubted word and will of God I may not now descend to particulars But thus much it will concern us all to know in the general That whosoever teacheth any thing either to be absolutely unlawful which God hath not forbidden in his word or to be absolutely necessary which God hath not required in his word he teacheth for doctrines the commandments of men and so far forth plaieth the
Imprimatur IO. FELL Vicecan Univ. OXON Aug. 9. An. 1669. AD CLERUM A SERMON Preached at a VISITATION holden at GRANTHAM In the COUNTY and DIOCESS of Lincolne 8. Octob. 1641. By a late Learned PRELATE Now Published by his own Copy Sirac 3. 24. For many are deceived by their own vaine opinion and an evil suspicion hath overthrown their Judgment OXFORD Printed by H. Hall Printer to the UNIVERSITY for Ric. Davis 1670. MATTH 15. 9. But in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men 1. OUr Saviour sometimes forewarneth his Disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees Which leaven as he expoundeth himself and he best knew his own meaning was of two sorts the leaven of hypocrisie Luk. 12. and the leaven of corrupt and superstitious doctrine Matth. 16 Wee read 1 Cor. 5. of a third sort and that is the leaven of maliciousness which also usually accompanieth the other two Where any of the three are in abundance but especially where they all meet and abound as in these Pharisees it is impossible by any care or cunning so to keep them hidden as not to bewray themselves upon occasion to an observing eye As you know it is the nature of leaven though it be hidden never so deep in a heap of meale to work up to the top so that a man may certeinly know by the effects and be able to say that there it is In the storie of this present Chapter the Pharisees discover all the three Malice Hypocrisie and Superstition Their Malice against Christ although it appeared sufficiently in this that their quarrelling his Disciples for eating with unwashen hands was with the intent to bring an odium upon him for not instructing them better yet he passeth it by without taking any special notice thereof It may be for that his own person was chiefly concerned in it But then the other two their Hypocrisie and Superstition in rejecting the Commandments of God for the setting up of their own Traditions because they trencht so neer and deep upon the honour of God his heavenly Father he neither would nor could dissemble But themselves having given him the occasion by asking him the first question Why doe thy Disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders he turneth the point of their own weapon full upon them again as it were by way of recrimination not without some sharpness do you blame them for that But why then do you your selves also transgress the Commandment of God by your Tradition which is a farre greater matter That is their Charge vers 3. Which having made good by one instance taken from the fift Commandment more he might have brought but it needed not this one being so notorious and so convincing he thenceforth doubteth not to call them Hypocrites to their faces and to apply to them a passage out of the Prophet Esaias very pat to his purpose Wherein the Prophet charged the people of those times with the very same crimes both of them whereof these Pharisees are presently appealed to wit Hypocrisie and Superstition Hypocrisie in their Worship and superstition in the Doctrine The Leaven whereof by how much more it swelled them in their own and the common opinion making them to be highly esteemed among men for their outward preciseness and semblances of holyness by so much the more it sowred them towards Almighty God rendring the whole lump of their so strict Religion abominable in his sight So true is that of our Saviour Luk. 16. That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God Their Hypocrisie he putteth home to them in the Verses before the Text Ye Hypocrites well did Esatas prophesie of you saying This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from me That done he forgetteth not to remember them of their Superstition too continuing his allegation out of the Prophet still in the words of my Text But in vaine do they wohship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men This later verse I have chosen to entreat of alone at this time For although Hypocrisie and corrupt teaching do often go together as in those Jewes whom the Prophet long before reproved and in these Pharisees whom our Saviour here reproveth yet have I purposely severed this verse from the former in the handling moved thereunto out of a double consideration First because Hypocrisie lurking more within we are not able to pronounce of it with such certainty neither if we were have we indeed any good warrant so to doe as we may of unsound Doctrines which lye more open to the view and are allowed to our examination Secondly and especially because hundreds of those my brethren whom I cannot in reason excuse from symbolizing with the Pharisees in teaching for doctrines the commandments of men which is the fault reproved in this verse I cannot yet in charitie and in my own thoughts but acquit from partaking with them in the measure at least of that their foul hypocrisie wherewith they stand charged in the former Verses The Words themselves being one entire proposition to stand upon the curious dividing of them would be a matter of more ostentation than use And the truth thereof also when the meaning is once layd open will be so evident that I shall presume of your assent without spending much time in the proof The main of our business then upon the Text at this time must be Explication Application and Use First the Explication of the Words then the Application of the Matter and lastly some Corollaries inferred there from for our Use Which for your better understanding and remembrance I shall endeavour to do as plainly and orderly as I can As for the Words first There are three things in them that desire Explication First what is meant by the commandements of men secondly what it is to teach such Commandements for doctrines thirdly how and in what respect they that teach such doctrines may be said to worship God in vain For the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Commandment properly and strictly taken is an affirmative precept requiring something to be done the contrary whereof is a Prohibition or negative precept forbidding the doing of something But in the Holy Scriptures as in our common speech also the word is usually so extended as to comprehend both Prohibitions also as well as Commandements properly so called The reason whereof is because Affirmatives and Negatives do for the most part mutually include and infer the one the other As in the present case it is all one whether the Pharisees should command men to wash before meat or forbid them to eat before they had washed We call the whole Decalogue the ten Commandements though there be Negative Precepts there as well as Affirmative yea more Negative than Affirmative And those
passages in the Homilies occasionally and these Books are acknowledged her most Authentick writings the two former especially and the just standard whereby to measure her whole Doctrine if I say she have not in them all and that in as plain and expresse terms as can be desired disclaimed all humane Traditions that are imposed upon the consciences of Gods people either in point of Faith or Manners and declared to the world that she challenged no power to her self to order any thing by her own authority but onely in things indiffenent and such as are not repugnant to the word of God and that her Constitutions are but for order comelinesse and uniformity sake and not for conscience sake towards God and that therefore any of those her Orders and Constitutions may be reteined abolished or altered from time to time and at all times as the Governours for the time being shall judg to serve best unto Edification What should I say more If men list to be contentious and will not be satisfied who can help it yet thus much I dare say more Let any Papist or Precisiian in the world give instance but in any one single thing doctrinally maintained by the Church of England which he can with any colour of truth except against as a Commandment of men if we do not either shew good warrant for it from the written word of God which we doubt not but to be able to do and is most adrem or else which is enough ad hominem for every single instance they shall bring return them ten of their own teaching every whit as liable to the same exception as that we will yield the Bucklers and confesse her guilty But now what will you say if after all this clamouring against English-Popish Ceremonies as of late they have blasoned them they that keep all this adoe prove in the end the guilty persons themselves I am much deceived if it do not clearly prove so if we either compare her doctrine and theirs together or take a view of some of theirs by themselves First compare them a litle which will also adde some confirmation to the former point for the farther justifying of the Church of England in this behalf And for example and perspicuity sake let the instance be kneeling at the Communion there being the like reason of all the rest I pray you consider well the evidence weigh the grounds and observe the course held on both sides and then give sentence accordingly If as God hath given those our Church Governours power to determine of indifferent mutable circumstances and they using the liberty of the Power given them have appointed kneeling rather than sitting or standing as judging it a gesture of greater reverence and well becoming our unworthinesse but without any opinion either of the necessity of that gesture or of the unlawfulness of the other two so God had given the like Power to these our Brethren and they using the liberty of that Power had appointed sitting or standing rather than kneeling as judging either of them a more proper Table gesture than it yet without any opinion of their necessity or of the unlawfulnesse of kneeling the case had then been alike of both These had been as free as they neither of them had been guilty of Superstition in teaching for doctrines the commandments of men because there was no doctrinal necessity whereby to bind the conscience of Gods people on either side Again if as these say to their Proselytes peremptorily in effect thus you are bound in conscience not to kneel it is an unlawful gesture a superstitious relique of Popery and carrieth with it a shrewd appearance of their idolatrous Bread-worship and therefore we charge you upon your consciences not to kneel so our Church-governors should say to the people peremptorily in effect thus you are bound in conscience to kneel or else you profane the holy Sacrament not discerning the Lords Body and therefore we charge you upon your consciences to kneel the case of both had here also been alike Both alike guilty of Superstition in teaching for doctrines the commandments of men because by that doctrinal necessity as well the one sort as the other had laid a perpetual obligation upon the Consciences of men in a matter which God having not any where either commanded or forbidden hath therefore left free and indifferent But now taking the case as de facto it is without Ifs and And 's set the one against the other and make the comparison right and here it is Our Brethren having no publick authority given them to order what shall be done or not done in matters of external government do yet bind the consciences of Gods people by teaching that which they thus forbid to be simply and in it self unlawful Our Governors on the contrary though having publick authority to prescribe in such matters do yet leave the consciences of men at liberty without teaching that which they appoint to be of absolute necessity in it self This being species facti as the Civilians speak the even true state of the case say now I beseeeh you in good sooth and be not partial Quid Juris At whose door lieth the Superstition The one side teaching no such doctrine but having authority do by virtue of that authority appoint the people to kneel The other side having no such authority but teaching a doctrine do by virtue of that doctrine charge the people not to kneel Whether of both sides may rightlier be said to teach for doctrines the Commandments of men Tu quum sis quod ego fortassis nequior Their guilt herein will yet farther appear if leaving comparisons we take a view of some of their doctrines by themselves I say but some of them for how many hours would serve to reckon them all or who indeed even of themselves knoweth them all There are so many Covies of new doctrines sprung up ever and anon especially in these late times of connivence and licentiousness which by that they are well hatcht presently fly abroad the Countrey and are entertained by some or other for as good Divinity as if they were the undoubted Oracles of the Holy Ghost I dare not affirme it because I will not put my self to the trouble to prove it and because I heartily desire and wish I be deceived in it yet I cannot dissemble my fear that it is but too true by the proportion of what we almost daily hear or see that within little more than this one twelvemonth last past there have been more false and superstitious doctrines vented in the Pulpits and Presses in England than have been in so open and daring a manner in the whole space of almost fourscore years before I mean since the first of Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory And to make good the former charge omitting sundry other their unwarrantable positions partly concerning Church-Government Orders and Ceremonies established by Law partly concerning sundry received
too forward and faulty this way That they would in the fear of God review their own dictates and all partiality and self-seeking laid aside bestow a little paines to examine throughly the soundness of those principles from which they draw their conclusions whether they be the very true word of God indeed or but the fansies and devices of the wit of man I know how loathly men are induced to suspect themselves to be in an Errour and that it is with our brethren herein as with other men may sufficiently appeare in this that few of them will so much as bestow the reading of those books that might give them satisfaction But beloved better try your own work your selves and if it prove but hay or stubble burn it your selves by acknowledging your errour and retracting it that you may build better than let it lye on still till a sorer fire catch it Better for any of us all whether in respect of our errours or sins to prevent the Lords judging of us by timely judging our selves than to slack the time till his judgment overtake us The second use should be an Admonition to all my Brethren of the Ministery for the time to come and that in the Apostles words 1 Cor. 3. 10. Let every man take heed what he buildeth S t Paul himself was very careful this way not to deliver any thing to the people but what he had received from the Lord. The Prophets of the Lord still delivered their Messages with this Preface Haec dicit Dominus Yea that wretch Balaam though a false Prophet and covetous enough professed yet that if Balak would give him his house full of silver and gold he neither durst nor would goe beyond the word of the Lord to do less or more There is a great proneness in us all to idolize our own inventions Besides much Ignorance Hypocrisie and Partiality any of which may byas us awry Our Educations may lay such early anticipations upon our judgments or our teachers or the bookes we read or the society we converse withall may leave such impressions therein as may fill them with prejudice not easily to be removed The golden meane is a hard thing to hit upon almost in any thing without some warping toward one of the extremes either on the right hand or on the left and without a great deal of wisdome and care seldome shall we seek to shun one extreme and not run a little too farre towards the other if not quite into it In all which and sundry other respects we may soon fall into gross mistakes and errours if we do not take the more heed whilst we suspect no such thing by our selves but verily believe that all we do is out of pure zeale for Gods Glorie and the love of his truth We had need of all the piety and learning and discretion and paines and prayers we have and all little enough without Gods blessing too ey and our own greater care too to keep us from running into Errours and from teaching for doctrines the commandments of men The Third use should be for Admonition also to all the people of God that they be not hasty to believe every spirit but to try the Spirits especially when they see the spirits to disagree and clash one with another or find otherwise just cause of suspicion and that as the Beraeans did by the Scriptures Using withall all good subsidiary helps for the better understanding thereof especially those two as the principal the Rule of Right Reason and the known constant judgment and practice of the Universal Church That so they may fanne away the chaffe from the wheat and letting goe the refuse hold falt that which is good To this end every man should especially beware that he do not suffer himself to be carried away with names nor to have any mans person either in hatred or admiration but embrace what is consonant to truth and reason though Judas himself should preach it and reject what even an Angel from heaven should teach if he have no other reason to induce him to believe it than that he teacheth it 29. The Fourth Use should be for Exhortation to the learneder sort of my Brethren to shew their faithfulness duty and true hearty affection to God and his Truth and Church by mainteining the simplicity of the Christian Faith and asserting the doctrine of Christian Liberty against all corrupt mixtures of mens inventions and against all unlawful impositions of mens commandments in any kind whatsoever If other men be zealous to set up their own errors shall we be remiss to hold up Gods Truth God having deposited it with us and committed it to our special trust how shall we be able to answer it to God and the World if we suffer it to be stolen out of the hearts of our people by our silence or neglect Like enough you shall incurre blame and censure enough for so doing as if you sought but yourselves in it by seeking to please those that are in authority in hope to get preferment thereby But let none of these things discourage you if you shall not be able by the grace of God in some measure to despice the censures of rash and uncharitable men so long as you can approve your hearts and actions in the sight of God and to break through if need be far greater tryals and discouragements than these you are not worthy to be called the servants of Christ The last use should be an humble Supplication to those that have in their hands the ordering of the great affairs of Church and State That they would in their goodnesse and wisdomes make some speedy and effectual provision to represse the exorbitant licentiousnesse of these times in printing and preaching every man what he list to the great dishonour of God scandal of the Reformed Religion fomenting of Superstition and Errour and disturbance of the peace both of Church and Commonwealth Lest if way be still given thereunto those evill spirits that this late connivence hath raised grow so fiecre within a while that it will trouble all the power and wisdom of the Kingdom to conjure them handsomly down again But certainly since we find by late experience what wildnesse in some of the Lay-people what petulancy in some of the inferior Clergy what insolency in some both of the Laity and Clergy our Land is grown into since the reines of the Ecclesiastical Government have layn a litle slack we cannot but see what need we have to desire and pray that the Ecclesiastical Government and power may be timely setled in some such moderate and effectual way as that it may not be either too much abused by them that are to exercise it nor too much despised by those that must live under it In the mean time so long as things hang thus loose and unsetled I know not better how to represent unto you the present