moved what a whole worldfull of them speake for they have no knowledge in things spiritually discerned Beside to give any regard to them is to animate them in folly and make them imagine themselves as wise In humblenesse of minde Observe hence Doct. That wicked deceivers will seeme to stand for vertue and challenge those who are truly godly as wanting in it These lewd impostours took upon them to condemne those who in conscience of their sinne knew there was no sufficient Mediator for them in heaven or earth but Christ alone they doe passe judgement against these in matter of humility that is they condemne them as not humble Lying and tyranny are the Divels weapons wherewith he fighteth now to his lying this branch belongeth of his counterfeiting that he will turne himselfe into an Angell of light thus it is in his children bearing his image they will sometime goe in sheepes clothing make semblance as if they were meeke lowly harmelesse this we exemplified in the Pharisies who were gulses of pride and yet did gull the people with their fasting prayers as if they had been lowly Saints Nay they doe take up Christ and His Apostles as transgressing the ordinances of antiquity and the Commandements of GOD as when His Disciples did gather the eares of corne on the Sabbath day Thus the Papists doe with us they challenge us of pride in this very point of dishonour to the Saints because we will not make gods of them of Presumption we beleeve the promise of GOD made to all penitent ones and therefore to us being penitent Of all licentiousnesse in life because we will not allow that good workes shall in strict justice merit with GOD Of all intemperancie because we allow not their lawes of superstitious fasting Of incontinencie and irreligion because we like not their monstrous machorets their orders of religion falsly so called their imposed vowes of chastity which become a snare to consciences and an occasion of all filthy uncleannesse there is no end of repeating all of this kinde Yea naturall men amongst us doe they not condemne such as walke before them in ungodlinesse as proud and fingular Men that think none like themselves none holy to themselves enemies of Christian liberty and of peace and neighbourly agreement Let us not then be over credulous to Iudge all ungodly Vse who are challenged of it for who then can be innocent nor yet all good men who seeme to stand for it and to condemne others only for the want of it for even the Divell is an Angell of light but let us wisely marke on what ground the sentence is passed and whether the thing in which this or that is placed be vertuous in the kinde truly as is by some conceived of it as in this fact the Colossians are condemned as not humble why they gave no worship to Angels to become intercessours as if the not doing of this did prejudice humility Hee is a proud man saith one why he is not promiscuously sociable hee is still reproving some thing or other he will not be content to walke as his neighbours doe c. Alas as if humility lay in these things And in worship of Angels First in the coherence may be marked Doct. Vnder what pretence the adoration of Angels and so of Saints marketh even under the vizard of holinesse This was the old philosophicall reason taken our of politike observation Doe men goe forth-right to the King Doe they not get some Noble-men about him to breake their matters and procure their favourable accesse And shall men presume to goe upon the great GOD and not take the helpe of Angels and Saints to the intent they may speed the better and testifie their submisnesse To which Saint Augustine was wont to answer My thoughts saith GOD are not yours c. by the same pretence and under shew of glorifying GOD in His Saints the Papists perswade it at this day yea under this shew of humility they bring in their doctrine of doubting of our salvation Let us therefore be wise Vse and let us take heed that wee swallow not deadly doctrines basted with shew of humility Of which more in the last Verse Observe secondly Doctr. That all religious worship of angels or Saints is unchristian Passe not you who doth give sentence against you in the religious worship of Angels that is as not yeelding to the service of Angels To understand this we must know that the religious invocating of Angels was obtruded upon the Colossians from whence it is doubtfull Theodoret relating the Councell of Lacdicea on this place he saith That such as defended that Law did likewise put upon them the invocation of Angels as a matter full of humility the rather because the Law was given through Angels by their ministery Another guesse is that this came out of the Philosophy Schoole for the Platonists we know did worship Angels yea and soules departed of such as had beene Worthies amongst them they worshipped at the monuments of them To which as Eusebius testifieth the worship done to Martyrs at their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was correspondent Now this I take to be the truth because though the Nazarites and such after heretikes might joyne this point though it is not read of them and inforce this reason for adoration of Angels yet these in the Apostles time that stood for the Law did no such thing For beside that the second Commandement of worshipping GOD alone was held with them so that Moses himselfe was not invocated yea the being of them by some addicted to the Law as the Sadduces was called into question Besides these things it is like in other Epistles if they that contended for the Ceremonies had brought in this doctrine with them it is likely that the Apostle would have confuted it and encountred it as well as the other I doubt not therefore but it is to be reduced to the Philosophie above named Now this being in practice with them they condemned the Christians in it as not using it in their going to GOD. The Christians as is probable listened to it such was the learning of the Patrons it had more than was meet and were somewhat damped the Apostle therefore doth stirre up their Christian fortitude exhorting them not to care what any judge against them in that matter for they are in the right that yeeld not unto it the LORD only is to be worshipped religiously and wee have no mediatour to Him but IESUS CHRIST Epiphan Contr. Collyrid Her 79. doth condemne all adoration of creatures Which serveth to confute the Papists Vse they religiously worship Angels and Saints call upon them trust in them But they except they doe not worship them with the highest worship but with an inferiour though a religious service But alas did these hereticall spirits with the Colossians worship Angels with the highest worship No but with an inferiour using them onely as intercessours unto him whom they counted the
worth The second that this thing so knowne must be given and received Now knowledge and assurance that all the benefits of CHRIST are made ours these are faith and as they doe grow from one degree to another so thankfulnesse followeth even as the shadow the body answering proportionably This thus opened Vse first letteth us see the Popish Church hath no true thankfulnesse for what man can be thankfull for a thing which he doth not know what it is Now so it is that they say no man can know love repentance pardon of sin whether hee hath them in truth or whether those he have be counterfeits Say one should give mee a Diamond but yet could not know possibly whether it were a Chester-stone not worth twelve pence could I be thankfull Nay we must know for what first by their leave Againe say one shewed me a thousand pound but would not let me know he would give it me only leave it upon a peradventure could a man be thankfull for this Nay we would say I will thank you when I have it If we have it not in possession or certaine hope it is as nothing to us We must be stirred up to encrease our thankfulnesse to GOD for these mercies we are thankfull in other matters which are nothing compared with these If wee be not come to this we make no progresse in faith nor walk not in Christ as we should we know not what is bestowed on us VERSE 8. Beware left any spoile you through Philosophy and vaine deceits after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after CHRIST NOw the Apostle commeth to secondary exhortations which are assistant unto the great one of walking in Christ they are of two sorts 1. Cautionary prohibitions warning from such things as draw us from Christ to the end of this second Chapter 2. Precepts of Practice which must bee observed that wee may goe on in Christ from the beginning of the third Chapter unto the eighteenth Verse The first sort beginning in this Verse is first set downe generally to the sixteenth Verse after more specially to the end In the generall prohibition we first see the dehortation after the reason The dehortation containeth two things 1 The evill they were to avoid 2 The meanes of breeding the evill The first Let none make a prey of you that is carry you away who are the sheepe of Christ from His fold the true Church into their owne which are Synagogues of Satan that is the force of the Word The meanes tending hither are two First Philosophie which doth Synechdochically note all humane wisedome unsanctified with the doctrine it teacheth and the shew it maketh Secondly Vaine deceit which might signifie sophisticall Logicke but this is a principall part of Philosophie Some thinke it to be thus meant Philosophy which is vaine deceit but the conjunction doth shew that here a distinct thing is meant therefore I take vaine deceit here for all religious rites which carnall wisdome inventeth and obtrudeth called so first because they misse the end of pleasing God at which they ayme Secondly they are empty of that grace being not sanctified by GOD which they seeme to have and therefore are empty deceits in which regard Saint Paul calleth these rites disanulled by God and affected by men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beggerly elements not having a jot of true grace of the Spirit going with them and no doubt but this is here meant For the Apostle specisying the things after which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 20.22 he hath the intercession of Angels and the Iewish rites which some would have put upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reason taken from the originall quality of these things which is set downe adversatively thus These things come from man they are carnall and worldly not after Christ that is having Him their Author not spirituall And first these words doe seeme to intimate whence these things come to have such efficacie of deceiving even from hence that they are countenanced with humane authority and are for their quality carnall and worldly things 2. Here is a reason included thus Those things which are not after the rule of Christ we must not follow who have received Him and professed that wee will walke in Him But Philosophie and empty rites of religion are after mans wisdome and the world not after Christ therefore wee must not let any deceive us with these things In the Verses following to the sixteenth Verse is a double prosyllogisme proving the first part of this reason for the second is passed over as evident it stands thus That which is not after Him in whom is all the God-head personally that you must not receive In CHRIST is all the fulnesse of the God-head personally Ergo c. Secondly that which is not after Him through whom and in whom you come to receive the fulnesse of spiritual gifts as the removall of guilt and blot of sin and quicknance with the life of GOD freedome from the yoke of the Law victory over spirituall wickednesse what agreeth not with Him in whom yee have such benefits that yee must not receive unlesse you would forsake these unvaluable blessings Now admit that unlesse you will leave Him and forgoe these great benefits yee have in Him this is the disposition of the argument to the sixteenth Verse Now to returne observe first from this eight Verse Doctr. That to yeeld to erroneous doctrines which corrupt reason teacheth doe take us from Christ See you be not made a pray led away captive as those that are vanquished in battell therefore it is plaine that the yeelding to such things doth make a man a spirituall captive and lead him from Christ this is it that maketh the Apostle say Gal. 5.2 If yee be circumcised and seeke salvation by the Law you are cut off from Christ Christ shall profit you nothing For looke as evill weeds doe suffocate good corne and Ivie killeth the heart of Oake So heresies and false worship will kill grace if they should be fully entertained which maketh Saint Paul say of Hymenaus and Philetus who denied the Resurrection that they had subverted the faith of some who attended unto them prevailing against their faith they could not but withdraw them from CHRIST with whom we are coupled by faith onely But two things may be objected 1 That much stubble may be builded on the foundation and therefore CHRIST and such things stand together 2 That true grace cannot be prevailed against Answ To the first it is true many opinions may be received and erroneous rites used and yet CHRIST be held But 1 It must be done ignorantly 2 With a minde teachable and ready to give place when light doth evince it 3 In points not directly fundamentall that is such as are so maine that without them there is no salvation or of so cleere consequence from them that who so truely is perswaded of the one
did Tertullian then shew that traditions were not to be regarded which were beside the authority of the Word in matters of faith and manners even thus The Apostles were sent by Christ If therefore they did not publish things faithfully either they wey were unable or not sincere and Christ blame-worthy that would send those so qualified we may say either they could and would not would but could not or else were willing and able but might not That they could not is absurd who had the guifts of the Holy Ghost so abundantly That they would not is unlikely who were so faithfull and who suffered all things yea death it selfe for the Churches good That they might not least holy things and that more perfect should be too much divulged and so Pearles cast before Swine for Christ bid them speake all things they heard from Him yea though in secret upon the house toppes And as for Dogges and Swine there is no feare for the Bible though open is a clasped booke to them as for others all the counsell of God belongeth to them Thus you may see the truth of this that humane authority hath beene a backe to error and an allurement from the faith Let them not deceive you with things after the tradition of men First then by this we come to discerne the deceived estate of the Romane Church Vse 1 for one egge is not liker another then they to those old Heretiques and the Principall part of their beliefe and practice hath no better ground then tradition without the Word 2 This must teach us not to stand too much upon the bare authority of men as to pinne faith upon their opinion Omnes patres tota schola are not the Old and New Testament We all incline to speake as they Which of the Rabbins and Doctors of the law believe in Him and to reject that which commeth not ushered in with humane testimonies whereas we should not receive any thing because men affirme it nor deny any thing in this regard simply because greate Clerkes are of another judgement though we must not on the other extreame passe by Antiquity and moderne judgements upon a selfe willed fancy as if they were not to be heeded You will say then what use are we to make Object how are wee to be disposed to them Say I conceite this or that opinion but I see Answ as it is told mee such are against me in it of worthy note knowing this 1 I am so farre to respect this not as therefore to discard it and judge of it as erroneous but onely not to precipitate any determination against them 2 I am to have the more jealousie of that which by opinion I conceive 3 I am to excite my selfe to the more full inquiry to see what grounds they had what verisimilitude at least for their sentence 4 If I find my selfe in the truth I am with the more humility and thankefulnesse to imbrace it when I see that even men of greater parts had it not shewed unto them So on the other side the Fathers say this unanimi consensu I doe not therefore beleeve it this were humane faith but I account it a presumption that the thing is true Secondly I search the grounds of it with more alacrity and confidence Thirdly I having grounded my faith on GODS Word am in this regard more confident in my perswasion Lastly this must teach us to adore the fulnesse of the Scripture Vse according to the which who so speaketh not in the things of God speaketh without understanding for whatsoever any knoweth out of his naturall wisedome is foolishnesse in Gods matters but what he knoweth without the Word he hath it out of his own wisedome there is no shift unlesse we will say there is place for revelation without the meanes of the Word therfore what he thus speaketh is foolishnesse the Word conteyneth all things if not in syllables yet in sense that are needfull for faith and manners yea directions for all indifferent things which are variable According to the elements of this world Observe first What maketh error Doctr. and false worship so infectious even because they are carnall savoring of the flesh and after the fashion of this world like lipps love like lettice now we are by nature in error and therefore Saint Paul saith that heresie is a worke of the flesh Againe we are sensuall and therefore delight in such fashion of worship as is not spirituall but feedeth the sense and hangeth us so up by the senses that we ascend not to spirituall contemplation Many mervaile why so many professe and daily fall to Popery but they might as well marvaile why frogs love the fennes for the truth is it is naturall to the corrupt man all is sensuall and of this World Such a Prince-like Clergy such sumptuous Temples and goodly pictures heavenly musicke odoriferous incense al exercises such as their owne strength may undertake every thing of this world the world cannot but love his owne and therfore unregenerate men cannot but affect these things yea we neede no better confirmation then that petitioner who did preferre this as one motive for tolleration in commendation of their religion that it was sensuall it had to please the sense in it and is the reason why the sincerest reformed Churches that have cut off all these fleshly services are by all sorts of worldly men the most maligned because they have the least with them to feed the senses nay nothing but that which CHRIST hath left which because it is commanded is therefore odious The use is Vse that we would take heed of worldly fashions and such things as please the carnall understanding and naturall man this is a presumption against them that they are not right for as Saint Paul saith of men so we may say of religious observancies if they then please corrupt men and suite with their corruption they are not the ordinances of CHRIST Yea even hence they are to be resisted because they are after the guise of this world The Primitive age kept it that they would not admit the least Pagan rite or Iewish ceremony they would not have a Sermon on Saturday and allowed a kind of trading on Sunday out of exercises on this ground Ages following were not so cautelous Againe seeing these words doe not onely point at that which maketh these deceits effectuall but also give a reason to us that are in CHRIST why we should beware of them Doct. note hence That upon this ground we are to resist all false superstitious rites of religion because they are after the fashion of this world The things of this world are enmity to GOD and in this that exhortation taketh place Rom. 12.2 Fashion not your selves to the World The not observing of this rule hath brought all miseries upon the Church when men to gaine the Gentiles would take up their rites a little altered when they would come to the world a little thinking
fasteth Quest and refrayneth some things and the other doe the same There is great difference in the antecedents Answ and manner of doing it and effect A Papist and naturall man conceiveth of lustings as rebelling to reason and hindering morall vertue and the free contemplation of mind not as sins but a thing indifferent capable of vertue or vice as obeyed or otherwise thus the Papists also after a manner But Gods children resist them as sinfull inclinations and whoorish lustings which hinder them in loving their God yea are enmity to him and fight against their soules They differ also in the ends which moove the one and the other to refraine Naturall men they doe it to vaunt themselves of more perfection then others have attayned to purchase themselves a naturall liberty of mind in such considerations as by Nature it reacheth Sometime for politique respects because hee is not counted fit for government who is subject to sensuall passion The Papist he doth it as a part of perfection as a thing in it selfe pleasing God as a point of merit with God But a good Christian hee doth refraine for the kingdome of heaven how not to deserve it by such course but that by this course done in faith he may subdue his lusts and kill them for it is their death not to be obeyed and that hee may have more freedome in Gods service For the manner of doing it the one doth it out of Nature sometime for as Christ saith of Eunuchs some are by nature so the same may be said of abstinence Some by Nature are averse from that liberty in dyet which others affect But all besides true Christians doe it out of their owne strength whereas a true believer he doth it by the spirit of GOD bewayling his weakenesse seeking to Christ for his strength to crucify these things to him and him to them 2 A Christian doth not absteyne for the thing simply prophaning that but from lust simply that he resisteth the thing so farre forth as his lust taketh occasion by that which is in it selfe good Now unbelievers looke not to inward lusts so much nor cry not downe them as they vilifie the things themselves desired Hence is a third difference the faithfull doe not make a set exercise upon stinted times onely to refraine or totally at once renounce the touching them but daily as they feele themselves tempted they resist eating with thankesgiving when they feele themselves not indangered by them Lastly they so refraine that they know their refraining it selfe doth not commend them to GOD for if not eating and drinking were in it selfe more holy than eating and drinking Iohn Baptist should have been more holy than CHRIST but as through the working of GOD's Spirit it is to them being weake a meane of their more firme cleaving to GOD. Now all other extoll the thing it selfe and rest in it as a matter of great perfection In the effect following they may be distinguished for the one have by their exercise greater confirmation of an externall morall habit the other true sanctification viz. death of sinne and life of grace promoted in them To teach us that we bee not beguiled Vse 1 nor yet have these externall exercises in admiration which such as know not the power of godlinesse abound in often yea we must be wise to distinguish things that differ for the Divell in his will play the Ape and imitate what GOD doth worke soundly in the hearts of His chosen This must provoke us to fight in right order against sensuall lusts Vse 2 Shall naturall men and others led in error be thus abstinent and in their fashion subdue their sensuall appetites and shall wee who have CHRIST with us our sanctifier lye downe as conquered of them Plato superstitious Popish wretches will condemne many Christians who feed their hearts in whatsoever they desire And so much for these words Now if you take the end of it sounding to the first sense Obs 1. That exercises much regarded with men Doct. are of no esteeme with GOD Circumcision nor uncircumcision are nothing much lesse meat eating or not eating commend not to GOD but a new creature many things great and glorious in the eyes of man are abominable before GOD which if the Papists considered they would not extol the rules of their Monkish orders the life of Anachorets nor yet cry downe with such base termes those that use their liberty in CHRIST as CHRIST and Abraham the Father of the faithfull have given them example 2 From the reason why they are in no price with GOD because they are occupied about the body the filling of it Doct. Observe therefore in generall that Bodily externall things are not of worth with GOD He is a Spirit worship in spirit and truth is His delight for a Synecdoche must here be marked one kinde put for the generall seeing there is the same disproportion in them to God the same in one that is in another even as in Nature like joyeth that which is like it So here GOD being a Spirit doth delight in that which is spirituall like Himselfe And as to a creature which liveth a pure sensible life reasonable delights are as nothing to it tell a horse a story never so pleasant it affects him not So to a pure spirituall nature sensible matters give no contentment In which the Papists had need to consider who follow GOD too too much with sensible things and thinke they take Him because they affect us FINIS LECTVRES PREACHED VPON THESE TEXTS OF SCRIPTVRE By Mr. PAUL BAYNE Esay Chap. 5. v. 12. Psal 50. v. 21 22 23. 1 Pet. Chap. 1. v. 17. Psal 119. v. 1. to v. 32. Luke Chap. 13. v. 24. 1 Pet. Chap. 4. v. 18. 2 Cor. Chap. 7. v. 1. Luke Chap. 2. v. 14. Philip. Chap. 2. v. 12 13. Hebr. Chap. 3. v. 13. 1 Tim. Chap. 2. v. 2. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 9. 2 Tim. Chap. 1. v. 12 13 15 16.