Josephs Party-Colored Coat, Part 20 – Part 21
In this I prayse you not.
Ministers must not commend their people when they doe ill. Doct.1. Dishonourable to God. 2. Dangerous to the Ministers.Reasons. That Embassadour, who being sent to proclaime warre, pronounceth peace to Rebels; (There is no peace, saith my God to the wicked, Esay 57.21.) deserves at his returne, to bee preferred to the Gallowes. 3. Dangerous to the people, who are soothed in their sinnes: Honey-dewes, though they be sweet in taste, doe black and blast the corne; So those who prayse their people, without cause, are cruelly kind unto them, it is pleasant to the pallate of flesh, but destroyeth and damneth the soule.
Vse.It were to be wished, that as those that live under the Equinoctiall at Noon-day, have no shadowes at all; so great men should have no shadowes, no Parasites, no Flatterers to commend them, when they least deserve it.
Object.But why doth Saint Paul deale so mildly with the Corinthians, I prayse you not? Me thinkes hee should have made his little finger, as heavie as his loynes. O yee Corinthians, I excommunicate every mothers child of you, I damne you all to the pit of hell, and deliver you to Satan for your sinne of Drunkennesse, at the receiving of the Sacrament, never to be absolved, but on your most serious and solemne repentance: Otherwise, considering the corrupt humour in the Corinthians, the Apostles purge was too gentle for them.
Answ. 1.Theophylact answers; that Saint Paul reproves the rich men the more mildly, lest otherwise they should be implacably incensed against the poore, fretting against them, as the causers of the Apostles anger.
2.2. It was the first time hee told the Corinthians of their fault, and therefore used them the more gently, on hope of their amendment. This corrupt humour in the Corinthians, was not as yet growne tough, bak't and clodded in them by custome, and therefore the easier purged and removed.
Observ.Ministers must use mildnesse, especially at their first reproving of a sinne. Yea God so blest the mild serveritie of Saint Paul, that the Corinthians reformed all their errours; for no fault reprehended by the Apostle in them in this first Epistle, is taxed againe in the second Epistle; a very strong presumption, that all those faults were amended.
Now whereas wee find such abuses in the Church of Corinth, presently after it was newly planted: we may learne
Corruptions will quickly creepe into the best Church. Doct.Thus Saint Paul no sooner went back from the Galatians, but they went back from his Doctrine, Gal. 5.7. Yee did run well, who did hinder you? And as we reade of Mezentius, a cruell Tyrant, who joyned dead corpes to living men, and so killed them with lingering torments: So some Seducers in the Church of Galatia, sought to couple the lively grace of God, and active faith with the dead Letter of the Law, and old legall Ceremonies long since dead, buried, and rotten, in the Grave of our Saviour.
If it be done thus to the greene Tree, Vse.what shall be done to the dry? If Primative Churches, whilst the Apostles which planted them, were alive to pruine them, had such errours in them, no wonder if the Church at sixteene hundred yeares of age may have some defaults. Moses said unto the Israelites, Deut. 31.27. Behold while I am alive with you this day, yee have beene rebellious against the Lord, and how much more when I am dead. So if while Saint Paul survived, Churches were so prone to decline, what can be lesse expected in our dayes: It was therfore well concluded in the 39. Session of the Councell of Constance *Fox Martyrol. page 594.: That every ten yeare at the farthest, there should bee a Generall Councell held, to reforme such errours in the Church, as probably in that time would arise.
VERSE 23. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Iesus, the same night, in which hee was betrayed tooke bread.
AFter hee had fully reproved the corruptions of their Love-feasts, commeth he now to reduce the receiving of the Sacrament, to the first Institution of Christ: It is the safest way to correct all the Errata's in the Transcript, Observ.according to the Originall Copie: Thus did Christ in the matter of Divorce, Mat. 19.8. But from the beginning it was not so. Excellently Saint Cyprian; Wee must not heed what others did, who were before us, but what Christ did who was before all.
VseWere this used betwixt us, and the Papists, to cleare the streame of Gods service, by the Fountaine of its first Institution, how soone would seven Sacraments shrinke to two? how quickly would Creame, Oyle, and Spittle, fly out of Baptisme, and leave nothing, but faire water behind? How soone, &c.
For I have received of the Lord.
How could Saint Paul receive it of the Lord,Quest. with whom hee never convers't in the flesh, being one borne out of time, as he confesseth of himselfe.
He received it.Answ. 1. Mediately by Ananias, who began with him where Gamaliel ended. Besides, (lest the Corinthians should say, that they received it likewise at the second hand, as well as Saint Paul) he had it immediately from God, Gal. 1.12. For I never received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the Revelation of Iesus Christ.