Lectures Upon John 4, Part 7 · Lecture 31
Lecture the one and thirtieth, Nouember 7. 1609.
THe last day we heard what the question was, that troubled the mind of this Woman, and wherein she did desire to be resolued by our Sauiour; namely, concerning the true Church and Religion of God, which I told you was the second part of this Text: followeth now the third and last part of it; namely, the reason that mooued her to doubt of this matter, and to be perplexed in her mind about this question; and that was this. On the one side her Fathers had worshipped God in Mount Gerizim, and that made her thinke that that was the best place to serue God in: and on the other side, Christ whom she knew to be a Prophet, and all others that were of his Religion, said, that in Ierusalem was the place where men ought to worship, and that made her doubt shee had serued God amisse all this while. Where we hauehave to obserue, that the Samaritans made the example and custome and authority of their forefathers the rule and warrant of their Religion, and that was that that deceiued them.
And from thence we learne this Doctrine: That it is not safe but dangerous in matters of Religion to ascribe too much to antiquity, and to Doct. 6.the example and custome of our forefathers. But before I confirme this Doctrine, least any should thinke we make no account of antiquitie, or of the example and authority of our forefathers, foure things shall be premised for the right vnderstanding of this doctrine, concerning the account that is to be made in matters of Religion, 1. Of antiquity. 2. Of our forefathers. 3. Of our naturall parents and ancestours. 4. Of the customes of the places wherein we liue.
1. There is an antiquity which is a certaine and infallible note of the true Religion. The old way is called the good way, Ier. 6. 16. The true Religion is the most antient Religion. So the Prophets that seduced Gods people to Idolatry are said to hauehave caused them to stumble in their way from the antient wayes, Ier. 18. 15. So the Idolatry of the Iewes is disgraced by this note that it was new, Deut. 32. 17. They serued new gods newly come vp. And the true Church of God is called, The antient people, Esay 44. 7. No people of any Religion in the world may compare in antiquity with the true Church ofGod. But that is onelyonly truely ancient in matters of Religion, which was from the beginning.
It is not the continuance of a thousand or two thousand yeares that can make any thing in Religion truely antient; but it must be from the beginning, or it is not truely antient. The Gospell is called an eternall Gospell, Apoc. 14. 6. And so Iohn commends his Doctrine, 1. Iohn 1. 1. to be that which was from the beginning. So our Sauiour giues this rule to try a truth in Religion by, Matth. 19. 8. From the beginning it was not so. And the Apostle, 1. Cor. 11. 23. grounds his Doctrine of the Sacrament, and the direction he giues to the Church about it, vponupon the first institution of it. That is truely antient in matters of Religion that can fetch his originall from him that is called the antient of daies, Dan. 7. 9. That is from God himselfe and his Word. That that is deriued but from men is of no antiquity in this case. So the Lord in that place I cited euen now, Deut. 32. 17. calls the idolatry of the Israelites the worshipping of new gods newly come vp (though they had continued in the world many hundred yeares. (For Abrahams ancestours were Idolaters, Iosh. 24. 2.) because it was but the deuice of man, and had not warrant from his Word. That which is grounded vponupon the authority of the Prophets and Apostles, which wrote by diuine inspiration; that, and that onelyonly, hath true antiquitie for it: which made Iohn say, 1. Ioh. 2. 7. The old commandement is the Word. So that whatsoeuer Doctrine is taught and confirmed by the authority of the Word; though it may seeme new to men, because they neuer heard of it before, yet it is not new in it selfe; neither can they that teach or receiue it, be iustly called Nouellists or new-fangled men. It was no innouation or new-fanglednesse in Nehemiah to celebrate the feast of the Tabernacles, Nehemiah 8. 17. Though it had beene out of vse from the daies of Ioshua vntounto that time, because it had the warrant and authority of the Word of God. And whatsoeuer Doctrine is taught, or custome receiued in the Church, without the warrant and authority of the Word, though it could be prooued to hauehave beene taught and receiued one thousand sixe hundred yeares agoe, by such and such famous men, and antient Churches, yet it is a noueltie, and hath no true antiquity to commend it vntounto vsus.
2. As we hauehave this to say for antiquitie, so say we also of our forefathers, that there are certaine Fathers whose example ought to be of great authority with vsus in matters of Religion. Remember the dayes of old (saith the Lord) Deut. 32. 7. Consider the yeares of so many generations; aske thy father, and he will shew thee, thine elders and they will tell thee. And Iob 8. 8. Inquire of the former age, and prepare thy selfe to search of their Fathers. And it is oft noted, as Deut. 32. 17. Ier. 44. 3. and 194. to aggrauate the sinne of the Iewes that they serued new gods, newly come vp, gods whom their fathers knew not. So that if we should walke in a new way that our elders and forefathers had not walked in, we had iust cause to feare we are not in the right way. Our Sauiour directing his Church how to finde the right way, bids her obserue the steps of the old flocke: Cant. 1. 8. and Ierem. 18. 15. He calls the false way, a way that was not trodden. But these Fathers that should be of such authority with vsus in matters of Religion, are they onelyonly that hauehave followed the direction of the word. Amon is blamed for forsaking the God of his fathers: 2. Kings 21. 22. Yet walked he in the way of his owne father, and of most of his ancestors; Yea, it is expressely said, that he did euill in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasses did: verse 20. How is it then said, that hee forsooke the God of his fathers? The reason is rendered in the same place: verse 22. because he walked not in the way of the Lord. Those are the fathers we are to hauehave respect vntounto in the matters of Religion, that walke in the way of the Lord, and none but they. So that, as our Sauiour saith: Matth. 12. 50. Whosoeuer shall doe my fathers will which is in heauen, he is my brother, and sister, and mother; So may we truely say, that all the godly that in former ages hauehave walked in the way of the Lord, they were our fathers. And though that we did know none of our owne ancestors that professed the Religion that we doe; Yet so long as we professe no other Religion then the Patriarches, Prophets and Apostles did, and many other holy men that hauehave liued since the Apostles times, we cannot iustly be said to hauehave forsaken the God of our fathers, or to be of any other Religion then our forefathers were of.
3. In some cases there is great respect also to be had to the example euen of our naturall parents. It should be a great bond for a Christian to keepe him in the louelove of the truth, when his owne parents and ancestors hauehave beene louers and professors of the true Religion. This is noted to the praise of Azaria and Iotham, 2. King. 15. 3. and 34. They did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, according to all that their fathers did. That is the reason why Paul puts Timothie in minde of the piety that was both in his mother and grandmother: 2. Tim. 1. 5. And a double condemnation shall doubtlesse fall vponupon such, as hauehave had religious parents. if themselues become either Papists or prophane men. This is noted to the shame of the Israelites: Iudg. 2. 17. That they turned quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandements of God, but they did not so. And Iehoram the King of Iudah receiued a writing from Eliah the Prophet, threatning extreame vengeance against him; because he had not walked in the wayes of Iehosaphat and Asa; hauing so good a father, and so good a grandfather, that he yet became himselfe so vngratious a man: 2. Chron. 21. 12. 14.
4. Some authority and religious respect, is also sometimes to be giuen euen to the customes, and fashions of the places where we liue. Paul alleadgeth the custome of the Churches to stoppe the mouth of contentious men, 1. Cor. 11. 16. Good customes taken vp vponupon good grounds, receiued and long continued among Gods people, should not lightly be broken and laid downe. For the Israelites, 2. Kings 17. 34. are blamed for breaking their customes. The Apostle commends sundry truths to the people of God by this argument, that they had receiued them and makes that a further bond vntounto their conscience: 1. Cor. 15. 1. I declare to you the Gospell which I preached to you, which ye also receiued and wherein yee continue. And Phil. 4. 9. Those things which ye hauehave both learned and receiued, those things doe, and the God of peace shall bee with you. Yea it is no small sinne for any priuate man, to breake the good orders and customes of the Church of God, or to seeke to be priuiledged and exempted from them. There is a generall rule giuen vsus: Pro. 2. 20. Walke in the waies of good men, and keepe the waies of the righteous: and God hath made a promise to them that will learne the waies of his people, and conforme themselues vntounto them. Ier. 12. 16. Say there were no law to bind vsus to giuegive eueryevery Sabbath somewhat at Church to the reliefe of the poore: yet the very custome of a Congregation (being) according to the word (for the Apostle saith he set this order in all the Churches of Galatia, 1. Cor. 16. 1.) should bind vsus to continue in it, and cannot be despised by any without sinne. Say there we… no law to bind such as hauehave committed fornication, with the publique scandall of the Congregation, to professe their repentance publikely, for the satisfaction of the congregation,; Yet the very custome of the congregation grounded vponupon Gods Word, as this is (for the Apostle required that the fornicator should be put from among them, that is, separated from the priuiledges of the Church, till he had professed his repentance. 1. Cor. 5. 2. And our Sauiour inioynes him that had giuen offence, but to one member of the Church, not to presume to offer his gift to God, till he had made satisfaction to his neighbour: Mat. 5. 24. And how much more respect is to be had to a whole congregation, then to any one member) I say this very custome of the congregation thus grounded vponupon the Word, should not be violated in fauour of any man.
These foure points being thus premised, it remaines that I confirme the Doctrine. viz. That it is dangerous in matters of Religion to ascribe too much to antiquity or to the custome or example of our forefathers. For proofe of this Doctrine looke into the holy Scriptures, and into the examples of all ages, and you shall find that the chiefe hardner of men in superstition hath beene the antient custome and vse of their forefathers: so the Prophet speaketh of the Iewes in his time, Ier. 9. 14. They walked after the stubbornenesse of their owne hearts and after Baalims which their fathers taught them. And the Apostle Peter saith of them he wrote to: 1. Pet. 1. 18. That all their vaine conuersation was receiued by tradition of their fathers: and in this place, the thing that hardened the Samaritans in their superstition, was this, their fathers worshipped in this mountaine.
The Reasons why it is not safe, but dangerous in matters of Religion to rely too much vponupon antiquity and vponupon the custome of our forefathers, are these.
1. Because it is euident that many of the grossest errors that euer were in Religion are of great antiquity. The Idolatry of the Pagans was of Reason.great antiquity: Ioshu. 14. 2. The superstition of the Iewes that hold the obseruation of Moses ceremonies necessary to saluation, is of great antiquity. For it began in the Apostles dayes: Acts 15. 1. The corruptions of Religion that the Pharisees held in Christs time, were very antient: Matth. 5. 21, 27, 33. Yee hauehave heard it hath beene said to them of old time, &c. And so the errours of the Papists may not be denied to be very antient. For the mystery of iniquity began to worke euen in the Apostles time: 2. Thess. 2. 7.
2. It is no vndutifulnesse in a child, to swerue from his fathers example in any thing, wherein his father hath swerued from the Word of God. Our parents must be obeyed in the Lord, Eph. 6. 1. and are called the parents of our bodies; and the Lord the Father of our spirits and consciences. Heb. 12. 9. And in this case we hauehave a rule: Matth. 23. 9. Call no man father vponupon earth, for one is your father which is in heauen.
The Vse of this Doctrine is manifold. First: For the iustifying of our Religion against one of the chiefe obiections the Papists make against it, Use 1.(namely, that it is new, and no elder then Luther) and for the confirming our hearts against it. If this should be true, it were indeed sufficient to prooue it a false Religion. But first it should not seeme strange to vsus to hauehave the true Religion of God charged with noueltie. This is an old slander, What new doctrine is this, say the Iewes of Christs owne doctrine, Marke 1. 27. May wee know what this new doctrine is whereof thou speakest, say the Athenians to Paul, Acts 17. 29. 2. It is euident by authenticall stories, that this truth that we professe hath had many witnesses in eueryevery age since the Apostles times, euen in the darkest times of Popery. And though Master Luther were Gods blessed instrument to bring it to light in this last age, as Hilkia was of finding the booke of Gods Law, 2. King. 22. 8. Yet was not he the author of it, no more then Hilkia was of that. 3. Say we could not shew any that had professed it for 1500. yeares before Luther, yet because we hold nothing but that which hath witnesse of the law, of the Prophets, as Rom. 3. 21. Our Religion must needs be held to be truely antient.
2. For defending of our selues against the imputation of vndutifulnesse towards our ancestors which the Papists also cast vponupon vsus, as if by professing this Religion we did condemne all our forefathers. For first many that liued in the midst of the darknesse of Popery, were extraordinarily preserued from the grosse errors of the Papists (as the three children were in the fiery furnace, Dan. 3. 27.) and inlightned with the knowledge of the truth, which we our selues doe now professe, as may euidently be prooued by storie. Neither should this seeme strange, since we know the Lord hath beene wont at such times, and in such places as hee hath denyed the ordinary meanes of grace vntounto, to preserue, instruct, and saue his Elect extraordinarily: so he had 7000. in the ten Tribes that had not once bowed their knee to Baal, 1. King. 19. 18. So he wrought faith in Rahab while she liued among the cursed Cananites, Heb. 11. 31. And in the wise men while they liued in the East in the midst of Pagans and Idolaters, Mat. 2. 1. 2. 2. Many that professed Popery in their life time, might yet find mercy with him (specially in the most fundamentall point of faith the doctrine of iustification) at the houre of death; which we hauehave no cause to doubt of, not only because the Scripture hath reuealed that the Lord vseth to call some at the last houre, Matth. 20. 6, 7. But because we find by experience, that euen now adayes, though men be now farre more obstinate, and more setled in Popery, then our forefathers could be (as hauing stronger meanes to corrupt and poyson them then they had) and though their sinne be farre greater then the sinne of our forefathers was, because they sinne against the light that is so clearely reuealed, yea many of them in Apostasie, from the truth they had formerly professed. Yet euen now adayes many Papists finde that mercy with God as to renounce Popery at the houre of their death in that maine doctrine of iustification by workes. 3. We hauehave the rather cause to hope and iudge that our forefathers, many of them did finde that mercy with the Lord; because we know by those monuments of pietie that they left behind them, that they had the zeale of God in them, which is a good ground of hope, as we may see, Pauls hearty desire and prayer to God for Israel was that they might be saued, because they had the zeale of God, Rom. 10. 1, 2. 4. Say the Papists could certainely prooue that our ancestors did both liue and die Papists, yet is it no vndutifulnesse in vsus, to swerue from their example in that wherein we are sure they swerued from the Word of God: and we are oft charged in the Scripture not to make the example of our forefathers the rule of our conscience in this case, as we hauehave heard.
3. For the discouering of the weake foundations that most Papists hauehave to build their conscience on in the matter of their Religion, which is no more but this, that their parents and ancestors were of that faith, and not Papists onelyonly, but euen the greatest part of ignorant people, hauehave no other ground for many things they hold in Religion but onelyonly this the custome of their neighbours, and of their forefathers.
4. For the conuincing of Popery to be a false Religion, euen by this their owne argument, that it is a new Doctrine, and hath no true antiquity to commend it vntounto vsus. 1. We are well able to shew that many of their errors were not receiued into the Church 600. yeares after Christ. Wee are able to name the first authors of many of their corruptions. 2. Though we could not prooue they sprung vp since the Apostles times, nor name the time when they first were broached, it would not follow from thence, that their Religion is the faith that was first deliuered by the Apostles. For 1. Many heresies began in the Apostles dayes, 1. Iohn 2. 18. and 4. 1. yeá of Popery it is said that it began to worke then, 2. Thess. 2. 7. 2. It is oft noted in the word of sundry spirits of error, that they vse to creepe in so priuily, that they cannot easily be spied or discerned. Matth. 13. 25. Gal. 2. 4. 2. Tim. 3. 6. 2. Pet. 2. 1. Iude 4. And aboue all heresies Popery is called a mystery, Thess. 2. 7. No maruell therefore though men could not discerne when first it began to worke. 3. There be many grosse errours that hauehave beene held in the Church (as the Papists themselues will confesse) the first author whereof can not be named. 4. The Reason is euident, why the errours of Popery were not easily discerned at the first, nor opposed: because they (many of them especially) carried so great shew of holinesse and were (haply) first broached by such as were esteemed holy and good men, 1. Timothy 4. 3. They teach lyes through hypocrisie. 3. Though we had no other reason to prooue their Religion to be new, this is sufficient, that it is not grounded vponupon the holy Scriptures.