Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 2 · Verse 16 – Verse 17
VERSE 16. Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke, or in reſpect of an holy day, or of the new Moones, or of the Sabbath dayes.
YOu have heard at the ſixth Verſe of this Chapter, that there began the exhortatory part of this Epiſtle: and the Exhortations were generall, concerning all ſorts, or ſpeciall: The generall you heard were either principall, as that in the ſixth and ſeventh Verſes, or ſecondary pertaining to the Principall: the leſſe principall aſſiſtant to that great duty of [walking in CHRIST] were prohibitions of things to be avoided: In this Chapter are rules of ſpirituall practice: in the next the Prohibitions are given, firſt in generall, Verſe 8. Goe not after Philoſophy, and vaine deceit, after the tradition of men, and elements of the world; the which generall prohibition hath beene propounded, and by reaſons hitherto enforced. Now he commeth to ſome particular prohibitions, which doe open unto us what things he meant by vaine deceit, which leaneth on mans tradition and is carnall. The dehortations are two-fold:
1 From a ſervile reſpecting the cenſures of men, ſo walking in CHRIST, that they meddle not neither with Iewiſh nor Philoſophicall ſuperſtitions, to the twentieth Verſe.
2 He dehorteth them from the practice of every carnall and elementary faſhion of worſhipping GOD, from the twentieth Verſe to the end of the Chapter.
To returne; this dehortation in the ſixteenth Verſe may be divided into the prohibition, and the reaſon. The Prohibition, Let no man condemne you in theſe things] The Reaſon, they are ſhadowes of things, which now in Chriſt and His Church are exhibited: for this hath a ſecret force enforcing what by the Apoſtle is urged:
That which is a Shadow vaniſhed, that is not ſo to bee regarded, as to feare leſt you bee cenſured in the neglect of it:
But theſe are ſuch:
Therefore paſſe not, though you be condemned for omitting theſe.
But the former part of the ſixteenth Verſe may be diverſely conſtrued, Let no man condemne you] Firſt, it may ſound to this ſenſe; Let no perſon in heart Iewiſhly affected take on him to condemne you, or no weake Iew condemne you in not uſing theſe things: but this is not probably here underſtood, becauſe the Apoſtle dealeth with the Coleſsians, ſhewing them their duty, as may be gathered by the inference, and the next Verſe. Againe, weake converts of Iewes, it is not probable there were any with them. The ſecond ſenſe, Let none condemne you] that is, doe not take up theſe ſhadowes, or continue the practice in them, and ſo give occaſion to other Churches of the Gentiles to condemne you; but this, though a good ſenſe, I doe not allow for theſe reaſons:
1 Becauſe after the rule of the Apoſtle, Rom. 14. Churches were not to condemne Churches, though they were a little levened this way; if they did, it was a fact not very warrantable.
2 Becauſe in the twentieth Verſe hee dehorteth them from detaining and uſing theſe rites.
3 Becauſe, that as in the next Verſe, he doth call them to ſtand their ground againſt Philoſophicall ſeductors: So here againſt Iewiſh Ceremony-maſters. I thinke then this is the meaning: Let none condemne you; that is, ſtand in the liberty ſo dearely purchaſed, yeeld not your ſelves for any mans condemnation in theſe matters, paſſe not if any man condemne you for not uſing rites crucified in CHRIST. This is a way whereby we ſuffer not any to condemne us, when wee ſtand not to any cenſure of them, challenging our freedome. Thus though we cannot keepe the Pope from curſing, excommunicating us, in regard of his deed and minde; yet we may truely be ſaid not to let him excommunicate us, in reſpect wee ſubmit not to any cenſure he paſſeth in kinde: This then is the meaning: Paſſe not if Iudaiſing ſpirits doe condemne you, for not keeping a part of an holy day, a new Moone, &c. for all theſe things are ſhadowes, which in CHRIST and His Church, the ſubſtance of them is accompliſhed.
1 Obſerve hence: Doct. That wee muſt not make account of mens ſiniſter judgements, as any way giving place unto them. It is the property of erroneous ſpirits, they will be prodigall in their peremptory condemning of all that diſſent from them: Thus you ſee how the Pope thundereth anathema's in every article againſt us, and Papall ſpirits, ſubſcribe not to every Canon, you ſhall be excommunicate; yea, an anathema preſently. Now then if we might not turne our deafe eare, and contemne ſubjecting our ſelves to their ſentences, we ſhould quickly ſhake in our beliefe: Thus our Saviour taught His Diſciples, When they revile you, excommunicate you for my Names ſake, paſſe not what they count of you; great then is your reward: So when the Apoſtles told Him what the Phariſies would except at; Tuſh, let them alone, they are blinde leaders of the blinde, and how doth Saint Paul. 1 Cor. 4.3. I eſteeme it the leaſt matter of a thouſand to be judged of you or men: And we ſee how in the Primitive ſtory, when Victor would in the matter of Eaſter, condemne all the other Churches differing from him; they gave no place, but rebuked his inſolencie, and contemned his audacious cenſure. For wee ſtand and fall to our owne Maſter: What have they to doe to judge us? Yet this muſt be rightly underſtood: For there is a ſinfull careleſneſſe of others cenſure; when a man out of an foreign, a ſelfe-conceited, proud, pertinacious humour paſſeth not for others; or when one regardeth not this or that, becauſe of the baſe account in which he hath the perſons that ſpeake it: or when one diſtinguiſheth not perſons, but is moſt careleſſe of all alike: whereas we muſt never out of pride, or contempt (as they in the Goſpell) what doe you ſtand upon that theſe old curſed people thinke, that know not the Law? but from a good conſcience teſtifying with us in that we doe before GOD, 1 Cor. 4.3.
2 We muſt diſtinguſh betwixt weake ones miſconceiving through weakneſſe of judgement, and malicious ones: the latter are not to be regarded; but for the other, though we muſt not ceaſe from that which is good neceſſarily to be done of us, yet we muſt pity it in them, and ſeeke at GOD to ſhew them the truth.
The Vſe is to us, Vſe that we never feare men ſlaviſhly; we are the ſervants of CHRIST, if wee doe that which is His will, what need wee care who condemne that wee know He approveth in us? We that are taught of GOD, ſhall we give place to blinde Bats, who ſpeake they know not what, and have no ſavour of heavenly things? they are incompetent judges, wee yeeld not to them. What careth an Artiſt if an ignorant perſon find fault with him; he will ſay, Cobler not beyond your laſt: So may we to ſuch who condemne us, holding to that which is the truth. Hence then may be reproved that puſillanimity in many, who will give in, if they be oppoſed in the leaſt degree.
2 Obſerv. That to put no difference in meats for conſcience ſake, or religious reſpect, is no ſinne: the text proves it: Doct. Let no man condemne you in meat] that is, care not for their condemning you, when you put no religious difference betwixt meats, as pure and impure; ſo in drinkes. Wee know the Iewes, if a thing ſtood in a pot uncovered, were not to touch the liquor, it was legally impure to them: for theſe things are all the good creatures of GOD, and all theſe things in CHRIST are made pure to the pure. There is a foure-fold diſtinction of meats:
1 The one Naturall.
2 The other Politike.
3 Religious.
4 Superſtitious.
Some in regard of natural properties and wholeſomeneſſe to our bodies good: ſome have a malignancie in them, and are hurtfull; thus in way of diet, to diſtinguiſh them is not evill.
So politikely for the benefit of the fiſher-man, and breed of cattell.
A truely religious difference is, when GOD, for ſome holy purpoſe doth make a diſtinction, permitting ſome, and denying others: or when we in Chriſtian wiſedome abſtaine from ſome things which we finde through our weakneſſe to be hurtfull for us.
The fourth kinde is, that we are to marke the ſuperſtitious difference, when we will out of a foreign, a ſinfull imitation, or out of mecre humane preſumption prohibit the uſe of ſome meats, and allow others, and that as a thing pleaſing to GOD: thus Montanus forbade all drie things, and would have them religiouſly refrained, as comming from an evill beginning: Thus the Papiſts forbid fleſh, egges and white meats, though not as evill in their nature, yet as defiling the conſcience of him that uſeth them, when now they are forbidden; and that not onelyonly becauſe he tranſgreſſeth the commandement of the Church, but becauſe he neglecteth a thing which is good in it ſelfe; even as a religious exerciſe: But this was the old opinion of the Phariſies, who did thinke that ſome meates did defile them, not onelyonly which GOD had forbidden, but which they refrained out of humane tradition: for they had their weekely faſts of their owne making;Matth. 15.2.11. but CHRIST telleth them, That which goeth into the mouth defileth not the man. Secondly, they thought it a ſinne againſt the commandement of the Elders: Why doth your Maſter eat with unwaſhen hands, breaking the tradition of the Elders? But our Saviour by His fact ſheweth that there is no ſuch power in men, as to make that a ſin which GOD hath not forbidden:
That for which wee need not feare who condemne us, in that we ſin not, nor deſerve no cenſure; for a cauſed condemnation muſt be feared:
But in theſe things, viz. the free uſe of all creatures as alike pleaſing to GOD, wee need not care who condemne us:
Therefore we need not to be afraid of taking any creature, afraid (I ſay) as if we ſhould ſin in ſo doing.
Which may ſerve to reprove the Papiſts putting a difference of meants, Vſe as making it more holy to uſe ſome,Diſcrimen …iberum cut di…rum nonja… retinendum eſt à Chriſtianis cum opinione neceſſitatis, Sanctitatis, juſtitiae, …ut …. Epiſe. Daven. in …. 16. pag. 185. than otherſome, and more pleaſing to GOD; Yea, making it a deadly ſin to eat an egge on Friday, as if the kingdome of GOD did ſtand in meats or drinkes.
Let no man condemne you] Obſerve hence: Doctr. What is the ſpirit of thoſe that dote on Moſaicall and Iewiſh rites, they are ready to condemne ſuch as are not downe right in them: they are here deciphered, as if they would damne ſuch as did but faile in the part of an Holy-day: For you muſt know their Feaſts began the Evening before. Now all the day on the Feaſt-Eve men were free to labour; but toward night, they began their religious obſervances: now they are here painted forth as ready moſt deepely to cenſure ſuch as ſhould miſſe but the leaſt part of time, halfe an holy day, which they were accuſtomed to keepe as holy.
Obſ. Againe: He doth not ſay, doe not refraine a meat or drinke, or ſeeme to keepe an Holy-day, but yeeld not your liberty to ſuffer your ſelves condemnable in neglecting theſe things, upon neceſſary and urgent occaſions, as if you had omitted ſome thing you were bound unto upon abſolute neceſſity. Whence note: That the not uſing of rites, but yeelding our ſelves bound to them, Doct. is the thing we muſt avoid. Chriſt is ſaid to have taken away the yoke of Ceremonies, not as making it unlawfull to doe them with liberty, but as freeing us from the obligation, and neceſſary obedience of them. Hence it was that Saint Paul circumciſed, ſhaved, &c. who yet would not in the leaſt meaſure have betrayed his liberty in yeelding himſelfe under any pretence bound unto them: Thus we may uſe ſome Ceremony when diſcretion requireth; and authority enjoyneth, for decencie and order in the Church; or to teſtifie that wee are not ſchiſmatically affected, but love and deſire to keepe the peace of the Church.
VERSE 17. Which are a ſhadow of things to come: but the body is CHRIST.
OBſerve hence: Doct. What all thoſe legall Ceremonies were, even ſhadowes of that which is done in CHRIST and His Church; for I conſter [CHRIST] here, CHRIST myſticall, as 1 Cor. 12.12. For if that of the Fathers may goe for currant, that diſtinction of cloven footed beaſts, and ſuch as chewed the Cud, did teach, that Chriſtians muſt be diſcreet, and given to meditate on the Word; though it is liker that the permitting them only pure creatures, did ſignifie, that we muſt deſire the ſincere milke and food of the Goſpell: or creatures of middle nature, did admoniſh us, how our ſpirituall food of knowledge, though it be farre higher than the world; yet it is farre inferiour to that we ſhall be fed with, when we walke by ſight.
To ſhew us how juſtly theſe are all aboliſhed; Vſe 1 the ſhadow and the body will not ſtand together: As Painters who take an imperfect draught of a thing, when they have now finiſhed their maſter table, they caſt away all their former rudiments; So GOD having now brought the true Image of heavenly things, doth caſt off thoſe imperfect ſhadowes which had formerly beene in uſe.
This teacheth the fondneſſe of this world which embraceth ſhadowes and neglecteth ſubſtance, Vſe 2 like that the Poets tell of Ixion: ſo doth God plague men that will not receive the ſubſtance of truth, but are wood-madde, in love with ſhadowes, as theſe here: And ſo we all doe follow ſhadowes of good, leaving the true good things indeed.
The Papiſts may hence be in part anſwered: Vſe 3 They object, that their Ceremonies are not here condemned, Object. but ſuch as ſignified CHRIST to come.
Though in other regards they are taken away then of ſignification (as ſhall be noted hereafter) yet they muſt know, ſignification reſpecting CHRIST is two-fold: Anſw. (1) Of that which concerneth His owne individuall Perſon, as His manifeſtation in fleſh, ſuffering, &c. (2) Of that which repreſenteth any thing to be done in the body of CHRIST myſticall, to be done ſpiritually of beleevers: Now their Ceremonies are to be charged for ſacrifice of the Maſſe, a ſhadow of CHRIST about to be offered. For all the Ceremonies doe ſhadow ſome ſpirituall thing in beleevers, who are the body of Chriſt.