Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 21
Verse 21.
Ye hauehave heard that it was said of olde, Thou shalt not kill, for whosoeuer killeth, shall be culpable of iudgement.
Our Sauiour Christ hauing laid downe his Preface, doth here begin his interpretation of the Law, beeing indeed the onelyonly true doctour of his Church; and herein especially hee doth meddle with the second Table, beginning first of all, with the sixt Commandement, touching Murther. In the handling whereof, hee obserueth this order; First, hee setteth downe the false interpretation of this law, by the Scribes and Pharises, in this verse: Secondly, hee sheweth the true meaning of it, v. 22. And lastly, hee propoundeth rules of concord and agreement betweene those that be at variance, verses 23, 24, 25, 26.
For the first: The Exposition. Ye hauehave heard: that is, you Iewes which now heare mee, whether Scribes, Pharises, or others; you hauehave heard, that it hath beene said of old: that is, by your auncient Teachers, the old Scribes and Pharises, who hauehave expounded this law vntounto you: and that this phrase must be vnderstood of the ancient Iewish Teachers, may plainely appeare, because in the next verse hee opposeth his owne teaching thereunto, and would hauehave these his hearers, that before had learned a false interpretation of this law, from their old Teachers, now to learne of him, the true exposition thereof. The Law is this, Thou shalt not kill: The exposition of the ancient Iewish Teachers was this, for whosoeuer killeth shall be culpable of iudgement: that is, whosoeuer laieth violent handes on another, to take away his life (for they knew no other murther, neither did they extend this commandement to forbid any sin, but actual murther) shall be culpable of iudgement: that is, shall be held guiltie of murther, both in the courts of men, and also before the iudgement seate of God, where hee shall receiue the deserued punishment thereof. This was the interpretation of the Iewes.
Here first obserue, that Antiquitie is no infallible marke of true doctrine;Antiquitie no infallible marke of truth. for this exposition of this commandement was ancient, received from ancient Teachers; and yet Christ the doctour of truth, reiecteth it, as false and corrupt: and therefore the argument which the Papists vse, for the stablishing of their religion, drawn from Antiquitie, is of no effect.
Secondly, by these words of Christ, ye hauehave heard, it hath beene said How the Pharises expounded the law.of olde, wee may easily gather, after what manner the Scribes and Pharises expounded the law; namely, they left the Scriptures, and followed the interpretation of their ancient Teachers. But here Christ checketh and reprooueth this manner of teaching; and therefore the like cannot be warrantable among vsus at this day: whereby we see that kind of teaching reprooued, wherein eueryevery point is stuffed out with the testimonies of Fathers, Schoolemen, and humane writers. And here also is discouered a wicked and daungerous practise of the iRhem. Test. pre…. sect. 1….Papists, who referre all deciding of controuersies, and interpretation of hard places of Scripture, to the Church and to the Fathers. If we say that Fathers oft dissent, and the Church may erre, then they send vsus to the kHart. conf. with Rainol. chap. 2. div. 2.Popes breast. But if this course were safe, then the Iewish teachers might hauehave had a good defence against this charge of Christ: for they had both Church and Fathers on their side, and the high Priest that was then in place. Indeede the Fathers must be reuerenced, as lights of the Church in their time, and their testimonies duly regarded, wherein they agree with the written word: but for the confirmation of the truth in mans conscience, and for the edifying of the soule in the graces of the spirit, the word of God hath the onelyonly stroake: by it alone Gods children are begotten, and borne anew to a liuely hope, and by it alone they are fed and nourished in the faith, yea, by it alone they are confirmed and stablished in the truth.
Thirdly, in these Iewish Teachers, forbidding nothing as a breach ofMans naturall conceit of keeping the Commandemēts. this law, but the outward sinne of murther; and on the contrarie approouing of those as keepers of this law, that kept their hands from this Actuall crime of blood, and by consequent worthie of life euerlasting; behold a plaine picture of eueryevery naturall man: for is not this the common opinion, that vnlesse a man kill an other, he breakes not this commandement? and so for the rest, if he abstaine from the outward actuall grosse sinnes of stealing, adulterie, and false witnes bearing, then he keepes those commandements, though his heart be neuer so full fraught with enuie, malice, lust, couetousnes, falshood, &c. But let vsus obserue Christs reproofe of such erronious interpretations of Gods law, as a meanes to schoole our hearts from such vaine conceits.