Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 38
Verse. 38.
Ye hauehave heard that it hath beene said, an eie for an eie, and a tooth for a tooth, &c.
Here Christ returnes to the commaundements of the second Table, intending to restore the same to their proper sense, and withall to confute the erroneous interpretation therof, giuen by the Iewish Teachers. And first, he commeth to a particular Iudiciall law of Moses, pertaining to the sixt commandement, touching the Requitall of like for like: in which, as in the former, he first sets downe the words of the law of Moses, but yet to be vnderstood, with the erroneous interpretation of the Scribes and Pharises, verse 38. Then, he giues the right sense of that law, and withall confuteth the false interpretation of the Iewish teachers, v. 39, 40, 41.
For the first, the words of Moses law here set downe, An eie for an Moses law of like f…r like expounded.eie, and a tooth for a tooth, are written, Exod. 21. 24. whereto, as to the former, Christ prefixeth this preface, It hath beene said, thereby giuing vsus to vnderstand, that he is about to lay downe the law of God in the false sense of the Iewish Teachers: for the better perceiuing whereof, we must obserue the true meaning of that law. An eie for an eie, and a Leuit. 19 …8.tooth for a tooth: wherein the Lord requireth, requitall of like for like, not by eueryevery priuate man, but by the publike Magistrate. As if a man did put out his neighbours eie, then the Magistrate should put out his …ie; and strike out his teeth, that strikes out his neighbours teeth: this appeares to be so, because reuenge is directly forbidden to eueryevery priuate person, and plainely appropriated to the Iudge, Deut. 19. 18, 19, 21. But the Iewish Teachers expounded this law of priuate reuenge; as though God had said to eueryevery priuate man, If thy neighbour plucke out thine …ie, plucke out his againe; and if hee strike out thy tooth, strike thou out his tooth: this is the false interpretation of the Iewes. Quest. How could they so farre ouershoote themselues in so cleare a case, seeing in all the bookes of Moses, it is plainely referred to the Magistrate? Ans. There may be two reasons giuen thereof; First, it is a naturall opinion, that a man may reuenge himselfe in his owne cause priuately, and not waite for recompence of the Magistrate; and answerable hereunto, there is a mightie strong desire of reuenge in eueryevery mans heart by nature, when he is iniuried: now it is like, that these Iewes followed their corrupt nature, and headie affections, in the interpretation of this law. Againe, the Iewish people were mightily giuen to reuenge, by their naturall disposition, as may appeare by the law of the Cities of Refuge, and by mentioning of the Reuenger of blood: which plainely imports, that the Iewes would hauehave blood againe of him that shed blood, whersoeuer they met with him. Now the Iewish Teachers framed their doctrine to the common disposition and behauiour of their people, and so falsified the truth of God, as many times it fals out, that the common practise of men makes sinne to seeme no sinne.
In the person of these Iewish Teachers, we may see the policie of theVsUs… 1. Tempering religion to mens humors a Satanicall policie. deuil, whose intent is, and hath beene in all ages, to ouerturne religion: and to this end, he endeauours to cause men to temper religion to their naturall disposition and common opinion in outward manners; whereby he ouerturneth both religion and people. This appeares in other points among the Iewes, as well as in this case of reuenge: They were a people giuen much to couetousnesse, as may appeare by the law of toleration for taking vsury of strangers, and by their hardnesse of heart, so much reprooued by all the Prophets. Now the deuill perceiuing this to be their naturall disposition, makes Gods doctrine of saluation, seeme to them a doctrine of earthly benefits; for hee caused them to dreame of an earthly king, for their Messias, and of an earthly flourishing kingdome vnderunder him. Thus also hath the deuill dealt with other heathen people: The Romans in Italie hauehave beene euer grosly addicted to superstition, sorcerie, and idolatrie, as heathen writers doe testifie. Now though God vouchsafed them his true Religion in the primitiue Church, yet the deuil perceiuing their naturall disposition to superstition, hath so tempered the truth of God among them, with a naturall and superstitious religion, that now they abound as much in idolatrie and superstition, as euer they did when they were heathen. The like malitious practise doth the deuil shew among the Protestants, where the Gospel is truely preached; for though hee cannot (as hee desires) corrupt religion in the mouthes of the Teachers, yet hee weakensFormall profession. it greatly in the hearts of men, both Teachers and hearers, causing them so farre forth onelyonly to receiue it, as it is sutable to their nature and disposition: but where it crosseth their humours, there to leaue it. Is not this euident? for he that embraceth the truth with his heart, will frame his life according to it; but generally the entertainment of religion is onelyonly formall: for though men professe it, yet they liue in their sinnes, they make it to i…mpe with their naturall disposition, hauing indeede a shew of godlinesse, but they want the power thereof; and so in them religion is vaine, Iam. 1. 26. Whereby we must be aduertised, to take heed of this policie of the deuil, and whereas he labours to transforme religion to mens dispositions, wee on the contrarie, must endeauour in all things to transforme our selues into religion, obeying that forme of doctrine, whereunto we are deliuered, Rom. 6. 17.
Secondly, in these Scribes and Pharises we obserue the propertie of aA propertie of a bad Teacher. bad Teacher; namely, to transforme himselfe and his doctrine, to the custome and maners of the people, when as the people should be transformed into his doctrine and practise, according to godlinesse. Hereof the Lord admonisheth Ieremie, fIer. 15. 1… ▪Let them returne to thee, but returne not thou to thē: for it was the practise of the false prophets in his time, thus gExo. 2…. 14to strengthen the hands of the wicked: and it is a common fault in many Teachers, that they frame themselues, both for doctrine & practise, to the custome and manners of the people: but this is the deuils policie, whereby he ouerthroweth religion, and destroyeth mens soules.