Exposition of Jude, Verse 10
Vers. 10. But these speake euill of those things which they know not, and whatsoeuer things they know naturally, as beasts which are without reason; in those things they corrupt themselues.
IN the former part of this verse is laid downe a third argument, which amplifieth the sinne of these deceiuers; thus framed: For a man to giuegive sentence, and condemne that which hee knoweth not, is a point of great iniustice and rashnes: But these men condemning Magistracie, condemne a thing they know not: and therefore are iustly accused of rashnes and iniustice. The like s…ne of these seducers hath been too vsuall in all ages. In the daies of the Apostles themselues, the Gentiles accounted the doctrine of the Gospell but foolishnes: the Iewes, an offence; and yet neither of them knew what it was. The same rashnes is at this day to bee descried in the Church of Rome, who hauehave denounced the sentence of excommunication against our Churches, and condemne the Protestants for heretikes, when the most of them neuer knew our doctrine, nor neuer heard what wee could say for our selues; yea most iniuriously they mistake vsus in sundry maine points of doctrine; as when wee teach that workes doe not iustifie a man before God, they crie out and say we condemne all good workes. The same fault is exceeding rise amongst vsus in these daies: for let a man make conscience of his waies and endeuour to please God, he is presently branded with names of reproch, by those whose tongues are nimble to speake euill of things they neuer knew; who are to know that a man cannot be too precise in keeping the commaundements of God, and that themselues hauehave made a promise in Baptisme to walke in no other waies, and ought to renew the same so often as they come to the Lords table.
And whatsoeuer things they know naturally.] In the rest of this verse is set downe the third sinne of these deceiuers, which is the sinne of intemperance, standing in the immoderate vse of meate and drinke, apparell, &c. Touching this sinne two things are propounded: first, the proper cause of it, that is naturall knowledge, in these words: Whatsoeuer they know naturally.] Secondly, the sinne it selfe, or the propertie of it: In those things they corrupt themselues. The cause is, because they are guided with a naturall knowledge, like the bruite beasts which are without reason. There be three kindes of knowledge incident vntounto the creature; first, naturall knowledge, arising from the instinct of nature common to man and beast, and consisting in the senses of sight, taste, touching, &c. by the benefit whereof the beast it selfe can discerne what is food fit for it selfe, and what is not; what is profitable, and what is hurtfull and vnprofitable for it: vntounto which is ioyned a naturall appetite, by the benefit of which the creature can chuse or refuse his food and meate in season. The second is reasonable knowledge proper to man, and is nothing els, but the light of vnderstanding, whereby he reacheth farre higher, and discerneth meate, drinke, apparell, and rest, to be Gods good gifts, and knoweth the ciuill vse of them; with the which is ioyned election of will, whereby hee can chuse or refuse the ciuill or vnciuil, honest, or dishonest vse of them. This knowledge is in all men, for euen the Gentiles themselues doe by nature the things contained in the law, Rom. 2.14. that is, ciuilly and outwardly: thus many of the Heathen hauehave excelled in ciuill carriage, and practise of iustice, temperance, and other ciuill vertues. The third is spirituall knowledge, not proceeding either from naturall instinct, or reason it selfe; but from the enlightening of the spirit of God: and it hath sundrie fruits. First, it enableth men to know these things in their right causes, as that these giftes of meates, drinks, & such like proceed from God, not as he is the God of nature only; but as by grace in Christ he is our God, yea our Father, & so they become pledges of his speciall merciemercy; seeing they are now restored againe to the beleeuer, hauing been formerly lost in Adams fall. Secondly, this knowledge causeth men to know them in the due measure of their goodnes and excellencie, rightly discerning them from spirituall blessings: so as the heart shall not be set vponupon them in the first place, but vponupon the other as of farre higher esteeme; yea they shall bee counted as dung in regard of these. Thirdly, it instructeth men in the right vse of them, namely when it worketh this perswasion in their hearts, that til their persons please God they can neuer vse them well; and then onelyonly hee is pleased in their vse of these, when as their persons first please him. Qu. What is the thing then condemned in these seducers? Ans. The very sin condemned is, that in the vse of the creatures of God they are not guided by reasonable, much lesse this spirituall knowledge; but onelyonly by nature, sense, and appetite, as the beast is, and no otherwise, which is the cause of all intemperance.
Hence note the proper cause of the abuse of all Gods blessings vntounto couetousnes, pride, surfetting, drunkennes, and other sinnes of that kinde: namely, because though men hauehave by nature the vse of reason; yet in the vse of these things they lay it aside, and follow their own sense and appetite: so farre are they from being guided by that higher knowledge which is wrought by the spirit of God.
Secondly, from the reprehension we are taught to labor for spirituall knowledge, whereby we may be led into the right vse of these temporall things; for then and not before shall we vse them as pledges of Gods merciemercy in Christ vntounto vsus (as the beasts cannot) and shall hardly be drawne to their abuse in riot and intemperance, as these seducers were.
Thirdly, in that they are said to bee guided only, as the beast which is without reason, that is by nature, sense, and appetite: note the practise of the Diuel which is to keep men (if he can) in their naturall knowledge, and will not suffer them to attaine to that which is spirituall: yea and which is more, hee corrupteth also that naturall knowledge which men hauehave. A notable experience hereof we hauehave in the Church of Rome; which of a famous Church is become hereticall, and schismaticall; the reason of it is, because the Diuell hath turned all their religion and doctrine, into a natural doctrine & religion: the maine points whereof are grounded vponupon naturall reason, and the learning and Philosophie of the Heathen and Gentiles. As iustification by workes, merits, Purgatorie, with the rest. Others not a few amongst our selues also are deluded by this subtilty of Satan; who suffereth many men to liue ciuilly and honestly among their neighbours, but will not brooke that they rise any higher: they must content themselues to liue by naturall knowledge: Hence many men plead they know enough, namely to louelove God aboue all, and their neighbour as themselues: and that God is mercifull, &c. which is nothing but a sleight of the Diuell still to hold them in their naturall knowledge, and so within his owne power.
The second point is the sinne it selfe, and propertie of it: In those things they corrupt themselues.] This sin of intemperance causeth men in the abuse of meate, drinke, and apparell, to corrupt themselues: here then are two things to be spoken of, wherein the whole nature of intemperancie is sufficientlie comprised. First of the abuse of the creatures: secondly of his corruption that thus abuseth them. Concerning the former; the abuse of the creatures is foure waies: first, in excesse, whē men vse them beyond their calling, habilitie, or that which nature requireth; this maketh the heart heauie: forbidden by Christ, Luk. 21.34. Secondly, in curiositie, when men are not content with ordinarie meate, drink, apparell; but deuise new fashions of apparell, and new kindes of waies of stirring vp and whetting of appetite. Thirdly, in affection, when men so addict themselues to meates and drinks, as they cannot bee without them. The Minister must not be one that loueth to sit at the wine, nor giuen to wine. 1. Tim. 3.3 1. Cor. 7.30The affection is here condemned, when he cannot sit without the pot at his elbow; for else it is indifferent, & for his health sake he may drinke a little wine. Paul willeth that the ioy in the creature bee as no ioy. Those also are reproued that drinke not for strength,Eccles. 10.17. but for drinke sake: for although they neither are drunke nor surfet, yet this very affection is a sinne. Fourthly, in time, when these good creatures are vsed vnseasonably. Eccles. 10.16. Wee be to the land whose Princes rise early to eate. A woe is also denounced against those, that rise early to drinke wine, Isai. 5.11. that is, out of season. The rich man for that he was clad in purple, and fared deliciously eueryevery day, is branded with a note of intemperance, in not obseruing this distinction of times. These bee the waies whereby the creatures are abused.
The second point is, how intemperate persons in these things corrupt thēselues: namely foure waies: first, in regard of their bodies, vponupon which by their sin of intemperance they call sundrie sicknesses, diseases, yea and hasten their death. Secondly, they deface Gods image, making themselues worse than the beasts themselues. Thirdly, they destroy their soules; for no drunkard, or riotous person shal inherit heauen, 1. Cor. 3. Fourthly, they ouerthrow their families in wasting th…ir substance, to the maintaining of their intemperance, and so bring ruine to the places where they liue.
Vse. In these seducers we hauehave a glasse, wherein to behold the state of our daies and times; in which intemperance hath taken place not only in prophane houses, but euē in religious places, & where reformation is professed. A common practise it is to drink with glasses, without feete, which must neuer rest; also by the bell, the die, the douzen, the yard, and other measures, & then vse Tabacco or other meanes to sharpen appetite still an horrible sin exceeding this sin of these seducers themselues. Secondly, seeing intemperance bringeth iust corruption, and in the end destructiō vponupon the offenders, we must make conscience of sobrietie and temperance: this is the end of Gods grace which hath appeared, to teach vsus to liue soberly, Tit. 2.12. And whosoeuer cannot obtaine thus much of himselfe to deny the abuse of creatures, will neuer attaine to the deniall of himselfe for Christ his sake, and is as yet a man of no religion.
But for the defending of this murthering sinne, some things are alleaged.
No face is so … but shall … painter.1. Ob. Gen. 43. vlt. Ioseph and his brethren did eate & drink, and were drunke together. Hagge 1.6. The people are threatned to drinke, but not to drunkennes: wherfore drunkennes is not vnlawfull; yea it is a curse to drinke and not to be drunke. Ans. These places may indeed be thus translated; but then drunkennes is taken two waies: first, for excesse in drinking: of which the places alleaged speake not. Secondly, for liberall or plentifull drinking, and this may bee done in a holie manner. So Ioseph with his brethren eat and dranke liberally and plentifully; but not excessiuely: so the people were threatned in Hagge to drinke, but not to sa…ietie and plentifulnes.
2. Ob. Ioh. 2. It is said the guests had well drunke; yet Christ turned water into wine still, and commaunded the Ministers to draw forth. Ans. This only sheweth what we may doe, namely, vse the creatures of God in plentifull and liberall manner, vponupon such occasions as this; but iustifieth not intemperance, or excesse in the vse of them.
3. Ob. It is an ancient rule, that in some olde and lingering diseases it is good to be drunke; therefore it is lawfull vponupon some occasion to be drunke. Ans. This cannot be done in good conscience, being an vnlawfull meanes to cure any disease, though old and vsed.
4. Ob. But some say they can drinke and neuer be drunke, they can beare more away than two or three. Ans. W…e vntounto them that are strong to drinke wine and strong drinke;Isai. 5.22. there is a curse of God against them who vse needlesse drinking, though they neuer surfet nor be drunke. Q…. For what ends may we vse the creatures, and in what manner? Ans. The lawful end of their vse is two-fold: first, for necessitie to preserue life and health: secondly, for our lawful and honest delight. Psal. 104.14. God giueth bread to strengthen the heart, and oyle also to make his countenance glad. Christ suffered a woman to powre a boxe of pretious oyntment vponupon his head: himself was at a feast in Galeley and forbad not the liberal vse of wine. Secondly, for the manner and measure we must knowe that one man cannot herein be a rule to another, one mans stomack and health craueth more, another lesse. But eueryevery man must obserue this rule of sobrietie: that he hauehave alwaies an eye to spirituall exercises; as praier, hearing of the word, meditation, as also to the workes and duties of his speciall calling; and so much as fitteth a man vntounto these is his measure: and when a man by the creatures maketh himselfe heauie and vnfit for these, he hath exceeded his measure.