Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 52 – Part 53
Others, which be as it were in the fire through their ouermuch zeale, we are with feare to pull out: telling them with S. Paul, Rom. 10.2.that zeale without knowledge, profiteth nothing. Such a zeale as hee witnesseth the Iewes had, but it was not agreeing with the word of God. They defended the traditions of the fathers,Mat. 15.1. and expounded the scriptures according to them, as manie doe now adaies: but they should rather hauehave brought their traditions to the scriptures, and hauehave seene how they had agréed with them. And therefore as our sauiour saide to them of their traditions,Verse 13. eueryevery planting which my heauenly father hath not planted, shall be rooted out: so we may saie to those, that maintaine the traditions of the fathers, and of the church: if their traditions be not planted of God in his word, they shall be rooted out. Such a zeale S. Paul himselfe had,Gal. 1.14. as hee witnesseth; and I profited in the Iewes religion, aboue many of my companions, and of mine owne nation, and was more zealous of the traditions of ye fathers. But this his zeale made him a blasphemer; these his traditions had well nigh drawen him, into hell. And Saint Peter affirmeth, that we were not redeemed with gold or siluer, 1. Pet. 1.18. Verse 21.from the vaine conuersation we had receiued of our fathers, but by the pretious bloud as of a lambe immaculate Iesus Christ. But now (saith he) we are borne againe, not of mortall seede but of immortall, that is by the word of the liuing God, which endureth for euer. If then Christ hath redeemed vsus from the vaine conuersation, we had receiued of our fathers; let vsus beléeue no more such a false schoolemaster: if we be regenerat, by the word of God which endureth for euer, let vsus beleeue that, let vsus be zealous in that: This is S. Peters lesson. Againe, in the lawe by the prophet Amos, God teacheth the same: Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure, Amos 2.4.I will not turne to it: because they hauehave cast away the law of the Lord, and hauehave not kept his commandements. And their lies caused them to erre, after the which their fathers hauehave walked. Their fathers steps, besides the lawe of God, coulde not excuse the Iewes: no more shall ours excuse vsus. Let our zeale be therfore according to knowledge, grounded vponupon Gods word, maintaining it: not the tradition of the fathers. Papias a diligent searcher, and enquirer of the Apostles traditions, in ye primitiue church fell into heresies: Euseb. ecel. hist. lib. 3. cap. 39.much more traditions may deceiue vsus. Let euerie one take héede what hee buildeth:1. Cor. 3.17. If any man destroy the tēple of God, him shal God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which yee are (saieth the Apostle.) The teacher of false doctrine destroieth the temple of God: Oh therfore let euerie man take héede, what he teacheth! The doctrine which is grounded on the scriptures, is sure, it cannot be false: Oh let vsus teach that! That which is grounded vponupon traditions, may be false: Oh let vsus beware that,Psal. 19.8. Rom. 6. v. 17. least we destroy the temple of God! The law of God (saith Dauid) is a perfect lawe, conuerting the soule, and S. Paul calleth the scripture foreign, the platforme or mould of doctrine; Col 2. v. 20.and therefore all doctrine which agreeth not with that, is to be reiected: and to ye Colossians foreign; why are you led by the conceites and opinions of men concerning the elements of the world and outward thinges; as though now the worship of God consisted in them, in ouermuch pinching and pining the body, as the Iesuites doe, or in humblenesse of minde and worshipping of angels, as now also the catholiques teach. These our head Iesus Christ commandeth not; these are the opinions of men; these hauehave a shew of holinesse in voluntary religion: but in Christes religion, because he neuer taught them, they ought as superfluous to bee quite cut off and repelled. Such worshipping of angels, through humility; and such excessiue fasting, through ouermuch deuotion or rather superstition, began to spring (as it should séeme) as a part of Gods worship and religion, euen in the Apostles daies: but since it hath ouerspread almost the whole church, and quite choked all the true worship; which, according to our sauiours doctrine, should be only of God, and in spirit and truth. This only place if it be well marked, ouerthroweth the verie principall groundes of poperie: which is, a voluntary religion and seruice of God besides his word, and a worshipping of angels and saints, and a religious & excessiue abstinence. For there is a measure in al things, which the gospell doth not take away,2. Cor. 10.13. as in doctrine: we will not reioice in thi…ges aboue our measure, saith the Apostle: so in fasting, in reproouing sins, and in all other spirituall exercises foreign (saith S. Paul: Rom. 6. v. 19.) I speake according to mans hability. And in the epistle to the christian soule, thus they faine that Christ doth speake to his spouse: I do not hold my selfe satisfied, though thou doest serue me, seeke me, and binde thy selfe to heare me: but I will hauehave thee serue me in such sort, as my will is to be serued, that is I will hauehave thee cleane forsake thine owne will, yea though it be in a thing vertuous and commendable; and to follow my will in another thing, which is not halfe so good, but seemeth to be vile and of no valew. Here we maie plainlie sée by their owne confession, that Gods will in his worship is chiefelie to bée respected: and how shall we learne that, but in his word? And that all voluntarie worship is condemned against this his will, séeme it to vsus neuer so commendable, and full of deuotion. If we will be led by traditions: the church of Ethiopia hath a certaine booke,Mat. Dresserus in oratione de eccl. Aethiopicae. which they suppose was made of all the Apostles, when they were together at Ierusalem, and they call this booke in their language Manda and Abetylis, and they beléeue that all things written in it are as true as the gospell: And in this booke is contained that priestes may hauehave wiues: so that, both ecclesiasticall and ciuill persons, after they hauehave companied with their wiues, must abstaine from the church 24. houres. Also it containeth other ceremonies of womens purifications; and that a Synod ought twise eueryevery yeare to bee kept in the church, &c. Why should wee beléeue the Popes traditions vnwritten, more then these which are written? Why should wee beléeue the church of Rome more, then of Ethiopia? For of the whole church Christ spake, that hell gates should not preuaile against it: And S. Paul, that it is the piller of truth, as well the church of Ethiopia, as of Asia; as well the church of Ephesus, Epiph. haer. 27.where Timothy was Bishop, as of Rome, where (as some thinke) Peter and Paul were Bishops, not Peter onlie.
Irenaeus of the traditions of the Iewes writes thus:Lib. 4. ca. 35. The traditions of the elders, which they faine that they obserued according to the lawe, were contrary to the lawe which was giuen by Moses. And therefore Esay saith, thy hucksters do mingle wine with water, shewing, that with the tart precept of God, the elders did mingle their waterish tradition, that is setting vp an adulterous law, and that contrary to the law: as our Lord made manifest, saying vntounto them, why doe ye transgresse the commandement of God, for your owne tradition? And they hauehave not onelyonly broken the law of God, by transgression mingling wine with water; but they hauehave also on the contrarie part, set vp their owne lawe, which till this time is called the Pharises law. In the which they take somethings away, and some things they adde, & expound as they list, which their doctors vse especially which traditions whilest they would maintaine, they would not bee subiect to the lawe of God, instructing them of the comming of Christ; but also they reprooued the Lorde for healing on the sabaoth day: The which thing truely, as we hauehave said before, the lawe did not forbid. Here we maie see by Irenaeus opinion, what the Iewes did: And hauehave not the papists done the like? Do they not saie, that their traditions are grounded on the scripture? hauehave they not added things of their owne, more then Gods word commanded, as the Iewes did the keeping of the sabaoth: so they hauehave added their pilgrimages, and infinite such like? hauehave they not expounded ye scriptures, as they list? And as the Iewes at the first comming of Christ, maintaining their traditions, would not beléeue the word of God, which plainly prooued, that he was comen: Do not they so likewise now, against his second comming, maintaining their traditions of Enoch and Elias, and of Antichrist, that he shall be borne of the tribe of Dan, withstand the scriptures, and saie that Christ shall not come as yet?
Text.And putting a difference, hauehave compassion on some &c. And hate euen the garment spotted by the flesh.] That is hate not onelyonly the wicked works of the flesh: but also, all things which are nigh vntounto it: all prouocations or intisements therunto. And so S. Paul willeth that all christians should abstaine not only from all euill, 2. Thes. 5.22.but from all shew of euill: as though he should say, take héede to your selues, hate the garment spotted of the flesh. Ephes 4. v. 22.23.24 Col. 3. v. 8. & 12The outward workes and conuersation of the olde man, are compared to a garment, as also the new man and his workes: The flesh still lusteth against the spirit: hate the old man with his deedes, put him off; put on the newe man Iesus Christ. Those things that proceede from the hart, are they which defile a man (saith our sauiour) as euill thoughts, Mat. 15.19.murthers, adulteries, fornications, &c. hate the garment, that is, the outwarde conuersation, & defiled life of the flesh, in your selues, and in your brethren;Reu. 7.15. séeke to wash it, with all saints in the bloud of the lamb.
This garment spotted of the flesh too many weare at this day: that is, follow the lusts of the flesh in all their dealings: the whole course of their life, their conuersation, as a garment, is stained with the lusts of the flesh: whatsoeuer the flesh desireth it hath. That which we will doe, Rom. 7.15. Col. 3 5.we doe; which ought not to bee done. The flesh should be made a seruant: The spirit should beare the rule. The flesh should be mortified by fasting, and praier, and holy exercises: The spirit should be strengthened with sacraments, and holy meditations.Text. Verse 24.