Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels, Section 19
The Epistle. COLOS. 3.12.
Put vponupon you as the elect of God, tender mercy, &c.
THis Epistle consists of two parts: In the first, Saint Paul exhorts the Colossians vntounto many speciall vertues, as tender mercy, kindnesse, humblenesse of mind, meeknesse, long suffering, &c. In the second, because it is infinit to insist in eueryevery particular, he drawes them, and all other duties, vntounto two fZanchius in loc.generall admonitions in grosse:
whereof, the
1. concernes our theory; Let the word of Christ d…ell in you plenteously, &c.
2. our practise; whatsoeuer ye doe in word or deed, doe all in the name of the Lord, &c.
Put vponupon you] Christ had two sorts of garments, (as we read in the gIohn 19.23.Gospell:) one without seame, not diuided at his death; and that was a hLuther. postil. maior. in epist. Dom. 5. ab Epiphan.figure of faith, which, maugre the iRupert. com. in Ioan. lib. 13.rents of all heretikes and schismatikes in the Church, is kEphes. 4.5.but one.
Another with seames, parted among the souldiers, and that was a type of louelove, l1. Cor. 13.5.which seekes not her owne, but communicates it selfe to many.
mLuther. vbi supra.So the Christian must hauehave two coates: one of faith, indiuisible, by which he puts on Christ: another of louelove, parted among many, by which one Christian nIdem. postil. in Epist. F…st. circumcis.puts on another; oRom. 12.15.reioicing with them that reioice, weeping with them that weep.
VponUpon the point, these two coates are but one; faith being inside; and louelove outside; faith in respect of God, and louelove toward the world. This Epistle speakes of the outside, put on tender mercy] pPostillae maiores cum glossis & figu…is. in loc.quoad affectum; kindnesse] quoad effectum: meeknesse] bene vtendo prosperis: long suffering] bene se habendo in aduersis, &c.
These vertues are both ornamenta, and munimenta, clothes and corslets. Ephes. 6.11. Put on the whole armour of God, that yee may be able to stand against the assaults of the diuell. Seeing we must eueryevery day sight, and eueryevery day be seene, let vsus as well for armour as honour, put on ten…er mercy, kindnesse, &c. that we may qProu. 10.9.walke vprightly and confidently. See epist. dom. 21. post. Trinit. How louelove is said to be the bond of perfectnesse, and chiefe vertue; See epist. dom. quinquages.
As the elect of God] Saint Paul builds all these good exhortations vponupon one argument, drawne ab rZanchius in loc.hones…o se… sSarcerius in loc.debito: you are the elect of God, holy and beloued; chosen and beloued of God before the world; through baptisme consecrated solemnly to God in the world: wherefore being thus, electi, selecti, dilecti, tEphes. 2.10.Gods owne workmanship created in Christ Iesus vntounto good works; it is most meete new men should vse new maners; in stead of the works of darknesse, put on tender mercy, kindnesse, humblenesse of mind, which are weapons of light. It is due debt that you should be followers of God, forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, as Christ forgaue you. See epist. dom. 3. quadrages.
The uDefence for not subscrip. part. 1. cap. vlt.Nouelists except against our Seruice Booke, for omitting here two titles, holy and beloued. Our answer is, that the word, elect. implies the rest; for if elect, then beloued and holy. The Church omits not the greater, and infers the lesser, as the Churches of Scotland and Middleburge, call Gods heauy iudgements vponupon the wicked, a little rap: Psal. 74.12. and bread of affliction, bro…ne bread: Psal. 127.2. Contrary, not onelyonly to the Geneua Bible, but euen C…luins exposition of the place. If these friuolous obiections be their aqua coelestis, to keepe life in their fainting cause, we may toll the passing bell, and ere long ring out to the funerall.
Let the word of Christ] That is, the Scripture, the
Gospell, especially so called, in respect of three causes:
Efficient: for he speakes in the Prophets and Apostles: xEsay 52.6.I am he that doth speake; behold it is I.
Materiall: for hee is the contents of all the Bible; shadowed in the Law, shewed in the Gospell: yAugust. in Psal. 49.vnam vocem habent duo Testamenta. The word of the Lord containes nothing, but the word, which is the Lord.
Finall: as being the zRom. 10.4.end of the whole Law, & scope aLuke 1.70.of all the Prophets euer since the world began. Wherefore, seeing the Scriptures hauehave Christ for their author, Christ for their obiect, Christ for their end, well may they be called the word of Christ.
Dwell] We must not entertaine the word as a stranger, giuing it a cold complement, and so take our leaue; but because it is Gods best friend, the Kings best friend, and our best friend, we must vse it as a bCaluin. in loc.familiar and domesticke; receiuing it into the parlor of our heart, making it our chamber fellow, study fellow, bed fellow. Things of l…sse moment are without doore, the staffe behind the doore, cErasmus.sed quae pretiosa sunt, no… vno seruantur ostio: things of worth are kept vnderunder many locks and keyes. It is fit then that the word, being more pretious dPsal. 119.117.then gold, yea the most fine gold, eMatth. 13.46.a peerlesse pearle, should not be laid vp in the Porters lodge, onelyonly the outward eare, but euen in the cabinet of the mind: Deut. 11.18. Ye shall lay vp these my words in your heart, and in your soule: so the word that now doth plenteously dwell among you, may dwell plenteously in you.
Plenteously] Reade, heare, meditate, with all attention exactly, with all intention deuoutly, with all diligence throughly. Iohn 5.39. Search the Scriptures. Esay 8.20. to the law, to the testimony. Apocalyps 1.3. Blessed is he that reades, and heares, and keepes the words of this prophecie: not onelyonly reade, nor onelyonly heare, nor onelyonly meditate; but all: sometime reade to rectifie meditation, and sometime meditate to profit by reading. Lectio sine meditatione arida, meditatio sine lectione erronea.
It is reported of Alphonso King of Spaine, that hee read ouer all the Bible with Lyraes postil, fourteene times. And fProlog. in l. b. 1. de doctri…â Christianā.Augustine writes of Antonius an Egyptian Monke, that hauing no learning, he did by hearing the Scriptures often read, get them without booke, and after by serious and godly meditation, vnderstand them.
This one word, plenteously, confutes plenteously, first, ignorant people, who cannot: secondly, negligent people, who will not reade and heare: thirdly, delicate people, who loath the Scriptures as vnpleasant, preferring the Poets before the Prophets, admitting into their house the writings of men before the word of God: fourthly, perfunctory students in the Bible, turning ouer not the whole, but some part, and that so coldly, that as it is said of the Delphicke Oracle, gAusonius.quoties legitur, toties negligitur, a lesson is no sooner got, but it is forgot: fiftly, couetous people, who will not giuegive to their Pastor plenteously, that the word may dwell in them plenteously. hNehem. 13.10.Nehemia complained in his time, that the Leuites for want of maintenance, were faine to leaue the Temple, and follow the plow. And Saint Augustine made the like complaint in his age: iLuther. postil. & Zanchius in loc.whereupon in processe of time, Clergy men inuented such points of superstition, as were most aduantageous vntounto them. Hence they …aked heil, and found out Purgatory, to make the Popes kitchin smoke: an inuention not knowne vntounto the Greeke Church for the space of kRossensis art. 18. contra Lutherum, & Alphonsus de haeresibus.1500. yeeres after Christ; and but of lPolydor. de in…ent. lib. 8. cap. 1.late knowne to the Latine. Hence praier for the dead, indulgences, and other new trickes of popery, which are more for the Priests belly, then the peoples benefit. God of his infinite goodnesse forgiue Britans ingratitude in this kind, and grant that the burning lamps in our Temple, may be supplied with sufficient oile, that the light of Israel goe not out. Sixtly, this condemes Enthusiasts, despising the word and ministery. Seuenthly, the Marcionits and Manichees, reiecting Moses and the Prophets. Last of all, and most of all, the Papists, in denying the vulgar translations of Scripture to the common people. Let the word of God dwell in you: mZanchius in loc.that is, in all you, Priest and people: Non in nobis modo, sed in vobis: as Saint nHi…ron. in loc.Hierom peremptorily; Hic ostenditur verbum Christi, non sufficientèr sed abundantèr etiam laicos habere debere, & docerese inuicem vel monere: The word must dwell in vsus: Ergo, the Bible must be in our house. It must dwell plenteously: Ergo, we must reade daily; but, as it followes in the text,
With all wisdome] The oLuther. postil. in loc.Papists as well in the Church as in the street, chant scripture plenteously; but because their hymnes are not in a knowne tongue, it is without vnderstanding. The Brownists in their pFor articles 25. in their confession, they quoted aboue 3000. texts.bookes and sermons often cite scripture plenteously, but it is not in wisdome. Learned qIn Rom. 2.Origen notes well, (and where hee doth well, none better) that heretikes are scripturarum fures, great lurchers of holy writ: but they so wrest it, that (as rExpositio. orior. in cap. …. ad Galatas.Hierom speaks) Euangelium Christi, fit euangelium hominis, aut quod peius est, d…aboli.
Table Gospellers are full of text: It is ordinary to discusse diuinitie problemes euen at ordinaries; a custome very common, but by the censure of our Church, no way commendable. For the 37. sIniunctions of Queene Elizabeth.Iniunction forbids all men to reason of diuine scripture rashly; and the greatest part of Archbishop Cranmers preface before the Church Bible, is spent against idle brabling and brawling in matters of Theology. And a tMaster Dearing. lect. 27. vponupon the Heb.graue Diuine, much esteemed in our daies, held it better for venturous discoursers of predestination, and sinne against the holy Ghost, that they had neither tongues in their heads, nor hearts in their breasts, then that they should continue in this irreuerend vsage.
uIn loc. com.Manlius reports, how two meeting at a tauerne, contended much to little purpose about their faith. One said he was of Doctor Martins religion; and the other sware he was of Doctor Luthers opinion; whereas Martin, and Luther, were but one. So many men moue many doubts in many matters, hauing neither will to heare, nor skill to conceiue the state of a controuersie, and then, as xContra literas … li…. …. cap. 26.Augustine said of Petilian the Donatist: Multa dicendo nihil dicunt: aut potius, nihil dicendo multa dicunt.
The word of Christ must dwell in vsus plenteously, but in all wiidome, we must heare it in all wisdome, reade it in all wisdome, meditate on it in all wisdome, speake of it in all wisdome, preach it in all wisdome; not only in some, but in all wisdome; for all is little enough, considering the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse, who taketh his name in vaine.
Teaching and exhorting] This clause may be referred either to that which went before, or to that which followes after: to that which went before; Let the word of Christ dwell in you so plenteously with all wisdome, yMarlorat. & Aquin. in loc.that yee may both instruct and exhort your selues vntounto eueryevery good worke; for doctrine and exhortation are two principall vses of the Scripture: 2. Tim. 3.16. For doctrine, the zMalanct. in loc.law shewes eueryevery man in his vocation, what actions are acceptable to God; and the Gospell teacheth how they be acceptable; namely, by faith in Christ. Let the word of Christ therefore dwell in you so plenteously with all wisdome, that it may be a lanterne to your feet, and a light to your paths; a direction how to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of your life.
For exhortation; the word must so dwell in vsus, as that wee may stirre vp one another to godlinesse: Esay 2.3. Heb. 3.13. aZanchiu… in loc.foreign; est in foreign; so to put it, and print it in our mind, that it may not onelyonly be profitable to our selues, but vsefull also to other; bLuther. post. in loc.in publike, which is the Pastors office; in priuate, which is eueryevery Christians duty.
This also may be referred vntounto the words following, as according to cAd sequentia pleri que referunt: vli Zanchius in loc.most expositors our Church here; Teach and exhort your owne selues in Psalmes, &c. where Saint Paul describes the Christians musicke, both for
the matter; Psalmes, hymnes, spirituall songs.
the maner; sing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Psalmes and hymnes] Some distinguish these by their obiect, affirming that hymnes are laudatory: dChrysost. & … s…olia.for the glorious Angels in heauen sing not Psalmes, but hymnes: eTheophy lact. Hymnus e…ollit, Psa…mus laudat. Ambros…n loc.Hominum est psallere, Deum hymnis efferre angelorum. Spirituall odes are peculiar songs accuratelie framed by the Church, according to her seuerall exigence: Psalmes are of sundry matters and arguments, exhortatory, consolatory, precatory, deprecatory. But I follow that other distinction of fIn loc.Hierom and Luther, vnderstanding by the first, the Dauidicall Psalmes; by the second, the songs of Moses, Debora, Zacharias, Mary, Simeon, mentioned in the Bible; by the third, godly hymnes inuented by the Christians of that age, called spirituall,
respectu termini à quo, as proceeding from Gods spirit.
respectu terminiad quem, as edifying our spirit: containing spirituall matter and melody for the comfort of our soule, not any carnall or wanton dittie, to nourish the lust of our flesh. And therefore the Papisticall hymnes in an vnknowue language are not spirituall, respectus termini ad quem; in that they neither instruct, nor exhort; much lesse ribald ballads, instructing in vanity, exhorting to villany.
gVbi supra.Luther, hIn Ephes. cap. 5.19.Zanchius, iIn loc.Marlorat construe this of singing in the Church, as well as in priuate: for Gods holy people hauehave vsed in kCon. Toletan. 4. can. 12.all ages, euen frō the primitiue time, vntill this day, to sing in the publike congregation the Psalmes of Dauid; hymnes of Zacharias, Simeon, Mary; spirituall songs, composed by deuout Doctors, according to the seuerall occasions of the Church; and therefore Come holy Ghost, sung at the consecration of our Bishops: Te Deum of Saint Ambrose, the Creed of Athanasius, vsed in our Liturgy, are warranted both by Gods precept, and his peoples practise.
With grace] I finde three constructions of this one clause:
for grace.
by grace.
with grace.
Sing to the Lord for grace receiued: as Paul Ephes. 5. Speake to your selues in psalmes and hymnes, and spirituall songs, making melody to the Lord, giuing thanks alway for all things. And in the next verse following here; What soeuer yee doe in word or deed, doe all in the name of the Lord Iesu, giuing thanks to God the Father by him. EueryEvery good and perfect gift is from aboue, comming downe from the father of lights. Ipsum lAudax. apud August. epist. 139.minus munus est: the least gift is a grace; the meanes to get and preserue grace, proceeds altogether from grace: for if God withdraw his mercy, we presently fall. As a staffe, which if a man take and set vpright vponupon the ground, so long as he holds it with his hand, it stands vpright; but so soone as he withdrawes his helpe, though he neuer push it downe, it will fall o… it selfe. Ascendat ergo gratia, vt descendat gratia: Let our thanks ascend vp vntounto God, that his grace may descend downe to vsus.
mChrysost. Theophylact. & schol. in loc.By grace] Man is not onelyonly the Temple of God, as Paul speakes; but as Clemens Alexandrinus, the timbrell of God. Now the timbrell cannot found, except it be touched. It is then the nMacarius, hom. 47.spirit of God that makes our pipes to goe. God, saith oOrat. pro Christianis.Athenagoras, is the bellowes, and we the organs. A man may sing to the diuell, to the world, to the flesh without this grace; but he cannot sing to the Lord, but by the Lord. Our musicke may bee songs, but not spirituall songs, except they bee guided by the spirit. This should teach vsus in our Psalmes and hymnes to praise God for his grace when wee feele it, and often to pray to God for it, when wee feele it not.
With grace] pTheophylact. Luther. Caluin. in loc.That is, with a gratious dexteritie, with delight and profit, both vntounto our selues and other. VntoUnto our selues: for as it is a ioy to the iust to doe iustice, Prouerbs 21.15. so a grace to the godly to bee ioyfull in the Lord: to serue the Lord with gladnesse, and to come before his presence with a song: to sing the Psalmes of Dauid with the spirit of Dauid: the song of Mary with the spirit of Mary; Te Deum of S. Ambrose with the spirit of S. Ambrose.
Againe, with grace to other: Ephes. 4.29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which may minister grace, qCaluin. & Marlorat. in Ephes. 4.that is, instruction and consolation to the hearer, vttered in such manner and method, that it may bee well accepted euen of the most vntoward. We must not sing our own crochets out of tune, without rule, witlesse and senselesse songs; All that we sing, all that we say, must be gracefull:
Et prodesse volunt, & delectare poetae.
And if Poets, how much more Prophets? Hee that doth preach and pray without a grace, doth the worke of the Lord negligently, though he preach eueryevery day, and pray eueryevery houre.
In your hearts] As our mouth must shew foorth his praise, so our soule must magnifie the Lord, and our spirit must reioyce in God our Sauiour. It is not enough that we come neere to God with our lips, in chanting hymnes and psalmes, except we make melodie to the Lord with the best member that wee hauehave. rBernard, s…rm. super salue regina.Plus valet consonantia voluntatum quàm vocum. How wee neglect this precept in singing, when our hearts are on our haruest, and our mindes on our meate, I neede not say; your domesticall Chaplane doth daily tell you.
To the Lord] fRom. 11.36.That as of him, and through him, and for him are all things, so vntounto him may be glorie for euermore.
Whatsoeuer yee doe in word or deede] A generall rule extended to all men, and all actions in all places at al times, vno cumulo cuncta complectitur, as Luther vponupon the place.
Doe all] Not say yee, but doe. tOrigen. contra Celsum. lib. 3.Celsus and Antiphon writing against the truth, intituled their treatise, the book of truth: and the Papists vnderunder the name of the Church, ouerthrow the Church, *L…o epist. 83.Ecclesiae nomi…ee armamini, & contra ecclesiam dimicatis; Anabaptists are most carnall, and yet they boast of the spirit. Vnconscionable men in our time, seeme to be all for conscience: Iustice and Conscience are the greatest martyrs in the world. For a great man in doing mischiefe pretends iustice, and a meane man alway conscience: so that as it is in the Prouerb, uLuther. in loc.In nomine domini incipit omne malum. So soone as the malicious man had sowen his tares, he went his way. See the Gospell for this day.
In the name of the Lord Iesu] Not in our owne name, for there is no good in vsus: of our selues we cannot think so much as a good thought, much lesse speake a good word, or doe a good deede: nor in xTheophylact. in loc.Angels name, nor in any Saints name, for that is to mingle the blood of Thomas with Christs blood, as yLuke 13.1.Pilate did the blood of the Galileans with their owne sacrifice. Christ is our only Sauiour, and redeemer, our only mediatour and aduocate. This (saith the zEccles. 43.27.Wiseman) is the summe of all, that he is all; yea a1. Cor. 15.28.all in all; and therefore good reason all should bee said, all should bee done in his name: that is, as our Church in the Collect, begun, continued and ended in him: he is Alpha, therefore we must begin eueryevery worke, bZanch. in loc.by calling vponupon his name, and squaring it according to his word: he is Omega, therefore all must be referred vntounto him, and end in him: 1. Cor. 10.31.
To God the Father] cErasmus annot. in loc.Because God, and because a father: God for his greatnesse, Father for his goodnesse.
By him] Otherwise, our spirituall sacrifices are not acceptable to God: 1. Pet. 2.5.