Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 16
The 16. Sermon.
COLOSS. 2. V. 8. to the 11.
8 Beware leſt there be any man that ſpoyle you through Phyloſophy, and vaine deceit, through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after CHRIST.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
THE Apoſtle hath in the words before in this chapter made a way to come to the principall point he purpoſed. And firſt he teſtified his care ouer them, and moueth them to hauehave care ouer themſelues, and that they ſhould take heed of being caried away by any probability and likeneſſe of ſpeech. Here he particulerly layeth it downe what he would hauehave them take heed of; as if he ſhould ſay.
Looke about you by a ſound knowledge of the truth, leaſt any of what opinion of learning, or holineſſe whatſoeuer, by either ſhew of reaſon comming from the braine of men, which hath receiued ſtrength in that it hath bene receiued from hand to hand, and yet is nothing els but a vaine deceit and ſleight, or els by the ceremonies of the law, wherewith as by certaine rudiments, or A. B. C. the people of God (as children) were trayned to this perfection of doctrine, which now hath ſhined out vntounto you, do vanquiſh you, and driue you before them as priſoners faſt bound in the chaines and manacles of errour. Yea take heed of any doctrine whatſoeuer that either taketh any thing from CHRIST, or doth place any the leaſt iot of ſaluation other where then in h…m.
For ſeing that in the humane nature of CHRIST, the fulneſſe of the God-head doeth perſonally ſo reſt and abide, that both the natures of the God-head and the man-hood make but one CHRIST: what is there needfull for your ſaluation, which you may not hauehave abundantly in him?
Conſidering eſpecially that this fulneſſe of all graces, which is in him, he hath not for himſelfe, but for you, which of his abundance is ready to fit you with all whatſoeuer you hauehave need of to ſaluation. And the ſame CHRIST, howſoeuer ſometime a litte inferiour to Angels, as towching the humiliation of his man-hood: yet now, euen according to his man-hood, is head not onelyonly of his Church (as is aforeſaid) but of all powers and principalities which are in heauen, whereby may appeare your errour, which worſhip Angels. The ſum is an exhortation, which the Apoſtle giueth to the Coloſſians to take heed they ſhould not be deceiued by any falſe doctrine, and the reaſons, and grounds,
The parts are.
Exhortation not to be deceiued by Philoſophy, and the beginnings.
The reaſon: becauſe if they be led away they are made a prey.
Againe they ſhould hauehave nothing in CHRIST, in whom is all fulneſſe, and though he was man and inferiour to the Angels, yet now, and as he is God he is aboue them all, and head of them all.
See, or take heed: Here the Apoſtle firſt teacheth that a man muſt hauehave a ſound knowledge and vnderſtanding in the truth of God, for he ſpeaketh not of the bodily ſight.
Doctrine Doctrine. It belongeth to all men and all women euen to all Gods children of what ſort and condition ſoeuer they be; (in ſpite of the enemies of Gods truth the Papiſts;) it is required at their hands and commanded, that they ſhould know and beare away the word of God.
And they muſt grow in knowledge, for they are not to ſtand at a ſtay, for as they muſt grow in zeale, ſo alſo muſt they doe in knowledge, for better hauehave no zeale, then zeale without knowledge, which is moſt dangerous, as a wild horſe. And therefore it is that Dauid, though a wiſe man, yet ſtandeth much on this point.Pſal. 119.
And if we muſt proceed in godlineſſe all our life, ſo alſo in knowledge. It is neceſſary that we hauehave3. Part. knowledge to the end we may be able to be defendedGal. 1. 2. Tim. 3. 8. againſt the ſubtilties of the falſe teachers and deceiuers of the world, who are compared to inchanters Iannes and Iambres which withſtood Moſes before Pharaoh, it is neceſſary that we hauehave knowledge to the end we be not blinded by them.
He biddeth them take heed of Phyloſophy, which is a glorious name, ſignifying the louelove of wiſedome. But the Apoſtle doth not take away the vſe of Philoſophy. For if it be well vſed, it is a good hand-maid for to help the Miniſters, if ſo be it be not vſed to make a gloſe, and a ſhew to the world. But here that Phyloſophy is condemned, which repugneth theNote. word and Goſpel of God, for ſo far forth as Phyloſophy will as a hand-maid wait and attend on the word of God to further the Miniſters, ſo long it is commendable, and a good help to further the Miniſters in the word of God.
But when as Phyloſophy doth riſe vp to go hand in hand, or as Hagar to her Miſtris, to goe before the word of God, then it is to be condemned, and caſt out. And the reaſon, that Phyloſophy is to be taken heed of, is by reaſon that there is deceit in it, as we ſee in naturall Phyloſophy, that Ex nihile-nihil fit, of nothing nothing is made.
This is contrary to the word of God. Againe in morall Philoſophy. They ſay that if there be not free will, why ſhould there be puniſhment, but this is to be taken heed of. This condemneth them, which to excuſe their mingling of the word with Philoſophy, they ſay they doe but as the children of Iſrael did, which rob Egipt of her Iewels, or be as Moſes who was skilfull in all the learning of Egipt, as the ſchoolmen, Papiſts & others doe. But they doe nothing but rob them of their botches and biles. The reaſon that Philoſophie doth deceiue is, becauſe it commeth from the braines and inuention of men.
An other thing the Apoſtle willeth them to take heed of, is, of the elements of the world, which were the traditions of God. For might they ſay if you will not hauehave vsus to deale with the inuentions of men, will ye deny that we ſhould vſe the decrees of God, as the traditions of the law? Here we ſee whom the Apoſtle had to doe with all, viz. ſuch as ioyned with the Goſpell the inuentions of men and Phyloſophy, and the ceremonies of the law. The ſame doe we deale withall, viz. the Papiſts: for though they confeſſe CHRIST &c. yet becauſe they ioyne the traditions of men & ceremonies which the Goſpell will not admit, therfore we are not to ioine with them, but to oppoſe againſt them, as the Apoſtle did.
The reaſon why the Apoſtle ſheweth they ſhould not be bound vntounto the traditions of the law: Becauſe the ceremonies of the law are the elements, as it were the A. B. C. wherein children are to be taught. Now it is no point of a good ſcholler to be alwayes in the A. B. C. ſo we muſt not alwaies be babes in Chriſtianity, for thoſe were the ſhadowes of that truth, which now is, and therefore theſe are the dayes of reſtauration, and perfection.
Now then if we muſt not hauehave theſe ceremonies, which God had appointed, but that CHRIST muſt be preached ſimply and barely without ceremonies: much leſſe are we to vſe the traditions and ceremonies of men, which the Papiſts religion doth wholly conſiſt of. Indeed there is a doctrine in the ceremonies of the law, which is perpetuall, but the ceremonies themſelues is at an end.
Perſwading them not to be caried away by falſe doctrine he ſheweth perticulerly what: viz. Philoſophy, and the elements, and in ſumme what ſoeuer is not according to CHRIST: now he rendreth the reaſons, why they ſhould take heed, firſt, becauſe they ſhould be mad… a prey: To whom?
1. To thoſe, that deceiued them: Secondly then to Satan: and therefore they had need to watch, for if a man feare his houſe ſhall be robbed, will he not watch? then much more ought we to take heed and watch, leaſt we be a prey to theſe enemies.
For as when the Romans in triumph hauing their captiues, lead them at their chariots tailes, ſo if we be deceiued, we are led at the tailes of thoſe, yea of the deuill himſelfe, and as our Sauiour ſaith, Iohn. 10. the theefe cometh to make a ſpoile.
Another reaſon, to be wary, becauſe they are not according to CHRIST.
Doctrine Doctrine. Here we may know what an errour and falſe Doctrine is, if it take any thing from CHRIST, and doe not attribute all ſufficiency vntounto CHRIST, for CHRIST, is our Teacher; Prieſt, and King: if he be our onelyonly Teacher, then we muſt hauehave nothing but that which he teacheth vsus, for he teacheth to his Church the wholeIohn. 15. will of his father.
And therefore we may know the Papiſts are deceiuers, which bring in traditions not according to CHRIST.
Againe, CHRIST is our Prieſt; And therefore as it was the office of the Prieſt to offer ſacrifice, ſo CHRIST offered himſelfe a ſacrifice for our ſinnes: he that bringeth in any other ſacrificer is contrary to CHRIST.
Another office of the Prieſt is to pray for the people, and therefore they that bring in any other interceſſor is contrary to CHRIST.
Againe it is the office of CHRIST to be King ouer his Church, to command, and giuegive lawes, and therefore the doctrine of the Pope to to be head of the Church, to giuegive lawes, to rule, command &c. is a falſe doctrine.
The reaſon why CHRIST is ſufficient is, becauſe the whole God-head is in our Sauiour CHRIST, yea the God-head of our Sauiour CHRIST is really in CHRIST, and therefore hee is onelyonly able to furniſh vsus of all: and therefore wee neede not any points of Phyloſophy, or any ceremonies of the Law, to giuegive ſupply.
Here the Apoſtle dealeth as a good Teacher, that there being a controuerſie betweene the falſe Prophets & him, they aleage one thing, he aleageth another: Now to confute them, he taketh a third thing wherin both agreed: So he doth alſo to the Athenians: For if he had aleaged the Prophets, they would hauehave made a mocke of him, and therefore he taketh one of their owne Poets. This is to be practiſed of the Miniſters of the word.
Heere then the Apoſtle proueth that wee are accompliſhed in CHRIST, For hee is made vntounto vsus1. Cor. 1. wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption, and therefore hee is our whole accompliſhment, what then need we to ſeeke for any more or any other portion? And therefore Dauid ſaith:Pſal. 16. God is my lot, my portion, and inheritance.
Now if any bee asked, if they will hauehave an inheritance, will they not hauehave it in a faire ground? they will ſay, yea: Then ſeeke it in CHRIST. This then ouerthroweth the going to Saints or Angels, to Peter, or the Virgin. For though it were true, that go to Peter thou ſhalt not leeſe, if to the Virgin thou ſhalt not leeſe, which yet is moſt ſalfe; for they cannot help vsus: But though it were ſo, that we might hauehave one peece in one, an other in an other, ſhould we not rather go to CHRIST, where all our inheritance is laid together?
Laſtly, hee is aboue all Principalities) viz: howſoeuer in his baſe eſtate hee humbled himſelfe vnderneath the Angels, yet he is the Head of them all, and aboue all Angels and Arch-angels, ſo that none of them are able to croſſe his will, or controule him in his Kingdome.
The end of the 16. Sermon.