Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 20
The 20. Sermon.
COLOSS. 2. V. 20. 21. 22. 23.
20 Wherefore if yee be dead with Chriſt from the ordinances of the world, why, as though ye liued in the world, are ye burdened with traditions?
21 As touch not, taſte not, handle not.
22 Which all periſh with the vſing, and are after the commandements and doctrines of men:
23 Which things hauehave indeede a ſhew of wiſedome, in voluntary religion, and humbleneſſe of minde, and in not ſparing the body, neither hauehave they it in any eſtimation to ſatisfie the fleſh.
THERE were among the Coloſſians two ſorts of falſe doctrines, vnderunder couert brought in among them: one of the ceremonies of the Law, which now were taken away: the other of the inuentions of mans braine. Of the firſt, viz. of the circumciſion, and Sabaoths, we hauehave heard, and of the vſe of them now ouerthrowne. For the other, which had a vaine ſhew of wiſedome, we hauehave heard, on the worſhiping of Angels, that though it hauehave a ſhew, yet hath it no wiſedome at all in it. Now he procedeth to other deuices & corruptions, which were crept in among them, in regard of which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh after this ſort.
Now ſeeing you are dead with Chriſt, by whoſeƲerſe. 20. The Mataphraſe. death you are deliuered frō the ceremonies of Gods owne law, where-with as with certaine rudiments the people of the Iewes were trained to further perfection, which now they hauehave attained vntounto in the doctrine of the Goſpell, why as though you liued ſtill in the world, do you ſuffer your ſelues to bee charged with the ceremonies of the world?
I ſay that which you and your falſe teachers ſay, Touch not ſuch a thing, taſte not ſuch a meate, handle not ſuch a one.
All which things ſeeing that through the vſe of them they are conſumed, hauehave no ſtrength to life euerlaſting, eſpecially being nothing but the doctrines and commandements of men.
I deny not but that they hauehave a colour and ſhew of wiſedome, partly, in that in them there is a worſhip ouer and aboue that which God hath commanded, to whom no ſeruice is ſufficient which we can do: partly through a kinde of humility, & partly in a hard vſage of the body: which yet are of no price, ſeeing they are of things where-with the fleſh is filled.
The ſumme is to ſet forth vntounto vsus a confutation of certaine ceremonies intended to be brought in among the Coloſſians by certaine falſe Teachers. Now here firſt, we are to conſider of the things and corruptions themſelues, Secondly, of the confutation of the corruptions.
Corruptions are ſpoken.
Generally.
Perticulerly, touch not, taſt not, &c.
Which though they be not perticulerly named, yet they may be conceiued well ynough, as touching of ſome bodily things, and taſting of meates.
Here we obſerue that howſoeuer men be daintyNote. of their commodities, and of their liberties, and will go to the Prince before they will goe one whit from them. But come there a falſe teacher into the pulpit to perſwade them from their Chriſtian liberty of meat and drinke they are eaſely perſwaded vntounto it, though to their owne damage and trouble.
As the Iewes would eaſely to make a calfe be brought to forgo their earings. So that howſoeuer theſe things are deare vntounto them, yet in matter of religion (or ſuperſtition rather) they will ſpare no coſt, as we ſee in times of Popery, and therefore the Apoſtle vpbraydeth to the Corinthians, that the falſe Prophets could do what they liſt with them, & tread them vnderunder their feet; ſo that in ſuperſtition, and contrary to the ſeruice of God they will part with any thing, in Gods ſeruice they will not part with a …ot. In the perticuler the Apoſtle vſeth a notable figure bringing in the aduerſaries themſelues ſpeaking, touch not &c. to ſhew how much they had gained of them, and how far they were caried in their ſuperſtition, as not to touch, or taſt.
Where we ſee the Apoſtle meeteth with that corruption and ſuperſtition in Popery, as if he had ſeene it. For we ſee that none might taſt any fleſh on friday, & therefore mothers, if children had taſted it, would hauehave wiped their teeth.
And for touching, we ſee, how that none might touch the holy water, & none might touch the Hoſt, though indeed it was no ſacrament, for there was onelyonly the bread, and therefore they muſt hauehave their gloues on. Howſoeuer our Sauiour himſelfe would ſuffer himſelfe to be handled and touched, and tooke children in his armes. And this ſuperſtition of Popery indeed did begin within an. 100. yeares of the Apoſtle, as the ſtories teſtifie, that in 3. daies nay 6. daies, they came to ſuch an abhominable ſuperſtition, that they would not take meat, and if they tooke any, they would take dry bread, or ſome vnpleaſant meat. Nay further, ſome, to the end they would not take any delight in their meat, they would not eate but riding. And howſoeuer in thoſe times the abſtinence was greater, yet for the latter Popery, the profeſſion of this abſtinence continued, euen amongſt thoſe gluttons, and tun-bellied Monks and Fryers, which liued in their ſurfetting and gluttony.
And indeed vntill a long time there was no Law of faſting, but eueryevery one did as he thought good, but after came in the puniſhment of the Papiſts, that they that eat fleſh ſhould be counted Lowlers. For the cō futation of this, the Apoſtle ſaith, they are dead with the ceremonies of the Law. For if thoſe, that were once ordeyned by God, and were profitable for the trayning vp of men to the ſeruice of God, were taken away, then much more ought thoſe, that were inuented by the deuice of man, and were neuer profitable, but rather hurtfull.
And if thoſe, that were once holy, were reiected, much more ought theſe, that were the prophane inuentions of men, ſhould take no place.
And howſoeuer indeed the ceremonies of the Law were borne withall for a time, and (as one ſaith) as an auncient matrone grauely and honorably brought vntounto her graue, and therefore the Apoſtle did beare with them: yet they would neuer ſuffer the ceremonies of the Gentils to be kept: and reiected them, as being vnworthy of any thing, but to be caſt into a hole. And ſuch were the ceremonies of the Papiſts, many of them being borrowed from the Gentils, as the holy waters. &c.
And therefore this place is a ſufficient hammer to batter in peeces all mens ordinances: for ſeing Gods ordinances hauehave giuen place, much more they.
A ſecond reaſon againſt theſe ceremonies, is for that thoſe things, which they put holineſſe in, did periſh with the vſe of them. For the meats going into theMath. 15. 17. ſtomacke, and after into the draught, as our Sauiour ſpeaketh, the ceremonies about them therefore could doe a mans ſoule no good, for they could not come to any further then the belly, if they come ſo far, as the holy water doth not. And therefore the ApoſtleRom. 14 17. ſaith, the kingdome of God ſtandeth not in meats and drinks. And in the Corinthians, they are of no profit, eſpecially being the ordinances of men.
Obiection. Obiection. Are not outward things profitable, becauſe they periſh with the vſe? What ſay you of the water in baptiſme & bread & wine in the Lords ſupper, are they not for the ſtrengthning of the faith &c? and yet they periſh with the vſe, for if a man doe not eat after, they ſhall not liue.
Anſwere. Anſwere, Howſoeuer they periſh, yat they are the commandements not of man, but of God, and therefore hee giueth the bleſſing vntounto them, which hee hath ordained them for: and therefore they are profitable vntounto vsus, to aſſure vsus in the mercies of God in Chriſt: whereas other things which are mens deuices are not.
Obiection. After the Apoſtle meeteth with an obiection, which might be made of theſe ceremonies. 1. Wee do theſe things, which indeed are the doctrines of men, but can wee do too much vntounto God? For when wee do any thing of our owne will, we ſhall declare our dutifulneſſe vntounto God: For if a ſeruant be commanded to Treſh a quarter a day, and he do a quarter and halfe, ſhall hee be condemned? So doe wee.
Anſwer. This hath but a ſhew of reaſon and wiſedome,Solution. whereas there is none: For why doth the ſeruant more then hee is appointed? It is becauſe his Maiſter knoweth not how much he is able to do. But God is infinitely wiſe, and appointeth eueryevery man his taske as hee is able, and none ought to go beyond, and therefore howſoeuer wee may exceede mens commandements, and pleaſe them, and do well, yet it is not ſo with God.
Heere then wee ſee the abhominableneſſe of the workes of ſuper-errogation, that a man can go beyond the performance of the commandements of God, whereas none is able to performe the leaſt aright, this is a deteſtable thing.
Queſtion. 2 Another obiection, It is of humility to crouch to theſe ceremonies, and is it not a good thing to be humble?
Anſwere. Anſwer. But eueryevery humility is not commendable, for. 2. Kings. 16. 7. Achaz as wretched a King as euer was, when as the King of Iſrael, and the. 10. Tribes came againſt him, ſendeth to Tyglath Pelazer, ſaying to him: Thy ſonne and ſeruant, whereas hee was a King as good as the other, and in regard of the profeſſion of God, ſhould hauehave gone before all other: In Eſay. 57. 9. it was ſaid to the Iewes, Thou didſt humble thy ſelfe vntounto the grane: Whereas they ſhould hauehave humbled themſelues to God alone: So in Eſay. 2. 8. 9. it is ſaid: The people of Iſrael humbled themſelues and croucht to the Idols, which is an abhominable humility and baſeneſſe, and a pride in that they riſe vp againſt Gods commandement.
3 Obiect. This is to tame the body, by faſting.
Anſwer. Faſting in deed is a good thing if well vſed, but ſo to faſt as to diſhonour the body, and to diſable it to glorifie God withall, is to bee condemned. For the body is honoured, when it is kept to bee ſtrong and able, cheerefully and thankfully to walke in the ſeruice of God.
Thus the wretched abuſe of the Papiſts in their faſtings, and Ieſuites in whipping themſelues, was a deteſtable thing vntounto God, as in the Prieſts of Ball. But that humiliation which is by a diligent and carefull walking and labouring in our calling, to the end that by idleneſſe the body be not puffed vp, is a commendable humbling & keeping downe of the body, but that of the Papiſts was moſt abhominable, ſeeing they made their whippings and ſtripes, anſwerable to the paſſion of our Sauiour Chriſt.
Againe, the Apoſtle ſaith, howſoeuer they ſeeme, yet, ſaith hee, theſe are nothing worth: For howſoeuer in times of affliction of the Church, and vponupon ſpeciall occaſions, &c. there be greater need of humiliations. But of theſe ordinary humiliations, when as the body is too much kept vnderunder, is contrary to that which the Lord requireth: And therfore it is that the Apoſtle blameth Tymothy for this, who though hee1. Tim. 5. 23. were an excellent yong man, yet had this infirmity that hee kept his body too much vnderunder, for which cauſe he would drinke nothing but water.
4 And the laſt reaſon is, that theſe were, for the filling of the fleſh, viz: they were but belly-matters appertayning to the fleſh, and therefore periſhable with the fleſh, which hath bene ſpoken of before; or for the pleaſing of mans fleſhly mind: Therefore to be auoided.
The end of the 20. Sermon.