A Just Defense of Hearing the Sermons, Chapter 10 · Section 5
Sect. 5. Hearing Pharisees teaching Moses law, not attendance on their Ministry, as Pastors is allowed by Christ.
Let the words be as they are rendered, whatever they bid you observe and do, that observe and do. Yet 2ly, who that hath but half an eye can chuse but see, that an attendance upon their Ministry is remote enough from being their intendment? We had alwayes thought, that they might have been sufficiently acquainted with, and been in a capacity of hearing and knowing what had been said by these men through their particular occasional meeting and discourse with them, though they had never spent one hour in attending upon their Ministry: which that our Saviour did not enjoyn, no nor so much as permit by that expression, we suppose may be clearly demonstrated from the ensuing considerations.
1. There are not a generation of men of whom the Lord Iesus doth speak more contemptuously (and charges with greater enormities) than he doth of that generation of Scribes and Pharisees. In this very Chapter he informs us of their hypocrisie, ver. 5.23.25.27, 28, 29. and pride, ver. 6, 7. and tells us plainly, that they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men, neither entering in themselves, nor suffering those that are entering, to go in, ver. 13. that they make their Proselytes twofold more the Children of Hell than themselves, ver. 15. that they are blinde guides, ver. 16.19.24.26. perverters of the Scripture, such as make void the Commandements of God by their traditions, ver. 16, 17, 18. that they are serpents, a generation of vipers, that cannot escape the damnation of Hell, ver. 33. yea, such as shall kill, crucifie, scourge, persecute the Messengers of the Lord, ver. 34. And can it be imagined, that Christ should have no more tenderness to poor souls, than to direct them to an attendance upon such persons as these for teaching? —Credat Apelles! (Apella likely) Are these likely motives to perswade or enforce a…y thereunto? Yet this is what he immediately subjoyned, having said, whatever they bid you observe, that observe and do.
2. The Doctrines owned by them are known: The tessera of their sect, was, justification by the works of the law, which is diametrically opposite to the work Christ was then upon, and the doctrine Preached by him.
3. That they denied Christ to be the Messiah, blasphemed him in his doctrine (as the deceiver of the people) in his life (as a winebibber and gluttonous person) in his miracles (as one that wrought them by the Devil, who are therefore condemned by Christ, as guilty of the very sin of blasphemy against the holy Ghost, Matth. 12.31.) is known, as being what is frequently remarked in the Scripture.
4. We no where find the disciples attending upon the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees, notwithstanding this supposed command or permission of Christ.
Nay, 5 We cannot but think the supposition hereof, not onelyonly inconsistent with, and opposite to that expression concerning Christ, Mar. 6.34. And Jesus when he saw much people, was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd (what? without a shepherd, and yet the Scribes and Pharisees, whose feeding they might lawfully attend upon; doth Christ pity them in this desperate state, and not give them one word of direction to wait upon these profound and worthy Doctors?) but also contrary to that solemn command given forth from the Lord, Acts 2.40. Save your selves from this untoward generation; and the practice of the disciples, who continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and prayer, Acts 2.42.
6. Were that the intendment of Christ, as is suggested (and the argument of our brethren valid) a lawfulness to hear the veriest blasphemer in the world that denies that Christ is the Messiah, affirms that he was a deluder of the people, a gluttonous person, a winebibber, one that did miracles by Belzebub the prince of Devils, that persecutes even to death Christ in his people, might by a like parity of reason be deduced. Christ commanded, or at least permitted his disciples to hear the Pharisees who were such (as hath been proved) therefore 'tis lawful to hear persons with the same characters upon them. But God forbid any such injurious dealing should be offered to Christ, or that any who pretend to fear God (and I hope do so in reality) should stand by a cause which hath no better arguments to defend it, than what may be as righteously every way made use of for the attending upon the Ministry of the greatest blasphemer, or opposer of Christ in the world. Evident then it is, notwithstanding the great flourish that many make with this Scripture, for the abetting their attendance upon the present Ministers of England, that it refuses to admit the least sanctuary thereunto. The Scribes and Pharisees mentioned Matth. 23.1, 2. may for ought we know be Magistrates, not Ministers; if Ministers, they were, as hath been proved, lawfully so: Christ says concerning them, Whatever they bid you observe and do, that observe and do. Therefore 'tis lawful to attend upon the Ministers of England, whose lawful calling to their office cannot be proved; yea, though there is not the least intimation of a command from Christ, or so much as a permission to his disciples to hear the Scribes aad Pharisees,—Nugae & tricae siculae! If this be to dispute, a man need not fear but to be able to multiply arguments at an easie rate, for whatever he hath a mind to undertake the defence of: Yet this is supposed by many to be of greatest moment in this controversie.
I reply, If by attendance on the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees be meant a constant and ordinary hearing of them as their ordinary shepherds (as this Authous words seem to import) doubtless neither Christ did command, nor permit his disciples such an attendance, both for the reasons given by this Authour, and specially because he asserts himself as their onelyonly Master or Doctour, Matth▪ 23.8.10. yet the mention of their sitting in Moses his chair or seat, notes more then their discourse upon particular occasional meeting, to wit, their ordinary expounding the Law of Moses in their Schools, where our Lord Christ permitted his disciples and the multitude to hear them with this limitation and proviso, in, and as they taught the Law; which hearing he did not forbid them, but allow them with such caveats as are there given in that Chapter. And against such hearing, none of the reasons of this Authour are of force. Not the first: for though such personal evils were sufficient motives to keep back people, either from following their example or private counsels, yet not to keep them back from hearing Gods Law expounded by them The same answer is for the second reason; The permission of Christ is not to hear the Pharisees teach all the Doctrines of their Sect, he had before warned them of receiving their traditions, Matth. 15.14. the leaven of their doctrine, Matth. 16.12. In which no doubt they understood the doctrine about justification by the works of the Law, to be comprehended: But the permission of hearing them is onelyonly as they sate in Moses his seat; that is, as they taught them the duties of Moses his Law, which he said, Matt. 5.17. He came not to destroy, but to fulfil, which is manifest from the illative particle therefore, v. 2. because they sit in Moses seat, and bid you observe what Moses did, you are to observe what they bid you observe, and consequently may hear them so teaching. The third reason hath the same answer with this overplus, That to prevent any conceit of allowing the hearing of them in their blaphemy, he avoucheth himself to be their Master and Teacher, v. 8.10. To the fourth it is but from a testimony negatively, and so of no force: We read not that they used the Lords Prayer, yet none will say they did not, less that they might not; we read not of their alms, or fasting, yet they might do both. To the fifth, it was but a limited permission of hearing them as they taught Moses Law, not as allowing constant attendance on them as their shepherds. Christ did conceive the people to be without a shepherd, notwithstanding the Pharisees teaching the duties of the Law, because though that doctrine were right, and to be observed, yet it was not sufficient to feed them to eternal life. Acts 2.40. St. Peter did well to exhort his auditors to save themselves from that untoward generation of opposers of Christ, as his Master before would have him and all his disciples do, not doing after their works, nor following their perverse doctrine, and the Church did rightly practice, in continuing in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and prayer; yet he neither did, nor was to disswade them from hearing or practising the Pharisees doctrine of the observing the duties of Moses his Law, which they were obliged to observe. To the sixht, I grant it lawful to hear any man teach truth, which is Gods, and may be heard from the mouth of any man, with whom God allows us converse and communion as they are men; though we are to hold no communion with them in wickedness, nor willingly hear their blasphemies. That the Pharisees as such, were not Magistrates, nor lawful Ministers, nor considered as such, is shewed before. Neither do we say that Christ permitted attendance on the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees as their Pastors, nor need we. It is sufficiene for our purpose, that Christ allowed the hearing them teaching Moses Law, and that proves it lawful to hear the present Ministers while, and so far as they teach truth; which hearing, not constant attending on their Ministry, was to be proved lawful, as the question was stated by this Authour, ch. 1. and all along was his conclusion. And that he hath not proved it unlawful, nor evaded the Arguments from Mat. 23.1, 2. Notwithstanding his irrision of this dispute, I am of the mind the solid reader will say. I think it not amiss to add here the words of Mr. John Norton Minister of Ipswich in New England, in his answer to Apollonius of Middleburg in Zealand, c. 16. foreign, Scribarum & Pharisaeorum in Mosis Cathedrâ sedentium fuit corruptio al qua in publico D…i cultu absque debitâ reformatione tolera…a: quia Cathedra Mosis, i e. officium docendi publicè in Ecclesiâ legem Mosis, & libros Prophetarum, Sacerdotibus, & Leviti… ex instituto Dei ordinariò propria erat: eos autem audire, non ab eis separare jubet Christus, Matth. 23.1, 2. Of the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses seat, the embassage without commission, was some corruption in the publick worship of God tolerated without due reformation: because the chair of Moses, that is, the office of teac…ing publickly in the Churches the Law of Moses, and books of the Prophets, was ordinarily proper to the Priests and Levites, by the appointment of God: yet Christ commands to hear them, not to separate from them, Matth. 23.1, 2. It follows,