A Way to Zion Sought out and Found for Believers, Treatise · Objection 3
Objection out of Col. 2.20, 21, 22.
Wherefore if yee be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances? &c whereby you see (say some) he endeavoureth to take them off from Ordinances, and things perishing with the using, As Baptisme with water, Breaking bread, &c.
For answer to this, The Objection from Colos. 2.20, 21, 22. answered.I shall positively affirme, That the Apostle here meaneth Ordinances of the Law; And not of the Gospell: And I shall prove it thus;
1 By comparing this Verse with the 14 Ver. of the same Chapter, there he saith, Christ tooke away the hand-writing of Ordinances, and' nayled them to his Crosse; Here he saith, If ye be dead with Christ from them, &c. which sheweth he speaketh of the same thing. Now that in the fourteenth Verse, is meant the ordinances of Moses Law.
1 Because it is called, the Hand-writing of ordinances, that is, it which Moses wrote, Deut. 31.9. Exod. 34.27. This Hand-writing must needs be of man; as Circumcision made with hands, and buildings made with hands, &c. for that which God wrote is not called, Hand-writing; But written with the finger of God, Exod. 31. ult. Deut. 9.10.
2 Because it is said to be against us, and contrary to us, because these writings gendered to bondage, and burden, and threatnings; if they were not exactly done. Yea, and against us Gentiles also, which the Apostle meaneth here; for we were all this while accounted Sinners, Doggs, Out-casts, &c. It is called, a yoake that we cannot beare, Act. 15. it is called, Enmity, Ephes. 2.15. It is called there, the Law of Commandements; and lest any should thinke he meaneth the Tenne Commandements that God wrote, he saith, It is contained in ordinances, not in the Morall substance of obedience; And lest any should plead, it is Gospell ordinances, he saith, It is the LAW of Commandements, or the Commandements of the Law. And this may serve for answer to the objection framed from thence also.
3 These were ordinances that were nailed to his Crosse, Crucified with him; therefore it must needs be those Legall ordinances of Moses, and not any Gospell ordin…nce, for all those were Crucified with him: as Ephes. 2.15, 16 he sheweth there, it was the ordinances of the Law, for he calleth them, the middle wall of partition between Iew and Gentile, and saith, he slew the enmity, (i. e.) the Law, in his flesh, or himselfe; meaning when he was Crucified. So Hebr. 9.10, 11, 12. there also he speaketh of such ordinances that the comming of Christ in the flesh put an end to them; Ordinances of the first Tabernacle, as appeareth by the Chapter.
2 It appeareth they were ordinances of the Law, because of the basenesse of the title that he giveth them; rudiments of the world: like this worlds goods, having nothing of God in them. Why? Because he had left them, and now appeareth no more in them; the life of them was gone with Christ, and now they were but a Carcase left, as Rudiments, or Elements againe. And this base title agreeth with the ordinances of the Law, Gal. 4.9. they are called there, Beggerly and weake rudiments: That this is ordinances of the Law appeareth clearly in the next words; Ye observe dayes, and moneths, and times, and yeares: Levi…, 23. for dayes and months. Levit. 12. Times. Lev. 25.3, &c. for Sabbaths, & Jubilees.Dayes of Fasting and Feasting commanded in the Law; Months, New Moones, and months of uncleanesse. Times, for divers services, and abstaining from things now allowed you. And yeares, seven yeares Sabbath, and fifty yeares Jubilee, &c. So they are called carnall ordinances, Hebr. 9. you may see from the beginning of the Chapter what ordinances these are: And saith he, They were imposed on THEM, not on any Saint in Gospell times, which lived after that time of reformation. And so Paul all over the Epistle to the Galathians, laboureth to draw them from the Lawes observances throughout, Circumcision, &c. And these are called, Jewish fables, and commandements of men, that turne from the truth, Tit. 1.14. And that this is meant those ordinances appeareth, by comparing the 14. Verse with the 9. There are many unruly and vaine talkers, and deceivers, specially they of the Circumcision; and so he goeth on: And now vers. 14. Not giving heed to Jewish fables, that the Circumcision teachers would have brought in. So that the title agreeing with other Scriptures that speake of legall ordinances, sheweth these ordinances to bee of the Law.
Object. But he saith, After the Commandements, and Doctrines of men.
Answ. This hindereth not, but they may be of the Law, and be Iewish ordinances, for so Paul calleth them in Tit. 1.14. And if he should meane there, the ordinances of man, as washing of Cups, and Platte…s, &c. these were Iewish also. But all the rest, when Gods command ceased for the use of them: they were then but commands of men, as Act. 15 Some went and taught Circumcision, and keeping of the Law. Say the Apostles, vers. 24. We gave them no such commandement; so that though they taught the Law, it was but a commandement of man, God having abolished it by Christ, and they having no Apostolicall commandement to doe it. But the ordinances of the Gospell cannot be called the commandements of men, Page 186, &c.as I have proved.
3 The phrases in the Parenthesis, Touch not, taste not, handle not: shew them to be ordinances of the Law; which words, are not in the words of Paul to the Colossians; (as if he should say, Touch not water in Baptisme, taste not Bread and Wine in the Supper: Handle not such a portion of Scripture in preaching, or reading,) but the words of the false Teachers according to the Law; Touch not such a dead Carcase, or uncleane thing, it will defile you, Levit. 11.8. Taste not such and such meat, it is uncleane; that is, Eate not such Beasts, Fowles, Fishes, &c. 1 Cor. 10.25.27Levit. 11. For God never spake so, nor his Apostles; for God himselfe, Acts 10. Rise Peter, kill and eate, &c. And Paul saith, Whatsoever is set before you eate, and whatsoever is sold in the Shambles eate, &c. 3. Handle not, meddle not with the holy things of God, at such seasons as you are uncleane, Levit. 12.4. Numb. 4.15. touch not the Arke, as Uzzah did.
To handle a thing, is sometimes to be experienced in a thing, to know it certainly, 1 Ioh. 1.1. Sometimes to make tryall of a thing for satisfaction, Luke 24.39. Sometimes to be Active, and doing in a thing, Psal. 115.7. 2 Cor. 4.2. Ier. 2.8. Now the meaning cannot be, Handle not; Have no experience of Preaching, Reading, Hearing, Baptisme, the Supper, &c. for this is against the Apostles practise and preachings, that taught people both to heare and obey, and call for audience oftentimes; Acts: 22.1.Men and Brethren, and Fathers hearken, &c. Nor that he should meane, make no triall of what you heare or reade; the Bereans are commended for it. Or be not active and doing in Baptisme, or Supper, Act. 17.11. 2 Tim. 4.2.or preaching, reading, praying, hearing; when he taught, Freach the Word, be instant in season, &c.
Againe, consider this, Touch not, &c. calleth for abstinence; and this he saith, is after the Commandements and Doctrines of men. This is just according to the false Teachers; Forbidding us to speake to the Gentiles, saith Paul to the Thessalonians. FORBIDDING to marry, 1 Thess. 2.1… 1 Tim. 4.3and to abstaine from meats, saith he to Timothy. So here, it is called, Neglecting of the Body, not to let the body have such food as is lawfull, and convenient; And here they placed Religion where God had placed none. Neglecting, or punishing, or not sparing the body. Now a man doth not punish the body, in not touching, tasting, handling of the ordinances of Baptisme with water, bread, and wine, preaching, reading, hearing; But in forbearing flesh, and good meat, that he might freely eate of. As was among the Iewes.
Master Saltmarsh saith, pag. 40. It is the Apostles drift in Colosians 2. to take us higher then Rudiments, which perish with the using.
I answer, I would faine have him shew me where any New Testament ordinance is called, a Rudiment? for there he laboureth to take them off from legall ordinances.
2 I would know, whether the Scriptures written with Paper and Inke, be not as meare a Rudiment, as the Word written in stone? And yet one is taken away in respect of the manner of writing; Doth not this tend to the over-throw of all the Scripture?
3 Those Rudiments are, and are joyned with traditions and commandements of men: And so are not the ordinances that Christ, and his Apostles instituted, or commanded.
Pag. 83. Mr. Saltmarsh saith, he beleeveth, as the Iewish Ceremonies wore out by degrees, so did Iohns baptisme by Christs of the Spirit; (I must decrease, but he must increase) which surely was spoken not according to the persons of Iohn and Christ, but according to their ministration; which was the great thing the Scripture taketh notice of. And Doctrine of Baptismes, pag. 17. He must increase, but I must decrease; in which Iohn intimateth, that the Spirit, or fire Baptisme, would by degrees eate up water baptisme; the truth must eate out the Ceremony, and the substance, the signe; And the more his Ministery and Baptisme commeth in, the more mine must goe out, &c. And saith Mr. Saltmarsh, pag. 60. As in that figure of the Sacrifice, performed by Elijah the Prophet, when the fire came downe, and sucked up the foure Barrels of water, so doth fire Baptisme, suck up water Baptisme.
This is another Reason, to prove Baptisme with water Jewish, it seemeth by Mr. Saltmarsh his Booke; but we shall finde it no reason at all for it is not so out of doubt (as he saith) that Iohn spake of that part of his Ministery, Another reason whereby they would prove Baptisme with water Jewish, is, because Christs Baptisme of fire did eate up, or wear out Iohns, he must increase, I must decrease, answered.that was his washing or baptisme; The Scripture saith not so, nor any circumstance that clearly holdeth out such a thing: And if the question was about Christs and Iohns Ministration, why did not preaching Faith and Repentance, weare out as a Iewish Ceremony, as well as baptisme with water? for that was Iohns Ministration as well as the other. Why doth not casting down Mountaines, and raising up Vallies, to make the way of the Lord strait, weare out; for that was Iohns Ministration. And yet that continueth, 2 Cor. 10.4. casting down immaginations, &c.
But I thinke if the Scripture be looked well into, the meaning will appeare to be thus. There came some to Iohn, that seemed to be troubled that so many flocked after Christ; insomuch that (it should seeme) Iohn was not in the same estimation now, as he was formerly; (for all held Iohn as a Prophet) But now they flock after Christ, and neglect Iohn, Joh. 3.26. wherefore they thought that Iohns reputation would goe downe; as Ioshua did concerning Moses, when Eldad and Medad prophesied in the Camp; Num. 11.28) Iohns answer importeth this, Iohn 3.27. for saith he, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven; As if he should say, He hath received it from Heaven, to draw men after him, and not so much to flock to me; yee your selves beare me witnesse, I said, I am not the Christ; ye thinke highly of me, and thinke none should be esteemed above me; But I ever denyed that I was the Christ, and he that is Christ is to have the preheminence. He that hath the Bride, is the Bride-groom; But the friend of the Bride-groom which standeth & heareth the Bride-grooms voyce, rejoyceth; this my joy therefore is fulfilled. As if he should say, He is the Bride-groom, I am but his friend: and I rejoyce that he hath the Bride, that men gather to him; He must increase, but I must decrease; (i.e.) he must be more highly esteemed, and I must be lesse esteemed. Men have looked upon me as a Prophet, and questioned whether I was the Christ or no, Iohn 1.19, 20. It will appeare now that he is the Christ, and so they shall gather to him more then to me: And they shall see, that he is more Excellent then I, which hath scarce yet appeared: And so he goeth on to set forth Christs excellency, to perswade with them to follow Christ, in the latter end of the Chapter, as he did with his two Disciples, John 1.36, 37, 38. Behold the Lambe of God, to occasion his Disciples to goe after him, and they did so; and yet not flight the Baptisme of John neither, in regard of the excellency of his person, and office, above Johns.
3 I would faine have him prove, that the fire sucking up the Barrels of water, was a figure of the Baptisme of fire, which was to lick up that of water: where doth the Scripture shew it was a Figure of any such thing? If not, this is but Master Saltmarshes consequence, which himselfe calleth, a tradition of man, a false invention, Will-worship, &c. in his Exceptions. The Scripture is cleare, it was for another end, to shew who was God: whether God or Baal.1 Kin. 18.38, 39.
4 As I said before, so I say againe, If he mean by Decreasing of Johns ministration, all Johns ministration; and so consequently Baptisme with water; Then preaching by word of mouth was to decrease, And repentance, and bringing forth fruits: Mat. 3. Mar. 1.1. &c.Calling upon men to bring forth fruits to repentance, is now to decrease; for this was Johus … stration, and so sucked or licked up by Christ. And then all men may see whether this will t…nd. But Jo… meaneth f…ther his Message and Ministration as he was Christs fore-runner was to decrease. He was not long to tell the people of one that came after h…n; But within a little while Christ must increase (i.e.) Dye, and be buried, and rise again, and ascend. So that his Ministery did increase, in that those after that time could say, All is finished and fulfilled that …ndeth to the worke of Redemption: he is not onelyonly come, but hath do…e the worke, and is gone into Heaven. But this doth not pro… that Baptisme with water, nor preaching the word nor calling m…n to repent, and bringing forth the fruits thereof, &c. doth decrease.