Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	authority_n	holy_a	scripture_n	3,181	5	5.9823	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53678	A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews viz, on the sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth chapters : wherein together with the explication of the text and context, the priesthood of Christ ... are declared, explained and confirmed : as also, the pleas of the Jews for the continuance and perpetuity of their legal worship, with the doctrine of the principal writers of the Socinians about these things, are examined and disproved / by J. Owen ...	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1680 (1680)	Wing O729; ESTC R21737	1,235,588	797

God by an entrance into the Holy Place He hath brought them into the last and best Church-state the highest and nearest Relation unto God that the Church is capable of in this World or the Glory of his Wisdom and Grace hath Assigned unto it And this he hath done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever so as that there shall never be any Alteration in that Estate whereunto he hath brought them nor any Addition of Priviledge or Advantage be ever made unto it 1. There was a Glorious Efficacy in the One Offering of Christ. 2. The end of it must be effectually accomplished towards all for whom it was Offered or else it is inferiour unto the Legal Sacrifices for they attained their proper end 3. The Sanctification and Perfection of the Church being that end designed in the Death and Sacrifice of Christ all things necessary unto that end must be included therein that it be not frustrate VERSE XV XVI XVII XVIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VERSE 15 16 17 18. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us For after that he had said before This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Hearts and in their Minds will I write them And their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more Now where remission of these is there is no more Offering for Sin THe Foundation of the whole preceeding Discourse of the Apostle concerning the Glory of the Priest-hood of Christ and the Efficacy of his Sacrifice was laid in the Description of the New Covenant whereof he was the Mediator which was Confirmed and Ratified by his Sacrifice as the Old Covenant was by the Blood of Bulls and Goats Chap 8. 10 11 12 13. Having now abundantly proved and demonstrated what he designed concerning them both his Priest-hood and his Sacrifice he gives us a Confirmation of the whole from the Testimony of the Holy Ghost in the description of that Covenant which he had given before And because the Crisis which he had brought his Argument and Disputation unto was that the Lord Christ by reason of the dignity of his Person and Office with the everlasting Efficacy of his Sacrifice was to Offer himself but once which virtually includes all that he had before taught and declared including in it an immediate Demonstration of the insufficiency of all those Sacrifices which were often repeated and consequently their removal out of the Church he returns unto those words of the Holy Ghost for the proof of this particular also And he doth it from the Order of the words used by the Holy Ghost as he had Argued before from the Order of the words in the Psalmist ver 8 9. Wherefore there is an Ellipsis in the words which must have a supplement to render the sense perfect For unto that proposition after he had said before ver 11. with what follows ver 16. There must be added in the beginning of the 17. Verse He said after he had said or spoken of the Internal Grace of the Covenant he said this also that their Sins and Iniquities he would remember no more For from these words doth he make his Conclusive inference ver 18. which is the sum of all that he designed to prove There is in the words 1. The Introduction of the Testimony insisted on The Holy Ghost also is a witness unto us The Hebrews might Object unto him as they were ready enough to do it that all those things were but his own Conclusions and Arguings which they would not acquiesce in unless they were Confirmed by Testimonies of the Scripture And therefore I did observe in my First Discourses on this Epistle that the Apostle dealt not with these Hebrews as with the Churches of the Gentiles namely by his Apostolical Authority For which cause he prefixed not his Name and Title unto it But upon their own acknowledged Principles and Testimonies of the Old Testament so manifesting that there was nothing now proposed unto them in the Gospel but that which was foretold promised and represented in the Old Testament and was therefore the Object of the Faith of their Fore-fathers The same way doth he here proceed in and call in the Testimony of the Holy Ghost bearing witness unto the things that he had taught and delivered And there is in the words 1. The Author of this Testimony that is the Holy Ghost and it is ascribed unto him as all that is written in the Scripture is so not only because Holy Men of Old wrote as they were acted by him and so he was the Author of the whole Scripture but because also of his Presence and Authority in it and with it continually Hence whatever is spoken in the Scripture is and ought to be unto us as the immediate Word of the Holy Ghost he continues therein to speak unto us and this gives the reason of 2. The manner of his speaking in this Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he bears witness to us he doth it actually and constantly in the Scriptures by his Authority therein And he doth so unto us that is not unto us only who Preach and Teach those things not unto the Apostles and other Christian Teachers of the Gospel but unto all of us of the Church of Israel who acknowledge the Truth of the Scriptures and own them as the Rule of our Faith and Obedience So doth he often joyn himself unto them to whom he wrote and spake of by reason of the common alliance between them as Hebrews see Chap. 2. 3. and the Exposition of that place This is that which the Holy Ghost in the Scripture testifies unto us all which should put an end unto all controversies about those things Nothing else is taught you but what is testified before hand by God himself 1. It is the authority of the Holy Ghost alone speaking unto us in the Scripture whereinto all our Faith is to be resolved 2. We are to propose nothing in the Preaching and Worship of the Gospel but what is testified unto by the Holy Ghost not traditions not our own reasons and inventions 3. When an important Truth consonant unto the Scripture is declared it is useful and expedient to confirm it with some express Testimony of Scripture Lastly the manner of the Expression is Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even also the Holy Spirit himself For herein we are directed unto his Holy Divine person and not an External Operation of Divine Power as the Socinians dream It is that Holy Spirit himself that continueth to speak to us in the Scripture That 's the First thing in the Introduction of the Testimony 2. There are two things in this Testimony of the Holy Ghost The 1. is the matter or substance of it 2. The Order of the things contained in it or spoken by him The Introduction of the former is in the words we have spoken unto that of the

from the observation of the Reasons and Circumstances of our Saviours discourse And to this end we may observe 1 That all things prohibited by our Saviour in that Sermon to the Jews were in themselves and by virtue of the Law of God antecedently unlawful Only whereas the Pharisees by their Traditions and false Interpretations of the Scripture in a compliance with their own wickedness and covetousness had perswaded the body of the Church and brought them into the practice of much lewdness and many sins and by their Ignorance of the true spiritual nature of the Law had led men unto an Indulgence unto their internal Lusts and Corruptions so they break not forth into open practice our Saviour rends the veil of their Hypocrisie discovers the corruption of their Traditions and Interpretations of the Law declares the true Nature of sin and in sundry Instances shews how and wherein by these false glosses the body of the people had been drawn into Soul-ruining sins whereby he restored the Law as the Jews speak unto its pristine Crown Let any of the particulars mentioned by our Saviour be considered and it will be found that it was before unlawful in it self or declared so in the positive Law of God Was it not evil to be angry with a Brother without a cause and to call him Racha and Fool ver 22. was it not so to look on a woman to Lust after her or were such unclean desires ever innocent That therefore which is here prohibited by our Saviour Swear not at all was somewhat that was even then unlawful but practised on the false glosses of the Pharisees upon the Law Now this was not solemn swearing in Judgement and Righteousness which we have proved before not only to have been lawful but appointed expresly by God himself 2 Our Saviour expresly limiteth his Precept unto our Communication Let your Communication be yea yea nay nay ver 37. There was then amongst men and that countenanced by the Pharisees a cursed way of mixing Oaths with mens ordinary Communication This blasphemous wickedness as it was a direct violation of the Third Commandment so it was frequently rebuked by the Prophets But as other publick sins it grew and increased among the people until their corrupt leaders in compliance with them began to distinguish what Oaths in common Communication were lawful and what were unlawful what were obligatory and what were not To eradicate this cursed practice our Saviour gives this general Prohibition unto all that would be his Disciples Swear not at all that is in Communication which is the first design of the Third Commandment And as there is nothing which more openly proclaims a Contempt of Christ and his Authority among many who would be esteemed Christians than their ordinary customary swearing and Cursing by the Name of God and other Hellish Imprecations which they have invented in their daily Communication so possibly the observation of the greatness of that evil its extent and incurableness hath cast some on the other extream But it is no property of a wise man by avoiding one extream to run into another 3 The Direction and Precept of our Saviour is given in direct opposition unto the corrupt Glosses and Interpretations of the Law introduced by Tradition and made Authentick by the Authority of the Pharisees This is evident from the express Antithesis in the words You have heard what hath been said of old time but I say unto you Now these were two 1 That there was no evil in an Oath at any time but only in swearing falsly This they gathered as they fathered their most absurd apprehensions on some pretext of Scripture from Deut. 19. 12. Ye shall not swear by my Name falsly neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God From hence they concluded that Gods Name was not prophaned in swearing unless a man sware falsly that is forsware himself And this also they restrained principally unto promises by Oaths or Vows to be performed unto God which turned to their Advantage who had the disposal of things sacred and devoted This they judged to comprise the whole of the Prohibition in the Third Commandment but most falsly and unto the hazard of the Souls of men For not only the using or interposition of the Name of God in a false matter which is Perjury but also the using of it in vain that is without just cause or reason or call lightly and vainly is expresly forbidden Herein our Saviour interposeth his Divine Interpretation and in opposition unto the corrupt exposition of the Pharisees declares that not only false swearing by the Name of God in Judgement or otherwise is forbidden in the Command but also that vain interposition of the Name of God in our Communication is utterly prohibited And it is hence evident unto me that no man ought voluntarily to take an Oath unless the matter in controversie be undeterminable without it and the Authority be lawful that requires it 2 Aiming to comply with the Lusts and Corruptions of men as the great Artifice of all false Teachers consists in the accommodation of Doctrines to the blindness and prevalent sins of men they had found out a way how they might swear and swear on without the guilt of Perjury did they swear never so falsly And this was not to swear by the Name of God himself which if they did and sware falsly they were perjured but by the Heavens or by the Earth or Hierusalem or the Temple or the Altar or their own Heads for such kind of Oaths and Execrations were then as also now in use in the ordinary Communication of men But herein also the filthy Hypocrites had a further reach and had insinuated another pestilent Opinion into the minds of men tending to their own advantage For they had instructed them that they might freely swear by the Temple but not by the Gold of it and by the Altar but not by the Gift that was upon it Matth. 23. 16 17 18 19. For from the Gold offered in the Temple and the Gift brought unto the Altar did advantage arise unto these covetous Hypocrites who would therefore beget a greater veneration in the minds of men towards them than to the express Institutions of God themselves In opposition unto this corruption our Saviour declares that in all these things there is a tacit respect unto God himself and that his Name is no less prophaned in them than if it were expresly made use of These are the things alone which our Saviour intendeth in this Prohibition namely The Interposition of the Name of God in our ordinary Communication without cause call warrant or Authority when no necessity requireth us thereunto where there is no strife otherwise not to be determined or which by consent is to be ended And the usage of the names of Creatures Sacred or Common in our Oaths without mentioning of the Name of God And there are two Rules in the Interpretation of the Scripture

he took from the Enemies as a Token and Pledge in particular that the Victory and Success which he had against the Kings was from God This receiving of Tithes by Melchisedec was a Sacerdotal Act. For 1. The Tenth thus given was firstly given unto God and he who received them received them as Gods Officer in his Name Where there was none in Office so to receive them they were immediately to be Offered unto God in Sacrifice accordunto their Capacity So Jacob vowed the Tenth unto God Gen. 28. 22. which he was himself to Offer there being no other Priest to receive it at his hand and no doubt but he did it accordingly when God minded him to pay his Vow at Bethel Gen. 35. 1 2 3 4 5 6. And 2. The things that were fit of this sort were actually to be Offered in Sacrifice unto God This Saul knew when he made that his pretence of sparing and bringing away the fat Cattel of the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. 15. And I no way doubt but that these Tenths that Abraham gave at least such of them as were meet for that Service although it be not expressed were Offered in Sacrifice unto God by Melchisedec For whereas he was a King he stood in no need of any Contribution from Abraham nor was it Honourable to receive any thing in way of Compensation for his Munificence in bringing forth Bread and Wine which was to Sell his Kindness and spoil his Bounty nor would Abraham have deprived the King of Sodom and others of any of their Goods to give them unto another Wherefore he received them as a Priest to Offer what was meet in Sacrifice to God whereon no doubt according to the Customs of those times there was a Feast wherein they eat Bread together and were mutually Refreshed 3. This Matter was afterwards precisely determined in the Law wherein all Tithes were appropriated unto the Priest I Observe these things only to shew that the Apostle had just Ground to infer from hence the Sacerdotal Power of Melchisedec and his Preheminence in that Office above Abraham For every thing in the Scripture is Significant and hath its especial Design the whole being inlay'd with Truth by Infinite Wisdom whether we apprehend it or no. Without this Light given by the Holy Spirit himself how should we have conceived that this giving the Tenth of the Spoils to Melchisedec was designed to prove his Greatness and Dignity above Abraham and all the Levitical Priests on that Account as the Great Type and Representative of Jesus Christ. And indeed all the Mysteries of Sacred Truth which are contained in the Old Testament are seen clearly only in the Light of the New and the Doctrine of the Gospel is the only Rule and Measure of the Interpretation of the writings of the Old Testament Wherefore although the writings of both are equally the Word of God yet the Revelation made immediately by Jesus Christ is that which ought to be our Guide in the whole And they do but deceive themselves and others who in the Interpretation of Mystical Passages and Prophecies of the Old Testament do neglect the Accomplishment of them and Light given unto them in the New taking up with Jewish Traditions or vain Conjectures of their own such as the late writings of some highly pretending unto Learning are stuffed withal And we may see from hence 1. How necessary it is for us according to the Command of our Saviour to Search the Scriptures John 5. 39. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a Scrupulous Enquiry a diligent Investigation to find out things hidden or parcels of Gold Oar. So are we directed to Seek for Wisdom as Silver and to search for her as for hid Treasures Prov. 2. 4. There are Precious Useful Significant Truths in the Scripture so disposed of so laid up as that if we accomplish not a diligent search we shall never set eye on them The common course of Reading the Scripture nor the common help of Expositors who for the most part go in the same track and scarce venture one step beyond those that are gone before them will not suffice if we intend a Discovery of these hid Treasures This diligent search was attended unto by the Prophets themselves under the Old Testament with respect unto their own Prophecies which they received by Inspiration 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. God gave out those deep and Sacred Truths by them which they comprehended not but made Diligent Enquiry into the mind of the Holy Ghost in the words which themselves had spoken What belongs unto this diligent search shall be elsewhere declared 2. That the clear Revelations of the New Testament ought to be our Principal Rule in the Interpretation of difficult Passages in the Old What our Apostles in these cases had by immediate Inspiration and Direction that we must look for from what is Recorded in their Writings which is sufficient for us and will not fail us There is great Enquiry usually made on this place whether Tithes be due by the Light of Nature or at least by such a Moral positive Command of God as should be perpetually Obligatory unto all Worshippers unto the end of the World This many contend for and the principal Reasons which they plead from the Scripture are these 1. That Tithes were paid before the Law as well as under the Law and what was so observed in the Worship of God Namely that being in Usage before the Law and confirmed by the Law is Originally of the Law of Nature and could have no other Fountain 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself speaking of Tithing Mint and Cummin approveth of it affirming that those things ought not to be omitted though the most Inferiour Instance that could be given of the Duty 3. He seems in like manner to have respect thereunto when he commands to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods which were the Tithes the Law concerning them being thereby confirmed which proves it not to be Ceremonial And this some Men judge to be a certain Argument of that which is Moral and unalterable namely the appointed Usage of it before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel after the Expiration of the Law of Ceremonies or the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances And it seems so to be if there be the same Reason of the Law or Command in all these Seasons for otherwise it is not so For instance it is supposed that the eating of Blood was forbidden before the Law and assuredly it was so under the Law and is so in the New Testament Acts 15. which yet proves it not to be Morally Evil and perpetually forbidden For it is not so upon the same Grounds and Reasons For in that place of Gen. 9. 4. But Flesh with the Life thereof that is the Blood thereof shall ye not eat Blood is not absolutely forbidden but in some cases and with respect unto a certain

I confess in their first Preaching to the Jews spake not of it expresly but left it to discover it self as an undeniable consequent of what they taught concerning the Lord Christ and the Righteousness of God in him This for some while many of them that Believed understood not and therefore were Zealous of the Law which God in his Patience and Forbearance did Graciously tolerate so as not to impute it unto them It was indeed great Darkness and manifold Prejudices that hindred the Believing Jews from seeing the necessary consequence unto the Abolition of the Law from the Promulgation of the Gospel Yet this was God pleased to bear with them in that we might not be too fierce nor reflect with too much Severity on such as are not able in all things to receive the whole Truth as we desire they should 2. It was so by the Institution and Introduction of new Ordinances of Worship This was wholly inconsistent with the Law wherein it was expresly enacted that nothing should be added unto the Worship of God therein prescribed And if any such Addition was made by the Authority of God himself as was inconsistent with any thing before appointed it is evident that the whole Law was disanulled But a new Order a new entire System of Ordinances of Worship was declared in the Gospel Yea and those some of them especially as that of the Lords Supper utterly inconsistent with any Ordinances of the Law seeing it declares that to be done and past which they direct us unto as future and to come 3. There was a Determination made in the case by the Holy Ghost upon an occasion administred thereunto Those of the Apostles who Preached the Gospel unto the Gentiles had made no mention unto them of the Law of Moses as knowing that it was nailed unto the Cross of Christ and taken out of the way So were they brought unto the Faith and Obedience of the Gospel without any respect unto the Law as that wherein they were not concerned now it had received its Accomplishment But some of the Jews who Believed being yet perswaded that the Law was to be continued in force and its Observation imposed on all that were Proselyted by the Gospel occasion was given unto that Solemn Determination which was made by the Apostles through the Guidance of the Holy Ghost Acts 15. And the Substance of that Determination was this that the Gospel as Preached unto the Gentiles was not a way or means of Proselyting them unto Judaism but the bringing them unto a new Church-state by an Interest in the Promise and Covenant of Abraham given and made 430 Years before the giving of the Law VVhilst the Law stood in its force whoever was Proselyted unto the Truth he was so unto the Law and every Gentile that was Converted unto the true God was bound to be Circumcised and became obliged unto the whole Law But that being now disanulled it is Solemnly declared that the Gentiles Converted by the Gospel were under no obligation unto the Law of Moses but being received into the Covenant of Abraham were to be gathered into a new Church-state erected in and by the Lord Christ in the Gospel 4. As unto those of the Hebrews who yet would not understand these express Declarations of the ceasing of the Obligatory Power of the Law to put an end unto all Disputes about his will in this Matter God gave a dreadful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Abolition unto it in the total final irrevocable Destruction of the City and Temple with all the Instruments and Vessels of its VVorship especially of the Priesthood and all that belonged thereunto Thus was the Law disanulled and thus was it declared so to be Obs. 1. It is a matter of the highest Nature and Importance to set up or take away to remove any thing from or change any thing in the Worship of God Unless the Authority of God interpose and be manifested so to do there is nothing for Conscience to rest in in these things And 2. The Revelation of the Will of God in things relating unto his Worship is very difficultly received where the minds of Men are prepossessed with Prejudices and Traditions Notwithstanding all those ways whereby God had revealed his mind concerning the Abolition of the Mosaical Institutions yet these Hebrews could neither understand it nor receive it untill the whole Seat of its VVorship was destroyed and Consumed 3. The only Securing Principle in all things of this Nature is to preserve our Souls in an entire Subjection unto the Authority of Christ and unto his alone The Close of the Verse gives an especial Reason of the disanulling or abrogation of the Command taken from its own Nature and Efficacy For there is verily a disanulling of the Commandment going before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Adjective in the Neuter Gender put for a Substantive which is Emphatical as on the contrary it is so when the Substantive is put for the Adjective as 1 John 2. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is true and is not a lye that is mendax false or lying And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s own is added to shew that the principal cause of disanulling the Law was taken from the Law it self I have proved before that the Commandment in this verse is of equal extent and signification with the Law in the next And the Law there doth evidently intend the whole Law in both the parts of it Moral and Ceremonial as it was given by Moses unto the Church of Israel And this whole Law is here charged by our Apostle with weakness and unprofitableness both which make a Law fit to be disanulled But it must be acknowledged that there is a Difficulty of no small Importance in the assignation of these Imperfections unto the Law For this Law was given by God himself And how can it be supposed that the Good and Holy God should prescribe such a Law unto his People as was always weak and unprofitable From this and the like considerations the Blasphemous Manichees denyed that the Good God was the Author of the Old Testament and the Jews continue still upon it to reject the Gospel as not allowing the least Imperfection in the law but equalling it almost with God himself VVe must therefore consider in what sense the Apostle ascribes these Properties unto the Law 1. Some seek for a Solution of this Difficulty from Ezek. 20. ver 11. compared with ver 25. Ver. 11. God saith That I gave them my Statutes and shewed them my Judgments which if a Man do he shall live in them But ver 25. I gave them also Statutes that were not Good and Judgments whereby they should not live The first sort of Laws they say were the Decalogue with those other Judgments that accompanied it which were given unto the People as Gods Covenant before they broke it by making the Golden Calf These