Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	faith_n	reason_n	scripture_n	2,267	5	6.0519	4	true

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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

Gods Promise wherefore God expresseth the sense of his Indignation against them with that Scheme of Reproach Ye shall bear your Iniquities and you shall know my breach of Promise chap. 14. 34. or see what your Unbelief hath brought you unto And no otherwise is it with all Unbelievers at present as our Apostle at large declares chap. 3. of this Epistle Other things are pretended as the causes of their Unbelief but it is their dissatisfaction in the Truth of God that is the true and only cause of it And as this sufficiently manifests the hainousness of Unbelief so it Glorifies the Righteousness of God in the Condemnation of Unbelievers 2. The Curse of the Law having by the guilt of Sin been admitted unto a Dominion over the whole Soul it is a great thing to receive and admit of a Testimony to the contrary such as the Promise is What the Law speaks it speaks unto them that are under it as all men are by Nature And it speaks in the Heart of every man that the sinner must dye Conscience complies also and adds its suffrage thereunto This fixeth a conclusion in the mind that so it will be whatever may be offered unto the contrary But so is the Testimony of God in the Promise namely that there is a way of Life and Salvation for sinners and that God offereth this way and an Interest therein unto us Nothing but the exceeding greatness of the power of Grace can enable a guilty sinner in this case to set his Seal that God is true 3. When the Promise comes and is proposed unto us for the most part it finds us deeply engaged into and as to our selves Immutably fixed on other things that are inconsistent with Faith in the Promises Some are interested in divers Lusts and Pleasures Some are filled with inveterate prejudices through a vain Conversation received by Tradition from their Fathers and some have some good hopes in themselves that in the way wherein they are by the Religion which they profess and the Duties which they perform they may in time arrive unto what they aim at When the Promise is proposed the first thing included therein is an utter relinquishment of all these things As it is a Promise of Grace so it excludes every thing but Grace Wherefore when it is proposed unto any it doth not only require that it be believed or God be believed therein but also that in order thereunto we part with and utterly renounce all hopes and confidences in our selves from what we are or expect to be and betake our selves for Life and Salvation unto the Promise alone Some imagine that it is a very easie thing to believe and that the Souls of men are but deceived when they are called off from the Duties that Light and Conviction put them upon to the way of Faith in the Promise But the truth is that what from its own Nature and from what is required thereunto or comprised therein it is as the most important so the highest and greatest Duty that we are called unto And which men would of their own choice rather grind in a Mill of the most burdensome Duties than once apply their minds unto 4. The guilt of sin hath filled the mind of every sinner with innumerable fears doubts and Confusions that are very difficultly satisfied or removed Yea the remainders of them do abide in Believers themselves and oft-times fill them with great perplexities And these when the Promise is proposed unto them arise and follow one another like the Waves of the Sea James 1. 6. No sooner is one of them answered or waved but immediately another supplies its room And in them all doth Unbelief put forth its power And on these grounds it is that poor sinners have such need of the Reduplication of Divine Assurances that notwithstanding all pretences unto the contrary the Promise of Grace in Christ shall be made good and be accomplished unto them 5. The especial Design of God in this Dispensation and Condescension is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That we might have a strong Consolation Being engaged in the Application of his Instance in the Promise and Faith of God given unto Abraham the Apostle here plainly dismisseth the consideration of things past under the Old Testament in those Blessings and temporal things which were Typical of things spiritual and applies the whole unto present Believers and therein unto all those of future Ages That we might have And herein he builds on this Principle That whatever God promised designed sware unto Abraham that he did so promise unto all Believers whatever so that every Promise of the Covenant belongeth equally unto them with him or any other And two things the Apostle lays down concerning such Believers 1 What God designs unto them 2 Such a Description of them as contains the Qualifications necessary unto a Participation of what is so designed The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It sometimes signifies Exhortation an encouraging perswasive Exhortation And in that sense it is here taken by some Expositors as Theophylact and Oecumenius That we might have thereby a prevalent Exhortation unto Faith and Patience in Believing But Comfort or Consolation is the most usual signification of the Word in the New Testament as I have shewed elsewhere and that sense of the Word alone can be here intended A Consolation it is that ariseth from the Assurance of Faith and of our Interest thereby in the Promises of God This is that which relieves our Souls against all Fears Doubts and Troubles For it either obviates and prevents them or it out-ballanceth them and bears up our Souls against them For Comfort is the Relief of the mind whatever it be against sorrow and trouble And this Consolation which God intends and designs Believers is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solamen fortissimum forte validum potens Strong powerful prevalent Strong so as to be prevalent against Opposition is that which is intended There are Comforts to be taken or are often taken from earthly things But they are weak languid and such as fade and dye upon the first appearance of a vigorous opposition But this Consolation is strong and prevalent against all Creature Oppositions whatever Strong that is such as will abide against all Opposition A strong Tower an impregnable Fortress Munition of Rocks For it is not the abounding of Consolation in us but the prevalency of the Causes of it against Opposition that is intended 6. There is the Description of the Persons unto whom God designs this Consolation by the Promise confirmed with his Oath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are three things in this Description of Believers or the Heirs of the Promise 1 The way whereby they seek for Relief they fly for Refuge 2 The Relief it self which they seek after which is the Hope set before them 3 The way whereby they are made Partakers of it they lay hold upon it 1. They are

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