c. This is a holy watch-word and a wholesome warning and I desire it may be heedfully hearkned unto by such as are your Church Officers for then I doubt not but that they who have so much power and have such an influence on the multitude might be excellent instruments in this cure and quickly be able to bring back the multitude of Church hearers from those many above-named observations and aberrations into which they have been cunningly and in simplicity of heart drawn as those poor Israelites were to follow Absolon That it be speedily amended I wish with all my heart but say it be not but these poor simple souls seduced by and through Philosophy do not amend so timely as is desired my charity will not permit me to damne them eternally and that they shall partake of the judgment of those who worship the Beast that they shall drink of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation and that they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and that the smoke of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever as you threaten out of Revel 14.9 c. This is a harsh sentence and though it may affright and terrifie those who for doctrines teach the commandments of men and make the Word of God of none effect through their traditions which is a wilfull obstinate presumptuous sinne yet I have great reason to hope that those who have simply and ignorantly and weakly followed such Teachers may finde mercy especially if they shall call to God with David Who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from my secret faults Psal 19.12 13. keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great offence But because this danger lies as you say in the observation of Traditions it will not be amisse to set down that about this point Dr. Whites Orthodox cap. 4. p. 3. Sect. 1.2 which may satisfie any sober man which because I am not able to do better then Dr. Frauncis White hath done I shall transcribe the Summe of what he delivers The word Tradition in general signifies any doctrin or observation deliver'd from one to another either by word or writing Acts 6.14 2 Thess 2.15 cap. 3.6 1 Cor. 15.3.4 The Protestants simply do not deny Tradition but first we distinguish of Traditions and then according to some acceptions of the name we admit thereof with a subordination to holy Scripture 1. First the Romanists maintain there be doctrinal Traditions or Traditions that contain Articles of Faith and substantial matters of divine worship and religion Decret prim 4. Sess Syn. Trident not found in the holy Scripture and that these are pari pietatis affectu ac reverentia sucipiendae ac venerandae with Scripture and to be believ'd no lesse then the prime Articles such are Purgatory Transubstantiation Invocation of Saints the Popes infallibility c. These and all other such Traditions containing new parts and additions to religion the Protestants simply condemn and renounce 2. But secondly the name of Tradition in the writings of the Primitive Doctours and Fathers is taken in three other senses First for external Rights and Ceremonies of decency order and outward profession of religion not found expressely in the holy Scripture but used as things adiaphorous being not of the substance of divine worship but only accessary as the sign of the Crosse and many of those you in your following words mention and these we say may be used or disused according to the Laws of every Church as they serve for aedification or otherwise Secondly The report of the Primitive Church concerning matter of fact and concerning the practice of the Apostles is another Tradition as that the Apostles did baptize infants that they admitted none to the Lords Supper but those who were of years to examine themselves that they ordain'd such and such in several Churches to be Bishops That that very Canon of Scripture which we now maintain was the Canon at that time with many other which can be best prov'd by Tradition And therefore we willingly admit of these Traditions also deliver'd unto us by the Histories and Records of the Church because such reports explicate the meaning or confirm the doctrin of the Scripture Thirdly The summe of Christian faith as the Creed and the explication of Christian doctrin in many principal parts thereof concerning the Trinity Incarnation descent of Christ into hell c. is oftentimes call'd Tradition being receiv'd from hand to hand as the Apostles lively teaching and such Tradition found unanimously in the Fathers we admit also because it gives light to the doctrine found in Scripture But in the admittance of these we require two Cautions 1. That the holy Scripture be the rule of all Traditions whatsoever thus far that they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up on examination conformable to the Scriptures and every way subservient to the same 2. That they have the Testimony of the primitive Church in the prime age thereof and descend to our days from the same by the stream of succession through ages following and were received as Apostolick in the Catholick Church The Question of Traditions being thus stated unto you easie it will be to answer to your two alleag'd Texts of Tradition Mark 7. Col. 2. For they make as much to your purpose as Ecce duo gladij doth to confirme the Popes claim to the Temporal and Spiritual power or Pasce oves to uphold his Supremacy Or God made two great lights to prove the Popes power to be above the Emperours as much as the Sun exceeds the Moon or that Parson who would undertake to prove the Parish must pave the Church and not he because it was written in the Prophet paveant illi ego non paveam For how doth that place of Mark 7.7.9 pertain to the spiritual historical or interpretative Traditions of the Christian Church It was of the Scribes and Pharisees of whom our Saviour there spoke and of their Traditions of washing of pots and cups and many such other like things of their Corban And in their washings they placed not decency and civility but made a matter of Religion of it and by their Corban they took away the duty of the fifth Commandment Look into the place you urge and tell me whether I say not truth and this it seems you saw and that made you skip over the 8. verse and never mention the 11. which if you had done and weigh'd you would not for shame have equall'd our Traditions with theirs or judged us as superstitious for observing our Traditions as they were for theirs We have a command for the institution of our Ceremonies let all be done decently in order and to edification we have good
the Parish Parson being turned out of dores all the ill-favourednesse and unholinesse went out with him 3. Against this poor Parson you are very bitter arraigned he must be brought to the Bar to take his trial And him you endite for luke-warmnesse like he is to the Angel of Laodicea not hot nor cold and therefore condemned he is to lye under the lash and take his correction kindly 'T is manifest indeed that all luke-warme hypocritical Professours shall be spued out of Christs mouth for vomitum faciunt Deo To him they are as luke-warme water to the stomach that procures a vomit and if so 't is good counsel you give him or any other in his case to receive what ever correction shall be as a cordial of love administred unto him for preventing of what may follow But here I must put you to it to prove your enditement the punishment he is under will never do it careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putet This will prove him culpable and guilty and so I admit he was but whether he were hot or cold an hypocrite or otherwise is more than you can ever know For zeal and sincerity in Religion are qualities that lye very much inward and he that is cold in it may seem to be very zealous as did Jehu and he whose heart is not upright may pretend to be very sincere as did the Pharisees Now how can you passe your judgment in such a case And it seems you cannot for you confesse there may be hypocrites luke-warme men even in your Combinational Churches which if you knew you would cast out from among you and so would we do spue them out after Gods example Forbear therefore hereafter these harsh and uncharitable censures especially against a whole order of men For they must â—and and fall to their own Master Were they ignorant and scandalous so were these But now I remember it this is no signe of luke-warmnesse in the Parish Parson since they who were truly ignorant and scandal â— were for the most part kept in and those who were knowing and blamelesse were cast out 1. But now I pray tell me in what sense it is that you accuse them is it for being Parsons or for preaching or for preaching Parsons Take it in what qualification you will beware upon whom this blow will light and what a company of precious ones you will presently endite to be like the luke-warme Angel of Laodicea For how many of your Preachers are now become Parsons you know they have the fattest Benefices of this whole Country If plurality were an argument of the Parish Parsons luke-warmnesse it is theirs If non-residence an argument they are guilty of it If handling the flesh-hook too much none more guilty If neglect of Catechizing they cannot be excused If frequent preaching they exceed If forbearance of Sacramental administrations this by them is seldome done That I say not that in life and example they are no whit better In Gods name therefore since in luke-warmnesse they are so like the old odde head the Parish Parson let them lye down under the lash with him and with shame and confusion of face to themselves receive a sharp correction that they may prevent the spuing of their names out of Christs mouth as it is manifest by what is foretold Revel 3.19 One thing onely I may not forget that whereas the old odde head you mention did least harme this last Parish Parson you have imposed upon us does all the mischief 4. In your conclusion yet God be thanked you shew more charity to the Parish than to the Parson of it you say that the whole half-blind political body doth yet appear not to be utterly uncurable You do so load your sentences with strong words that they passe my capacity I know not what to make of this political body of a Parish for I never understood they were under any other policy then that of the Common-wealth or Church in which they lived nor that they were any Corporation at all I profess I understand not what you mean if you intend any thing besides this But whatsoever you intend by it this I finde that you affirme the whole was half-blind they have not yet then lost their sight altogether that little light they have may in good time make them see how they have been deluded and so free them from all the fallacies that have been put upon them which when it happens both you and I are in hope of their cure But that you say must not be expected so long as they remain in their present condition For in respect of its present posture and numerous abominations it is altogether unapprovable and I say the same too and upon the very self same ground because it rejects the Commandments of God that it may observe the traditions of men For what is the whole constitution of your Church but the tradition of men what 's your plea all this while but a tradition of men That a company collected under a Covenant without either Pastours or Elders is a true Church is a tradition of men That they may create elect ordain their Pastours and Elders is another tradition of men That the power of the Keys subjectively and authoritatively to invest and devest is in them is a third tradition of men That there must be Lay-Presbyters which must be Ruling Elders in the Church is a fourth tradition of men That the erection of the Cathedral Parochial Provincial National Church was the corruption of the Combinational is another tradition of men That the Supreme power in any Nation is a violent head the Arch-Bishop a haughty horrible head the Diocesan an idle and addle head the Parish Parson an odde head is another of your traditions That there may be no set forms of prayer used in the Church no singing of Psalms in mixt Congregations That the Scripture may not be read in the Church except expounded That those Rites which you call but falsly Romish and Humane may not be used in the Church That Godfathers and Godmothers may not be used in Baptisme nor the children of those who are out of your Combinational Church baptized That those whom you usually call profane ignorant scandalous persons may not be admitted to the Sacrament That there must be an upper seat erected for the Elders to sit in their ranks as Aldermen upon the Bench in the Church That there must be Tables set up for the maintenance of the Ruling Elders All these are the traditions of men and doctrines of men and therefore I give this counsel to the whole half-blinde political body of the Parishes where you have prevailed most that while they are curable they tender their health and to beware of the Scribes and Pharisees who in vain worship God teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men and to beware lest any man spoile them through Philosophy or vain deceit through the tradition of men
authority that our Traditions are Apostolical we observe them in obedience to the Command Honour thy father and mother who have authority in indifferent things And therefore your imputation is rash for we reject no Commandment of God by receiving the commands of men Besides you know we never maintain'd these as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrins which was the Pharisees superstition but only as Rites and Ceremonies not placing Religion but the decency of Religion in them That other place in the Colossians you understand not it is a difficult place I shall labour to give some light to it Good Ant. lib. 1. c. 12. Some conceive the Apostle in this chapter intends the Essens who were a strict Sect among the Jewes and in many passages the Apostle seems directly to point at them vers 16. Let no man condemn you in meat and drink Let no man bear rule over you through humblenesse of mind and worshipping of Angels why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 18. why are you subject to such Ordinances ver 20. The Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Essens applyed to note their Ordinances Aphorisms Constitutions In the 21. vers he gives an instance of some touch not taste not handle not Now the Junior company of Essens might not touch their Seniours and in their diet their taste was limited to bread salt water and hysop which Ordinances they undertook 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Philo a love of wisdome but the Apostle concludes that the observation of this had only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shew of wisdome this their doctrine was as Philo saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of Philosophy receiv'd from their Fathers by tradition and therefore St. Paul bids Christians beware of it Beware least any man spoile you through Philosophy Some other refer these words to some Philosophers who mingled their saecular Philosophy with the Religion of the Jewes deliver'd at that time many false dictates Estius in loc of God of Angels of the Son of God of the eternity of the World of purgation of souls which were partly receiv'd from the Platonicks partly invented out of their own brains Of which kind was Simon Magus from whom descended the Sect of the Gnosticks Touching this Philosophy and these Traditions the Apostle gives his caveat Beware least c. Zanchy Aretius Daven in loc Others without reflecting upon either Essens or Gnosticks more simply expound the words as a Caveat given against all Sophistical Philosophy Pharisaical traditions and all Mosaical Ceremonial Rites Philosophy the Apostle here condemns not as all note upon the place but as it had vanity and deceitfulnesse added to it for a man may condemn the sophistry and knavery of any art that likes the art well enough The Traditions of men he utterly dislikes such as were accompanied with superstition and folly as were those of the Pharisees disliked by our Saviour mentioned before And so also the Mosaical ceremonies which may well be call'd Elementa mundi as they are Gal. 4.3 and also vers 9. weak and beggarly rudiments Elements such as A. B. C. for children to begin with but now by Christ being utterly abolish'd Now if any man say Touch not that man he is unclean taste not that meat it is forbidden handle not that cup it is defiled beleeve him not Tertul. Here then the Apostle gives us a Caveat against three sorts of men or rather against their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their doctrins the Philosophers the Pharisees the Jews The Philosophers were Patriarchae haereticorum and he means the Gnosticks vain and deceitful arguments they bring beware you be not spoil'd by them The Pharisees are a sort of superstitious hypocrites they have Traditions taken up by themselves which Moses never deliver'd beware of them The Jews walk not after Christ their dictates are that you yet are bound to keep Moses Law hearken not unto them when they say unto you Touch not taste not handle not subject not your selves to their Ordinances after the commandments and doctrines of men c. This is the true intent scope and sense of St. Pauls words as the wise and judicious Interpreters have taught me And that therefore the word Traditions that you here catch at is but a shadow in laying hold of it to serve your turn you put upon the unlearned a vain parologism a dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter the Pharisaical Traditions are forbidden therefore all Traditions the doctrines of those men therefore all other doctrines that the Church shall teach for which there is not a manifest and expresse text in particular For let the Question then be proposed whether it can be proved from these places that all Traditions and external Rites brought into the Church by men ought to be exploded ejected condemn'd And I answer No partly for that these texts aim at another matter partly because there must be power granted to the Governours of the Church to institute rites for order and decency the Apostle himself being the Authour of it Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 Heb. 13.17 and partly because we are bound to obey them in all things that are honest Austin hath left us a good rule about Rites and Ceremonies which were it observed Austin ad Januarium Epist 118. cap. 22. would settle much unity and peace in the Church In his nulla melior disciplina prudenti Christiano quam ut eo modo agat quo agit Ecclesia ad quamcunque devenerit quod enim nec contra fidem nec contra bonos more 's injungitar indifferenter est habendum But here three Cautions are to be observed 1. That no man prescribe external Rites with that mind to hope for justification by them or remission of sinne For this is Jewish 2. That these adiaphorous rites be not impos'd as if they laid alike obligation upon the conscience with the Laws of God so that a damnable guilt should be incurr'd upon the breach of them although it happen without contempt of those who are in authority and command or without the scandal of others 3. Heed must be taken that they be significative Dr. Ham. tract of superstition à . Sect. 35. ad 43. few wholesome significant that they be not empty Few that they impose no yoke upon the Disciples necks and wholesome that they edifie In obeying and observing such Ceremonies impos'd upon me by a lawful power I shall never fear to be damned for rejecting the Commandments of God and observing the doctrines of men nor to incur that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our Saviour out of the Prophet Isaiah in the Chapter cited by you fastens upon those Pharisaical hypocrites Mark 7.5 This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me SECT 6. The words of the Letter Of divers other things jeerd at by the Epistler IF there were nothing amisse