tredition- ; io For Moſes faid, * Honour thy father, and thy *1other : and, * Whoſo curſeth father or mother, let
kim die the death. 1s But ye ſay, If a man fay to his father or '- mother, 7c # Corban, that is to ſay, a gift, by what- = 5 Jocyer thou mighteſt be profited by me, he ſoall be *AMat.l5. 5- jree. : | ; 12 And ye ſuffer him no more to do ought for his ſ{ather or mother. 13 Making the word of God of noneeffect through your tradition, which ye have delivered - and many
{uch like things do ye.
See the Notes upon the nine firſt Verſes ot the fiftcenth of Mathew. By the Notion of Tradzi79ns, our Saviour under- ſtandeth not ſuch things as were delivered to them by God mn his Law, but ſach things as were delivered to them by the E!- ders, that is, their Rulers in the Church in the former timesz for, ver. g. he oppoſeth Traditions to God's Commandments, and ſaith thc'latter were negle&ed by their Zeal for the former ; to give Countenance to which Tradztzons, as the Papiſts would 1m- poſe upon us to believe, that Chriſt communicated ſome things to his Apoſtles, and they to the Primitive Churches, by Word of Mouth, which have been ſo Tranſmitted from Age to Age 3 fo the Fews pretended that God communteared his Will 1n ſome things to Mbſes, which Fſes d1d not publiſh to the People. And as the former pretend a Power by Chriſt left to the Church to determine Rituals; ſo the Phariſees (their true Predeceſ- fors) pretended a ſuch-!1ke Power amongſt others, beſides the divers W.:hinzs mentioned by the Apoſtle, Heb. g. 10. Amongſt the Carn.i! Ordinances impoſed only until the time of Refomation, they had invented many other Waſhinzs 3 as, ſeprmenta Legis, Hedges to the Divine Law. They wafhed their Hands often when they came from Market, or before they did eat; not for Decency and Neatneſs , but out of Religion, left they ſhould have been defiled by touching any Heathens, or any polluted things; and not their Hands only , but their Pots and Cups, their Beds and Tables, and Brazen Veſſels 3 as indeed there 15 no op, when once Men have patied the Hedge of the Divine In- ſiitution, of which Popery 15 a plentiful Inftance, where it 1s hard to diſcern an Ordinance of God in the Rubbiſh of their Superſtitious Traditions. And 'tts very oblervable , that Super- ſtitious Men are always more fond of, and zealous for, the Tra- ditions of Men in their Worſhip, than keeping the Command- ments of God ; it is with the Papiſts more hainous to V7late Lent, than to Violate the Sabbath ; for a Prieſt to Marry , than to commit Whoredom. This Zeal in them ordinarily produ- ceth a. Negle@, or flight Eſtcem of the plain Commandments of God. So it did in the Ph.zriſces, ver. o. Upon which our Saviour calleth them Zypocrites, ver. 6. Kr/hipping of God was Vain, Sinful, and Idle, and Impertinent ; there was in it a Derogating trom the Authority of God, and Arrozating of an undue Authority to themielves, by their Com- mands making thoſe things neceſſary, whicl, are not fo; and 2 common'y jt haopeneth, when humane Inventions are over- uraz2d. and multiplyed, ſome are urged Deſtruttive of the Di- vine Law; fo it was with theſe Phariſees ; fo they had done as to the fiſth Commandment , (of which we have ſpoken plentifally in our Notes on Matth. 15. 8. ) Our Saviour g0- eth on. ſhewing their Ighorance and E'indneſs, in imagi- ning that any perfon could be defiled by Eating with Unwaſhen Hands.
14 * And when he had called all the people unto him, he ſaid unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and underſtand.
> ExXO0t. 295. 32, Deut. ©0136 *FX0OJ. 21. T5. Lcv.
* Mat. Is. 10.
Gur Saviour's calling all the People unto him, before he ſpake what next followeth , and his Prefacing that Diſcourſe with. | Hearken cvery one of you, and underſtand, ] Lets us know, that what he was about to ſay was a Point of great Moment, wel! worth their Learning and Obſervation,
15 * There isnothing from without a man, that
+ Mat. 1c: entring into him, can defile him - but the things
24 that come out of him, thoſe are they that defile the man. L 16 *If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. Vat. 11,
i The Addition of theſe Words, If any Man hath Ears to hear, 5 let him hear, confirm what I obſerved before, that our Saviour lookt upon what he faid as a Truth of very great Moment ; and withall, as ſuch a Notion, which carnal Hearts, and ſuperſtiti- ous Perſons, had no Eais to hear, This great Truth was, That
9 And he ſaid unto them, Full well ye! rejett the |
and telleth them this |
ARK:
17 And when he was entred into the houſe from
parable.
ing was plain enough. But Cuſtom is a ereat Tyrant
Liike
blinded them, and lockt up their Souls from reccipins +. and ſpiritual InſtruQtions ; we ſee the ſame thing every a,. What an heinous thing do the Blind Papi/ts think ;- eat Fleſh in Lent, or on one of their Fith-days? Never fidering by what Law of God ary Nen are reftrauc] 1 ſich things, Our Saviour in the next Words checks tiicir Bind. neſs.
18 And he faith unto them, Are ye fo Without underſtanding alſo ? Do ye not perceive, that Whatfo- ever thing from without entreth into the man, it can. not defile him ?
19 Becauſe it entreth not into his heart, but int, the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats,
20 And he ſaid, That which cometh out of the max, that defileth the man.
21 * For from within, out of the heart of men, .. proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, mur. .** ders, |
22 Thefts, covetouſneſs, wickedneſs, deceit, la. clviouſneſs, an evil eye, blaſphemy, pride, fooliſ. neſs.
23 All theſe things come from within, and de5! the man.