He is careful for them though he were neuer with them: that they rest in the wonderful
wisedom which is in Christian religion, and be not caried away either with Philosophie, to
leaue Christ and to sacrifice to Angels; or with Iudaisme, to receiue any ceremonies of Moyses
law.
1. FOR I wil haue you know, Brethren, what manner of care I haue for you and for them
that are at Laodicia, and whosoeuer haue not seen my face in the flesh:
2. that their harts may be comforted, instructed in charitie, and vnto al the riches
of the fulnes of vnderstanding, vnto the knowledge of the mysterie of God the Father of Christ
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ,
3. in whom be al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge hid.
4. But this I say
✟
Heretikes doe most commonly deceiue the people with eloquence namely such as
haue it by guift of nature, as the Heretikes of al Ages had, & lightly al seditious
persons, which draw the vulgar sort to sedition by allurement of their tongue.
Nothing (saith S. Hierom, ep. 2. ad Nepotian. is so easie as with
volubilitie of tongue to deceiue the vnlearned multitude, which whatsoeuer it
vnderstandeth not, doth the more admire & wonder at the same. The Apostle here
calleth it, πιθανολογίαν, persuasible speach.
that no man deceiue you in loftiness of words.
5. For although I be absent in body, yet in Spirit I am with you; reioycing, and
seeing your order, and the constancie of that your faith which is in Christ.
6. Therfore as you haue receiued Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ our Lord, walke in him,
7. rooted and built in him and confirmed in the faith, as also you haue learned,
abounding
✟
in it
in him in thanks-giuing.
8. Beware lest any man deceiue you by Philosophie, & vaine fallacie; according to the
tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.
9. For in him dwelleth al the fulnesse of the Godhead corporally:
10. and you are in him replenished, who si the Head in al principalitie and power:
11. in whom al you are circumcised with circumcision not made by hand in spoiling
of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ,
12. buried with him in Baptisme: in whom also you are risen againe by the faith of
the operation of God, who raised him vp from the dead.
13. And you
*
Eph. 2,1.
when you were dead in the offenses and the prepuce of your flesh, did he
quicken together with him; pardoning you al offenses,
14. wyping out the hand-writing
✟
by decrees
of decree that was against vs, which was contrarie to
vs. And the same he hath taken out of the way, fastning it to the crosse:
15. and spoiling the Principalities & Potestates,
✟
ἐδειγμάτισεν.
hath lead them confidently in open
shew, triumphing them in himself.
16. Let no man therfore iudge you in meat or in drinke, or in part of a festiual
day, or of the New-moon, or of Sabboths:
17. which are a shadow of things to come, but the body Christs.
18. Let no man seduce you,
✟
That is, wilful or selfwilled in voluntarie religion. For that is, θέλων ἐν
θϱήσκεία wherof commeth the word following ἐθελοθϱεςκεία, Superstition. v. 23.
See Annot. v. 21.
willing in the humilitie and religion of Angels, walking in
the things which he hath not seen, in vaine puffed vp by the sense of his flesh,
19. and not holding the Head, wherof the whole body by ioynts and bands being
✟
ἐπιχοϱηγούμενον, That is taking subminstration of spiritual life & nourishment by grace
from Christ the head.
serued
and compacted, groweth to the increase of God.
20. If then you be dead with Christ, from the elements of this world; why doe you yet
✟
δογματίζεσθε.
decree as liuing in the world?
21. Touch not, tast not, handle not:
22. which things are al vnto destruction by the very vse, according to the precepts and
doctrines of men.
23. Which are indeed hauing a shew of wisedom in superstition and humilitie, and not
to spare the body, not in any honour to the filling of the flesh.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. II.
8. By Philosophie.)
Philosophie & other humane sciences how profitable or hurtful to the Church of
God.
Philosophie and al humane science, so long as they be subiect and obedient to Christ
(as they be in the Schooles of Christian Catholike men) be not forbidden, but are greatly
commended and be very profitable in the Church of God. Otherwise where secular learning
is made the rule of religion and commandeth faith, there it is pernicious & the cause
of al heresie & infidelitie. For the which, S. Hierom & before him Tertul. cal
Philosophers, the Patriarkes of Heretikes, & declare that al the old heresies
rose only by too much admiring of prophane Philosophie. Hier. ad Ctesiph. cont. Pelag.
c. 1. Tertul. de pręser. & cont. Hermo. & cont. Marcio. l. 5. And so doe these new
Sects no doubt in many things.
The Protestants abuse Philosophie against the B. Sacrament.
For, other arguments haue they none against the presence of Christ in the B.
Sacrament but such as they borow of Aristotle & his like, concerning quantitie,
accidents, place, position, dimensions, senses, sight, tast, and other straits of reason,
to which they bring Christes mysteries. Al Philosophical arguments therfore against any
article of our faith be here condemned as deceitful, and are called also here, the
tradition of men, and the elements of the world.
Schoole learning.
The better to resist which fallacies and traditions of Heathen men, the Schoole learning
is necessarie, which keepeth Philosophie in awe and order of faith, and vseth the same
to withstand the Philosophical and sophistical deceits of the Heretikes and Heathen. So
the great Philosophers S. Denys. S. Augustin, Clemens Alexandrinus, Iustine, Lactantius
and the rest, vsed the same to the great hononr of God and benefit of the Church. So came
S. Cyprian, S. Ambrose, S. Hierom, and the Greek Fathers, furnished with al secular
learning vnto the studie of Diuinitie, wherof see S. Hierom. ep. 84. ad Magnum
Oratorem.
16. In meate.)
Scriptures abused by the Protestants against Christian fasting, and holydaies.
The Protestants wilfully or ignorantly applie al these kinds of forbearing meats, to
the Christian fasts: but it is by the circumstance of the text plaine (as *S. Augustin
also teacheth) that the Iudaical obseruation and distinction of certaine cleane and
vncleane meats is forbidden to the Colossians, who were in danger to be seduced by
certaine Iewes, vnder pretence of holines to keep the Law touching meats &
festiuities & other like, which the Apostle sheweth wero only shadowes of things
to come: which things are come, & therfore the said shadowes to cease. Where he nameth
the Sabboth & feasts of the new moone, that no man need to doubt but that he speaketh
only of the Iewish daies & kinds of fasts and feasts, and not of Christian holidaies
or fasting daies at al.
* Aug. ep. 59. ad Paulin. in solut. 7. quæst.
18. Religion of Angels.)
S Paules place concerning religion of Angels, explicated and that the
Protestants wickedly abuse it against the due honour & inuocation the Angels.
By the like false application of this text as of the other before, the Heretikes abuse
it against the inuocation or honour of Angels vsed in the Catholike Church, where the
Apostle noteth the wicked doctrine of Simon Magus & others (See S. Chrys. ho. 7. in
hunc locum, and Epiph. hær. 21.) who taught, Angels to be our Mediatours and not
Christ, non tenens Caput, not holding the Head, as the Apostle speaketh, &
prescribed Sacrifices to be offered vnto them, meaning indifferently as wel the il Angels
as the good. Which doctrine the said Heretike had of Plato, who taught, that spirits
(which he calleth dæmones) were to be honoured as Mediatours next to God. Against which
S. Augustin disputeth li. 8. 9. & 10. de ciuit. as the condemneth also the same vndue
worship li. 10. confes. cap. 42. S. Hierom (q. 10. ad algasiam) expoundeth this also of
il spirits or Diuels, whom he proueth (out of S. Steuen's sermon Act. 7.) that the Iewes
did worship, auouching that they serue them stil, so many of them and so often as they
obserue the Law. Of which Idolatrie also to Angels Theodoret speaketh vpon this place,
declaring, that the Iewes defended their superstition towards Angels by that, that the
Law was giuen by them, deceitfully at once inducing the Colossians, both to keep the law,
& to honouring of the Angels as the giuers of the same. Wherby diuers of the
faithful were so seduced, that they forsooke Christ and his Church and seruice, and
committed idolatrie to the said Angels. Against which abominations the Councel of
Laodicea Cap. 35. tooke order, accursing al that forsooke our Sauiour and committed
idolatrie to Angels, & contemning Christ, kept conuenticles in the name of spirits
and Idols. Of which kind of worship of Angels and Diuels see Clemens Alexand. Strom.
3. Tertullian (li. 5. cont. Marc) expoundeth this place of the false
Teachers that feined themselues to haue reuelation of Angels, that the Law should
be kept touching difference of cleane and vncleane meats. Which is very agreable to
that *in the Epistle to Timothee, where S. Paul calleth abstaining from meats after the
Iewish or heretical manner, the doctrine of Diuels: wherof see more in the annotation
vpon that place. Haimo a godly ancient Writer, vpon this place, saith further, that
some Philosophers of the Gentils and some of the Iewes also taught, that there were
foure Angels Presidents of the foure elements of man's body, and that in feined hypocrisie
(which the Apostle here calleth humilitie) they pretended to worship by Sacrifice the
said Angels. Theophylact expoundeth this feined humilitie, of certaine Heretikes, that
pretending the mediatourship to be a derogation to Christ's maiestie, worshipped Angels as
the only Mediatours. Al which we set downe with more diligence, that the Heretikes
may be ashamed to abuse this place against the due reuerence & respect or praiers made
to the holy Angels. Whom the Scriptures record so often to offer our praiers vp to God,
& to haue been lawfully reuerenced of the Patriarkes, neuer as Gods, but as God's
Ministers and messengers. Ios. 5. 14. Tob. 12. Gen. 48. 16. Angelus qui eruit me. 1.
Tim. 5 21. And that they may be praied vnto, & can help & heare vs, see S. Hierom
in cap. 10. Danielis. S. Ambrose in Psal. 118 serm. 1. S. Augustin li. 10. de
ciuit. Dei c. 12. Bede li. 4. de Cantic. c. 24.
* 1 Tim. 4,1.
19. Not holding the Head.)
Because he hath much adoe with such false Preachers as taught the people to preferre the
Angels which gaue the Law, or other whatsoeuer, before Christ, in this Epistle and to
the Ephesians, he often affirmeth Christ to be our Head, yea and to be exalted farre aboue
al creatures, Angels, Potestates, Principalities, or whatsoeuer.
20. Why doe you.)
Heretical translation.
A maruelous impudent translation of these words in the English Bibles thus: Why are you
burdned with traditions? Wheras the *Greek hath not that signification: but to make
the name of Tradition odious here they put it of purpose, not being in the Greek & in
other places where Traditions are commended (1. Cor. 11. & 2. Thes. 2.) & where the
Greek; is so most flatly (παραδόσεις) there they translate it, Instructions,
Ordinances, &c.
* δογμαθίξετε.
21. Touch not.)
Scriptures abused against the Churches fasts.
The Heretikes (as before and alwaies) very vainely alleage this against the Catholike
fastings: when it is most cleer that the Apostle reprehendeth the foresaid false Teachers
that thought to make the Christians subiect to the obseruation of the ceremonies of the old
Law, of not eating hogs, conies, hares-flesh, and such like, not to touch a dead corps
nor any place where a woman in her floures had sitten, & other infinit doctrines
of touching, tasting, washing, eating, and the rest, either commanded to the old people
by God, or (as many things were) voluntarily taken vp by themselues, sometime cleane
against God's ordinance, & often friuolous and superstitious. Which sort as Christ in the
Ghospel, so here S. Paul calleth the precepts and doctrines of men, and superstition, and
(as the Greek word signifieth) *voluntarie worship, that is inuented by Heretikes of
their owne head without the warrant of Christ in the Scriptures, or the Holy Ghost in
the Church, or any lawful authoritie of such whom Christ commandeth vs to obey. Against
such Sect-maisters therfore as would haue yoked the faithful againe with the Iewish or
Heretical fasts of Symon Magus and the like, S. Paul speaketh, and not of the Churches
fasts or doctrines.
* ἐθελοθϱησκεία.
23. Hauing a shew.)
The hypocritical abstinance of old Heretikes, maketh nothing against true &
sincere fastings, but commendeth it.
Againe the Heretikes of our time obiect, that these foresaid false Teachers pretended
holines, wisedom, & chastisement of their bodies (for so S. Paul saith) by forbidding
certaine meats according to the Iewes obseruation, euen as the Catholikes doe: It is
true they did so, and so doe most vices imitate vertues. For if chastising of mens bodies
& repressing their concupiscences & lustes were not godly, and if abstinence from
some meats were not laudably & profitably vsed in the Church for the same purpose, no
Heretikes (to induce the abolished obseruations & differences of meats of the Iewes,
or the condemnation of certaine meats & creatures as abominable according to others)
would haue falsely pretented the chastisement of their flesh, or made other shew of
wisedom and pietie, to found their vnlawful Heretical or Iudaical superstition
concerning the same. The Catholike Church & her children, by the example of Christ, S.
Iohn Baptist, the Apostles, and other blessed men, doe that lawfully, godly, religiously,
& sincerely indeed to the end a foresaid, which these false Apostles only pretended
to doe. So *S. Paul did chastise his body indeed, by watching, fasting, and many other
afflictons, and that was lawful, and was true wisedom and pietie indeed. The foresaid
Heretikes not so, but to induce the Colossians to Iudaisme & other abominable errors, did
but pretend these things in hypocrisie.
* 1 Cor. 9,27.
2. Cor. 11,27.