542

Reflections on resolving to adhere to CHRIST. SECT. 82. Interest, that whoever elfe forfake him, we may never go away. On

the contrary, may we rather collect an Argument from their InVer. 67. gratitude and Folly, more ftrenuously, and more affectionately to adhere to him! Indeed to whom should we go, but to him? He has Ver. 68. the Words of eternal Life. From him therefore in all lowly Subjection of Soul, may we learn those Leffons on which our everlasting Happiness depends!

Ver. 70.

May we never, like Judas, conceal a treacherous and difaffected Heart, under the fpecious Appearance of Piety and Goodness! This Ver. 64, 71. would be only impofing on ourfelves; for his penetrating Eye can never be deceived. May we approve the Integrity of our Souls in his Sight, and repofe an unlimited Confidence in him, as one whom we believe, and know, to be a Divine Saviour, CHRIST the Son of the living GOD!

Ver. 69.

SECT. 83.

Our LORD vindicates his Difciples in neglecting the Tra-
ditions of the Pharifees, and condemns thofe corrupt
Teachers for preferring fuch Traditions to the Precepts
of the Divine Law.
Mat. XV. 1,---9. Mark VII.

I, --- 13.

T1

MARK VII. 1.

HE Miracles which Jefus wrought, and which have been mentioned Mark VII. 1. above (a), being reported at the ensuing Paffover (b), gave a farther Alarm to the

Jews,

(a) Which have been mentioned above.] As both Matthew and Mark introduce the following Difcourfe, immediately after his croffing the Sea to Capernaum, when he but just before had fed the Five thousand, and John determines the Debates in the preceding Sections to that Time, there can be no reasonable Doubt about placing this Section, and several more that are exprefsly connected with it, in this Order.

(b) At the enfuing Paffover.] That a Passover followed quickly after the Events before related, is expressly determined: (See John vi. 4. and the Note there, pag. 508. and compare chap. vii. 2.) But the Evangelifts do not exactly determine, whether Christ did, or did not, attend it. If he did not, we may conclude he had proper Reasons for not doing it: But to be fure fuch numerous and publick Miracles as he

had

and certain of the Scribes, which [were of, and] came from Jerufalem. [MAT. XV. 1.]

543

The Difciples are blamed for eating with unwashed Hands. Jews, and efpecially to their eftablished SECT. 83. Teachers; fo that to obviate the Effect of them, and to prevent the Success of his Mi-Mark VII. 1. niftry, there were then gathered unto Jefus the Pharifees, and fome of the Scribes, who were stated Inhabitants of Jerufalem, [and] came [from thence] on purpose to watch, and if poffible, to infnare him. And as they 2 looked on all his Actions with a most malignant Eye, they foon found an Opportunity to cavil; for feeing fome of his Difciples eat Bread with what they counted polluted (that is, with unwashed) Hands, they found Fault with them among themselves.

2 And when they faw fome of his Difciples eat Bread with defiled (that is to

fay, with unwafhen) Hands, they found Fault.

3 For the Pharifees, and all the Jews, except they wafh their Hands oft, eat not, holding the Tradition. of the Elders.

For this was a favourite Tenet of the Pha- 3
rifees, on which they laid a particular Stress,
and indeed almost all the Jews pay a confi-
derable Regard to it (c), that they do not
allow themselves to eat, without washing
their Hands often with Abundance of Exact-
ness (d), and particularly just before their
Meals: And this they observe, not in Con-
fequence of any exprefs Divine Command,
but as holding the Tradition of the Elders,
who thought this fcrupulous Care, a decent
Expreffion and Memorial of their Concern
to keep themselves free from whatsoever
might

had lately performed, would be the Subject of a great deal of Discourse at Jerusalem. Compare John vii. 11, 12. and xi. 56.

(c) Almoft all the Jews pay a confiderable Regard to it.] Their Rabbies carried this to a most ridiculous Height; one of them determining the Neglect of washing, to be a greater Sin, than Whoredom; and another faying, it would be much better to die, than to omit it. Many Inftances of this Kind may be feen in Dr. Whitby, and Dr. Hammond, in loc. and in Buxtorf. Synag. Jud. cap. xi. pag. 236. It is plain, that other Nations commonly used to wash before their Meals. See Athenæus, pag. 408. Edit. Cafaub. 1675. and Elfner. Obferv. vol. i. pag. 73.

(d) Washing their Hands often.] The Word @uyun is ambiguous, being very seldom ufed. Theophylact's Glofs would incline one to render it, as L'Enfant does, up to the Elbows; and Beza tranflates it, with the Fift. (See Godwyn's Mofes and Aaron, lib. i. cap. 10. pag. 39.) Not being able certainly to determine the Point, I thought it fufficient to add in the Paraphrafe, with Abundance of Exactness. Camero, and Lud. Cappellus, (in loc.) explain it of holding up their Hands clofed, while the Water was poured upon them; and I have nothing to object to the Reasons they give for that Interpretation.

(e) For

544 SECT. 83.might pollute them. And efpecially [when they come from the Market, or any other Mark VII. 4. Place of publick Concourse, left they fhould without their Knowledge have touched any Thing unclean, they eat not, till they have washed their Hands at least, if not their whole Body. And there are many other Things, besides the washing of their Hands, which they in like Manner receive and maintain by the Authority of the fame Tradition, [as] the washing of Cups and Pots in which their Food is put, and of the brafen Vessels made ufe of in preparing it, and even of the very Couches on which they lie at their Meals. Then the Pharifees and Scribes, after they had cenfured the Disciples of Christ among themselves, (as was observed before,) came to Jefus, and asked him, Why do not thy Difciples walk and behave themselves according to the Tradition of the Elders, as other pious and regular Jews do; but tranfgrefs [it] in a very obvious and material Inftance, for they eat with unwashed Hands (e)? Can they be fo ignorant, as not to know the Traditions that forbid it? Or are they fo profane, as not to regard them?

CHRIST vindicates their Neglect of Human Traditions;

5

Mat. XV. 3.

And he anfwering, faid unto them, Nay, but I may with much greater Reafon afk you, Why do you also tranfgrefs what is in finitely more facred, even the Command of GOD himself, out of Regard to your own Mark VII. 9. vain and fuperftitious Tradition? And this in feveral Inftances you run to fuch a Length, as that you fairly make void the Command of GOD, and render it infignificant, that you may obferve your Tradition; though

you

4 And when they come from the Market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other Things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of Cups and Pots, brafen Veffels, and

of Tables.

Scribes afked him, Why 5 Then the Pharifees and walk not thy Difciples according to the Tradition of the Elders, but [tranfgrefs it, for they] eat Bread with unwashen Hands? [MAT. XV. 2.]

MAT. XV. 3. But he anfwered and faid unto them, Why do you also tranfgrefs the Commandment of GOD by your Tradition? [MARK VII. 9. —]

MARK VII.-9. Full well ye reject the Commandment of GOD, that ye may keep your own Tradition.

(e) For they eat with unwashed Hands.] It is the Original, eat Bread; and I have fometimes retained the Hebraifm, but did not think it neceffary always to do it. Every attentive Reader must have observed, that Food in general is called Bread, in a Multitude of Places; and Bread is fometimes put even for the Provifions of a Royal Table. 2 Sam. ix. 7, 10. and xii. 20.

which the Pharisees preferred to the Command of GOD.

MAT. XV. 4. For GOD
[by Mofes] commanded, fay
ing, Honour thy Father and
[thy] Mother: and, He that
curfeth Father or Mother, let
him die the Death. [MARK
VII. 10.] ·

MARK VII. 11. But ye
fay, [Whofoever] fhall fay
to his Father or Mother, It
Gift, by whatsoever thou
mighteft

is Corban, that is to say, a

545
you confider not perhaps from whence it SECT. 83.
comes, or may eafily know that it was de-
rived only from a fallible Man. I will Mat. XV. 4.
give you one notorious Inftance of it, which
you cannot difpute: For you well know,
that GOD has commanded [by] Mofes, fay-
ing, "Honour thy Father and thy Mother:"
A Precept written with his own Finger
on the Tables of Sone, and guarded by that
awful Sanction, " Whofo curfeth his Fa-
"ther, or his Mother, let him furely die
"without Mercy." (See Exod. xxi. 17.
Lev. xx. 9. and compare Prov. xx. 20. and
Deut. xxvii. 16.) Now for any one to suffer
his Parents to languish in Want of the ne-
ceffary Supplies of Life, must certainly be a
yet more aggravated Wickednefs, than an
impious Word, which may poffibly escape
a Man's Lips in a fudden Transport of Paf-
fion (f).
But what you teach is contra- Mark VII
dictory to this Divine Command, and an
ungrateful Child may justify himself in the
Neglect of it in Confequence of your Tra-
dition; for you affert, [that] any one may
Say to his Father or Mother, [Let that be]
Corban, that is to fay, let it be reckoned as
a devoted Thing, or be confidered as a Gift
dedicated to the Altar (g), by which thou
mightest

(ƒ) In a fudden Transport of Paffion.] Dr. Lightfoot (in his Hor. Hebr. in loc.)
has well obferved, that it is probable a Child must be in a Transport of very undutiful
Paffion, when he made the rash Vow afterwards mentioned, that he would never in
any Instance relieve his Parent, fo that it was a Kind of curfing him: But had it been
faid ever fo coolly and deliberately, the Argument here suggested would have taken
Place, and would have juftified the Connection.

(8) Any one may fay, [Let that be] Corban, that is to fay, a Gift.] So I chuse with
Elfner, (Obferv. vol. i. pag. 74.) to render the Words in Matthew, os av ewn, though
I confefs not without fome Doubt. But I think, it is beft to leave as little as poffible
to be supplied, in order to make up the Sense; and on that Principle, I should prefer
the Addition in our own Tranflation of this Place, he shall be free, to that which Sir
Norton Knatchbull proposes, who would render it, You fay, [a Man honours his Parents,]
if he fay, It is Corban, &c. thus fuppofing the Paffage to imply a Repetition from
the Verfe before. But fuch a Conftruction seems to me quite unparallelled, and very
unnatural. Grotius makes xai redundant, and would render it, You teach, that whofo-
ever shall say to his Father or Mother, It is a Gift, &c. - let him not honour his Father
VOL. I.
Z z z
and

II.

II.

546 SECT. 83.mightest otherwife receive Advantage from me (b), and he shall then be free from the Mark VII. Command, and not be under any Obligation to honour and relieve his Father or his Mo12 ther. And in this Manner, out of Regard to fuch a rash and impious Vow, you not only fuppofe, he may innocently omit this evident Duty of Natural, as well as Revealed Religion, but will no more permit him to do any Thing for the Relief even of his FaMat. XV. 6. ther or his Mother: And [thus] then it is evidently to be seen, according to the Charge which I advanced against you, that through a grofs and impious Superftition, you have even invalidated the Word, [and] as it were annihilated the Command of GOD, by Means of your Tradition, which you have delivered as a Rule of Life, to be obferved with the most scrupulous Exactness: And it were easy to be shewn, in other Instances, that many fuch like Things you do.

They made the Word of no Effect by their Tradition,

7

Yet these are the Things, in which you vainly pride yourselves, as Proofs of your Religion; but, O you Hypocrites, well did

Ifaiah

mightest be profited by me,
[and honour not his Father
free. [MAT. XV.
or his Mother,] he shall be
6.-]
5,

12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his

Father or his Mother.

MAT. XV. — 6. Thus and] Commandment of GoD have ye made the [Word of none Effect [through your Tradition, which ye have like Things do ye.] [MARK delivered and many fuch VII. 13.]

7 Ye Hypocrites, well did Efaias

and Mother: But in the Way that I have rendered it, the Senfe is in Effect the fame, and the common Senfe of xa is retained. Some confiderable Criticks, particularly Drufius, (de Tribus Sectis, lib. ii. cap. 17.) and Godwyn, (Mofes and Aaron, lib. vi. cap. 6.) give a very elegant Turn to the following Words, Jagov o εav et eμ.8 wpcλndns, and would suppose them to be an Oath expreffed in the Elliptical Manner, which was. very common among the Hebrews: If fo, they fhould be rendered, I swear by Corban, or the Sacred Treasury, thou shalt receive no Benefit from me. But as both the Evangelifts infert the Particle o, which in this Conftruction has no Force, I cannot wholly approve this Verfion, and therefore did not infert it. Perhaps some of these pretended Vows of theirs amounted to no more, than an Obligation to leave fome Proportion of the Overplus of their Estates to the Temple Treasury after their Death, which might in a thousand Instances be made the Cloak of Avarice and Cruelty. The indeterminate Manner of speaking, it must be owned, would lead to fuch a Suppofition.Cappellus with immenfe Labour, (and I think, beyond all farther Controverfy,) has afferted the Interpretation of this Text, as given in the Paraphrafe; and has produced a vaft Variety of Paffages from the Talmud, to fhew the fuperftitious Regard the Jews had to fuch rash and unnatural Vows, as well as the ridiculous Ways they fometimes took to evade them. See Lud. Cappell. in Mat. xv. 5.

(h) Advantage from me.] Sir Norton Knatchbull would render e eux, of my Substance, or Poffeffions: But had this been the exact Rendering, it would have been ex т8 μs, of which Inftances occur in Greek Authors.

(i) While