John Trapp on Colossians 2

CHAP. II. Verſe 1. For I would that ye knew]

LIttle do moſt men know, what unceſſant care and pains their faithfull Miniſters take for their ſouls health. But we would they ſhould know it, and know thoſe that labour among them, and are over them in the Lord, and to eſteem them very highly in love, for their works ſake, 1 Theſſ. 5.12, 13.

Verſe 2. That their hearts may be comforted] Miniſters are ſonnes of conſolation, whiles by them God maketh the heart to hear of joy and gladneſſe, Pſ. 51.8. and createth the fruit of their lips peace, [illegible: 1 letter]eace, &c. Iſa. 57.19.

Being knit together] No ſuch comfort upon the earth, as in the communion of Saints: it differeth from the happineſſe of heaven, but in degrees only.

Of the full aſſurance of underſtanding] Such as was that of S. Luke, chap. 1.3. See the Note there.

Verſe 3. In whom are hid] What ſo great a maker is it then if we be obſcured, and our good parts not ſo noticed?Perſ. Ʋſ que adeone ſcire tuum nihil eſt, &c? Chriſt was content his treaſures ſhould be hid. In maxima ſui mole ſe minimùm oſtendunt ſtellae.

All the treaſures of wiſdome] Out of Chriſt then there is no true wiſdome or ſolid comfort to be found. The depth faith, It is not in me, and the ſea ſaith, It is not ith me, Job 28.14. The worlds wizards cannot help us to it, Ier. 8.9. Neſcio quomodò imbecillior eſt medicina quam morbus, ſaith Cicero concerning all Philoſophicall comforts: The medicine is too weak for the diſeaſe.

Verſe 4. With entiſing words] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. With probable and perſuaſible ſpeeches. It is not ſafe for ſimple men to hear heretikes: for though they may think themſelves able enough to anſwer them, yet they have a notable faculty of perſwading the credulous and leſſe cautelous. The Valentinian-hererikes had an art to perſwade before they taught.Tertull. The locuſts have faces like women. In the year 497. Pope Anastaſius ſecond, ſeeking to reduce the heretike Acacius, was ſeduced by him.

Verſe 5. Your ord[illegible: 1 letter]r, and the ſt[illegible: 1 letter]df[illegible: 1 letter]ſtn[illegible: 1 letter]ſſe] Faith and order, that is doctrine and diſcipline, faith one. Theſe two make the Church fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an army with banners, Cant 6 10.

The ſtedfastneſſe of your faith] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Gr. The firmament of your faith. As in the firſt creation, ſo in the new creature there is firſt the light of knowledge: Secondly, The firmament of faith: Thirdly, Repentant tears and worthy fruits, as ſea's and trees, &c.

Verſe 6. So Walk ye in him] Continue well affected, as ye were at your firſt converſion: fall not from your own ſtedfaſtneſſe, 2 Pet. 3.17. Happy is he that can ſay in a ſpirituall ſenſe (as it was ſaid of Moſes) that after long profeſſion of religion his ſight is not waxed dim, nor his naturall ſtrength abated.

Verſe 7. Abounding therein with thanksgiving] Thankfulfulneſſe for ſmaller meaſures of grace, gets more. Eſſicaciſſimum genus eſt rogandi, gratias agere. Plin. Panegyr.

Verſe 8. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Leſt any man spoil you] A Metaphor either from ſheep ſtealers or plunderers. Seducers plunder men of their precious ſouls. They take them priſoners, 2 Tim. 3.6. They make merchandize of them, 2 Pet. 2.3. or bring them into bondage, ſmiting them on the face, 2 Cor. 11.20.

I brough Philoſophy] In the year of Chriſt 230. the Artemonites, a certain kinde of heretikes, corrupted Scripture out of Aristotle and Theophrastus, turning all into Queſtions, as afterwards the Schoolmen alſo did, that evil generation of dung-hill Divines, as one calleth them. Tertullian not unfi[illegible: 1 letter]ly faith, That the Philoſophers were the Patriarchs of the heretikes. Not but that there is an excellent and neceſſary uſe of Philoſophy truly ſo called: but the Apoſtle meaneth it of their idle ſpeculations and vain deceits, thoſe aiery nothings, as the Apoſtle expounds himſelf. See the Note on Rom. 1.21, 22.

And not after Chriſt] The Gentiles then could not be ſaved by their philoſophy without Chriſt. And yet not only the Divines of Cullen, A[illegible: 1 letter]rippa. B[illegible: 1 letter]laeus. ſet forth a book concerning the ſalvation of Ariſtotle, whom they called Chriſts fore-runner in naturals, as John Baptiſt was in ſupernaturals: but alſo ſome of the School-Doctours, grave men (ſaith Acoſta) do promiſe men ſalvation without the knowledge of Chriſt.

Verſe 9. All the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily] That is, Eſſentially, not in clouds and Ceremonies, as once between the Che[illegible: 1 letter]nb[illegible: 2 letters]s, which the J[illegible: 1 letter]ws called Shechinah; whereunto the Apoſtle here alludeth.

Verſe 10. And ye are compleat] Ye have that true happineſſe of a man, which Philoſophers hunted after in the thicker of car[illegible: 1 letter]hly vani[illegible: 1 letter]i[illegible: 1 letter]s, and loſt themſelves in the chaſe. Varr[illegible: 1 letter] makes report of 288. ſeverall opinions that they had about this ſubject, and were out in all, whil[illegible: 1 letter]ſt they caught at the ſhadow of [illegible: 1 letter]uits in a [illegible: 1 letter]edge of thorns, but could not come at the tree of life, Chriſt Jeſus in whom we are compleat.

Verſe 11. Made without hands] Oh how honourable (ſaith an Interpreter) is the work of mor[illegible: 1 letter]ification, even as to make thoſe huge heavens, &c.

By the ci[illegible: 1 letter]cumciſion of Christ] Which circumciſeth our hearts, pulling off chat wretched fore-skin.

Verſe 12. Buried with him in baptiſme] Which ſucceedeth in the place of circumciſion, and is alſo to us a ſeal of the righteouſnes of faith, Rom. 4.11.

Of the operation of God] In the work of faith God putteth forth the ſame almighty power that he did in raiſing Chriſt from the dead, Epheſ, 1.19, 20. See the Note on that Text.

Verſe 13. And you being dead] See the Note on Epheſ. 2.1.

Hath he quickned] The firſt ſpringing in the womb of grace is precious before God.

Verſe 14. Blotting out the hand-writing] Croſſing out the black lines of our ſins, with the red lines of [illegible: 2 letters]s Sons bl[illegible: 1 letter]nd.

Verſe 15. He made a ſhew of them] A plain alluſion to the Roman triumphs. See the Note on Eph[illegible: 1 letter]ſ. 4.8. Chriſt made the devils a publike ſpectacle of ſcorn and deriſion,Tank hlſtz[illegible: 1 letter]o. as Tamerl[illegible: 1 letter]ne did Ba[illegible: 1 letter]azet the great Turk, whom he ſhut no in an̄ iron c[illegible: 1 letter]ge made like a grate, in fuch ſort, as that he might on every ſide be ſeen: and ſo carried him up and down, as he paſſed thorow Aſia, to be of his own people [illegible: 1 letter]corned and derided, &c.

Verſe 16. Let no man there fore judge you] That is, Set not up any ſuch for a Judge over your conſciences : Or, if any uſurp ſuch an authority, ſlight him, according to that Gal. 5.1. Periculoſum eſt in divinisrebus ut quis cedat j[illegible: 1 letter]re ſuo, Cypr de hor. baptiz. ſaith Cyprian, In things of God we ſhould be tender of our liberty.

Verſe 17. Which are a ſhadow] And ſo a ſign of Chriſt, obſcurely and imperfectly repreſenting him to the old Church, and now aboliſhed by his coming in the fleſh. In the twelfth year of our Saviours age (the ſame year wherein he taught in the Temple, Luk. 2.) the Sanctuary was polluted by the caſting about the bones of dead men thorow every part and porch thereof, at the very feaſt of the Paſſeover in the night time. This Joſephus ſaith was done by the Samaritans out of hatred to the Jewiſh ſervices. But God had ſurely a ſpeciall hand in it, to ſhew that people, that thoſe ſhadows were to vaniſh, now that Chriſt the body was come and ſhewed himſelf.

Verſe 18. Let no man beguile you] Gr. Brave it over you. Confer Exod. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Tremel. 8.9 Glory over me, Gloriam aſſume ſupra me, as thou haſt done over thy ſorcerers; I gave thee this liberty. See alſo Judg. 7.2. Iſa: 10.15.

In a voluntary humility] A proud humility. They would not dare to worſhip God, but Angels, &c. yet wére vainly puffed up by their fleſhly mindes. And ſomething like this was that of the Baptiſt in refuſing to waſh Chriſt, and of Peter in refuſing to be waſhed by him Ioh. 13.8.

And worſhipping of Angels] Setting them up as Papiſts do for Mediat[illegible: 1 letter]u[illegible: 1 letter]s of interceſſion. Let not us acknowledge any other Maſter of requeſts in heaven, but Chriſt alone, 1 Ioh. 2.1. But what a piece of knavery is that in Surius and Caranza, who rendering that paſſage of the Laodicean Councel, Chap. 35. [non-Latin text not transcribed], Chriſtians may not pray to Angels, they make the words to be, Non oportet Chriſtianos ad angulos Congregatione [illegible: 2 letters]facere. Chriſtians may not be corner creepers: And the title they make, Deys qui angulos colunt, Of thoſe that worſhip (not Angels, but) corners; againſt all ſenſe. What? will they put out the eyes of Goods people? As he ſaid, Numb. 16.14. Or doe they not rather, Festucam quarere unde oculos ſibi cruant, as Bernard hath it, Seek ſtraws to put out their own eyes withall.

Intruding into thoſe things] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Or invading thoſe things, &c. blinde and bold, buſie about ſuch matters, as whereof there is neither proof nor profit. Of this ſort of ſeducers was that daring Dionyſius, that writeth ſo confidently of the heavenly hierarchy: The Schoolmen alſo with their curious ſpeculations and new niceties, as Scotellus, and others.

Vainly puffed up by his fleſhly minde] Corruption is the mother of pride, as the devil the father. He is the King of all the children of pride. Job 41.34.

Verſe 19. And not holding the hoad] This is worſe then all the former, that they deſpoiled Chriſt of his dignity: as if he alone were not ſufficient to cheriſh and encreaſe his Church.

With the increaſe of God] That proceeds from God, that is, from the Spirit of Chriſt the head: To which growth is oppoſed that vain puffing up, verſ. 18. whereby men do not increaſe, but ſwell.

Verſe 20. Are ye ſubject to ordinances] why doe ye dogmatize: or be burdened with [illegible: 1 letter]ites or traditions, as they now are in the Papacy? Iohn Aunt a Roman Catholike, in his humble appeal to King Iames, in the ſixth Chapter of that Pamphlet thus blaſphemeth God,D. S[illegible: 1 letter]eldens Mak of the beaſ[illegible: 1 letter] ep[illegible: 1 letter]de[illegible: 1 letter]ic. The God of the Proteſtants (whom he knows to be the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt) is the moſt uncivil and evil manner'd God of all thoſe who have borne the names of God upon earth: Yea, worſe then Pan, God of the Clowns, which can endure no Ceremonies nor good manners at all.

Verſe 21. Touch not, taſte not, &c.] The words of thoſe impoſtours, which are here mimetically, or by way of imitation related. See the like Eccl. 10.14. where the Wiſeman graphically deſcribeth the fools tautologies, A man cannot tall what ſhall be, and what ſhall be, who can tell?

Verſe 22. Which all are to periſh] The very daily periſhing of food and raiment, are types of thy periſhing alſo, faith a Divine.

Verſe 23. And neglecting of the body] Gr. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Not ſparing of it, as the old and new Baalites, Thoſe Flagellantes: And thoſe alſo amongſt us (good otherwiſe) that pinch their bodies too much with penury or exceſſive faſting, are blame-worthy. The body is the ſouls ſervant, and that it may be, Par negotio, neither ſupra not infranegorium, it muſt have due honour and nouriſhment.