ï+i ,r. ti ,t ;rì IS t o8 The NEW and COMPLETE L I F E of our BLESSED becaufe he permitted his difciples to eat with unwafhen hands, which was contrary to the tradition of the elders. This prac- tice was not forbidden in the law, but was an article of great confequencein the tra- dition of the elders, by which the Phari- fees explained the law of Mofes. Several inflances of legal uncleannefs were parti- cularly fisted, and forbidden by the jewifh legislature : but thefe, and other ceremo- nial performances, were multiplied in the moil exttsvagant and ridiculous manner in thofe traditions, which were held in fuch high veneration by the Pharifees. Thefe people, who valued themfelves on an exalt and fcrupulous performance of every tittle of the law, confidered it as a notorious offence to eat bread with unwafhen hands, though, at the fame time, they were fcan- daloully carelefs in things of the highest importance. To fhew the ftupidity and folly of this conduis, our Lord anfwered the queflion of the Pharifees, by retorting on them the wickednefsof their cond'udt in a scrupulous exadtnefs and pundtuality, in the obfer- vance of human traditions, and, at the fame time, negledting the pofitive com- mands of God. Why do you alfo, Paid he, tranfgr f the commandment ofGod byyour tradition ? For God commanded, faying, Honour thyfather and mother: and, He that curfethfather or mother, let him die the death. But ye fay, Whofoever (hallfay to his father or his mother, it is a gift, by whatfoever thou mightefl be profited by me : that is, whatever I might have fpared for the relief ofmy parents, I have dedicated to God, and thus fuffers his parents to want, not honouring his father and mother, he fhall be free. Thus have you, conti- nued our great Redeemer, fet afide the immutable duties of natural religion, and dared to oppofe and contradidf the po- fitive commandments of God, by your ridiculous and contemptible traditions : Ye hypocrites, Paid he, well did Ifaias frot hefy of you,faying, This people draweth nigh unto nie with ,their mouth, and honouretls me with their lids ; but their heart is far from me : but in vain do they wofip nee, teaching for dot/rines the commandments of men. Our Lord having thus fharply rebuked the Pharifees, he turned to the people, and explained to them the nature of the !argument, and defired them to refled2 on the abfurdity of the dodtrine of the Scribes and Pharifees. Not that which goeth into the mouth deleth a man ; but that which comethout of the mouth, that defileth a man, faid he, and appealed to the common fenfe and underflanding of mankind, for the apparent truth of this obfervation, de- firing them to judge what contemptible hypocrites thofe perlons muff: be, who could profeffedly negieft the great duties of morality, which are of univerfal and eternal obligations, and, at the fame time, value themfelves on the exalt and fcru- pulous performance of fuch a trifle as wafhing of hands. The Pharifees were highly offended at our Lord, becaufe he fpake in a degrading manner of their traditions, of which ha- ving 'complained with fome warmth, the difciples came and informed their Matter. Jesus replied, that they need not give themfelves any pain about the offence which that let of men had taken at his words, nor need they be afraid of their anger for both themfelves and their doc- trines would loon be deftroyed, for neither of them were of God'. Every plant, fair he, which nizy heavenly Father hath not planted, /hall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, they /hall both fall into the ditch. But the difciples themfelves did not fully underhand, nor were they entirely fatisfied with this doctrine and Peter having de. fired his Lord to explain it to them, the divine Infirudlorproceeded to inform them, that 9
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