deceitfully at once inducing the Colossiās, both to keepe the lavv, & to honouring of the Angels as the giuers of the same. Vvhereby diuers of the faithful vvere so seduced, that they forsooke Christ and his Church and seruice, and committed idolatrie to the said Angels. Against vvhich abomina∣tions the Councel of Laodicia Cap. 35 tooke order, accursing all that forsooke our Sauiour and committed idolatrie to Angels, and contemning Christ, kept conuenticles in the name of spirites and Idols. of vvhich kinde of vvorship of Angels and Diuels see Clemens Alexand. Strom. 3. Tertulliā (li. 5. cont. Marcion.) expoundeth this place of the false teachers that feined them selues to haue reuelatiō of Angels, that the Lavv should be kept touching differēce of cleane & vncleane meates. Vvhich is very agreable to that * in the Epistle to Timothee, vvhere S. Paul calleth abstai∣ning from meates after the Ievvish or heretical maner, the doctrine of Diuels: vvhereof see more in the annotation vpon that place. Haimo a godly aūcient vvriter, vpon this place, saith further, that some Philosophers of the Gentils and some of the Ievves also taught, that there vvere foure Angels Presidents of the foure elements of mans body, and that in feined hypocrisie (vvhich the Apostle here calleth humilitie) they pretended to vvorship by sacrifice the said Angels. Theophy∣lacte expoundeth this feined humilitie, of certaine Heretikes, that pretending the mediatorship to be a derogation to Christs maiestie, vvorshipped Angels as the only mediators, Al vvhich vve set dovvne vvith more diligēce, that the Heretikes may be ashamed to abuse this place against the du•• reuerence and respect or praiers made to the holy Angels. Vvhom the Scriptures record so often to offer our praiers vp to God, and to haue been lavvfully reuerenced of the Patriarkes, neuer as gods▪ but as Gods ministers and messengers, Iosu. 5, 14. Tob. 12, 12. Gen. 48, 16. Angelus qui ••ruit m••. 1 Tim. 5, 21. And that they may be praied vnto, & can helpe & heare vs, see S. Hierom in cap. 10 Dani••lis. S. Ambrose in Psal. 118. ser 1. S. Augustine li. 10 de ciuit. Dei c. 12. Bede li. 4 in Cantica c. 24.
19. Not holding the head.] Because he hath much a do vvith such false preachers as taught the people to preferre the Angels vvhich gaue the Lavv, or other vvhatsoeuer, before Christ: in this Epistle, and to the Ephesians, he often affirmeth Christ to be our head, yea and to be exalted far aboue al creatures, Angels, Potestats, Principalities, or vvhatsoeuer.
20. Why doe you.) A maruelous impudent translation of these vvordes in the English Bibles thus, Why are you burdened vvith traditions? Vvhere as the Greeke hath not that signi∣fication: but to make the name of Tradition odious, here they put it of purpose, not being in the Greeke: and in other place where Traditions are cōmended (1 Cor. 11. and 2 Thes. 2.) and where the Greeke is so most flatly (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) there they translate it, Instructions, ordinances••punc; &c.
21. Touch not.] The Heretikes (as before and alvvaies) very vainely alleage this against the Ca∣tholike fastings: vvhen it is most cleere that the Apostle reprehendeth the foresaid false teachers that though to make the Christians subiect to the obseruation of the ceremonies of the old Lavv, of not eating hogges, conies, hares flesh••punc; and such like, not to touch a dead corps nor any place vvhere a vvomā in her floures had sittē, & other infinite doctrines of touching, tasting, vvashing, eating, and the rest, either commaunded to the old people by God, or (as many things vvere) vo∣luntarily taken vp by them selues, sometime cleane against Gods ordinance, and often friuolous and superstitious. Vvhich sort as Christ in the Gospel, so here S. Paul calleth the precepts and do∣ctrines of men, and superstition, and (as the Greeke vvord signifieth) voluntarie vvorship, that is inuented by Heretikes of their ovvne head vvithout the vvarrant of Christ in the Scriptures, or the Holy Ghost in the Church, or any lavvful authoritie of such vvhom Christ commaundeth vs to obey. Against such Sect-Maisters therfore as vvould haue yoked the faithful againe vvith the Ievvish or Heretical fastes of Simon Magus and the like, S. Paul speaketh, and not of the Churches fastes or doctrines.
23. Hauing a shevv.] Againe the Heretikes of our time obiect, that these foresaid false teachers pretended holines, vvisedom, and chastisement of their bodies (for so S. Paul saith) by forbid∣ding certaine meates according to the Ievves obseruation, euen as the Catholikes do. It is true they did so, and so do most vices imitate vertues▪ for if chastising of mens bodies and repressing their concupiscences and lustes vvere not godly, and if abstinence from some meates vvere not laudably and profitably vsed in the Church for the same purpose, no Heretikes (to induce the ••bolished ob∣seruations and differences of meates of the Ievves, or the condemnation of certaine meates and creatures as abominable according to others) vvould haue falsely pretented the chastisement of their flesh, or made other shevv of vvisedom and pietie, to found their vnlavvful 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, do that lavvfully, godly, religiously, and sincerly in deede to the end aforesaid, vvhich these false Apostles onely pretended to do. So * S. Paul did chastise his body in deede, by vvatching, ••asting, and many other afflictions, and that vvas lavvful and vvas true vvisedom and pietie in deede. The foresaid Heretikes not so, but to induce the Colossians to Iudaisme and other abominable errors, did but pretend these things in hypocrisie.