Calvin on Matthew 15

[EvanVK]

“As the fault that is here corrected is not only common but highly dangerous, the passage is particularly worthy of our attention. We see the extraordinary insolence that is displayed by men as to the form and manner of worshipping God; for they are perpetually contriving new modes of worship, and when any one wishes to be thought wiser than others, he displays his ingenuity on this subject. I speak not of foreigners, but of the very domestics of the Church, on whom God has conferred the peculiar honor of declaring with their lips the rule of godliness. God has laid down the manner in which he wishes that we should worship him, and has included in his law the perfection of holiness. Yet a vast number of men, as if it were a light and trivial matter to obey God and to keep what he enjoins, collect for themselves, on every hand, many additions. Those who occupy places of authority bring forward their inventions for this purpose, as if they were in possession of something more perfect than the word of the Lord. This is followed by the slow growth of tyranny; for, when men have once assumed to themselves the right to issue commands, they demand a rigid adherence to their laws, and do not allow the smallest iota to be left out, either through contempt or through forgetfulness. The world cannot endure lawful authority, and most violently rebels against enduring the Lord's yoke, and yet easily and willingly becomes entangled in the snares of vain traditions; nay, such bondage appears to be, in the case of many, an object of desire. Meanwhile, the worship of God is corrupted, of which the first and leading principle is obedience. The authority of men is preferred to the command of God. Sternly, and therefore tyrannically, are the common people compelled to give their whole attention to trifles.”

 

[psycheives]

“As the fault that is here corrected is not only common but highly dangerous, the passage is particularly worthy of our attention. We see the extraordinary insolence that is displayed by men as to the form and manner of worshipping God; for they are perpetually contriving new modes of worship, and when any one wishes to be thought wiser than others, he displays his ingenuity on this subject. I speak not of foreigners, but of the very domestics of the Church, on whom God has conferred the peculiar honor of declaring with their lips the rule of godliness. God has laid down the manner in which he wishes that we should worship him, and has included in his law the perfection of holiness. Yet a vast number of men, as if it were a light and trivial matter to obey God and to keep what he enjoins, collect for themselves, on every hand, many additions. Those who occupy places of authority bring forward their inventions for this purpose, as if they were in possession of something more perfect than the word of the Lord. This is followed by the slow growth of tyranny; for, when men have once assumed to themselves the right to issue commands, they demand a rigid adherence to their laws, and do not allow the smallest iota to be left out, either through contempt or through forgetfulness. The world cannot endure lawful authority, and most violently rebels against enduring the Lord's yoke, and yet easily and willingly becomes entangled in the snares of vain traditions; nay, such bondage appears to be, in the case of many, an object of desire. Meanwhile, the worship of God is corrupted, of which the first and leading principle is obedience. The authority of men is preferred to the command of God. Sternly, and therefore tyrannically, are the common people compelled to give their whole attention to trifles.”

GREAT QUOTE! Thank you so much for sharing. This reminds me of the recent discussion I had about "images of Christ" being a second commandment violation but the two guys in the discussion seemed to completely refuse to even entertain the idea that it could be displeasing to God.

 

[Northern Crofter]

That reminds me of a quote attributed to Spurgeon. I heard this quote many years ago but had trouble recently finding a source for it. I found it here but it still doesn't give a source. I couldn't find an image of it online so I asked a friend who has some ChatGPT skills to come up with something. I think it turned out well:

Probably pretty fitting considering the season we are in....

 

[Phil D.]

I found it here but it still doesn't give a source.

The Salt-Cellars was a collection of proverbs and quaint sayings put together and published by Spurgeon - so that is the original source. In the introduction Spurgeon notes,

The salt of proverbs is of great service if discreetly used in sermons and addresses; and I have hope that these SALT CELLARS of mine may be resorted to by teachers and speakers, and that they may find them helpful. There are many proverb books, but none exactly like these. I have not followed any one of the other collections, although of necessity the most of the quaint sayings are the same as will be found in them. Some of my sentences are quite new, and more are put into a fresh form.​

 

[Northern Crofter]

The Salt-Cellars was a collection of proverbs and quaint sayings put together and published by Spurgeon - so that is the original source. In the introduction Spurgeon notes,

The salt of proverbs is of great service if discreetly used in sermons and addresses; and I have hope that these SALT CELLARS of mine may be resorted to by teachers and speakers, and that they may find them helpful. There are many proverb books, but none exactly like these. I have not followed any one of the other collections, although of necessity the most of the quaint sayings are the same as will be found in them. Some of my sentences are quite new, and more are put into a fresh form.​

Right, thank you - that was my source. I'm just not sure if it is original to Spurgeon or just something he heard and was repeating in his anthology. My guess is the latter. Either way, I've always loved the saying!

 

[Phil D.]

Right, thank you - that was my source. I'm just not sure if it is original to Spurgeon or just something he heard and was repeating in his anthology. My guess is the latter. Either way, I've always loved the saying!

My guess is it's a Spurgeonism ("a fresh form") based on something someone else said...