Chapter 4 Pharisees and Sadducees

Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. !atthew "#$# %e careful, Jesus said to them. %e on &our 'uard a'ainst the &east of the Pharisees and Sadducees. !atthew "#$# ()*+, -----------------------------------------------------------------------.ver& word spoken b& the /ord Jesus is full of deep instruction for Christians. *t is the voice of the Chief Shepherd. *t is the 0reat 1ead of the Church speakin' to all its members, 2 the 3in' of 3in's speakin' to 1is servants, 2 the !aster of the house speakin' to his servants, 2 the Captain of our salvation speakin' to his soldiers. 4bove all, it is the voice of 1im who said, * have not spoken of !&self$ the 5ather who sent !e, he 'ave !e a commandment what * should sa& and what * should speak. (John "6$47, The heart of ever& believer in the /ord Jesus ou'ht to burn within him when he hears his !aster8s words$ he ou'ht to sa&, This is the voice of m& beloved. (Cant. 6$9, 4nd ever& kind of word spoken b& the /ord Jesus is of the 'reatest value. Precious as 'old are all 1is words of doctrine and precept: precious are all 1is parables and prophecies: precious are all 1is words of comfort and of consolation: precious, not least, are all his words of caution and warnin'. ;e are not merel& to hear 1im when he sa&s Come to me, all &e that labor, and are heav& laden, we are to hear 1im also when 1e sa&s, Take heed and beware. * am 'oin' to direct attention to one of the most solemn and emphatic warnin's which the /ord Jesus ever delivered$ Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (!atthew "#$#, <pon this te=t * wish to erect a beacon for all who desire to be saved, and to preserve some souls, if possible, from makin' a shipwreck. The times call loudl& for such beacons: The spiritual shipwrecks of the last 6> &ears have been deplorabl& numerous. The watchmen of the church ou'ht to speak out plainl& now, or for ever hold their peace. ", 5irst of all, * ask m& readers to observe who the& were to whom the warnin' of the te=t was addressed. ?ur /ord Jesus Christ was not speakin' to men who were worldl&, un'odl&, and unsanctified, but to 1is own disciples, companions, and friends. 1e addressed men who, with the e=ception of the apostate Judas *scariot, were ri'ht2hearted in the si'ht of 0od. 1e spoke to the twelve 4postles, the first founders of the church of Christ, and the first ministers of the ;ord of salvation. 4nd &et even to them 1e addressed the solemn caution of our te=t$ Take heed and beware. There is somethin' ver& remarkable in this fact. ;e mi'ht have thou'ht that these 4postles needed little warnin' of this kind. 1ad the& not 'iven up all for Christ8s sake@ The& had. 1ad the& not endured hardship for Christ8s sake@ The& had. 1ad the& not believed Jesus, followed Jesus, loved Jesus, when almost all the world was unbelievin'@ 4ll these thin's are true: and &et to them the caution was addressed$ Take heed and beware. ;e mi'ht have ima'ined that at an& rate the disciples had but little to fear from

the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. The& were poor and unlearned men, most of them fishermen or publicans: the& had no leanin's in favor of the Pharisees and the Sadducees: the& were more likel& to be preAudiced a'ainst them than to feel an& drawin' towards them. 4ll this is perfectl& true: &et even to them there comes the solemn warnin'$ Take heed and beware. There is useful counsel here for all who profess to love the /ord Jesus Christ in sincerit&. *t tells us loudl& that the most eminent servants of Christ are not be&ond the need of warnin's, and ou'ht to be alwa&s on their 'uard. *t shows us plainl& that the holiest of believers ou'ht to walk humbl& with his 0od, and to watch and pra&, lest he fall into temptation, and be overtaken in a fault. )one is so hol&, but that he ma& fall, 2 not finall&, not hopelessl&, but to his own discomfort, to the scandal of the church, and to the triumph of the world$ none is so stron' but that he ma& for a time be overcome. Chosen as believers are b& 0od the 5ather, Austified as the& are b& the blood and ri'hteousness of Jesus Christ, sanctified as the& are b& the 1ol& Spirit, 2 believers are still onl& men$ the& are &et in the bod&, and &et in the world. The& are ever near temptation: the& are ever liable to err, both in doctrine and in practice. Their hearts, thou'h renewed, are ver& feeble: their understandin', thou'h enli'htened, is still ver& dim. The& ou'ht to live like those who dwell in an enem&8s land, and ever& da& put on the armor of 0od. The devil is ver& bus&: he never slumbers or sleeps. /et us remember the falls of )oah, and 4braham, and /ot, and !oses, and Bavid, and Peter: and rememberin' them, be humble, and take heed lest we fall. * ma& be allowed to sa& that none need warnin's so much as the ministers of Christ8s 0ospel. ?ur office and our ordination are not securit& a'ainst errors and mistakes. *t is, alas, too true, that the 'reatest heresies have crept into the church of Christ b& means of ordained men. )either .piscopal ordination, nor Presb&terian ordination, nor an& other ordination, confers an& immunit& from error and false doctrine. ?ur ver& familiarit& with the 0ospel often be'ets in us a hardened state of mind. ;e are apt to read the Scriptures, and preach the ;ord, and conduct public worship, and carr& on the service of 0od, in a dr&, hard, formal, callous spirit. ?ur ver& familiarit& with sacred thin's, e=cept we watch our hearts, is likel& to lead us astra&. )owhere, sa&s an old writer, *s a man8s soul in more dan'er than in a priest8s office. The histor& of the church of Christ contains man& melanchol& proofs that the most distin'uished ministers ma& for a time fall awa&. ;ho has not heard of 4rchbishop Cranmer recantin' and 'oin' back from those opinions he had defended so stoutl&, thou'h, b& 0od8s merc&, raised a'ain to witness a 'lorious confession at last@ ;ho has not heard of %ishop Jewell si'nin' documents that he most thorou'hl& disapproved, and of which si'nature he afterwards bitterl& repented@ ;ho does not know that man& others mi'ht be named, who at one time or another, have been overtaken b& faults, have fallen into errors, and been led astra&@ 4nd who does not know the mournful fact that man& of them never came back to the truth, but died in their hardness of heart, and held to their errors to the last@ These thin's ou'ht to make us humble and cautious. The& tell us to distrust our own hearts and to pra& to be kept from fallin'. *n these da&s, when we are speciall& called upon to cleave firml& to the doctrines of the Protestant Ceformation, let us take heed that our Deal for Protestantism does not puff us up, and make us proud. /et us never sa& in our self2conceit, * shall never fall into Poper& or )eolo'ianism$ those views will never suit me. /et us remember that man& have be'un well and run well for a season, and &et

afterwards turned aside out of the ri'ht wa&. /et us take heed that we are spiritual men as well as Protestants, and real friends of Christ as well as enemies of anti2Christ. /et us pra& that we ma& be kept from error, and never for'et that the twelve 4postles themselves were the men to whom the 0reat 1ead of the Church addressed these words$ Take heed and beware. 6, * propose, in the second place, to e=plain what were those dan'ers a'ainst which our /ord warned the 4postles. Take heed, 1e sa&s, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. The dan'er a'ainst which 1e warns them is false doctrine. 1e sa&s nothin' about the sword of persecution, or the open breach of the Ten Commandments, or the love of mone&, or the love of pleasure. 4ll these thin's no doubt were perils and snares to which the souls of the 4postles were e=posed: but a'ainst these thin's our /ord raises no warnin' voice here. 1is warnin' is confined to one sin'le point$ The leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. ;e are not left to conAecture what our /ord meant b& that word leaven. The 1ol& Spirit, a few verses after the ver& te=t on which * am now dwellin', tells us plainl& that b& leaven was meant the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. /et us tr& to understand what we mean when we speak of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. (a, The doctrine of the Pharisees ma& be summed up in three words$ the& were formalists, tradition worshippers, and self ri'hteous. The& attached such wei'ht to the traditions of men that the& practicall& re'arded them of more importance than the inspired writin's of the ?ld Testament. The& valued themselves upon e=cessive strictness in their attention to all the ceremonial reEuirements of the !osaic law. The& thou'ht much of bein' descended from 4braham, and said in their hearts, ;e have 4braham for our father. The& fancied because the& had 4braham for their father that the& were not in peril of hell like other men, and that their descent from him was a kind of title to heaven. The& attached 'reat value to washin's and ceremonial purif&in' of the bod&, and believed that the& ver& touchin' of the dead bod& of a fl& or 'nat would defile them. The& made a 'reat ado about the outward parts of reli'ion, and such thin's as could be seen of men. The& made broad their ph&lacteries, and enlar'ed the frin'es of their 'arments. The& prided themselves on pa&in' 'reat honor to dead saints, and 'arnishin' the sepulchers of the ri'hteous. The& were ver& Dealous to make prosel&tes. The& thou'ht much of havin' power, rank, and preeminence, and of bein' called b& men, Cabbi, Cabbi. These thin's, and man& such2like thin's, the Pharisees did. .ver& well informed Christian can find these thin's in the 0ospels of !atthew and !ark (see !atthew "> and 6F: !ark G,. (b, The doctrine of the Sadducees, on the other hand, ma& be summed up in three words$ free thinkin', skepticism and rationalism. Their creed was one far less popular than that of the Pharisees, and, therefore, we find them less often mentioned in the )ew Testament Scriptures. So far as we can Aud'e from the )ew Testament, the& appear to have held the doctrine of de'rees of inspiration: at all events the& attached e=ceedin' value to the Pentateuch above the other parts of the ?ld Testament, if the& did not alto'ether i'nore the latter. The& believed that there was no resurrection, no an'el, and no spirit, and tried to lau'h men out of their belief in these thin's, b& supposin' hard cases, and brin'in' forward difficult Euestions. ;e have an instance of their mode of

ar'ument in the case which the propounded to our /ord of the woman who had had seven husbands, when the& asked, *n the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven@ 4nd in this wa& the& probabl& hoped, b& renderin' reli'ion absurd, and its chief doctrines ridiculous, to make men alto'ether 'ive up the faith the& had received from the Scriptures. 4ll this time, be it remembered, we ma& not sa& that the Sadducees were downri'ht infidels$ this the& were not. ;e ma& not sa& the& denied revelation alto'ether$ this the& did not do. The& observed the law of !oses. !an& of them were found amon' the priests in the times described in the 4cts of the 4postles. Caiaphas who condemned our /ord was a Sadducee. %ut the practical effect of their teachin' was to shake men8s faith in an& revelation, and to throw a cloud of doubt over men8s minds, which was onl& one de'ree better than infidelit&. 4nd of all such kind of doctrine, 2 free thinkin', skepticism, rationalism, 2 our /ord sa&s Take heed and beware. )ow the Euestion arises, ;h& did our /ord Jesus Christ deliver this warnin'@ 1e knew, no doubt, that within fort& &ears the schools of the Pharisees and the Sadducees would be completel& overthrown. 1e that knew all thin's from the be'innin', knew perfectl& well that in fort& &ears Jerusalem, with its ma'nificent temple, would be destro&ed, and the Jews scattered over the face of the earth. ;h& then do we find 1im 'ivin' this warnin' about Hthe leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees8@ * believe that our /ord delivered this solemn warnin' for the perpetual benefit of that Church which he came on earth to found. 1e spoke with a prophetic knowled'e. 1e knew well the diseases to which human nature is alwa&s liable. 1e foresaw that the two 'reat pla'ues of 1is Church upon earth would alwa&s be the doctrine of the Pharisees and the doctrine of the Sadducees. 1e knew that these would be the upper and nether mill stones, between which 1is truth would be perpetuall& crushed and bruised until 1e came the second time. 1e knew that there alwa&s would be Pharisees in spirit, and Sadducees in spirit, amon' professin' Christians. 1e knew that their succession would never fail, and their 'eneration never become e=tinct, 2 and that thou'h the names of Pharisees and Sadducees were no more, &et their principles would alwa&s e=ist. 1e knew that durin' the time that the Church e=isted, until 1is return, there would alwa&s be some that would add to the ;ord, and some that would subtract from it, 2 some that would stifle it, b& addin' to it other thin's, and some that would bleed it to death, b& subtractin' from its principal truths. 4nd this is the reason wh& we find 1im deliverin' this solemn warnin'$ HTake heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.8 4nd now comes the Euestion, 1ad not our /ord Jesus Christ 'ood reason to 'ive this warnin'@ * appeal to all who know an&thin' of Church histor&, ;as there not indeed a cause@ * appeal to all who remember what took place soon after the apostles were dead. Bo we not read that in the primitive Church of Christ, there rose up two distinct parties: one ever inclined to err, like the 4rians, in holdin' less than the truth, 2 the other ever inclined to err, like the relic worshippers and the saint worshippers, in holdin' more than the truth as it is in Jesus@ 2 Bo we not see the same thin' comin' out in after times, in the form of Comanism on the one side and Socinianism on the other@ 2 Bo we not read in the histor& of our own Church of two 'reat parties, the )on2Aurors on the one side, and the /atitudinarians on the other@ 2 These are ancient thin's. 2 *n a short paper like this it is impossible for me to enter more full& into them. The& are thin's well known to all who are with the records of past da&s. There alwa&s have been these two 'reat parties, 2 the

part& representin' the principles of the Pharisee, and the part& representin' the principles of the Sadducee. 4nd therefore our /ord had 'ood cause to sa& of these two 'reat principles, HTake heed and beware. %ut, * desire to brin' the subAect even nearer at the present moment. * ask m& readers to consider whether warnin's like this are not especiall& needed in our own times. ;e have, undoubtedl&, much to be thankful for in .n'land. ;e have made 'reat advances in arts and sciences in the last three centuries, and have much of the form and show of moralit& and reli'ion. %ut, * ask an&bod& who can see be&ond his own door, or his own fireside, whether we do not live in the midst of dan'ers from false doctrine@ ;e have amon'st us, on the one side, a school of men who, wittin'l& or unwittin'l&, are pavin' the wa& into the Church of Come, 2 a school that professes to draw its principles from primitive tradition, the writin's of the 5athers, and the voice of the Church, 2 a school that talks and writes so much about the Church, the ministr&, and the Sacraments, that it makes them like 4aron8s rod, swallow up ever&thin' else in Christianit&, 2 a school that attaches vast importance to the outward form and ceremonial of reli'ion, 2 to 'estures, postures, bowin's, crosses, piscinas, sedilia, credence tables, rood screens, albs, tunicles, copes, shasubles, alter clothes incense, ima'es, banners, processions, floral decorations, and man& other like thin's, about which not a word is to be found in the 1ol& Scriptures as havin' an& place in Christian worship. * refer, of course, to the school of Churchmen called Citualists. ;hen we e=amine the proceedin's of that school, there can be but one conclusion concernin' them. * believe whatever be the meanin' and intention of its teachers, however devoted, Dealous, and self2den&in', man& of them are, that upon them has fallen the mantle of the Pharisees. ;e have, on the other hand, a school of men who, wittin'l& or unwittin'l&, appear to pave the wa& to Socinianism, 2 a school which holds stran'e views about the plenar& inspiration of 1ol& Scripture, 2 stran'er views about the doctrine of sacrifice, and the 4tonement of our /ord and Savior Jesus Christ, 2 stran'e views about the eternit& of punishment, and 0od8s love to man, 2 a school stron' in ne'atives, but ver& weak in positives, 2 skillful in raisin' doubts, but impotent in la&in' them, 2 clever in unsettlin' and unscrewin' men8s faith, but powerless to offer an& firm rest for the sole of our foot. 4nd, whether the leaders of this school mean it or not, * believe that on them has fallen the mantle of the Sadducees. These thin's sound harsh. *t saves a vast deal of trouble to shut our e&es, and sa&, H* see no dan'er,8 and because it is not seen, therefore not to believe it. *t is eas& to stop our ears and sa&, H* hear nothin',8 and because we hear hear nothin', therefore to feel no alarm. %ut we know well who the& are that reAoice over the state of thin's we have to deplore in some Euarters of our own Church. ;e know what the Coman Catholic thinks$ we know what the Socinian thinks. The Coman Catholic reAoices over the rise of the Tractarian part&$ the Socinian reAoices over the rise of men who teach such views as those set forth in modern da&s about the atonement and inspiration. The& would not reAoice as the& do if the& did not see their work bein' done, and their cause bein' helped forward. The dan'er, * believe, is far 'reater than we are apt to suppose. The books that are read in most Euarters are most mischievous, and the tone of thou'ht on reli'ious subAects, amon' man& classes, and especiall& amon' the hi'her ranks, is deepl& unsatisfactor&. The pla'ue is abroad. *f we love life, we ou'ht to search our own hearts, and tr& our own faith, and make sure that we stand on the ri'ht foundation. 4bove all,

we ou'ht to take heed that we ourselves do not imbibe the poison of false doctrine, and 'o back from our first love. * feel deepl& the painfulness of speakin' out on these subAects. * know well that plain speakin' about false doctrine is ver& unpopular, and that the speaker must be content to find himself thou'ht ver& uncharitable, ver& troublesome, and ver& narrow minded. Thousands of people can never distin'uish differences in reli'ion. To the bulk of men a cler'&man is a cler'&man, and a sermon is a sermon, and as to an& difference between one minister and another, or one doctrine and another, the& are utterl& unable to understand it. * cannot e=pect such people to approve of an& warnin' a'ainst false doctrine. * must make up m& mind to meet with their disapprobation, and must bear it as * best can. %ut * will ask an& honest minded, unpreAudiced %ible reader to turn to the )ew Testament and see what he will find there. 1e will find man& plain warnin's a'ainst false doctrine$ H%eware of false prophets,8 H%eware lest an& man spoil &ou throu'h philosoph& and vain deceit,8 H%e not carried about with divers and stran'e doctrines,8 H%elieve not ever& spirit, but tr& the spirits whether the& be of 0od.8 (!att G$">: Col. 6$9: 1eb. "F$7: " John 4$",. 1e will find a lar'e part of several inspired epistles taken up with elaborate e=planations of true doctrine and warnin's a'ainst false teachin'. * ask whether it is possible for a minister who takes the %ible for his rule of faith to avoid 'ivin' warnin's a'ainst doctrinal error@ 5inall&, * ask an& one to mark what is 'oin' on in .n'land at this ver& da&. * ask whether it is not true that hundreds have left the .stablished Church and Aoined the Church of Come within the last thirt& &ears@ * ask whether it is not true that hundreds remain within our pale, who in heart are little better than Comanists, and who ou'ht, if the& were consistent, to walk in the steps of )ewman and !annin', and 'o to their own place@ 2 * ask a'ain whether it is not true that scores of &oun' men, both at ?=ford and Cambrid'e, are spoiled and ruined b& the witherin' influence of skepticism, and have lost all positive principles in reli'ion@ Sneers at reli'ious newspapers, loud declarations of dislike to Hparties,8 hi'h soundin', va'ue phrases about Hdeep thinkin', broad views, new li'ht, free handlin' of Scripture, and the effete weakness of certain schools of theolo'&,8 make up the whole Christianit& of man& of the risin' 'eneration. 4nd &et, in the face of these notorious facts, men cr& out, H1old &our peace about false doctrineI /et false doctrine aloneI8 * can not hold m& peace. 5aith in the ;ord of 0od, love to the souls of men, the vows * took when * was ordained, alike constrain me to bear witness a'ainst the errors of the da&. 4nd * believe that the sa&in's of our /ord is eminentl& a truth for the times$ H%eware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.8 F, The third thin' to which * wish to call attention is the peculiar name b& which our /ord Jesus Christ speaks of the doctrines of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. The words which our /ord used were alwa&s the wisest and the best that could be used. 1e mi'ht have said, HTake heed and beware of the doctrine, or of the teachin', or of the opinions of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.8 %ut 1e does not sa& so$ 1e uses a word of a peculiar nature. 1e sa&s, HTake heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.8 )ow we all know what is the true meanin' of the word Hleaven.8 *t was commonl& called &east, 2 the &east which was added to the lump of dou'h in makin' a loaf of bread. This &east, or leaven, bears but a small proportion to the lump into which it was thrown:

Aust so, our /ord would have us know, the first be'innin' of false doctrine is but small compared to the bod& of Christianit&. *t works Euietl& and noiselessl&: Aust so, our /ord would have us know, false doctrine works secretl& in the heart in which it is once planted. 2 *t insensibl& chan'es the character of the whole mass with which it is min'led: Aust so, our /ord would have us know, the doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees turn ever&thin' upside down, when once admitted into a Church or into a man8s heart. 2 /et us mark these points$ the& throw li'ht on man& thin's that we see in the present da&. *t is of vast importance to receive the lessons of wisdom that this word Hleaven8 contains in itself. 5alse doctrine does not meet men face to face, and proclaim that it is false. *t does not blow a trumpet before it, and endeavor openl& to turn us awa& from the truth as it is in Jesus. *t does not come before men in broad da&, and summon them to surrender. *t approaches us secretl&, Euietl&, insidiousl&, plausibl&, and in such a wa& as to disarm man8s suspicion, and throw him off his 'uard. *t is the wolf in sheep8s clothin', and Satan in the 'arb of an an'el of li'ht, who have alwa&s proved the most dan'erous foes of the Church of Christ. * believe the most powerful champion of the Pharisees is not the man who bids &ou openl& and honestl& come out and Aoin the Church of Come$ it is the man who sa&s that he a'rees on all points with &ou in doctrine. 1e would not take an&thin' awa& from those evan'elical views that &ou hold: 2 he would not have &ou make an& chan'es at all: 2 all he asks &ou to do is to add a little more to &our belief, in order to make &our Christianit& perfect. H%elieve me,8 he sa&s, Hwe do not want &ou to 'ive up an&thin'. ;e onl& want &ou to hold a few more clear views about the Church and the sacraments. ;e want &ou to add to &our present opinions a little more about the office of the ministr&, and a little more about episcopal authorit&, and a little more about the Pra&er %ook, and a little more about the necessit& of order and of discipline. ;e onl& want &ou to add a little more of these thin's to &our s&stem of reli'ion, and &ou will be Euite ri'ht.8 %ut when men speak to &ou in this wa&, then is the time to remember what our /ord said, and to Htake heed and beware.8 This is the leaven of the Pharisees, a'ainst which we are to stand upon our 'uard. ;h& do * sa& this@ * sa& it because there is no securit& a'ainst the doctrine of the Pharisees, unless we resist its principles in their be'innin's. %e'innin' with a Hlittle more about the Church,8 &ou ma& one da& place the Church in the room of Christ. %e'innin' with a Hlittle more about the ministr&,8 &ou ma& one da& re'ard the minister as Hthe mediator between 0od and man.8 2 %e'innin' with a Hlittle more about the sacraments,8 &ou ma& one da& alto'ether 'ive up the doctrine of Austification b& faith without the deeds of the law. %e'innin' with a Hlittle more reverence for the Pra&er %ook,8 &ou ma& one da& place it above the hol& ;ord of 0od 1imself. %e'innin' with a Hlittle more honor to %ishops,8 &ou ma& at last refuse salvation to ever& one who does not belon' to an .piscopal Church. * onl& tell an old stor&$ * onl& mark out roads that have been trodden b& hundreds of members of the Church of .n'land in the last few &ears. The& be'an b& carpin' at the Ceformers, and have ended b& swallowin' the decrees of the Council of Trent. The& be'an b& cr&in' up /aud and the non2Aurors, and have ended b& 'oin' far be&ond them, and formall& Aoinin' the Church of Come. * believe that when we hear men askin' us to Hadd a little more8 to our 'ood old plain

.van'elical views, we should stand upon our 'uard. ;e should remember our /ord8s caution$ H?f the leaven of the Pharisees take heed and beware.8 * consider the most dan'erous champion of the Sadducee school is not the man who tells &ou openl& that he wants &ou to la& aside an& part of the truth, and to become a free thinker and a skeptic. *t is the man who be'ins with Euietl& insinuatin' doubts as to the position that we ou'ht to take up about reli'ion, 2 doubts whether we ou'ht to be so positive in sa&in' Hthis is truth, and that is falsehood,8 doubts whether we ou'ht to think men wron' who differ from us on reli'ious opinions, since the& ma& after all be as much ri'ht as we are. *t is the man who tells us we ou'ht not to condemn an&bod&8s views, lest we err on the side of want of charit&. 2 *t is the man who alwa&s be'ins talkin' in a va'ue wa& about 0od bein' a 0od of love, and hints that we ou'ht to believe perhaps that all men, whatever doctrine the& profess, will be saved. *t is the man who is ever remindin' us that we ou'ht to take care how we think li'htl& of men of powerful minds, and 'reat intellects (thou'h the& are deists and skeptics,, who do not think as we do, and that, after all, H'reat minds are all more or less, tau'ht of 0odI8 2 *t is the man who is forever harpin' on the difficulties of inspiration, and raisin' Euestions whether all men ma& not be found saved in the end, and whether all men ma& not be ri'ht in the si'ht of 0od. *t is the man who crowns this kind of talk b& a few calm sneers a'ainst what he is pleased to call Hold fashioned views,8 and Hnarrow minded theolo'&,8 and Hbi'otr&,8 and the Hwant of liberalit& and charit&,8 in the present da&. %ut when men be'in to speak to us in this kind of wa&, then is the time to stand upon our 'uard. Then is the time to remember the words of our /ord Jesus Christ, and Hto take heed and beware of leaven.8 ?nce more, wh& do * sa& this@ * sa& it because there is no securit& a'ainst Sadduceeism, an& more than a'ainst Phariseeism, unless we resist its principles in the bud. %e'innin' with a little va'ue talk about Hcharit&8 &ou ma& end in the doctrine of universal salvation, fill heaven with a mi=ed multitude of wicked as well as 'ood, and den& the e=istence of hell. %e'innin' with a few hi'h soundin' phrases about intellect and the inner li'ht in man, &ou ma& end with den&in' the work of the 1ol& Spirit, and maintainin' that 1omer and Shakespeare were as trul& inspired as the 4postle Paul, and thus practicall& castin' aside the %ible. 2 %e'innin' with some dream&, mist& idea about Hall reli'ions containin' more or less truth,8 &ou ma& end with utterl& den&in' the necessit& of missions, and maintainin' that the best plan is to leave ever&bod& alone. %e'innin' with dislike to H.van'elical reli'ion,8 as old2fashioned, narrow, and e=clusive, &ou ma& end b& reAectin' ever& leadin' doctrine of Christianit&, 2 the atonement, the need of 'race, and the divinit& of Christ. 4'ain * repeat that * onl& tell &ou an old stor&$ * onl& 'ive a sketch of a path which scores have trodden in the last few &ears. The& were once satisfied with such divinit& as that of )ewton, Scott, Cecil, and Comaine: the& are now fanc&in' the& have found a more e=cellent wa& in the principles which have been propounded b& the theolo'ians of the %road schoolI * believe there is no safet& for a man8s soul unless he remembers the lesson involved in those solemn words, H%eware of the leaven of the Sadducees.8 /et us beware of the insidiousness of false doctrine. /ike the fruit of which .ven and 4dam ate, it looks at first si'ht pleasant and 'ood, and a thin' to be desired. Poison is not written upon it, and so people are not afraid. /ike a counterfeit coin, it is not stamped Hbad,8 it passes current from the ver& likeness it bears to the truth.

/et us beware of the ver& small be'innin's of false doctrine. .ver& heres& be'an at one time with some little departure from the truth. There is onl& a little seed of error needed to create a 'reat tree. *t is the little stones that make up the mi'ht& buildin'. *t was the little timbers that made the 'reat ark that carried )oah and his famil& over a delu'ed world. *t is the little leaven that leavens the whole lump. *t is the little flaw in one link of the chain cable that wrecks the 'allant ship, and drowns the crew. *t is the omission or addition of one little item in the doctor8s prescription that spoils the whole medicine, and turns it into a poison. ;e do not tolerate Euietl& a little dishonest&, or a little cheatin', or a little l&in'$ Aust so, let us never allow a little false doctrine to ruin us, b& thinkin' it is but a Hlittle one,8 and can do no harm. The 0alatians seemed to be nothin' ver& dan'erous when the& Hobserved da&s and months, and times and &ears:8 &et the apostle Paul sa&s, * am afraid of &ou. (0alatians 4$"J2"", 5inall&, let us beware of supposin' that we at an& rate are not in dan'er. H?ur views are sound$ our feet stand firm$ others ma& fall awa&, but we are safeI8 1undreds have thou'ht the same, and have come to a bad end. *n their self2confidence the& tampered with little temptations and little forms of false doctrine: in their self2conceit the& went near the brink of dan'er: and now the& seem lost forever. The& appear 'iven over to a stron' delusion, so as to believe a lie. Some of them have e=chan'ed the Pra&er book for the %reviar&, and are pra&in' to the +ir'in !ar&, and bowin' down to ima'es. ?thers of them are castin' overboard one doctrine after another, and bid fair to strip themselves of ever& sort of reli'ion but a few scraps of Beism. +er& strikin' is the vision in Pil'rim8s Pro'ress, which describes the hill .rror as Hver& steep on the farthest side:8 and Hwhen Christian and 1opeful looked down the& saw at the bottom several men dashed all to pieces b& a fall the& had from the top.8 )ever, never let us for'et the caution to beware of Hleaven:8 and if we stand, let us Htake heed lest we fall.8 4, * propose in the fourth and last place, to su''est some safe'uards and antidotes a'ainst the dan'ers of the present da&, 2 the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of the Sadducees. * feel that we all need more and more the presence of the 1ol& Spirit in our hearts, to 'uide, to teach, and to keep us sound in the faith. ;e all need to watch more, and to pra& to be held up, and preserved from fallin' awa&. %ut still, there are certain 'reat truths, which, in a da& like this, we are speciall& bound to keep in mind. There are times when some common epidemic invades a land, when medicines, at all times valuable, become of peculiar value. There are places where peculiar malaria prevails, in which remedies, in ever& place valuable, are more than ever valuable in conseEuence of it. So * believe there are times and seasons in the Church of Christ when we are bound to ti'hten our hold upon certain 'reat leadin' truths, to 'rasp them with more than ordinar& firmness in our hands, to press them to our hearts, and not to let them 'o. Such doctrines * desire to set forth in order, as the 'reat antidotes to the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. ;hen Saul and Jonathan were slain b& archers, Bavid ordered the children of *srael to be tau'ht the use of the bow. (a, 5or one thin', if we would be kept sound in the faith, we must take heed to our doctrine about the total corruption of human nature. The corruption of human nature is no sli'ht thin'. *t is no partial, skin deep disease, but a radical and universal corruption of man8s will, intellect, affections, and conscience. ;e are not merel& poor and pitable sinners in 0od8s si'ht$ we are 'uilt& sinners: we are blameworth& sinners: we deserve

Austl& 0od8s wrath and 0od8s condemnation. * believe there are ver& few errors and false doctrines of which the be'innin' ma& not be traced up to unsound views about the corruption of human nature. ;ron' views of a disease will alwa&s brin' with them wron' views of the remed&. ;ron' views of the corruption of human nature will alwa&s carr& with them wron' views of the 'rand antidote and cure of that corruption. (b, 5or another thin', we must take heed to our doctrine about the inspiration and authorit& of the 1ol& Scriptures. /et us boldl& maintain, in the face of all 'ainsa&ers, that the whole of the %ible is 'iven b& inspiration of the 1ol& Spirit, 2 that all is inspired completel&, not one part more than another, 2 and that there is an entire 'ulf between the ;ord of 0od and an& other book in the world. ;e need not be afraid of difficulties in the wa& of the doctrine of plenar& inspiration. There ma& be man& thin's about it far too hi'h for us to comprehend$ it is a miracle, and all miracles are necessaril& m&sterious. %ut if we are not to believe an&thin' until we can entirel& e=plain it, there are ver& few thin's indeed that we shall believe. ;e need not be afraid of all the assaults that criticism brin's to bear upon the %ible. 5rom the da&s of the apostles the ;ord of the /ord has been incessantl& Htried,8 and has never failed to come forth as 'old, uninAured, and unsullied. ;e need not be afraid of the discoveries of science. 4stronomers ma& sweep the heavens with telescopes, and 'eolo'ists ma& di' down into the heart of the earth, and never shake the authorit& of the %ible$ HThe voice of 0od, and the work of 0od8s hands never will be found to contradict one another.8 ;e need not be afraid of the researches of travelers. The& will never discover an&thin' that contradicts 0od8s %ible. * believe that if a /a&ard were to 'o over all the earth and di' up a hundred buried )inevehs, there would not be found a sin'le inscription which would contradict a sin'le fact in the ;ord of 0od. 5urthermore, we must boldl& maintain that this ;ord of 0od is the onl& rule of faith and of practice, 2 that whatsoever is not written in it cannot be reEuired of an& man as needful to salvation, 2 and that however plausibl& new doctrines ma& be defended, if the& be not in the ;ord of 0od the& cannot be worth our attention. *t matters nothin' who sa&s a thin', whether he be bishop, archdeacon, dean or presb&ter. *t matters nothin' that the thin' is well said, eloEuentl&, attractivel&, forcibl&, and in such a wa& as to turn the lau'h a'ainst &ou. ;e are not to believe it e=cept it be proved to us b& 1ol& Scripture. /ast, but not least, we must use the %ible as if we believed it was 'iven b& inspiration. ;e must use it with reverence, and read it with all the tenderness with which we would read the words of an absent father. ;e must not e=pect to find in a book inspired b& the Spirit of 0od no m&steries. ;e must rather remember that in nature there are man& thin's we cannot understand: and that as it is in the book of nature, so it will alwa&s be in the book of Cevelation. ;e should draw near to the ;ord of 0od in that spirit of piet& recommended b& /ord %acon man& &ears a'o. HCemember,8 he sa&s, speakin' of the book of nature, Hthat man is not the master of that book, but the interpreter of that book.8 4nd as we deal with the book of nature, so we must deal with the %ook of 0od. ;e must draw near to it, not to teach, but to learn, 2 not like the master of it but like a humble scholar, seekin' to understand it. (c, 5or another thin', we must take heed to our doctrine respectin' the atonement and priestl& office of our /ord and Savior Jesus Christ. ;e must boldl& maintain that the death of our /ord upon the cross was no common death. *t was not the death of one who onl& died like Cranmer, Cidle& and /atimer, as a mart&r. *t was not the death of one who

onl& died to 'ive us a mi'ht& e=ample of self2sacrifice and self2denial. The death of Christ was an offerin' up unto 0od of Christ8s own bod& and blood, to make satisfaction for man8s sin and trans'ression. *t was a sacrifice and propitiation: a sacrifice t&pified in ever& offerin' of the !osaic law, a sacrifice of the mi'htiest influence upon all mankind. ;ithout the sheddin' of that blood there could not be, there never was to be, an& remission of sin. 5urthermore, we must boldl& maintain that this crucified Savior ever sitteth at the ri'ht hand of 0od, to make intercession for all that come to 0od b& 1im: that 1e there represents and pleads for them that put their trust in 1im: and that he has deputed 1is office of Priest and !ediator to no man, or set of men on the face of the earth. ;e need none besides. ;e need no +ir'in !ar&, no an'els, no saint, no priest, no person ordained or unordained, to stand between us and 0od, but the one !ediator, Christ Jesus. 5urthermore, we must boldl& maintain that peace of conscience is not to be bou'ht b& confession to a priest, and b& receivin' a man8s absolution from sin. *t is to be had onl& b& 'oin' to the 'reat 1i'h Priest, Christ Jesus: b& confession before 1im, not before man: and b& absolution from 1im onl&, who alone can sa&, HTh& sins be for'iven thee$ 'o in peace.8 /ast, but not least, we must boldl& maintain that peace with 0od, once obtained b& faith in Christ, is to be kept up, not b& mere outward ceremonial acts of worship, 2 not b& receivin' the sacrament of the /ord8s Supper ever& da&, 2 but b& the dail& habit of lookin' to the /ord Jesus Christ b& faith, 2 eatin' b& faith 1is bod&, and drinkin' b& faith 1is blood: that eatin' and drinkin' of which our /ord sa&s that he who eats and drinks shall find 1is Hbod& meat indeed, and 1is blood drink indeed.8 1ol& John ?wen declared, lon' a'o, that if there was an& one point more than another that Satan wished to overthrow, it was the Priestl& office of our /ord and Savior Jesus Christ. Satan knew well, he said, that it was the Hprincipal foundation of faith and consolation of the Church.8 Ci'ht views upon that office are of essential importance in the present da&, if men would not fall into error. (d, ?ne more remed& * must mention. ;e must take heed to our doctrine about the work of the 1ol& Spirit. /et us settle it in our minds that 1is work is no uncertain invisible operation upon the heart$ and that where 1e is, 1e is not hidden, not unfelt, not unobserved. ;e do not believe that the dew, when it falls, cannot be felt, or that where there is life in a man it cannot be seen and observed b& his breath. So is it with the influence of the 1ol& Spirit. )o man has an& ri'ht to la& claim to it, e=cept its fruits, 2 its e=perimental effects, 2 can be seen in his life. ;here 1e is, there will ever be a new creation, and a new man. ;here 1e is, there will ever be new knowled'e, new faith, new holiness, new fruits in the life, in the famil&, in the world, in the church. 4nd where these new thin's are not to be seen we ma& well sa&, with confidence, there is no work of the 1ol& Spirit. !adame 0u&on said, lon' a'o, that the time would perhaps come when men mi'ht have to be mart&rs for the work of the 1ol& Spirit. That time seems not far distant. 4t an& rate, if there is one truth in reli'ion that seems to have more contempt showered upon it than another, it is the work of the Spirit. * desire to impress the immense importance of these four points upon all who read this paper$ (a, clear views of the sinfulness of human nature: (b, clear views of the inspiration of Scripture: (c, clear views of the 4tonement and Priestl& office of our /ord and Savior Jesus Christ: (d, and clear views of the work of the 1ol& Spirit. *

believe that stran'e doctrines about the Church, the ministr&, and the Sacraments, 2 about the love of 0od, the death of Christ, and the eternit& of punishment, 2 will find no foothold in the heart which is sound on these four points. * believe that the& are four 'reat safe'uards a'ainst the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. * will now conclude this paper with a few remarks b& wa& of practical application. !& desire is to make the whole subAect useful to those hands these pa'es ma& fall, and to suppl& an answer to the Euestions which ma& possibl& arise in some hearts, 2 ;hat are we to do@ ;hat advice have &ou 'ot to offer for the times@ (", *n the first place, * will ask ever& reader of this paper to find out whether he has savin' personal reli'ion for his own soul. This is the principal thin' after all. *t will profit no man to belon' to a sound visible Church, if he does not himself belon' to Christ. *t will avail a man nothin' to be intellectuall& sound in the faith, and to approve sound doctrine, if he is not himself sound at heart. *s this the case with &ou@ Can &ou sa& that &our heart is ri'ht in the si'ht of 0od@ *s it renewed b& the 1ol& Spirit@ Boes Christ dwell in it b& faith@ ?, rest not, rest not, till &ou can 'ive a satisfactor& answer to these EuestionsI The man who dies unconverted, however sound his views, is as trul& lost forever as the worst Pharisee or Sadducee that ever lived. (6, *n the ne=t place, let me beseech ever& reader of this paper who desires to be sound in the faith, to stud& dili'entl& the %ible. That blessed book is 'iven to be a li'ht to our feet, and a lantern to our path. )o man who reads it reverentl&, pra&erfull&, humbl&, and re'ularl&, shall ever be allowed to miss the wa& to heaven. %& it ever& sermon, and ever& reli'ious book, and ever& ministr& ou'ht to be wei'hed and proved. ;ould &ou know what is truth@ Bo &ou feel confused and puDDled b& the war of words which &ou hear on ever& side about reli'ion@ Bo &ou want to know what &ou ou'ht to believe, and what &ou ou'ht to be and do, in order to be saved@ Take down &our %ible, and cease from man. Cead &our %ible with earnest pra&er for the teachin' of the 1ol& Spirit: read it with honest determination to abide b& its lessons. Bo so steadil& and perseverin'l&, and &ou shall see li'ht$ &ou shall be kept from the leaven of the Pharisees and of Sadducees, and be 'uided to eternal life. The wa& to do a thin' is to do it. 4ct upon this advice without dela&. (F, *n the ne=t place, let me advise ever& reader of this paper who has reason to hope that he is sound in faith and heart, to take heed to the proportion of truths. * mean b& that to impress the importance of 'ivin' each several truth of Christianit& the same place and position in our hearts which is 'iven to it in 0od8s ;ord. The first thin's must not be put second, and the second thin's must not be put first in our reli'ion. The Church must not be put above Christ: the sacraments must not be put above faith and the work of the 1ol& Spirit. !inisters must not be e=alted above the place assi'ned to them b& Christ: means of 'race must not be re'arded as an end instead of a means. 4ttention to this point is of 'reat moment$ the mistakes which arise from ne'lectin' it are neither few nor small. 1ere lies the immense importance of stud&in' the whole ;ord of 0od, omittin' nothin', and avoidin' partialit& in readin' one part more than another. 1ere a'ain lies the value of havin' a clear s&stem of Christianit& in our minds. ;ell would it be for the Church of .n'land if all its members read the Thirt&2)ine 4rticles, and marked the beautiful order in which those 4rticles state the main truths which men ou'ht to believe.

(4, *n the ne=t place, let me entreat ever& true hearted servant of Christ not to be deceived b& the specious 'uise under which false doctrines often approach our souls in the present da&. %eware of supposin' that a teacher of reli'ion is to be trusted, because althou'h he holds some unsound views, he &et Hteaches a 'reat deal of truth.8 Such a teacher is precisel& the man to do &ou harm$ poison is alwa&s most dan'erous when it is 'iven in small doses and mi=ed with wholesome food. %eware of bein' taken in m& the apparent earnestness of man& of the teachers and upholders of false doctrine. Cemember that Deal and sincerit& and fervor are no proof whatever that a man is workin' for Christ, and ou'ht to believed. Peter no doubt was in earnest when he bade our /ord spare 1imself, and not 'o to the cross: &et our /ord said to him, H0et thee behind !e, Satan.8 Saul no doubt was in earnest when he went to and fro persecutin' Christians: &et he did it i'norantl&, and his Deal was not accordin' to knowled'e. The founders of the Spanish *nEuisition no doubt were in earnest, and in burnin' 0od8s saints alive thou'ht the& were doin' 0od service: &et the& were actuall& persecutin' Christ8s members and walkin' in the steps of Cain. *t is an awful fact that, HSatan himself is transformed into an an'el of li'ht.8 (6 Corinthians ""$"4, ?f all the delusions prevalent in these latter da&s, there is none 'reater than the common notion that Hif a man is in earnest about his reli'ion he must be a 'ood manI8 %eware of bein' carried awa& b& this delusion: beware of bein' led astra& b& Hearnest minded menI8 .arnestness is in itself an e=cellent thin': but it must be earnestness in behalf of Christ and 1is whole truth, or else it is worth nothin' at all. The thin's that are hi'hl& esteemed amon' men are often abominable in the si'ht of 0od. (>, *n the ne=t place, let me counsel ever& true servant of Christ to e=amine his own heart freEuentl& and carefull& as to his state before 0od. This is a practice which is useful at all times$ it is especiall& desirable at the present da&. ;hen the 'reat pla'ue of /ondon was at its hei'ht people remarked the least s&mptoms that appeared on their bodies in a wa& that the& never remarked them before. 4 spot here, or a spot there, which in a time of health men thou'ht nothin' of, received close attention when the pla'ue was decimatin' families, and strikin' down one after anotherI So ou'ht to 'ive more time to meditation, self e=amination, and reflection. *t is a hurr&in', bustlin' a'e$ if we would be kept from fallin', we must make time for bein' freEuentl& alone with 0od. (#, /ast of all, let me ur'e all true believers to content earnestl& for the faith once delivered to the saints. ;e have no cause to be ashamed of that faith. * am firml& persuaded that there is no s&stem so life2'ivin', so calculated to awaken the sleepin', lead on the inEuirin', and build up the saints, as that s&stem which is called the .van'elical s&stem of Christianit&. ;herever it is faithfull& preached, and efficientl& carried out, and consistentl& adorned b& the lives of its professors, it is the power of 0od. *t ma& be spoken a'ainst and mocked b& some: but so it was in the da&s of the 4postles. *t ma& be weakl& set forth and defended b& man& of its advocates: but, after all, its fruits and its results are its hi'hest praise. )o other s&stem of reli'ion can point to such fruits. )owhere are so man& souls converted to 0od as in those con're'ations where the 0ospel of Jesus Christ is preached in all its fullness, without an& admi=ture of the Pharisees or Sadducee doctrine. ;e are not called upon, be&ond all doubt, to be nothin' but controversialists: but we never ou'ht to be ashamed to testif& to the truth as it is in Jesus, and to standup boldl& for .van'elical reli'ion. ;e have the truth, and we need not be

afraid to sa& so. The Aud'ment da& will prove who is ri'ht, and to that da& we ma& boldl& appeal.