Traditions of Men Quotes
Jesus accused the Pharisees and scribes of setting aside the commandments of God and holding tightly to the traditions of men (Mark 7:8). Paul warned us not to let anyone rob us through philosophy and vain deceid, after the tradition of men and not after Christ (Col. 2:8). Below are other things said about human tradition by men who came after the apostles.
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, c. AD 256
Nor ought custom, which had crept in among some, to prevent the truth from prevailing and conquering; for custom without truth is the antiquity of error. On which account, let us forsake the error and follow the truth, knowing that in [First] Esdras also the truth conquers, as it is written: "Truth endureth and grows strong to eternity, and lives and prevails for ever and ever. With her there is no accepting of persons or distinctions; but what is just she does: nor in her judgments is there unrighteousness, but the strength, and the kingdom, and the majesty, and the power of all ages. Blessed be the Lord God of truth!" [1 Esdras 4:38-40]. This truth Christ showed to us in His Gospel, and said, "I am the truth" [Jn. 14:6]. Wherefore, if we are in Christ, and have Christ in us, if we abide in the truth, and the truth abides in us, let us keep fast those things which are true. But it happens, by a love of presumption and of obstinacy, that one would rather maintain his own evil and false position, than agree in the right and true which belongs to another. Looking forward to which, the blessed Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, and warns him that a bishop must not be "litigious, nor contentious, but gentle and teachable" [2 Tim. 2:24]. Now he is teachable who is meek and gentle to the patience of learning. For it behooves a bishop not only to teach, but also to learn; because he also teaches better who daily increases and advances by learning better; which very thing, moreover, the same Apostle Paul teaches, when he admonishes, "that if anything better be revealed to one sitting by, the first should hold his peace" (1 Cor. 14:30). (Epistles of Cyprian, "to Pompey," Epistle 73, par. 9-10)
Firmilian, bishop of Caesarea, c. AD 256
In the quote below Firmilian speaks for joining custom to truth and opposing the church in Rome's custom. Firmilian's argument is that any tradition that comes from Caesarea, a church founded by Philip the Evangelist and visited by Paul and other noteworthies from Jerusalem, is just as important as a tradition from Rome. In this case, what make's Caesarea's tradition is that it is "from the beginning that which was delivered by Christ and the apostles." The early churches only considered tradition authoritative if it could be reasonably argued that the tradition came from the apostles (see also Jude 1:3).
But with respect to the refutation of custom which they [the Roman church, but primarily bishop Stephen] seem to oppose to the truth, who is so foolish as to prefer custom to truth, or when he sees the light, not to forsake the darkness? ... And this indeed you Africans (church in Carthage) are able to say against Stephen, that when you knew the truth you forsook the error of custom. But we join custom to truth, and to the Romans’ custom we oppose custom, but the custom of truth; holding from the beginning that which was delivered by Christ and the apostles. (Epistles of Cyprian, "Firmilian to Cyprian," Epistle 74, par. 19)
Mark Twain (d. 1910)
Laws are sand, customs are rock. Laws can be evaded and punishment escaped, but an openly transgressed custom brings sure punishment. (from quotetab.com)