appears from that form of the Covenant Levit. 26.12 I will be your God and ye shall be my People which Paul cites 2 Cor. 6.16 and from the peculiar Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob Gen. 17.7 8. Now they had some good things measured out unto them in this life but mixed with many troubles For neither had they any settled place of their own but wandred up and down with their Families and Flocks and were also frequently tossed with the Injuries of Men and Fortune Hence also Jacob called himself a Stranger and Pilgrim when he spoke to Pharoah which the Author to the Hebrews very pertinently insisteth on c. 11. v. 13. It remains therefore that God was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob not only when they lived on Earth but also when God spoke these things to Moses For as I said nothing had befallen them in this Life which could answer the magnificence of so great a name But besides we much more do good to him if we can for whose sake we do good to others God wants not power and he says that he will bless their Posterity for the sake of Abraham Isaac and Jacob much more therefore will he do good to them But they who are dead are not capable of a Benefit if they are always to continue in the state of death It follows therefore that they are to be restored unto Life as Christ from hence evinced against the Sadduces Matt. 22.32 Mark 12.27 Luke 20.38 that he may in a peculiar and special manner be the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that is may be beneficial to them Moreover Abraham Isaac and Jacob as we have observed on the forecited place of Matthew do not signify the Soul which is only a part of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the Person consisting both of Soul and Body to which Life and Death are properly attributed But seeing the Promises of God are no less certain than things that are now in being in Gods account who is both willing and powerful to raise them from the Dead they are reckoned as risen already according to that Luke 20.38 For all live to him Origen Book 4. against Celsus saith that the names of Abraham Isaac and Jacob joyned with the name of God had so great Virtue that not only were they intermixed by their Posterity with their holy Frayers and the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob called upon in driving away evil Spirits but were also made use of by all Charmers and those that dealt in Magick Durst not consider That is Behold as it is in the English or Contemplate For as Grotius observes words belonging to the internal and external senses are applied promiscuously to both In the Hebrew Exod. 3.6 it is And Moses hid his Face because he was afraid to look upon God 33. Then said the Lord unto him That is The Angel sent by God Philo saith that God in the promulgation of the Decalogue spoke not by himself but filling a certain rational mind with a clear knowledge which forming the Air and attenuating it as it were in likeness of flaming Fire uttered a distinct voice as the breath does through a Trumpet Put off c. This Exod. 3. is declared to have been said to Moses before that God told him by the Angel sent by him that he was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. See what we have said on Eccles 5.17 34. I have seen I have seen As if he had said With my Eyes intently fixed I have stedfastly looked upon it God is said to see the affliction and hear the groans of a People when he raiseth them up and refresheth them when they are sorely perplexed and almost spent with grief as on the contrary he is said to shut his Eyes not to hear their cry to turn his Back when he seemeth to neglect them when they cry Thus when God is said to descend saith Calvin there is no need that God should move himself locally to bring help to his People for his hand is stretched out through Heaven and Earth but this is spoke with respect to our Sense for when he did not regard the affliction of his People to our apprehension he might seem to have been absent and to have had his care exercised about some other thing in Heaven Now he declareth that the Israelites shall be sensible that he is near them And now I am come c. As if he had said Go therefore to Amenophis Father to Sethosis or Ramesis and Armais and Son to Ramessis Miamun who succeeded his Father who died in the 67 year of his Reign in the Kingdom of Egypt 19 years ago and shew thy self a Leader in restoring thy People to their Liberty That the same Man whom the Egyptians called Amenophis Father to Sethosis or Ramessis and Armais was by the Greeks called Belus the Father of Egyptus and Danaus Bishop Vsher hath most clearly collected out of Manethon on the year of the world 1494. And truly the time assigned to Belus by Thallus the Chronographer 322 years before the destruction of Troy according to the relation of Theophilus of Antiochia and Lactantius does exactly jump with the age of our Amenophis Although the Mythologists confounding Belus the Egyptian and Belus the Assyrian Ninus's Father do Fable that this Belus who was drowned in the Red Sea transplanted Colonies from Egypt into Babylonia Thus far the most renowned Vsher in the now cited place 35. This Moses c. Moses who was appointed by God to be a Saviour to the Israelites is at the first rejected by them in this typifying Christ whom at his first coming the greatest part of the Israelites refused to acknowledge Nor in any other respect is Moses here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Redeemer but because after many and strange Miracles wrought by him in Egypt when at last the First-born of the Egyptians were slain by the destroying Angel he preserved the People of God by the Blood of the Lamb and brought them safe out And so saith Lud. de Dieu he gave a Type of that true Price and that true Redemption which Believers rejoyce to have been purchased for them by the Death of the First-begotten of all the Creation and by the Blood of Christ the immaculate Lamb. Sent by the hands of the Angel A Hebraism That is giving him a command by an Angel He brought them out He largely publisheth both the good deeds Moses did for the people and the honours conferred on him by God that so the stubbornness of the People against him might appear the more base and it might be less to be wondered at if those who were come of such ungrateful Parents were so unnatural and inhuman towards Jesus Christ Shewing Wonders and Signs in the Land of Egypt The Royal Palace of Egypt was at that time Tzoan that is as the Chaldaean Paraphrast Interprets it Isa 19.13 Tanis whence has its name the Tanitish Mouth of Nilus which some
sense the same active verb here used is put Mat. 28.19 and its passive Mat. 27.57 They returned again to Lystra Where a little before Paul was assaulted with stones And to Iconium Whence above v. 5 6. they fled for fear of danger And Antioch Of Pisidia whence they were expelled above chap. 13.50 22. Confirming Gregory the great saith excellently lib. 31. Mor. in Job c. 15. Behold Paul was overwhelmed with stones yet he is not removed from preaching the truth He may be killed but he cannot be overcome He is cast out of the City as dead but he is found another day within the City an unhurt preacher of the Gospel O how strong is infirmity within this man O how conquering his torment O how masterly is his patience By the repulse he is stirred up to dispute by stroaks he is raised up to preach the Gospel he is refreshed by his torment to drive away the wearisomness of his labour Through much tribulation c. As much as to say Whoever enters into the Kingdom of God or labours to live according to the Gospel stirreth up the worlds hatred against himself therefore must lie in the way of many yea grievous vexations Which appeared in the Author of this way of living even the Lord Jesus Christ himself who foretold that the same should befall his followers Mat. 10.17 18.23.34 Joh. 16.33.17.14 23. And when they had ordained Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when with swetched out hands they had ordained or chosen by votes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth to choose with the hand stretched forth When Assemblies for choosing of Magistrates were to be kept they appointed one whom they thought the most fit for that Dignity and having produced him upon the Theatre his name was proclaimed by a Cryer and it was said to whomsoever this seems good or pleaseth let him lift up his hand and then such as approved of the Election by lifting up their hands testified that the man Elected seemed to them a fit man to bear the Office of a Magistrate but they who disapproved it kept in their hand which Party soever had the greater number had the Election decreed accordingly Hence came that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he who became Magistrate by such suffrages was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Elias the Cretian doth testify upon Gregory Nazianzen Orat. 3. and Zonaras upon the Canons of the Apostles teacheth us that first the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did signify the suffrages but afterwards the Ancient Rites being abolished was used for Consecration In this sense the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken 2 Cor. 8.19 Elders Famous Frederick Spanhemius in his Isagogick Epitome to the History of the New Testament The Bishops saith he which were ordained in every Church were so called from the care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of overseeing as the same are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders from their age gravity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pastors from their Office of feeding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctors Ministers from their Office of teaching ministring to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set over Governors from their right to govern Compare below ch 15.2 4 6.20.17 28. Tit. 1.5 7. 1 Thes 5.12 Irenaeus in his Epistle to Victor Bishop of Rome in Eusebius lib. 5. hist Eccl. ch 26. The Elders who before Soter governed the Church that you now govern were I say Anicetus Pius Hyginus Telespore Sixtus Irenaeus calls them Elders every where whom others do frequently call Bishops to whom he attributes the government of the Church of Rome Also Victor himself in an Epistle under his name to an unknown Desiderius Bishop of Vienna in France expresseth himself thus As thy fraternity hath been taught by the Elders who did see the Apostles in the flesh and who governed the Church until thy time And had prayed with fasting See what we have said above ch 13.3 They commended them to the Lord. To wit To be protected 24. And after they had passed through Pisidia See what we have said above ch 13.14 They came to Pamphylia See our Commentary above ch 2.10 25. And when they had preached the Word in Perga As much as to say And when they had preached Christs Gospel in Perga of which City see our Notes ch 13.13 They went down into Attalia The City Attalia having its name from Attalus Philadelphus its builder is by Strabo mentioned among the Cities of Pamphylia Geog. l. 14. 26. And thence sailed to Antioch The Metropolis of Syria Whence they had been recommended to the grace of God c. As much as to say Whence having gone forth to preach the Gospel they were recommended to God by the prayers of the Church that he would put forth his grace to advance the labors of the Apostles of the Gentiles whom himself had appointed See above ch 13.3 27. Had gathered the Church together Of Christians dwelling at Antioch They rehearsed Even as such who return from an Ambassage use to give an account of what they have done All that God had done with them An Hebraism the meaning whereof is all that God did to them To wit What grace he conferred upon them how great help and strength was present with them in converting men and working miracles 28. And there they abode long time To wit At Antioch With the Disciples That is Christians See what we said above ch 11.26 CHAP. XV. 1. AND. That is then at that time Certain men Of the Jews professing Christianity whose Ring-leader herein Philastrius and Epiphanius say was Cerinthus De Haeres c. 87. Here 's 28. a Disciple of Simon Magus and of Carpocrates Which came down from Judaea viz. To Antioch the Metropolis of Syria These Persons the Apostle Paul Gal. 2. v. 4. calls in the Greek Text Irreptitious false Brethren that is false Brethren brought in unawares and who came in privily to spy out the Liberty of the Church Taught the Brethren To wit Those of the Gentiles which were converted to Christ Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Moses That is according to the Rite prescribed by God to Abraham which Moses describes Gen. 17. v. 10. And again Commands Lev. 12. v. 3. Some Books here have it Except ye be Circumcised and walk after the manner of Moses So that other Ceremonial Laws of Moses might be understood to be added to which they bind themselves whoever they be that are Circumcised to obey the Law of Moses See Gal. 5.3 Ye cannot be saved That is obtain Eternal Salvation 2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas Who had rightly instructed the Gentile Converts in the Doctrine of Christian Liberty and taught that they were not bound to Circumcise themselves Had no small Dissension and Disputation with them To wit those rigid Persons who burning with too great a Zeal for the Ceremonial Mosaical Laws contended that Christians were not freed by Christ
4. Solin c. 30. Letting down the Vessel That is When we had taken down the Sail-yard with the Sail fastened to it For as saith Seneca when the Wind is grown too strong and too great to bear Sail to the Yard is taken down Hence that of Ovid The Yard let down escapes the Winter Storms It is a Hebraism very frequent in the Scripture whereby any moveable thing is called a Vessel So. To wit having taken in our Sails from the Storm Were driven That is floated on the Waves whithersoever their force drave us 18. And we being exceedingly tossed with a Tempest As if he had said But when our Ship tossed with the furious Tempest now was lifted up as it were to the Heavens anon was tumbled down between the gaping Waves as it were into a Pit or Gulph See a lively description of a dreadful Tempest Psal 107.25 26. which Virgil imitating hath elegantly expressed in these words Aen. 3. v. 564. At Heaven we tilt then suddenly we fell Watry Foundations sinking low as Hell The next day they lightened the Ship That is The Mariners cast out of the Ship the heaviest Lading and the more weighty Merchandise that the Ship being lightened of its burden might draw less water and so might not so easily be overwhelmed by the Waves 19. And the third day To wit From the rising of that dreadful Tempest They cast out with their own hands the tackling of the Ship Gr. as also the English we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the Ship To wit we who were Passengers in the Ship together with the Mariners Some Copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they cast out To wit the Master and Mariners Now all Marine Utensils wherewith a Ship is accoutred as the Mast Yard Oars Cables and such like are called the Tackling 20. And when neither Sun nor Stars appeared As if he had said But when the Firmament was darkned Night and Day with a black Fog An usual description of a very great Storm So in Virgil Aen. 1. v 92. When from the Trojans sight dark Clouds restrain Heaven and the Day black Night broods on the Main In many days Without intermission And no small Tempest lay over us That is Lay upon us As if he had said And when a Turbulent and Thundring Tempest did now afflict and distress us All hope that we should be saved was then taken away Grotius excellently observeth that this was spoken according to all humane probability such as are many other things in Holy Writ The meaning therefore is the same as if he had said All hopes seemed to be cut off of escaping Death which now all appearances portended to be impending over us 21. But after long abstinence That is And when they who were in the Ship being tossed with the Tempest had endured a long hunger through want of Appetite but not through scarcity of Food as appears afterwards v. 36 38. Paul stood forth in the midst of them With whom he was aboard in that tossed Ship You should have hearkened to me By giving heed to me when I presaged this storm we are now tossed with Not have loosed Supply Anchors And to have gained That is have prevented He that evites the damage that he was like to sustain is said to gain and be fortunate according to Aristotle l. 2. Mag. Moral c 9. Hence by Pliny 7. Nat. Hist 39. Sutorius Priscus is said to have gained an injury which he committed unpunished and suffered no punishments for inflicting it This harm That is This boisterous rage of the Winds And loss To wit of the Merchandize and Tackling or Furniture of the Ship 22. And now That is Now therefore as above c. 5. v. 38. or but now to wit seeing that as Silius expresseth it the cruel storm groweth worse and worse I exhort you to be of good cheer I again and again beseech you who by the event have had experience of the Truth of my former sayings that ye be not dejected in your Minds For there shall be In this Voyage how dangerous soever The loss of no Mans Life That is Person as above v. 10. Among you To wit as appears below v. 31. if ye hearken to me otherwise than ye did before Such Speeches saith Grotius are every where in the Holy Scripture which contain in them a tacit condition easie to be understood either from the words preceeding and subsequent or from the Nature of the thing it self 1 Sam. 2.30.13.13 14. But of the Ship That is But the Ship only shall be cast away An exceptive particle saith Grotius instead of an adversative as Luke 23.28 John 8.10 in the Greek 1 Cor. 11.11 Phil. 1.8.3.16.4.12 Rev. 2.25 Whos 's I am That is To whom I am devoted And whom I serve That is And whom I worship with true Piety Jonas said the same of himself of old when he Sailed in the Company of Heathens Jon. 1.9 24. Thou must be brought before Caesar As if he had said Thou shalt be presented alive before Caesar to whom thou appealedst above c. 25.11 Lo c. As if he had said God has so liberally granted thy request that not one of them that are carried with thee in this Ship shall perish provided they obey thy wholesome advice and use all means that in them lie for their preservation See below v. 31. The Verb give is taken in another contrary sense above c. 25 v. 11. but is used in a like sense to this above c. 3.14 25. For I believe God Without the least doubt or hesitation 26. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain Island Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fall on How this praediction was fulfilled is declared below c. 28. v. 1. 27. Fourteenth Night To wit From the raising of the storm by the Winds As we were Sailing Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 driven up and down as it also is in the English tossed hither and thither Plutarch saith Grotius hath used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to be carried hither and thither In Adria That is In the Adriatick Gulph or Sea which is described by the Poets as very tempestuous Adria or Hadria a City belonging to the Picentes or Piceni according to Ptolemy Geog. l. 3. c. 1. was a Colony of the Tuscans who before the Romans attained the Government commanded all by Land and Sea as Livius recordeth in his Book 5. c. 3. Adrian Câ—sars Progenitors had their Original from this City as Aelius Spartianus in his Life declareth The same City after the Tuscan Empire was buried in Oblivion was made a Colony by the Romans as you may see in the Epitome of Livy l. 11. From this City also the Sea which by the Greeks is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latins call the Adriatick or Adrian Sea or Gulph The Poets also call it Adria after the manner of the Greeks and Adriacum which anciently was called Atriacum as also the
it speaks as a familiar friend without sophistication to the hearts of the Unlearned and Learned And those things that it hides in Mysteries it does not raise them up beyond our Capacities by loftiness of style so as a Dull and Illiterate Mind dare not approach as one that is poor to a Rich person but it invites all by its low style whom it may not only feed by manifest Truth but also exercise with hidden having the same things in what is manifest as in what is hid But that the things being plain might not be loathed the same things being again hidden are desired being defired they are in some manner renewed being renewed they are delightfully received By these both depraved Minds are wholesomly amended the mean are nourished and the great delighted He only is an Enemy to this Learning who either by reason of his mistakes is ignorant of its soundness or by reason of his distemper has an aversation to Medicine The Golden Saying of St. Prosper REader tho in the Sacred Books thou long'st to know Many things are conceal'd and hid thee fro Yet watch and still pursue thy good intent Gifts that are â—stai'd for move thy Mind if bent That Fruit's more grate which hope drawn out brings forth Things easily attain'd are nothing worth Even hidden Mysteries solace the Mind Who gave to ask will further give to find THE ACTS OF THE Holy Apostles Literally Explained THE Authority of this Book which is entitled the Acts of the Holy Apostles has been deny'd by Cerinthus Har. 36. who liv'd in those Primitive Times as Philastrius records Easâ—â— Hist l. 4. c. 29. as also by Tatianus and Severus in the Reign of Marcus Aurelius For whatever Book of the New Testament the Hereticks thought to be opposite to their own mad Inventions that they presently condemn'd Hence it was that the Manichaeans likewise refus'd to give credit to this Book because the Author of it writes that the Comforter even the Spirit of Truth promised by Christ did descend upon the day of Pentecost long before Manes who presum'd to call himself the Holy Ghost promised by Christ was born But seeing this Book Lib. de util crâ—â— c. 3. as St. Austin well observes doth contain so many things like those which the Manichaeans themselves take for granted and believe to be parts of the Holy Scriptures it seems a very great folly that they do not also believe and allow its Authority St. Luke declares himself to be the Author of this Book in his Proem to the same Theophilus to whom he makes his Address at the beginning of his Gospel and intimates that he had before that time committed to writing the several Acts of Christ Epist ad Faulâ—â— Surpassingly well therefore saith St. Hierom The Acts of the Apostles seem to represent a bare History and to set forth the Infancy of the growing Church but if once we know St. Luke the Physician whose praise is in the Gospel to be the Writer thereof we shall also find all his words to be the Thysick of a Languishing Soul Philostratus who flourish'd under Severus Augustus affords us a singular Testimony of the Antiquity not only of the Evangelical History in general but in particular of the Gospel of St. Luke and of the Acts of the Apostles by him written For he has transcribâ—d into his Apollonius many Miracles of Christ and his Apostles so manifestly out of those Books that he has not forborn to make use of the very words themselves as the most famous Huetius apparently makes out Demonstrat Eâ—ing Prop. non c. 147. nâ—m 4. Josephus by Birth a Jew honoured with the Dignity of an Earl as Epiphanius witnesseth Haer. 30. which is of the Ebionites In Bâ—â—â—othâ—e Sanct. three hundred and seventy years after Christs Nativity as Sixtus Senensis reports found at Scythopolis in a private Treasury of the Jews this Book which records the most remarkable Acts of the Apostles translated out of Greek into Hebrew together with the Gospel of St. Matthew written with his own hand in the Hebrew Language and the Gospel of St. John translated likewise out of Greek into the same Language This Golden Book quite through displays the singular Providence of God in gathering together to himself and preserving his Church It opens and explains what was the Beginning and Rise of the Christian Religion after what manner the Apostles began the Preaching of the Gospel how strenuously and couragiously a few obscure unarmed and contemptible persons opposed by the power of the whole World while all the Potentates of those Ages imploy'd their Forces to oppress the Gospel relying only upon the Assistance of the Spirit and Truth indefatigably defended the Faith of Christ refusing no Labours nor Dangers but combating with an unshaken constancy against all opposition till at length they became Victors and the Power of God magnificently triumph'd over all the Pride of the Earth under the Ignominy of the Cross The Chapters of this Book are twenty eight the principal parts are four The first of which in the first eight Chapters sets down the Original and Progress of the New Testament-Church among the Jews The next from the ninth to the sixteenth declares how greatly the Church was multiplied and propagated among the Gentiles The third part from the sixteenth to the twentieth relates the several Travels and Voyages of St. Paul to his very last Journey to Jerusalem The last from the twentieth to the end gives an account with what perseverance St. Paul endured a thousand Troubles Hardships and Indignities with what patience he surmounted the raging Floods of Persecution and lastly how mildly and with what an equal temper he carry'd himself in the midst of all manner of Calumnies and Reproaches and all sorts of Miseries CHAP. I. 1. THE Former The Evangelist St. Luke makes this Introduction as he passes from the History of the Gospel comprehending the Sayings and Acts of Christ to the Acts of the Apostles Now whereas the Vulgar Latine Interpreter rendring here the Positive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has us'd the Superlative First instead of the Comparative Former the words having relation to Lukes former Book which he had published before he has been therein follow'd by Beza who justifies himself by the Authority of Cicero who in his second Book of Invention citing his former calls it his first c. 1. v. 15. 30 c. 15. v. 18. Epist 1. c. 4. v. 19. You shall also find the Prositive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us'd for the Comparative former by St. John in his Gospel Discourse have I made This is a Graecism as much as to say The former Book have I made Thus in Lucian The first Discourse of the true History is the first Book And Galen calls his seventh Book his seventh Discourse Of all But not setting down all things For though a person might discourse of the Works and Doctrine of Christ to a considerable extent
consum'd with anguish of mind For the Greek word us'd there if we may credit Heinsius Grotius and Brenius is to be tormented with grief and sadness and stoppage of the breath whether the person die of those torments or no. So that Matthew does not speak of the death of Judas which happen'd after the same manner here by St. Luke related but of the unsupportable torment of an exulcerated Conscience Hom. 22. ad Antiochen Which Chrysostom calls to be strangled with Conscience that is to be oppress'd with the guilt of his Crimes Lightfoot renders the Greek word in St. Matthew he was strangl'd And so he believes the death of Judas happen'd For now says he after he had thrown back the price of his Treason when Judas was departed with an intention to return to his own Family the Devil who dwelt in him snatching him up into the Air strangl'd him and threw him down headlong so that dashing against the Earth he burst in two in the middle his guts tumbling forth after which horrible Exit the Devil left him But whereas the most Antient Author of the Epistle to the Philippians under the name of Ignatius the Martyr ascertains hanging to be the death of Judas De locis Sanctis and Juvencus affirms that he hanged himself upon a Fig-tree and Beda testifies that the same was to be seen in his time near Jerusalen The Vulgar Latine Version of St. Matthew seems to be preferred before the rest which though it seems to vary something from the Relation of Peter concerning his casting down headlong yet does it carry no contradiction to it Matthew gives an account of the beginning of the Action Peter of the End supplying by divine Inspiration what was wanting in the Relation of Matthew Judas fits the Halter to his neck and springs downward with the greater violence to the end he might the sooner choak himself But that the Vengeance of God might more eminently appear in the horrid and immature death of the infamous Traitor by an unexpected accident the Rope broke so that Judas fell headlong upon some craggy stone or sharp pointed stump of a Tree so that his bursten belly let forth all his bowels Thus Casaubon Concerning the ten thousand Idumeans thrown headlong by the Jews from a Rock who all of them burst their guts 2 Chron. 25.12 the story still is exstant Papias who as Eusebius declares was a Writer of little worth and one that feigned trifles from false Interpretation confounding the Greek word signifying headlong with another Greek word signifying swollen up and thence erecting his own dreams relates that the body of Judas was swell'd to that immensity that so much ground as was sufficient to drive a Cart thorow could not contain it and that thereupon the Cart went over him and squeez d out his guts In like manner the Authors of another Fable when they read that Judas possess'd or purchas'd a field with the hire of iniquity affirm'd that that same field in regard that Judas died in it by reason of the horrid stench which he left behind remain d barren and untill'd 19. And it was known to all the Dwellers at Jerusalem That is to say that horrid sort of death which ended the ignominious life of the Sacrilegious betrayer of Christ Insomuch as that field is called That is to say that field which was purchas'd with the hire of Treachery and infamous for the burial and perhaps the death of the Traitor For many are persuaded that Judas deservedly perished in that field and that by this Event the Priests were the rather instigated to desire the purchase of that field In their proper Tongue The Greek has it in their proper Dialect that is to say which was us'd by the Inhabitants of Jerusalem This Peter speaks as a Galilean and speaking to the Disciples of Christ who were for the most part Galileans Now the Galileans had a distinct Dialect from those of Jerusalem As appears from the History of Christs Passion where Peters Tongue betrayed him Hakeldama The field of Blood Saith the most Learned Lightfoot as well because it was purchas'd with the price of blood as waterâ—d with the blood of the Traitor 20. For it is written Now Peter alledges the Scripture which before v. 16. he had said was to be fulfilled that is to say according to the Mystical sense intended by the Holy Ghost as the Disciples had learnt it from the lips of Christ explaining the Scripture Luke 24.44 In the Book of Psalms That work which the Hebrews are wont to call the Book of Hymns because the chief part of it celebrates the praises of God the Greeks and Latines call it the Psalter from the name of the Instrument to which those Hymns were sung They are in all a hundred and fifty in the Hebrew Copies For the hundred fifty first which is added in the Greek is fictitious rejected not only by the Hebrews but by the Council of Laodicea Theodoret and many others as well Antient as Modern affirm David to be the only Author of all the Psalms Hâ—â— 126. Philastrius also accompts them to be Hereticks who think otherwise l. 17. de Civ Dei c. 14. But St. Austin wavers sometimes ascribing the whole work to David alone sometimes allowing him to have compos'd no more than only nine affirming the rest to have been made by the four Singers of whom he made choice for that purpose In 〈◊〉 aâ— In. pâ—â—i Psâ—â—i But it is apparent from the Arguments of the Psalms wherein their Authors are discover'd or from the express words and subjects of the Psalms by which the time of their composure may be conjectur'd that all the Psalms were not the work of David only but of several Authors Deservedly therefore Hilarius in his Preface to the Psalmâ— concludes the whole composure to be called not the Psalms of David but the Book of Psalms as here it is called by Peter and by Christ himself Luke 20.42 The Author of the Synopsis attributed to Athanasius and Hilarius say that the Psalms were reduced into one Volume by Esdras and digested into that order as now they are extant Prâ—â— in Psâ—l Esâ—i ad Sâ—pâ—â—â— Câ—p. As for that division of the Psalms into five parts which Hilarius and Jerom affirm to have been us'd by the Hebrews and is at this day observ'd in their Book I believe to be no antienter than the Times of the Maccabees saith a person among the Eloquent most highly Learned and among the Learned surpassingly Eloquent Peter Daniel Huetius Dâ—â—â—â—â— Evarg Prâ—p 4. Let his habitation What David out of his Zeal to Justice and the Honour of God imprecating upon his Enemies had prophesied that the Holy Ghost also speaking by the mouth of David would have foretold concerning the persecutors of Christ typifi'd by David And thus Peter being taught the sense of the holy Scriptures by Christ deservedly applys to Judas the Leader of
own and our belief of both Resurrections as the most famous Sir Norton Knatchbul in his learned Notes printed at Oxford anno Dom. 1677. with the licence of the Vice-chancellour observes upon that place of Peter whose words tho long I cannot but transcribe they are so full of truth and weight The sense and meaning of Peter is saith he That Baptism which now saves us by Water that is by the assistance of Water and is Antitypical to the Ark of Noah does not signify the laying down of the filth of the Flesh in the Water but the covenant of a good Conscience toward God while we are plung'd in the Water which is the true use of Water in Baptism thereby to testify our belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ so that there is a manifest Antithesis between these words By Water and by the Resurrection nor is the Elegancy of it displeasing As if he should say The Ark of Noah not the Flood was the Type of Baptism and Baptism was an Antitype of the Ark not as Baptism is a washing away of the filth of the Flesh by Water wherein it answers not at all to the Ark but as it is the Covenant of a good Conscience toward God by the Resurrection of Christ in the belief of which Resurrection we are sav'd as they were sav'd in the Ark of Noah For the Ark and Baptism were both a Type and Figure of the Resurrection so that the proper end of Baptism ought not to be understood as if it were a Sign of the washing away of sin altho it be thus oftentimes taken metonymically in the New Testament and by the Fathers but a particular signal of the Resurrection by faith in the Resurrection of Christ Of which Baptism is a Lively and Emphatical Figure as also was the Ark out of which Noah returned forth as from the Sepulcher to a new life and therefore not unaptly called by Philo The Captain of the New Creation And then the Whales belly out of which Jonas after a burial of three days was set at liberty And the Cloud and the Red-sea in which the people of Israel are said to have been baptiz'd that is not washed but buried for they were all Types of the same thing as Baptism not of the washing away of sin but of the Death and Resurrection of Christ and our own To which truth the Apostles the Fathers the Scholasticks and all Interpreters agree The thing is so apparent as not to need any Testimonies but because there are not a few who do not vulgarly teach this Doctrine it will not be superfluous to produce some of those innumerable testimonies that I may not seem to speak without book And first let us begin with St. Paul Rom. 6.3 4. See also Col. 2.12 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptiz'd into Jesus Christ were baptiz'd into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Father of Glory so we also should walk in newness of life * 1 Cor. 15.29 Else what shall they do who are baptiz'd for the dead if the dead rise not at all As if he had said If there be no Resurrection why are we baptiz'd In vain does the Church use the Symbol of Baptism if there be no Resurrection The like Testimonies frequently occur among the Fathers That believing in his Death we may be made partakers of his Resurrection by Baptism Ignat. Epist ad Tral id Epist ad Philadelph Justin Martyr Baptism given in memory of the death of our Lord. We perform the Symbols of his Death and Resurrection in Baptism We know but one saving Baptism in regard there is but one death for the World and one Resurrection from the dead Basil the Great of which Baptism is an Image Hear Paul exclaiming They pass'd through the Sea and were all baptiz'd in the Cloud and in the Sea Basil of Seleucia He calls Baptism the passage of the Sea for it was the flight of death caused by the Water To be baptiz'd and plung'd and so to return up and rise out of the Water Chrysostom is a Symbol of the descent into Hell Ambrose and return from thence Baptism is a pledge and representation of the Resurrection Lactant. Baptism is an earnest of the Resurrection Bernard Immersion is a representation of Death and Burial Innumerable are the Testimonys which might be added but these I think sufficient to prove that Baptisin is an Image of the Death and Resurrection of Christ from whence we acknowledge the Mystery of our Religion Rom. 1.4 his Deity and Humanity and of all the faithful who are baptiz'd in his faith from death in sin to newness of life which if they lead in this world they have a most assured hope that being dead they shall hereafter rise to Glory with Christ Which things if they be so I beseech you what affinity is to be seen between a burial and a washing that Christian Baptism should be thought to draw its Original from Jewish Lotions and Divings For if it were true that the end of our Baptism were to signifie a washing or ablution or if it were true that the Jews of old did admit their Children or Proselytes into their Church by the administration of any diving as it is asserted by many learned persons of late days I confess it might be a probable Argument that our Baptism was fetcht from the divings of the Jews But to prove that our Baptism is indeed an Image of Death and Resurrection not of washing enough has been said But as to their Argument who would have our Baptism to be derivâ—d from the Jewish Lotions as there is nothing of certainty in it so is it so far from being grounded upon any authority of Scripture that there are hardly any footsteps to be found thereof in the Old-Testament They deduce the original of Baptism from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to wash or cleanse Exod. 19.10 But the Rabbins if I am not deceived make use of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Immersion thereby making it appear that they owe the notion of that word to the Greeks or rather to the Christians For what affinity is there between Lotion and Immersion Besides that we find some to have been baptiz'd in Sand. But the thing is so uncertain that it cannot be said of the Rabbins that there were not several among them who differed very much about this matter for in the very Text cited by the forementioned learned men Rabbi Eliezer expressly contradicts Rabbi Joshuah who was the first that I know of who asserted this sort of Baptism among the Jews For Rabbi Eliezer who was contemporary with Rabbi Joshua if he did not live before him asserts that a Proselyte Circumciz'd and not Baptiz'd was a true Proselyte for so we
Peter called himself and his fellow Disciples the Witnesses of Christ's being rais'd from the dead it signifies that with their own Eyes they saw Christ when he was risen 16. And through Faith c. As much as to say And through a firm persuasion of the Divine power of Jesus this man whom ye see and knew to have been lame from his Mothers Womb now upward of forty years of age has obtained from Christ the soundness of his Soles and Ancles Has made this man strong By the Consolidation of his Feet and Anclebones Look backward to v. 7. His name That is the effective power of Christ Name saith Grotius is here taken for Virtue and Power And faith c. As if he had said By his firm perswasion of the Divine Power of Christ which thorough Christ arises to that God of whom you profess your selves the Adorers this perfect soundness is conferred upon him from above before you all When he says Faith which is by him by that word he means that our Faith no otherwise ascends to God but as it is founded in Christ Therefore then our Faith looks to Christ and relys upon him saith Calvin See 1 Pet. 1.21 17. Through ignorance ye did it That is more through a dull and supine ignorance of the person than any designed malice you and the Senators of your great Sanhedrim wrested from Pilate that unjust Sentence whereby he judg'd Christ the Son of the living God to the Torment of the Cross However this ignorance does not excuse your sin but abates something of the heinousness of it and renders it the more easy to be pardoned by God Hence Christ doing that upon the Cross which Intercessors use to do omitting what was to be blamed in the fact of the Jews apply's himself to that which in some measure tended to lessen the offence Father Luke 23.34 says he forgive them for they know not what they do 18. God c. As if he had said But God who wifely disposes all things by Counsel and Reason by means of your dull and sottish ignorance brought that to pass which he knowingly and willingly had decreed and foretold by his Prophets That Christ should suffer to expiate the sins of Mankind l. 3. against Marcion Saith Tertullian The Scriptures declaring that Christ could suffer death at the same time affirms that he could be unknown For unless he had been unknown he could not have suffered 19. Repent therefore As much as to say Therefore let your Repentance be great in regard ye have offended God Repent of your errours having found the truth l. De poenitent c. 4. Repent of your affection to those things which God loves not as Tertullian speaks And be converted He that repenteth hath no better refuge than the utter change of his purpose True repentance is to commit nothing to be repented of and to be sorry for it when any such thing hath been committed This is the satisfaction of repentance to root out the causes of sins and to give no entrance to their suggestions saith Gennadius of Marseille in his Book of Ecclesiastical Dogms c. 4. See my Annotations upon Joel 2.12 Matt. 3.8 That your sins may be blotted out Not that our Repentance or works merit any thing at the hands of God or are so perfect that they can abide the test of his rigorous justice but because that God under this condition has decreed to make us partakers of Salvation purchased by the Blood of Christ Therefore let the wicked man relinquish his ways let him relinquish his evil thoughts which cause him to despair of remission of sins Isa 55.7 and according to the saying of the Prophet Let him be converted to the Lord for he will abundantly pardon For there is nothing wanting in him whose mercy is Omnipotent and whose Omnipotency is altogether merciful And so great is the Benignity of his Omnipotency and the Omnipotency of his Benignity Epist 7. to Venantia that there is nothing which he will not or cannot remit to a true penitent saith Fulgentius The same Author in the same place a little farther For such is the Justice of God that he condemns the perverse and saves the Converted Isa 45.22 Whence saith he be converted to me and I will save you But yet for no other cause is God moved to pardon the Converted but out of his meer free love which he bears to mankind And this love which was as it were extinguished by their sins is again rekindled by the intercession and obedience of the Son of God who remaining still just was made Mortal By taking upon him the Punishment and not the Guilt Serm. 37. de Verb. Dom. he cancelled both the Guilt and the Punishment saith St. Austin 20. That when the times of refreshing shall come In the Greek That the times of refrigeration may come It is usual to the Greeks to make use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with their Aorists for the simple particle ut that as you may see below c. 15. v. 17. Matt. 6.5 Luke 3.35 Hence the Syriack and Arabick Interpreters understanding that the Greek Hopos an joyn'd only in this text the second Proposition with the first they have translated it by the copulative And thus And the times may come that ye may have rest from the sight of God and he may send to you Jesus Christ who was prepared for you The sense is That your sins registred in the memory of God being utterly defaced the day of Refrigeration that is of Consolation may shine upon you As he is said to burn with grief who is afflicted with a sharp sense of pain so is he said to be Refrigerated when Consolation alleviates his Torment The Ethiopick Version explains the times of Refrigeration by the times of Mercy The most learned and modest Lightfoot In his Hebraick Hours upon this Verse I might perhaps saith he betray my ignorance in the Greek Language if I should acknowledge that I do not understand by what Authority of that Tongue the most learned Interpreters have rendred the words either That when they shall come as the vulgar Latin Erasmus and the Interlineary or When they shall come as the English French and Italian or after that they shall come as Beza But I am not ashamed to confess I understand not since it agrees with the Idiom why they do not render that they may come Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken simply for ut that Ps 9.15.92.8 119.101 And thus it runs here Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out and that the times of refreshment may come and God may send you Jesus Christ Thus far Lightfoot From the presence of the Lord. That is with the propitious favour of God The famous Knatchbull renders it From the anger of the Lord. And so Refrigeration from the presence of God seems to be the same as a flight from his wrath
c. As if he had said That they being permitted to give way to their own passions whatever thou hadst ordained in thy Eternal Wisdom might come to pass that is to say that thy Son should be brought to the shameful death of the Cross by the hands of the wicked for the salvation of Mankind The wicked saith Junius execute the will of God when they least dream of it They execute the will of God nevertheless they are not exempted from fault For God contributes nothing to the Impiety of the wicked though he let loose the Reins of their malice and out of his most profound Wisdom direct their fury rather against one than another and give them the power to execute Thy hand That is thy Power God in regard of his Omnipotency wills nothing but what he can do and when it is his pleasure to defend in vain the Enemies of Truth lay their Ambushes against the Professors of it Therefore there is nothing done unless the Omnipotent will have it done either by permitting it to be done or by doing it himself Saith St. Austin Enchirid. c. 95. And thy Counsel The Counsels of Men often come to nothing because they cannot effect what they have a desire to do but the Counsels and determinations of God never fail For as Austin says Enchirid. c. 96. As easy as it is for the Omnipotent to do what he pleases so easy is it for him not to permit what he has no mind should be done Determined to be done In the Greek prelimited to be done For saith Simon Grynaeus a Person excellently well read in the Greek and Latin The Greek word signifies to prelimit or to circumscribe as it were within a space or circle Moreover it is to be observ'd that this whole eight and twentieth verse may be aptly joyned with the words of the verse last preceeding whom thou hast anointed in this manner For Pontius Pilate and Herod have really gathered together with the Gentiles and People of Israel in this City against thy Holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed to do what thy hand and Counsel decreed to be done Which is an egregious sense of the words and most exactly agrees with the series of the context ' For thus saith the famous Divine of our Age Stephen Curcellaeus the Apostles were desirous to shew their confidence in God by openly professing that all the endeavours of the Enemies of Christ to disturb the propagation of the Gospel should be of no effect nor should they be able to hinder but that what God had decreed should be done by Christ and his Servants for the Salvation of the World should be duly performed and executed Neither ought that transposition of the words offend any one or seem unusual seeing that there be many such in the Scriptures Of which it will be sufficient to bring two or three examples Rev. 13.8 we read And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship the Beast whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Where the last words from the foundation of the world are not to be connected with the preceeding words the Lamb slain but with the more remote words thus whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb slain See also an harder trajection Luke 2.34 35. Where the last words That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed are to be connected with these and for a sign that shall be spoken against though there be an interposition of these words between Yea a Sword shall pierce thorough thy own Soul also See also c. 4.5 where you are to read And the Devil taking him up into an high Mountain in a moment of time shewed him all the Kingdoms of the Earth not as it is vulgarly pointed he shewed him all the Kingdoms of the Earth in a moment of time For that could not be done besides that it was contrary to the design of the Devil which was to detain the Lord Jesus for some time at least in the contemplation of the Glory and Splendour of those Kingdoms to excite his desire and Ambition not to shew him passant as it were a flash of Lightning Lastly where you find any Parenthesis's inserted in Scripture there those Transpositions are always to be found Which is so frequent in the Epistles of St. Paul that you meet with three or four in the seven first Comma's of his Epistle to the Romans Concerning which thing Interpreters may be consulted and among the rest Beza and Piscator under the word Trajectio 29. And now The Adverb of time and now is a collective or rational Conjunction inferring a conclusion out of what precedes and is here used for therefore or for this reason As Gen 4.11.21.23 and in other 〈◊〉 Lord behold their Threatnings c. As if he had said asswage the Threats of the Magistrates lest they break forth to the oppression of the Truth and that thy Servants boldly and intrepidly in defyance of those threats may preach the Doctrine of Christ shew thy Might and Power to work Miracles as often as we shall humbly beseech thee to do it for the sake of thy Holy Son Jesus This manner of inspiring Fortitude into the Ministers of Christ ceases at this day seeing that the force of the Miracles formerly wrought by the Apostles still remains in its full vigour and efficacy 30. And when they had prayed In the Greek while they were yet praying That is they had scarce finished their Supplications The place was shaken To the end the Disciples might know that God was at hand by this testimony of his Divine Presence and certainly understand that their Prayers were heard according to the promise of Christ Jo. 14.13 Whatever ye shall ask the Father in my Name that is trusting in my promises and merits that will I do that is I will take care that ye shall obtain it and John 16.23 Verily verily I say unto you whatever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Something like this passage of the shaking of the place Aen. 3. v. 89. c. you find in Virgil. See where the Omen comes by Heaven distill'd Into your breasts with fear and horrour fill'd Scarce had I spoke when on a sudden all The Massy Pile seem'd ready just to fall The Temple Thresholds Sacred Lawrel shook The Mountain too a quivering Ague took And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost That is they felt the power and efficacy of the Holy Ghost more vigorously operating in their hearts at that time than before and found themselves possessed of the promises of Christ Whosoever hath to him shall be given Matth. 13.12 and he shall have more abundance and every Branch in me that beareth fruit my Father purgeth it John 15.2 that it may bear more fruit And they spake the Word of God with
whose influence it is evident that we speak Men then are opposed to the Holy Ghost they are also opposed to God therefore the Holy Ghost is God For he to whom Ananias chiefly lyed or whom he chiefly indeavoured to deceive the same is God v. 4. v. 3. but the Holy Ghost is he whom Ananias chiefly endeavoured to deceive or to whom he lied it follows then that the Holy Ghost is God saith Learned Christopher Wittichius in his learned Book called Causa Spiritus Sancti Thou hast not lied unto Men but unto God That is to say thou hast not endeavoured to deceive men only but above all the Holy Ghost who is God and who reveals to us things secret See such expressions in Exod. 16.8 1 Sam. 8.7 Luke 10.16 Thes 4.8 5. And Ananias hearing these words Tract 8. upon Matth. And not being able to endure their sharpness as Origen excellently noteth Fell down and gave up the ghost Ananias and Sapphira fell dead at Peters feet because that mocking the Apostles inspired by the Holy Ghost they mocked the Holy Ghost or God himself So Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. were swallowed up by the Earth because they rose up against Moses And of those Children mentioned 2 Kings 2.24 two She-bears out of the Wood destroyed forty and two not so much for mocking Elisha as bald as for mocking him being the Prophet of the true God Also Elimas for resisting Paul Acts 13.11 is struck with blindness Now whether Ananias and Sapphira were by the Righteous Judgments of God condemned to eternal punishment seeing Scripture is altogether silent we cannot determine Tertullian and Ambrose affirm it Ortgen and some other Fathers deny it but we judge it pious ignorance to be willing not to know what God was not willing to make known to us And great fear came upon c As much as to say As many as heard that God punished the Lying and Hypocrisy of Ananias with sudden death were seized with great reverence to the Majesty of God that they might very earnestly shun the heinous offences so punished 6. And the young men arose Supply who were of lusty Bodies as Apuleius speaks And carried him out The Greek word for carried him out signifies they trussed him together because as the famous Lightfoot saith They not having Grave-Cloaths ready they trussed the dead Body together as well as they could and having carried him thence buried him 7. His Wife not knowing what was done Hence Lightfoot observes the reason why the Greek word to truss together is used in the verse preceeding For if saith he they who carried him out of the room where he fell down dead had carried him to his own House or Lodging there to get him a winding sheet his Wife could not be ignorant of what came to pass but Synesteilan auton they bound and trussed him up as he was in his cloaths and so carried him out and buried him Came in That is where Peter and the rest of the Believers were gathered together 8. Whether ye sold your Land for so much As much as to say Whether or not did ye sell your Possession for any more then that sum of Mony which your Husband gave to us Yea for so much That is for no more 9. How is it c. As much as to say To what end did ye invent this deceit as if you would put it to tâ—â—d whether the Holy Ghost dwelling in us and who by us governs the Church did know all things God is said to be tempted in Scripture as often as any thing is done with an evil Conscience for then tho it be not so designed and intended yet the deed itself seems to be as it were of set purpose to try whether God be Just All-knowing and Omnipotent Behold c. In these words Peter does not imprecate Sapphiras death as Porphyrius falsly alledges but by his gift of Prophesying he foretels the Judgment of God that was coming upon her 10. Then fell she down That to wit the present revenge executed upon her and her Husband might be an example to others 11. And great fear came c. As much as to say The whole Church and all who heard the report of this present Judgment upon Ananias and Sapphira were seized with a high reverence of God See above v. 5. 12. And by the hands of the Apostles An Hebrew phrase common in Scripture that is to say by the Apostles or the Apostles Labour and Muâ—â—ry intervening Among the people That is publickly and openly the people being present and looking on and upon many of the people that they might intice some to the faith and confirm others in the faith And they were All this must be inclosed in a parenthesis till we come to the fifteenth verse where what now hath been spoken concerning the Miracles wrought by the Ministry of the Apostles is continued With one accord That is to say with Brotherly Concord as Livy speaketh All. To wit who were joyned to the Church In Solomons Porch Of which see above ch 3. v. 11. 13. And of the rest To wit who heard the Apostles Preach but had not as yet imbraced the faith of Christ Durst no man join himself to them The Greek hath glew himself to them meaning that none of these hearers durst any way familiarly converse with the Apostles for the fear which they conceived from the prodigious fate of Ananias and Sapphira which as yet was fresh in their memory But the people magnified them As much as to say Yet that put no stop to the progress of the Gospel because the people had a greater esteem for the Apostles 14. The more c. As much as to say yea many of both sexes were daily more and more added to the number of the Believers although none of those that were added durst at that time for fear be very familiar with the Apostles 15. In Beds and Couches Couches in Latin Grabbati are known to have been little Beds in which the Ancients used to rest at Noon and because these Couches were easier carried in them the sick were put when they were to be brought in publick that by a miracle they might be healed The Shadow A. D. 34. n. 275. c. What saith Baronius is the shadow of Peter but the express image of his body And certainly from no other but such Images formed from shadows did the Art of Painting take its Original that from these you may see that the Religious Worship of Images was in that Primitive Church first of all consecrated in Peters shadow by the special Providence of God working by that shadow so many and so great Miracles But this Baronius his shadow of reasoning will as soon vanish as we observe that we no where read that even Peters shadow it self was ever worshipped by those whom by its touch Peter restored to health It is perverse and absurd that the Image of Man should be
Frowardness came Railing of Railing Strife from Strife Condemnation whence Fetters Stocks and Fines Where the Israelites are said after they had Sacrificed to have sat down to cat and drink and rose up to play the Rabbies by the word play understand mostly these things For besides these undecent Plays the Tanchuma will have two others to be designed in this place to wit Whoring and shedding of Blood The former he proves from Gen. 39.14 17. where Potiphars Wife accuseth Joseph as if he had come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to play with her or to mock her that is to force her The latter out of 2 Sam. 2.14 where Abner saith to Joab speaking of the twelve Benjamites who were joyned with the like number of Davids Soldiers Let the young men now arise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and play before us Play that is let them fight and fall on to one anothers overthrow As if that most fierce engagement in which twelve pair of young men destroyed one another was looked on by the spectators only as a Play as the Encountrings of Fencers at Rome Whence the Ancient Hebrews in Kimchi say Because the people made no account of the Blood of the young men as if it had been a Play therefore they were punished and fell by the Sword to wit in that Battel which is mentioned v. 17. But I see no reasen why the Israelites should be believed to have plaid thus after their worshipping of the Calf that is to have fallen either into uncleanness or into nâ—urdering one another I confess that these have oftentimes been the consequents of Drunkenness but I find that the Israelites did eat and drink yet not to Drunkenness But Deut. 29.5 6. they are said to have had no Wine nor strong Drink that is inebriating Liquor all the forty years they were in the Wilderness Therefore whereas in the Greek Version Exod. 3.18 Moses coming down from the mount saith to his Servant Joshua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I hear the voice of them that are singing through Wine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whencesoever it has crept in is a meer gloss of which neither the Hebrew Text nor other versions have the least appearance of For in the Hebrew it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I hear the voice of them that sing or that sing one after another I think therefore that some of the Greeks have rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for which the half-learned have written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this made up of both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be instead of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it might be read before the Vowels were written down and be written by them who were ignorant of the force of the Hebraism For it was not unusual with them meerly to Copy words that were unknown to them The Samaritan renders it the voice of sinners as also the Syriack for instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truly therefore the Greek Scholiast The Samaritan I hear the voice of Sins Nor ought that to have been suspected by Drusius Thus far the most exquisite in all kind of Sciences Samuel Bochart 42. Then God turned That is God turned his back on them It is an Active Verb for a Reciprocal saith Grotius And gave them up to worship the Host of Heaven That is He gave them over to their Lusts that instead of one Idol they might invent innumerable As it is written in the Book of the Prophets To wit The twelve lesser which were written and bound up in one Book or Volume by reason of their brevity Have ye c. See our Litteral Explanation on Amos 5.25 43. Yea ye took up c. That which is here declared that the Israelites carried about with them in Waggons and Litters the Images of Moloch or Rephan was done by them when they yet abode in the Wilderness to wit when they enticed with the wiles of the Moabitish and Midianitish Women worshipped Baalpeor or Belphegor the God of the Moabites and as I think of the Midianites also and offered Sacrifices to it Numb 25. Psal 106. For Baal and Moloch or Melech or Molech are names commune to all the Gods which were distinguished and differenced by Epithets as you may see by comparing 2 Kings 18.34 and Isa 36.19 with Isa 37.21 Whence also the God of the Ammonites who is commonly called Moloch is called Baal Jer. 19.5 and elsewhere neither will ye almost find the name Moloch used peculiarly for the God of the Ammonites in the Scripture but where the naming or mentioning of the Ammonites either goes before or immediately follows wherefore it is called Melcom or Milcom with a Pronoun Relative to the Ammonites Yet Theodoret on Psal 105. hath observed that Baal or Bel is in a special manner attributed to Saturn Suidas on Beelphegor saith Beel is Saturn but Phegor is the place where he was worshipped whence he is called Beelphegor Servius on Aâ—neid 1. saith In the Carthaginian Tongue Bal signifies God but by the Assyrians Bel by a certain use peculiar to Sacred things is called both Saturn and Sol. Also with the most learned Moloch is the same with Saturn especially in these words of Amos cited here by Stephen where the same is called in the Hebrew Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the Seventy Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He upbraids them therefore because they carried about with them the Tent and Image of the Star Saturn which they wrought for themselves that they might worship them as Types and Figures of their God when yet the true God will not be worshipped by a visible or external shape See our Literal Explication Amos 5.26 on which place Grotius speaketh thus As Moloch is an Ammonitish name so Kiun is an Arabick or Persian which Abenesdra saith is also written Kivan and that it is with them the same that Saturn The same is called by the Syrians Remmon 2 Kings 5.18 to wit because it was in the highest Orb as Tacitus speaketh As Kiun was also pronounced Kivan so Remmon was also Remvan which the Greeks having lost the use of the letter F wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is their true writing But Moloch Kiun or Kivan are called Gods because although they were referred to the same Star yet they had divers Names Habit and Worship as the Moon and Diana with the Greeks Many Men also were related to the same Star among different Nations and Moloch was of the shape of a King Kivan of a Star Beyond Babylon In the Heb. Amos 5. v. 27. And I will remove you beyond Damascus See our Literal Explication there The most renowned Samuel Petit renders the place of Amos otherwise And I will carry you away further than Damascus is carried away Now the Inhabitants of Damascus * Amos
other place of Moses in which Joseph is compared unto a firstling Bullock and which they do attribute unto the Messiah Son of Joseph is applied unto the Messiah Son of David in the Midrash Thehillim The Jews say that Jacob did Prophesy these words concerning the Messiah Son of David Gen. 49. v. 10. Till he come who is to be sent and he shall be the expectation of the Nations And these words Psal 71. v. 17. And all the Tribes of the Earth shall be blessed in him all Nations shall magnify him but in the Book of the Talmud intituled Sanhedrin the same Testimonies are referred unto that Messiah of whom Isaiah spake chap. 53. v. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows R. Selomon Jarchi in his Expositions upon the Gamara of Sanhedrin and R. Moses Alschech say that the 53d Chapter of Isaiah belongs unto the Messiah Son 〈◊〉 David in which are told the griefs reproaches death of the Messiah the which opinion Ra. Isaac Abrabaniel retains in some places This indeed doth teach that the Messiah Son of David is signified in those words which are Isai 11. v. 3. 4. He shall not judge after the sight of his Eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his Ears but with Righteousness shall he judge the poor But the same Book of Sanhedrin teacheth that the Messiah whom Isaiah foretelleth there shall be punished by God The Messiah that is sprung of Ruth is the self same that was the Nephew of David notwithstanding we read in Ruth Rabbathi that a Kingdom and Calamities are portended unto this Messias in these words which are in Ruth 2. v. 14. Come hither and eat of the Bread and dip thy morsel into the Vinegar Therefore some Rabbins of no small Note do agree that there is one only Messiah to come twice 34. Answering That is Beginning to speak or having begun See our Literal Explication Mat. 11. v. 25. Of himself These things in some manner in a Typical sense may not badly be understood of Isaias himself who suffered many evils in Manasses's time But they are understood of another in a full and perfect sense to wit of Christ that suffered griefs reproaches and a bitter death that he might give us eternal Salvation 35. And opening c. As if he should say But Philip having begun a long Oration from this place of Isaiah which was before his hands he took an occasion to instruct the Eunuch about Jesus in which this and other predictions of the Prophets are fulfilled in an excellent manner He told him that that Jesus who was born of the Family of David born of a Virgin at Bethlehem and suffered a bitter death for our Offences was raised from the dead to sit at the right Hand of God the Father whose only begotten Son he is and that none is to obtain eternal Salvation but those who earnestly repenting of their sinful condition believe in Jesus himself obey his precepts And that those that do profess his Faith and Repentance ought to be dipt into the Water according to Christs appointment that the remission of sins may be sealed unto them by this holy dipping which remission is freely granted to every repenting sinner when he does believe in Christ 36. And as they went on their way That is while they went forward in the Eunuchs Journey to Gaza from Jerusalem They came unto a certain water Eusebius in his Book of Hebrew places which Hierom did translate and augment saith Bethsur in the Tribe of Juda or Benjamin and at this day is called Bethsoron a Village to us in the twentieth mile as we Travel from Aelia to Hebron near which there is a Fountain that springeth at the foot of the Hill is suckt up by the same ground in which it ariseth And the Acts of the Apostles do tell us that the Eunuch of Candace the Queen was Baptized in this Fountain by Philip. And there is also another Village called Bethsur in the Tribe of Juda distant a thousand paces from Eleutheropolis See here is Water c. It doth manifestly appear that the Eunuch among other things was taught by Philip that Baptism of Water was of necessity to be taken by them who repenting of their sinful life do imbrace the Faith of Christ as a Holy Rite appointed and commanded by Christ himself that it might be in itself a figure of new life and a seal of the remission of sins obtained through Christ 37. If thou believest That the Eunuch is not permitted to be Baptized unless he had professed a sincere Faith in Christ it doth sufficiently enough declare how truly great Basil hath spoken in his Book on the Holy Spirit ch 12. Faith and Baptism are the two means of Salvation inseparably cleaving together for Faith is perfected by Baptism but Baptism is founded by Faith and by the same names both things are fulfilled For as we believe in the Father Son and Holy Spirit so also we are Baptized in the name of the Father Son Holy Spirit indeed there goeth before a Confession leading us unto Salvation but Baptism followeth sealing our Confession Covenant But the Covenant of God is his promise of giving us eternal life and our answer is our promise of Worshipping God according to his will revealed to us The same Churches Teacher in his third Book against Eunomius Baptism is the seal of Faith Faith is the confession of the God-head it is necessary we should first believe then be sealed with Baptism According to this Rule of Scripture and agreeing with reason itself the most part of the Greeks in all Ages even unto this day retain a Custom of delaying Infant Baptism till they themselves can give a Confession of their Faith as Grotius hath noted on Matth. 19. v. 13. But especially the sixth Canon of the Synod of Neocasarea is to be observed whose words are as follows Concerning a Woman with Child that she may be Baptized when she pleases for her Baptism concerns not her Child For every one is to give a demonstration of his own choice in a Confession For however the Interpreters draw it to another purpose it does appear that the question was made of Women big with Child because it did seem that the Child was Baptized together with the Mother which notwithstanding ought not nor used not to be Baptized except of its own proper Election and Profession And to this purpose are the words of Balsamo In Compen can tit 4. The unborn Babe cannot be Baptized because it is not come into light neither can it have a choice of making Confession which is required in Holy Baptism And Zonaras The Babe will then need Baptism when it can chuse But the Synod doth determine that Baptism of a Woman great with Child doth therefore rightly proceed because her Baptism concerns her alone who can Confess what she believeth and not the Child in her Womb. But that Synod of Neocaesarea
slower then that it can express Baptism which is rather a sign both of Death and Resurrection Being moved by this reason I would have those that are to be Baptized to be altogether dipt into the water as the word doth sound and the mystery doth signify John Bugenhagius Pomeranus both a Fellow and Successor in the Ministry of Luther at Wittenburg whom Thuanus and Zanchius witness to have been a moderate very godly very learned Man doth affirm about the end of his Book published in the German Tongue in the Year 1542. That he was desired to be a Witness of a Baptism at Hamburgh in the year 1529. that when he had seen the Minister only sprinkled the Infant wrapped in swathling Clothes on the top of the head he was amazed because he neither heard nor saw any such thing nor yet read in any History except in case of necessity in Bed-rid Persons In a general Assembly therefore of all the Ministers of the Word that was convened he did ask of a certain Minister John Fritz by name who was sometime Minister of Lubic how the Sacrament of Baptism was Administred at Lubec Who for his Piety and Candor did answer gravely that Infants were Baptized naked at Lubec after the same fashion altogether as in Germany But from whence and how that peculiar manner of Baptizing hath crept into Hamburg he was ignorant At length they did agree among themselves that the Judgment of Luther and of the Divines of Wittenburg should be demanded about this point which thing being done Luther did write back to Hamburg that this sprinkling was an abuse which they ought to remove Thus plunging was restored at Hamburg Common Fonts big and large enough were in Ancient times fitted and accommodated to dipping in the which Fonts by Conduits or certain inferior passages the water overflowing upon the Baptized did run away as is manifest even by this memorable History of Socrates 7 Hist Eccl. 17. which we do here bring in A certain Deceiver a Jew by Nation counterfeiting himself to be a Christian was oftentimes Baptized and by this sort of Cheat had scraped together much money When he had deceived many Christian Sects by this Craft for he had been Baptized both by the Arrians and Macedonians having none more whom he could deceive at length he came to Paul Bishop of the Novatians and affirming that he had an earnest desire to be Baptized he prayed the Bishop that he would be pleased to Baptize him himself He indeed praised the Jews will and desire but did deny that he could give him Baptism before he had been instructed in the principles of Faith and besides all this had fasted many days But the Jew who contrary to his wish or expectation was compelled to fast did so much the more urge that he might be Baptized The Bishop therefore not willing to offend him with a longer delay when he pressed and urged him to it prepares the things that are necessary to Baptism And when he had bought a white Garment to the Jew and commanded the belly of the Font to be filled with water he brought the Jew thither as if he were going to Baptize him But a certain secret vertue and power of God made the water suddenly to vanish But when the Bishop and those who were present suspecting nothing of what then was done they did think that the water ran out by some secret passage underneath where it was wont to be let out they fill the belly of it again after they had carefully stopped all the passages And when the Jew was brought again to the Font the water did again altogether vanish Then Paul said Either O Man thou deceivest or has unknowingly received the Sacrament of Baptism before When therefore a great many men flocked together to see this Miracle one that knew the Jew found him to be the self same man that was Baptized before by Bishop Atticus Hereto belongs also what the Maidenburg Centuriators do relate of Rathold 8 Cent. 6. In the Year of the Lord say they 718. Rathold General of the Frisians was brought unto this by the Preaching of Bishop Vulfran that he was to be Baptized When he had entred into the Font with one foot drawing back the other foot asked where the most part of his Ancestors were Whether in Hell or in Paradise And hearing that more were in Hell drawing back his foot that was in the Water It is better says he that I follow the greater part then the fewer And being so deceived by the Devil promising that he would give him three days hence matchless gifts the self same third day he perished with a sudden and eternal death Sigebertus Henry of Erford does relate the same out of the Acts and Monuments of Vulfran chap. 26. Bergomensis says that 't was in the year 729. Hither also pertaineth the History of Constantine who from hence got the Sirname of Copronymus because when he was Baptized in his Infancy he defiled the waters of the holy Font with the Excrements of his Belly in the Year of Christ 720. We have a like example in the Emperor Wenceslaus the Son of Charles the Fourth who was born at Norinburg the 28th of September in the Year M.CCC.LXI For he also is reported to have defiled the water with his Dung when he was Baptized Moreover it is reported that while the water that was to be applied to the Baptism of Wenceslaus was warming the Pastors house by Saint Sebald was set on fire and burned out Which things certainly could not happen if both the Copronymus's the one in the West and the other in the East had been sprinkled and poured with a little water being wrapped up in their swadling Bands and Clouts About the end of the eleven hundredth Year after the birth of Christ Odo Apud Andream S. Michaelis Abbatem in Othonis Actis lib. 2. c. 15. or Otho Bishop of Banberg who first Preached the Gospel to the Inhabitants of Pomerania as Suffridus his assisting Presbyter doth witness When there were three Fonts built he did so order that he himself should Baptize the Male Children alone in one of the Fonts and the rest of the Priests the Women apart and the Men apart What manner of Fonts these were and after what fashion all were Baptized is declared there after this manner The good Father caused the Administration of the Sacrament to be done with so much diligence also with so great neatness and honesty that nothing undecent nothing to be ashamed of nothing ever might be done there which might not please any of the Gentiles For he commanded very big Hogsheads to be digged a little deep into the Earth so that the mouths of the Hogsheads did stand above ground unto the heighth of a mans knee or less which being filled with water it was easy to descend into them And he caused Curtains to be hanged about the Hogsheads upon small Pillars set up and Cords put
into them that each Hogshead might be inclosed all about with a Vail in manner of a Circle But a linnen Cloth did hang upon a Cord put through it before the Priests and his Fellow Ministers who stood on the one hand to Administer the Sacrament that so all things being very modest on every side there might not be any thing censured as folly or filthiness in the Sacrament lest the honester sort of Persons should withdraw themselves from the Sacrament of Baptism for shame sake The Author proceeds declareth the thing yet more clearly in this manner When therefore all did come to be Catechized the Bishop speaking unto them all commonly with a speech that did agree to such setting one sex over against another on the right hand on the left anointed the Catechized with Oil afterward biddeth them go from the Font. Therefore they coming unto the entrance of the Curtain they one by one only did enter in with their Godfathers and presently the Godfathers did receive the Garment with which the Person to be Baptized was clothed and the Taper when he went down into the water and they holding it before their face until they did restore it again to him when he came out of the water But the Priest who did stand at the Hogshead when he had rather heard then seen that there was some body in the water having removed the Vail a little with thrice dipping of his head did perfect what belonged to the Sacrament of Baptism and when he had anointed him with liquor of Chrism on the Crown of the Head and a white Garment being put on him and when he had drawn back the Vail he commanded the Person that was Baptized to come out of the water his Godfathers covering putting on him the Garment which they did hold Neither did the diligence of Otho in the Winter time neglect to find out what was most convenient for the season to wit he celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism in warm Baths and in hot water with the same neatness and observation of Modesty with the Hogsheads set into the Earth and Curtains applyed Frankincense and other odoriferous Species sprinkling all things This most accurate diligence of Saint Otho proveth that the prudence of those Men was contrary unto all good order who after a thousand and three hundred years after Christ did change Baptism that is dipping appointed by Christ into Rhantism that is sprinkling brought into its place with great boldness lest those that were to be Baptized in cold Countries and Seasons if they should be plunged according unto Christs Commandment might fall into diseases or be chilly with cold for the heating of the water might be a sufficient remedy against this evil or danger as the above quoted excellent Divine and Reformer John Bugenhagius in his aforementioned German Book doth urge more at large ' Anciently when Rhantism was not yet substituted to Baptism says the English Chrysostom of this Age Those who were Baptized put off their Garments which signified the putting off of the body of sin and were immersed and buried in the water to represent the death of sin and then did rise up again out of the water to signify their entrance upon a new life and to these Customs the Apostle alludes Rom. 6. c. Thus the very Reverend John Tillotson D. D. Dean of Canterbury a Man of great liberality toward the poor which I my self profess with a grateful mind that I have oftentimes had experience of it commended by all good Men for the excellency of his Wit the uprightness of his Mind the Purity of his Manners and Doctrine in a grave and famous Sermon on 2 Tim. 2. v. 19. Christians says another Doctor in Divinity who excels in every sort of Learning zeal of true Piety being plunged into the water in Baptism signifieth their undertaking and obliging themselves in a spiritual sense to die and be buried with Jesus Christ which death and burial consists in an utter renouncing and forsaking of all their sins that so answerably to his Resurrection they may live a holy and godly life So that Reverend Minister of the Gospel Edward Fouler Canon of Glocester in his admirable Book concerning the scope of the Christian Religion doth interpret the force of the words of the Apostle Rom. 6.4 Deservedly therefore that most learned Anonymus Protestant of France who answereth to that Tractate concerning the Communion under two kinds of my Lord James Benigne Bossuet the famous Bishop of Meaux saith pag. 24. 25. It is most certain that Baptism hath not been Administred hitherto otherwise than by sprinkling by the most part of Protestants but truly this sprinkling is an abuse This Custom which without an accurate examination they have retained from the Romish Church in like manner as many other things makes their Baptism very defective It corrupteth its Institution and Ancient Use and that nearness of similitude which is needful should be betwixt it and Faith Repentance and Regeneration This reflexion of M. Bossuet deserveth to be seriously considered to wit that this Use of plunging hath continued for the space of a whole thousand and three hundred years that hence we may understand that we did not carefully as it was meet examine things which we have retained from the Roman Church and therefore since the most learned Bishops of that Church do teach us now that the Custom established by most grave arguments and so many Ages was first abolished by her this self same thing was very unjustly done by her and that the consideration of our duty doth require at our hands that we seek again the Primitive Custom of the Church and the Institution of Christ The same person there a little afterward Tho therefore we should yield to M. Bossuet that we are convinced by the force of his arguments that the nature and substance of Baptism consisteth in dipping what may he hope for from us but that we profess our selves obliged to him by no small favour and thank him that he hath delivered us from errour when we greatly erred in this thing And as we are resolved indeed to correct and rectify this error so we desire earnestly with humble prayer and supplication of him that he would correct and mend that error of taking away the Cup from the Laicks coming unto the Holy Supper Does Monsieur Bossuet think that the Protestants will have a greater respect of that Custom which they have found not to be lawful that by the most weighty and solid arguments than of the institution of Jesus Christ and that to let Rome get an opportunity of boldly and freely breaking the Laws of Christ by the pernicious imitation of our example Far be that wicked frame of mind from them they are straiter bound by the Authority of their Holy Master then to despise his voice when his sound cometh to their Ears My Sheep follow my voice and again I do know my sheep
elsewhere in many places And therefore says Grotius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see Jer. 23. v. 11. and Lamen 2. v. 9. Mat. 1. v. 18. She was found with Child That is she appeared great with Child At Azotus Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Accusative for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Ablative as above v. 23. Azotus Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was first subdued by Joshua Josh 11. 15. afterward it was one of the Cities of the five Provinces of the Philistines famous for the Temple of Dagon whereof there is mention made 1 Sam. 5. v. 4. and by the death of Judas Macabaeus who died about it witness Josephus 12 Antiq. 19. where it is falsly read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as appears from 1 Mac. 9.15 afterward Jonathan the Brother of Judas Macabaeus took it and burnt it with the Temple of Dagon 1 Mac. 10. v. 84. Josephus 13 Antiq. 8. Thartan General to Sargon King of the Assyrians took it of old whom the Hebrews do expound to be Sennacherib Isa 20. v. 1. It was a very strong fortified City for it sustained the Siege of Psammetichus King of Aegypt by the space of twenty nine years by whom at length it was taken as Herodotus writes Book 2. where he calls it a great City of Syria because under Syria was comprehended Palestina Judaea Phaenicia and Idumaea It was famous also by the Arabian merchandize whose Market Town it was lib. 1. c. 10. as Mela doth report also Ptolemy in his fifth Book of Geography chap. 16. Pliny 5. Hist Nat. chap. 14. have made mention of it The Women of this City are called Nehe. 13. v. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azotides whom the Jews took for Wives and their Sons did speak the language of Ashdod as is manifest out of the same Chapter v. 24. Azotus is reported to be distant from Gaza concerning which above ver 26. forty Miles And passing through c. As if he should say Having gone from Azotus to Caesarea of Palestina he did Preach the Gospel in all Towns through which he went even unto the end of his undertaken Journey This Caesarea was at first called the Tower of Strato it was magnificently repaired by Herod the Great adorned with Porches and Temples it was called by the same Herod Caesarea in Honour of Augustus Caesar as Josephus witnesses 15 Antiq. 13. It was perfected the tenth year after it was begun as the same Josephus tells us 16 Antiq. 9. Eusebius Pamphilius owed his birth to this City and was afterward Bishop of the same In like manner Acacius who lived in the time of the Sophister Libanius whose life we have in Eunapius Sardinius and Procopius the Rhetorician and Historian Secretary of Belisarius Captain of Justinian the Emperor's and Fellow Companion of all his Wars of which he wrote the History There was also another Caesarea different from this toward Paneas which Mat. 16. v. 13. and Josephus 20 Antiq. 8. is called Caesarea Philippi it is called by Ptolemeus in his fifth Book chap. 15. Caesarea Panias which King Agrippa the younger when he did enlarge its Territories he changed its name and in honour of Nero called it Neronias as Josephus doth write in the place even now cited See our literal explication Mat. 16. v. 13. CHAP. IX 1. BVT Saul Like a bloody Wolf See what is spoken above chap. 8. v. 13. Breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples A Greek phrase That is From the bottom of his heart breathing out cruelty against the Disciples of Christ So Cicero said Catiline raging with boldness breathing out wickedness wickedly contriving the ruine of his Country Went unto the High Priest That is To the Prince of the highest Sanhedrin who perhaps as yet was the same Annas of whom above ch 4.6 2. And desired of him As also of other Senators of that great Sanhedrin as may be seen below v. 14. ch 22.5 26.12 Letters That is Letters from the Senate To Damascus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it is read 1 Chron. 18.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascus or Darmascus a most famous City of old the Head and Royal Seat of Syria sirnamed Damascena as the most eloquent of the Prophets Isaiah 7. v. 8. witnesseth It was situated below Mount Hermon from whence flowed two Rivers Amana or Abana and Parpar or Parphar Which Stephanus Byzantius calls Bardinis the rest of the Greeks seem to call it Chrysorrhoas Amana ran through the midst of the City but Parpar did glide without the City as Benjamin Tudelensis witnesseth in his Itinerary There is also mention made of these two Rivers 2 Kin. 5.12 See our literal explanation upon Amos 1.5 The Builder of Damascus lyeth in the Grave of Antiquity Ant. lib. 1. c. 7. toward the end notwithstanding that Josephus said that Vz the Son of Aram and Grand-son of Shem built it Jerom also in his questions upon Genesis where he enumerates the posterity of Shem speaks as if he were of the same opinion But a little after speaking of Eliezer of Damascus Abrahams Servant he saith there They say that by this man Damascus was both built and named The same in the beginning of his seventh book upon Isa We read first the name of Damascus in Genesis who before Isaac was born in Abrahams house and was esteemed his Heir if Sarah had not had a Son by the Promise It is expounded either a kiss of blood or a drinker of blood or the blood of hair Cloth But if saith the same Author upon Ezek. 27. Damascus be interpreted a drinker of blood and that Tradition of the Hebrews be true that the field in which the Parricide Cain slew his Brother Abel was in Damascus whence the place was marked with this name then Paul with just cause went to Damascus after the slaughter of Stephen the first Martyr for Christ that he might bring the Believers in Christ bound to Jerusalem that to wit he in the same place might imitate the deeds of Cain towards Abels followers Damascus bred a good many famous Men among which Nicolaus Damascenus a Peripatetick Philosopher is the chief who among other things did write an universal History of eighty Books according to Suidas an hundred and twenty four according to Josephus Lib. 6. an hundred forty four according to Athenaeus of which a few fragments are remaining He was very familiar with Herod the Great also very much beloved of Augustus Caesar so that after him he called either Dates Nicolai Lib. 14. Lib. 8. q. 4. Lib. 13. c. 4. Lib. de virgin coel Rhodigin Lib. 6. c. 5. as it is in Aheneus Plutarch Symposiacâ—n Plinius Isiodore in his Glosses Adhelmus or a kind of Cake according to Serenus Sammonicus Hesychius Milesius Photius and Suidas Joannes Damascenus was of this City who of a Jew became a Christian in the
Incense For saith Grotius that is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a memorial Levit. and elsewhere And the smoke of the Incense is said to ascend Rev. 8. v. 4. But this Incense was a Type of Prayers Rev. 5. v. 8. 8. v. 3. Prayer say the Ancients is carried up by two wings fasting and the works of mercy 5. And now That is Now therefore The Angel shews him the Apostle and the Apostle shews him Christ 6. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do That is as it is expounded chap. 11. v. 14. Who shall speak words to thee in which thou and all thy Family shall be saved As if he should say He will instruct thee in the knowledge of Christ which is the only way to Salvation that thou and thy whole house may be saved God uses no other way but the Instrument of preaching to instil into men the knowledge of the Gospel This is Gods ordinary way which he hath established and we may not expect another most truly saith and proves it from Rom. 10. v. 14. My dearest Wifes Uncle the reverend Samuel Gardner Doctor of Divinity one of his Majesties Chaplains in ordinary in his grave and learned Sermon on the Dignity and Duty of the Ministers of the Gospel Printed in 1672. 7. A Souldier fearing God All the Domesticks of Cornelius feared the Lord as is said before v. 2. but all the Souldiers which were under his Command were not Godly and Religious We have a like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Souldiers and Domesticks Matt. 8. v. 9. Of them that waited on him That is They waited before the doors to receive his Commands Ovid speaking of a Lover and a Souldier saith This tends his Mistresses but that his Captains doors 8. When he had declared all these things to them Cornelius explained all things to his Souldier and Servants the more to encourage them to perform a Command which they saw was more Gods than Man ' s. He doubted not saith Calvin to trust those with this great secret whom he had before trained honestly up 9. Peter went up to the house top Gr. to the roof of the house The Jews built the roofs of their houses flat not spire wise Hierom in his Epistle to Sunia and Fretela says that in the Eastern Provinces that is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latins call tectum For in Palestine and Egypt or in those places where the holy Bible was writ or interpreted their houses are not ridged but flat roofed which at Rome they call Leads or Balcony's that is flat roofs supported by Beams placed across The Vulgar Translation uses this word for a house Prov. 21. v. 9. 25. v. 24. Anselm on Matth. fol. 45. In Palestine they use to make their Roofs flat not copped Even so the Temple of Solomon was made flat above and in the Circuit of the Gallery there were Grates lest any one should unawares fall down and the Doctors had there their Seats that they might from thence speak to the People To pray To wit Secretly and without interruption Suetonius says of Augustus If at any time he desired to do any thing in secret and without interruption he had an apartment above for that purpose c. About the sixth hour That is As the famous Drusius interprets it The time of Prayer which they call The Prayer of Sacrifice or of Oblation which begun at half an hour past six and lasted till half an hour past nine It was also the hour of Dining therefore in the Book whose Title is Principium Sapientiae it is called The time of Refreshment Before this Prayer they tasted not of any thing and it was of great esteem amongst the Ancients See what is said above ch 2. v. 15. ch 3. v. 1. 10. Would have eaten Gr. Tasted That is Eaten A Metonymia of the design'd effect saith Piscator for we tast Meats for this Reason that if they please us we may eat them From hence we may gather that the Jews were wont to Dine at Mid-day which with them was the sixth hour and Josephus in his own Life says that this was the hour of their Dinner on their Sabbath See before ch 2. v. 15. He fell into a Trance That is He was entranced or without himself that he minded not what was done about him neither had he any sense of any outward thing but was wholly intent upon his Internal Idea's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place is saith Price as saith Apuleius in his Apology to be astonished even to the forgetfulness of things present and the Memory being by little and little removed from Corporeal Things is made intent upon that Nature which is Immortal and Divine Augustine says of his Mother 9 Confess 5. she suffer'd a defection of mind and for a time was estranged from noticing things present 11. And he saw Heaven opened That is Heaven seemed to him to be divided as it were with a wide opening and that way it opened a covering like a great sheet did descend to him bound at the four Corners hanging from Heaven down to the Earth But saith Grotius that sheet seemed to hang from Heaven to signify our liberty indulg'd from Heaven See what we have said before chap. 7. v. 56. A certain Vessel as it had been a sheet Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although I am not ignorant saith the most famous Heinsius how large signification the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Heb. and the Vas of the Romans hath yet I had rather in this place call it involucrum a Cloak or something like it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cloak as it were a Sheet especially since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by the Greeks for a Cloak Hesychius the most learned of Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing that serveth to cover It may be he alludes to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Hebrew Shepherds which was either a Cloak or a Satchel in which they used to put their Meat and Cups out of which they drank and their other Necessaries Such a one is that of Zech. 11. v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vessel of a foolish Shepherd Although there the Greeks render Vessels in the plural number Knit at the four Corners and let down to the Earth That is Being bound at the four Corners to hang from Heaven to Earth 12. Wherein were Not in reality but in appearance as says Cyrill of Alexandria lib. 9. against Julian All. That is All sorts Four-footed Beasts of the Earth and creeping things Gr. Four-footed Beasts and wild Beasts and creeping things The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 four-footed Beasts in the Vulgar Latin Edition is taken in as large a sense here as amongst the Naturalists But in the Greek Text it only comprehends Domestick Creatures and which are wont to be kept for the common use of Men as Camels Horses Asses Dogs Oxen
is no wonder therefore if Saul who was born out of the Land of Israel and was a Roman should have a Roman name together with his Jewish name And it is worth observation that he being now made the Apostle of the Gentiles does always call himself by his Gentile never by his Jewish name and that Luke writing his Acts doth call him Saul while the scone of the History was among the Jews but Paul while among the Gentiles Filled with the Holy Ghost As much as to say Finding himself full of a Prophetick Spirit that he might foretel Gods vengeance against Elymas 10. Subtilty The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth easiness of doing from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I work and so it is taken here by Erasmus for craftiness but by others for a ready boldness for any wickedness Thou Child of the Devil As much as to say Thou who resemblest and imitatest the perverse inclinations and wicked temper of the Devil even as if thou hadst been born of him See John 8.39 40 41 44. Enemy of all righteousness As much as to say Who art contrary to all just and righteous things Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord. As much as to say Wilt thou always with thy blasphemous Cavils traduce the Righteous Doctrine which came from God full of equity and goodness as deformed vitious and full of unrighteousness Paul seems to allude to Hos 14.10 where see our Literal Explanation 11. And now That is And now therefore as above ch 10.5 Behold Beside your expectation The hand of the Lord is upon thee That is The terrible hand of a revenging God is lifted up against thee to give thee a terrible blow And thou shalt be blind not seeing the Sun The same thing expressed with a double phrase beats the more strongly upon the Ears of the hearers and demonstrates the efficacy of him that speaketh For a season Defined and limited And immediately As much as to say Paul had scarcely foretold the imminent stroak of God upon Elymas when the prediction took effect 12. Then c. As much as to say When Sergius Paulus saw the Doctrine of the Gospel Preached by Paul confirmed by the sudden blindness of Elymas its great Opposer he believed the Gospel being struck with admiration that this Doctrine of Christ was joyned with such marvellous Vertue 13. Now when Paul and his Company That is His Companions When saith Calvin he saith that Pauls Companions loosed from Paphos he in the first place means Paul himself then the rest excepting one Thus by observing that ones delicateness he praised others who with unwearied constancy followed Paul They came to Perga in Pamphilia Perga was one of the most famous Cities of Pamphilia which the Temple of Diana called by Cicero Verrina sexta The most Holy and most Ancient did beautify To this Temple as Strabo tells us lib. 14. there was a Sacred Gathering every Year Appollonius Pergeus whose four Books of Cones are extant in Greek and Latin as Andreas Quenstedt saith de patriis illust vir whence he was called by the Men of that Age The Great Geometrician owes his Birth to this City Of Pamphilia we have spoken above ch 2.10 John Mentioned above v. 5. Departing from them Perhaps shunning the pains and the danger of the rest of the Journey See below ch 15.38 Came to Jerusalem To his Mother 14. They came to Antioch in Pisidia Which was called the Caesarean Colony as Pliny saith Nat. Hist. lib. 5. c. 27. He added saith Beza the name of Pisidia to distinguish this Antioch from that other in Syria from whence they went Pisidia was to the North of Pamphilia and it had Lycaonia upon the East which of old was a part of Pisidia upon the West Phrygia Pacatiana being situated between these two Provinces it was formerly governed by a President then by a Praetor under Justinian Nov. 24. And went into the Synagogue That is Into the meeting place of the Jews On the Sabbath day The Evangelists in Greek use to call the Sabbath day Sabbata in the plural according to the Custom of the Septuagint See their Translation Exod. 20.10 And sate down To wit To hear something taken out of the Law and Prophets read as was usual to be read in the Synagogues according to the most Ancient Jewish Custom as may be seen below v. 27. ch 15.21 15. And after the reading of the Law The reason why the five Books of Moses only are called the Law are given by the Author of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because these Books of Moses were given to all Ages But the Prophets Sermons are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they received every Prophesy from the Holy Ghost according to the exigence of the time or of any fact Whichreason saith Ludovicus de Dieu is not altogether to be despised But the five Books of Moses being divided into fifty four Sections which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are read yearly by the Jews in their Synagogues They begin the reading of them the next Sabbath after the Feast of Tabernacles and thenceforward they read one Section every Sabbath day except two whereon they join two lesser Sections to be read together at once that so in a years time all may be read over and may be finished the ninth day of the Feast of Tabernacles which therefore the Jews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gladness of the Law There are some that do not read over the whole Law but once in three years but this is not the common Custom saith Maimonides In summa Talmudica tract de precibus Benedict sacerdotum cap. 13. And the Prophets Every Sabbath-day the Jews read a Section taken out of the Prophets in their Synagogues answering to the lesson read out of the Pentateuch And they call it the Dismission because the Prophetical Section being read the People are dismissed Antiochus Epiphanes saith Elias in his Thisbi did by an Edict forbid the Israelites the reading of the Law What did the Israelites do They took one Section out of the Prophets whose matter was like the things which were treated of in that Section of the Law which was assigned for that Sabbath As for example upon that Sabbath whereon that Section 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be read they read out of the Prophesy of Isaiah ch 42.5 Thus saith the Lord the Lord that created the Heavens c. but when the Section of Noah Gen. 6.1 was to be read they substituted a Section answering to it out of Isai 54.9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me And so also of the rest of the Sections But now though this Decree of Antiochus be void yet that Custom of reading Sections taken out of the Prophets accommodated to the Sections of the Pentateuch is not taken away for even to this day they read such Sections as these of
its Flesh be thrown away And Ch. 65. Animals which are worried by Wolves and Dogs are not to be eaten by any but Dogs and Hoggs Nor is a Deer or Goat if found dead But of Fish you may eat because they are of another Nature but Birds and other Creatures if they are strangled in Nets are not to be eaten Rabanus Maurus Archbishop of Mentz upon Leviticus L. 5. Ca. 8. It is therefore necessary to keep this Commandment Litterally and in no wise to eat Blood For thou wilt find that the same thing is also commanded by the Apostles Most remarkable is that Ordinance of the Emperor Leo Sixth of that name Surnam'd the Philosopher Anno Ch. 886. Const 58. Although God both of old by Moses the Law-giver commanded that Blood should not be eaten And by the Preachers of Grace declared that men ought to abstain from such Food And although the eating thereof as well under the New Testament as the Old hath ever been condemned as an infamous and unlawful thing Yet to that degree of Obstinacy or rather Madness are men grown that they refuse to yield Obedience to either Law but on the contrary some for Gain and some for Gluttony do with the highest Impudence contemn the Command and turn Blood whereof we are forbidden to eat into a Food For Information hath arrived at our Ears that stuffing Blood into Guts as in Bags they presume to eat the same as usual Meat which our Imperial Majesty judging not fit to be tolerated nor enduring that both the Divine Precepts and the Honour of our Commonwealth should be violated by such an ungodly invention of men whose whole Devotion is for their Belly doth hereby ordain and command that no Person shall dare practise that wickedness in any kind either for his own use or to defile others by selling them such detestable Food And let him know whoever he be that shall henceforth be found to contemn the Divine Command and convert Blood into Food whether Buyer or Seller He shall forfeit all his Goods and after he shall also have been severely whipt and his head for dishonour shaven close to the skin he shall be sent in perpetual Banishment Regino Abbot of Pruym in the Diocess of Triers L. 2. de Eccl. Discip cap. 373. 374. If any one shall eat the Blood of any Animal let him do Pennance forty days The faithful are to be admonished that none of them presume to eat Blood For in the beginning when License to eat Flesh was granted by God to man we find Blood is forbidden For the Lord says to Noah and his Sons Every thing that moveth and liveth shall be to you for Food except ye shall not eat Flesh with the Blood Which not only is very often reinforced in the Old Law but also in the New Testament the Apostles upon great Deliberation write to the Gentiles of the Primitive Church that they should keep themselves from the Defilements of Idols and Fornication and what is Strangled and Blood which Jerome expounding saith That these Commands according to the Letter belonging to every Christian that he eat not what dies of it self whether of Bird or Beasts to wit where their Blood is not powred forth which the Apostles Epistle sent from Jerusalem necessarily requires Nor what is taken and killed by any Beast for that too is likewise Strangled And from Blood that is not to eat it with the Blood If therefore these things were written to such as came over from Heathenism as the very Rudiments of Faith and were sufficient as to the Salvation of those who by inveterate Custom had wallowed in Impiety and Unbelief with what face can any think light of transgressing them Especially considering that Blood and things Strangled are there equalled with Idolatry and Fornication Whereby all are taught what a grievous sin it is to eat Blood since it is compared with Idols and Whoredom Therefore if any shall violate these Commands of the Lord and his Apostles let him be suspended from the Communion of the Church until he shall worthily have repented These Canons have I alledged under the name of Regino because he has not informed us from whence he collected them Amongst the Canons of the British Church collected by Sir Henry Spelman the fifty second Canon made under Edgar King of England Anno Chr. 967. Requires that no Christian eat Blood of any kind Adam of Bremen in the fourth Book of Eccles Hist Ca. 20. Amongst other Errors of the Pagans wherewith Adalbert Archbishop of Bremen complained that the Christians of that Place were infected even unto his days reckons these That they licentiously did use to eat things that died of themselves or were strangled and also the Blood as well as the Flesh of Cattle that draw or bear burdens as Mules Asses and Horses Johannes Zonaras cites the Fathers of the beforementioned Sixth Council held in Trullo at Constantinople whose sixty seventh Canon we cited before and proves out of Genesis that they followed the Authority of the Divine Scripture Theodore Balsamon on the same Canon saith The Latines without distinction eat things strangled and as I hear the People of Adrianople do use the Blood of Animals in certain Dishes And on the sixty third of those that are called the Apostles Canons As for those Creatures which are taken by Hawking or Hunting and are strangled how they are eaten by some that is how they dare eat them I do not understand Otto Bishop of Bamberg in the Year 1124. as Conrade Abbot of Vrsperg witnesses having converted the People of Pomerania injoyn'd them not to eat any thing unclean that is nothing that died of it self or was strangled or offered to an Idol nor yet the Blood of any Animal And to this day amongst the Christians the Greeks do refrain eating of Blood as is certain from the Testimony of Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica in his Book of the Primacy of the Pope And of Jeremy the second of that Name Patriarch of Constantinople The same thing we are assured of the Muscovits and Russians by Sigismund Baron of Heberstein of the Abyssines by Damianus à Goes and of the Maronites inhabiting in Syria and Egypt by Edw. Brerewood From all which Proofs which I have here brought 't is evident that there is no Opinion at this day disputed amongst Christians which has been so constantly and universally believed as this that we are still obliged to abstain from Blood Neither indeed do those other Texts of Scripture which only in general grant Liberty to feed on all things make any thing against this particular and express Apostolical Prohibition of Blood For 't is well known that general Laws ought to be limited and restrained by particular ones And what is strangled That it the Blood being not taken out as Origen saith in his 8th Book against Celsus See what we have said before v. 20. The Greeks saith Grotius and other Nations as we learn from two places
a Dragon by the Inventers of Fables because in Syriack Pithun or Pethen signifieth a Dragon and therefore is he also called Python From this Python were the Pythian Playes and the City of the Delphs Pytho or Phython and Apollo himself called Python Macrobius saith Lib. 1. c. 20. that the Greeks prattle that this Name Python was given to the God for killing the Dragon Therefore the Spirit of Python Acts 16.16 is the Spirit of Apollo by which Daemon it was believed that Woman-Conjurer was possessed Hence the very Conjurers themselves who were of old called Eurycleae are now called Pythones saith Plutarch in his Book of the cessation of the Oracles In this sense the Hebrews instead of Python write Pithom by a small change of the Word and dream that those kind of Southsayers did not speak out of the Belly but out of the Armpits See pray Maimonides his Treatise concerning Idolatry ch 6. Which brought her Masters much gain Perhaps to her Master and Mistress By Soothsaying That is by receiving the Rewards of her Southsaying from those who consulted her concerning hidden matters as things stollen the success of a Journey and the like The Scholiast observeth upon Aristophanes That Eurycles did as speaking out of his Belly foretel true things to the Athenians by the help of the Daemon which was in him Hence all Southsayers are called Ventriloqui Euryclitae from Eurycles the first Author of the thing 17. The same followed Paul and us Silas Timothy and Luke Paul's Companions These men are Servants of the most High God An unclean Spirit sometimes speaketh Truth but not for a good end When an evil man counterfeits good then is he most evil Which shew unto us Philippians The way of Salvation That is the way by which eternal happiness is to be attained 18. And this did she That is reiterated it But Paul being grieved That the Truth should be rendred suspected by the Testimony of a lying Spirit so often repeated See what we have noted upon Mark 1.25 Turned To the Damsel that had the Spirit of Divination To the Spirit To that Spirit of Divination to wit which possest this Damsel I command thee c. As much as to say Using the power given Mark 16.17 by the Authority which Jesus Christ and I from him have over you I command you presently to come out of that Woman And he came out the same hour As much as to say That unclean Spirit being dashed with the Authority of Christ presently obeyed Paul commanding him to come out of the Damsel whom he possessed as presently it was evident in her by the effects There are Examples of the power of casting out Devils by Christ's Authority granted by him to his Servants to be seen above Chap. 5.16 and 8.7 19. And when her Masters saw To wit the Master and Mistress of the possessed Damsel or also her Masters Children That the hopes of their gains was gone That is that no hope remained the Damsel being left by the Spirit of Divination that they could get any more Riches by her art of South-saying They caught Paul and Silas Who being stirred up by a holy Zeal and by the instinct of the Spirit of God did cast the unclean Spirit out of the Maid although it flattered them And drew them into the Market place unto the Rulers That is to the Governours of the City Keepers of the publick peace and Judges of the Guilty 20 And brought them to the Magistrates The words in the original signifie Captains of the Guard Who had the charge of Seizing Punishing and Imprisoning the Guilty the Sentence to wit of the Rulers that is of the Judges preceeding Others will have those who were called Princes or Rulers in the preceeding verse to be called in this verse with a more honourable title of Magistrates and in both places they understand the Duumvirs of the Colony Saying these Men c. They slandered the holy men as troublers of the publick Peace while they sought to revenge their own private loss for which they were much grieved 1 Kings 18.17 so of old the ungodly Achab slandered the Godly Prophet Elias Being Jews Whose name was hateful to the Romans because of their different Religion and Manners 21 And teach Customs The Romans among the Laws in the twelve Tables ordered Let none have Gods apart neither let new or strange Gods be privately worshipped unless publickly received Let the Customs of the Country and Family be observed let sacred private things always continue Liv. Lib. 4. Therefore it was given in charge to the Aediles that they should observe lest any other than the Roman Gods should be Worshipped nor after any other manner than that of the Country Being Romans That is our City being a Colony of the Romans and therefore are we called by the name of Romans And the multitude rose up together against them As much as to say And they were stirred up against Paul and Silas who tho innocent were charged with forged Crimes by the Master and Mistresses of her who had the Spirit of Divination or also by her Masters Children And the Magistrates The Greek hath it the Captains of the Soldiers or of the Guards as above v. 20. Rent off their Cloths c. As much as to say Not regarding their cause aright they commanded the Officers both to tear off the innocent Mens cloths and to scourge their bodies with Rods. It was a custom among the Jews as you may read in Mishnah in the Treatise Macoth as also among the Romans as is to be seen in Livie Plutarch and other Historians not to take off the cloths of such as were to be whipt but to tear them off that their bodies might be naked to receive the Lashes 23 And when they had laid many c. As much as to say Paul and Silas being beaten with many stroaks the Duumviri or Magistrates of the City commanded them to be led to Prison Adding further their Commands to the Jaylor that he would keep them close lest they might escape and so they not be able to punish them farther The Jaylor The Greek hath it keeper of the Prisoners Paulus Juris-Consultus calls him Governour of the Prison Ambrose the Deputy of the Prison others the Jaylor Now the Greeks think the Jaylor spoken of here to have been Stephanus whom Paul mentions 1 Cor. 1.16 16.15 17. but this is uncertain because Stephanus with his house is called the first fruits of Achaia 1 Cor. 16.15 But Achaia is a distinct and separate Region from Macedonia where the Jaylor lived at Philippi where he was converted to Christ unless one should say that he was born at Achaia and removed to Philippi whence perhaps he returned back again to Achaia to wit to Corinth 24 Who. To wit the Jaylor Thrust them into the inner Prison That to wit being inclosed within so many Gates they might be the more securely kept Made their
Officiously smote our Lord Jesus Joh. 18.22 when he had no order to do so Then Paul C. 8. v. 20. As Peter above and Paul himself elsewhere 1 Tim. 4.14 prompted by Divine instinct Gen. 9.25 and a Prophetick Inspiration like Noah Michaiah the Son of Imla 2 Chr. 18.24 Elisha Jeremy and David frequently in the Psalms Said unto him 2 King 2.24 viz. That Spiteful Barbarous and rude High Priest Ananias the Son of Nebedaeus Jer. 20.3 c. God shall smite thee Mat. 7.2 Who according to the saying of Christ uses to measure again unto Men the same measure they mete out unto others Exod. 1.22 Exod. 14.28 So Pharaoh at whose Command the Male-Children of the Israelites newly born were drowned Judg. 1.7 1 Sam. 15.32 33. 2 Sam. 12.9.10 11 12 16.22 was himself together with all his Army drowned The same instances of Justice you may see in Adonibezek Agag King of the Amalekites David Joà b in those Men that cast Shadrack Meshek and Abednego into the fiery Furnace Dan. 3.22 Daniels Accusers and in that most invertrate Enemy of Mordecai Haman Dan. 6.24 Thou Whited Wall Esth 7.10 He upbraids Ananias's Hypocrisie with an Apostolick and Prophetick Authority in the same kind of Speech which Christ did that of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23 27. when he foretold that they would be punished by a special Providence 1 King 18.18 2 King 3.13 Jer. 1.10 17 18. Ezek. 3.8 9. It is the duty of Prophets to reprove Vices and Sins whose soever they are as you may see A whited Wall saith St. Augustine in Psal 103. without is Plaister within Clay Theophilact on this place he calls him a whited Wall because he had a fair aspect as an assertor of the Law and one who pretended to judge according to the Law But his Mind was full of Wickedness Ep. 115. Truly and elegantly said Seneca We admire Walls covered over with thin Marble when we know what it is that is hid under it we impose upon our Eyes and when we value things covered over with Gold what else do we but delight in a lye for we know that under that Gold base Wood is hid Nor are Walls and beams the only things that are set out with Ornaments the seeming happiness of all those who are exalted to high Promotion is but guilded Look into them and you 'l perceive how much evil lies hid under that thin Membrane of Dignity For thou Among the Senators of the Council Dost thou sit to judge me after the Law That is That thou mayest judge according to the Judicial Law appointed by God in the Books of Moses The Judicial Law saith Grotius was in force as long as the Common-wealth of Israel was in being and the Hebrew Judges were obliged to give Judgment according to it within those bounds of Cognizance which the Romans allowed them And contrary to the Law Unjustly beginning Process of Judgment at Execution whereas the Law enjoyns to presocute that which is just justly Lev. 19.15 Deut. 1.16 c. 16.18 19.20 and not to commit iniquity in Judgment Commandest Acted by a Barbarous Cruelty and Tyrannical Rage against the Professors of Christianity Me. Without hearing my cause To be smitten Contumeliously viz. On the Mouth 4. And they that stood by Possibly the very same Men who were Commanded by the High Priest Ananias to smite Paul on the Mouth Said Vindicating the High Priests Honour Revilest thou Gods High Priest That is to say Thou foul-Mouth'd railer dost thou call him a Painted and Whited Wall whom God has set over his Divine Worship 5. I wist not Having been a considerable time absent from Jerusalem Others will have I wist not to import the same as I did not consider viz. being hurried with a sudden perturbation of Mind when Ananias commanded me without cause to be smitten on the Mouth That he was the High Priest That is That this Ananias is now High Priest It is evident by Josephus 20. Antiq. 6 7. that at that time there was so great a Confusion in the Government at Jerusalem that at every turn the High Priests were deposed at the pleasure of the Roman Governours and others substituted into their places Than which Confusions saith the generally Learned Heinsius as nothing was more detestable so nothing was more just seeing that by the Faction and lyes of the High Priests the Truth was condemned the hope of the Fathers was condemned our great High Priest was Condemned For it is Writen c. As if he had said If I had known or called to Mind that the Dignity of High-Priesthood now become cursory had been conferred on Ananias the Son of Nebedaeus I would not in any wise have so sharply upbraided him with Hypocrisie as that my words should have been construed slander and railing Exod. 22.28 for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People That is Do not cast reproaches upon the Life of him who holds chief Place and Dignity among thy People 4. But when Paul perceived that the one part viz. Of those of which the great Council consisted Were Sadduces Of these and the Pharisees see what we have said in our Literal explanation on Mat. 3.7 And the other Pharisees These two Sects tho otherwise disagreeing among themselves agreed together to oppose Christ and destroy his Disciples Paul therefore when he saw they had conspired together to condemn him unjustly he wisely without prejudice to the Truth cast among them an apple of Contention or Discord He cryed out in the Council That he might be heard by all the Senators of the Council and all the multitude that was present I am a Pharisee the Son of a Pharisee Or as some Copies have it of the Pharisees As if he had said I have even from my Forefathers led my Life according to the ordinances of the Pharisees See after c. 26. v. 5. Phil. 3.5 Of the hope Of the Reward which the just shall receive in the other World which the Hebrews call the Age of Retribution For then every Man shall be rewarded according to his deeds The Sadduces denyed that there was any such state who maintained that there were no Punishments or Rewards after this Life And the Resurrection of the Dead Whom that they should be raised again to Life the Old Saduces also denyed Am called in Question That is Called to Judgment 7. There arose a dissention between the Pharisees and the Sadduces While those appoved of Paul's opinion that there should be a Resurrection of the Dead and these Condemned it And the multitude was divided Both of the Senators and the Standers by while some took part with the Pharisees others with the Sadduces 8. The Sadduces c. As if he had said But the Pharisees and the Sadduces were at great variance and discord among themselves for whereas the
in the manner appointed by the Law 18. And Vows Being to pay Vows I made to God These two words are not read in the Greek Text nor in the English Translation In which That is which things while I was busied with as below c. 26. v. 12. They found me purified That is bound by a Vow of Nazarite to abstinence from Wine and other things forbidden the Nazarites See above c. 21. v. 24 26. In the Temple To wit when the seven Days appointed by me to my Vow of Nazarite were now almost fulfilled See above c. 21. v. 27. Neither with Multitude That is without any Train of Attendants Nor with Tumult That is to say And without any Seditious concursion See above v. 12. It follows saith John Mariana in some Books And they laid hands on me crying and saying Take away our Enemy But this is not in the Greek nor in the vulgar Latin Therefore it is rejected Certain Jews from Asia Supply Are. See above c. 21. v. 27. 19. Who. As being Authors of the outrage commited against me in the Temple Ought to have been here before thee That is It was meet that they as being the principal Actors should have appeared before thee And object if they had any thing against me To wit That was not a crime feigned against me through Calumny and Malice 20. Or. Supply that the absence of those Asian Jews who were the Authors of the Outrage committed upon me from thy Tribunal be not suspected Let these same Men. My Adversaries the Priests and Senators of the Jews who are here present and were not present at the beginning of the Outrage done against me but took on trust from others the Accusation brought against me Say if they have found any evil doing in me That is Let them openly declare if they have found any thing wherein I have done amiss When I stood before the Judgment In the Gr. I standing The Vulgar and Erasmus render it While I stand As if Paul had spoke of their then present hearing But the matter it self plainly declares that it is to be understood of the former Judgment when he was brought by the Chief Captain before the Council of the Elders as above c. 22. v. 30. and so it is to be rendred When I stood The meaning is the same as if Paul had said When Lysias the Chief Captain had brought me before the Sanhedrin being desirous to be certainly informed as to the Accusations brought against me by the Jews 21. Except it be for this one Voice That is Unless perhaps this true and innocent word be blame-worthy in me That I cryed standing among them That is When I stood among them See above c. 23. v. 6. 22. Felix deferred them In the Gr. is added as also in the English Hearing these things or rather When he had heard these things As if he had said But when Felix had heard Paul acknowledging that he was of that Sect which was called Nazarens and defending himself from the Crimes of profaning the Temple and making an Uproar objected against him by denial he was afraid to give Sentence and deferred the Judgment by putting it off to another time The uttermost In the Greek it is more certainly more exactly The construction is somewhat obscure by reason of the trajection of the Participle saying which will be more plain if it be thus paraphrastically digested into order Saying when I shall be better and more fully informed what this Doctrine is which is objected against Paul under the name of the Heresie of the Nazarens above v. 5. and the Chief Captain Lysias shall come down from Jerusalem to Caesarea I will again hear you who are Accusers with the Defendant and will then pass Sentence on the cause when debated by both Parties Having knowledge of that way That is Having further made an enquiry into and more fully been informed of that Way and Sect which when objected to Paul he confessed he followed above v. 14. They are the words of Felix delaying to Pronounce him Guilty But frequently in the New Testament the Doctrine of the Gospel or the Christian Religion is signified by this Expression This way as ye may see above c. 9. v. 2. c. 19. v. 9.23 c. 22. v. 4. Saying There is no reason saith the Learned Beza why any should think that the Trajection of this Participle is wrested and forced For neither use these Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be taken in another sense in Plato 's Dialogues and with the Latins I say and he saith But also ye may find instances of the like or even a more harsh Transposition in the same Verb below c. 25. v. 5. Luc. 5. v. 24 7. v. 42. Yet I confess that this Trajection for the most part occurs in the middle of a Sentence whereas here it is used betwixt two Sentences but that exact nicety of Speech is not to be expected in inspired Writers and the perspicuity of the Sentence seems enough to confirm this Exposition although there were no other proofs for it When the Chief Captain Lysias Who To wit being acquainted with all things done at Jerusalem can fully satisfie me whether this Man who denies that he stirred up Sedition and profaned the Temple be guilty or not Shall come down To wit from Jerusalem to Casarea I will hear To wit to decide the Controversy You. To wit The Accusers and Defendant in both Causes 23. And he Commanded As if he had said And having deferred the cause he ordered a certain Centurion of Caesarea that he would keep Paul in safe Custody but yet that he would let his Friends have free access to him to assist him with their Advice and Estates And have liberty Gr. Releasment To wit from Bonds and closer confinement Nor any of his Acquaintance That is Of those who were his intimate Friends Forbid to minister unto him In procuring things necessary for him In the Greek as also the English it is added or to come to him To wit to confer with him or comfort him Antonia the younger Daughter to Antonius the Triumvir the Wife of Drusus and Mother to Germanicus and Claudius and Grandmother to Caius Caligula who as Pliny says 7 Hist Nat. 19. never did spit obtained the same priviledge from Macro Prefect of the Roman Soldiers by her Petition for Agrippa the elder Nephew to Herod the great by Aristobulus when he was cast into bonds by Tiberius Caesar as you may see in Joseph 18. Ant. 8. 24. And after certain days when Felix came To the place where Paul was kept largely and at liberty With his Wife Drusilla The fairest of Women Daughter to Agrippa the Elder who above c. 12. is called Herod by Cyprus the Daughter of Phasaëlus whose Uncle Herod the great was as ye may see in Josephus 18 Ant. 7 19.7 This Felix had another Wife of the same name who was Daughter to Juba King of Mauritania and Niece to Anthony
Judgment Let Men therefore be delegated that are more skilful in managing Impeachments Go down together As if he had said Let them go down with me from Jerusalem to Caesarea and accuse Paul of his Crimes 6. Among them To wit Among the Jews of Jerusalem The next Day That is the next day after that Festus returned to Caesarea Sitting in the Judgment Seat To give Judgment He Commanded Paul to be brought That he might judge his Cause Many and grievous Complaints c. That is They laid many grievous Crimes to his Charge which yet they could not fix upon Paul by any plausible proofs Excellent is that of Apuleius Any innocent Man may be accused of a forged Crime but none but a Guilty Person can be convicted 8. While Paul answered for himself That is While he vindicated his own Innocency by most solid and convincing Arguments as above c. 24. v. 10. seq Against the Law of the Jews That is Against the Law given by God to the Jews through the Ministry of Moses Against the Temple Of Jerusalem which my Adversaries calumniate me that I went about to prophane Against Caesar Those Accusers of Paul seem to have laid the same things to his charge that the Jews of Thessalonica and Corinth did above c. 17. v. 7. c. 18. v. 13. 9. To do the Jews a pleasure That is To curry favour with the Jews And there be judged of those things before me That is Be judged by the great Council of the Jews in my hearing The Sanhedrin saith Grotius had some Power of executing the Law but the right of the Roman City was greater than that of the Sanhedrin therefore Paul could not be compelled to acknowledge them for Judges The Governors used sometimes to be present with the Senate of the City L. 1. § sed etsi D. quando appellandum sit 10. But Paul said To wit When he understood on what design and intent Festus put that Question to him and fearing ambushes laid by the Jews I stand at Caesar 's Judgment-Seat He calls that Caesar's Judgment-Seat which the Governor held in the Name and by Authority of Caesar Vlpianus Book 1. of the duty of Caesar's Procurator saith What things are acted and done by Caesar 's Procurator are so approved of by him as if they had been done by Caesar himself Where I. Seeing I am a Roman Citizen To the Jews To wit Those mine Accusers to whose importunity you seem to yield I have done no wrong That is in nothing have I given them just cause of offence Better The Comparative is put for the Positive well or the Superlative as it in the English very well 11. I refuse not to die Terent. Phorm Act. 1. Sc. 5. If Vncle Antipho has committed so great a trespass against his own Interest I plead for no favour for him but that he may suffer according to his demerits On which place Donatus saith T' is a Rhetorical Theorem which he uses who is entrusted with a cause proposed If this or that be I beg not pardon I deprecate no punishment But if there be none of these things Supply Wherein I have offended as I said above v. 8. Which these accuse me A Graecism For in Latin it is more proper to say Of which or whereof they accuse me No Man may deliver me unto them That is No Man hath Power to grant this liberty to the Jews to judge me against my Will It was saith Grotius contrary to the Roman Laws to deliver up a Roman Citizen and that against his Will to Men of a Province to be judged by them Pliny in his Epistle to Trajan of the Christians saith There were others possessed with the like madness whom because they were Roman Citizens I ordered to be sent back into the City I appeal to Caesar That is as Grotius interprets it If ye will deliver me to be judged by the Sanhedrin for Festus seemed to intend it I appeal to Caesar Nero. This was allowed by the Roman Laws in such a case For before Sentence Appeal may be made If the Judge has pronounced an Interlocutory on a Question to be discussed in a Civil Action or does it contrary to Law in a Criminal L. Ante. D. de appel recip With the Council That is With the Conciliary Assistants Conferred That he might ask their Judgment as to this Appeal of Paul's to Caesar whether it should be admitted or not To Caesar thou shalt go Festus grants that to a Roman Citizen which if he had not granted he had been guilty of open violence before Caesar whose honour that was advanced by that Appeal he should have seemed to suppress and make light account of 13. And when a few days were past That is a few days intervening Agrippa The Younger whom Herod Agrippa Aristobulus's Son begot of Cyprus Daughter to Phasaelus King The last of the Jews but not of the Province of Judaea or Jerusalem or any part of the two Tetrarchies of Archelaus his Grand Uncle but of the Tetrarchies of his other Grand Uncle Philip and of Lysanias of whom mention is made Luke 3.1 Claudius the Emperor at first would have had this Agrippa the lesser then a young Man to succeed his Father Agrippa but afterwards looking on him as uncapable to govern so great a Kingdom he made Cuspius Fadus Procurator of Judaea and of the whole Kingdom of Agrippa the Elder which was larger than the Kingdom of his Grandfather Herod the Great And so Judaea was again made a Province as it was before it was added to the Kingdom of Agrippa the Elder by Claudius Caesar since Augustus had banished Archelaus Uncle to the same Agrippa who was accused of Tyranny to Vienna of the Allobroges But in the fourth Year from the Death of Agrippa the Elder which was the eighth of the Reign of Claudius Herod Brother to the same Agrippa King of Chalcis in Syria died and Agrippa the younger was by Claudius substituted in the room of the deceased and together with the Kingdom of Chalcis he was also invested with Power over the Temple of Jerusalem and the Holy Treasury and with the right of chusing High Priests which the same Emperor had granted to his Uncle This was the beginning of Agrippa the younger's Reign But when he had governed Chalcis four Years Claudius after the twelfth year of his Reign took it from him and transported him into a greater Kingdom constituting him King of the Tetrarchy which was his Grand Uncle Philip's to wit of Batanaea and Gaulanitis or Auranitis which Countries seem to be the same with Ituraea Luke 3.1 and Trachonitis adding moreover the Principality which is Surnamed Lysania's because it was of old possessed by Lysanias Ptolemy's Son of whom Josephus writeth 14 Ant. 23. 15. Ant. 4. and more recently by the Tetrarch Lysanias whom Luke maketh mention of To this greater Kingdom of Agrippa the younger Nero added Tiberias and Tarichaea Cities of Galilee
fully but his Vices which Agrippa would not part with Not unlike to his Grand Uncle Herod Antipas who feared John the Baptist and sometimes heard him gladly Mark 6.20 but would not obey him when he enjoyned him to put away Herodias his Brother Philip's Wife Paul 's defence saith Daniel Brenius did so far prevail with Agrippa that altho he did not embrace the Christian Religion yet as Ecclesiastical Histories relate he granted to the Christians who during the Roman War against the Jews fled into Cities subject to his Government liberty to stay there and have their meetings without molestation Yet it is very like that this was spoke in a smiling way by Agrippa to Paul and that by a Politick craft lest Festus and the rest that were present should judge him to be mad with Paul whom the same Festus had but now in plain and express terms upbraided with madness 29. And Paul Answering Agrippa with a sedate Mind saith I would to God That is I pray God who is the turner of hearts Both in little and great That is not only almost but plainly and altogether Not only thou Who hast said this But all that hear this day Me discoursing of Jesus Christ Be such as I am That is Become the Disciples of the same Jesus Christ like to me in all things Except these Bonds That is Save in my Prison and Keepers that are set about me For Paul was kept free from bonds in open Prison see above c. 24.23 But as Grotius well observes Vulgar Speech did not take Bonds in so strict a sense as Lawyers Such is that of Virgil Aeneid 8. v. 651. And Clelia scap't from bonds the River took For Pledges are never bound saith Servius Excellent here is that of Calvin as for most part his use is Truly it is very requisite that all the Godly be endowed with this Meekness that they may calmly bear their Cross but that they may desire that others do well and as much as in them lies endeavour to ease them of all their trouble but that by no means they envy their rest and joy This mild Temper and Moderation is very far different from the bitterness of those who by wishing their evils may befall others comfort themselves with the thoughts thereof 30. And. Supply out of the Gr. Text When he had thus said to wit Paul as it is also in the English The King rose up Agrippa from the place whereon he sate attentively and patiently hearing Paul's strong and irrefutable defence And the Gevernour Festus Procurator of Judaea See our Annot. above c. 23. v. 26. And Bernice Sister to K. Agrippa Of whom above c. 25. v. 13. And they that sate with them The Chief Captains and Principal Men of Caesarea Of whom see above c. 25. v. 23. 31. And when they were gone aside Into some place where they might consult what to do with Paul apart and where none might over-hear their discourse Bonds That is Prison See above v. 29. This Man To wit Paul whom they had just now heard plead his cause That Paul saith Calvin was absolved by the Judgment of all did not a little tend to the credit of the Gospel And Festus assenting with the rest condemned himself as having cast Paul into these straits by his Injustice in betraying his Life to the Plots of his Enemies under pretence of changing of place But altho an appeal seems to be dangerous to the Holy Man yet in regard this was his only shelter to save him from Death he rests contented nor goes about to extricate himself out of that Trap not only because it was not candid for him to do so because he was admonished by a Vision that he should be also called by God to bear Testimony at Rome See above c. 23. v. 11. This Man might have been set at liberty Freed from his Confinement as being Innocent and not convicted of any Crime If he had not appealed unto Caesar By Appeal the Power of the Judge from whom the Appeal is made becomes is altogether null not only to condemn but also to absolve that the whole cause may be reserved to the Cognisance of the Superiour Judge to whom the Appeal is made CHAP. XXVII 1. BVT when it was determined To wit Festus Governour of Judaea now also decreeing it as he did before c. 25.12 That he should Sail. The Vulgar Gr. Codex's have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We. That is that Paul should set Sail from Caesarea together with his Companions to wit Luke who committed these things to writing and Aristarchus the Macedonian of the City Thessalonica who is mentioned in the immediately following verse And to deliver Paul That is And that Paul should be delivered Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they delivered Paul to wit they who kept him in open Prison Into Italy That Famous Country of Europe in whose Metropolis Rome Caesar whom Paul appealed to had his residence See what we have said of Italy above c. 18. v. 2. With other Prisoners That is With some others who were kept in Custody and by reason of the Intricacy of their cause that were to be cognosced were sent to Rome to Caesar Of Augustus Band. That is Of the Band of the Augustan Legion For saith Grotius Augusta was the Name of a Legion in the ancient Stone in Lipsius on the second Book of Tacitus Histories A Legion under the Caesar's was divided into Ten Regiments every Regiment into three Maniples and every Maniple into two Companies This Legion therefore consisted of 6000 Soldiers and it had 10 Regiment 30 Maniples 60 Companies See Salmasius of the Military Affairs of the Romans c. 2 3. 2. And entring into a Ship of Adramyttium As if he had said But seeing there was no Ship there which was bound straight for Italy we went abroad of a Ship which set forth from Adrumetum or as the Gr. Text has it Adramyttium to traffick on the Coast of Judaea Adrymes or Adrymetus or Adrumetum was a City of Libya Pliny makes mention of it l. 5. Nat. Hist c. 4. Strabo l. 17. calls it Adryme That it was a fortified City appears out of Diodorus Siculus l. 20. of his Historical Library seeing Agathocles laid Siege to it While says he these things were in hand Agathocles now having the Plains in his hands he took the Castles near Carthage by force and brought the Cities over to his side some through fear others by reason of their Hatred of the Carthaginians and having fortified his Camp near Tunis and left a sufficient Garrison he advanced to the Cities near the Sea and having taken a new City at his first assault he shewed himself very merciful towards the Captives whence going forward to Adrymes he besieged it But Adramyttium was a City of Mysia near Caicus a River of the same Mysia as Pliny testifies l. 5. c. 30. Ptolemy l. 5. c. 2. of his Geography reckoneth Adramyttium among the Cities of the greater Phrygia
falling into a place where two Seas met That is Into a double-Sea'd Isthmus or into Land rising in the Sea like an Isthmus which was washed on both sides by the Sea They ran the Ship On a long Row of Rocks which usually are in great Numbers saith Grotius not far from the Shore yet so as that the Sea flows betwixt them and the Shore Of these sort of Rocks Pliny saith in his Proem to his natural History The numerous Rocks of the white Shallow frighten the Ships And the Forepart stuck fast That is And the Forepart of the Ship indeed seeing it stuck fast on the Rock Remained unmovable That is Tho beat upon by the stormy Sea yet it was not so much as moved But the Hinderpart was loosed by the force of the Sea That is But the hinder-part gaped with chinks and was broken by the beating of the Waves into Planks and Boards of which it was made up 42. But the Souldiers Who guarded those who were sent bound to Rome Counsel That is Purpose or Design Lest any To wit Of the Prisoners or Fettered if their Bonds were loosed should swim to Land Should swim out and escape And so escape their deserved Punishments 43. But the Centurion Julius of whom above v. 1. Willing to save Paul Towards whom he had shewn himself Kind and Courteous above v. 3. Kept them from doing it That is He forbid his Souldiers to kill the Prisoners or Chained Who could Swim That is who were skilled in swimming and were of Strength enough to perform it Should cast c. That is Should jump off the Ship into the Sea that they might swim out to the Shore that was not far from them 44. And the rest Who had not Skill or Strength to Swim Some on Boards c. That is They got to Shore on Joists or Planks which use to be had in Rowers Seats Hatches of the Ship or place where the Oars are fastned Some upon those which were of the Ship That is But others they saved from the Shipwrack on broken pieces of the split Ship And so it came to pass that all the Souls That is The Two hundred seventy six Persons which were in the Ship as is said above v. 37. Escaped to Land Safe and Sound as Paul had foretold above v. 24 34. CHAP. XXVIII 1. AND when we were escaped From the dreadful Shipwrack to Land Melita It was already foretold by Paul Cap. 26. v. 26. that the place of their Escape after the violence of the Storm driving them thither in their designed Voyage should be an Island which is now called by its Name Melita There are two Islands recorded of this Name one being attributed to Sclavonia or to Dalmatia a part of Sclavonia and the other to Africk Pliny makes mention of the former lib. 3. cap. 27. Whence he alledges that Callimachus calls little pretty Dogs for Women to play withal by the Name of Catuli Melitaei and saith that it is situate betwixt Corzola or Melena and Sclavonia but Scylax placeth it near Corzola The latter lyeth betwixt Sicily and Africk and that from thence little pretty Dogs are called Melitaei Catelli is asserted by Strabo in his sixth Book where he says That before Pachynus a Promontory of Sicily Melita is to bee seen whence little Dogs are called Melitaei This Expression Catelli Melitaei Malta Bitlings became a Proverb applyed to things that men purchase to themselves meerly for Pleasure without respect to any serious Matter as being of no use thereto The African Melita far surpassing that of Dalmatia or Sclavonia passes now somewhat corruptly under the Name of Malta the Habitation of the Cross-bearers called the Knights of St. John which Charles the first King of Spain Vouchsafed them after they had been expelled Rhodus their former Residence by Solyman the Emperour of the Turks It appears by Diodorus Siculus lib. 4. Bibl. Hist that it was a Colony of the Phenicians Wherefore Bochart in his first Book of the Phenician Colonies cap. 26. ingeniously derives it's Etymology from the Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malat whence arises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Melita That is to say evasion Refuge in regard that it was a place of Refuge for the Phenician Merchants as Diodorus doth attest in the places we just now cited declaring That this African Isle Malta is a Colony of the Phenicians whose Traffique being propagated even to the Western Ocean had this Island for a Refuge since it had a most convenient Harbour and was situate in the middle of the Sea This Island was also Melitan that is a Place of Refuge to Vlysses if Melita be as Cluverius endeavors to prove at large not distinct from Ogygia Calypso's Island Besides Ovid lib. 3. Fast. gives us account that Anna Sister to Dido that died at Carthage being driven thence withdrew to this Island which long since had been the King's dwelling Place Again it 's commonly believed that Paul arrived hither after Shipwrack Indeed Constantine surnamed Porphyrogonnet thinketh that the Sclavonian or Dalmatick Melita was the place of Refuge to Paul in his Shipwrack This Opinion saith Bochart in the Place above quoted seems to some probable First Vpon Consideration that Paul is driven up and down in Adria before his Arrival to Melita Act. 27. v. 27. Hence they conclude that mention is made of an Island in the Adriatick Sea Secondly Forasmuch as Barbarians Inhabited the same Act. 28. v. 2 4. Whileas the Greeks had the African Melita in their Possession long ago Thirdly Because Luke makes no mention of any Town in the Island Melita and yet in the African there 's a Town of the Island 's Name remaining to this very Day But these small Objections are not of such weight as that thereby the Assent of any Man should be denyed to the common Opinion confirmed by the most solid Arguments For in the first Place while Paul was sailing close by Crete as you have it Act. 27. v. 13 14. There arose a tempestuous Wind called Euroclydon or as the vulgar Latin Interpreter reads it Euroaquilo That is The North-East Wind which reading being admitted the Conclusion is plain for the Ship could not be driven by the North-East Wind from Crete into Sclavonia The Situation of the places makes evident that this could have been brought about by the South-East Wind and not by the North-West directly opposite to the former But Read it which way you please it is plain that this Wind Euroclydo drove them rather to the South than to the North seeing that the Mariners feared to be cast upon the Quick-sands of Africk by the Violence of this Wind Act. 27. v. 17. Now there had been no Grounds for such a Fear supposing the Ship to be driven by this Wind to Sclavonia a Coast opposite to Africk and the forementioned Quicksands Secondly Act. 27. v. 41. Having fallen into a place where two Seas meet they ran the ship aground into a
whom the Snake Her devlish Darts at th' Fires approach did shake A Wound by wonted Rage and Poison cold His Hand sustains as all behold Oecumenius also A Viper having thrust her Teeth into the Apostles Hand But the most famous Bochart is with far greater probability of Opinion that the Viper was restrained from fastning her noisome Teeth into the Apostle's Hand by the same God that by his Angel shut up the Mouths of Lions insomuch that they could not hurt with their Teeth the Prophet Dan. 6. v. 22. Which says he Hierozoici p. 2. lib. 3. cap. 3. The words of Luke seem plainly to declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sustained no Hurt For he could not be said to sustain no hurt that was stung by a Viper Neither for ought I know do's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 import to bite or sting nor to assail or hang but to fasten as the simple Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having proved by divers Authorities which you may see cited at large in the Latin Edition of this literal Explication on the Acts of the Holy Apostles he concludes thus Wherefore Stephen adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Words of Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendering it thus she tied herself to his Hand or fastned on it So Basilius thought good to say while he gives account of the same Story in his ninth Homily on the Hexaemeron or six Days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Viper having fastned on Paul while he was a gathering of Sticks Nevertheless by othersit is rendered hang because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify to hang by or on and here it 's immeâ—â— ately subjoin'd when the Barbarians saw the venemous Beast hang on his Hand Others again choose rather to say did bite or Sting as if it should be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the passive Conjugation is to bite yet not with Teeth but with Cavils and scoffing Taunts And indeed Chrysostom on this place for for reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which notwithstanding he takes in another Sense to wit for simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is assaulted set upon For he expresseth himself to this Purpose in the subsequent Exposition A Viper coming out of the Fire set on his Hand What follows makes it manifest that he was assailed By all means Chrysostom must be so rendered In regard that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to assail a Man as Stephanus makes apparent out of Plato Thucydides and Plutarch Whence it is that a great many render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assail'd his Hand as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were not distinct from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there 's no need to change any thing nor to add strange unusual Notions to the common Word since it 's most pertinent to say that the Viper fastned on Paul's Hand For a Serpent is said to tie whatever is compassed with her Windings Hence the Prince of Poets Two Serpents fierce Laocoon assail'd And bound him fast by Windings that prevail'd Nicander likewise in his Thieriacks or Antidotes against Poison v. 475. advises to take care that the little spotted Serpent burn thee not tying fast thy Body by the strokes of her Tail Leo Byzantius also in Boeoticis by the Testimony of Plutarch in his Book of Rivers speaking concerning the Boy Cythaeron insinuates that he was killed by a Serpent that tied him with her windings And Cicero of Roscius in his first Book on Divination The Nurse in the Night being awakned by the Light that was brought saw a Serpent winded close about the Child Again in his second Book It may be an Untruth that Roscius himself was tied fast by the windings of a Serpent This is farther confirmed by Aelian in the sixth Book cap. 21. of his History where he asserts that the Dragon that set upon an Elephant having crept up to his Neck and striking him with one part of his Tail and binding him fast with the other strangled the Beast with an unusual Halter Macrobius in the Description of Hercules 's Knot lib. 1. Sat. cap. 19. Those Dragons tie one another towards the middle by a Knurle called Hercules's Knot 4. And when the Barbarians saw That is The Inhabitants of Malta Those Men says Bochart were accounted Barbarians because the most of them who inhabited the Island Malta were neither Greeks nor Romans but Phenician or Carthaginian Inhabitants as is proved elsewhere by the Testimonies of Scylax Diodorus and Stephanus Wherefore if Credit may be given Orosius in his fourth Book cap. 8. Atilius the Roman Consul in his Sea-Expedition against the Carthaginians in time of the first Punick War passing through Sipara and Malta noble Islands of Sicily quite overthrew them And at the second Punick War T. Sempronius sailed over from Lilibaeum now called Mazara into the Island Malta possest by the Carthaginians As soon as he arrived Amilcar the Son of Giscon Governour of the Garison together with two Thousand Souldiers or thereabouts and the Town of the Island were surrendered to him Thus Livius in his first Book of the third Decade Besides we observed already that Melita is a Carthaginian Name It remains then that the Inhabitants of Malta as also the other African-Carthaginians were a part of the Barbarians from whom the Country itself was at length named Barbary The venemous Beast hung on his Hand On which to wit she had fastned Bochart says that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes not only a Beast in general but also a Serpent or Venomous Beast Ecclesiast c 12. v. 17. Who should shew Pity to an Enchanter bitten by a Serpent or any such as approach to Beasts understand Venomous that is Vipers or Serpents Dioscorides l. 1. c. de vitice or Park-Leaves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Pliny renders thus lib. 24. cap. 9. The Leaves once perfumed or strow'd drive away venomous Beasts Hence in the Books of Physicians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are every where spoken of one bitten by a Serpent and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are such Medicines as cure Men of Serpents Venome In this Sense Josephus in the second Book and fifth Chapter of his Antiquities calleth Ethiopia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it brings forth many Serpents And the Marsi that feed on Serpents are by Galen stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Likewise Dionysius Halicarnasseus calls the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a serpentine Letter because it resembles Serpents hissing Moreover the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importing any wild Beast to the Hebrews is a Serpent in the Arabick Language Neither observe the Chaldees much difference in the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former signifying a Beast in general and the latter a Serpent So that Luke's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Serpent and consequently a Viper A Murderer