virtus mea the Vulgar So Metaphorically Isa 45 9. Prov. 26 23. and particularly considerable is that in Isa 30 14. called the Potters Vessel The use whereof is said there to carry fire As also to purge Metalls As will yet more clearly appear from that allusion God makes to it in Ezech. 22. from 18 to 23. where he sayes he will melt them and purge them from their Brasse Tinne Iron and Lead and as Silver is melted in the midst of the Furnace so should God melt them by affliction The old Scholiast his discant thereon is very pleasant thou which before was pure Silver resplendent with Religion and shining with vertue is now degenerated into the Brasse of malice and Stubborne obstinacy into the Tinne of Hipocriticall and dissembled piety the Iron of Tyranny and the Lead of avarice I l'e sett my furnace in the midst of Ierusalem where I shall make the Chaldeans the coalls and wood my power and wrath the bellowes Pestilence famine and warr shall be the fire wherewith I will consume my obstinat adversaries and expiat and purge my friends where we have the very manner of the operation of the Test clearly set down Which kind of Tests to have been in Solomons dayes may be proved from Prov. 25 4. And above 150 yeares since the Test and its operation in separando omnem materiam alienam vi ignis ab auro argento is excellently described by Matheolus Medicus Senensis in his commentaries on Dioscorides Lib. 5. Cap. 58. Now there are three wayes to try Metalls the Ballance the Toutch-stone and the Test to shew its weight its worth and its purity To all which we see ane excellent Spiritual allusion made by David Psal 26 2. Examine me that is by the Ballance prove me that is by the Toutch-stone try me that is by the Test vide Burges spiritual refinings pag. 87. And these three several words point furth also the degrees reality and foundnesse of grace And indeed the word trie me is appropriat to the Test Try me tho it were by fire Therefore the Vulgar hes it ure renes meos cor meum Upon which words Didymus Alexandrinus Ierom's Master tho from his youthhood blind hes ane excellent commentarie as on many other Scriptures For whereas the Chaldee hes it perpurga and Hieronymus Consta Didymus in his notes conjoyneth them Sicut aurifex igne explorat aurum sic tu Domine eor mentem renes i. e. intimos affectus meos constando perpurgando explora si tibi visum fuerit etiam per igneus tentationis tribulationis When in our language by a very significant Proverb we say of a Person or thing that is well approved that is reall and upright That it has past the Test whereas on the contrary a thing or Person that cannot abide the Test is called reprobator adulterat as money abused with base mixtures Ier. 6 30. Is called reprobat Silver The Prophet gives this reason of it verss .. 28 29. They were but Brass and Lead that did consume and could not abide the Test So Aristotle in his Oeconomicks adokimon epoiese nomisma And his commentator there turns it ab usu remotum That is un-usefull for Trade And as to Persons we find the word taken in that same sence in the New Testament 1 Cor. 9 27. Lest I my self should be a cast-away The Vulgar hes it Ne reprobus efficiar Certainly it doeth not there signifie reprobat as opposite to elect as A lapide seemes to insinuat as if Saint Paul had no assurance of his election as Tirinus on the place seems to intimat out of Gregorie for that were contrary to many expresse Scriptures manifesting that Saint Paul both was elected and also by ane immediat voice from Heaven knew himself to be so Therefore some referre that word rather to the Ministrie then the Person of Saint Paul lest his Ministrie should be rejected as unsound and not able to passe the Test So 2 Cor. 13 5. The word is taken ne pas receivable as the French hes it Tho both Beza and our translators following him have some what scrupulously turned the word Rejectaneus Vt periculosam homonymiam vitarem sayes he But lastly observe the Test may be made of any Beasts bones but the Swine because it can admit of no unclean Beast Respuit immundum regia Testa Animal And so Testam habemus etiam cum pulvisculo Vide Erasmi adagia sub titulo totum ut nihil reliqui And Janus of his gate shall lose the keye CAP. II. Of Janus and his Temple JAnus was one of the most ancient Kings of Italy Reckoned amongst the aborigines about the thirtenth hundred yeare before the Birth of our Saviour he first taught Husbandry and coyning of money and because of his wisdome he was reported to know things past and to come therefore they pictured him with two faces And after his death being made a God Numa built him a Temple which in the time of peace he appointed to be shut and left open in the time of warr Whence Ianus was called Patuleus and Clusius Or rather as Ovid hes it Patulsius and Clausius As Lib. 1. Fastorum He brings him in thus Nomina ridebis modo namque Patulsius idem Et modo Sacrifico Clusius ore vocor Of which Virgil according to his lofty manner sunt geminae Belli portae Religione Sacrae saevi formidine Martis And a little after nec custos absistit limine Janus Has ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae Insignis reserat stridentia limina consul Macrobius gives this reason of it when Romulus was fighting against the Sabines there was a great eruption of Hot-water in that same place where now Ianus Temple stands whereby the Sabins were confounded and put to the flight The expectation of the like aid makes them ever since in the time of warr to leave the door of the Temple open Others say they leave it open because they hope to come back and give thanks for the Victorie And from the raigne of Numa it was but thrice closed even to the times of Augustus First by Numa then by Manlius Torquatus the Consul after the first Punick war Lastly by Augustus himself post confectum bellum actiacum about which time it is conjectured our Saviour was born All which times are pertinently discribed by Stadius his Commentaries on Florus Cap. ult Sect. 35. Goropius Becanus in his Book he calls Cronia thinks he was Iaphet Whom our Countrey-man Mr. Baily in the first Book of his Chronologie pag. 4. hes demonstrated from Gen. 10 21. against the Vulgar translation to have been the eldest Son of Noah Quintus Fabius Pictor in his Book de Aureo Saeculo Printed in the year 1530. tells he was the first that ever taught the Italians the use of Wine and the nature of Sacrifices and did first erect Altars to the honour of God Fuit Ianus sayes he
18 29. Constantius Syr. c. lin 17. Eusebius de vita Constantini lib. 2. pag. 251. The Test was either they should shew themselves Idolaters and Sacrifice to the Idols and so become his minions and favorits else refuse it and by that meanes denyed ever after all accesse to his presence Sed commento quod caelatum erat statim post patefacto alios propter sinceram integram erga Deum mentem approbavit plurimùm alios tanquam Dei proditores servitio Imperatoris indignos censuit And a little after illos qui veritatis Testimonio the Test digni Deo fuere comprobati similes erga Imperatorem fore affirmans stipatores ipsius regni custodes constituit Adding that such faithfull friends are more worthy to a Prince then ane Exchequer full of richest treasure Sisibut lin 19. Isidor lib. 5. Etym. Hispan annall Anno 1616. French Dagobert lin 20. Paulus Aemilius in Dagobert An Appendix concerning Baal BAal so called by the Hebrews is by the Carthaginians named Bal and by the Assyrians Bel as is observed by Servius Grammaticus and Fabricius in his notes on the Christian Poets and is by interpretation Lord Husband and Patron because the Idolaters do subject themselves to their Idols as Servants to their Masters Wises to their Husbands and Clients to their Patrons This was the most famous Idol in all the East to whom the Jews by the instigation of the Devill and instruction of Balaam per intervalla from the time of the Judges to the Babylonish captivity did homage and worship To this cursed dance the Assyrians first led the Ring For Nimrod as Victor Massiliensis writeth in his thrid Book was the first that erected a statue and did Sacrifice to Baal in memorial of the death of his only Son And Belus succeeding him did more violently propagat that monstrous Idolatry from whom the name Bel was given this Idol amongst the Assyrians And as error hes ordinarly a prodigious fertility and a monstrous Birth as Cassianus observes sometimes from the different rites of Worship and different places where and Persons by whom he was worshipped received distinct Titles as also by the benefits ascribed to him by his worshippers For 1. He is called Baal-peor the God of nakednes or gaping Num. 25 3 5. Deut. 4 3. Hos 9 10. and simply called Pehor Numb 25. last verse Ios 22 17. Psal 106 28. The God of the Moabits worshipped on the mount Pehor and by Hieron lib. 1. adversus Jovinian and on Es 25. supposed to be Priapus that abominable and obscene monster So sayes Adrichomius in his Theatro Terrae Sanctae in Ruben Isidor Lib. 5. Originum Cap. 11. Theophilact on Hos 4 9. and Lorinus on Psal 105. Bucer and Calvin on 105 Ps derives it from the Hebrew word that signifies to make bare or open from these shamefull and abominable Practices used in the service of Baal With what artes and inticements the Midianites brought the Jews to practise such pollutions Iosephus tells in 4 Book of his Antiq. 5. Cap. Now Baalpehor is Baal worshipped on the Mount Pehor Numb 23 28. See Suidas in Belphegor Just so was Iupiter called Capitolinus and Olympius How the unclean Spirit Triumphed thus amongst the Heathen see Gerardus Vossius de Origine Idolatriae lib. 2. cap. 1. amongst the Romans was such a monstrous God of uncleanness called Lupercus and Mutinus And amongst the Italians Arcalius Qualiter in caeno obscaeno quantoque reatu Degitur hoc aevi quodcunque est 2. Baalzebub or Belzebul the God of Ekron whom Ahaziah consulted anent his health 2 King 1 2. Because they believed him to have power of listing or laying on diseases Also he was over their Store-houses and Butteries to drive away the Flies others think that the Sacrifices offered to this God were so infested with Flies that they gave occasion to this Epithet especially amongst the Jews who did upbraid them with it whereas in the Temple of Solomon notwithstanding of the great and constant multituds of Sacrifices yet there was never any Flie seen to molest them So in an holy Scorn is the Prince of the Devills by the Jews 12 Mat. 24. called Belzebul that is the God of Dirt for Zebul signifies Stercus i. e. Deus Stercoreus this properly in the Chaldee tongue By Pausanias in Atticis he is called Myiodes that is Iupiter Muscarius and Lilius Giraldus in Syntagmate 2 de jove proves at large to be that same Iupiter that other nations worshipped See Plinius lib. 29 cap. 6. and lib. 8. cap. 29. and lib. 10. cap. 28. called Achor from Ekron But which is most considerable the septuagint in 2 King 1. and 2. hes Baal Myian the Flie-God Who to the Ekronits was their Aesculapius 3. Baal Phegor that is the God of Carcasses 2 King 19 35. They were all dead corpses It s that same word Phegor Otherwise called Molech a Prince for its all one as may be proven from Amos 5 26. This was the God of the Phaenicians as Ennius hes it Poeni sunt soliti sos Sacrificare puellos And Silius Italicus turns it Mos fuit in populis quos condidit advena Dido Poscere coede Deos veniam ac flagrantibus aris Infandum dictu Parvos imponere natos The Ancients generally call it anthropothusia Phaenicia which Achaz and Manasses the Israelits did Imitate The reason is given by the Prophet Mic. 6 6. and 7. to Pacifie as they supposed the guilt of their inraged consciences 4. Baal Bozor the God of scattering and dissipation to whom they made vows when they went to warr as the Greeks did to Mars and Pallas 5. Was Baal Berith the God of the Covenant Iudg. 8 33. After Gideon was dead they made Baal Berith their God and Iudg. 9 4. We read of the Temple of Baal Berith and the 9 46. simply called Berith Gideon their Governour being gone they entred in a Covenant to serve Baal and forsake their God this is the Baal that is meaned in the body of the Poem SECTION III. Lin. 1. ARgo was the first great Ship we read amongst Heathen writers and was that wherein Iason and his Company fifty two in Number went to Colchis to bring away the Golden Fleece It had the name of Argo from its Author or first builder as we call the Ark Noahs Ark or rather if we believe Cicero Tuscullan quest lib. 1. Argo nominata est quia Argivi in ea lecti viri vecti petebant pellem inauratam Arietis But here it s taken appellatively Cataracts lin 5. A Cataract is properly a violent fall of Water from a steep and high rock with a great rushing noise from the Greek katarasso which signifies to fall down head long with violence We call it a Linn such as Carhous Linn on the Water of Clyd Plinius in his 5 Book Chap. 9. speaking of the River Nilus sayes Cataractes inter occursantes scopulos non fluere immenso fragore creditur sed
learned Brissonius de regio Persarum principatu 5. The prerogative of the Germans out of Tacitus de moribus Germanorum 6. Of the French out of Caesar de bello Gallico lib. 7. Out of all which by a judicious and serious Reader might be collected a full complete Volume of the prerogatives of all Nations Which if it be yet done in whole or in part I know not Only I could wish this would animat the generous attempt of some learned head but this being the work rather of a Lawyer then a divine and not belonging to our design but by way of annotation and digression Let these few remarckes suffice An Appendix concerning the Kings Treasure as a consequent of his Prerogative HE that walkes on the Battelments of Soveraignity had need of some massy weight to keep him steddy A poor Governour as Euripides sayeth being a scorn to Authority and a burden to the People Wherefore in all ages to support their Prerogative either in peace or warr it hes been the laudable Custome of all Kings to masse up a great store of treasure Hence nothing so celebrated amongst all Authors as the Gaza Persica Quintus Curtius in his 5 Book describs it and Isod lib. 20.9 and the 70 retain ordinarly the word Gaza as Esth 4 7. Haman vow'd to pay ten thousand Talents of Silver to the Kings treasure which in English money will amount to three millions fifty thousand and seven hundreth pounds ô Pride O Revenge How dear guests are ye Pomponius Mela in his first Book of Geographie confounds Gaza a Town in Palestin with Gaza a treasure or at least sayes he the one had the name from the other not considering that Gaza a Town with the Hebrews is writen with Hajin a treasure with Gimel In the Scriptures also we read of the treasures of Egypt The treasures of the Kings of Israel and Iudah 2 Kings 18 15. and 20 13. and 39 2 4. 2 Chron. 36 18. Ezeck 28 4. Dan. 11 43. Neh. 13 12. The Latine word Thesaurus imports the providence of a Prince eis-aurion tithenai to lay up something for to morrow See Scaliger derives aurum from oorein custodire They have other two words also Fiscus And aerarium But with this difference as Budeus observes that aerarium is pecunia publica imperii but Fiscus is pecunia Imperatoris Fiscus a Fisu quod eo ad vitam degendam subsidio homines fidere soleant As in the Hebrew Mammon from Emunah fides The word aerarium is from aes aeris because the first money used by the Romans was Brasse as Plin. lib. 3. cap. 33. and their casting their Accompts was likewise with Brass pieces which we call Compters called by the Ancients aera Of this way of compting and of the aera a Reckoning see Scaliger de emendatione temporum lib. 5. Where he alleadges what they called aera we now call item The Scripture makes mention not only of the treasures of Heathen Princes as Ezra 5 17. and 6 1. But also God allowed a treasurie in his Church Mark 12 41. Luk. 21 1. Ioh. 8 20. These things spoke Iesus in the treasurie What this treasurie was ye will read it explained by Shindler in his Lexicon in the word Lishcah and by Caspar Waserus who hes written learnedly on that subject de pecuniarum repositoriis Amongst Politicians the question is not of the Lawfulness but of the expediency of Princes treasures Some court-flatterers with the fox in the fable intending to cheat the crow of his cheefe they will tell the Prince that his glory stands rather in his bounty then his baggs and will confirm it by the examples of Alexander and Caesar who by their generous and oblidging liberality did atchive great matters that Sardanapalus left ten millions to them that murdered him Nero gave above 12 millions to them that flattered him which gifts Galba afterward did revocke But they consider not that these great and warlyk Princes as Alexander and Caesar were liberal rather out of the spoils of their enemies then their own treasuries But it is certain that a Prince that is not this way provident shall never be able to defend his prerogative and maintain his right but fall under contempt and danger the effect of Poverty as by many pregnant instances might be proven See a treatise intituled Englands treasure by forraign Trade by Thomas Mun Londoner Appendix 2. Concerning a peculiar Prerogative THere is a peculiar Prerogative mercifully and miraculously granted by God unto some Princes as to the Kings of Brittain and some say the French King too to heale that disease Scrofula commonly called the Kings evil So Plutarch in the life of Pyrrhus affirmes that he cured all these that were diseased of the Spleen with a touch of his foot only And Swetonius in Vespasian Cap. 7. makes mention that a blind man and a crooked at least debili crure as he speakes were both restored by the Emperour to intire health the one by spitting in his Eye the other by a touch of his Heel So divine a prerogative hes but the touche of the worst part of a Prince Which made not only a confirmation but an accession both to his Majesty and authority And that Princes by vertue of their Office are indued from Heaven with a Sagacity more then ordinary as in King Iames's finding out the poweder plot is consented to by all interpreters to be Solomons meaning in Prov. 16 10. a divine sentence some reads it Prophesie or divination See Petrus Molinaeus decus illud Theologorum as Spanhemius calls him in his 1 Book de praecognitione futurorum Cap. 20. Where he not only brings in the instance of Solomon deciding betwixt the two whoors but of one Ariopharnes King of the Thracians who when the King of the Cymmerians was dead and three contending for the Succession all pretending to be Sons to the defunct whereas it was certain he had left only one Son being elected Arbiter of the contention commanded the body of the dead King to be hanged on a Tree and appointed the three to shoot with Arrows and who came nearest to his Heart should obtain the Kingdom the first shot through the Shoulder the next through the Arm the thrid abhorring so unnatural an experiment was content rather to lose the Kingdom then to mangle the Corps of his Father And to him he adjudged the Crown the Story is in Diodorus Siculus By Ezekia David Solomon all which ye will see cited and cleared from their particular places of Scripture by Seth Ward Lord Bishop of Sarum his Sermon before the King against resistance of Lawfull powers the first of his six Sermons Printed Anno 1672. CHAP. VI. Concerning Melchisedeck who he was GReat hes been the toil of learned Men in all ages both Jews and Gentiles to loose this knot and some after all their labour have concluded the mystery not only profound but incomprehensible alleadging where the great Apostle makes difficulty the
preface it is fit for them to make dispair the conclusion Heb. 5 11. Gesnerus in his Commentaries on Gen. 14 quest 3. pag. 307. tells us of one Copres an Abbot in Scythia who observing his Disciples to contend much about this same controversie pronunced a woe on himself for searching so much in it Saint Ierom. 3. Tom. Epist 136. speaking of it sayes Si vas electionis stupet ad mysterium dum disputat ineffabile confitetur quanto magis nos vermiculi culices solam debemus scientiam inscitiae confiteri Mr. Bailly our Countrey-man in the first Book of his Chronologie pag. 18. Quis mortalium hic fuerit frustraneus est curiosissimorum labor inquirere and ends his discourse of him Necesse est desinant homines in lucem velle protrahere quod Deus decrevit in tenebris occultandum Rainolds on Psal 110. pag. 462. I cannot but wonder that men should toil themselves in the dark to find out that of which they have not the least ground of solide conjecture speaking of Melchisedeck But yet with all humility following the conduct of the Scriptures by the threed of solide reason we shall crave liberty to propone other mens Sentences and to interpose our own There have been then 7 several opinions ancient and modern concerning Melchisedek 1. Some have thought that that whole business concerning him was a mystery known to God only and should never be revealed to man 2. Some that he was some power and vertue of God greater then Christ the Son of God 3. Some that he was an Angel 4. That he was the Son of God who in a preludie to his future humanity appeared to the Sons of Men. 5. Some that he was the Holy Ghost 6. Some that he was Shem the Son of Noah But the opinion I shall fix upon is different from all these The first is the opinion of Prudentius whom Gennadius in his Catalogue illustrium virorum Cap. 13. calls Poeta Palatinus sed Christianus saeculari literatura insignis His words are in his preface to his Psychomach Dei Sacerdos Rex idem praepotens origo cujus fonte inenarrabili secreta nullum prodit Authorem sui Melchisedeck qua stirpe queis majoribus ignotus uni cognitus tantum Deo Of this opinion are many other modern Authors see Ravanel in his Bibliotheca in voce Melchisedeck To which I answer I darr not be so impudent to obtrude into the World any scrible of mine with that vain glorious and boasting preface En reserata orbi magni secreta tonantis as Scaliger observeth of a German in his time For I must confesse with the great Apostle that what concerns Melchisedeck is hard to be uttered that is is both profound and mysterious Heb. 5 11. Yet this was not the obscurity so much upon the matter as in the dulness and incapacity of the Hearers to receive so excellent doctrine otherwise he had superseded all labour of any further explication and the several sentiments of learned men in all ages are enough to refute this faint and floating conjecture The 2. That he was some great power of God greater then Christ was the peculiar opinion of these Heretickes called by Epiphanius in his 2 Book adversus Hereses Heres 55. Melchisedeciani Megalen ten dunamin phaskousi alla kai Meizoteron tou Christou Theodoret. de maleloquentia haeretica Lib. 2. calls them Griveous Heretickes So said Augustine lib. de Heresibus ad quod vult Deum Cap. 34. The ground of this opinion was because it s said of Christ he was to be after the order of Melchisedeck Therefore say they he was inferior to him in dignity This Epiphanius there refutes shewing a Servant is not equal to his Master Christ was God and Melchisedeck but a Man Doctor Gouge in his Lexicon on the Hebrews shews that their own argument refutes themselves for Christ being an High-priest after the order of Melchisedeck Melchisedeck was a Type of Christ and Christ the Truth of that Type but the Truth is alwayes greater then the Type and by that expression as shall be manifested Melchisedeck is so farr from having any prerogative to that he hes not so much as an equality with Christ The 3. That he was an Angel A. Sixtus Senensis in his Bibliotheca Sancta lib. 5. Annot. 90. hath observed out of Saint Ierom. in his Epistle to Euagrius That Origene was the first Author of this opinion and sayes that Dydimus his Scholar was of the same mind and in his Annot. 91. he tells us that Saint Augustine in his Book of the Questions on the Old and New Testament quest 109. endeavours to prove that Melchisedeck was an Angel or the Holy Ghost But Alphonsus à Castro in his 10 Book against Heresies proves that that Book cannot belong to Saint Augustine For in his Book of Heresies before cited he condemned it for Heresie Cap. 34. and no mention made of it in his retractations But be the opinion whose it will it s easily refuted by the description of an High-priest Heb. 5 1. That he must be a Man Neither doth this any way accord to the History delivered of Melchisedeck Gen. 14. Neither any where in the whole Scripture is the Priest-hood attributed to the Angels Besides what a ridiculous prerogative had that been to tell us an Angell had neither Father nor Mother nor Genealogie So Gouge Slegelius Tena and Molineus de praecog futurorum Lib. 4. Cap. 11. The 4. opinion is That he was the Son of God And this Epiphanius tells us was