those words consecrated to such a mysterie ibid. Marriage not acounted by vs a Sacrament ibid. towards the end and so to the end of the Chapter Of the Ring in Mariage p. 195 CHAP. XVIII Of Churching and Buriall p. 196 What purification is abrogated p. 196. how p. 197. Our Churching of Women no Iudaisme and of the Vaile then vsed p. 198. and of the Offering imposed p. 199. Of Tithes ibid. They are God's Stipends not Almes p. 200. They are not Iewishly Ceremoniall p. 201. They are due to Ministers and so proued ibid. Of competencie p. 204. Citie Tithes p. 205. The Apostles were not maintained by Almes ibid. Priests bury not but assist the Funerall p. 207. Of Prayers then vsed and of Sermons p. 208. The place of Burial p. 209. The second Booke CHAP. I. Of the Booke of Tobit p. 211 THe Apocryphall Bookes no Canon with vs for Doctrine p. 211. And yet vpon good grounds read in our Church p. 212. As namely for the explanation of the Canonicall Scriptures p. 215. Why they are called Apocryphall pag. 216. Of the Angell Raphael in the Booke of Tobit p. 220. Of the seuen Angels in the twelfth Chapter of Tobit p. 221. That number is neither Magicall nor Popish p. 223. The Office of Angels p. 224. Whether they pray for vs p. 225. Whether the Angels eate really p. 227. Of the Angels speaking p. 228. Of Asmodeus the euill spirit p. 230. Of the Nature of Angels both in their Affection ibid. any limitation in respect of the meanes and manner p. 232. Of Almes and how they purge sin p. 235 Of contract before Marriage p. 237 CHAP. II. Of Iudeth and the Song of the three Children p. 241 Of the word Titans and of borrowing words from Peets p. 241. The time of Iudeth's Storie p. 249. Of Bethulia p. 248. Iudeth's fasting whether superstitious p. 249. Her prayer whether impure p. 251. Her craftè whether wicked p. 254. Her course is warranted by the like of Iael in the Booke of Iudges p 257. Of the Song called Benedicite the vse thereof p. 259. The clearing of that Historicall Fragment from obiections p. 260 The Storie of Susanna vindicated p. 262. The Storie of Bel and the Dragon opened p. 264 CHAP. III. Of Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and Baruch p. 265 Of the Booke of Wisdome's Authour p. 265 The explanation of those words But rather being good I came into an vndefiled body p. 266. And of those when a Father mourneth grieuously for his Sonne c. p. 268. Of Tammuz ibid. Of the Argument of Ecclesiasticus p. 269. Of the Prologue p. 270. Of the Treatise p. 272. How Enoch is said to be taken away p. 273. Of Samuels death foreshewed ibid. Of Elias pag. 274. Of the time when Ierusalem was burnt in Baruch's account p. 276. What he meanes by those words Heare the dead Israelites p. 277. Of Ieremies Epistle p. 278. CHAP. IV. Of the Translation of the Psalmes p. 280 Of the Psalmes-Tiles p. 280. Of words detracted p. 283. The sense not corrupted in that 68. Psalme verse 27. p. 284. Nor in the 105. vers 28. p. 285. Of additions to the Psalmes in sentences p. 287. In words 288. Of the obscuritie in translation or euer your pots bee made hote c. p. 291 And of that humbly bringing pieces of siluer c. p. 292. And of that it shall not breake my head pag. 293. Of falshood in translation as in that thou shalt learne frowardnesse pag. 294. And in that Psalme 125. 3. shall not fall ibid. And in that Psalme 107. verse 40. though hee suffer them to bee euill intreated of Tyrants ibidem And in that Psalme 68. 6. Men of one minde p. 295. And in that Psalme 75. 3. when I receiue the Congregation ibid. And in that then stood vp Phinees and prayed pag. 296. And in that make mee to delight in good ibid. CHAP. V. Of the Lessons Epistles and Gospels p. 297. Of the omission of Chapters p. 297. The terme of Lesson p. 299. Of that translation Luke 1. 36. this is the sixt moneth that is called barren ibid. Of cutting the Bible into Epistles and Gospels p. 300. Of those words left out Col. 3. 12. Holy and beloued p. 101. Why we call Prophecies Epistles p. 302. The place Galat. 4. 5. cleared p. 303 How wee are the naturall sonnes of God ibid. How Paul calleth Timothy his naturall sonne ibid. God in a different degree loueth vs as his sonne Christ ibid. Iohn 1. 1. Cleared page 304. Of that Gal. 4 25. bordereth for answereth pag 305. Of that Ephes 3. 5. Father of all that is called Father ibid. Ephesians 5. 13. cleared p. 306. Heb. 9. 25. cleared ibid. Rom. 12. 11. cleared pag. 307. Luke 1. 48. cleared ibid. 1. Cor. 9. 27. cleared ibid. Phil. 2. 7. cleared p. 308. 1. Pet. 3. 20. cleared ibid. A Dialogue concerning the Liturgie OR The Booke of Common Prayer The Speakers NOVATVS A curious Corrector of things indifferent IRENaeVS A peaceable Conformer to the state of the present Church CHAP. I. Generall arguments against the Liturgie I. GOod morrow to you friend Nouatus how haue you fared this cold Christmas N. Brother Irenaus as my body is in health so my minde is ill apaid to heare your good morrow sauouring of Paganisme being drawne from Bonum mane vsed by the Romans and your Christmas of Poperie which ioyneth the Masse to Christ as an Asse to an Oxe or Dagon to Gods Arke I. The Latine word mane properly seemeth to signifie nothing but gracious or peaceable whence we translate Manes good spirits and immanis Cruell In which sense if we interprete Bonum mane it shall betoken nothing but grace or Peace be with you which kind of salutation soundeth more of heauenly Scriptures then of earthly heathens But if mane be taken for the morning as being the most gracious time of the day wherein the brayne is Cooled the stomacke strengthened the heart tempered and the spirits repaired How can this greeting of good morrow more displease then haile or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by a Luke 1. 28. the Angell to the Virgine which as it seemeth to be deduced from b Ionice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a season So before Luke vsed it the heathens did vsurpe it For Agylla chiefe Citie of Hetruria was called Coere as some thinke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was vsed by a Citizen in scorne to a Pelasgian besieger the same day the Citie was surprised N. To let your Latine and Poetry passe praier in common talke bewrayes little reverence Againe Iohn 10. we ought not to salute or pray with them whose religion is to vs vnknowne I. To let passe your hard Censures by which you cut out the tongues of tongues and plucke out the hearts of artes Is there not a prayer exprest in the common talk of
N. That part of the Minor is to bee applyed to Orders and Matrimony I. Belike then you affirmed that ioyntly of all the Sacraments which should haue beene deuided among them N. We most insist vpon the last clause Namely that they haue no visible signe I. Neither is that built vpon a Rocke For haue not Confirmation and Orders the visible signe of imposition of hands Can you conceiue of Matrimonie without hand-fasting Or of Extreame Vnction without Visible Infusion of oyles Nay if Sensible bee Visible and Audible be Sensible Is not Confession in Penance directly Audible so Visible by your owne interpretation N. What then Doe you reuiue the Seauen Popish Sacraments I. Nothing lesse But onely I manifest vnto you with what leaden weapons you impugne the iron enemie namely the Papist Against whom while you deferre to fight our Church becomes like the Oake cleft with wedges made out of her owne bodie N. If this Argument be weake you condemne the Booke of Articles which propoundeth the Art 25. same reason I. You mistake the meaning of the Booke yea and the words also The words are thus Being such as are growne partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles Partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures but yet haue not like nature of Sacraments with Baptisme and the Lord's Supper for that they haue not any visible Signe or Ceremonie ordained of God Here first you perceiue that the word Partly was twice left out of your argument wherevpon came your fallacie of Compounding and Diuiding And so it may bee the hauing of a visible signe taking Visible in his proper sence doth exclude Penance They being onely a state allowed in Scripture doth shut out Matrimony as the corrupt imitation of the Apostles doth Anoyling Some such like thing may bee thought of Confirmation and Orders But it is vncertaine N. Yea but they all fiue are denied to haue a visible signe I. Some coniecture that by Visible is meant that which is perceiued by many senses and this kind of Signe may bee proper to Baptisme and the Lords Supper But the plaine answere is That no Sacraments excepting those two haue a visible signe generally necessarie to saluation N. Without Orders there can be no Ministery without the Ministery no Visible Church without which there can bee no ordinary salution I. Orders are mediately necessarie for all but immediately for Ministers alone N. From the number of the Sacraments I come to their end Namely their necessity against which I thus argue Those things without which saluation may be obtained are not necessary to saluation But such are the Sacraments Ergo. I. I thus encounter your Maior Those things without which saluation may bee obtained are not necessary to saluation But without Miracles Saluation may be had And therefore Micracles euen those of Christ shall bee needlesse to saluation N. Miracles are no ordinary meanes to saluation but extraordinary I. So Sacraments are not extraordinary Which heresie denieth all outward Sacraments but direct and ordinary meanes for vnlesse you be a Swingfeldian you must acknowledge that neglect or contempt of Sacraments is a Barto life eternall And so both the doubtfulnesse of your Maior and falshood of your Minor doe at once appeace in their colours N. My second reason is this Things necessary to saluation doe conferre grace But Sacraments do not and so are not necessary I. Your Maior is not well poised For is therefore the Sabbath needlesse to saluation because it doth not conferre grace Againe your Minor wants the bridle of bondage and limiting distinction For though Sacraments doe not actiuely Physically and by infusion conferre grace yet none but publique enemies to all Sacraments will denie that they bring grace passiuely and by the assistance of the concurrent Spirit of God Euen as the Circles of Magicians and Spels of Witches are said to bee operatiue not of themselues being meere quantities but by the concurrent assistance of Satan with whom the bloudie couenant is stricken Now that Sacraments are necessary to Saluation it appeares by three things First because they are Gods Ordinances and so most needfull Secondly because they are markes of the Church visible out of whose bosome there is no ordinary saluation Thirdly because faith is begun in Baptisme and strengthned in the Lords Supper The necessitie whereof is greater then of water and fire nay then of friendship N. This shall bee tried in the particular Sacrament to which wee now descend It seemeth then that you make fiue Sacraments Baptisme Confirmation The Lords Supper Penance and Orders which last because it is not expressed in the Liturgie we will now omit I. You confest before that wee made only two Sacraments generally necessary why doe you then place Confirmation betweene Baptisme and the Lords Supper And where doe you finde our Sacrament of Penance N. The reason of these things shall afterwards be z In Confirmations and the Visitation of the sicke declared Now I come to Baptisme In the dignitie you giue to Baptisme we note two errours First you corruptly cite the words of Christ to Nicodemus Vnlesse a man be borne of water and of the Holy Ghost For by water you vnderstand the Baptisme of the Floud as you terme it Whereas indeed by water you should conceiue nothing but the purging efficacie of the holy Spirit I. Wee embrace the literall sense why doe you flie to a figure without important necessitie N. Yea necessitie doth vrge vs so to doe For else we should grant the necessitie of externall Baptisme to saluation I. You heard before that Sacraments were thus necessarie Why doe you now rowle the same stone N. Proue in particular now Baptisme to bee necessary to saluation I. First Circumcision was thus necessary For the soule vncircumcised was to be a Gen 17. 14. cut off from the people of God Yea God would haue slaine Moses because hee neglected the Circumcision of his b Exod. 4. 24. Sonne Nay the necke of the Asse-coult not c Exod. 13. 13. redeemed was to bee broken which redemption was proportionable to Circumcision as appeares by the d Exod. 22. 30. time thereof But Baptisme is answerable to e 1. Pet. 3. 21. Circumcision therefore equally necessarie Secondly Baptisme is tearmed the lauer f Titus 3. 5. of regeneration whereby the Church is g Ephes 5. 26. sanctified It is also called the Baptisme of repentance vnto remission h Marke 1. 4. Acts 19 4. of sinnes Yea Peter and Paul being demanded what men should doe to be saued The one in direct words both in practise did vrge i Acts 2. 37 38. 16. 30 33 34 Baptisme aswell as beliefe Yea Christ himselfe saith Hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall bee k Marke 16. 16. saued And Peter peremptorily auerreth that Baptisme l 1. Pet. 3. 21. doth saue N. First it seemes by these places That saluation is not ascribed to Baptisme
c Ruth 2. 4. Boaz and his reapers Though the phrase haile were abused by hypocriticall Iudas and the prophane heard of the people which preferre their salutations before their saluations Can it not therefore with conuenient reuerence bee vsed by the Angell Are not some sudaine ciaculations reuerent prayers As for your Scripture it is wrested For Saint Iohn forbiddeth only familiar greetings of knowne heretiques The same Apostle elsewhere permitteth vs to pray for all except the d 1. Iohn 5. 16. sinners against the holy ghost N. I esteeme not what you speake of prayer who seeme to be ignorant of the meaning thereof forasmuch as you loue the masse a fatall enemy to all true prayer And this appeares not only because you familiarly name Lammas Michelmas Christmas Candlemas But also because I take it you haue there in your hand an English mass-Masse-booke I. The Saxons vsed this word Mas or Mes for a feast in which sense these times are so termed by vs without any imitation of the Popish masse Now if you can proue that the booke of Common prayer is a Masse booke I shall not be so backward as not to consent nor so froward as not to confesse the truth N. First in generall I thus obiect against your Liturgie That which is taken out of the Masse booke of the Pope who is an Idolater Antichrist and out of the Church the same is to be reputed as the Masse booke But such is your Liturgie Ergo c. I. I answer to your Maior First that the two former attributes which you ascribe to the Pope are impertinent except your speech bee thus limited That which is drawne from the Pope as he is an Idolater c. For else Saint e Acts 17. 28. 1. Cor. 15. 33. Titus 1. â—2 Iames 1. 17. Paul and Saint Iames had erred in borrowing the speeches of heathenish and Idolatrous Poets N. But it is written f Deut. 12 4. thou shalt not doe so Therefore we may not pray as Idolaters doe I. If wee referre that precept to the fift verse where the Hebrewes are forbidden to sacrifice elsewhere then at the Tabernacle it is meerely Ceremoniall neither can bind vs But if it bee referred to Images in the third verse it is morall indeed but forbiddeth only communion with idolaters in that wherein they are such and not otherwise For example kneeling in prayer before Iupiters image is forbidden Heere simply and absolutely in prayer kneeling is not interdicted For it is a Dictate of nature that kneeling is a gesture agreeable to Gods worship But to doe this before the idoll of Iupiter who was but a King or is but a Planet that is only prohibited as idolatrous N. We shall dispute more largely of the particular obiections wherefore I proceed The Pope is Antichrist Therefore whatsoeuer is taken out of his Portuise is Antichristian I. This is not vnlike an argument of a certaine Arrian confuted by Zanchius The Trinity is Defended by the Pope who is Antichrist It is therefore Antichristian In like manner wee might thus reason The Turke whom some count Antichrist and all an Apostate yea the Deuill acknowledgeth one God The Pagans also beleeue that there is a God To acknowledge therefore and beleeue these things is Turkish Deuillish Heathenish In all these arguments there are the same g Ab accidente A dicto simpliciter Principij petitio non causa c. fallacians for ignorance of a limitation N. Antichrist is an Arch-heretique whatso-soeuer therefore he maintaineth is hereticall I. To the old errour you adde a new like Drunkenesse to thirst the old appeares in the Consequence For heresie as the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to choose word sheweth is a choice of some errour direcly impugning the foundation of Religion Now where election is there must needs be some refusall so that he which reuolteth from all points of truth ceaseth to be an heretique and becommeth an Apostate A Pagan An Atheist or some other monster Your new errour is in the antecedent wherein you say that Antichrist is a chiefe heretique For antichristianitie consisteth not so much in errour and heresie as in tyranny ouer mens Consciences to which it ioyneth things indifferent as necessary to Saluation N. I am glad you haue swallowed this bait For I shal hereafter proue by this definition that your Seruice Booke is Antichristian Meane while tell me is the Popes third attribute namely that he is out of the Church impertinent also to the matter I. More pertinent but lesse true For though the Pope were neither in nor of the Catholique Better Catholique yet certainly he is in the visible Church As thus may appeare First Antichrist whom you take to be the Pope sitteth in the Temple of God that is in the Church visible Secondly the Pope by your confession is an heretique Now that an heretique is in the Church we know both because none can be excommunicated but tbose that are within the Church Neither will any deny that heretiques doe deserue excommunication As also because heretiques repenting after excommunication are receiued into the bosome of the Church without new Baptisme which could not bee if they werc vttterly cut off from the Church Thirdly no Baptisme can be out of the Church But in the Popes iurisdiction is true baptisme which by no meanes can be iterated vnlesse there come some violent h Smith at Amsterdam spirit which for haste will rebaptise himselfe Not vnlike a frantque man who though meate be present yet vpon pretence of hunger eateth the flesh of his owne arme The Pope therefore remayneth within the territories of the visible Church Hitherto of your Maior Now to your Minor wee say That wee extract our Liturgie not from the loynes or lines of the Pope but from Gods Word and the primitive Church howsoeuer the Pope may seeme to haue vsed or vsurped the same N. Let not him that putteth on the Sword boast as he that putteth it off For I hope shortly to refell what you haue said Now from the Platforme of your Liturgie I come to treat of the i Second generall obiection the Liturgie a Lethargie end and purpose thereof which seemeth to be first the hindrance of Preaching Sermons I. Proue that and then raile your â—â—ll N. That whose length is such that it taketh from the Minister both conueniencie of time alacritie of minde and strength of bodie in regard of preaching the end thereof is the hindrance of preaching but such is your Liturgie Ergo. I. A cloud without raine Your minor is vntrue For first oftentimes the Preacher is not the same with the Reader Especially in Catherall Churches and Chappels as also where there is a Curat or Coadiutor Secondly one of the Chapters is in many Churches read by the Clark Thirdly part of the Psalmes and other answers are dispatched by him and the people Fourthly the Commination Letany the Nicene and Athanasian Creedes and
belonging to the liuing we come to the Buriall of the Dead wherein wee dislike the Person Manner and Place Touching the first we maruell that you make Buriall a Ministeriall Dutie seeing the Law prohibiteth the Priests to defile themselues by the e Leuit. 21. 1. Dead I. You were lately displeased because we vsed Purification being Iewish And now you would haue vs vse the Iewish manner of Buriall Wee like not this that with the same breath you blow both hot and f Reclusis illud hoc clausis Lahijs cold Againe tell I pray you what meane you by that defiled with the Dead N. It seemeth that g Leuit. 21. 3 4. lamentation is thereby meant I. Where is then your Argument The Priest may not lament for the Dead He may not therefore be present at Burials to comfort them that lament with his deuout exhortations and prayers N. We reade not that the Priests did burie any man and therefore to make this their office is against Scripture I. It is not against but besides Scripture were it as you pretend But the truth is we doe not appoint the Priest to burie that act being in a manner meerely ciuill but only to assist the Funerall for the comfort and instruction of the liuing N. The manner of your Burials doth also displease vs Forasmuch as you vse sundrie Prayers therein which seeme to fauour the Popish Purgatorie I. The Dumbe Shewes of Other Churches though wee condemne not yet wee cannot suppose that they containe so much reuerence and deuotion as our custome doth As for the Purgatorie you mention it is a forgerie of your owne Iealousie considering wee pray for nothing in the behalfe of the Dead saue only that wee seeme to be in good hope of their ioyfull resurrection of which matter wee treated in Baptisme N. Yea but Prayers being rehearsed at the Graue haue some smell of Superstition I. Were you as quicke-sented as the Vultures of Romulus yet could no such sauour bee here felt forasmuch as our Prayers being in the mother tongue are discerned by the meanest auditor to containe nothing but matter of consolation and hope to the liuing N. Funerall Sermons are of the same branne and therefore iustly abrogated in the Reformed Churches N. If those Sermons containe flatterie or errour wee may not defend them But if they be replenished with hopefull and consolatorie doctrines we doubt not to thinke them to bee of that nature of which was the famous lamentation of Dauid made for his King h 2. Sam. 1. 17. and his Friend Or of which were those worthy Orations i The Funerall Orations of Basill and Gregorie Funerall which deserue to bee written in Plates of gold celebrated in all antiquitie And certainly if a Word in Place k Prou. 25 11. and l Prou 15. 23. Time bee so precious If wee bee commanded to preach in m 2. Tim 4. 2. Season Can any Sermon be more seasonable then when God's iudgements concurre with his word when the sense of mortalitie doth kindle deuotion and griefe quickneth Charitie Thinke you that when the men of Iabesh fasted n 1. Sam. 31. 13 seuen dayes at the buriall of Saul and his sonnes and when Mary wept at the Tombe of her o Iohn 11. 31. brother a Sermon would haue beene vnseasonable Suppose you that in all those seuen dayes before mentioned prayers were not mingled with their fasting As for the Reformed Churches wee censure them not neither may they condemne vs Forasmuch as the Strangers amongst vs being men of their owne Countrie and Discipline doe still retaine Funerall Sermons N. Wee are most offended with your Place of Buriall which is the Church or Church-yard wherein you seeme to place great holinesse I. Wee doe in some Cities allow men to be buried in a field set apart for that purpose N. But euen that field is reputed holy ground I. And that most iustly For did not Abraham refuse to be buried among the p Gen. 23. 6. 9. Hittites Did he not there buy a field for buriall wherevpon the Place was called Hebron Did not Iacob desire to be buried with q Gen. 49. 30. Abraham Ruth with r Ruth 1. 17. Naomi The old man with the Å¿ 1. King 13. 31 man of Iuda Did not the Pharises purchase a field for t Math. 27. 7. strangers called Acheldama a field of u Acts 1. 19. Bloud Is it not probable that the brethren of Ioseph desired to bee buried with him in x Acts 7. 16. Shichem Did not the men in the Primitiue Church desire to be buried neere the Martyrs by whose Tombes afterwards in the Halcionian dayes of Peace Oratories and Churches were built for the honour of Martyrdome not for the worship of Martyrs Are not the bodies of Saints departed still members of Christ being vnited to their soules not onely by the relatiue hope of the resurrection but euen by the vnion of Christ's Spirit And by what more liuely signe can we testifie or signifie this our beliefe then by interring them in or neere some Church where they may be reserued better then in the y Where the Kings of Egypt were buried Pyramides of Egypt till the second comming of CHRIST Finis Libri Primi THE SECOND BOOKE Of the New Liturgie CHAP. I. Of the Booke of TOBIT FRom the Old wee passe to your New Liturgie wherein you haue both added the Apocryphall Bookes to the the Canon And haue in sundry sorts depraued the Canonicall Text it selfe I. The Apocryphal The Booke of the Articles of Religion Article 6. Bookes as Hierome saith the Church doth reade for example of life and instruction of manners But yet doth it not apply them to establish any Doctrine N. Against the reading of these Bookes I thus argue Whatsoeuer is read in the Church ought to be Canonicall Scripture But these Bookes are Apocryphall not of the Canon Wee may not therefore be vrged to reade them in the Church I. First your conclusion strayeth from your reason like a bird from her nest It should haue beene thus framed They may not therefore be read in the Church You pretend as if you were vrged and inforced to reade them the â—utâ— is if you did not delight in contention as the Viper that was pleased with the bloud of her owne tongue which shee grated against the file you might easily perceiue that the Booke leaueth it to your discretion whether you will read a Canonicall or an Apocryphall Chapter N. If we may not reade them then much lesse bee vrged to the reading of them So that my Conclusion was a Secondarie or Corollarie naturally following out of the proper conclusion of mine argument I. In the meane time you see that your oft complaints of vrging and hard vsage being both causelesse and respectlesse doe deserue to exasperate the State against you For many things â—o doubt had beene either altered or mitigated had
you not against the rule of Pythagoras digged in the fire with a sword But now to reuisite your argument First I might denie your Maior and render foure reasons for it First the Epistle written from a Coll. 4 16. Laodicea was read in the Church and yet it was out of the Canon vnlesse you thinke it was some Epistle of Saint Paul which is lost some thing therefore not Canonicall may be read in the Church N. I thinke no Canonicall Epistle could bee lost For it were to derogate too much from Gods prouidence and the faithfulnesse of the Church which should bee the Keepresse of the Volumes of the Couenant I rather suppose that it was some Epistle written from the Laodiceans to Paul to the demands whereof this Epistle to the Colossians did answere And therefore that it might more plainly be vnderstood it was meete that the other of the Laodiceans should bee read in the Church also For such a like thing is probably collected to haue beene done by the b 1. Cor. 7 1. Corinthians I. To sift the ground of your assertion were now vnseasonable But you haue giuen in a faire euidence against your owne Maior as shall hereafter appeare My second reason is this Nine Chapters of the Booke of Iob wherof foure were vttered by c Iob 4. 5. 15. 22. Eliphaz three by d Chap. 8. 18. 25. Bildad two by c Chap. 11. 20. Zophar are read in the Church But these Chapters are not of the Canon seeing no doctrine can be establisht by them forasmuch as Go himselfe disallowed the f Iob 42 7. saying of Iobs three friends wee may therefore in the Church reade some thing which is not of the Canon N. The generall positions of Iobs friends are true howsoeuer they erred in the application of them to Iob himselfe as if hee had beene an hypocrite I. That is but a shift for the maine maxime of all the Dispute is taken from Iob's wiues g Iob 2. 9. speech The summe whereof may thus bee demonstrated He that fals into great miseries is an hypocrite But Iob is so falne He is therefore an hypocrite So then let him not continue in defending his vprightnesse but blesse h Ios 7. 19. God in the acknowledgement of his hypocrisie and so let him die with repentance and patience By this it is plaine that the Maior Proposition was false and not the Assumption onely as you pretend N. I hope you will not exclude these nine Chapters out of the Canon considering they containe an historicall though not a positiue truth For it is true that these men so spake though they erred in their speech I. You haue made a faire distinction whereby you will cut off your owne arguments made against the Apocryphall Bookes as shall bee shewed in due place My third argumeÌ„t is this Sundrie Bookes of Traditions were read in the Church of the Iewes and yet were neuer of the Canon Or else how could the names of i 2. Tim. 3. 8. Iâ—â—nes Iambres the k Heb. 12. 21. foure of Moses the time of the famine in the dayes of l James 5. 17. Elias the combat of Michael with the m Iude 9. Deuill the prophesie of n Iude 14 15. Enoch haue bin rehearsed as things vulgarly knowne My fourth last reason is this Set Prayer may bee read in the Church and yet is no part of the Canon as was proued in the first o Lib. 1. Chap. 2. conference Besides this your Maior admits of a distinction which is this Whatsoeuer is read in the Church must either bee the Canon of faith or manners To this latter kinde we may referre the Apocryphall Bookes N. This is a rotten deuice They cannot bee the Canon of manners seeing that in the Doctrine of manners they may erre I. This answere shall bee sifted in your Minor But now wee tell you further that things may be read in the Church for the explanation of the Canonicall Scriptures For as you remember you said the Epistle of the Lacdiceans was read for the explanation of Saint Paul's Epistle to the Colossians N. But the Bookes Apocryphall doe rather obscure then explaine the Canon I. The Booke of Wisdome doth open the Storie of Exodus concerning the ten p See Wisdome 16. 17. plagues of Egypt Ecclesiasticus is a Commentarie to the Prouerbs The Sixt of Baruch is a most famous epitome of sundrie things in Moses the Psalmes and the Prophets against Idolatrie The first Booke of Maccabees is a key to the mysteries q Especially to the 8. 11. Chapters thereof of Daniel N. Because you cauill so much at my Maior I will change both it and my whole reason Whatsoeuer is read in the Church ought either to be Canonicall Scripture or agreeable thereunto But the Bookes betweene Malachie and Matthew are neither And therefore may not be read I. As the change of your Maior is to the better so is that of your Minor to the worse whereof wee desire the first part to bee explained the latter to be confirmed N. That these Bookes are not Canonicall it is plaine because they are Apocryphall I. Some Serpent lurketh vnder this grasse why call you them Apocryphall N. First because they containe sundrie errours I. How many errours thinke you there be in the Booke of the Petition to the Parliament defended by T. C N. Wee suppose no errour can bee found therein I. A Booke Apocryphall hath errours But this Booke hath none and therefore is not Apocryphall and is by consequent Canonicall N. It may be Ecclesiasticall and so neither Canonicall nor Apocryphall I. You see then that your reason is infirme These Bookes are not Canonicall because Apocryphall and therefore Apocryphall r Non causa pro causa because they containe errours N. Secondly then they are tearmed Apocryphall because they are capable of errours as being the writings of men I. This is to make them Apocryphall in possibilitie not in act Now euery possibilitie is reducible to some act Tell then what is the actuall cause why they are Apocryphall N. Can a priuation haue an actuall cause I. The cause may be actuall though rather deficient then efficient N. Thirdly then They are deemed Apocryphall because their Authour is not knowne I. No more is the Authour of Ioshua Iudges Ruth Samuel Kings no nor of the Epistle to the Hebrewes in your opinion N. Their Authour is knowne to bee Gods Spirit though we doubt of the Penman I. But how is that knowne N. The Propheticall Church receiued the Bookes as from God and hath deliuered them to vs by Succession Fourthly then these Bookes are Apocryphall because the Iewish Church neuer receiued them For neither were they written in any tongue which the Iewes vnderstood neither doe the Iewes at this day admit of them but as of Interludes I. You haue at the last stumbled vpon the true cause
but withall haue ouerwhelmed it with sundrie errours The first is this You pretend them to bee refused by the Iewes because they were written in a language not vnderstood by them What Did not Hierome out of Chaldie translate Tobit Did not the Iewes in their Dispersion vnderstand the Greeke tongue namely in the Greekish Septuagint Why was the Epistle to the Hebrewes written in Greeke if they were ignorant of the language The like is to be said of the Epistles of Saint Iames and Saint Peter Now tell me Doe not you acknowledge our Apocryphall Bookes to haue beene written in Greeke and yet was not Sirach's Sonne a Iew Did not Philo and Iosephus being Iewes write in Greeke The second is rather a scoffe then an errour Not vnlike that of some men partly Arrians and partly Barrowists which call the Athanasian Creed the Creed of Sathanasius This is like that which is more then yea and nay for it comes of euill Your third errour is that you acknowledge the traditionarie testimonie of the Church for the Bookes of Scripture and yet explode all tradition not only as needlesse but euen as damnable Your fourth errour is that you ascribe more to the Iewish Synagogue then to the Christian Church For you heard before out of Hierome that the Christians receiued these Bookes N. They receiued them but as Apocryphall I. And yet they read them in the Church N. They were men and might erre For wee are assured that these Bookes are not agreeable to the Canon as containing and maintaining manifold errours and therefore may bee the Canon neither of Faith nor of Manners I. Wee denie that you can finde any errour in these Bookes concerning Manners Now touching Faith fundamentall errours wee acknowledge none in them If any pettie fault or slip be found our subscription is safe But now bring forth the errours in their numbers and armies N. The Apocryphall Bookes are either such as are reputed so by the Papists themselues namely the third and fourth of Esdras and the prayer of Manasses besides some other Bookes not expressed in our Common Bibles or such as are so accounted of by the Protestants onely whereof some be not read some be Of the first kinde are certaine portions of Hester also Susanna Bell and the Dragon and the two Bookes of the Maccabees And here I maruell much that the first Booke of Maccabees is not read in your Church considering you say it is a key to the Mysteries of Daniel I. Euen for the same cause that wee reade not other Bookes of the Chronicles and Other Volumes of holy Scripture N. This cause shall hereafter be tried Now the Bookes that you read are Historicall or Dogmaticall The Historicall be either whole Bookes or a fragment Of the first sort are Tobit and Iudith The Booke of Tobit containeth errours of things to be beleeued or to be done The first sort concerneth either Angels or the Meanes of our preseruation Angels bee good or euill In the good we may consider the name and nature concerning the first The Booke setteth downe the name of an Angell calling him Å¿ Tobit 3. 17. Raphael whereas Angels names ought not to be enquired t Gen. 32 29. after as being u Iudg. 3. 18. secret I. The Bookes of x Dan. 19 21. â—0 21. Daniel of y Luke 1. 19. Luke of z Iud. 9. Iude and of Saint a Apoc. 12. 7. Iohn doe set downe the names of Angels after which we should not enquire because they be secret are they therefore Apocryphall N. These names are not secret to God's Spirit which hath reuealed them to vs in these Bookes I. And why may not God's Spirit reueale the name of Raphael in this Booke N. This name Raphael is not extant in any other Booke of Scripture and therefore it seemes to be a tearme Apocryphall I. If a Iew should thus reason I finde the names Gabriel and Michael specified no where but in Daniel it seemes therefore the Booke should be Apocryphall what answere would you returue if you were a Iew and beleeued neither S. Luke S. Iude nor Saint Iohn N. I would answer It is sufficient that these names are recorded in one Booke of Scripture I. So it is sufficient though Raphael bee named no where but in Tobit vnlesse you beg the question Besides the names of Angels are of two sorts Some expressing their nature some their office Of this latter kinde is the name of b Isa 6. 2. Seraphim which signifies burning because one of them touched the Prophets lips with a burning coale To this head wee may referre Raphael which signifieth one that healeth from God because he healed Sara and Tobit Lastly the place in Iudges by you alleadged is impertinent The Angell which appeared might bee Christ who said his name was Secret or Wonderfull The like Isaiah saith of c Isa 9. 6. Christ hee shall call his name the Wonderfull and so forth So that the Angell may seeme rather to haue reuealed his name to Manoah then to haue d God shewed the burning of Sodom to Abraham and yet not to Lot The time of death to Ezekiah not to vs. concealed it from him N. From the name of Angels we come to their nature wherein wee will trie their number and their office Touching the first this Booke determineth that their are seauen e Tobit 12. 15. Angels c. which is partly Magicall partly Popish For first the Magitians especially the Iewes numbred seuen Angels according to the seuen dayes of the weeke For Sunday Raphael then Gabriel Sammael Michael Izidkiel Hanael f See Iunius vpon this place Rephariel I. The Booke of Tobit doth not designe these Angels by dayes much lesse reckoneth their names though two of them namely Gabriel and Michael are found elsewhere in Scripture By what tradition the Iewes vnderstood the rest we know not But first we are sure the Angell tels Daniel that hee was one of the chiefe g Dan 10. 13. Angels Secondly this number of seuen may probably be thus collected The seuen eyes in h Zach. 3. 9. Zacharie are by Saint Iohn expounded to bee the seuen spirits which are sent into all the i Apoc. 5 6. world And what should be meant by these Spirits but Angels Againe Saint Iohn twice mentioneth seuen k Apoc. 8. 6. 16. 1. Angels it is not sufficient for you to exclaime that this is Magicall Wee rather credit the Scriptures affirming then your negatiue supposals N. The seuen spirits are expounded the Holy Ghost I. The exposition is but your owne N. What Doe you suppose that Iohn prayes for grace and peace from Angels I. Not as from causes but as from instruments Againe though they be interpreted of the Holy Ghost in the first Chapter yet in the Vision of the fift Chapter that exposition will be violent For there it is said that the Lambe had seuen hornes and seuen eyes which
I vsed Polygamie The second exposition is this But rather being good that is in regard of my soule which though it were not free from Originall sinne yet was endued with as much strength of nature as may bee namely in respect of vnderstanding memorie or fancie came into a bodie vndefiled either with a too fierie or to foggie a complexion whereby the operations of my soule might haue beene made ouer dull or precipitate If either of these two meanings bee admitted your two imputations will vanish Lastly your latter errour which you pretend hath no ground For he saith not because I was good but being good I came into a bodie vndefiled shewing not the cause but the concurrent condition of the soule when it obtained a good bodie Neither indeed is your former aspersion very probable For though he say I came into the Bodie it followeth not herevpon that the Soule was made before This rather may bee the meaning My soule being created and infused came in an instant into the bodie N. In the second place wee mislike these words f Wisdome 14. 14. 15. When a father mourneth grieuously for his sonne c. By which place is intimated that the first beginning of Idols was the custome of the mourning for the dead whereas wee reade of Idols long before namely in the dayes of Rahel yea of Abraham and g Gen. 31. 19. 53. Ios 24 2. See Caluin Instit Lib. 1. Chap. 11. Sect. 8. Terah I. First the Authour maketh this only the occasion of the publique adoration of Idols by the commandement of Tyrants What is this to Rahel or Abraham which for ought you can produce had only their priuate wil-worships But tell mee I pray you what was Tammuz for whom the women mourned in the h Ezek. 8. 14. Prophet N. Some thinke he was Adonis Others say better that he was Osiris King of Egypt and husband to Isis who being slaine of his Brother Typhon was by her lamented and deified I. At what time raigned Osiris in Egypt N. Surely he was a most ancient King For he with his wife instructed the Egyptians in the vse of Wheate and Barley So that it may seeme hee was before the time of Abraham who went into Egypt when there was a famine in Canaan which he had not done if the vse of graine had not beene there knowne I. You see then by all probabilitie that the Idoll Tammuz was before Abraham and it may bee also before Terah For was not Prometheus the sonne of Iapetus or Iapheth the elder brother of Shem which first framed Idols much more ancient then Terah N. We insist not so much vpon the Antiquitie of Idols Only we say that man's minde desirous of a visible God was rather the originall cause of them then the fashion of the lamenting for the dead I. The Authour speakes not of the inward cause but of the outward and publique occasion Now you cannot proue that the Idolatrie of Rahel or Terah was not thus occasioned N. From the Booke of Wisdome I come to the Booke of Ecclesiasticus wherein we first mislike the Argument and Prologue then the Treatise it selfe I. The Argument is extant only in some Greeke Copies Neither seemeth it to be compiled by the Authour of the Booke Haue you not obserued that the subscriptions of Saint Raul's Epistles haue beene blamed by Ancient Diuines as things added by some vnskilfull Clarkes And what if the same should fall out euen in this Argument But now declare the fault thereof N. These words seeme to be very i The argument of Ecclesiasticus verse 8. according to Iunius arrogant This Iesus did imitate Salomon and was no lesse famous in wisdome and doctrine c. I. Why doe not you translate them as Iunius did namely thus He was a follower of Salomon no lesse endeauouring to proue wisdome and Learning what is the scruple N. He seemeth to equallize Iesus to Salomon I. When wee say Let thy will bee done on earth as it is in heauen And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue Also when k Math. 5. 48. Christ saith You shall bee perfect as your father which is in heauen is perfect is it intended that we should doe Gods will equally to the Angels Or that we should pardon sinne or bee perfect in equalitie God N. These phrases doe not import a iust equalitie but a likenesse of proportion according to the degree and measure of our weaknesse I. The same may be here affirmed For as Salomon by his infused gifts did search out wisdome so Iesus no doubt by his purchased habits might tread the same steps though in an vnlike degree and bee as famous in his time and kinde as Salomon was in his N. In the Prologue these words declare the spirit of the Authour to bee nothing l In the Prologue of Ecclesiasticus verses 6 7. according to Iunius propheticall And to this take it in good worth though wee seeme to some in some things not able to attaine to the interpretation of such words as are hard to bee expressed For the things that are spoken in the Hebrew tongue haue an other force in themselues then when they are translated into an other tongue c. Furthermore the first words take in good worth are in the m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke to haue or giue pardon A phrase nothing befitting the maiestie of God's Spirit I. First the Greeke word may signifie some thing else then pardon or remission Saint Paul vseth it for n 1. Cor. 7. 6. Permission Besides it is a strange phrase in Greeke to haue pardon for to giue pardon The simple meaning of the place is to permit willingly or beneuolently or take in good worth as wee translate it Secondly he saith not if we be vnable but if wee seeme to be vnable Thirdly he maketh a translation to be inferiour to the originall and the Greeke to the Hebrew The former is plaine by daily experience The latter may be thus explained First the Greeke tongue came by the confusion at Babel whereas the Hebrew was more ancient and diuine Secondly the Hebrew roots are verbs and those few and are easily found by certaine Letters whereas the Greeke Theames are variable infinite intricate Thirdly whatsoeuer the Greeke doth adde to or take from the Hebrew proceedeth from imperfection as namely the adding of the neuter gender and of cases as also of indefinite tenses is a thing most needlesse So the taking away of genders out of verbes and the future tense out of the Imperatiue Moode which only should haue beene therein as also of the fiue last formes of Coniugations wherein the Arabians were imitated doth argue great confusion Fourthly if this Prologue were penned by the Authour and your argument were in full force the Booke were only excluded the Canon but not out of the Church wherein we defend that Apocryphall Bookes may be read for morall vse Fiftly to
the Citie might be set on fire in the fift yeare and yet the flame being extinguished the last burning of Ierusalem might bee deferred till the eleuenth Another coniecture may be this that the fift yeare is put for the fift moneth that is of the eleuenth yeare For in the fourth moneth of the eleuenth yeare was the Citie k Jer. 52. 6. taken and in the fift moneth of the same yeare came Nabuzaradan who burnt the l 2 Kings 25. 8. Citie For it may seeme strange that Baruch should set down the yeare and day but not the moneth N. As strange as you make it it is vsed in the Storie of the m 2. Kings 15 3 Kings where it is said and the ninth day of the moneth the famine was sore no number of the moneth being expressed I. But Ieremie resolues that this was the fourth moneth which if hee had not done we should neuer haue vnderstood that place in the Kings And some would haue coniectured by moneth to be meant the first moneth which as you see is refuted by Ieremie N. To leaue your intricate Chronologie the second place wee disallow is in these n Baruch 3. 4. words Heare the dead Israelites where it seemeth the Prayers of the Saints in Heauen are allowed after the Popish manner I. Where doe you reade that by dead Israelites are meant the Saints in Heauen N. Were not Abraham Isaacke and Iacob now dead I. But Christ tels vs that they are o Math. 22. 32. liuing For he is their God But he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing N. Saint Paul saith that hee is the God of the p Rom. 4. 9. dead also I. Christ speaketh of God in mercie in regard of redemption the Apostle treateth of God in power in respect of creation and moderation of things But tell mee is it not an vnreuerend and vnproper phrase to say that God heares the prayers of the dead Saints for it is confessed that the Saints in generall pray for vs. The first is plaine for it can be little then profane to call them dead which liue with God The latter is euident For seeing they pray as they are aliue not as they are dead it is but a rough-hewne speech to tearme them the prayers of dead men Besides two other interpretations may be brought First by dead Men may be meant men dead in q Math. 8. 22. Ephes 2. 1. sinnes This is confirmed by the wordes following in the same verse which haue sinned Secondly they may be said to be dead in regard of their infinite troubles and so they are said to bee defiled r Baruch 3. 11. with the dead To the same purpose is the vision of the bones shewed to the Å¿ Ezek. 37. 1. Prophet N. But how doth it appeare that here are not meant dead men whose soules are out of their bodies I. Baruch directly t Baruch 2. 17. denies that such men pray for so Iunius expoundeth it N. In the Epistle of Ieremie we allow neither the title nor the treatise The title seemeth to make Ieremie the Authour of this Epistle which we finde not in his prophesie I. Your negatiue argument is an old Pigmies bul-rush against the Craines as it is in the Fable But we pray you coniecture with Iunius that Ieremy sent this Epistle by u Ier. 51. 59. Seraraâ— N. In the Treatise first we dislike these words x Baruch 6. 2. seuen generations where a generation is taken for ten yeares against the vse of Scripture phrase I. It will be hard for you to binde Baruch to the calculations of Iubilies If you doe the answere will bee that the Greeke Interpreter vsed the Greekish accompt For example Hee that translated Xiphilin into Latine for the Greeke Drachma doth vse the Latine Denarius and aureus for twentie fiue y Drachma or Denarius is 7. d. â—oo aureus 15 s. â—d ob Drachmaes So the Greeke Expositor finding seuenty yeares in in the Hebrew expressed it by seuen generations which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Romans z Pergama quum caderent bello superata bilustri tempora bilustâ—â—a that is times of ten yeares Wee in England would haue tearmed them ten liues that is seuen yeares to a life N. Secondly we cannot in dure your immoderate prayses of this Chapter For you haue publiquely taught That it is more able to conuince the Papists of Idolatrie then the Canonicall text I. This was said not because it was equall with the Canon but first because they haue added it to the Canon and yet it crosseth their Idolatrie For whatsoeuer arguments are here brought against the Idols of Pagans the same may be alleadged against Popish Images Secondly because this Chapter is a compendious collection of those things which are largely propounded in Scriptures And thus your arguments against the reading of the Apocryphall Bookes in the Church are become like a white cloud without raine or like an Eunuch embracing * Ecclesiasticus 20. 3. 30. â—0 a Virgin CHAP. IV. Of the Translation of the Psalmes N. FRom the Bookes Apocryphall I ascend to the vndoubted Canon consisting of Psalmes and Chapters First of the Psalmes as being wholy set downe in your Liturgie We say that you haue deformed them both in quantitie and qualitie Concerning quantitie you haue detracted and added You haue detracted sentences and words Of the first kind are the titles of the Psalmes which you haue omitted I Declare I pray you the number and kinds of those titles N. Twentie and fiue Psalmes haue no title at all Now of those which haue titles annexed about fortie two haue distinct titles shewing their cause outward or inward The outward is the end or efficient Titles declaring the end are such as these A Prayer of Dauid A Psalme of prayse for remembrance or of Instruction Whereby it appeareth that some Psalmes are Petitions some Thankesgiuings which are two kinds of Prayer Others bee Instructions The titles shewing the Efficient are these A Psalme of Dauid To Ieduthun To Asaph c. whereby the Penman or Singer is described The inward cause is the matter or forme The matter is expressed in the titles setting downe the occasion of the Psalme as in Psalmes 3. 7. 18. c. The outward forme is seene in those titles which describe the Musicall keyes to bee vsed in song as in Psalme fourth ninth and others I. To speake in order of these tittles I say three things First I probably thinke that they were not compiled by the Authours of the Psalmes Secondly that they be not needfull Thirdly that they are imperfect The first I thus explaine First it is not likely that Dauid would haue set downe the foureteenth and fiftie third Psalmes forasmuch as they differ scarcely in three words excepting the titles which are so different that they seeme not to come from the same Authour The like is to be thought of
sentences and words The first sentence is in i Math 9 25. In the Gospell on the 24. Sunday after Trinitie Matthew where you adde these words And said Damosell arise I. Beza tels you that some copies did insert these words out of Saint k Luke 8. 54. Luke it may be also out of l Marke 5. 41. Saint Marke N. Two other sentences are added by you in Luke The first in the Storie of the m Luke 16. 21. In the Gospell on the first Sunday after Trinitie richman And no man gaue vnto him I. It may bee those words were taken out of the Parable of the Prodigall n Luke 15. 16. childe Or else in some Copies they were put in by Consequence of the Storie For it is more then probable that no man gaue any thing to that poore Eleazar or Lazarus whom God and not o So answeres Junius in his Paralells vpon Heb. 1◠21. man helped N. The next sentence added in p Luke 19. 42. In the Gospell on the tenth Sunday after Trinitie Luke is this Thou wouldest take heed I. Beza doth out of Budaeus tell you That this patheticall exclamation hath in it a defectiue breuitie which may fitly bee supplied or explained by this or the like sentence which libertie of supplying who so grants not to all translaters shall shew himselfe more stiffe in opinion then studious for edification N. The words by you inserted are partly in the Old partly in the New Testament And here we cannot but maruell that you call q As Isaiah 40 55. 63. Ier. 23. Ioel 2. Apoc. 14. and the like Prophecies Epistles I. This we doe for two causes First in regard of the matter of these Chapters which is Euangelicall and Hortatorie not vnlike that which is found in the Epistles Secondly in regard of the forme For these being among the Epistles receiue their common name So we say the Psalmes of Dauid though Dauid made not all of them so we reckon the words of r Prou. 30. 1. Agur and of ſ Prou. 31. 1. Bathsheba among the Prouerbs of Salomon So Saint Luke stileth his second Booke The Acts of the Apostles though other mens actions besides the Apostles be there historified N. The first word added by you in the Olde Testament is found in t Isaiah 63. 11. In the Epistle on the Munday before Easter Isaiah where you haue patched the text with this word Israel whereas the place is meant of God as is plaine by the context I. Not so plaine as you pretend The wordes are intricate in the u As may appeare by Iunius his confused translation of this place Hebrew neither will there bee any incongruitie in the sense if we say that Israel remembred the dayes of old and so God in mercie remembred his penitent people Israel Surely though I were of Domitians minde I should bee wearie of killing these little flies N. Secondly you adde in x Ier. 23. 5. in the Epistle on the 25. Sunday after Trinitie Ieremie these words with wisdome I. The Hebrew word signifieth elsewhere to prosper with y 1. Sam. 18. 14. 30. wisdome N. The place in the New Testament is in the Epistle of Paul to the z Gal. 4. 5. In the Epistle on Sunday after Christmas day Galatians where you adde his word naturall I. Why are not wee the naturall sonnes of God by faith N. Christ only is Gods Sonne by nature wee by adoption I. Saint Paul calleth Timothy his naturall sonne in the a 1. Tim. 1. 2. faith N. He meaneth that he loued him in manner as a naturall sonne I. So God though in an other degree loueth vs as he doth his Sonne Christ Can you tell what Corne is shaken by this winde N. In the qualitie there is obscuritie and falshood Obscuritie comes by transposing or misinterpretation of words Of the former the first instance is in b Math. 27. 9. In the Gospel on Sunday before Easter Matthew where you reade whom they bought of the Children of Israel whereas it should bee rendred whom they of the Children of Israel bought or rather valued I. If they valued they bought by consequence As for the obscurity it is in the Greeke aswell as in our English The like Phrase is found in the c Acts 21. 16. Acts for there is a d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the like word in both places vnderstood N. A second instance is in the Gospell of e Iohn 1. 1. In the Gospell on Christmas day as you call it Iohn where you read God was the word whereas the words should thus bee placed And the word was God as both the Greeke f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Article sheweth which declareth the subiect as you terme it not the g Ramus doth terme these antecedens consequens predicate As also the sense and scope of the place doth conuince For it is as improper and indirect a speech to say God is the word or Christ as if one should say a liuing creature is a man or a Tree is an Oake I. Ramus did indeed exclude indirect predication out of his new inuented Logique as hee did also many other most wholsome things Namely the doctrine of Obiectum Modalis propositio Limitatio Distinctio Reductio Syllogismi Figurarum modi Besides he most negligently handled Relation Definition Demonstration h See more in Kekermans Booke called Praecognita Method Euerie Logician can tell you that indirect predication is vsuall For here it is vsed by Saint Iohn in the i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 originall What doe you make words of Scripture like Complementall Pharisees striuing for places Besides if a man should examine you Cuius est haec praedicatio This word was God Could you answere It is not Generis de Specie Speciei de Indiuiduo Nor Differentiae de Specie Much lesse Proprij or Accidentis de Specie seu Subiecto N. We haue hissed the Predicables out of Logique I. You may depart out of the Schooles with them for company For without the Predicables Diuision Definition and Demonstration cannot be vnderstood N. Obscuritie by misinterpretation of words is found in that place of the Epistle to the k Gal. 4. 25. In the Epistle on the fourth Sunday in Lent Galatians where you translate bordereth for answereth I. Doe you meane that it answereth in neerenesse of situation N. Nothing lesse For there is a great distance betweene Mount Sinai and Ierusalem Wee meane it answereth in allegoricall proportion I. The same doe wee meane by bordering Namely not Locall but Relatiue or contrarie N. Other obscure places are in the Epistle to the Ephesians The l Ephes 3. 5. In the Epistle on the 16. Sunday after Trinitie first is where you reade which is father of all that is called father whereas the words should thus be turned Of whom is named euery family I.
A DEFENCE OF THE LITVRGIE OF The Church of England OR Booke of Common Prayer In a Dialogue betweene NOVATVS AND IRENAEVS BY Ambrose Fisher sometimes of TRINITIE Colledge in CAMBRIDGE Coecorum mens oculatissima Reade him that neuer read for by this wise The Blinde leads thee to Church who hast thine eyes LONDON Printed by W. S. for Robert Milbourne in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Greyhound 1630. TO HIS MVCH HONOVRED FRIEND SIR Robert Filmer Knight SIR IT was your care that preserued this Treatise and it will bee your honour that you haue preserued it From you I had it in writing to you I returne it printed Pitie that hee who was depriued of sight in his life should be depriued of the light of his true-worth after his death Pitie that he who though his eminent abilities could not altogether bee hid liued in some obscuritie if not vnregarded yet vnrewarded should hauing left this Monument of his Learning and Loue to his and our Deare Mother the English Church be vtterly forgotten as if shee neuer had brought forth such a sonne I confesse many of Our Worthies and be they euer acknowledged and remembred with honour haue by parts vpon occasions vindicated and iustified Our Common Prayer Booke against opposers but a through defence thereof neuer met I withall before this It was conceiued in the braine and brest of this learned Authour in your Vncle Argall's house at Colchester and the first draught thereof was there made Perhaps the Laconicall breuitie thereof the Socraticall disputing on Irenaeus part and the Ramisticall Dichotomies on the part of Nouatus may perplexe some Reader but questionlesse to the Learned as familiarly therewithall acquainted they will be acceptable To gather and contriue much into a little was his ordinarie course and he was happie in it It was his labour in like manner rather to speake to the vnderstanding then to the affections yet closely withall in a Crypticke Rhetoricke he moues them Brought vp hee was in his tender yeares among those whom he here confutes by them was designed to vphold the faction His conuersing with them besides their Books printed made himselfe acquainted with their plots arguments and had wel-nigh framed him for their purpose But the Great-Ouer-Ruler of all plots and purposes gaue this Blind-Man when he came to maturitie Inward-Light and drew him out of that Schisme which euen with the milke was instilled into him and vnder the ferule was pressed vpon him It was his happinesse to come to Cambridge and in Cambridge to that Renowned Colledge sacred to the Sacred Trinitie There as your selfe remembers we were coequalls in time and companions in studies There attained he to the knowledge both of the Tongues and Arts and improued them by his vndefatigable industrie euen almost to a Miracle This deepe-learned-man was readie euer-readie to impart his knowledge whether in Philosophie or Diuinitie freely vnrestrainedly cheerefully To many young Schollers there and at Westminster afterwards where hee liued in my brother Doctor Grant's house was hee a lightsome Guide though his owne eyes were darke Knowledge and Charitie stroue in him which should exceed the other so that his departure hence so soone was a great losse to many if I said to this Whole Church of Ours I said but the truth It was his Charitie grounded vpon Knowledge that compiled this Dialogue And the like Charitie excites me to draw it out of obscuritie into the publique light and view of the Church And I am encouraged the rather hereunto by His Maiesties late Blessed-Instructions for the countenancing of the to-much-neglected-Prayers and despised Rits of Our Church This occasion iustly mee thought called for it and would haue laid sacriledge to my charge had I with-held it It attends on the Scepter and good successe God send it that the Publique Liturgie of Our Church may hence-forth iustly bee valued and duely obserued I confesse ingenuously that it is Catechizing and Preaching which enable vs to the required performance of God's Worship but Prayer it is especially Publique Prayer in the House-Of-Prayer which is God's-Immediate-Worship The more Publique this is and the more frequent the-more-likely yea more then likely is it to diuert iudgements and draw downe blessings And my priuate Prayer shall euer be that Publique Prayer in Our Church as it is reuiued so it may be continued while the World continues euen till Our Iesus returnes in glorie So prayes Saint Barthol Exchange London April 5. 1630. Yours in the same Iesus who is euer the same § IOHN GRANT TO THE Reader WHat Master Fisher was these three Epitaphs may further show Two in Latine the Last in English On his Marble in VVestminster Great-Cloisters neare the Librarie they could not be engraued This Booke his truer Monument may preserue them too The first Latine One was made by that Honorable Knight Sir Robert Ayton then Secretarie to Queene Anne and now to Queene Mary The other by Dr. Thory that Worthy French Physician the English by a True Louer and Knower of this Authour Master Iohn Harris sometimes one of the King's Schollers in VVestminster and afterwards of Christ's Church in Oxford EPITAPH I. AMbrosius iacet hic Piscator coeperat hamo Ambrosio pisces queis Deus esca fuit Hoc agens vitam non lucem liquit ab istâ Annos vix natus quinque relictus erat Octo tamen vixit non vidit lustra nec vlli Mens oculata magis vitaue sancta magis Historiae Sophiae Vatum sacra abdita norat Norat Adae atque Remi Cecropis ore loqui Et nunc est positus mutam propè Bibliothecam Ipse loquens quoniam Bibliotheca fuit EPITAPH II. Nisi lapis es AVdi Viator loquentem lapidem Hîc cubat propter Aedem Sapientiae Merito maior quam famâ Sapiens Immortalis Piscator Is citò amissâ oculorum luce perspicacior Quantum homini fas est animo penetrauit Omnis Diuinae Humanae Scientiae adyta Oculatis Caecus facem praetulit Mundo merso◠coelesti radio ad Deum sustulit Generosae Iuventutis quasi Parens Miserorum consolator Sui Dominus In terrâ extrà terram auribus ingenio intentus Deo sibi Patriae defaecato semper animo Idem vixit Tandem nullo vnquam lucis ablatae desiderio tactus Aetate integrâ ex haec vitâ velut illustri nocte ad Patrum Luminum Lubenter translatus quod mortale fuit tumulo Immortale sui desiderium bonis reliquit Gaudete caeci veniet vohis Dies EPITAPH III. MEn Women Children all that passe this way Whether such as here Walke or Talke or Play Take notice of the Holy-Ground y' are on Least you prophane it with obliuion Remember with due sorrow that here lies The-Learned-Fisher Hee whose darkned eyes Gaue light such as the Mid-Day emulates To either Sexe each Age and all Estates For as on the Full-Sea soon His-Brest All-Vessels rode All-Wayes He vnopprest And deepe-enough for all
man repent at any time he shall bee saued It followeth not hereupon that a man may repent at what time hee will assigne seeing repentance only comes from God N. You haue now contradicted a speech deliuered by your selfe Namely that late repentance In a certaine Sermon is not good I. To admit of your owne disioynted report First That is late repentance which is presumptuously procrastinated to the Catastrophe of life This is ordinarily as weake and sicke as the bodie and is intombed with it Secondly Though this repentance by some miracle might be true yet is it not good that is dangerous and d 1. Cor. 7. 1. scandalous For the repentance of Adam and Salomon are therefore not mentioned directly because their offence did more hurt then their repentance did good N. The second thing disallowed in the Preface is in these words saying after me By which the people are commanded to repeat the Confession after the Minister I. I neuer heard of any man punished for not repeating this in the Church N. If the thing were lawfull and conuenient this Commandement might sufficiently binde But the inconuenience thereof may thus appeane As it is before a Prince so it is before God But it is not seemely before a Prince that a Mal. 1. 8. whole Incorporation should speake together For which cause a Speaker as a common mouth is chosen to propound their suite Wherefore it is vnfit that the people should recite the Confession with or after the Minister I. First were your Maior true then were it vnfit to sing Psalmes in Gods presence For it will be hardly decent before a Prince to declare a suite singing Which argument some of your feather haue taken vp against Church Musique not remembring that with the same they impugne all Psalmodie Secondly this propsition would assist the Popish inuocation of God by Saints Seeing we hardly approch to Princes but by manifold mediators Thirdly the reason of the dissimilitude is this No mortall Monarch can at once vnderstand all suitors which is to God most easie being the eye that sees all the eare that heares all and the hand that writes all As for the argument of the Prophet Malachy it is of an A magis probabili For it is the meaning of the place à maiore ad minus other colour and indeed drawne from an other place Hee reasoneth from the greater to the lesse For it is more likely that a mortall Prince whose breath is in his nosthrils should accept of an imperfect present then God who turneth the hearts of Kings as riuers in the South Your reason is drawne from the equall which is a most vnequall comparison Lastly though the people rehearse the Confession after the Minister yet is he their mouth both in going before and instructing them and so the latter part of your Minor is like a broken reed N. It seemeth the vnlearned should answer no 1. Cor. 14. 16. more then Amen I. First from a conceiued to a set Prayer the argument is weake Secondly If this interpretation of the place were rendred how shall the vnlearned say Amen that is how shall he vnderstand and consent vnto those prayers which I vtter in a strange tongue how impertinent will your reason be Thirdly though it might be proued elsewhere that the people is bound to answere Amen will you hereupon inferre that they may vtter no more But more Deut. 27. 15. of this when you come to the Responsals N. But by this practice a woman is allowed to speake in the Church which Paul doth prohibit 1. Cor. 14. 34. I. He forbids women to teach or propound questions in the Church but not to answer Amen or pray iointly with others N. This Confession as it is repeated by the people is neither publique prayer as being rehearsed by priuate men neither yet that kinde of Prayer which we tearme priuate or solitarie being recited in a publique place and therefore no true kinde of prayer I. This is like an ancient plea in Law A priuate mans money was stolne out of a Temple The question was whether it were theft or sacriledge But as I suppose the latter opinion should there preuaile So here I answer That this is publique Prayer as being dictated by a Minister and repeated only by the whole Congregation in a place most publique N. It seemeth strange That the people is enioyned to repeate after this manner only this Prayer the Confession in the Communion and the Creed of the Apostles I. The reason is obuious because in the Confession of our sinnes and faith there is required a most personall application wherby many serious motions are stirred vp in the heart otherwise most adamantine CHAP. VI. Of the Lords Prayer N AFter the Preface I come to the ordinarie Prayers which either bee deliuered in prose and pronounced in plaine direct speech Or else are hymnes Of the former kinde The first wee dislike is the absolution which of late hath gotten a new name of remission at the instant request of some of our men I. Not vnlike the commander of the Turks who will not be stiled King or Emperour but Turke or Great Turke a name surmounting all ambition N. What reason wee had for the change of that name you shall heare when wee treate of the visitation of the sicke Now we will proceede to the Lords Prayer Wherein some brethren are displeased because it is vsed as a Prayer But wee not allowing of their Zeale doe notwithstanding dislike your battalogie seeing you repeate it eight times at one meeting vpon sundrie occasions As also that you omit the Doxologie or conclusion of the Lords Prayer for thine Matth. 6. 13. is the kingdome c. which is found in the Gospell And this omission is so much the worse because it fetcheth the pedegree from the mass-Masse-Booke I Although you relinquish the brethren of the Seperation which is she English word for a Schisme yet I pray of all courtesie let me ouer intreate you to answere their arguments concerning this matter N. Although you seeme to turne the buckler into the sword and to shoote at suspicious rouers yet least you should imagine mee to bee smoak'd with Barrowisme I will attempt to answere the reasons if you propound them I. The first reason is this It is said pray thus that is in this manner to this effect or sense It is not written pray this prayer that is conceiue or take together these verie syllables This interpretation is confirmed first by the like in Moses where it is written thus shall yee blesse thus I say and not this Secondly Numb 6. 23. because else we were obliged to vse no other forme then the Lords prayer N. The reason faileth First because by this Eight times in Amos 1. 2. Deut. 7 5. argument when the Prophet saith thus saith the Lord and when God saith Thus shalt thou deale we should conceiue the rehearsall of the
by the art of Ecclesiasticall men Secondly you will hardly alledge any particular occasion of these Songs especially of the two former N. But of the last wee may For Simeon desired to die because hee had seene Christ I. Hee desired to bee dismissed in peace because he had seene Gods promise fulfilled And so may wee desire to be with Christ vpon the acknowledgement of his reuealed will in the Gospell N. The second thing that we dislike is That these Psalmes are more often repeated then the Psalmes of Dauid I. You know it is written That the least in Luke 7. 8. the Kingdome of Heauen is greater then Iohn the Baptist So we say That the Songs of the New Testament are greater and more to our edification then those of the Old Couenant because they concerne the Gospell which is both a greater and a neerer light N. Wee will speake more of the Magnificat when wee come to treate of the translations The second kinde of Hymnes was inuented by men As Te Deum and Benedicite wherein first we dislike that mens inuentions should bee obtruded vpon the Church I. Why set you before vs twice sodden Coleworts Set Prayers to bee lawfull wee haue proued before Now Hymnes inuented by men are nothing but Set Prayers And therefore lawfull N. In the Te Deum wee dislike those words When thou hadst ouercome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the Kingdome of Heauen to all beleeuers Whereby wee suspect you meane that Christ after his death deliuered the Fathers from Limbus from which time all beleeuers immediatly enter into Heauen I. Did not Christ first goe into Heauen to Iohn 3. 13. 14. 2. Heb. 9. 8. 1â— 11. 40. prepare a place for vs as saith the Scripture N. Hee went thether first not actually but virtually because hee merited our going thether I. Did hee merit it by any other meanes then by the vertue of his Death Resurrection and Ascention N. Hee did not But we feared some Snake lurking vnder this grasse I. I leaue your iealous suspitions Forasmuch as you know that Lymbus Patrum is generally reiected by Our Church CHAP. X. Of Collects and Creeds N. I Should speake of the Benedicite but that it is amongst the Apocryphall Bookes and therefore it shall be deferred till we speak of the Lessons Now from the Ordinarie Prayers wee proceed to the Collects whereof the most be extraordinary But in the forefront of them we will place the third Collect for Grace being also an ordinarie Praier and taking part of both wherein wee approue not these words Grant that this Day wee fall into no sinne Against which we thus reason It is vnpossible that wee fall into no sinnes And therefore to pray for it vtterly vnlawfull I. Your Antecedent is ambiguous as may thus appeare Not to sinne is possible But to fall into no sinne is all one with not to sinne and therefore possible The Maior is proued by Saint Iohn who saith hee that is 1. Iohn 3. 9. borne of God sinneth not neither indeed can sinne N. That place admitteth sundry good expositions As first the regenerate cannot finally fall into sinne Secondly no not totally for a time Thirdly a man so farre forth as hee is regenerate cannot sinne but only in regard of the flesh which lusteth against the spirit I. Which-soeuer of these interpretations you apply to this place there may be sufficient iustifications to the words of the Collect especially the two former For it is very lawfull for vs to pray that wee may neither finally nor totally for a time fall into sinne That is as the Prophet saith that wee may bee kept Psal 19. 3. from sinnes presumptuous Againe this truth may be thus manifested Not to bee led into temptation is possible But not to fall into sinne is all one in effect with not to bee led into temptation And therefore equally possible N. Your Minor seemes to reele For a man may bee led into temptation and yet not fall into sinne For Christ sinned not and yet was led into temptation I. The speech were blasphemous were it not vttered of ignorance For to bee led into temptation is to be carried into the midst thereof and to bee ouercome by it which as you know cannot agree to Christ This exposition may thus bee proued Either wee pray that wee may not bee led into temptation or that wee may not yeeld to temptation The latter to bee lawfull no man doubts But the former I hope you will not auer It remaines therfore That the scope of the Prayer is that wee may not bee surprised with temptation so that it may occasion vs to fall into any crying and habituall sinne N. There bee other Proper Collects at whose words and doctrine wee are offended The first Defect in the words is obscuritie I. By this argument you might condemne many of the Psalmes which though they bee meere Prayers yet in many places are as obscure as truth which is hidden in Democritus pit But what is the obscuritie which you pretend N. In the Collect vpon Trinitie Sunday as you terme it These words are as darke as the leaues of Sibilla and in the power of the Maiestie to worship the vnitie I. No maruell in a matter as profound as Hell if some phrase be not so cleere For if a man should demand of you the difference betweene the generation of the Sonne and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost Or how the Sonne should be called a Distinct Person and yet be in his Father Or how the Father should communicate all his being to his Sonne and yet continue his owne being distinct from that of his Sonne Or how the Father by the Sonne should actiuely breath out the Holy Spirit Or how the wisdome of God should differ from his iustice considering in God there can bee admited no composition I beleeue though you had the aid of all Phrasologistes you would hardly reconcile and explaine these phrases which notwithstanding are receiued in the Church as most necessarie But as for the difficultie at which here you stumble it is of no moment For it is plaine that we worship the Vnitie of the Three Persons in the power of the Diuine Maieistie acknowledging them Three to be one in powerfull Maiestie or Maiesticall power according to a vulgar a Hest 1. 4. 7. Acts 8. 23. Hebraisme knowne to children N. There are some other words in shew dangerous as first the tearme of Penance in the Collect vpon Iohn Baptists day I. Either Penance is an old word signifying Repentance or else it betokeneth the Ecclesiasticall Absolution which is giuen to men that shew the signe of penitence N. The former signification is vncertaine Of the latter wee will reason in the Visitation of the sicke Your second perillous terme is that of Chances in the first Collect after the Offertorie Whereas this name Chance howsoeuer it bee vsed by the Heathen Philistim Priests yet is
things created by God Secondly the brazen Serpent being Gods Ordinance was notwithstanding broken in pieces by Ezekias Thirdly Churches of Christians are neither Gods creatures nor his direct ordinances yet may not be demolished howsoeuer they haue beene polluted with Idols N. First your instances may bee disproued For it is not certaine that God destroyed the Gods of Egypt It may be also that by Gods are meant the Images only The Groues were to bee burnt not as created by God but as ordered by mans art The Horses of the Sunne were remoued by the King but not destroyed Secondly Churches were ordained by God as appeares by Salomons Temple Thirdly if God neither spare his owne Creatures nor ordinances how shall we spare the inuentions of men I. First your answeres to my instances leane vpon vncertaine supposals and wrested distinctions Secondly what you say of Churches is vntrue For both the house of h 1. Sam. 5. 20. Dagon was more ancient then Salomon's Temple and by your owne i In the third Chapter of this Booke confession this Temple was a part of the Ceremoniall Law and so hath no agreement with the Churches of Christians Thirdly you confesse your owne exceptions to be false Forasmuch as God neither spareth his owne creatures nor his ordinances being defiled with Idolatrie Fourthly you seeme to answer nothing to the Brazen Serpent N. I will reserue that to another place Now what answere you to the Lawes and Examples by mealledged I. They proue only that the same indiuiduall idolized things are to be destroied but not their whole kind For example We may not burne all trees because one tree hath beene transformed into an Idoll And now I pray you confirme your Minor Namely that the Crosse is an Idoll N. Euery humane ordinance adored by Papists is an Idoll But such is our Crosse and therefore to be reckoned amongst Idols I. Your Maior must be thus limited Euery humane ordinance which was idolatrous in the first institution is an Idoll Else Churches shall be Idols and the Brownist iust that wisheth their ruine Againe your Minor is vntrue For our particular aeriall Crosses were neuer worshipped by Papists Now we may not for the abuse of some indiuidualls abolish the whole kinde Neither indeed is our Crosse of the same kinde with the Popish differing therefrom in operations For their Crosse is said todriue away Deuils to Consecrate things vnto God and the like which things wee ascribe not to our Crosse Now the diuersitie of operations doth sufficiently distinguish the kindes of things artificiall of which number is the Crosse N. I will in an other sort inforce this Argument The brazen Serpent ought to haue beene destroyed because it was worshipped But our Crosse is as the brazen l Iohn 3. 14. 8. 28. 12. 32 33. Serpent And therefore being worshipped is to be destroyed I. If the premises were true they would onely inforce the destruction of the Popish Crosse which hath no affinitie with ours But indeed first your Maior is vntrue N. Ezekias is praysed for m 2. Kings 18. 5 it Therefore hee ought to haue done it I. Your Consequence is weake First because it may bee it was a thing indifferent namely whether he would destroy or remoue the Serpent For tell mee A Prince is praised for building a Church or Hospitall shall wee say hee was bound to doe it Was it not left arbitrarie to him whether he would by this or some other meanes declare his Princely magnificence to the Church or to the poore Secondly it is probable that the King did this by a diuine instinct N. When I vsed the like n In this first booke Chap. 3. answere you disallowed it as vnsound I. But I haue a firme reason for my Assertion A diuine ordinance could not bee disanulled but by a diuine ordinance and instinct But such was the brazen Serpent And therefore without some such instinct could not be lawfully defaced But this instinct being speciall cannot bee exemplarie Besides your Minor is not well confirmed out of Saint Iohn First because a figure cannot be the signe of a figure but of a thing figured except you meane that it was a paralel figure as Baptisme o 1. Pet. 3. 21. to the Floud But so you honour the Crosse more then we Secondly these places especially the first for the two latter make no mention of the Serpent doe resemble Christ to the Serpent and the Crosse only to the Pole or Instrument on which the Serpent was eleuated So that if you had spoken pertinently you should haue thus reasoned The brazen Serpent being worshipped was to be defaced But Christ was as the brazen Serpent And therefore being worshipped is to bee defaced This conclusion would serue well vnder the standard of Christ's Enemies N. My second argument to proue the Idolatry of the Crosse is this The Crosse is an Idolothite or thing offered to Idols and therefore is with them to be abolished I. Your reason is firme against the Popish Crosse and so drawes in the same yoke of impertinencie with the former Againe it is a phrase of hard concoction to say that an Idoll was offered to Idols Lastly meates consecrated to Idols might not be refused but in case of p 1. Cor. 10 25. scandall and therefore you may reserue this bul-rush till you come to that place N. Thirdly I thus proue the Idolatry of the Crosse It is a Relique and Monument of Idolatrie and therefore Idolatrous I. If this word Monument be deduced from q Monimentum à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permaneus vel à monendo monumentum vt documentum ac nocumentum à docendo nocendoque ducta remayning then how can our transient aeriall Crosse be a Monument But if it be taken from warning then is it onely a Monument as it is a motiue to Idolatrie And so your third and fourth Arguments iustle together as the Rockes called Symplegades in the Euxine Sea And this your fourth reason you may let passe till you speake of Scandall For if it be not Scandalous it is no motiue to Idolatrie N. From the Idolatrie of the Crosse I flie to the Superstition thereof which I proue also by foure Arguments First the Crosse was inuented by Valentinus the Heretique and confirmed by a Fabulous Vision fathered vpon Constantine namely that he saw the figure of the Crosse in the aire and heard these words Ouercome in r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or by this or to this namely to Christ of whom this Crosse is a remembrance this whereupon hee is said to haue made the signe of the Crosse in his Standard Whereas it is more likely that he saw the Letters of Christ's name and therefore it cannot be but superstitious I. That Valentinus vsed it wee denie not But you cannot proue that he was the Inuentor thereof This is some thing like your Storie you told of Iubal the inuentor of Musique Againe
present time differeth not in substance from Marriage although wee deeme not but that the publique and sollemne ceremonies of Matrimony are decent expedient yee and requisite in regard of our positiue Lawes The same is confirmed by the words of the Angel in Saint c Mathew For there Mary being espoused to Ioseph is called his Wife N. The words are thus Feare not to take Mary to thy wife I. They are neither so in the Greeke nor so translated But are thus read Feare not to take Mary thy p Math 1. 10. Wife whereby it was declared that she was then actually his Wife q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 N. Now proue you the second point namely that Christ was conceiued in Marriage I. It appeares partly by that which hath beene said partly by two other reasons First it was most safe for Christ then to by conceiued that all shew of scandall might then bee auoyded For the Iewes being scrupulous Calculators of time if this occasion of slaunder had beene presented would readily haue accused him as base borne whereas we neuer finde that they so did N. They could not so accuse him considering he was borne in wedlocke I. Howsoeuer the conueniencie of our Positiues Lawes herein may bee iustified yet the Iewes both did and doe hold that Children begotten out of Marriage are base Neither doe you aduisedly auoide the scandall For if shee were with childe after the espousall before Marriage as you pretend the Iewes would haue alleadged against her the capitall Law in Deuteronomy before named My second reason is taken from the agreement of time For S. r Luke 1. 26. 36 Luke reporteth Christ to haue been conceiued when as Iohn the Baptist had been six moneths in his mothers wombe After which time the Virgin remayned with Elizabeth ſ Luke 1. 5 6. three moneths And six moneths after according to the computation of our Church was deliuered of Our Sauiour N. It may seeme by the Storie of the t Math. 1. 18. Gospel that Mary was found by the swelling of her bodie to be bigge with childe I. Could that swelling shew that she was with child by the holy Ghost And yet is it not there auouched that she was found so to haue beene N. How then was she so found I. By her owne narration to Ioseph according to the relation made to her by the u Luke 1. 33. Angell N. Why then did Ioseph purpose to send her away lest he should make her a publike example Did not he feare that shee had committed fornication before contract or adultery since that time I. Nothing lesse But hee feared to retaine her with him because he knew not what vocation he had to be Father to such a Child as was conceiued and borne out of the limits of nature N. But how could hee be vnwilling to make her a publique example seeing she had conceiued in marriage I. The Greeke x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word signifieth to make a common talke of So might hee haue done if he had put her away publiquely For then would euery man haue accused her of fornication or adulterie N. But had shee beene his wife he could not so haue put her away especially being a iust man as it is there said For he must haue accused her according to the Law of y Deuit. 22. 13. c. Moses I. Hee could not so accuse her being a iust man because he beleeued her naration concerning her conception by the Holy Ghost N. But had shee beene his wife why did hee not keepe company with her I. The Greeke word signifieth to dwell together aswell as to keepe companie Besides if this latter should be meant it may be conceiued that the Marriage Feast lasted seuen dayes as did that of z Judg. 14 12. Sampson So that hee might not go into her till the seuenth day of the Feast N. The latter dutie concerneth Buriall Of which your Authour speaketh on this a Tobit 4 17. manner Poure thy bread vpon the buriall of the iust But giue nothing to the wicked which words are contrarie to those of b Gal. 6. 10. Paul where hee willeth vs to doe good to all especially to the houshold of faith I. Although we acknowledge the doctrine to bee true That vpon certaine cautions wee ought to be liberall aswell to the euill as to the good yet wee auouch that you are deceiued both in the place of Saint Paul as also of Tobit Touching the former the coherence doth shew that by the houshold of faith wee are to vnderstand the Ministers of the Church For the c Gal. 6. 6. Apostle saith Let him that is taught in the Word make him that teacheth him partaker of all his goods Whereof making this reason Because we shall reape as wee d Gal. 6. 7. ad 10. sowe hee thus concludeth whilst wee haue therefore time let vs doe good vnto all men especially vnto them which are of the houshold of faith N. But what then is the meaning of Tobit in his charge to his sonne I. In summe it is this giue Feasts for the comfort of the children of the iust in their mourning e Ier. 16. 7. for their parents deceased who thereby are also honoured But giue no such honour to wicked men Thus you see your twelue cauils against the Booke of Tobit to vanish into smoake CHAP. II. Of Iudeth and the Song of the three children N. FRom the Legend of Tobit I passe to the Fable of Iudeth wherein wee dislike both word matter Touching the first wee thinke that the terme a Iud. 16. 7. Titans doth not sauour of the simplicitie of Gods Spirit but of some Pagan Poet. I. You are like Domitian you will kill flies for want of men and pursue words for lacke of matter But what did not Saint Paul and Saint Iames borrow words from Poets Is Poetrie now become so base in your eyes that you cast it downe from the mountaine of dignitie into the valley of scorne N. Diuine Poesie I acknowledge to bee a part of Theologie as being vsed by Moses Miriam the Author of Iob Debora Hanna Dauid Isaiah Habacuck and others but the prophane words of heathenish and fabulous Poets wee cannot endure I. What thinke you of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hell vsed b 1. Mat. 11. 23. 16. 18. Luke 10. 15. 16. 23. Act. 2. 27. 31. 1. Cor 15. 55. Apoc. 1. 18. 6. 8. 20. 13. 14. eleuen times in the New Testament was it drawne from the Heathen Pluto Doe not you indeauour to proue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie Heauen aswell as Hell to the intent that your interpretation of that clause in the Creede hee descended into hell that is his soule ascended into Heauen might seeme to haue the better coherence Whence do you fish these your proofes but out of the ponds of Poets N.
The Poets doe sufficiently shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth betoken a place of Ioy aswell as of Paine I. Indeed they place Elisium in Hell but that they mingled Heauen whither they sent their Heroes with Hell cannot be confirmed out of their Poems But now I pray you tell me had you beene at the framing of that Booke of Iudeth what word would you haue vsed instead of Titans which should haue bin equipollent to the name of Giants vnlesse you condemne that name also N. I will not busie my selfe about amending that which is all faultie and yet I must ingenuously confesse that I cannot dislike the name giant forasmuch as it is found in c Gen. 6. 4. Genesis and d Io◠15. 8. Ioshua I. Doe you remember whence the name giant is deriued N. It may bee from Gyges or Gog the King of the Lydians But the receiued opinion is that it is deduced from being borne of the e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth I. Indeed wee reade that the earth in the Poets did bring forth giants but will you beleeue that men came of the ground like mushromes By this you may perceiue that the word giant is as poeticall as that of Titan as also that the Storie of Iudeth is not as you pretend like the verses of Dionysius amended only by blotting out But now I pray you cease to bee like Antoninus a cutter of f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cummin and so come on to the matter N. In the matter then wee disallow both the circumstances and actions Of the first ranke are time and place Concerning the time of this Storie it cannot be declared with any certaintie and therefore it must needs be a Fable or at least a Parable I. The Stories of Iob and Ruth and it may be of Hester will hardly admit any determination of time will you burie these also in the graue of Fables I beleeue it would molest you to make a true Chronologie of the Booke of Iudges or of Daniels seuentie weekes Yea if you were strictly examined in what yeare or age the eleuen Tribes fought with Beniamin Or in what yeare of Herod Our Sauiour was borne or how many yeares he preached vpon the earth or how long time is calculated in the Storie of the Acts you would be as dumbe as a man at the first fight of a Wolfe Shall all these things be fabulous therefore because wee liuing in the prison of ignorance cannot cleerely discerne the light of truth Againe it is more then probable that the Storie of Iudeth fell out vnder the raigne of King Manasses N. The vntruth of this assertion may be shewed three wayes First thus In the time of Manasses the Temple was not destroyed as appeareth by his g 2. King 21. 4. Story But it was leuelled with the ground in the dayes of h Iudeth 5. 18 Iudeth she was not therefore in the time of Manasses I. To your Minor First I oppose other places in i Iudeth 4. 2. 8. 24. Iudeth yea indeed the whole tenour of the Booke euery where affirming the Temple then to haue stood N. This is but to shew what contradictions are in the Storie I. Nothing lesse For tell mee whose words did you alledge N. They were the words of Achior before Holophernes I. Doe you beleeue the speech of Rabshakeh when hee said that Hezekiah had taken away the Altar of the k 2. King 18. 22. Lord N. It was an ignorant speech of a Pagan For the Altars demolisht by Hezekiah were not the Lords but heathenish and deuillish I. So it may be Achior being an ignorant Amonite might vntruly report the destruction of the Temple N. It is not likely hee should erre in a matter of fact especially being so famous I. His words may be otherwise interpreted after this manner the Temple was made as the ground that is was reputed prophane and common ground namely during the captiuitie of l See Iunius vpon this Place Manasses N. My second argument is this It is said that Iudeth was a faire m Iudeth 8. 7. woman also that shee liued an hundred and fiue n Iudeth 16. 23. yeares Lastly that there was no trouble in Israel for many yeares after her o Iudeth 16. 25. death Now wee know that from the death of Mansses to the destruction of the Temple were but fiftie fiue yeares and to the captiuitie of Ieconias out fortie foure So that if she were sixtie yeares old at the death of Manasses she must liue a whole yeare after the deportation of Ieconias I. Your computation holds together like ropes of sand And first I pray you how old was Sarah when she was said to bee faire by p Genes 12. 11. Abraham N. Shee was about the sixtie fift yeare of her age I. The Iewes also doubt not to say that she was beautifull at the hundreth yeare N. What is that to Iudeth I. It may be she was sixty yeares old when shee came before Holophernes It may be this was done twentie yeares before the death of Manasses and so she might die twentie yeares before the Captiuitie of Ieconias Can you produce any thing against this but your owne confident coniectures Should you vpon so light grounds disgrace the Stories of Thucidides Diodorus or Suetonius would not men thinke of you as of the Estridge in q Iob. 39 20. Iob that you were depriued of vnderstanding N. I can swallow your bitter or rather poysoned pils But I come to my third reason on this manner This act was done by Iudeth either before or in the time of the Captiuitie of Manasses or after his returne from Babel I. The first is affirmed by none as farre as I remember N. The second is refuted by the words of Achior who saith that they were then returned from q Iudeth 5. 19. captiuitie I. They that defend this opinion may answere that as some returned from Babylon in the daies of Cyrus and some not till the time of Darius Nothus about an hundred yeares after So some of these captiues might haue returned and yet the King remaine in Bondage N. This is but the opinion of Bellarmine one of the Knights of the Poast for Romish Religion I. Wee rather thinke it was done after the returne of Manasses N. First then Why is r Iudeth 4. 6. Ioacim the Priest onely named in this action of warre no mention at all being made of the King who was most interessed therein I. Why is not the Deuill named in the temptation of Euah and in the Vision presented to King Saul forasmuch as hee was principall Agent in both enterprizes N. These Stories are declared not according to things done but after their appearance I. It may be King Manasses did not appeare in this matter For it is probable that he was lately deliuered from the King of Assiria Hee was not willing openly to be seene in an action which
c Iudg. 4. 18. feare not N. One mule may claw another For it seemeth this fable of Iudeth was taken from the Storie of Iael I. I wonder you called not that fable also considering that Debora being a Prophetesse did tearme Iael blessed among women d Iudg. 5. 24. for the very like fact Neither indeed is the phrase of Vzziah vnlike to this in the commendation of e Iudeth 13. 18 Iudeth N. But Iael first of all did breake the peace made betweene Iabin the King of Canaan and the house of her husband f Iudg 4. 17. Heber I. I pray you were you present at the contract of that peace was it made with a League or without it If the latter then no promise was violated If with a League was it a League of amitie so that each was bound to helpe other in all warfare Or was that a League of equalitie so that both were indifferently restrained from molesting and inuading the friends of the Confederate partie The former you can neuer euince If it were the latter the King of Canaan had first broken the league by inuading the Israelites and so Iael was free Besides howsoeuer there were a league yet if God by immediate instinct did ordaine the contrarie Iael was absolued from all humane bonds the like instinct may be supposed to haue beene in Iudeth N. But Iael said feare not when there was indeed true cause of feare I. Although she interdicted him to feare yet she promised no securitie N. It was an implicite promise I. But this is of small force with a sworne enemie to Gods Church such as was Sisera N. This will make good that which was confirmed in the Councell of Constance Namely that faith is not to be kept with Heretiques I. I will not now scan the meaning of that Decree only I answere That shee made no faith with Sisera when she said feare not For it may be she meant feare not in regard of Barak and the Israelites that pursue thee N. This is but an equiuocall shift which you can neuer confirme I. As your selfe said of Daniel so we say of Iael we will eather flie to any coniecture then acruse a woman commended by so great a Prophetesse as was Debora Now the fact of Iudeth was not vnlike that of Iael N. It is not likely that the Bethuliam were about to eate the things that were consecrated no such matter being else-where specified in the Storie I. Wee will rather beleeue her affirmation which had better meanes to know it then you that be ignorant thereof And thus your ten imputations and aspersions cast vpon this Booke are now become like painted dreames of the shadow of smoake being dreamed by a doting sickly waking man N. I weigh your words as winde and come from Whole Stories to a Fragment called the Song of the three Children out of which your Benedicite is taken rehearsed by you after the first Lesson instead of Te Deum I. If this offend you it lies in the discretion of the Minister whether hee will repeate it or not For in the place thereof hee may say Te Deum vnlesse it also be tedious to your quicksiluer minted eares But what is that in the Benedicite which moues your choller N. First it is said That the fire went out fortie nine g The Song of the three Children Verse 47. Cubits I. Where begins the Benedicite N. At these words O all yee workes c. I. That is ten Verses after the place by you h The Song of the three Chrildren Verse 57. alleadged So that it may bee that they which disliked the Storie could not disallow this Song read in our Church N. This Song is a Part of the Storie and therefore is to be reiected if the Storie be found reprobate siluer I. The Song may bee rehearsed for morall instruction howsoeuer the Historie which is not rehearsed should erre from some part of truth But now what is the hole in this relation N. It is vtterly impossible the Chaldeans should cast in Naphtha pitch towe and faggots into the furnace if the flame did issue there from so many Cubits I. Some Mechanicall Artizan could teach you a deuice how to cast fuell into a fornace without perill being distant aboue fortie nine Cubits though tripled Againe it will bee hard for you to proue that the fire went forward and did not ascend vpwards Lastly though this were granted yet no impossibilitie would follow For this may be the meaning of the place That the flame brake out of the fornace and went fortie nine Cubits and so burnt the Chaldeans This is confirmed by the words of i Dan. 3. 22. Daniel where it is said because the King's commandement was straight the fire slue the Chaldeans that is because they fearing the rigorous commandement of the King did ouer-heate the fornace the fire suddenly came out and slue them whereof the reasons may bee rendred First their preposterous haste Secondly their casting in of Naphtha pitch and towe which might wonderfully inflame the other fuell Thirdly because the Angell did shake the fire out of the fornace with a hissing k Song of the three Children verse 49 winde N. You heale one errour with an other For l Dan 3. 25. Nabuchadnezzar saith that the men walked in the midst of the fire I. This is the Kings meaning that they walked in the midst of the furnace being the place of the fire neither is it improbable that some winde or dew was brought by the Angell to abate the violence of the fire N. It were more miraculous to say that the fire was restrained from burning I. Miracles and Monsters are not to bee multiplied without necessitie It had beene more miraculous that the Hebrewes had beene fed with Manna in Canaan and yet the Manna there m Ioshua 5. 12. ceased In like manner it had beene more strange if the graue garments had falne from Lazarus of their owne accord yet Christ commanded him to bee n Iohn 11. 44. loosed by men For where the naturall strength of Angels or Men will serue why should we exact a miracle as it were to tempt and o Psal 78. 41. limit the Almightie N. Two fragments there bee separated from the beginning of Daniel commonly termed the thirteenth and fourteenth Chapters of that book namely the Storie of Susanna and of Bel and the Dragon In the Historie of Susanna wee dislike The Story of Susanna and of Bel and the Dragon the matter and the phrase As for the matter it is neither sound for substance nor circumstance For the first it is manifest that Daniel was not aduanced vpon that occasion that this Storie p Susanna v. 65 pretends namely for deliuering Susanna from death by his Propheticall sentence but rather for the interpretation of Nabuchadnezzar's Dreame as is to be seene in the true q Dan. 2. 48. Daniel I. We may easily conceiue
a double aduancement of Daniel First whereby he came into credit with the People by the occasion of the matter of Susanna Secondly whereby hee came into reputation before the King for expounding of his dreame Againe although the King tooke notice of Daniel's iudgement concerning Susanna Yet was it possible that hee should not aduance him either because hee was verie young or because hee thought this iudgement proceeded from dexteritie of wit not from diuine inspiration Or lastly because hee might bee as forgetfully ingratefull towards Daniel as afterwards was Balthazar till hee was aduertised thereof by the Queene r Dan. 5. 10. Mother N. The circumstance of time doth more conuince this Booke and that for two reasons First it appeares by this narration that the Iewes had yearely Iudges in Babylon and power to execute the ſ Susanna v. 5. 41. 62. Lawes of Moses which is no way probable I. First Nabuchadnezzar and Darius aduanced some of the Iewes in t Dan. 2. 48. 49. Babylon Secondly Hamman tels Ahashuerosh that the Iewes obserued their owne u Hest 3. 8. Lawes Thirdly the Romanes which kept downe the Iewes asmuch as the Babylonians yet gaue them leaue in some cases to keepe the capitall Lawes of Moses as appeares by Saint x Iohn 18. 31. Iohn and by Saint y Acts 7. 58. Luke Wherefore this is not so vnprobable as you would haue it N. Secondly against the time I thus reason Daniel is said to be a z Susanna v. 45 young childe and yet this Storie is reported to be done in the time of Cyrus a Susanna v. 65 but this is impossible For Daniel was carried away in the beginning of the b Dan. 1. 1. Captiuitie which lasted seuentie c Ierem. 29. 10. yeares euen to the first yeare of the raigne of d Ezra 1. 1. Cyrus So that Daniel could not be lesse then eightie yeares old in the first yeare of Cyrus I. First Some doubt not to auouch this to be another Daniel N. To what end then is this Storie annexed to his Booke I. That might be done because they were men of the same name nation spirit and happinesse But I relinquish this opinion as vncertaine and improbable The plaine answere is this that those words concerning Astyages and Cyrus in the end of Susanna are taken out of the beginning of Bel and the Dragon as is plaine by the Greeke Text Your calculation therefore is needlesse N. From the matter I come to the phrase For it semes by the Greeke that there should be an allusion in Daniels speech to the words e Susanna v. 54 58. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Elders which allusion is not found in the Hebrew or Chaldie tongues I. First no maruell if it cannot bee found For the names of Easterne trees are little knowne to the Grecians the rest in Europe as all Herbals doe witnesse Secondly though the Greeke Interpreter did allude it followes not herevpon that there was an allusion in the Hebrew or Chaldie Thirdly if all bee granted as also that the Storie is Apocryphall will you herevpon conclude that it is false and not to be read in the Church for morall vse namely to shew how God defendeth innocencie and conuinceth lust and malice N. I passe from Susanna to Bel and the Dragon wherein we disclaime two things First it is said that Daniel was six dayes in the Lions m den f Bel and the Dragon v. 31. whereas it is said in the true g Dan. 6. 19. Daniel that hee remained there but one night I. The Stories speake of two seuerall facts and times The first vnder Darius The second vnder Cyrus N. Darius was Cyaxares the Vncle of Cyrus and raigned with him in Babylon I. This Storie is vncertaine For Scaliger proues that Darius raigned ten yeares before Cyrus came which if it bee true your argument is at an end Againe h Master William Perkins in Digesto others thinke that Xenophon who tels your Storie is meerely fabulous and that Herodotus tels the truth saying that Astvages had neuer a childe but Mandana the Mother of Cyrus N. Secondly we wonder that Habacuk should i Bel and the Dragon v. 33. here be mentioned who was before the Captiuitie as appeares by his k Heb. 1. 5. prophecie I. If he were the same man yet might hee liue as long as Daniel Also you know how long Isaiah and Hosea prophecied namely at the least sixtie three yeares CHAP. III. Of Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and Baruch N. FRom the Historicall Books I passe to those Apocryphall Volumes which are tearmed Sapientall whereof the Booke of Wisdome commonly ascribed to Philo the Iew and Ecclesiasticus compiled by Iesus the Sonne of Syrach may be called Dogmaticall and the last namely the Booke of Baruch Propheticall I. Whither Philo penned the Booke of Wisdome wee dispute not But at this wee maruell that Doctor Iunius being a man of rare diligence could espie no errour in the Bookes of Wisdome or Baruch and yet your Eagle eyes haue found some of this kinde N. First wee blame the title then the matter of the Booke of Wisdome The title seemeth to make Salomon the Author thereof which is false without all controuersie I. It is not intended by this title that this Booke should bee ascribed to Salomon but it is only propounded as a Meditation or Soliloquie made in imitation of that diuine Wisdome of Salomon published in his Bookes of the Prouerbes the Preacher and the Canticles Of which kinde were the Meditations of Saint Augustine Bernard Anselme and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others N. In the matter of the Booke wee dislike two places First those b Wisdome 8. 20 wordes But rather being good I came into an vndefiled bodie wherein two errours are contained First that the soule is created before the bodie Secondly that according to the merit or demerit thereof it obtaineth a good or bad bodie which be the errours of Plato the Chiliasts and Origen Other plaine meaning of this place cannot be framed I. If you reiect the Booke because some place therein is not plaine what shall be done to the Epistles of Saint Paul wherein some things are c 2. Pet. 3. 16. hard to be vnderstood Nay what shall become of the Bookes of Iob Canticles Ezekiel Daniel and the Apocalips not to speake of Tertullian Possidonius Thucidides Sueronius Aristotle Archimidedes Lycophron and Persius which Bookes all will acknowledge to be as hard as profitable Furthermore two gentler interpretations may bee brought of this place The first is d Lyranus vpon this place vulgar namely thus But I becomming better that is making progresse in e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vertue I came into a bodie vndefiled that is obtained a bodie neither polluted with fornication when I was young nor with adulterie when I was married howsoeuer according to the custome of the time
what end is this allegation seeing we reade neither the argument nor the Prologue in the Church N. In the Treatise wee disallow foure things whereof the first concernes Christ the other three his seruants the Prophets Christ the wisdome of the Father is said to bee o Eccles 1. 4. 9. 24. 12. created which is little lesse then Arrianisme I. First some doubt not to affirme these places to bee meant of God's wisdome shewed in his creatures and not of Christ Secondly this p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word may signifie not only to be created but to bee possessed for so the Septuagint doe render it in the q Prou. 8. 22. Prouerbs N. The place was corrupted by the Arrians who reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so it should haue beene read according to the Hebrew I. There is no such Greeke word as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is a Verbe meane and not actiue Againe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to inhabit or possesse whereupon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie not only the builder of a Citie but also the inhabitant therein and Possessor thereof Thirdly to create may signifie to ordaine as when we say a King is created that is ordained Now what hindereth vs to say that Christ from the beginning was possessed and in a sort r Rom. 1. 3. ordained by his Father N. From Christ I descend to the Prophets whereof the first namely Enoch was before the Floud the other two that is Samuel and Elias did succeed it ſ Eccles 44. 16. Enoch is said to be taken away for an example of repentance to the generations wherevpon the Papists haue fained Enoch to be one of the two witnesses in the Apocalyps which should t Apoc 11. 3. fight against Antichrist I. The Papists can euince no such thing out of this place For it is only said that hee was remoued from the power of wicked men that they knowing what hee had u Iude 14 15. prophecied concerning the Floud to bee brought vpon the World for sinne and considering his triumphant passage into heauen might repent So Christ x Iohn 16. 8. 11. saith That the Spirit should conuince the World of sinne because they beleeued not in him and of the righteousnesse of his cause for that he whom they had crucified was taken vp to his Father in Heauen As for the witnesses of Saint Iohn if any place be for coniecture it is more probable by the consideration of the miracles there mentioned that the first of them was Moses and not Enoch N. Next to Enoch is Samuel who is said to haue y Eccles 46. 20. foreshewed the Kings death whereas indeed that foreteller was not Samuel but Satan I. But the Scripture calleth him z 1. Sam. 28. 15 16. 20. Samuel N. Not because he was so indeed but in appearance I. Why then may not the Sonne of Sirach vse the same Phrase N. Yea but hee reckoneth this amongst Samuels praises which was one of the prizes of the Deuill I. It was a praise to Samuel that Saul who would not beleeue Samuel during his life was forsaken by God and so deliuered vp to a reprobate sense that hee sought helpe from Satan appearing in his likenesse whose prophecies he had abused and contemned N. From Samuel the Iudge wee passe to Elias vnder the Kings who as the a Eccles 41. 10. Authour saith is appointed in due season to turne the hearts of the fathers to their children Wherein I note first a contradiction then a false interpretation The former thus appeares These wordes as you know are alledged out of b Mal. 4. 5 6. Malachie who was the last of all the Prophets Now it is said in the c The argument of Ecclesiasticus verse 2 according to Iunius argument that Iesus was after all the Prophets almost I. Iesus the father of Sirach might be before Malachie and yet Iesus the Sonne of Sirach might succeed him in time This latter Iesus finished the Volume Againe Malachie was the last Prophet whose writings are extant and yet some Prophet might come after him For Elias and Elisha wrote nothing and yet were Prophets of the best ranke So that Malachie might bee alleadged by the Sonne of Sirach and yet he liued to see some other Prophet later then Malachie Lastly he is said to haue liued after all the the Prophets almost whereby it may bee thought that hee might see Malachie and yet not suruiue him N. The false interpretation is this That the Authour doth suppose the bodily returne of the Old Elias into the world before the Day of Iudgement whereas both c Math. 11. 14. Christ and the d Luke ◠17. Angel expound it of Iohn the Baptist So that it may seeme the Iewish and Popish fabulous Elias had hence their beginning I. The Iewes reiect this Booke as much as you doe The Papists for their dreame doe aswell alledge Malachie as this Authour Yea they doubt not to peruert the words of Christ thus reading them This is Elias that is to come whereas they should be read thus that was to come as is plaine by the thirteenth verse and by the words of the Angell in S. Luke As for the meaning of this Authour it may be thus Elias the This bite was a man of that excellent spirit that Iohn the fore-runner of Christ and greater then all the Prophets should bee called by his name and bee said to come in his spirit and power As the two witnesses in Saint e Apoc 11. 11. Compare Ecclesiasticus 48. 11. with the Kings Maiesties diuine speech and answere in the conference at Hampton Court Iohn are said to be reuiued in their Successours and inspired with their spirit It may bee also thus meant that Elias in his owne time and person performed these things N. It resteth now That we come to Baruch which hath two parts First a Prophesie in fiue Chapters Secondly the Epistle of Ieremie in the sixt In the Prophesie we mislike two places First these f Baruch 1. 2. words In the fift yeare the seuenth day of the moneth whereby is intimated that Ierusalem was taken and burnt in the fift yeare of Zedechias whereas it is plaine by the Storie g 2. Kings 25. 2. of the Kings and by h Ier. 52 6. Ieremie that this fell not out till the eleuenth yeare of the same King I. We reade not Baruch for Chronologie but for Moralitie If you were bound to reconcile all the calculations of times in Scriptures you should haue need of the helpe of the tenth i This name was giuen to Ioseph Scaliger for his skill in this and other arts tongues Muse Yea I beleeue if ten Scaligers should concurre they could not cut all the Gordian knots made by Chronologers For this particular time Iunius guesseth that
Booke as is to be seene As for the word which wee translate against and you by it hath both significations N. But in this place it should be translated by and not against For the Prophet meaneth that by the words of Gods lips he had preserued himselfe from the wayes of the cruell I. The Hebrew pointing refutes your meaning The words may be thus expounded Because men haue done things against the words of my lips I haue therefore auoided their paths N. But the Hebrew hath thy not my lips I. The sense is all one For things done against God's word were also wrought against the words of Dauid his true Prophet So r Mich. 5. 2. Micha saith Thou Bethlehem art little meaning in regard of place and yet Saint Matthew citing the same Å¿ Math. 2. 6. sentence thus translates it Thou Bethlehem art not little Namely because Christ should come out of that Citie Thus the words differ but the sense agrees N. From words opposite I come to those which be diuers and breed obscuritie The first example of this kind is in the t Psal 68. 30. Psalme where you reade humbly bringing pieces of siluer for treading downe pieces of siluer I. Your translation is more obscure then ours and lesse agreeable to the Hebrew N. You know that this word is so taken elsewhere u Prou 25. 26. Ezek. 32. 2. Dan. 7. 7. howsoeuer in the two former places the word may seeme to varie in writing and the last be written in Chaldie not in Hebrew I. These places are impertinent for though they come of the same root yet are they in a different forme x They are in Cal and Niphal This in Hitâ—pael Coniugation For the word here betokeneth the action of a man treading downe himselfe or craftily suffering himselfe to be trodden downe that is humbling himselfe And so our interpretation is more consonant to the text then yours The Greeke is also for vs for so it is there found that they which are tried may be bowed downe with siluer that is may humble themselues bringing pieces of siluer For as I take it the words are amisse altered in the y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke N. The second instance of your mistaking is when you reade in the z Psal 141. 5. Psalme It shall not breake my head as if it were meant of the flatteries of wicked men Whereas it should bee thus rendred Let it not be wanting to my head being to be expounded of the reproofe of the godly I. Your Geneuians translate it as we doe and surely this translation came from the Greeke which is thus Let not the oyle of the sinner anoint my head And if you obserue it well the sense will accord with the Hebrew For when Dauid prayeth that the oyle namely of the godly may not be wanting to his head Doth hee not by consequence request that the oyle of the wicked may not anoint it N. But how doth breaking the head agree with anointing I. Either this may be the meaning Let not the oyle of the wicked vnder pretence of anointing breake my head Or else it may bee taken from the custome of breaking the box of ointment ouer the head of the partie * Marke 14. 3. anointed N. From your obscuritie I proceed to your falshood wherein you violate either the analogie of faith or of the place and present text I. When wee vrge you to subscribe to the translation our meaning is that that there is no errour therein against the analogie of faith and you impertinently alledge certaine errours against the analogie of the Place But now to your proofes N. The first instance of the former kinde is when you reade in the z Psal 18. 26. Psalme Thou shalt learne frowardnesse Whereas it should be read Thou shalt shew thy selfe froward else the speech were blasphemous I. The Hebrew word signifieth a reflexiue imitation or learning of an action as the Coniugation sheweth For in an other forme it signifieth to wrestle or a Namely in Niphal Gen 30. 8. striue And it is a vulgar b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figure whereby we ascribe to God the passions of men As when he is said to repent to be grieued or angry For indeed what can we conceiue or vtter of God without a figure Againe the c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke readeth as we doe So that your censure of blasphemie is somewhat too viperous N. A second instance of the same fashion is when you reade in the d Psal 125. 3. Psalme Shall not fall whereas it should be translated shall not rest Else we should pray with some ignorant people to bee deliuered from all euill I. The Seuentie render it as we e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non dimittet doe And this is but a criticall cauill about the emphasis of a word For whatsoeuer doth rest vpon a thing must first fall therevpon So that by falling wee meane an heauie and a continued fall N. Against the analogie of the place you haue corrupted sentences and words An example of the first is when you read in the f Psal 107. 40. Psalme Though he suffer them to be euill intreated through tyrants whereas according to the Hebrew and Greeke it is He powred out contempt Or contempt is powred out vpon Princes I. The meaning is all one For God by sending forraine Tyrants to vilifie their Princes doth suffer euen the People also to bee roughly handled by them So Nabuchadnezar by God's permission pluckt out the eyes of Zedechias and withall did leade the People into captiuitie N. You haue also corrupted and falsied words two Nounes and two Verbes I. O vnhappie Mother Church which hast brought forth such children as for a paire of Nounes and Verbes make such long furrowes vpon thy backe N. To leaue your Rhetorique The first place is in the g Psal 68. 6. Psalme where you reade men of one minde for solitarie men I. We read it according to the h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke The Hebrew word commeth of a root signifying to Vnite And surely it is a great blessing of God to haue an agreement in a Family N. The next i Psal 75. 3. or 2. according to others place is where you translate a Congregation for a fit time I. The Hebrew word signifieth a Congregation k Numb 16. 2. elsewhere Dauid also meaneth that great Congregation mentioned in l 2. Sam. 3. 19. 5. 1. Samuel Lastly this was a fit time namely in this assembly to doe this action and therefore the Greekes translate it a m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 season N. The first falsified n Psal 106. 30. Verbe is where you render it Phinees prayed for executed iudgement I. The Hebrew in other places doth signifie to o 1. Sam. 2. 1. 25. Ionah 2. 1. pray The Greeke also translate
it as we p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ◠doe intimating a prayer conioyned to his valiant act by both which he wrought the attonement N. But where doe you reade in the Storie of Phinees that he prayed I. Where finde you in Exodus that Moses said I feare and quake N. Though it bee not extant in Moses yet we find it in the Epistle to the q Heb. 12. 21. Hebrewes which is to vs most authenticall I. In like manner Though Phinee's praier be not found in Moses yet dare wee not denie credit to Dauid reporting the same N. Your last r Psal 119. 122 corruption is where you interpret thus make me delight in good whereas it should be answer for me in that is good Or bee my suretie in the thing which is good I. This Cobweb is not worth the sweeping downe For who conceiueth not that God causeth vs to delight in goodnesse when he becommeth our sure suretie for our good And thus your twentie obiections against the Psalmes are become like the apples of Sodome turned into smoke ashes and brimstone CHAP. V. Of the Lessons Epistles and Gospels N. FRom the Psalmes I proceed to the Chapters wherein we blame your reading and Translation In your reading we disallow your omission of so many Chapters Namely about two hundred and ten So that of 1039. Chapters you reade but 829. I. The cause of our action is double First sundry Chapters be exceeding hard and therefore not fit to be read without a 1. Cor. 14. 28. interpretation N. This place hath beene fitly applied by some of our brethren against reading in the Church where there is no preaching I. Digresse not now You know the place is meant of the interpretation of tongues and not of preaching But to let your opinion goe currant now if no Chapters may be read without an Interpreter How much more should those be vnread which be intricate and such only are by vs omitted These are of foure kinds First some containe Genealogies as Gen. 10. 11 36 Exod. 6. Likewise the first of Matthew and the third of Luke in b Math. 1. 1. to the 18. Luke 3. 23. to the end part N. By this reason you should omit the fist of Genesis which is nothing but a Genealogie I. That is vntrue For besides the Doctrine of Originall sinne and the taking away of c Gen 5. 3. Enoch the long liues and deaths of the eight Patriarches are declared also the time of the Floud and the Preseruation of the Church is made knowne Secondly some be Ceremoniall as Exod. 25. to the 32. and 35. to the end of the Booke Leuit. 1. to the 18. Likewise 21. to the 26 also the last Chapter of the same Booke The like is to be said of sundry Chapters in Numbers and those two in Deuteronomie the 14. and 23. Thirdly some containe the description of places as Ioshua 15. to the 23. Fourthly some are Prophetically mysticall as all the Song of Salomon and many Chapters in Ezekiel especially the nine last And Apocal. 2. to the 22. The second cause of our action is For that some Chapters doe onely repeate things else-where deliuered Of this kind are the Bookes of the Chronicles and the seuenth of Nehemiah N. But why doe you omit the eighteenth of Iob I. I haue shewed you else-where That those Chapters vttered by the three friends of Iob containe an d Chap. 1. of the first booke errour and therefore if none of them were read without an Interpreter it were more safe for the people Of this number is this Chapter vttered by Bildad What other particular reason may be rendred thereof I am ignorant N. But why doe you not reade the thirtieth of the Prouerbs I. The Chapter is very loftie and obscure and therefore an easier Lesson were fitter for the people N. This tearme of Lesson is Childish I. It is but the English of Lection and Lecture a word vsed by e Acts 13. 15. 15. 21. Saint Luke N. To leaue your reading I proceed to your translation wherein twentie other faults are obserued aswell as in your Psalmes These also are in quantitie and qualitie In the quantitie as before Substraction and Addition I. The aduersaries of Paul gaue him one stripe lesse then fortie You giue your Mother the Church full fortie stripes Besides you are bad Arithmeticians setting Substraction before Addition But if instead of Substraction you had put Detraction the thing the name had kept time together Now declare what materiall thing haue we taken away N. You haue cut of wordes twice in Saint Luke and once in the Epistle to the Colossians The first place in Luke is where you reade this f Luke 1. 36. In the Gospel of the Anunciation is the sixt moneth which is called barren whereas it should be this is her sixt moneth or the sixt moneth to her I. Few hearers are of so leaden vnderstanding which hearing this Storie read will not conceiue that Elizabeth and not the moneth is here termed barren Wherefore you doe but trifle about words especially considering that your first correction this is her sixt moneth which is also extant in our Church Bibles makes the sentence neuer the lesse subiect to caption if a man list to straine at a gnat And your latter emendation This is the sixt moneth to her though smelling of the Greeke phrase yet will neuer agree to our English Idiome N. Secondly in Luke you omit these words g Luke 10. 1. In the Gospell on Saint Lukes day After these things whereby the coherence of the text and Chronologie is declared I. When wee reade the Chapter wee omit not these words But when wee reade the Gospel the coherence you pretend is not so needfull but that it may be omitted As for any particular Chronologie out of these wordes it is hard to be gathered N. You haue not a little erred in cutting the Bible into these Epistles Gospels which are more like to shreds and fragments then to true Chapters I. Forasmuch as the whole Bookes could not bee read at once it was thought fit besides the Diuision into Chapters to extract certaine smaller Models yet containing whole matters that the people might bee instructed more plentifully by the reading of the text And herein you nod your head at the Primitiue Antiquitie N. In the Epistle to the h Col. 3. 12. In the fift Sunday after the Epiphanie Colossians you geld these words Holy and beloued I. You are not vnlike Cham who according to the fable of the Hebrewes made his Father vnapt for generation So would you make your Mother the Church vnfit for the regeneration of men for that watching much she winked once and let slip a brace of words the Emphasis whereof she retaines notwithstanding in the Sentence For they which put on the bowels of pitie as the elect of God are they not Holy and Beloued N. You haue added also