Samson THe next shadow I select from many is Samson or according to Hebrew forme Shimshôn In whom wee will consider first his names signification secondly his calling His name being deriued of Shèmesh it is Sol-eius as much to say in English as his-sunne Amongst the Iudges stirred vp to saue Israel Samson shined as a Sunne in that Churches firmament All of them starres but this Deliuerer a Sunne among the starres casting his glorious lightsome beames through Canaan and Palestina But if we make transition from this shadow to his substance we shall finde Messiah to be that glorious bright Sunne wherewith the Church is environed in Reuel 12.1 c. out of whose Goshen there is nothing but Aegyptian darkenesse This in mystery is that Sunne in Psal. 19.6 Who is like a Bridegroome comming forth of his nuptiall chamber for hee that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome Ioh. 3.29 and he is that Gibbôt mightie strong-man that runneth his couâ—se and none can resist him When the Iewes and Gentiles by nailing him to the crosse and sealing him in a tomb did labour to stay his course they yet preuailed not for his sound went forth to the ends of the earth right quickely Rom. 10.18 Meane time as they abused him on the crosse the very firmamentall Sunne did preach to all the world that the diuine Sonne of heauen was suffering an eclipse in his course At the eclipsing of whose Glory that sphericall Sunne did blush did turne away his light as abashed at mankinde that shamed not to doe violence to the Authour of Nature the beginner and finisher of our saluation In comparison of this Sunne Samson was but a starre for from this Sunne all Churches starres doe mutuate their glittering shine doe deriue their Glory Which Sunne as it hath these fortie yeares together and vpward giuen a large shine in our land by the beames of his Gospel so God grant that our sinnes doe not cause this Sunne to set that wee naile him not in his members on the crosse lest spirituall darkenesse couer all our earâ—h at noone-tide For Samsons Calling it is twofold first Ceremoniall and secondly Morall His Ceremoniall Calling is that whereby hee was immeâ—iately sepâ—rate from the wombe for which hee was called Nazarite His Morall vocation is that whereby in ripe yeares he became a Martiall Iudge ouer Israel For his Ceremoniall title we wiâ—l first consider the Word then secondly his Ceremonie The worde Nazarite of Názar dooth signifie One seperated or exempted from common things to the end a certaine vowe may be performed to the Lord as in Numb 6.2 And indeede our sacred vowes to God will not be performed otherwise then with Henoch and the Nazarite wee seperate our selues from the common courses of Men that so we may walke with God And such perfect seperation was in Christ for which he is so oft of the Holy Ghost termed Nazarite I am not ignorant that many from Math. 2.23 doe affirme that Iesus is termed Nazarite not in respect of the ceremoniall terme but of the Citty Nazaret wherein hee sometimes dwelled And their reason is two-fold first because Saint Mathew saith that his dwelling in that Citty gaue cause why he should be called Nazarite secondly because the Syriak text reades Natsareth with tsadi not Nazareth with zaijn For the Syriaks forme of writing it is not much materiall seeing Translators vse much libertie in proper Names as in the Gospel one and the same word is written diuersly as Gersene Math. 8.28 is Gaderene Luke 8.26 Mark 5.1 so Simson in Hebrew if wee aspirate not Shin is Sampson in Greeke and Samson in Latine Which ouer much respect to the Syriake hath not onely led many to thinke that our Sauiour had the name Nazarite onely from that Citty but also that the towne Nazareth had allusion to Isaiah 11.1 where Christ being prophecied of the Prophet saieth And there shall come a rod forth of the stocke of Ishaj Venétser and a graffe out of his roote or as some will a goodly spring out of his rootes though indeede I cannot see how Netser can signifie a spring except by spring they meane a sprout twigge or â—prig But passing by the Syriaks tsâ— it is sufficient that the originall Greeke in the New testament doth neuer write it otherwise then with z because the Greekes zâ—ia doeth naturally expresse the Hebrewes zaijn not tsadi Nor would it be vnheeded that the Holy Ghost still readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus the or that Nazarite rather than of Nazareth Touching Saint Mathew it is true that the people tooke occasion of so terming him in regard of that Citie but doth it therfore follow that the Holy-Ghost made the same to be his Only reason When as Caiphas prophecied that It was expedient one should die for the people vnderstode he as the Spirit of prophecy vnderstood No such matter The souldier percing our Sauiours side he therein fulfilled a prophesie in Zech. 12.10 and yet with no purpose to fulfil that prophesie But in this point the scripture is right copious nor vnto vs should it be strange that Man oft fulfilleth the scripture vnknowing and in aiming at one end dooth accomplish that which the Holy-Ghost applieth to another But to presse the point a litle furder Saint Mathew saying He went and dwelt in a Citty called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken according to the Prophets that he should be called a Nazarite in what Prophets is it so said Find that and â—he knot is vnloosed Reade the 4. great prophets and the 12. lâ—sser prophets and thou neuer finds it once In a word the prophecie appeareth in Iudges 13.5 where it is said of Samâ—on the figure Nezir Aelohimijhièh hannagnar and that boy shal be called a Nazarite Which howsoeuer found in this place alone may be said to be according or by the prophets first for that this booke containing an historie of so many yeares must be pend by moe thâ—n any one Prophet secondly it may be so said in respect of the Iewish diuision of the Bible who part the old testament into three bookes or seuerall volumes thus Genesis Exodus Leuit. Numb Deut. do make one booke Ioshua Iudges Samuel Kings Isaiah Ieremiah Ezekiel and the 12. small prophets all they make the second booke Iob Psalmes Prouerbs Preacher Canticles Daniel Chronicles Ezra and Hester make the third booke The booke of Iudges so con-ioyned in the second Volume may wel be numbred within the prophets specially seeing historie includeth propheticall mysterie And that S. Peter plainly intimates in Act. 3.24 when he saith All the Prophets from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue likewise foretold of these dayes Some vnderstanding Ioseph to be Nazarite from Gen. 49.26 where the worde Seperate is Nazir remembred also of Moses in Deut. 33.16 do therfore vnderstand the prophets Mathew speaks of to be Iaakob Moses
added taken away altered For their Popes voyce reade their Platina and other their owne writers and it shall appeare to be the voyce somtimes of an heretike many times of an Atheist the Dragons mouth of blasphemie opened against the heauenly places and the Saints therein To seeke for the olde way at the mouths of these who frame new deuises euery day it should prooue but folly and frenzie Some here will demaund if so the old way be not to be found amongst the ancient fathers Greeke and Latine I answere yes the old way at least for the substance thereof it is by GOD his watchfull prouidence preserued amongest them For as we were to belieue that they were holy lampes in their age so we are to belieue and these which are conuersant in their writings can proue that howsoeuer with themselues somtimes one with another they dissented yet in the Foundation and Substance of Religion they consented But seeing this substantiall truth as the lillie among the thornes it is not onely too vneasie of many Christians to bee selected but is also knowne to be truth by some other example patterne before them it remaineth wee examine which is the old and perfect way In one word it is the very Word of God contained in the Canonicall scriptures A word and will so perfect as Iohn sealeth it vp in Reuel 22. with a curse to him that addeth to it or taketh from it Yea it is so perfect a word as Perfection was in it before Christes Incarnation which causeth Peter to say We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heed as vnto a Light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and arise in your hearts Nor was it other scripture then the Old Testament which is commended to Timâ—thie for able to make the man of God absolute and perfect vnto all good workes Nay which more is it was so perfect in Salomons time as nothing was to be put vnto it Prou. 30.6 But which dooth more magnifie the scriptures sufficiency it was perfect in Moses his time that is the perfect rule of fâ—ith is contained in the fiue bookes of Moses Deut. 12.32 This word of God so perfect in Moses perfect in Salomon perfect in the Prophets as I may say by way of resemblance perfect in Father perfect in Sonne perfect in Holy-ghost sacred Trinitie in Vnitie It then will be demaunded what vse is there so of the new testament I answere vnspeakable much As Salomon did comment on Moses and the Prophets on both so the newe Testament is a commentarie on all Such paines the holy-ghost hath taken for causing the way of truth to be easie as indeede it is easie Pro9 8.9 to such as will vnderstand That causeth Isaiah to send his people To the law and testimonie Chap. 8.20 and this caused Christ to send the people to the olde Testament which saith Search the scriptures in Iohn 5.39 and this for their further conuiction for he knew that they had not the will to come vnto him Some late Romanists vrge the word Indicatiuely thus You doe search c. because they would debarre lay-people from reading the Scriptures and for the Indicatiue sence they produce Cyrill Against which one I oppose Tertullian Origen Chrysostome Augustine c. Rupertus Aquinas Gerson Albertus Magnus and who not Christ saith Chrysostome sent not the Iews backe to the simple and bare reading of the scriptures but to the very diligent search thereof He saide not Reade the scriptures but Search He commaundeth to digge more deepely that so we may finde the things which are hidde in profunditie And for such profound search it is that S. Luke so highly praiseth the Beraeans To leaue Gods Rule for Mans Rule it is to forsake triple perfection for more imperfection and to vse Ieremies speech it is a forsaking of him that is the fountaine of liuing waters for digging to mens selues pits broken pits that can hold no water Chap. 2.13 When Augustine dealeth with the Donatists he saith Let vs not heare I say this thou saist that but let vs heare haec dicit dominus this saith the Lord. The Lordes bookes are certaine to the authoritie whereof we both consent Ibi quaeramus ecclesiam therein let vs seeke the Church by them let vs examine our cause I will not that the Church be shewen by humane documents but by the diuine oracles Herevpon it was that Chrysostomes Riual considering the church all in confusion from Mat. 24. he cryeth These that be in Iudaea Let them flie to the mountaines namely such as are in Christianitie Conferant se ad scripturas let them betake themselues to the Scriptures Because from the time that Heresie inuadeth the churches there can bee no probation of true Christianitie nor for such as are willing to know the truth of faith can there be any other refuge but the sacred scriptures Before such time by many meanes it might haue beene manifested which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now to such as are willing to know which is the true Church of Christ there is no way but tantummodo per scripturas only by the Scriptures Thus together with the ancient Church of God I conclude from Scripture that in the word of God is contained the Old way wherein the faithfull are to walke Of the Prophets and Apostles therefore we are to learne with them to consult But here the Romanists do obiect thus the Scriptures are a a waxen Nose a shipmans Hose which euerie heretike can turne to his purpose the Scriptures therefore how perfect soeuer to saluation yet not sufficient for Instruction I answere first let them graunt vs saluation and let them take the destruction to themselues Secondly how it is possible they should be sufficient for saluation but not for instruction seeing howsoeuer instruction may be without saluation yet saluation cannot be without instruction Thirdly if the word of the Creator be insufficient what Diuell is that dare say the worde of any creature can bee sufficient Fourthly no Heretike can turne the scripture to his heretical purpose He may labour so to turne it he may contend to make it a Pandor but such it neuer can be for as an Ancient well saieth it is not the Scripture but their collection or sense of scripture that maketh the heresie Fiftly I answere that though the Old way be manifest in the scriptures yet onely seene of these that haue the eyes of the scriptures Colours cease not to be colours though the blinde cannot iudge of them Men are Men though the halfe blinde in the Gospel saw them a farre off to be but as trees The insufficiencie is not in the word but in our vnderstandings and therefore stand need with the Emmauites in Luke 24. to haue our vnderstandings and cies opened of Iesus When we are come to the scriptures wee are come to
of seauen to be without Mother and off-spring So sacred is the number of seauen as ancient Gentiles gaue place to the seauenth day for rest as also for perfecting the Creature And to this end the former Greeke Antient introduceth Homer Hesiod and Callimachus their Antient Poets Nor proceeded it but from a deepe conceit in Balaam the Easterne Gentile Prophet when as he builded seauen Altars and offered vp seauen Bullockes But passing by such notes let me come to the right sacred booke of God and there shall plainely appeare how renowned this Sabbaticall number is And this shal be briefly obserued in God his sanctifying the seauenth day the seauenth moneth the seauenth yeare and the seauen times seauenth yeare in the old testament then afterwards by renewing a memoriall of the number so oft in the new testament Sixe dayes hauing finished the naturall worke of Creation the Seauenth day God rested and sanctified it to diuine contemplation Gen. 2.2 Exod. 20.11 Which resting from bodily trauels for giuing full scope to the spirit for meditating in the mercies of God did fore shadow a world of businesses in the world till the Seede promised in Paradise should come in whom alone the Church was to haue her soules rest And this was it which was shadowed by al other Sabatical or rest daies as plainely affirmeth the Apostle thus Holy-dayes new moones Sabaoths were but a shadow of things to come but the body is in Christ. On which ground the new testaments Church hath abolished these Sabaoths weekely and festiuall lest otherwise shee should Iudaize as if Christ were not come in the flesh Obiection then in abolishing of the day we abolish the fourth commandement Answere no we reserue the morall duetie which is as the life and substance of that precept in so resting and meditating the next day after onely we put away the seauenth day which in regard of his number was a shadow Which next day after the eight after a sorte the Ancients still vnderstood by the eight day alotted to circumcision but in nature being the first day it was of Origen vnderstoode to be the day wherein Manna first came downe from heauen representing Messiah the true bread of life to the faithfull As the Sabaot day God rested from creating any new worke so Messiah on that day wholy did rest in the Sepulchre Hauing on the crosse when he cried It is finished put an end to the worke of redemption They that afterwardes haue inuented new workes for redemption they doe with Anah but find out the generation of Mules and with the cursed earth but bring forth thorns thistles degenerate vermine When he was come in whom the father did rest and the church was to rest the shadow was to giue place to the substance the typicall seauen to Messiah thereby typed and forefigured Lect. XIIII Sabbaoth of Moneths AS sixe dayes brought with them a sabbaticall seauenth day so the time of sixe moneths brought with it his Sabbaticall seauenth moneth The first was the Sabbaot of dayes this second as an Ancient well termeth it is Sabbathum Mensium the Sabbaot of Moneths Not so termed because the seauenth moneth was wholy but because a great parte of it was to be rested The first day of this seauenth moneth called Tisri was the feast of Trumpets The tenth day was the feast of Reconciliation The fifteenth day was the feast of Tabernacles and that continued seauen dayes after euery which day had his peculiar sacrifice The feast of Trumpets was a solemne memoriall of the benefites which they had receiued by the vse of that kinde of instrument By the trumpets of Rammes hornes a simple meane it pleased God to shutter downe Ierichoes walls Iosh. 6. By the two legall siluer trumpets the congregation was enformed of the times of assembly and departure secondly of warre thirdly of festiuall solemnities Numb 10.1 c. Wherein were represented these two spirituall things the Word of God preached and holy faithfull Prayer By that blessed word sounded as Isaiah was commanded in chap. 58.1 it pleasâ—th to shutter downe the walls of the false church to contrite the hard heart to ouer â—hrow the mightie imaginations of mankinde The sounding of an instrument was but a weake meanes for ruinating wal's chasing of the aduersarie but the arme of Iehouah did accompany such meanes so the preaching of Christ crucified and that by such meane instruments as the Apostles of it selfe was vnable to conquer one soule but it being the ordinance of God and so accompanied with the powerfull operation of his spirit it so hath cast downe the Oracle-walls of Idolatrie broken downe the high imaginations of flesh and blood expulsed the Romish familiar Hobgoblins dispelled the clowdes of golden legendarie lies By the sounding of this word we are also taught how to assemble and how to depart about our seuerall affâ—ires the word of God is to be our delight and counsailour Yea this same word is to be sounded ouer all our sacrifices and spirituall exultations as one sacred ordinance for hallowing all our worship The trumpets also did represent Prayer when it is saide that vppon their sound in warre-time they should thereby be remembred before their God And hereupon it is that we are enioyned to Call vpon him in time of trouble euen as Salomon in his dedication of the temple did interceede with the Lord for hearing Israel when they should stretch forth their voice vnto God in the time of their straits And so Hezekiah stretching the aduersaries letter before him Isa. 37. did lift vp his complaint to God whereupon Iehouahs Angel issued out and â—lue of his enemies an hundred foure score and fiue thousand The feast of reconciliation was an act of humbling the soule before God to whom they could not be reconciled without him that was preached in their sacrifice The feast of tabernacles or boothes put them in minde of their flitting estate while they were in the wildernesse and is to vs a representation of our mooueable state in this wildernesse of the world All these things accompany this sabbaticall moneth the first moneth according to Hebrues ciuill accompt but from the time of their comming from Aegypt it became their Seauenth For then the moneth Abib called also Nisan it was made the First Exod. 12.2 13.4 The Ciuil reckning thus 1 Tishri 2 Marchesuan 3 Cisleu 4 Tebet 5 Shebet 6 Adar 7 Abib 8 Ijar 9 Siuan 10 Tamuz 11 Ab 12 Aelúl The Ecclesiasticall thus 1 Abib 2 Ijar 3 Siuan 4 Tamuz 5 Ab 6 Aelúl 7 Tishri 8 Marches 9 Cisleu 10 Teb 11 Sheb 12 Adar The Ciuill First became thus the ecclesiasticall Seauenth for teaching vs that All is become anew to the faithfull who are to rest in him who was figured by the High-priest entring into the Temples Sanctum sanctorum this very seauenth moneth and in no other This seauenth day and seauenth moneth doe both leade vs to rest
then the Quintessence of the sauing Gospel and euery of these 490. yeares are as so many golden linkes of Time beginning with the Shadowe and ending with the thing shadowed Great pity but we should fasten them aright For in them lieth open matter for stopping the Iewes mouth for abolishing Mahomatisme for conuincing of Papisme for settling a true Christian Daniel in English The Iudgement of God to him was this Oracle deliuered for light and saluation to all such as rest not in humane fancies but in the Iudgement of God But to the question When and by whom this Word or Edict should goe out it is of many called into question The cause of which contrâ—rietie ariseth first from certaine parts of Gabriels speech secondly from the prophane Greekes their Olympique computation From Gabriels speach some take the 490. yeares should finish with his assuming our nature in respect of which extraordinary conception they thinke that phrase the shewing or The annointing of the holy of Holies is vsed Some thinke by that speach is entended his Baptisme for that the Holy-Ghost then openly ouershadowed him Others cast the period of these 490. yeares vpon Christs death because of these words After the threescore and two sannets Messiah shall be pierced thorough Others vnderstanding by Messiah or Annointed not Iesus the Christ but the Iewish annointed shadowing Gouernours doe fasten the end of Gabriels seauens vpon Ierushalems destruction first because the Annointed Gouernement then ceased to be secondly for that Gabriel in the end of this Oration doeth speake of Ierushalems desolation which fell forth about some fortie yeares after Christs ascention Foure sundry opinions thus arise from three speeches of this sacred Prophecie As for them that thinke howe by a certaine number of yeares an vncertaine is meant they make the Angel to come about an idle message He professeth verse 22. that he came to giue knowledge and vnderstanding to Daniel but if by seauenty seauens he meant eightie seauens or some other number then the Angel taught him nothing for Daniel knew before that Messiah should come and finish our redemption So certaine an vncertaintie is this as it is vnworthy to be numbred with the worst of the former foure For all the former hold the number of 490. yeares proper and certaine onely they call into question first when these yeares begunne secondly when they finished And hereunto some of the former haue beene drawne from a certaine computation of the Greekes called Olympique of the hill Olympus where Gallants from all parts came and stroue for the victorious Garland These Olympiqâ—e maisteries were as some haue taught euery fift yeare but against them Onuphrius opposeth many others that conclude them to haue beene held euery fourth yeare Such vncertaintie there is in this Gentilique computation As the famous Plutarch could say of the Olympiades beginning Tempora igitur diligentius exequi per difficile est ea maxime quae ex victoribus Olympiae ducuntur quoruâ— descriptionem aiunt serò Hippiam Eliensem aedidisse nullo subnixum necessario ad fidem Argumento in effect There is no trust to be giuen vnto Olympiad reckonings so I may say of their Endings little assurance can be had whether euery fourth yeare or not also sometimes the fift yeare as the Romans held their Lustrum or not whether sometimes euery other yeare seeing greedinesse of Gaming will not alwayes be held in like compasse Now forsooth some affirming that Cyrus victory fell in such an Olympiade and our Sauiours birth baptisme Death in respect of Augustus and Tyberius Caesar vnder whome they fâ—ll to fall in such an Olympiade betweene which Olympiades moe yeares arise then these 490. of Gabriel they hereupon conclude that the Angels seauens must begin later then Cyrus Edict Some labor to proue that the Greeks accompt may be reconciled with our Sauiours baptisme at least with his death Others mighâ—â—ly resist that who to make Daniels seauens finish Ierushalems last desolation by the vncircumcised Romanes doe beginne the accompt from Darius Nothus said to be He in Ezra 6. what time a renuall of Cyrus his edict went forth And this must be about some hundred yeares after Cyrus Some other taking this Darius in Ezra for another then Nothus namely for an Artaxerxes seuered sirnamed Long-hand doe beginne the compt about some six and thirtie sooner but for that are forced to prosecute the after-time as they may And no maruell for if the Gentile-writers confound one Gouernor with and for another no maruel though their yeares reckonings be as confused in this as about Great Homers time of life where some of them cannot come within two or three hundred yeareâ— one of another As for the booke intituled A plaine and perfect Method it herein doth answere the selfe For speaking of these yeares in three places each place as forgetting the other doth oppose to the other And that which teacheth the Persians gouernment to haue beene but 130. yeares doth hew off the other two legs seeing these which follow the Greekes doe aâ—gment the Persians gouernment an hundred yeares or thereabouts For the difference is not about yeares in the following Gouernements but onely in this Such ill-happe haue men medling with Gabriels Oration when as they flie the Scriptures simplicity and betake themselues to corrupt historie Another opinion lately come out of the North doth ioyne the beginning of Gabriels yeares without all question to the first yeare of Cyrus his Monarchie wherein hee returned the Iewes and the ending of Gabriels halfe seauen he fastneth vpon our Sauiours death But marke with all that as the Angell parted the seauenty seauens first into 7. seauens secondly into 62. seauens thirdly into one seauen so betweene the first number of seauen sennets and the second number of 62. hee interiects 63. yeares for making good the Computaion of prophane Chronicles Which in very troth with that of putting downe of a certaine number for an vncertaine is to teach Daniel one thing when himselfe meanes another and so to make Daniel nothing wiser than before yea which is more it is the putting in of a leather thong to Gabriels golden chaine the sowing of Daniels ground with miscellaine the yoking of an Oxe and Asse together And all these inconueniences grow from laboring that the Bible may conforme it selfe to Gentiles vncircumcized Chronicles where religion teacheth vs to draw them to the Bible And if they will not thereto be drawen then to cashire them specially Graecians for falsifiers deceiuers For as the Apostle could say of the Cretians They were alwayes liers so more Generally we may with Iamblicus and the Aegyptian priest in Platoes Timaeo hold these generally for Children lying and vnconstant And how vnconstant they be it wel enough appeareth in the great varietie of Computation introduced by writers on this scripture Seeing some of them still serue for confirming the absurdest iudgemâ—nt But to passe from Fables to faith from Prophane