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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68868	A treatise of the foure degenerate sonnes viz. the atheist the magician the idolater· and the Iew. VVherein are handled many profitable questions concerning atheisme, witchcraft, idolatry, and Iudaisme: and sundry places of Scripture, cleared out of the originall tongues. Being the fourth volume, of the Workes of Mr. Ioh. Weemse of Lathocker in Scotland, and Prebend of Dunelm.; Works. Vol. 4	Weemes, John, 1579?-1636.	1636 (1636)	STC 25218; ESTC S119529	289,084	416

the Kings of Egypt the kings of Israel and the kings of Iudah as Abrahams Pharaoh Iacobs Pharaoh and Iosephes Pharaoh Others of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 badde as Pharaoh Ophrah Ier. 44. and Pharaoh Neco Ier. 46. and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses his Pharaoh Among the Kings of Israel there were none good they were either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were either bad or very bad none of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not evill They suckt the milke of Idolatrous superstition in the daies of Ieroboam whereunto they were addicted alwaies so long as the common wealth indured even the reigne of ninteene Kings But amongst the Kings of Iudah some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 optimi as David Ezekias and Iosias some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boni as Iehosaphat Asa and Manasseh Manasseh is reckoned amongst the good kings because his end was good Eze. 18. Some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Vzziah was who began well but his heart was lifted up and he fell away from the Lord afterward and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most wicked as Ammon and Ahaz but there were none of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minime mali Object But it may be said of Iosias that the remnants of Baal were not taken away in his tyme Zepha 1.4 why then should he be reckoned amongst the best Kings Answ He studies to cut away the remnants of Baal which he could not finde out at the first because Idolaters are very subject to cover their Idolatry The first increase of Idolatry under the Kings was in Salomons dayes 1 Kings 11.5 The first increase of Idolatry amongst the kings was in Salomon time When Salomon went after Ashtaroth the goddesse of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites The Lord gave Salomon wisedome above any he exceelled the wisedome of the East country What great blessings the Lord bestowed upon Salomon before hee fell and all the wisedome of Egypt in naturall wisedome The Lord gave him a heart as large as the sand of the sea 1 Kin. 4.29 the Lord loved him and called his name Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 The Lord appeared twice to him 1 King 9.10 The Lord made choise of him to be one of his secretaries to write a part of the holy scriptures It was hee who builded the temple and bestowed infinite charges upon building of it It was he who consecrated the Temple It was he who offered when the Temple was consecrated ●0000 oxen 1 King 8.63 and 120000. sheepe It was he who prayed for the people and blessed them 1. King 8.55 It was hee who was a speciall type of Christ It was hee who fell not away untill his old age and although the Lord threatned him that hee would rent his Kingdome for this his Idolatrie yet hee continued still in it 1 King 9.11 and was not a whit bettered by the threatnings of the prophet and herein he seemes to be worse then his foolish sonne Rehoboam for when the Prophet Semajah came to diswade him for to fight against Ieroboam hee left off his purpose and went backe againe but Salomon lay long in a Lethargie before he awoke who would have thought that the dragon with his taile could have pulled downe so farre this shining starre and when we see such a great Cedar of Lebanon as this to have fallen Let us with feare and reverence worke out our salvation The decrease of this Idolatry when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes The decrease of this Idolatry was when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes in a publike testimony of his repentance Salomon wrote three bookes the first is his Proverbes and it is intituled The Proverbs of Salomon the sonne of David King of Israel a fit booke of morall instructions for a King to write to his subjects then he wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes to the Church after his fall when he was gathered to the Church againe Cohe●eth from Cabal congregare and he beginnes this booke thus Vanity of vanities and by vanities here he meanes especially Idolatrie for Idolls are the Gentiles vanities Ionah 2. and 〈◊〉 Act. 14.15 and he shuts up this booke thus feare God and keepe his commandements which shewes that Salomon renounced the vanities of those Idols And the last booke which he wrote was the Song of Songs which is the most excellent of all songs yea and of all Salomons Songs wherein his heart is elevated in describing this spirituall conjunction betweene Christ and his Church under the termes of a marriage made with his queene when he married Pharaos daughter Reasons proving that Salomon wrote this booke after his repentance It is cleare that Salomon wrote his booke after his repentance and after that hee had tried all sorts of vanities and not before his fall for in this booke hee describes his wisedome his power the buildings and the glory of his house which answers to that which is spoken of him 1 King 7.9 10. at the least he spent twentie yeares before all these things were done then he spent thirteene yeares in building of his house then adde to these five or sixe in repairing the citie and in building of the cities in the desert so that by this time hee had beene fortie or fiftie yeares old and adde to these the sending of the ships to Ophir which hee sent to fetch home gold Eccles 2. then hee tells how much hee was given to women J found a woman more bitter than death Eccles 7.26 and of a thousand wives and concubines which he had there was not one which he could trust Eccles 7 and these all he found but vanities Hee could not doe all those things and have experience of all these vanities but in a long time Bellarmine goes about to prove out of the text that this booke was written before Salomons fall because he saith my wisedome remained with me Eccles 2.9 but his wisedome could not remaine with him when he fell so filthily therefore saith hee this booke was written before his fall Answ The wisedome which remained with him so long as he went astray from the Lord was his carnall wisedome and his spirituall wisedome was buried all this while untill the time that he repented The reasons in particular which shewes Salomon his repentance are those First Salomon was a Prophet of God Salomon was a holy Prophet of God therefore he was not a reprobate and a Pen man of holy Scriptures now all the Prophets of God were holy men Luke 1.70 therefore Salomon was a holy man although he was overtaken with those vanities for a while The second reason is taken from the promise of God The second reason that hee was not a reprobate is taken from the promise of God made to him 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his father saith the Lord and hee shall be my sonne if he

sticke and write upon it for Ioseph the sticke of Ephraim and they shall be one in thy hand Here the joyning of the two stickes in the Prophets hand was a signe of the joyning of the tribes together So when Agabus tooke his girdle and bound himselfe with it it was a signe to Paul that he should be bound at Rome Act. 21.11 Naturall signes Secondly we may observe signes naturall and make use of them as the Physitians doth in a mans sickenesse and the Iewes saith that there are sixe signes which are good to know when they are found in a sicke man the first is gnatush stermutatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neesing the second is Seignir sudor swetting the third is Shilshul sedes sive egestio when he hath the benefite of the stoole the fourth is Keri pellatio nocturna gonorea the sheding of his seede the fifth is Shena somnus sleepe the sixt is chalom somnium a dreame We may observe these naturall signes The third are superstitious signes Superstitious signes as if one meete a hare first in the morning they take that for an evill signe and people are much taken with these superstious signes The last are diabolicall signes when Zoroastes was borne he presently laught they gathered by that that he would prove afterward a great Magitian this was a signe from the divill and not from God The devill useth sundry diabolicall signes with his witches They take a belt in their hand Diabolicall signes and measure how many inches long the belt is If ye name to them the name of the person who is sicke they will tell you presently whether the person will live or die if the person will die then the belt growes a great deale shorter by so many inches then it was before but if the person be to live then it is a great deale longer then it was before this is the common practise of witches To breake off or to dissolve this covenant with the devill is a very hard thing Simon Magus desired S. Peter to pray for him but he could not pray for himselfe and unlesse the stronger man come in and bind Satan and dispossesse him he can never be dispossessed Luke 11. He that hath a desire to come out of these snares of the divel How men must breake off this direct covenant with the devill first he must know in what a dangerous estate he stands in without repentance he cannot enter within the holy citie Secondly he must know that upon repentance he may be received into the kingdome of God againe as Manasses 2 King 21.6 and those of Ephesus Act. 19.19 And such was Cyprian who afterward proved a martyr then they must confesse their sinnes Act. 19. and shew their deedes and last burne their magicke bookes although they were of never so great a price it is not lawfull to keepe such bookes but to burne them Act. 19.20 We may read the bookes of Heretickes and keep them but these books we may not keepe Whether it is lawfull to remove the signe put by the devill or not A question may be moved here in breaking this direct covenant with the devill whether it is lawfull to remove that signe which the devill hath put for the hurting of man or beast Example the devill bids take a toad and put it under the threshold of such a mans doore and when the man or any that belongs to him comes over that doore then they shall die Whether is it lawfull to remove the signe or not when we know it is put there This question is disputed by the Casuists sundry wayes Some holds that they may use the helpe of a witch to remove the signe If it be lawfull for one say they to borrow money of an usurer if he be willing to lend it and if it be lawfull to take an oath of him who sweares by his Idols why may we not say they use the helpe of a witch to remove the signe Answ There are great oddes betwixt these because witchcraft is intrinsece mala it is evill of it selfe therefore wee must never have any medling with a witch Rom. 1. They who doe such things are worthy of death and not onely they who doe them but also they who consent unto them but when one takes an oath of him whom hee knowes will sweare by his Idoll onely or to borrow money from him whom hee knowes is an usurer these are not evill of themselves to take an oath and borrow money and if they were well affected they would sweare religiously by the true God and lend their money freely so that these two are but evill as they abuse them but are not evill in themselves as Magicke is Any Christian man may safely remove the signe which is put by the devill Object To remove the signe which Satan hath placed seemes to be an implicite calling upon the devill and a minding of him to performe his promise Answ Hee that removes the signe calls not upon the devill here for his helpe neither doth hee covenant with the devill that hee should cease to hurt when hee removes the signe If a traytor should make a covenant with the enemie and confederate after this manner with him when I hold up this signe or put up these colours then yee shall come and scale the walles now if any good citizen should know this and should remove the signe hee would no wayes be thought to consent to their treacherous covenant but rather to hate and dissolve it Object Hee who removes the signe that the devill may hurt no more medles he not here with the covenant which the devill made with the witch which was this So long as the signe lies here it shall have power to hurt but when it is removed it shall have no power at all to hurt Answ Although hee that removes the signe should know that the covenant was thus made betwixt the devill and the witch yet it would not follow that hee consented to this covenant for he desires not the devill here to keepe his promise when he removes the signe neither enters he in a new covenant with the devill here but by that means he breakes the covenant which the devill and the witch made and takes away occasion to call upon the devill hereafter Object But when hee removes the signe and hopes that Satan shall not hurt hereafter either he expects this event from a naturall cause or from the will of man or from God by a miracle but he expects none of these wayes therefore he lookes to have the event from the devill and it is all one as if he should say to the devill thou promisedst so soone as this signe was removed to cease to hurt any more I remove the signe therefore performe thou that which thou hast promised Answ He who removes the signe expects not here from the devill an positive effect but onely an privitive when wee call upon God by faith

sort of art or science which is foolish and altogether vaine to leane to as physiognomy and palmistry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a liberall science or art which is profitable to man And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that which is hurtfull to a man As Iudiciall Astrology and Magicke We are to put a difference betwixt Magiam divinam A difference betwixt divine Magicke the Magicke of the Mathematician the physicall Magicke and the diabolicall Magicke Magiam mathematicam Magiam Physicam Magiam doemoniacam divine Magicke was that which the Magitians of the East learned from the Scriptures As from Balaam his prophesie of the starre Num. 24.17 and was confirmed to them by the Mathematickes observing the course of that starre and here the Lord takes them in their owne trade because they studied the Mathematickes And this starre they called his starre Mat. 2.2 This was Salutare sidus for other comets pretended some unlucky thing but this starre led them to Christ This knowledge of the starres was lawfull the Arabickes call such an astrologue Cachin which comes from Cohen Sacerdos and the Egyptian Priests who might study n● other arts yet were permitted to study this sort of Astrology The second sort of Magicke was Magia Mathematica Mathematecal Magick which considers the diverse aspects and properties of the stars and this is a lawfull knowledge Physicall Magicke The third sort is Magia Physica or ars medendi and this is lawfull Diabolicall Magicke The last is Magia doemoniaca sive diabolica to foretell the events of things contingent by the stars and this is altogether unlawfull All profitable sciences furthers a man to the knowledge of God but this drawes a man from God All profitable sciences furthers a man to the knowledge of God but this drawes a man from God The Mathematickes prepares the minde by abstracting of things and makes a way for the minde to consider things more separate from the materiall and grosse bodies And Moses was bred in this sort of science Act. 7. When he was learned in all the sciences of Egypt Secondly Physicke elevates the minde further As when Salomon wrote of trees and plants he was led here to the consideration of Gods power and wisdome by them Thirdly Metaphysica magis clevat Metaphisick lifts the minde higher to God Sed non nectit postremo fini It tyes not the minde to the last end it considers God as Ens and affectiones entis are vnum verum bonum This is all that Metaphysicke considereth but this is nothing untill the soule ascend higher By divinity it is led to the highest degree to know God vnum per vnionem vnum per vnitatem one by unity to know the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost one in essence and one by union to know Christ God and Man to be one person to know him Ithiel and Veall This knowledge of God tyes the soule to the last end to God himselfe for all the knowledge which Agur had before he came to this knowledge he confessed that he was more brutish then any man and had not the understanding of a man he had neither learned wisedome nor had the knowledge of the Holy That is of salvation and life eternall which onely the holy attaines unto This knowledge elevates the minde to the last end then how brutish is that knowledge that drawes away the minde from the last end This science is subordinate to no other science for all subordination is either directa subordinatio or else subordinatio ratione finis Directa subordinatio is this when one borrowes all from the superiour science as the Apothecary doth from the Physitian for hee must know of the Physitian what hot things and what cold what drammes and what scruples he must put in the physicke which he is to give unto the patient The second subordination or indirect subordination is this which is subordinate onely in respect of the end Example a Cooke is not directly subordinate to the doctor of Physicke therefore hee askes not of the doctour what hearbes hee should put into a broath because hee is not directly subordinate to the doctour but aske him the end why hee makes the broath hee will answer for the safety of man here he is subordinate to the doctour in regard of the end for the doctour gives Physicke for the safety of the man and so doth the Cooke who makes the broath This devillish art is not subordinate ratione finis for the supreame and last science Divinity serves for the good of man to lead him to his last end and to save him but this science is not subordinate to this supreame and last end but it leades a man to his destruction and damnation This Astrology borrowes from other sciences and hath nothing of its owne Vt format ostentiones suas that is as he makes his houses in the heavens he is directly subordinate to the Mathematitian here and borrowes his principles from him as he foretels naturall things he is subordinate to physicke But when he foretels contingent things which he ascribes as proper to himselfe then he is subordinate to the devill The Persian Priests were called Chobharim astrologi prognostici from Chabhar Isa 47.5 There is no science into this devillish art for all sciences are resolved into principles knowne by themselves or demonstrate into some other science or knowne by experience or revealed by the first Verity But none of these are found in judiciall astrologie therefore it cannot be a science that these principles are not knowne by themselves or demonstrate in some superior science these two they will grant but some will perhaps say this skill was revealed by an Angel to Adam or to Enoch but who told them this or out of what Scripture have they learned it It rests then that they say they know this onely by experience The Chaldees that they might perswade this their art to the Greekes and to the Romans said that they had experience of these things for so many hundred thousand yeares as Cicero testifies in his booke de divinatione And so they said truely for there is need of many more yeares then these for to observe the figures situations and oppositions of every one of these in particular before the heavens shall be turned about to the same point againe And all the particular events which they would demonstrate by them shal never fall out although the heavens should be in a perpetuall motion for ever Quest How could Daniel be made Master of the Magicians Astrologers Chaldeans and Soothsayers Dan. 5.11 seeing these were damnable arts Answ Daniel was set over these as they were gaz●rim Astrologers foretelling naturall things and not as they were Soothsayers foretelling things contingent but these curious and damnable arts no doubt he condemned altogether as unlawfull These iudiciall astrologers were excommunicate out of the Church and banished out of the commonwealth For this damnable art Aquila who

head of the calfe here or the whole calfe and the reason of the doubt is because S. Cyprian in his book De bona conscientia sub finem S. Ambrose Epist. 6. Lactantius lib. 4.10 S. Augustine in Psal 73. hold that it was not an oxe but caput bubuli which they worshipped But this seemes not to be probable seeing the Scripture every where calles it a calfe and hee resembleth him to an oxe eating grasse Psal 106.20 The head of an oxe alone cannot eate grasse and they resembled an oxe as neare as they could This oxe which they worshipped in Egypt was marked with strange spots Bos inquit in Egypto numinis vice colitur Apin vocant insigne ei in dextro latere candicans macula similis cornibus Lunae crescere incipientis nodus sub lingua quem cantbarum appellant There is an oxe in Egypt which is worshipped as a God and they call him Apis he hath upon his right side a white spot which is like the hornes of the Moone when shee beginneth to grow and he hath under his tongue a knot which they call Cantharus By what slight the devill continued this Idolatry in Egypt to worship the calfe And S. Augustine holdes that the devill whereby this Idolatrie might be continued in Egypt used this slight Phantasiam talis tauri vaccae concipienti ostendere ut libido ejus attraheret quod in ejus faetujam corporaliter appareret that is he presented before the Cow when she was ingendering and in her heat August de civit dei lib. 18. cap. 5. a Bull marked after the same manner that the oxe of Egypt was which markes the Cow apprehending in her phantasie transmitted to the calfe and by that meanes the calfe was marked after the same manner that the oxe was and so the divill by his slight and cunning continued this Idolatry in Egypt But marke the foolishnesse of these Idolaters this oxe which they worshipped when hee grew old they used to drowne him in some lake or poole and then they lamented for his death in mourning apparel knocking upon their breasts and renting their cloathes but when they had found annother marked after the same manner then they rejoyced exceedingly this was great madnesse Peucerus de divinatione pag. 223. One jested at the gods of Egypt when he saw them lament for their gods Si dii sunt cur plangitis si mortui cur adoratis if they be gods what neede you to lament if they be dead why doe you worship them The decrease of this Idolatrie This Idolatrous worship decreased when Moses caused the calfe to be beaten to powder and given to the people to drinke Exod. 32.20 thus hee would let them see when this Idoll was turned to excrements It was but a god of dung Lev. 26.30 Deut. 29.17 and because these Idolls were but gods of dung therefore the Lord commanded that Baals house should be turned into a privie 2 King 10.27 and so when the Levites consecrated their hands to kill their neighbours and brethren Exod. 32.29 that were Idolaters their hands were consecrated with the bloud of their brethren as that day when they were ordained priestes and the bloud of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the thumbe of their right hand Exod. 29.20 and this was as acceptable a consecration to the Lord as that day when they were consecrated priests unto him The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernesse The second increase of Idolatrie in the wildernes was when God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven as it is written in the booke of the Prophets O ye house of Israel have ye offered unto me slaine beasts and sacrifices by the space of fortie yeares in the wildernesse yea yee tooke up the tabernacle of Moloch and the starre of your god Rempham figures which yee made to worship them How are the Israelites charged by Amos and by Stephen to have worshipped the host of heaven in the wildernesse when there is no mention made of this by Moses Here first wee are to enquire how the Israelites are charged by the Prophet Amos Chap. 5. vers 25. and by Stephen Acts 7. that they worshipped the host of heaven in the wildernesse when as the Lord never charged them with this sort of Idolatry in the bookes of Moses Secondly how they are said never to have sacrificed all the time that they were in the wildernesse when as they sacrificed to the Lord in the wildernesse Exo. 24.5 and Levit. 8.21 and 9.2 Thirdly what these Idolls were which they worshipped and sacrificed to in the wildernesse As to the first How can they be said by the Prophet and by Stephen to offer to the host of heaven seeing the Lord blames them not for that and we read nothing in the historie of Moses of it An. Rabbi Salomon reades it in the future tense portabitis ye shall beare as though the Lord were threatning a judgement against them for the time to come but this is neither the meaning of the Prophet nor of S. Stephen for they charged the Israelites with that Idolatry which they cōmitted whiles they were in the wildernes Beza upon the 7. Act. holds that the Israelites committed not this Idolatrie while they were in the wildernesse but the Prophet blames them that they worshipped God but hypocritically and not sincerely in the wildernesse and so David blames them Psal 95. and Psal 106. and therefore the Lord gave them up afterward to this open Idolatrie to worship the host of heaven But the Prophet Amos expresly saith Amos 5.25 that they worshipped the host of heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a particular wildernesse the wildernesse of Arabian where they wandered fortie yeares Object But if it be said that there is no mention of this Idolatrie in the history of Exodus neither are they charged with it as with other Idolatrie I answer that the Scripture The Scripture sets downe in some places that which is omitted in others and that makes up the full sense of the Scriptures sometimes sets downe in one place that which is omitted in another Example it is set downe in Exodus how the Magitians were called who resisted Moses and yet the Apostle calls them Iannes and Iambres 2 Tim. 3.8 So the strife which was betwixt the devill and Michael about the body of Moses the Apostle Iude sets it downe ver 9. So it is set not downe in the history of Genesis that Ioseph when he was in prison his feete were put into the stockes and Iron entred into his soule and yet David sets it downe Psal 105.18 So the Israelites worshipping of the Hoste of heaven in the wildernesse although it be not mentioned by Moses yet it is set downe by Amos and by Saint Stephen Act. 7. and many things are omitted in some places of Scriptures which are clearely set downe in other places which being conferred together makes up the full sense of