Paul in the same Tongue begining Steven c. to our Brother Paul greeting Kinstenius saith that there be many Epistles of Saint Paul in Arabicke which we know not of yet The Armenian Preist I mentioned before told me they had more Bookes of Moses then we But now to discharge my selfe of all this that hath beene said and to give up a sincere and sober account of the thing An indifferent man of any Nation under heaven could not deny but that this Booke throughout discovereth an incomprehensible secret power and excellency enabled to make any man whatsoever Wise to Salvation And that Canon of it which is undoubtedly received on all hands is sufficiently entire And for detracting any the least jot or Title from this unlesse it be notoriously made knowne to be heterogeneous and abhorrent and he that beleiveth this too must not make hast God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life But for him that shall adde any thing thereto though it were a new Epistle of Saint Paul as to Seneca or the Laodicaeans and as good as any of these we have God shall adde unto him the Plagues that are written in this Booke You must not reckon of the Scripture by the Bulke It were the biggest Booke in the world if it were lesse then it is and it was purposely fitted to that proportion it hath that it might compare and comply with our Size and Magnitude If you would have all written that Salomon disputed from the Cedar in Lebanus to the Hysop that growes upon the wall or all that which was done and said by One that was Greater then he and spake as never man did The world it selfe would not be able to contâ—ine the Bookes that should be written Amen that is The Lord let it be so as it is ¶ It will not be so successefull an argument for this Book to urge the miraculous conservation and Incorruption of the Text. The Alcoran it selfe hath had much better lucke That of the Old Testament how tenable soever it hath been made by their encompassing and inaccessible Masora I doe not finde it so altogether though wonderfully enough entire But for the New there 's no prophane Author whatsoever â—aeteris paribus that hath suffered so much at the hand of time And what of all this Certainly the providence was shewed to be greater in these miscarriages as we take them then it could have beene in the absolute preservation God suffered Tares to be sowed in the Genealogies while men slept or in some Elementall parts that we might not insist upon those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Jonah's Itinerary Extracta quaestionum as these things are called and kept by the Jewes themselves Iâ— is an invincible reason for the Scriptures part that other escapes should be so purposely and infinitely let passe and yet no saving or substantiall part at all scarce moved out of its place To say the truth These varieties of Readings in a few by-places doe the same office to the maine Scripture as the variations of the Compasse to the whole Magnet of the Earth The Mariner knowes so much the better for these how to steere his Course ¶ For the stile of this Scripture it is unspeakably good but not admirable in their sence who reckon the height of it from the unusualnesse of the phrase The Majesty of that Booke fits upon another Throne He that was among the Heardsmen of Tekoah did not write like him that was among the Preists at Anathoth Reade Ben Syra and the Arabicke Centuries of Proverbs Read the Alcoran it selfe Though the saying of our Saviour It is easier c. was originally It is easier for an Elephant c. Yet Mahomet expresseth as our Saviour did They shall not saith he enter into Paradise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till a Camell goe through a Needles ey You will get more by that Booke to this purpose if you make no worse use of it then you should Yet you must have a care too for the Authors of that good confused heape have elsewhere exprest loosely enough They say in another Surat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Angels and God himselfe too say prayers for his Prophet that is that God prayes for Mahomet An odde saying you may thinke and yet how much different can you make it to be from that of ours where it is said that the Spirit maketh Intercession for us c. but doe you make this use of it It is from hence that the Mahumetans expresse the memory of the Dead in God especially of the Prophet himselfe by those strange words Peace and the Prayer of God be upon them But if you would raise a Reputation upon our Scripture like your selfe and the dimensions of a man take it from those without I should thinke it to be very well that Aben Rois in his Arabicke Commentaries upon Aristotles Moralls translated into Latine should call the Greatest Man of the East Beatum Iob Blessed Job and to urge him for an example of Fortitude Galen in his Booke De usu partium not knowing what to say to the haire of the Eye-lids why it should so strangely stand at a stay and grow no longer takes an occasion to undervalue Moses his Philosophy and saith of God Neque si lapidem repente velit facere hominem efficere id poterit c. yes but he could even of these Stones too But Old Orpheus sayes that the man that was borne out of the water so Moses indeed is to be called in the Aegyptian did well and Dionysius Longinus one that knew what belonged to expression having first of all cast a scorne upon his Homer saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Lawgiver of the Iewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no ordinary man neither was in the right when he brought in his God saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let there be Light and there was Light c. If you see what Strabo Tacitus Iustin Diodorus Siculus Ptolomy c. have said as to this you will be no great looser in your Faith by the hand I have thus much left to wish and I hope I doe it well to this Booke that it might be read so farre as this is possible in a full and fixt Translation And upon that a Cleare and disingaged Commentary The way to doe this will not be to doe the Worke a great and undertake the whole or any considerable part of the Booke by one man if he could live one Age. How little we have gotten and lost how much by those who have prayed to God they might live to make an end of all the Bible in Commentaries you cannot chuse but perceive enough You must not thinke to looke upon this mirrour of the word as you are to be seene in Roger Bacon's Perspective Vbi unus komo videbitur plures where one man will seeme to be more then so No Breake the Glasse in peices and see every one
I confesse where he turnes the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by tributa or vectigalia though it be fearefully false yet is not so foule an escape as some others there There is a vast difference 'twixt Tributes and Telesmes for so the word ought to have beene rendred and yet might be easier mistaken by him as at that time then it can now be done right by some others CHAP. XXXVII Heb. 3. 12. Take heed lest there be in any of you an Evill heart of unbeleife in departing from the Living God THe Arabicke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An obdurate and unbeleiving heart and which goeth farre or quite away from the Living God 'T is a fearefull thing too to fall out of the hands of God The Imaginations of mens hearts are only evill and continually therefore the Spirit of God doth not alwaies strive with them if it did our Spirit would faint under him and the Soules which he hath made If a man doe start aside as we all and often doe like a broken Bow God puts us together againe and fastens us unto himselfe as soone and taking as good hold as he can And these things saith Holy Job God will doe once and twice that is oft times for a man To day if we will heare his voice To day that is whensoever a sinner c. He will turne and repent his heart will be turned within him and his Repentings rouled together And all this that our hearts may not be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Every man whatsoever hath this long day allow'd him And ô that thou hadst knowne even in this day of thine but now it is hid from thine eyes This is that hard heart of unbeleife which we are bid here to take heed of this looseth all our hold and utterly estrangeth us from the Life of God and leaveth us altogether without him in the World Our other back-slidings and variations from him how wide and distant soever yet may be thought to be but like those of the Compasse more or lesse according to a lesse or greater interposition of earthly mindednesse but this is like to that of the Magnet it selfe which while it lyeth couched in the minerall and united to the Rocke it conformeth to the Nature and verticity of the Earth but seperate it from thence and give it free scope to move in the Aire and it will desperately forsake its former and more publike instinct and and turne to a quite contrary point So as long as a man is fastened to the Rocke Christ and keepeth but any hold there he will still be looking lesse or more towards the Author and finisher of his Faith but broken off once from thence and begining to be in the open Aire and under the Prince of that he presently turneth aside from the living God and pointeth to a Pole of his owne CHAP. XXXVIII Mat 6 2. For thine is the Kingdome c. Glory be to the Father c. I Am going about to conclude this small matter of Booke with some notice upon these two Doxologies For the first the question hath beene made up so high as to leave us in doubt whether it be a peice of Scripture or no Beza confesseth it to be magnificam illam quidem sanctificam a most high and holy forme of expression sed irrepsisse in contextum quae in vetustissimis aliquor Codicibus Graecis desit but to have crept into the Text and to be wanting in some very ancient Copies That it should be wanting in some others is the lesse wonder because it is not to be found in that Vetustissimus Codex given by himselfe to the Vniversity Library of Cambridge It is not a full booke of the New Testament but conteining only the foure Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles The Booke is written as well in Latine as Greeke but both in the same greeke Character And it is that of the great Capitall kinde which in their opinion who use to judge of these things is the uttermost reputation of antiquity which could be pretended to In this booke the Clause is not to be found so farre as possibly I can remember either in the Greeke or Latine I had occasion once to say as much as this amounts to before the most Reverend and Learned the Primate of Armagh and the Doctour of our Chaire the now worthy Bishop of Worcester but was forc't to yeild to so great a presence with this only answer that even this Copie too was corrupted by the Heretiques I knew it might be and deny not but it may in some other part of Genealogy or the like but how any Haeresie could possibly serve its turne upon this Clause I know that of the Trinity at least to me the way doth not so easily approve it selfe I confesse the Syriacke hath it but I know not what then The Arabicke hath it too not onely the printed Copie by Erpenius but a Manuscript too of very good and gallant note in Queenes Colledge Library Yet in the Medicean Copie I do not meet with it And in that which Kirstenius hath noted upon the Clause indeed is set downe but not running along with the Text. T is written above in Red letters and pointed to by this Note in the Margin Non hâ—c in Aegyptiaco sunt in Romano Syriaco So that there is no more to be gained by this then that the Clause is extant in the Syriacke and the Roman that is the Greeke here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alrumi signifieth so too which is no more then we knew before for the Adversary part and so much lesse too that it is not to be found in the Copticke or Aegyptian forme which also may be known to be so bythat Specimen in Athanesius Kircherms The Mahumedans have another Lords Prayer called by them the Prayer of Iesus the sonne of Mary But that endeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And let not such a one beare rule over â—e that will have no mercy upon me for thy mercies sake O thou most mercifull But this is not materiall enough Indeed the Mahumedan formes of prayer are more for then against the thing But it moveth not a little that the Clause should not be extant in the Gospell of the Nazarites or that secundum Hebraeos as it useth to be called This Gospell was commonly beleeved in Saint Hieromes time to be ipsius Matthai Authenticum Very ancient however it was And that the Prayer it selfe was there I am sure for Saint Hierome upon those words Panem nostrum quotidianum c. noteth that the Hebrew in this Gospell was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mahar panem crastini da nobis hodie who because he takes no notice of this clause doth as good as say it was not there for if it had so substantiall a variety and concerning him so much could not possibly have escaped his Annotation The whole engagement of the Latine Church
the Karraite Note this also that these Zabians might not make any other but a Magicall use of a Kid. These Worshippers did sacrifiâ—e to the Seirim or Daemons in the forme of Goats Therefore the eating of Goates flesh was forbidden them Notwithstanding nay for that reason the Magicall use of Goats was Holy and Religious The Magicall preparation of a Kid hath a plaine respect unto the Seirim or Goat-Divells But for the reasons of the manner they cannot be given for then it were not Magicall 'T is enough that such a thing was used in the way of the Amorites and therefore expressely forbidden to the people of God Also it may very well be thought that the People of God themselves some of them drew downe this Example of the Zabii into their owne practise Why not this as well as sacrificing to the Seirim or Devill-Goats Levit. 17. 7 If the people of God did so that is seeth a Kid in the milke of the Damme to hasten the maturation of their Fruits then this was the reason why the Prohibition is so often repeated in the Law Maimon quoteth a like practise of the Zabii out of their booke Avoda Henbattith They putrified certaine things which the booke nameth having observed when the Sunne was in this or that degree They performed some Magicall operations and so went away with this perswasion that whosoever should be sprinckle a new planted Tree with this charme the Tree would fructifie in a shorter time then otherwise it would have done This affordeth another likelihood for the Karraites Tradition of seething a Kid c. that this also was to be found in the Zabians bookes though the learned Maimon had not yet met with it CHAP. XX. James 4. 13 14 15. Go to now ye that say to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow For what is your life It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away For that ye ought to say If the Lord will we shall live and doe this or that 1 Corinth 4. 19. 1 Pet 3. 17. IT was a custome among the Jewes especially and first to begin all things with God They undertooke nothing without this Holy and devout Parenthesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If God will They otherwise exprest it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Name please or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Name determine so And by the Name they meane the great one Jehovah It was a phrase of so common speech with them that they contracted it into an Abbreviation of their kind which to avoid repetition at large useth a Letter for a word The Abbreviation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not onely a Phrase of the Jewes and Scripture but of all the men of the East You rarely meet with a booke written in the Arabicke but beginneth Bismillahi In the name of God c. An Alcoran especially or any other Booke of their Divinity And for the Alcoran it does not onely All or the whole Booke beginne so but every Surat or Chapter of that Scripture as they account it Not onely so but they make a common use of this very expression If God will Their words are and the Persians use the very same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si Deus voluerit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the High or Allmighty God will as Nassyr Eddyn in his Commentaries upon the Arabicke Euclid at the end of his Preface to the tenth booke and elsewhere The Arabicke Nubian Geographer beginneth his booke in the Name of the mercifull and compassionate God from whom is helpe And in the end of his Preface he saith the same thing in more words Quapropter potentissimi ac summi Dei quem unum solum esse fateor qui sufficientissimus atque optimus Protector est auxilium exposco From the Orientall part of the World this manner of speech descended downe upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth The Greekes â—ender it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with the Latines Deo volente If God will Of which you may see more and very much to this matter if you consult with Brissonius de Formulis c. Lib. 1. p. 68 69. c. Indeed it were very much if we men of what Nation soever under Heaven should go about any thing without this seasonable condition of Gods helpe If we live and move and have our being in him as Saint Paul quoteth out of Aratus and the Scholiast Theon interpreteth to be meant of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certainely we ought not to venture upon any thing without A Jove principium As he ought to be in all our thoughts so especially in those of enterprise and designe be it of the greatest nay be it of the smallest undertaking Especially we men I can beleeve the Angels of God do so to for though the Gospell say that the providence of God cometh downe to the price of a Sparrow and were not two of these sold for a farthing Yet Maimon saith that God doth not take care for Oxen but setting all other things aside maketh it his onely businesse to procure the matters of Mankind See his excellent discourse upon the Providence of God More Nevoch Par. 3. C 17. Considering the engagements either of Gods provision or mens usuall Fatalities one would thinke this manner of speech to be equally naturall to the whole race of Mankinde yet as I said before the Jewes gave the first example and they themselves brought it into use but upon this occasion It relateth to one of the wise sayings of Ben Sira an old Sage of theirs and beleeved by them to be Jeremie the Prophets Nephew The saying is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e The Bride went up into her Chamber but did not know what was to befall her Upon this the Perush there maketh this Explication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Let a man never say he will do any thing without this exception If God permit There was a man who said To morrow I will sit with my Bride in the Bride-Chamber and will know her there They said unto him say If God will He said unto them whether God will or will not To morrow I will sit with my Bride in my Bride-Chamber So he did He entered with his Bride into the Chamber and sate with her all day At night they went both to bed but they both dyed before they knew one another When they found them dead in the morning each by other they said the saying of Ben Sira was true The Bride went up into the Bride-Chamber but did not know what was to befall her Vpon this they said Whosoever hath a purpose to do any thing ought to say If God permit Otherwise he is not like to prosper The words of Saint James have a full
same Author to the sixth day of the latter Canun Ianuary puts downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the feast of the Epiphany or Benediction of the Waters The Syriack Church observeth alike and as concerning this Benediction of the Waters at that time of the Epiphanie you may see what their Mar Michael Chiâ—dis out of Iames the Bishop of Vrhoâ—a hath said as he is quoted by Marsilius de Columna in his Hydragiologia p 506. Chrysostome imputeth a great Miracle to this consecrated Water He saith the Patriarch Severus in his Syriack Ritual saith as much too that our Saviour Christ when he was baptized sanctified the Nature of the Waters And for that reason saith Chrysostome it is a custome of the People at the Epiphanie to fetch of the Waters and reserve it by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and looke whatsoever water is drawen that day it will not corrupt in a long time no not in a whole yeare and sometimes not in two or three but remaine as sweet and fresh as at the first drawing But as concerning this day of our Lords Nativity Sahid Aben Batric hath noted in his History that he was borne upon the 25 of December which is observed by the learned Master Selden already and as I thinke out of the life of Augustus De Anno Civili veterum Jud. Cap. 8. But the same Author in the life of Constantinâ— saith it againe and endeavoureth to prove it there in his discourse of the Celebration of Easter The result whereof as it maketh to this matter is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. And our Lord and redeemer Iesus Christ was borne the 29 day of Coihac upon the 25 day of the first Canun And for the Epiphanie or Baptisme of Christ he saith it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the eleventh day of Tybi and upon the 6 day of the second Canun So the Copticke or Aegyptian Calendar Athanas Kircker de Comput Eccles. Copt c 3. The same Tradition both for the Nativity and Epiphany You may have too out of Joannes Antiochenus in the begining of the 10. booke of his Chronography He saith that Jesus Christ was borne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the 25 of the moneth December 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And that he was baptized in Jordane a River of Palestine upon the 6 day of January c. I was willing to note out of them for both the Holy dayes because some of the Easterne profession they are not many to that whole Church observe the memory of these matters in a shorter line then we do thinking out of Saint Luke that our Saviour was borne and baptised upon one and the same day which to them is the 6 of Ianuary The thing I have seene done here by an Armenian Preist of Haleb or Aleppo within the regard and compasse of my owne conversation The Rubrick of the Celebration he shewed me indeed in his Armenian Calendar but the uttermost authority I could gaine of him to referre it to was a Tradition of Saint Iames to be found in their bookes he told me so but unknowne to us as yet The ancient Runicke Calendar doth not only acknowledge the 25 of December to be the day of our Saviours Nativity but for that reason too makes this day the begining of the yeare and the Night before which indeed was the time they call Modranect or the mother Night our owne Saxons did so too And the day it selfe is exprest in the Danish wooden Almanacks by an Infant wrapt up in Swadling clothes See Olauâ— Wormius de Fast Danic lib 1. c 12. l 2. c 9. CHAP. XXXV Rom. 9. 3. For I could wish my selfe were accursed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh WHen a Sonne of Israel would expresse the extremity of his brotherly kindnesse towards any one of or towards all the Children of his people he entitled himselfe by a kinde of devotion to all the mischance and evill that should befall his Brother wishing the whole patience upon his owne head These Excesses of Compassion used to go under this forme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sim ego expiatio ejus or that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecce me in expiationem Let me be or behold I am his Expiation That is saith the Aruch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I am in his place to beare his iniquities So all the people to the High Preist in Cohen Gadol of the Sanhedrin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be we thy Expiation that is saith the Glosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be we in thy stead for whatsoever is to happen unto thee Rabbi Samuel said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sonnes of Israel be I their Expiation c. that is their Redemption as Rambam and 't is a forme of speech saith he to expresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exceeding greatnesse of his love This will make you the lesse marvaile at that strange ejaculation of Moses when for the same people of Israels sake he wished to be blotted out of the Booke of God Not without reference to this forme of Devotion is the Apostles wish here that he might discharge the unhappy condition of his Brethren all upon himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I could wish my selfe to be an Anathema from Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Hesychius and Phavorinus a man accursed or not to be kept company with or as Photius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man separated The Arabicke Translation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that my body were Moharrama an unlawfull thing or forbidden from Christ The word it selfe as the sence respecteth to the Haerem which was the second degree of Jewish excommunication whereof the first was Nidui the third Shammatha wheresoever in the New Testament the Reference is made to the second degree Anathema is singly named as where to the third Maranatha is added which is but the Syriacke Interpretation of Shammatha Dominus venit which is therefore called by the Talmudists the Anathema or excommunication of the God of Israel Stephanus in his Booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a Tradition more concerning the word Maranatha then to be left out in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He tels of a Shepheard belonging to the Syrian Laodicaea who being thunder-stricken cryed out Ramanthas that is God from above for Raman signifyeth Above Athas God So Philo. Phavorinus indeed saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 High Things And 't is true it doth so and in the Syriacke too He saith also that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God above 'T is almost so indeed and then Ramanthas or Ramas Atha might be the same as the High God cometh But by a smarter guesse which some men have made Ramanthas was but a common Country pronunciation of the right Syriacke words and served the
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS VPON SOME PASSAGES OF SCRIPTVRE By I. G. Master of Arts of Christ-Church OXON R. Hillel said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si non ego mihi quis mihi Et cum ego mihimet ipsi quid ego si non modo quando OXFORD Printed by H. Hall Printer to the Vniversitie for Ed. Forrest Iunior 1646. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD BRIAN Lord Bishop of Sarum and Tutour to both their Highnesses The most Illustrious CHARLES the Prince of VVales and the most noble JAMES the Duke of Yorke my most Honoured Lord and Patron Right Reverend Father in God YOVR Lordship hath often times call'd upon me to goe out and shew the people their Transgressions and the House of Iacob their sinnes Next to my owne conscience I confesse my selfe bound to give your Lordship satisfaction To fall foule upon the degenerous and intractable nature of this people cannot answer you for it doth not me I doe not say I am not eloquent and therefore that you would send by the hand of Him whom you should send When I am indeed able for these things I doubt not to have Him with my mouth because I meane to leave all my selfe out There was never more provocations for all men to speake then now when all the mischeife that other ages did but imagine are practiced by a Law and in the meane time the dumbe Asses are taught to forbid the madnesse of the Prophets The Harvest is confessedly Great but then the Labourers are not few And if while so many are thus excellently imployed about the rest of the Building some one or other doe as well as he can towards the making good of the Ground worke I thinke he may be let alone at least The hopes of the Superstructionly from the assurance of the Foundation I shall give them leave to be Pillars This I am sure is the Corner-stone and I need not tell you how rejected I meane it not of all but of the Common Builders If the Church be an Arke he that hath never so little to doe with the Compasse though he sit still in his place yet does as much or more then all the other necessary Noise in the Ship The Comparison is quit of arrogance for it holdeth in the designe it is not meant of the performance The course I have runne here is Labour too and in the same Vineyard And I trust my selfe for this that my accounts will be as well pass't above if I reckon upon these paines the pretence whereof though not so popular yet is as substantially proficient towards the maine Aedification I have principally endeavoured to redeeme my Reader from that slavery by which I have so long sate downe my selfe in not printing so neare as I could I have not the same things over againe I am sure I have set downe nothing but what I beleive if more sometimes then I well understood I have company enough and the acknowledgement of an errour is more ease to me then the committing of it was Why I should make these Addresses to your Lordship there is all the reason in the world what have I but what I have received from you and that which is would be Nothing of it selfe Rayes of incidency contract no warmth upon the Earth unlesse reflected backe upon their originall Sun My Lord As once the Sonnes of the Prophets said unto the Man of God Behold now the place where we dwell is too streight for us We are humbly expecting the last course of that Iudgement which began at the House of God What shall be done to the dry Tree or where the sinner will appeare is to be left to him to whom vengeance belongeth The Great Genius of this Place must now burne a while like those Subterraneous Olibian Lampes under the Earth VVe shall see it but not now we shall behold it but not nigh Have salve sit tibi terra Levis Abite hinc pessimi fures Quid vostris vultis cum oculis Emissitiis Your Lordships most faithfull Servant and Chaplaine JOHN GREGORY To the READER THE Mahumetans say that the first thing that God created was a Pen Indeed the whole Creation is but a Transcript And God when he made the world did but write it out of that Copy which he had of it in his divine understanding from all Eternity The Lesser worlds or men are but the Transcripts of the Greater as Children and Bookes the Copies of themselves But of other Bookes the Wise man hath pronounced upon them their doome already that in making them there is no end and that the reading of them especially many of them is a wearinesse unto the flesh But if you will heare the end of all there is one Booke more besides the great Volume of the World written out of God himselfe such a one as may indefatigably be meditated in day and night This indeed is the onely Text we have all other Bookes and arts and men and the world it selfe are but Notes upon this So unworthy are they to unloose the Seales of this Booke or to looke thereon who recessefully and impertinently pretend to a Spirit of Interpretation Ephraims that feed upon the windâ— This is indeed a Spirit that bloweth where it listeth and no man can tell whence it cometh nor whither it will goe I would have you tell me by this spirit of what kinde the Dyall of Ahas was or how the Sunne could goe â—on degrâ—â—â— backwardâ— For the kinde I 'me sure 't was like none of ours now in use and if the Retrocession could be meant of the shadow and some men looke no farther the same thing may be made to fall out every day upon an ordinary Dyall and notwithstanding what a good Mathematician hath said to the contrary in a Site and Position of Spheare without the Tropickâ— Therfore the going backe is to be meant of the Sun it selfe Tell me by the same Spirit how darkenesse could be upon the Face of the whole Earth at the Passion of our Saviour and no Astronomer of the East nor any man of all that Hemispheare excepting those of Hierusalem perceive it Make it good if you can out of the mouth but of two witnesses what 's Phlegon and Apollophanes or if the first be one the Notice is so single that it will not serve to celebrate but bring the Wonder into doubt The Sun was not totally Eclipsed as to all the World One Hemispheare of his body shined still And the Face of the whole Earth is to be meant of the Land of Judaea as 't is elsewhere By the same Spirit I would know why the Greeke and Hebrew Scripture should differ so vastly in Account and how the Cainan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 got into Saint Luke's Gospell intolerably Jo Scaliger hath said more against all originall trust But I may possibly tell you the manner of that hereafter and that the Jewes did not cut off as the Arabicke Catena
And because I am falne upon this I will here satisfy something which hath beene objected unto me as concerning this Adoration towards the East how it can be made good upon all positions of the Spheare Suppose Hierusalem to be the Center and the Aequinoctiall East of that to be the East of the whole world because it answers to the Place of our Saviours especiall presence in the Heaven of Heavens It is required that I tell which way they shall worship who live a quadrant of the Equator or more East from the Horizon of the Holy City The answer is ready They are to worship towards the West in respect of the rising of the Sun which is not the thing regarded in this matter for I am not engaged to account for the word but as to this Northerne Hemispheare the Center whereof Hierusalem is to be and the Aequinoctiall East of that the Center of all Adoration and devotion from all degrees of the whole Circle be it where it will For the Stone I mention'd the Originall could not so well be brought off from the Place But Alike to that they can shew you still at Rome in Bibliotheca Domus professae There is a short and admirable Tradition of the whole Creation in Hieroglyphicall Scripture where you may see the great world written all out into a lesser print then that of a Man In the lower Limbe and second Scheme of the Tabula Laudina Hieroglyphica it is the same with that which the Cardinall Bembus had there is set downe the Figure of the Searabaeus or Beetle for the Trunke but with the Head and Face of a Man and holding a little Table with this Copticke Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 About the Necke a Number of Concentricke Circles to expresse the Orbes and motion of the Heavens upon the top of the Head a Face of the increasing Moone to shew her Monethly Revolution within that a Crosse marke for the foure Elements neare to all this above a winged Globe and wreathed about with two Serpents The meaning of this last is told you by Barachias Albenâ—phi in his Booke of the Ancient Aegyptian learning and in that part thereof where he discourseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Pharoahs Obelisques He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The winged Spheare wreathed about with Serpents is the Hieroglyphicke of the soule and spirit of the world The Humane face is meant of the Sun and his courses For the Holy Beetle which an old Egyptian durst not tread upon Horus Apollo saith it signifyeth for the Figure of the world and he giveth this reason and secret for it The Beetle saith he when it hath a minde to bring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Taketh the Excrement of an Oxe which having wrought into small pellets round as the world it turneth them about from East to West it selfe in the meane time as to call up Great Nature to these Travailes turning towards the East The Aegyptian word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 held out in the Table is the same with the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that the whole frame hangs together by a true magneticke Love that invisible harmony and binded discord of the Parts ¶ I cannot thinke that time sufficiently well imployed which hath beene spent upon the Integrity and distinction of Scripture into Canonicall and Apochryphall There 's no Apochrypha in the Alcoran It is told you in the Synodicum set forth by Pappus that the Councell of Nice made a miraculous Mound betwixt those two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They set all the Bookes in a Church â— little below the Holy Table and prayed God that those of the company which were done by his inspiration might be found above but the spurious part underneath and God did so Doe you beleive this The Canon of Scripture subjoined to the Councell of Laodicea is much depended upon for this matter of distinction And yet this very Canon it selfe is not extant in so me very ancient Manuscripts It is wanting in one Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and moreover then so it is not to be found in Joseph the Aegyptian's Arabicke Code And there is no man of sence but must thinke that this was a thing more likely to be put in into some Copies then left out of any The Hebrew Canon indeed is a good sure ground And yet you must not thinke that all â—o nor any of the Apocthyphall Bookes were first written in the Greeke The Hebrew Edition by the Jewes at Constantinople is the undoubted Text of Tobit Saint Hierome saith as much for Iudeth Libellus vere aureus as Munster said truly of it For that of the Sonne of Syrach it is confessed in the Preface where I must tell you by the way that this Booke of Syracides was heretofore accounted among the Hagiographa I know not what else to make of that in Baba Kama where the Talmudists quote this Proverb out of the Cetubim which is the same with Hagiographa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Every Bird sorteth it selfe with one of the same kind Birds of a Feather c. and so every man to his like The Tosephoth say to this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. perhaps it is in the Booke of Ben Syra was Ben Syra reckoned for Canonicall too but sure enough there 's no such saying in that Booke In the Booke of Syracides you meet indeed with it C. 13. v. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Wisedome of Salomon a Booke worthy enough of that name and comparing with any that was ever writ by the hand of Man That this Booke was written in Chaldee is certaine for R. Moses Ben Nachman quoteth it so out of Chap. 7. v. 5. c. v. 17. c. in the Preface to his Comment upon the Pentateuch One of the Bookes of the Macchabees are known to be in Hebrew and the worst of all the company and excepted against by Bellarmine himselfe though appointed to be read in our Churches that is the fourth of Esdras will be clearely of another credit and Reputation to you if you reade it in the Arabicke The story of the Woman taken in Adultery hath met with very much adversity Saint Hierome noteth it wanting in severall Copies of his time The Paraphrast Nonnus had nothing to say to it Not is it noted upon by Theophylact c. The Armenian Church as one of their Preists informed me allow it not a place in the Body of the Gospell but reject it to the latter end as a suspected peice The Syriacke Paraphrast leaveth it out that is the Printed Paraphrast But in some of the Manuscripts it is found to be though not received as the rest of Scripture but written upon with this Asterisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is not of the Text. But the Arabicke hath it and in the Greeke Manuscripts it wanteth but in one of seaventeene sed ita
saith Beza ut mira sit sectionis varietas enough to make me he saith so too ut de totius istius narrationis fide dubitem But Eusebius noted long ago that the setter forth of this History was the ancient Papias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that it was to be had in the Gospell Secundum Hebraeos Et suspicari meritò quis possit saith Drusius ex Evangelio illo ad nostra exemplaria dimanasse though I shall conclude from hence but as he doth with a Nihil affirme To say nothing here of Salomons Psalter lately put forth by de la Cerda our account of Davids Psalmes is 150. but the Arabicke and some other Translations set downe one more Josephus Hypomnesticus saith that David made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an infinite number of Psalmes Athanasius saith he made 3000. and reckoneth this to be one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In the Greeke Psalters it is no rare thing to meet with it in the Manuscripts 'T is extant in more then one or three in our publique Library One hath it in Magdalen Colledge another in Trinity Colledge and a third in Corpus Christi Colledge given them by Claimund their first President In the late printed Copies you are not to looke for it but in the older ones you will finde it in that of Aldus especially And Justine Decaduns who wrote the Epistle to the Reader tels you that having gotten so excellent an Assistant as Aldus indeed was they were resolved to begin to the world printing was not very ancient then with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Booke of Psalmes inspired by God And yet they reckon this supernumerary for one of the company You may take it perhaps as forbidden by the Laodicaean Canon among the Idioticall Psalmes But the Arabicke Scholiâ— to that Canon will minde you of another matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. No man shall read in the Church any other Psalmes then those of David for it had beene related to the Holy Synod that certaine men among the Heretickes had made to themselves other Psalmes over and above those which were made by the Prophet David that they read theÌ„ in the Church saying for themselves boastingly that they were good and honest men as well as David the Prophet and that they were able to prophecy as well as He. And they alleadged for themselves out of the Booke of the Acts that of the Propbet Joel Your Sonnes and your Daughters shall prophecy and your old men shall see Visions c. And there were that received these new made Psalmes but the Councell here forbids them But I can tell you something which will not make very much towards the Repute of this Psalme In the Maronites Edition you find the Number in the head of it and which is worse then that it is there said that David fell'd the Gyant with three Stones which he flung out in the strength of the Lord. You will not easily meet with either of these things in the Manuscripts Here are severall to be seen and one I have of my owne but all without mentioning the Number or this Particular The Revelation of Saint Iohn you know what Erasmus himselfe hath said of and how little Beza hath said to that What if it be wanting in some of the Syriacke Copies 't is extant in others 'T is wanting in a Manuscript Arabicke Translation in Queâ—nes Colledge The Printed Arabicke hath it so the Copticke Armenian c. What if the Loadiâ—â—â—â— Canon acknowledge it not It is more to be mervail'd at that it should be found in the Apostolicall In the Greeke I doe not say but in the Arabicke Translation it is thus mention'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The six th is the Revelation of Saint John called Apocalipsis Judicious Calvin being once askt his opinion concerning the Apocalypse made answer Se penituâ— ignorare quid velit taâ— obscurus scriptor qui qualisque fuerit nondum constat inter eru ditos That for his part he was alltogether ignorant what that obscure Author would have and that no body yet knew who or what he was For the first part of the Answer it will passe well enough Cajetan said right Exponat qui potest The later words if they were his doe not become the Writer of the Revelation or the man that spake them Kirstenius in his Notes upon the Lives of the foure Evangelists written in Arabicke letteth fall this Observation Observandum quâ—que est hunc Authorem â—e verbo quidem unâ— mentionem facere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Ioannis quam quidam hunc Evangelistam in Pathâ—â— scripsisse â—sserunt qua authoritate ipsi videant atque idâ—â— semper iâ—â—e liberâ—nter Apochrypha reputatus est You are to note here too saith he that this Author maketh not any mention at all of Saint Iohns Apocalyps no not in one word and therefore they would doe well to consider what they doe who affirme that this Evangelist wrote that Booke in Patmos Indeed the Booke was ever yet reckoned among the Apochrypha And yet his great reason is because this Arabicke Author maketh no mention of the Booke But you will finde the Learned man it might easily be very much mistaken His order is not to make a full and answering translation of the Arabicke but to turne the principall and best understood sence of it as to him and so to set downe the Text. He takes the same course in this matter Iamitaque verba Arabica ad locos hos tres pertinentia adscribere tempestivum est Quorum periodum ultimam doctioribus hujus linguae relinquimus I shall lay no claime to the Doctioribus but I doubt not to reade rhe words right and then the place will easily be understood The Period which he will not undertake upon is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abogalmasis indeed signifyeth nothing it should be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abogalubsis there 's but one letter mistaken and then the English of it will be And it is said that John delivered the Apocalyps to Pheugir This Pheugir was a Disciple of his as the same Arabicke Author saith before The leaving of this Booke out of some Copies is just nothing against it you may say as much and as justly too of the Canonicall Epistles and there is the same reason for all These were more lately written and therefore not so soone received into the Canon as the rest I thinke every man ought to have a very reverend and singular opinion of that Epistle of Clemens Romanus to the Corinthians and yet I doe not thinke that either this or the rest of that Booke was of Teclâ—'s owne hand-writing no more then I beleive that Iohn Fox translated the Saxon Gospels into English I have seene the third Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians in the Armecian Tongue beginning Paul a Servant of Iesus Christ c. And an Epistle of the Corinthians to Saint
a face by himselfe He that shall thus begin to build may perhaps be one of those that will be able to finish The Jewes when they build a house are bound to leave some part of it unfinished in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem The best Master Builder that shall come to this worke will be forc't to doe so too And yet if those that have undertaken upon the whole had instead of that compleated but one small part This House of God and Tabernacle of good men had beene reared up ere this He that goeth upon this with any Interest about him Let him doe otherwise never so admirably he does indeed but translate an Angel of Light into the Devill I would not render or interpret one parcell of Scripture to an end of my owne though it were to please my whole Nation by it if I might gaine the World These Wresters of the Booke are unstable if not ignorant men and it will follow that they must needs doe it to their owne Destruction When all these things are fitly and understandingly resolv'd upon It would be good too to bring these principall matters as neare to a Standard as we can that we might have something to trust to and settle upon Some say that the Heavens could not move unlesse the Earth stood still I am sure since the Earth began to turne about The Kingdome of Heaven hath suffered a violence of Rest and doth not seeme to be so open to all Beleivers as before I am sorry I have so much to accuse my Nation of that ever since the times of Hen. the 8. they should goe about in a maxâ— of Reformation and not know yet how to get either us or themselves out I am not much given to the Admiration and amusements of Astrologicall matters therefore I will not tell you plainely here what Ptolomy Cardan Silen Alchiâ—dâ—s Eshwhid Roger Bacon c. say of us And yet the Sage Gâ—idâ— Boâ—â—te Zoroaster in cheife to some Almanacke men I cannot chuse but give you notice of This Gymnosophist in the 13 Chapter of his First part tels you that Christ himselfe was an Astrologer and made use of Elections The same Man in the third Chapter at his third Part is busy to let you know under what Figure of the Heavens you are to pare your Nailes But that which I indeed intend to say to you is this In the Geographicall Resemblances I finde that Maginus could liken Scotland to nothing But for England 't is fancied by some to come very neare the fashion of a Triangle I am sure 't is farre enough from a Square or that Honest man in Aristotle who falleth still upon his owne Legges The Arabicke Nubian Geographer likeneth us to an Estritch indeed we have digested Iron enough But this is that silly thing which leaveth her Egges in the Earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wilde Beast may breake them She is hardened against her young Ones as though they were not hers her labour iâ— in vaine without feare And why Because God hath depriv'd her of wisedome neither hath he imparted to her understanding And yet what time she lifteth up her selfe on high she scorneth the Horse and his Rider Indeed if ever any Nation perished for want of knowledge we are like to be the Men. NOTES VPON SOME PASSAGES OF SCRIPTVRE CHAP. I. Also he bad them teach the Children of Judah the use of the bow Behold it is written in the booke of Jasher 2 Sam. 1. 18. A Strange Parenthesis to all Respects but especially that of the bow Yet so the Targum reads it and so the Rabbines constantly expound Râ—b Salomons glosse is And David said from henceforth seeing that the mighty in Israel are falne it will be necessary that the men of Judah learne to exercise their armes and to draw the bow Levi Ben Gersom saith that inasmuch as David saw that the death of Saul was caused by his feare of the Bowmen and that there was none in Israel skill'd in this kinde of Artillery he gave order that the men of Iudah as being the principall men at Armes should be taught the use of the Bow c. To the same purpose R. David and others quoted in the Celi Jakar fol. 264. a. et b. And yet R. Isay saith that Saul and Ionathan taught the sonnes of Iudah the bow because the sonnes of Iudah were mighty men and fit to draw the Bow by the blessing of Iacob Gen. 49. 8. Where it is prophecied that the hand of Iudah shall be in the necke of his Enemies that is saith Chimhi as some of our wisemen expound the Bow Therefore they take the Booke of Iasher to be the first of Moses called Genesis in which the Acts of Abraham Isaack and Iacob the Ieshirim or upright men are recorded but especially they take the booke to be Beracoth Iacob or the Blessings of Iacob Thus the Jewes Though we have wisemen of our owne to follow them in the Interpretation of the Bow Yet they will appeare to be as idle in this as in their conceipt of the booke Is it a thing to be thought that the men of Iudah were now to learne the use of the Bow 'T was the common Tacticke practice The Hebraisme of Bow is like that of bread It nameth for all other kinde of Ammunition And where 's the consequence here that because Saul and Ionathan excellent Archers themselves for the Bow of Ionathan turned not backe fell downe before the Arrowes of the Philistines that therefore the men of Iudah should be taught the use of the Bow But the Coherence is worse And David c. The Author of the Booke bringeth David in beginning an epicedium upon the death of Saul and Ionathan and immediately breaketh him off with an impertinent command to the sonnes of Iudah that they should learne to handle the bow And where is it or why is it that this should be written in the Booke of Iasher Therefore Mariana very understandingly stept aside out of the common Road of Interpretation and considered with himselfe that the Bow here might be taken for the Title of the Song which cannot be strange to them that will compare this with the granted superscriptions upon David's Psalmes as Psal 69. To the cheife Musitian upon Shashannim Psal 67. Upon Neginoth Psal 59. To the cheife Musitian Altashith c. So here to the cheife Musitian Kesheth or the Bow For so the Text is to be read And he bade them that is the cheife Musitians Heman Ethan Ieduthun to teach the ignorant people how to sing this Lamentation of David upon the death of Saul and Ionathan It was entitled Kesheth or the Bow because it was occasioned by the Philistin Archers 1 Sam. 31. 3. But especially respecting to the Bow of Ionathan which returned not backe from the bloud of the slaine as the Song it selfe expresseth And David could
be meant here and indeed the vulgar translateth it so And for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be written instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was an easie and obvious escape Though I dare not alltogether undertake for the Reading yet I will adde this improvement to it In a Manuscript Arabicke Translation in Queenes Colledge Library I find indeed the place rendred thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And for this cause it is commanded that there should be a Sultaan or Dominion upon her head because of the Angels But in the printed Arabicke Translation set forth by Erpenius it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zadaan I am confident it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Radaan 't is mistaken but by a point And then the English is For this cause it is commanded that there should be a vaile upon her head c. I would willingly have knowne how the Aethiopicke Armenian and Copticke Translations deale with the place but that could not be for they are not here to be had for ought I could finde out at least The other Note I shall need to make you will concerne that passage in the Prayer By the sorrowes of Adam The Easterne Traditioners meane by this the continuall sadnesse and contristation of heart which Adam had and made for the losse of Paradise and his First Estate It is noted of him by James Bishop of Sarug in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Adam turned his face toward the Garden of Eden and from his heart lamented his fall The same Traditioners give this very reason for Enoch's Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is We say that Enoch sate downe for the space of three hundred yeares bewailing the Transgression of Adam And for this cause God tooke him up unto him Caten Arab. C. 20. fol. 47. a. CHAP. XXVI Isa 66. 14. Your Bones shall flourish like an Hearbe OF the interruption of the Soules Immortality betwixt the moment of Death it must not now be call'd Departure is the insidious debate of these eager dayes A fitter and more congeneall time to bring this Monster to the Birth though there is not strength to bring forth was never yet endeavoured to be wrested out of the hands of Providence by the greatest deepenesse of Satan The familiar that convers'd so much with Cardan's 〈◊〉 told him That their Spirits and the Devils dye too 〈◊〉 were good to beleive this also But if the Beasts and we have all one breath then why doe not their Spirits too returne to God that gave them If Incorruption have put Corruption on we may very well eate and drinke as we doe for to morrow we dye indeed The unlikely Heathen ploughed in more hope then so In Hieroglyphicall learning the Aegyptians set downe the Axis of a Pyramis for the Soule and therefore the Figure of their Sepulchers was Pyramidall The mystery is Geometricall that as by the conversion or turning about of a Pyramid upon his Axis the Axis remaining still the same there is a Mathematicall creation of a new Solid or Cone so by the Revolution of a certaine time of yeeres about the Soule the soule continuing still the same in a constant course of immortality A new body shall arise and reunite againe Indeed he that will turne over the Bookes De pâ—renni Philosophia will finde that these Heathens did beleive not onely this but the greatest part of our divinity more then we our selves doe I am induced to beleive that without any further subtility or arrogancy of dispute there is an invincible argument for the thing secretly imprinted in the Instinct and Conscience of the Soule it selfe because 't is every good man's hope that it shall be so and every wicked man's feare that it will And that at least a parcell judgement may presently be pronounced upon his wandring Soule However the oportunity of this part of Scripture doth not so directly call upon me to any such kinde of Controversie Indeed I would be taken to be so secure of the Soules Immortality that I am going about to leave the Body it selfe in a very faire Condition of Incorruption And I see not but that it may very well suite with the Immoderations of the time to advance up the Immortality of the Body when men have so little to doe as to raise suspicions upon that of the Soule The Jewes commonly expresse Resurrection by Regermination or growing up againe like a Plant. So they doe in that strange Tradition of theirs of the Luz an immortall little Bone in the Bottome of the Spina dorsi which though our Anatomists are bound to deride as a kind of Terra incognita in the Lesser world yet theirs who know the Bones too but by Tradition will tell ye that there it is and that it was created by God in an unalterable state of incorruption that it is of a slippery condition and maketh the Body but beleive that it groweth up with or receiveth any nourishment from that Whereas indeed the Luz is every wayes immortally dispos'd and out of whose everliving Power fermented by a kinde of dew from Heaven all the dry Bones shall be renuited and knit together and the whole Generation of mankinde recruite againe There is a better temper and holding a more lawfull correpondency in that Rite of theirs which of old they observed and still doe at their Funerall Celebrations It is thus taken notice of by their late Rabbine Lâ—â— Modena Nel ritornâ— dalla fossa â—gn ' unâ— spianta dellâ— herba dalla terra due ò tre volte e se la getta dietro dicendo quellâ— parelâ— del Salmo espuntaranâ— dalla citta come l' herba della terra per sâ—gno della resurrectionâ— That is As they returne backe from the Grave every one of them plucketh up the Grasse from the ground twise or three times and throweth it behind him saying those words of the Psalme they shall flourish â—ut of the City like the grasse of the Earth in token of the Resurrection c. De gli riti Hebraici di questi tempi Part. 5. Cap. 7. num 4. In some places they say these very words of the Prophet here Your Bones c. The Rite is very proper aâ— to shew that the dead are not quite pluckt up but only cut down like a flower which at the returne of time reinforcing from its root and stocke springeth up againe But if our Bones are to flourish like an Hearbe we have a surer word of experience from the Fact If a vegetable can be call'd up out of its ashes there is a stronger pretence to our urnes The Grounds of Chimicall Philosophy goe thus That Salt Sulphur and Mercury are the principles into which all things doe resolve And that the Radicall and Originall moisture whereby the first principall of Salt consisteth cannot be consumed by Calcination but thâ— forcible tinctures and impressions of things as Colour Tast Smell nay and the very formes themselves are
good and sober note in his acknowledgement Il me disoit d'avantage avoir comme aussi firent les autres touché divers membres de â—esâ—râ—suscitans Et comme il vouloit se sâ—isir d' une teste chevelue d'â—nfant un homme du Caire â—'escria tout haut Kali Kali ante materasde c'est à dire Laisse Laisse tu ne scais que cest de cela i. e. And he told me moreover that he had and that others had done so too touched divers of these rising Members And as he was once so doing upon the hairy head of a Child a Man of Cairo cryed out aloud Kali Kali ante materasde that is to say Hold Hold you know not what you doe That which seemeth to be wanting to the Authority of this strange thing is that there should be no ordinary memory none at all I can meete with yet of the matter in any of their owne Bookes That in the Greeke Liturgies out of the Lesson for the time I know not how to make reckoning of as enough to this purpose In any other Bookes of theirs and some likely ones too I meete not with any notice at all And yet as to that I can retort this answer upon my selfe that a thing of so cheape and common beleife amongst them could not fitly be expected to be written out as a rarety by themselves and sent forth into these unbeleiving Corners of the world Which though it may passe for a reason why there should not be any such common report of the thing yet leaveth me scope to thinke that there is some speciall mention of it in the Arabicke or Copticke Histories which when it shall be met with if it be found to referre up the Wonder to some excellent and important Originall it will the better defend this matter of Fact from the opinion of imposture Indeed the rising of these armes and legs otherwise is but an ill argument to be used for the Resurrection of our Bodies for 't is easier to beleive this then that The Arabicke Nubian Geographer telleth of a place in Aegypt called Ramal Altsinem or the Sands of Tsinem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Where there is a great miracle of the most Glorious God And it is that if you take a bone and bury it in these Sands for the space of seven dayes by Gods permission it shall turne into a very hard stone c. Clim 3. Part. 3. And what if all our Bones were buried in these Sands As if God were not able even out of those Stones to raise up Children unto Abraham If the Phoenix of Arabia should prove to be an Vtopian Bird as I will not now suspect after such a size of Apostolicall Authority and so sufficient a countenance given to that It will be enough for us that the Swallowes know their time too as well as the Storke and after such a manner as if they knew or at least would have us to know it ours too These at the beginnings of Winter use to fall down in heaps together into the dust or water and there sleepe in their Chaâ—s till hearing the voice of returning nature at the Spring they awake out of this dead sleepe and quicken up to their owne life againe A commentatour upon the Corinthians to this fifteenth Chapter affirmeth that he himselfe found a company of Swallowes lying dead under an old Table in a Church at Witteberge which for want of the naturall time of the yeare were by an artificiall heate recovered unto life againe CHAP. XXVIII Math. 3. 4. And the same John had his Raiment of Câ—mels haire and a Leatherne Girdle about his Loines and his meate was Locusts and wild Honey THe rest is plaine enough but for the Locusts there hath beene a great deale of unnecessary Criticisme devised as it fals out to make the word in a worse case then it was beore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word and it can signify nothing here but Locusts and the question needs not to be whether these be mans meat or no it is certaine that the Jewes might eat them by the law of Moses Lev. 11. 22. And Mathiolus upon Dioscorides saith that this was the reason why John Baptist made use of them as a strict observer of the Law But that they are eaten in the East and elsewhere you may see Kerstenius his Note upon an Arabicke Translation of Saint Mathew's Gospell And Iohn Leo in his Description of Africa But that which is here to the purpose is the note of Agatharchides in his Tract upon the Red Sea where he speakes of the Acridophagi or eaters of Locusts He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That their habit of body is thinne and meaguer c. So Cleonards Note of the Country people of Fez in Affrica will be fit to the matter It is in his last Epistle to his Tutour Latomus towards the latter end Nova de Bellis nihil ad Brabantinos neque enim stropitum armorum audietis alius est Exercitus quem Deus his regionibus immisit paucis ante diebus Fesae vidisses Coelum obductum locustarum agminibus quae hîc non solùm saltant sed avium ritu volitant Jam corà m video minas priorum prophetarum multis in locis Nocte unâ sata perdunt universa bellum strenuè cum ijs gerunt rustici Nam plaustra plena Locustis advehunt Fesam nam hos hostes vulgo hic commedunt Ego tamen sum tam delicatus ut malim perdicem unam quà m locustas viginti quòd totam hanc regionem gens locustica devoraâ—â—â— i. e. I can tell you newes of warres but not like yours in Brabant No noise of weapons here 't is another kinde of Army which God hath sent into these Coasts Within these few daies you might have seene the whole Heaven clouded over with Troopes of Locusts such as doe not hoppe about like your Grashoppers they fly here like Birds Me thought I saw here fulfilled in mine eyes that of the old Prophets In many places they will destroy you all the Corne in one night The Country people fight very stoutly with these Locusts they bring them home by whole Caâ—t loades to Fesse and then â—at these enemies when they have done but for my owne part I am so tender palated that I had rather have one Partridge then twenty Locusts for that these Locusts have devoured this whole Country And this indeed was the thing to be spoken too for as the coursenesse of the Raiment so the slendernesse of the dyet is equally to pretend towards a rigid and austere condition of life And as to this sence I shall make you this new Note out of an Arabicke Commentary upon the Alcoran The Tradition is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That John the Baptist when he was yet a Child being in company with some of his fellowes they askt him to play with them but he said unto them I