Prouinces Alastarasom and Dodonia Which last word Alastarasom I take to be mistaken by joyning two words together and missing the last letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mem for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samech which is easily done they bee so like The word Alastarasom should without doubt be Alas or Elis Tarsus Elis frequent in all Authours Eilision in Homer in Baeot. Elensine in Plutarch in Theseo are places in Greece bearing the name of their old planter Elisha Dodonim is registred in the name of old Dodona Tarshish left a memoriall of himselfe in Cilicia in the Citie Tarsus Which was as Pliny saith vrbs libera a free Citie nat hist. lib. 5. and Saint Paul is free of that Citie Act. 22. Tarshish in Gen. 10. is the name of a man in Ionah 13. in Chald. Par. it is vsed for the sea In Exod. 28. for a pearle in Act. 22 the name of a Towne I thinke I may safely suppose that the towne tooke the name from the man the sea from the towne and the pearle from the sea Cittim got into the I le Cyprus neere his brother Tarshish from him that Iland in old time was called Cethin as Ant. di Gueuara nameth it in Relox de los princip And the men of Cyprus acknowledged Cythnon quendam one Cythnus or Cittim for their predecessor as saith Herodotus lib. 7. That Iland sent out colonies further to replenish the Westerne world who bare the memorie and name of their father Cittim with them all along as they went Macedon or Macetia is called Cittim 1. Mac. 1.1 At last they ariued in Italy which is called Cittim Num. 24.24 and so rendered by the Chaldees Thus Iauans posteritie grew great in Greece and Italy and at last sent vs men ouer into these Isles of the Gentiles CAP. VI. Of Iewish Learning THe Iewes chiefe studies are about the Scriptures or about the Hebrew tongue but some haue dealt in other matters Their tongue is their chiefe learning which is indeed the ground of all sacred knowledge In it some are most ignorant and some againe as accurate They value it so highly that the mistaking of a letter in it say they destroyes the world He that in this verse En kadosh caihouah readeth Beth for Caph makes it there is no holinesse in Iehouah and destroyeth the world He that will may see most copious worke of this nicety in Tauch on Gen. 1. How nimble textualists and Grammarians for the tongue the Rabbins are their Comments can witnes But as in Chaucer the greatest Clarkes are not the wisest men so among them these that are so great textualists are not best at the text In humane Arts some of them haue practised Kimchi and Leuita for Grammar Rabbi Simeon for logicke and others in other things as Buxdorfius in his collection of Iewish Authors will fully satisfie CAP. VII Of the Talmud WHo so nameth the Talmud nameth all Iudaisme and who so nameth Mishneh and Gemara hee nameth all the Talmud And so saith Leuita Hattalmudh nehhlak c. The Talmud is diuided into two parts the one part is called Mishneh and the other part is called Gemara and these two together are called the Talmud This in the Iewes Councell of Trent the foundation and groundworke of their religion For they beleeue the Scripture as the Talmud beleeues for they hold them of equall authority Rabbi Tanchum the sonne of Hanilai saith let a man alwaies part his life into three parts A third part for the Scriptures a third part for Mishneh and a third part for Gemara Two for one two parts for the Talmud for one for the Scriptures So highly doe they Papist-like prize the vaine traditions of men This great library of the Iewes is much alike such another worke vpon the old Testament as Thomas Aquinas his Catena aurea is vpon the new For this is the summe of all their Doctors conceits and descants vpon the law as his is a collection of all the Fathers explications and comments vpon the Gospells For matter it is much like Origens bookes of old vbi bene nemo melius c. and where they write well none better and where ill none worse The word Talmud is the same in Hebrew that Doctrine is in Latine and Doctrinall in our vsuall speech It is say the Iewes a Commentary vpon the written law of God And both the law and this say they God gaue to Moses the law by day and by writing and this by night and by word of mouth The Law was kept by writing still this still by tradition Hence comes the distinction so frequent in Rabbins of Torah she baccathubh and Torah she begnal peh the law in writing and the law that comes by word of mouth Moses say they receiued the law from Sinai this traditionall law I thinke they meane and deliuered it to Ioshuah Ioshuah to the Elders the Elders to the Prophets and the Prophets to the men of the great Synagogue And thus like fame in Virgil creuit eundo like a snow-ball it grew bigger with going Thus doe they father their fooleries vpon Moses and Elders and Prophets who good men neuer thought of such fancies as the Romanists for their Traditions can find bookes of Clemens Dionysius and others who neuer dreamed of such matters Against this their traditionall our Sauiour makes part of his Sermon in the mount Matth. 5. But he touched the Iewes freehold when he touched their Talmud for greater treasure in their conceits they had none like Cleopatra in Plutarch making much of the Viper that destroyed them CAP. VIII Talmudisme TO omit the time when it was written and the distinction of Ierusalem and Babilon Talmud the chiefe end of them both as they thinke is to explane the old Testament The titles of the bookes shew their intents Pesachin about the Passeouer Sanhedrin about the high Courts Beracoth about thankesgiuing Sometime they comment sometime they allude sometime controuert sometime fable For this booke containes their common law and ciuill and commonly some things aboue all law and ciuility To instance in one or two that by Hercules foot ye may guesse his body Iudges 9.13 It is said by the vine shall I leaue my wine which cheereth God and man How doth wine cheere God Rabbi Akibhah saith because men giue God thankes for it There also they question or controuert whether a man should giue thankes or say grace for his meate and drinke before he taste it And otherwhere whether a man may blesse God for the sweet smell of incense which hee smells offered to Idols Whether a man may light a candle at another candle that burnes in a candlesticke that hath images on it Whether a man at his Deuotions if a Serpent come and bite him by the heele may turne and stoppe to shake her off or no which question Rabbi Tanchum answers very profoundly that they must not so much as shake the foot to get a Serpent off and
temptations as Sathan doth and yet that God doth tempt men So hee is said in plaine words to haue tempted Abraham And Rabbi Tanchum wittily obserues that Abrahams two great temptations begin both with one straine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get thee gone The first Get thee gone out of thy country from thy kindâ—ed and fathers house Gen. 12. the second Get thee gone to the land of Moriah and offer thy sonne Isaac vpon one of the mountaines Gen. 22. May we not safely say here that God lead Abraham into temptation But as it followes liberautt à malo God deliuered him from the euill of the temptation which is being ouercome And Saint Iames saith sweetly though at first he may seeme to croste this Petition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brethren account it all ioy when ye fall into diuerse temptations Iac. 1.2 to be in temptation is ioy for God chastiseth euery sonne that he receiueth and yet pray lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill let the latter comment vpon the first lead vs not into the euill of temptation which in the Apostles Phrase is suffer vs not to bee tempted aboue our strength CAP. XXII Septuaginta interpreters I Will not with Clemens Iosephus Austen Epiphanius and others spend time in locking them vp seuerally in their closets to make their translation the more admirable I will onely mind that They did the worke of this translation against their will and therefore we must expect but slipperie doing And that appeares by them Their additions variations and without doubt ouersights may well argue with what a will they went about this businesse It were easie to instance in thousands of places How they adde men and yeares Gen. 5. and 10. and 11. and 46. How they add matter of their owne heads as how they helpe Iobs wife to skold Iob 2. adding there a whole verse of female passion I must now saith she go wander vp and downe and haue no place to rest in and so forth And so Iob 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away euen as pleasâ—th the Lord so come things to passe blessed be the name of the Lord which clause euen as pleaseth the Lord so come things to passe is not in the Hebrew but is added by them and so is it taken from them into our common prayer booke in that paâ—t of the manner of buriall To trace them in their mistakes is pretty to see how their vnpricked Bible deceiued them As to instance in one or two for a tast Hebrew Gen. 15.11 It is said that the birds light vpon the carcasses and Abraham droue them away in Heâ—rew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vaijashhebh Iudges 5.8 The Hebrew saith they choose new gods then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lahhem shegnarim was warre in the gates Iudges 7.11 The Hebrew saith and hee and Phurah his seruant went downe to the quarter or side of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hhamushim the armed men Septuag They reade in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vajashhebh hee droue them away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vajeshhebh hee sate by them and of this Saint Austen makes goodly Allegories They say they chose new gods as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lehhem segnorim barly bread They say he and his seruant Pharah went downe to the quarter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hhamishim fiâ—ty men Thus doe they vary in a world of places which the expert may easily see and smile at I omit how they vary names of men and places I will trouble you with no more but one which they comment as it were to helpe a difficulty 1. King 12.2 It is said of Ieroboam that hee dwelt in Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vaijeshhebh bemitzraijm 2. Chron. 10.2 It is said that he reâ—urned from Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vaijashobh mimmitzraijm The septuagint heales this thus thus translating 2. Chron. 10.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he had dwelt in Aegypt and he returned out of Aegypt Such is the manner of that worke of the Greeke Now to examine the Authoritie of this wee shall find it wonderfull That some of the Iewish Synagogues read the old Testament in Greeke and not in Hebrew Tertullian seemeth to witnesse But those were Iewes out of Canaan for they were not so skilfull in the Greeke tongue in Canaan for ought I can find as to vnderstand it so familiarly if they had beene I should haue thought the septuagint to bee the booke that was giuen to Christ in the Synagogue Luke 2.17 Because his text that he reades does nearer touch the Greeke then the Hebrew But I know their tongue was the Mesladoed Chaldee The greatest authority of this translation appeareth in that the holy Greeke of the new Testament doth so much follow it For as God vsed this translation for a Harbinger to the fetching in of the Gentiles so when it was growen into Authority by the time of Christs comming it seemed good to his infinite wisdome to adde to its Authority himselfe the better to forward the building of the Church And admirable it is to see with what sweetnesse and Harmony the New Testament doth follow this translation sometime euen besides the letter of the old to shew that he that gaue the old may and can best expound it in the new CAP. XXIII The Septuagint ouer-authorized by some SOme there were in the Primitiue Church like the Romanists now that preferred this translation of the Greeke as they do the vulgar Latine before the Hebrew fountaine Of these Saint Austen speakes of their opinion herein and withall giues his owne in his fifteenth booke de Ciuitate Dei Cap. 11.13.14 where treating of Methushelahs liuing foureteene yeares after the flood according to the Greeke translation Hence came saith he that famous question where to lodge Methuselah all the time of the flood Some hold saith he that he was with his father Enoch who was translated and that he liued with him there till the flood was past They hold thus as being loath to derogate from the â—uthority of those bookes quos in autoriâ—atem celebriorem suscepit ecclesia which the Church hath entertained into more renowned Authority And thinking that the bookes of the Iewes rather then these do mistake and erre For they say that it is not credible that the seuentie Interpreters which translated at one time and in one sense could err or wouldly or erre where it concerned them not But that the Iewes for enuy they beare to vs seeing the Law and Prophets are come to vs by their interpretation haue changed some things in their bookes that the Authority of ours might be lessened This is their opinion Now his owne he giues Cap. 13. in these words Let that tongue be rather beleeued out of which a translation is made into another by Interpreters and in Cap. 14. The truth of things must be fetched
cals his armie and there was another companie of Angels which he cals the Armie of God These are the two Armies that gaue name to Mahanaim two armies one heauenly and the other earthly and from this I take it Salomon compares the Church to the companie of Mahanaim for so the Church consisteth of two Armies one heauenly like these Angels which is the Church triumphant and the other trauailing on earth like Iacobs armie which is the Church militant CAP. XLIIII The booke of Psalmes THe Psalmes are diuided into fiue bookes according to the fiue bookes of Moses and if they bee so diuided there be seuentie bookes in the Bible the vnskilfull may finde where any one of these fiue bookes end by looking where a Psalme ends with Amen there also ends the booke As at Psal. 41.72.89.106 and from thence to the end These may euen in their verie beginnings be harmonized to the books of the Law Genesis The first booke of Moses telleth how happinesse was lost euen by Adams walking in wicked counsel of the Serpent and the woman Psal. 1. The first booke of Psalmes tels how happines may be regained if a man do not walke in wicked counsell as of the serpent woman the diuell and the flesh This allusion of the first booke Arnobius makes Exodus The second book of Moses tels of groaning affliction in Egypt Leuiti The third booke of Moses is of giuing the law Numbers The fourth booke of Moses is about numbring Deutero The last booke of Moses is a rehearsall of all Psal. 42. The second booke of Psalmes begins in groaning affliction Psal. 42 43. Psal. 73. The third booke of Psalmes tels in the beginning how good God is for giuing this law This allusion Rab. Tanch makes very neere Ps. 90. The fourth booke begins with numbring of the best Arithmetick numbring Gods mercie Psal. 90.1 and our owne dayes ver 12. Psa. 107. So is the last booke of the Psalmes from Psa. 107. to the end In the Iewes diuision of the Scripture this peece of the Psalmes and the bookes of the like nature are set last not because they be of least dignitie but because they be of least dependance with other bookes as some of them being no storie at all and some stories and bookes of lesser bulke and so set in a fourme by themselues The old Testament books the Iewes acrostically doe write thus in three letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euerie letter standing for a word and euerie word for a part of the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Aorajetha or Torah the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Nebhijm the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Cethubhim or bookes of holy writ this diuiâ—ion is so old that our Sauiour himselfe vseth it in the last of Luke and ver 44. All things written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalmes By the Psalmes meaning that part of Cethubhim in which the Psalmes are set first CAP. XLV Of the Creation TWo waies we come to the knowledge of God by his workes and by his word By his works we come to know there is a God and by his word wee come to know what God is His workes teach vs to spell his word teacheth vs to read The first are as it were his backe parts by which we behold him a farre off The latter shewes him to vs face to face The world is as a booke consisting of three leaues and euerie leafe printed with many letters and euery letter a lecture The leaues heauen the aire and earth with the water The letters in heauen euery Angel Star and Planet In the aire euery meteor and foule In the earth and waters euerie man beast plant fish and minerall all these set together spell to vs that there is a God and the Apostle saith no lesse though in lesse space Rom. 1 20. For the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes And so Dauid Psal. 19.1 It is not for nothing that God hath set the Cabinet of the vniuerse open but it is because he hath giuen vs eyes to behold his treasure Neither is it for nothing that he hath giuen vs eyes to behold his treasure but because he hath giuen vs hearts to admire vpon our beholding If wee marke not the workes of God we are like stones that haue no eyes wherewith to behold If wee wonder not at the workes of God when wee marke them we are like beasts that haue no hearts wherewith to admire And if wee praise not God for his workes when we admire them we are like deuils that haue no tongues wherewith to giue thankes Remarkeable is the storie of the poore old man whom a Bishop found most bitterly weeping ouer an vgly toad being asked the reason of his teares his answer was I weepe because that whereas God might haue made mee as vgly and filthy a creature as this toad and hath not I haue yet neuer in all my life beene thankefull to him for it If the works of the creation would but lead vs to this one lecture our labour of obseruing them were well bestowed How much more when they lead vs farre further CAP. XLVI The time and manner of the Creation MOSES in the first verse of the Bible refutes three heathen opinions namely theirs that thought the world was eternall for he saith in the beginning c. Secondly theirs that thought there was no God for he saith Elohim created Thirdly theirs that thought there were many gods for he saith Elohim he created heauen and earth The first word in the beginning may draw our mindes and thoughts to the last thing the latter end and this thought must draw our affections from too much loue of the world for it must haue an end as it had a beginning I will not stand to comment vpon the word Bereshith in the beginning for then I know not when to come to an end To treat how the diuerse expositors labour about the beginning of the world is a world of labour How the Ierus Targ. translates it In wisdome and is followed by Rabbi Tanchum and many Iewes How Targ. Ionath vseth an Arabian word Min Awwala a primo Onkelos in primis or in principio Iarchi in principio creationis creauit How Basil the great Saint Ambrose and hundreds others do interpret this is a worke endlesse to examine Satisfied am I with this that the world and all things had their beginning from God that in the beginning created heauen and earth Some of the Iewes do inuert the word Bereshith and make it Betisri that is in the moneth Tisri was the world created This month is about our September and that the world was created in this moneth to let other reasons alone this satisfies me that the feast of Tabernacles which was
the skillfull amongst them say Signifying the Lord which containeth heauen and earth For Iesu according to the old Hebrew signifieth heauen and the Earth is called Sura vsser Thus that father in his second booke against Heretickes Cap. 41. on which words I can criticke onely with deepe silence Onely for his two letters and ½ I take his meaning to bee according to the Iewes writing of the name Iesu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who denie him the last letter of his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they deny him for a Sauiour So the Dutch Iew Elias Leuitae saith in expresse words The Christians say that their Messias was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the commandement of the Angell Gabriel because he should saue all the world from Gehinnom but because the Iewes doe not confesse that hee is a Sauiour therefore they will not call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ieshuang but they leaue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last letter out and call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesu. After this kind of writing as Irenaeus saith the word consisteth of two letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and halfe a letter that is which may be so called because it is so little The Chaldee writes the name of God with two Iods aboue and a vowell vnder thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From hence some haue picked an expression of the Trinity In the two letters the Father and the Sonne and in the vowell the Holy Ghost proceeding from both And from the aequidistance of the letters and vowell they gather the distinction of the Persons and by the neerenesse of all the vnity of Essence Such another conceit hath Bonfinius in his Hungarian Historie When the Heresie of Arrius saith he had got head almost ouer all the world and was dilated as well by persecution as by disputation a towne in Gaule was besieged because it held the Orthodox faith of the Sons coequalitie with the Father God to confirme this their faith shewed this miracle As the Priest was at high Masse at the Altar behold three drops of blood fell from heauen vpon the Altar lying a while in an equall distance one from another to shew the distinction of the three Persons at last in sight of all the People they met together to shew the vnity of Essence so the story But we haue a more sure word of Prophecie That there are three that beare record in Heauen the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are one The Chaldee sometimes vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dehhila and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dahhalah feare or terror for God because of the feare that is due to him So Iacob comming from Syria and being to sweare to a Syrian sweares according to this Syrian or Chaldee Phrase By the feare of his father Isaac Gen. 31.53 or by the God that Isaac feared as Onkelos and Ionathan render it CAP. III. Of the Phrase The Sonnes of God Gen. 6. and Iob. 1. ALL take this Phrase in Iob to meane the Angells and truely in which sense while they haue taken it in the sixt of Genesis they spoile all For hence they think that Angels lay with women and begat children So can Iarchi almost find in his heart to think and so Tertullian Lactantius and others Some tell what euill Arts these Angells taught women and how they begat mighty children of them How farre this conceit is from true Philosophie let Aristotle censure Merlin in Geffry Monmouth is recorded to be such another hatch beleeue it who list His veine of Prophecying can make Alanus de Insulis thinke it is so but I must needs confesse it comes not into my Creed As some conceit that the fallen Angels or Deuills here begat children of women so the Iewes most wickedly fable that Adam begat children of Deuills Those hundred and thirtie yeares say they that Adam was separated from Eue Deuills came to him and he ingendred with them and begat Deuills and spirits and fiends And againe Foure women are the mothers of Shedhim or Deuills Lilith Naamah Ogereth and Mahlath I beleeue both these alike for I beleeue that neither is likely Both the Chaldees Onkelos and Ionathan render the sonnes of Elohim the sonnes of the Potentates or Iudges taking the word Elohim in the same sense that it is taken in the middlemost verse of the booke of Exodus Cap. 22.28 Thou shalt not curse Elohim or the Iudges This opinion is farre better then the former but Christians haue a better then this That the house and progenie of holy Seth are the sonnes of God or the Church and the brood of Cains females were the Daughters of men Cypriano di valera in his Spanish translation of Gen. 4. and the last verse translates it thus Entonces commenciaron llamarse Then begun men to be called by the name of God or by the name of the Lord And in the margin hee explanes himselfe thus that then the men of Seths house began to bee a publike Church and to be distinguished from Cains family and to be called the sons of God Gen. 6.2 CAP. IIII. Of the Phrase Sonnes of Man THis Phrase is frequent in Scripture and Rabbin Hebrew but most frequent in Chaldee and Syrian Bene Anasha Bar nosho In the latter of which the Syrian vsually writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but leaueth out the first letter as that tongue doth frequently in other words vse the like ecclipsis writing not as they reade as it is said of the French Ezekiel in his Prophecie in Scripture Hebrew is frequently called sonne of man Why so often he and no other Prophet should be so stiled reasons are giuen by diuerse To mee though farre inferiour to all them the groundworke seemeth to bee because his Prophecie was written in Chaldean captiuitie hee vseth the Chaldean Phrase Sonne of man that is O man The same Phrase Daniel vseth in Chaldaea Dan. 10.16 CAP. V. Of Iaphets plantation by his sonne Iauan IAuan is generally held to be Greece And the Greeke tongue is by all Hebrewes called the speech of Iauan The Arabians do so stile the same language The Syrian in Romans the first chapter verse 16. calls the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon what reason I cannot imagine Iauan the sonne of Iaphet is held to haue planted or peopled this country in memorie of whose name the Iones are famous monuments Moses saith hee had foure sonnes Elisha Tarshish Cittim Dodonim which it is likely planted all the country of Greece as farre as into Italie Elisha and Dodonim dwelt at first neere together and so did Tarshish and Cittim but their posteritie scattered farre and neere The Ierusalem and Babilon Targums doe almost resolued vs of these foure mens plantation For Ionathan reades the fourth verse of the tenth of Genesis thus And the sonnes of Iauan Elisha Elis Tarsus Acacia and Dardania Ieruselamy thus And the sonnes of Iauan Elisha and the names of their
paines to prooue the text vncorrupt against a gaine saying Papist For they haue summed vp all the letters in the Bible to shew that one haire of that sacred head is not perished Eight â—undred eight and fourty marginall â—otes are obserued and preserued for the more facility of the text The middle verse of euery booke noted the number of the verses in euery booke reckoned and as I said before not a vowell that misseth ordinary Grammar which is not marked So that if we had no other surety for the truth of the old Testament text these mens paines me thinks should be enough to stop the mouth of a daring Papist CAP. XIIII Of the marginall readings THat the margin should so often helpe the text as I may so say as in 848. places may seeme to taxe the text of so many errours But the learned can find a reason why it is so I hope I may satisfie my selfe without any hurt with this reason till mâ— learning will affoord mee a better Namely that when they tooke iâ— hand to reuiew the Bible after the captiuity as all hold Ezra did that they did it by more coppies then one which when they thus varied they would not forsake either because they were loath to add or diminish therefore they tooke euen their varying one in the text and the other in the margin Yet doe I not thinke it was done onely thus without some more speciall matter in some places for the writing of Nagnarah so often Nagnar does make mee thinke if I had nothing els to perswade me that these marginals are not only humane corrections CAP. XV. Ex Kimchio in Ionah 1. KImchi questioning why the book of Ionah should bee Canonicall c. giues one most comfortable reason which vpon reading I could not but muse on His words are obseruable and they are these It is questionable why this Prophecie is written among the holy Scriptures since it is all against Niniueh which was Heathennish and in it there is no remembrance or mention of Israel and among all the Prophets besides this there is not the like But we may expound it that it is written to be a checke to Israel for loe a strange People which were not of Israel was ready to repent and euen the first time that a Prophet reproued them they turned wholly from their euill But Israel whom the Prophets reproued early and late yet they returned not from their euill Againe this booke was written to shew the great miracle that the blessed God did with the Prophet who was three dayes and three nights in the belly of the fish and yet liued and the fish cast him vp againe Againe to teach vs that the blessed God sheweth mercy to the repentant of what nation soeuer and pardons them though they bee many Haec Kimchi Vpon whose last words I cannot but enter into these thoughts Could wee looke for a truth from a Iew or comfort from a Spaniard And yet here the Spanish Iew affoords vs both comfortable truth and true comfort God will pardon the Repentant there is a comfortable truth and hee will pardon them of what nation soeuer if they repent there is most true comfort When a Iew thus preaches repentance I cannot but hearken and helpe him a little out with his Sermon That as God is ready to forgiue the Repentant of what Nation soeuer so for what sinnes soeuer if they be truly repented Here I except the impardonable sinne the sinne against the Holy Ghost which what it is the Scripture conceales in close words partly because we should not despaire if wee fall our selues and partly because wee should not censure damnably of our brethren if they fall into a sinne that is nigh this so that not into it To maintaine the Iewes words and mine owne for pardon of Nations and of finnes I haue as large a field as all the Countries and all the sinnes of the world to looke ouer I will onely for Countries confine my selfe to Niniueh and for sinnes to Mary Magdalen Niniueh a heathen towne built by a wicked brood inhabited by a wicked crew yet repenting Niniueh is pardoned Mary Magdalen a manifold sinner a customary sinner a most deadly sinner yet repenting Mary Magdalen is forgiuen The Iew brings me into two christian meditations about Niniueh or into two wholesome Passions Feare and Hope God sees the sinnes of Niniueh then I know mine are not hid this breeds in me feare of punishment But God forgiues the sinnes of Niniueh then I hope mine are not vnpardonable this breeds hope of forgiuenesse Col debhaurau she amar lehareang libhne Adam saith the Rabbin bithnai im lo jashubhu All the euills that God threatens to men are threatned with this condition if they doe not repent As before the Iew spake comfort and truth so here hee linkes comfort and terrour God threatens euill there is terrour but it is with condition there is comfort Niniueh finds both in the story Fourty dayes and Niniueh shall be destroyed there is a threatned terrour But the Lord repented of the euill that hee spake to doe vnto them and did it not there is a comforting condition So that as Dauid does so will I hopefully and yet fearefully sing of mercy and judgement First mercy then iudgement Mercy vpon my repentance lest I bee cast downe and Iudgement vpon my sinnes lest I be lifted vp Mercy in Iudgement and Iudgement in mercy Is there any one that desperatly reiects Niniuehs exhibited mercy let him feare Niniuehs threatned iudgment or is there any that trembles at Niniuehs threatned Iudgement let him comfort himselfe by Niniuehs obtaining mercy But in the mouth of two witnesses let the mercy bee confirmed Let mee take Mary Magdalen with Niniueh and as I see in it the forgiuenesse of a multitude of sinners so I may see in her of a multitude of sinnes Those many sinners pardoned as one man those many sinnes made as none at all Saint Bernard speaking of her washing of Christs feet saies shee came thither a sinner but shee went thence a Saint She came thither an Aethiope and a leopard but shee went thence with changed skin and cancelled spots But how was this done She fell at the feet of Christ and with sighs from her heart she vomited the sinnes from her soule Prosternere tu anima mea as saith the same Bernard And cast thou thy selfe downe oh my soule before the feet of Christ wipe them with thine haires wash them with thy teares which teares washing his feet may also purge thy soule Wash his feet and wash thy selfe with Mary Magdalen till hee say to thee as hee did to Marie Magdalen thy sinnes are forgiuen CAP. XVI Of sacrifice SAcrifice is within a little as old as sinne and sinne not much younger then the world Adam on the day of his creation as is most probable sinneth and sacrificeth and on the next day after meditates on that wherunto his sacrifice aimeth
out of that tongue out of which that that we haue is interpreted It is apparent by most of the Fathers both Greeke and Latine how they followed the Greeke though I thinke not so much for affectation as for meere necessity few of them being able to reade the Bible in Hebrew I will conclude with Clemens Alex. his reason why God would haue the Bible turned into Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strom. 1. Pag. 124. That is For this were the Scriptures interpreted in the Grecians tongue that they might haue no excuse for their ignorance being able to vnderstand ours scriptures if they would CAP. XXIIII Phrases taken from Iewes in the New Testament THese Phrases are by the great Broughton called Talmudicke Greeke when Iewish and Talmudicall Phrases are vsed in holy writ Such is Gehenna frequent in all Rabbins Maranatha 1. Cor. 16.22 the bitter excommunication The world to come so often vsed in the Gospell and nothing more often among the Iewes and Chaldees Raka Mat. 5.22 of which see Cap. 19. Iannes and Iambres 2. Tim. 3.8 whose names I find in the Chaldee Paraphrast with very little difference and a goodly legend of them As in Exod. 1.15 Pharaoh slept and saw in his dreame and behold all the land of Egypt was put in one scale and a young lambe in the other scale and the lambe waighed downe the scales of himselfe out of hand he sends and calls all the sorcerers of Egypt and tells them his dreame Out of hand Ianis Iimbres chief of the sorcerers opened their mouthes and said vnto Pharaoh there is a child to be borne of some of the congregation of Israel by whose hands all the land of Egypt shal be wasted therfore the King consulted with the Iewish midwiues c. And in Exo. 7.11 He cals them Ianis and Iambres And that you might the better vnderstand who these two were the Hebrew comment vpon the Chaldee text saith they were schollers for their art of enchanting to the noble wizard Balaam and so he fetches Zophar for authority to maintaine them And to proue Ianis and Iambreâ— â—her very constant enemies and opposers to Moses or else very good dutifull schollers to Balaam the Chaldee saith that these two were the two seruants that went with Balaam Num. 22.22 when he went to curse Israel Beelzebub or as the New Testament Greeke calls it Beelzebul is a wicked phrase vsed by the Iewes of Christ Mar. 3.22 and elsewhere Now whether this change of the last letter were among the Iewes accidentall or of set purpose I cannot determine Such ordinary variation of letters without any other reason euen vse of euery country affoords So Reuben is in the Syrian called Rubil Apoc. 7.5 So the Greeke and Latine Paulus is in the Syrian Phaulus in Arabian Baulus But some giue a witty reason of l in Beelzebul that the Iewes in derision of the Ekronites god Baalzebub which was a name bad enough the god of a flie gaue him a worse Baalzebul the god of a Sir-Reuerence for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in Chaldean To omit any more Iewish Phrases honoured by the New Testament vsing them this very thing does shew the care is to be had for the right reading of the Greeke since so many idiomes and so many kinds of stile are vsed by it CAP. XXV Niniuehs conuersion Ionah 3. THe booke of Ionah is wholly composed of wonders Some hold Ionah to be wonderfull in his birth As that he should be the sonne of the Sarepta widow whom Eliah raised to life And because the mother of the child said Now I know that the word of God in thy mouth is true therefore he is called Ben Amittai the sonne of my truth whether the story may be called Ben Amittai or a true storie let the reader censure by the two townes of Sarepta and Gath-hepher Howsoeuer Ionah was wondrous in his birth I am sure he was wondrous in his life A Prophet and a runnagate before his shipwracke a man drowned and yet aliue in his shipwracke and a Preacher of repentance and yet a Repiner at Repentance after The least wonder in the booke is not the conuersion of Niniueh It was a great wonder as D. Kimchi saies that Ionah was in the belly of the fish three daies and three nights and yet liued And it was another wonder that he was not stupid but continued in his senses and intellectuals and prayed And do but well consider it and it will appeare almost as great a wonder that Niniueh so great a town so long wicked in so short time should be conuerted To say as Rabbi Ioshuah doth that the men of the ship were got to Niniueh and had told all the occurrence about Ionah how they had throwen him ouer hatches and yet he it was that was among them and therefore they beleeued the sooner as it is without Authority so doth it lessen the wonder of the townes conuersion Ionah an vnknowne man of a forraigne people to come into so great a City with a Fourty dayes and Niniueh shall be destroyed was strange But for the King vpon so short a time to send a cryer to proclaime repentance is as strange if not stranger Ionah proclaimes the towne shall bee destroyed the King in a manner proclaimes the towne shall not bee destroyed by proclaiming the meanes how to saue it Repentance To say as Aben Ezra does that because the City is called Gnir gedholah leelohim a great citie of God that therfore they feared God in old time but now in Ionahs time began to do euill is still to lessen the wonder about their conuersion a stranger repentance then which the world neuer saw The old world had a time of warning of yeares for Niniuehs houres and yet eat and drunke till the flood came and then in the flouds of many waters Repentance and Prayers would not come neere God Psal. 32. Faire warning had Sodome by the preaching of Lot whose righteous soule they vexed and would not repent till their Hell as it were began from heauen and fire and brimstone brought them to the lake of fire and brimstone and when the wicked seed of him that derided his fathers nakednesse perished for their naked beastlinesse and their flames of lust brought them to flames on earth and in hell The men of Niniueh shall rise vp in iudgement against the generation of the Iewes and condemne them because these at the preaching of Ionah repented and they not for the preaching of a greater then Ionah that was among them When the Master of the vineyard sent his seruants nay his owne sonne they put him to death In the conuersion and deliuerie of Niniueh I cannot but admire a double mercy of God who to vse a fathers words sic dedit penitentibus veniam qui sic dedit peccantibus penitentiam who was so ready vpon their repentance to grant them pardon who was so ready
into his world wherefore I vow to giue Almes for him that for this his soule may be bound vp in the bundle of life with the soule of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Sarah and Rebecca Rahel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which be in the garden of Eden Amen The Lord remember the soule of Mris N. the Daughter of N. who is gone to her world Therefore I vow c. as in the other before Amen The Lord remember the soule of my father and my mother of my grandfathers and grandmothers of my vncles and aunts of my brethren and sisters of my cosens and cosenesses whether of my fathers side or mothers side who are gone into their world Wherefore I vow c. Amen The Lord remember the soule of N. the sonne of N. and the soules of all my cosens and cosenesses whether on my fathers or mothers side who were put to death or slaine or stabd or burnt or drowned or hanged for the sanctifying of the name of God Therefore I will giue Almes for the memory of their soules and for this let their soules bee bound vp in the bundle of life with the soule of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Sarah and Rebecca Rahel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which are in the garden of Eden Amen Then the Priest pronounceth a blessing vpon the man that is thus charitable as it followeth there in these words Hee that blessed our father Abraham Isaac and Iacob Moses and Aaron Dauid and Salomon he blesse Rabbi N. the sonne of N. because he hath vowed Almes for the soules whom he hath mentioned for the honour of God and for the honour of the law and for the honour of the day for this the Lord keepe him and deliuer him from all affliction and trouble and from euery plague and sickenesse and write him and seale him for a happy life in the day of Iudgement and send a blessing and prosper him in euery worke of his hands and all Israel his brethren and let vs say Amen Thus courteous Reader hast thou seene a Popish Iew interceding for the dead haue but the like patience a while and thou shalt see how they are Popish almost entirely in claiming the merits of the dead to intercede for them for thus tendeth a prayer which they vse in the booke called Sepher Min hagim shel col Hammedinoth c. which I haue also here turned into English Do for thy praises sake Do for their sakes that loued thee that now dwell in dust For Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake Do for Moses and Aarons sake Doe for Dauid and Salomons sake Doe for Ierusalem thy holy Cities sake Doe for Sion the habitation of thy glories sake Do for the desolation of thy Temples sake Do for the treading down of thine Altars sake Do for their sakes who were slaine for thy holy Name Do for their sakes who haue bene massacred for thy sake Do for their sakes who haue gone to fire or water for the hallowing of thy Name Do for sucking childrens sakes who haue not sinned Doe for weaned childrens sakes who haue not offended Do for infants sakes who are of the house of our Doctors Do for thine owne sake if not for ours Do for thine owne sake and saue vs. Tel me gentle reader 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. whether doth the Iew Romanize or the Roman Iudaize in his deuotions This interceding by others is a shrewd signe they haue both reiected the right Mediator betweene God and man Christ Iesus The prophane Heathen might haue read both Iew and Papist a lecture in his Contemno minutos istos Deos modo Iouem propitium habeam which I thinke a Christian may well English let go all Diminutiue Diuinities so that I may haue the great Iesus Christ to propitiate for me CAP. XLI Of the Latine translation of Mat. 6.1 ALmes in Rabbin Hebrew are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsedhakah righteousnesse which word the Syrian Translator vseth Mat. 6.1 Act. 10.2 and in other places From this custome of speech the Roman vulgar Translateth Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis One English old manuscript Testament is in Lichfield Librarie which hath it thus after the Latine Takith hede that you do not your rigtwisnes before men to be seyne of hem ellis ye shullen haue no mede at your fadir that is in heuenes Other English Translation I neuer saw any to this sense nor any Greeke coppie It seemes the Papist will rather Iudaize for his owne aduantage then follow the true Greeke The Septuagint in some places of the old TestameÌ„t haue turned Tsedhakah Righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almesdeeds to little or to no sense As the Papists haue in this place of the new Testament turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almesdeeds by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse to as little purpose In the Hebrew indeed one word is vsed for both Tsedhakah for Almesdeeds which properly signifies Righteousnesse vpon what ground I know not vnlesse it be to shew that Almes must be giuen of rightly gotten good or else they are no riâ—hteousnesse or they are called zadkatha in Syrian Hu ger Zadek lemehwo they are called righteousnesse because it is right they should be giuen and giuen rightly The Fathers of the Councell of Trent speake much of the merit of Almes whom one may answer in the very words of their vulgar Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis Take heed you do not make them your Iustification CAP. XLII An Embleme A Wall in Rome had this picture A man painted naked with a whip in one hand and foure leaues of a booke in the other and in euery leafe a word written In the first Plango I mourne In the second Dico I tell In the third volo I will and in the fourth facio I do Such a one in the true repentant He is naked because he would haue his most secret sinnes laid open to God He is whipped because his sinnes do sting himselfe His booke is his repentance His foure words are his actions In the first hee mournes in the second he confesses in the third hee resolues and in the fourth hee performes his resolution Plango I mourne there is sight of sinne and sorrow Dico I tell there is contrition for sinne and confession Volo I will there is amending resolution Facio I do there is performing satisfaction CAP. XLIII Mahhanaijm Gen. 32.2 ANd Iacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him And Iacob said when he saw them This is the Host of the Lord and he called the name of the place Mahanaim The word is duall and tels of two armies and no more what these two armies were the Iewes according to their vsuall veine do finde strange expositions To omit them all this seemes to me to be the truth and reason of the name There was one companie with Iacob which afterwards he
deserue and thus in fine wee are constrained to seeke to Christ Iesus for there is no other name whereby wee must be saued The Parable that our Sauiour propounds in the tenth of Luke I thinke tends something to this purpose A man saith he went from Ierusalem to Iericho and fell among theeues and they robbed him of his raiment and wounded him and departed leauing him halfe dead A certaine Priest came that way and when he saw him he turned aside A Leuite came that way and when hee saw him he passed by on the other side But a good Samaritan came as the text imports and pittied him and salued him and lodged him and paid for him Such a one is man fallen among Satan Sinne and Death and by them stopt stript and striped Satan dismounts him off his Innocency that should sustaine him Sinne strips him of all Righteousnesse that should array him Death strikes him with guiltinesse and wounds him Here is a man in a wofull case and none to aide him By comes a Priest that is first come the sacrifices of the legall Priesthood and they may passe by him by they do not nor they cannot helpe him By comes a Leuite that is the Ceremonies of the Leuiticall Law and they may passe by him but they doe not they cannot helpe him Or by comes a Priest that is the Angells may see him thus but they let him lie for they cannot helpe him By comes a Leuite that is men and the world may see him thus but they let him alone for euer for they cannot succour him But by comes a good Samaritan that is our Sauiour himselfe who is called a Samaritan and is said to haue a Deuill and hee pities him salues him lodges him and paies for him Hee pities him in very bowells therefore hee saies as I liue I would not the death of a sinner Hee salues him with his owne blood therefore t is said By his stripes wee are healed Hee lodges him in his owne Church therefore the Church saith He brought me in the winecellar and loue was his banner ouer me And he paies for him what he deserued therefore he saith I haue trod the winepresse alone It is said in the Booke of Kings that when the Shunamites dead child was to bee raised Elisha first sent his staffe to bee laid vpon him but that did no good but when Elisha came himselfe and lay vpon him with his mouth to the Childes mouth his eyes to his eyes and his hands to his hands then the child recouered So when man was dead in trespasses and sinne as it is Eph. 2. God layes his staffe or Rod of the Law vpon him but what good did this toward his recouery Euen make him to long the more for Elisha or Christ who when he came and laid his mouth to mans mouth and kissed humanity in his incarnation and laid his eyes to his eyes and his hands to his hands and suffered for mans actions at his passion then is man recured God in the booke of Isay when hee is to send a Prophet to Israel saies thus Mieshlah whom shall I send or who will go for vs Isa. 6 8. Vpon which words the Iew Kimchi paraphrases thus Shalahti eth Micah wehem maccim otho Shalahti eth Amos wehem korin otho Pesilusa I haue sent Micah and him they smote I haue sent Amos and him they called a stammerer Whom shall I send or who will goe for vs Then saies Esay Behold I am here send me Imagine that vpon the fall of man you saw God about to send the great Prophet not to Israel alone but to all the world nor onely to teach but also to redeeme Suppose you heard him thus questioning whom shall I send to restore fallen man and who will goe for vs Should I send Angells they are creatures and consequently finite and so cannot answer mine infinite Iustice. Should I send man himselfe Alas though hee once had power not to haue fallen yet now hath he no power to raise himselfe againe Should I send beasts to sacrifice themselues for him Alas can the burning of dead beasts satisfie for the sinnes of all men aliue Whom shall I send or who will go for vs Our Sauiour is ready to answer with Isay Behold I am here send mee Here am I that am able to do it send me for I am willing I am able for I am God I am willing for I will become a man I am God and so can fulfill the Law which man hath broke I will become man that so I may suffer death which man hath deserued Behold I am here send mee Then as one of our country Martyrs at his death so may all wee sing all our liues None but Christ none but Christ None but Christ to cure the wounded trauailor None but Christ to raise the dead Shunamite None but Christ to restore decaid mankind None but Christ that would None but Christ that could No Angell no man no creature no sacrifice no ceremonie that would and could do this for vs which wee could not doe for our selues and say for vs I haue troad the winepresse alone When the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall Law haue thus brought vs to Christ wee may shake hands with them and farewell but for the Morall as it helpes to bring vs thither so must it helpe to keepe vs there For Christ came not to disanull this Law but to fulfill it He does not acquit vs from this but furthers vs to the keeping of it What else is the Gospell but this in milder tearmes of Faith and Repentance which is since wee cannot keepe this Law yet to striue to keepe it as we can and to repent vs for that wee haue not kept it and to relye vpon his merits that hath kept it for vs. Thus as loue to God and to our neighbours was the summe of the old so true faith and vnfained repentance is the totall of the new This was the tenour of Christs first words after his baptisme Marke 1.15 and of his last words before his ascension Marke 16.16 CAP. LXI Of the Ten Commandements THe ten Commandements may be called the word of the word of God for though all Scripture be his word yet these in more speciall bee his Scripture to which he made himselfe his owne scribe or pen-man vpon these Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets and these Commandements vpon two duties to loue God and to loue our neighbour A shorter and yet a fuller comment needes not to be giuen of them then what our Sauiour hath giuen Luke 10.27 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy selfe The foure commandements of the first table he expounds in foure words The Lord thy God there is the Preface I am the Lord c. Thou shalt loue the Lord c. with all