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
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
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
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
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
would have it but the Hellenists or Graecists so it ought to be read not Grecians Act. 6. 1. added what is supernumerary to these Epilogismes And Cainan came in too at this backe doore as I thinke I shall be able to shew you at some other time and from an inconsiderable ground but for this it were so of the Hellenisticall Chiliasts But if by this or any other Spirit whatsoever that of God onely excepted you can declare what was Melchizedeck's Generation I shall thinke you try'd here too much To say he was Seâ— the Great as one especially in a bundle of businesse hath taken so much paines to doe is not little enough to despise and too much to answer too I reckon it at the same rate as I doe their opinion who accounted him for the Holy Ghost which I had not mention'd but to take my selfe the easilier off from that wonder which is justly to be conceived upon that grave and late learned Man who could not be content with any other recourse of this Heresy but to mistake him and with a great deale of Judgement too for Christ himselfe I cannot promise you 't is all truth but I can tell you some newes as concerning this Great Man In the Arabicke Catena to these words of the Text Gen. 10. 25. The name of one was Phaleg This Note is set in the Margin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. And this that is Phaleg was the Father of Heraclim the Father of Melchizedek Cat. Arab. Cap. 31. fol. 67. a. But in the Chapter going before his Generation is declared in a set and solemne Pedigree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Melchizedek was the Son of Heraclim the Sonne of Phaleg the Sonne of Eber And his Mothers name was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salathiel the Daughter of Gomer the Sonne of Japhet the Sonne of Noah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Heraclim the Sonne of Eber married his wife Salathiel and she was with Child and brought forth a Sonne and called his name Melchizedek that is the King of Righteousnesse called also the King of Peace Then after this the Genealogy is set downe at length Melchisedeck sonne of Heraclim which was the sonne of Phaleg which was the sonne of Eber which was the sonne of Arphaxat c. till you come to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was the sonne of Adam Peace be upon him Caten Arab c 30. sol 66. a Sahid Aben Batricke directly saith that Melchisedecke was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of Phaleg And so he interpreteth and does it well too the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Paul Heb 7. 3. not without Descent or Pedegree as we He is not therefore said saith he to be without Father or Mother as if he had none or no knowne ones but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because he hath no Father or Mother put downe among the rest of the Genealogies And so the printed Arabicke translateth the place as the Syriacke also c. Do you know now of what spirit you are The Turke writes upon the outside of his Alcoran 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man touch this booke but he that is pure I would no man would meddle with ours Alcoran signifieth but the Scripture you need not be afraid of the word but such as indeed are what other men doe but thinke themselves If I should meet a Prophet or the son of a Prophet with any pretence to this spirit about him â—e would looke to me like the little Childe in Salisbury Church that lies buried in a Bishops Robes Indeed I beleeve God ordained more strength out of the mouth of these Episcopall Babes and because of his Enemies too Psal 8. 2. then from these other Infants of dayes and Children of a 100 yeares old Esay 65. 20. I was asked once by an able and understanding man whether the Alcoran as it is of it selfe had so much in it as to worke any thing upon a Rationall Beleife I said yes Thus much only I required that the beleever should be brought up first under the engagement of that booke That which is every where called Religion hath more of Interest and the strong Impressions of Education then perhaps we consider of Otherwise for the Booke it selfe it is taken for the greater part out of our Scripture and would not heare altogether so ill if it were looked upon in its owne Text or through a good Translation But not as to gaine any thing by this the Alcoran is scarcely Translated yet The best disguise of if is That in Arragonois by Joannes Andreas the Moore but the Entire Copy of it is not easily met with Our Scripture to the eternall glory of it is rendred allmost into the Whole Confusion Strangers at Rome Parthians Medes and Elamites Cretes and Arabians may all reade the Wonderfull Workes of God in their owne tongue in which they were borne This Booke of ours or a good part of it may be read in Samaritan Greeke and the vulgar Greeke â—00 â—n Chaldee Syriacke Arabicke The Hierusalem Tongue In the Persian Armenian Aethiopian Copticke or Aegyptian Gothicke Russian Saxon c. to say nothing of the more commonly knowne Italian Spanish French Dutch c. And though we meet not yet with any peice of Scripture translated into the China Tougue yet there is extant even in that a very full Tradition of our Gospell as it was found written upon a Stone wrought in the forme of a long square and dugge out of the ground at the building of a wall in Sanxuen in the yeare 1625. The Title of the Stone is written upon with 9 Characters in the Chinois expressing as followeth Lapis in laudem memoriam aeternam Legis Lucis veritatis portatae de Judaea in China promulgatae erectus The Stone saith that our Saviour ascended up into Heaven about Noone relinquens septem viginti tomâ—s doctrinae ad portam magnâ— conversionis mundi aperiendum And left behind him 27 Bookes of Doctrine so many there are in the New Testament to set open a Gate for the great Conversion of the world Baptismum instituit ex aqua spiritâ— ad abluenda peccata c. Excitat omnes voce Charitatis reverentiam exhibere jubens versus Orientem ut pergant in via vitae gloriosa He instituted Baptisme by water and the spirit to wash away sins He stirr'd all men up in the voice of Charity and gave command that they should worship towards the East that they might goe forward in the way of a glorious life If the Stone say true you have reason to take it so much the better which you will finde hereafter said of this Leading Ceremony But whether you doe or doe not I shall make bold to tell you here that this was the reason why our Saviour so often made use of the Mount Olivet which was upon the East side of Hierusalem for his Private Devotions
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
not but remember the Bow of Ionathan out of which that Arrow was shot beyond the Ladâ— 1 Sam. 20. 36. It was the time when that Covenant was made and that affection expressed betwixt them which was greater then the love of women And 't is said there too that David exceeded v. 41. And there also Ionathan required that this kindnesse of the Lord should be shewed unto him longer then he lived And thou shalt not onely whilst yet I live c. v 14 15. The Lxx will beare out this Interpretation The version there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And David lamented this Lamentation upon Saul and Ionathan his Sonne and caused it to be taught to the Sonnes of Iudah Behold it is written in the Booke of the Just man So the vulgar Planxit autem David Planctum hujusmodisuper Saul super Ionathan filium ejus prâ—cepit ut docerent Filios Iudah planctum sicut scriptum est in libro Iustorum And here 't is plainer yet that David commanded to teach the Sonnes of Iudah this Lamentation 'T is true the late Editions of this Translation have shifted in the word Arcum instead of Planctum But in the ancient Manuscripts it is so as I have quoted it And in the Elder printed copies 't is Arcum but in the Margin onely which afterwards crept into the Text if I may call the Translation so Therefore also by these two great Authorities that which the Sonnes of Iudah were commanded to learne was not the use of the Bow But the Bow as 't is originally set downe that is a Song of David so called or this Song of Lamentation over Saul and Ionathan And this is that which was written in the Booke of Iasher Why this Booke was so called or who was the Author of it I cannot tell you That it was not the first of Moses as the Rabbines would have it is ridiculously plaine Iosephus hath let us know thus much that it was a Record in the Temple and you must not thinke it hard if it be lost to us as yet you shall heare more of this hereafter It is quoted twice in Scripture here and Iosh 10. And if both places be considered 't is to be judg'd that nothing was recorded in this Booke but Memorialls of this kinde and which is more to be noted they were metricall too The place in Ioshua put to this here maketh it cleare There it is quoted out of the Booke of Iasher that the Sun stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Ajalon This Quotation is a plaine Canticle Chimhi commeth so neare to the matter as onely to make a doubt of it But the thing is certaine It is reckoned among the 10 Songs by the Mechilta an old Commentarie upon Exodus to the 15 Chapter The 4 is that of Moses before his decease and the 6 is that of Deborah and Barak and this of Ioshua is the fifth I would say more of this had not the learned Masius prevented me upon the place Iosh 10. 12. This is enough to shew that the Song of the Bow might but the use of it could not be set downe in the Booke of Iasher It is certaine that this command of David to the Children of Iudah is not delivered in Meeter Indeed matter of that kinde was no fit subject for a Song And now 't is come to Tyndalls turne againe for the New must be corrected by his Old Translation He rendred thus And David sang this Song of Mourning over Saul and over Jonathas his Sonne and bade to teach the Children of Israel the Staves thereof Here I may note one thing more and I mervaile at it too that the vulgar Edition hath one verse over and above in the Canticle of the Bow Considera Israel pro his qui mortui sunt super excelsa tua vulnerati It seemeth to pretend as if it would translate the first verse of the Song but that 's done and better too imemdiately in the next Inclyti Israel super Montes tuos interfecti sunt Quomodo ceciderunt fortes I found it so in some of the written as well as the printed Copies And yet I thinke Arias Montanus did better to leave it out then some others since to keepe it in It is plainely void and supernumerary and an escape not fit to be accounted upon the Sagenesse of that translation CHAP. II Why our Saviour said not Jehovah Jehovah but Eli Eli as Saint Mathew or Elôi Elôi as Saint Marke in that great case of Dereliction FOr the variety of Reading the Criticisme need not be done over againe According to the Syriack translation of the Psalmes Saint Marke might as well set it downe Elói Elói as Saint Mathew after Davids Hebrew Eli Eli 't is all one My God c. To the Respect of the Question we know already that the greatest enterveiwes 'twixt God and man passe especially upon the termes of these two Attributes Mercy and Iustice where also it will be something too to observe how mercy rejoyceth against Judgement The Hebrewes note Quando egreditur sententia ad Clementiam c. That in all proceedings of God with men concern'd in mercy and loving kindnesse he chuseth to be called by his great Name Iehovah as to Moses in the Clift of the Rock Iehova Iehova The Lord mercifull and gracious slow to anger c. But as the same Doctors observe quando egreditur sententia adjustitiam c In any processe of justice and Judgement c. he alwayes stileth himselfe Eloah or Elohim So the matter will be to distinguish of the use and dignity of these two names as to this purpose Jehovah is his proper name of his owne Imposition and incommunicable to any Creature of what Rank or Quality soever a Name of such Immoderate Reverence amongst the oldest Jewes that it was forbidden to be written right or pronounced at all in this world but by the High Preist and but in one place the sanctum sanctorum and but at one time of the yeare in the day of expiation And which is more to the purpose onely in one case which was that of Benediction when the Blessing and Goodnesse of God by the holy intervention of the Preist was to be derived downe upon the People At any other time or in what place soever for any man of Israel to presume to utter this Name was more then death by the Law as by a Report of theirs in the Talmud in the case of Teradion's sonne And as it would seeme to be by the Jewes our Saviour might not himselfe make use of this Name in kinde for after their malicious rate of Tradition they hold that he did all his miracles by the Paraphrasticall Tetragrammaton or Shem-hamphorash as they call this Name at length and in other words and this way of Enunciation they say was cut into his feet and produced as occasion served as to cast out Devills by a knowne
these parts are called by Varro in Festus Deorum Sedes The Gods Abode for Cincius and Cinnius Capito gave this reason why the left that is the Easterne Omens were more prosperous then the Right But more expresly and excellently the Philosopher himselfe The First Mover saith he meaning God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. must of necessity be present either to the Center or Circumference of his Orbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but motions are most rapid in the nearest distance to the Impression Therefore the Mover ought there to be But that part of the Spheare is most rapâ—ly moved which is most remote from the Poles therefore the Movers place is about the middle line It is the reason as I thinke why the Aequinoxes are beleived to have so sacred an import and signification in Astrology for by them it is judged saith Ptolomy as concerning things divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and the service belonging to the House of God But the Philosopher's meaning is not as if the Mover presented himselfe alike unto the whole Circumference but assisting especially to that part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the motion doth begin that is Orienti to the East as Aben Rois rightly Vnde quaedam Leges adorant deum versus Orientem Which is the Reason saith he why some Religions worship God that way But the Aequinoctiall East passeth through the whole Circle Of Necessity therefore 't is to be meant of some certaine position nor is it possible to meane it but of the Horizontall segment of the then Habitable world the uttermost bounds whereof from Sunne to Sunne they absolutely termed East and West In the Philosopher's time the Circle of this Horizon passed through the Pillars of Hercules in the West and the Altars of Alexander in the East Those of Hercules if as it is most received and probable and which I my selfe have seene saith Aben-Rois they were the Calpe and the Abyla raised up at the letting in of the Sea It is the place where the Arabians fixe their great Meridian but in honour to Alexander unto whom not as others unto Hercules they ascribe this Labour For those of Alexander as both himselfe and his Geometers Beton and Diognetus deliver it the River Hyphasis or as Ptolomy calleth it Bipasis was Terminus itinerum Alexandri Alexander's Non Vltra Exuperato tamen Amne arisque in adversa ripa dicatis which yet he transpassed and set up Altars on the other side whereabouts they are found in the Emperours Provinciall Chart with this Adscription Hie Alexander Responsum accepit usque quo Alexander that here the Oracle should say Alexander no further Tabul Peutingerian Segment 7. The Arabicke Meridian passeth through the tenth degree of Longitude from that of Ptolomy so Abulfeda the Prince in the beginning of his Geography The River Hyphasis Ptolomy placeth in 131. 35. The difference of Longitude is about 120 degrees The second part of this is 60. And because the Meridian of Hierusalem is 70 degrees from that of Ptolomy that is 60 from the Arabian the Holy City was as it was anciently termed Vmbilicus Terrae the Navell of the Earth precisely placed betwixt the East and West of the Habitable world Therefore the Equinoctiall East of Hierusalem is the Equinoctiall East of the whole and answering to the First Movers Receipt which therefore was said to be in Orienti Aequinoctiali This is faire for the Heathen The Christian hath farre greater reason to beleive it and yet beleiveth it lesse But for late resentments they are not much to be valued This is not the onely old truth which is overgrowne with Time and Interests Some men purposely yeild themselves intractable to such things as they are not willing to heare of This is the strongest and most impertinent kinde of unbeleife fitted onely for this or that Generation and getting up for the present to a repute of wisedome above that of the Children of Light There is a foolishnesse of God which is wiser then all this For the matter the best and the oldest of the First Times were fully satisfied of this Article for it may be reckoned among those of their substantiall beleife The Notion of Paradise in the Christian acception was that part of Heaven where the Throne of God and the Lambe is The Notion is elder then so 'T was the Reverend Say of Zoroaster the Magician in the Chaldaean Oracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seeke Paradise that is as the Scholiast Pletho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The all enlightened Recesse of Soules The Scholiast Psellus yet more sagely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chaldaean Paradise saith he is a Quire of divine powers incircling the Father This grave saying of Zoroaster holdeth very well with Irenaeus his Tradition He delivereth That the Receipt of Just and Perfect Men is a certaine Paradise in the Easterne Part of the Third Heaven And moreover he saith that he received this Tradition from the Elders that is as he himselfe interpreteth ab Apostolorum Discipulis from those which heard it from the Apostles See Saint Basil Dâ— Sp. Sanct. 6. 27. Gregory Nyssen orat 5. in Orat. Dominic Euseb Hist Ecclesiast Lib. 9. C. 17. or fol. 97. b. of the Greeke Gregentius in Bibliotheca Patr. Anastas Sinait in Hexaëmeron C. 7. c. in all which you shall finde as much as this comes to But you have Scripture for it also The Sunne of the Morning said I will ascend up into Heaven and sit in the sides of the North that is if Hieronymus Magius may expound it in the left side of the North or Easterne part of Heaven where the Throne of God is thought to be He makes himselfe the surer of this because of that horrible vision in Esdras the appearance whereof was from the East But the vision in Esdras hath no greater Authority then a Latine Translation corrected by no Originall besides what Interpolations there be not coming so neare to Canonicall Scripture as to be taken for Apocryphall But the fault is not so much in the Booke it selfe The Originall we know whatsoever it were is given over for lost as yet But the Arabicke Translation hath escaped The Manuscript I meet with entitleth two Bookes unto Ezra the writer of the Ancient Law The second containing the Canonicall and received Ezra and Nehemiah The first is this fourth Apochryphall but very cleare of the suspected passages No mention here of the two strange Beasts Henoch and Leviathan No dividing of the Age into twelve parts c. I have cause to beleive that it is the most authenticke remaine of this Booke though for the horrible vision it availeth me nothing for it beginneth at the third Chapter of the Latine and endeth in the fourteenth not imperfectly but acknowledging no more In the Visions of the Temple The Glory of the God of Israel passed through the Easterne Gate
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
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