to bee desired then that gift which is bestowed upon the penitent yet that gift which is bestowed upon him is greater then the gift of continency in goodnesse and therfore in this respect Whether they are more bound to be thankefull to God who have not fallen or those who have fallen and are restored againe the penitent is more bound to thanksgiving The penitent before he fell he had the same gift of grace bestowed upon him which hee had who stands and when the penitent fell it was not for defect or want of grace but onely because he abused this liberty freedome and did not use that grace which was offered to him and so in the time of his fall he was equally obliged to God with him who stood for it was a greater benefit to him that the Lord suffered him all the time and gave him leasure to repent stirring him up againe to repentance then pardoning him of his sinne and restoring him to righteousnesse all these being considered hee was more bound to thankefulnesse then hee that continued still and fell not for the remission of one sinne to a sinner should bee highlier thought of then the hope of life eternall and the righteousnesse that others stand in for as the malefactor when hee is delivered from the fire to the which he was adjudged will no lesse esteeme of that benefit then a good man would doe if a kingdome were bestowed upon him for the freeing of a man from the greatest evill is even as he should bestow the greatest good upon him this is the case betwixt the Angels who have not fallen and man Whether the Iewes or Gentiles bee more bound to God for offering pardon to them Now the second case is betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles which of them are most obliged to God in offering pardon of sinne to them Christ cleares this by the parable of the two debtors hee to whom most was forgiven was bound to love most now if wee shall consider the great sinnes of the Iewes and the pardon offered to them and calling of them to repentance they are more bound to thanksgiving then the gentiles Neither can that parable of the forlorne sonne and of his eldest brother who stayed at home bee applyed to the Iewes and the Christians although the Iewes were the elder brother who stayed at home alwaies with their father and the gentiles the younger brother who went away as the forlorne sonne The prayer of THEODORVS BEZA for the conversion of the Iewes LOrd Iesus thou justly revengest the contempt of thy truth and that ungratefull people of the Iewes deserves most severely to be punished but Lord remember thou thy ancient covenant and looke upon those poore wretches for thy Names sake and grant Lord unto us upon whom thou hast bestowed such great mercies that we may daily grow in grace and that wee be not instruments of thy wrath against them but rather by the knowledge of thy word and by our holy conversation they may be drawne to the right way againe and so at last that thou maist be acknowledged of all nations and people and may be glorified for ever Amen FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictus qui dat lasso robur Et cui non sunt vires ei rubur multiplicat Perlegi hunc librum cui titulus est tractatus de quadrageminis filijs degeneribus Atheo Mago Jdololatra Judeo in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publica imprimatur Tho. Weekes R. P. Episcop Lond. Capell domest Errata Page 3. line 11. for Acharon read Acharai p. 113. l. 24. for farthest r. farther ibid. l. 23. for both r. but. p. 135. in the mar dele all lunaticks are not daemoniacks p. 150. l. 6. adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 207. adde in mar le pi Iehova in mar p. 113 l. 22. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 259. l. 14. adde to worship Baal or to halt betwixt God and Baal p. 279. l. 20. for or r. and. p. 319. l. 5. for so r. Sow p. 336. l. 13. for the world is able to containe those bookes which he wrote r. the world could not containe the bookes that should be written of him p. 9. l. 21. for Iohn r. Ioshua p. 300. l. 3. for might revenge r. might not revenge p. 32. l. 34. for greater r. great p. 146. l 1. dele therefore ibid. l. 13. for circularum r. circularem
know that yee are gods that is if yee can foretell things contingent Therefore Iames Chap. 4. because all contingent events depend upon the Lord willeth us to say wee will doe such and such things if the Lord will A man and a maid are married together to foretell that they will have children this is easie to doe because it is contingens natum for usually young folkes beget children but to foretell how many children they will have whether ten or twelve The devill more hardely can foretell this because it is contingens rarum But lastly whether they will prove wise men or fooles that is contingens indefinitum Salomon himselfe could not foretell that Eccles 2.19 and the devill himselfe cannot foretell this The Prophets understood things past present and to come 1 Sam. 1.9 The Prophets illuminate by the Spirit of God understood things past present and to come for hee revealeth his secrets to his servants Amos 3. therefore the Prophets were called Chozin videntes The Prophets understood things past Satan may understand things well enough ab exordâ—o temporis from the beginning of time and remember them very well But he cannot know exordium rerum the beginning of things for God hath them onely written in his booke Satan can understand things ab exordio temporis but not ab exordiâ— rerum Psal 139.16 In thy book are all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them So hee hath the booke of life in the which mens names were written before the foundation of the world Rev. 3.5 and these whose names are written in this booke he revealeth to his servants the Prophets Phil. 4.3 I intreate you to helpe these my fellow labourers whose names are in the booke of life but all this knowledge is hidde from Satan Secondly the Prophets know things present How the Prophets knew things present when they were absent although they were absent from those places where they were done 2 King 5.26 Was not my Spirit with thee when the man in his charet turned to meete thee So Elisha knew well enough the secrets of the King of Syria and what was done in his secret chamber 2 King 6.12 although he was absent So Paul although he was at Ephesus in Asia yet his spirit informed him what was done a farre off in Corinth 1 Cor. 5.3 yet the Prophets could not foretell such things Prophecie is not habitus sed actus transiens when the Lord revealed not himself unto them as 2 King 4.27 Her soule is vexed within her and the Lord hath hid it from me for prophesie was not habitus sed actus transiens and as the lute ceaseth to give a sound when hee that playeth ceaseth to play so they could not prophesie when the Lord illuminate them not But Satan and his sorcerers cannot foretell things when they are absent unlesse they be informed by other spirits or see the effects in the cause as Satan can foretell that the river of Nilus will overflow when he seeth the raine in Ethiopia like to fall Thirdly The Prophets foretold things that were alwayes hidden from man the Prophets being illuminate by the spirit of God foretold things that were alwayes hidden and which no wayes depended upon any naturall cause such as was the incarnation of Christ and his resurrection and such like which mysteries the Angels themselves desire to looke into 1 Pet. 1.12 But they understood them not before they were revealed to them farre lesse could the devills understand them So the Prophet foretold three hundred yeares before the birth of Iosias 1 King 13.2 that he should offer upon the altar the bones of the Priests that burnt incense at Bethel And Elias foretold the death of Ioram and what disease hee should die of to wit of a disease in his bowells 2 Chron. 21. These things Satan and his sorcerers could not foretell How did the prophets foretell things which never tooke effect Object But the Prophets of God foretold many things which never tooke effect Esaias foretold Ezekias that he should shortly die and yet he lived fifteene yeares So Ionah foretold the Ninevites that within fortie dayes Nineveh should be destroyed and yet Nineveh was not destroyed as Ionah foretold Two sorts of prophecies Independens absoluta prophetia Ans There were two sorts of prophesies the first was independens absoluta prophetia which was called the prophesie of prescience and this alwayes tooke effect Comminationis prophetia The second sort of prophesie was the prophecie of commination or threatning which was conditional and respected alwayes the second causes and this tooke not alwayes effect If this sort of prophecie be considered in the second causes it may be said to take effect as Set thy house in order for thou shalt die if ye will respect the disease it selfe or the constitution of Ezekias body Ezekias shall die but looke into the first cause to Gods will who appointed to prolong Ezekias his life he shall not die Quest Whence hath the devils this their knowledge to foretell things to come Ans They have not this knowledge by experience and observation of naturall things only but they learne also many things from the Scriptures for although the Scriptures be a sealed booke to them in respect of the spirituall knowledge of it The devils have the knowledge of the Scripture but not the spirituall yet they have a literall knowledge of the Scripture The good Angels learne from the Church daily Eph. 3.6 and they desire to looke to the mysterie of the incarnation with our stretched neckes 1 Pet. 1.12 they grow daily in the spirituall knowledge But the devills who are bound in chaines of darkenesse Iud. 6. are more and more darkened in spirituall knowledge dayly when a man comes out of a great light into a darke place that weakens his sight much but take him out of a darke place and put him in a cleare place againe then it will make him quite blind Dionysius the Tyrant of Sicily above his prison built a very lyghtsome and white chamber which he whitened over with lyme and when hee had a long time detained his prisoners in a darke dungeon he suddenly brought them into this bright place wherein instantly they became blind because their eyes were not able to beare so sudden a change The devills are more and more blinded in spirituall knowledge So the Devills were in a place of great light in the Heavens then they were cast down into the low helles and there they were fettered with the chaines of darkenesse But when the light of the Gospel was revealed It made them more more blinde that they have eyes now and sees none and they have no spirituall understanding of the mysteries of the Gospel But when they see the Scriptures they may have the literall knowledge of them well enough and foretell things to come
battell this supposition joyntly taken is true but sever the parts then the one is true and the other false The Lord hath not spoken by mee that is false Thou shalt not returne in peace that is true Example 2. Ioh. 21.25 If all that Christ had spoken and done had beene written then the world could not containe those bookes All that Christ hath spoken and done is written that is false The world is able to containe those bookes which he wrote that is true Example 3.1 Cor. 13.1 If I should speake with the tongue of men and Angels and have not charitie then I am nothing Paul to be some thing that is true but Paul to be some thing and want charitie that is false Example 4. Gal. 1.8 If an Angell from heaven should preach another Gospell he should not be beleeved An Angell to be beleeved that is true but an Angell to preach another Gospell from heaven that is false When wee desire a thing in complexo the parts may be true and yet sever them they are false So when wee desire a thing comparatively in complexo the parts may be true but severally we wish them not Example 1 King 3.26 When the mother of the child wished the child rather to be given to her who was not the true mother than the child should be cut in sunder yet she neither wishes the child to be cut in sunder nor the child to be given to another So Saint Paul wishes here rather than the Iewes should be cast away that he should be Anathema but hee wishes not absolutely that he should be Anathema and that the Iewes should be cast away Consider Paul as onely looking to his brethrens salvation and then he casts all things behind his backe in respect of it Paul cannot wish this absolutely to be accursed for his brethren but when Paul turnes himselfe to the view of eternall glorie and to the salvation of his owne soule he cannot wish this to be damned for his brethrens saftie for a mans salvation should be dearer to him than all the world yea than the Church it selfe This wish then was not an absolute wish which Saint Paul wishes here but onely it signified his earnest desire to have his brethren saved If he had considered this vestitum omnibus circumstantiis he could not have wished it Example a man is condemned to die for some great offence it is lawfull for his wife to wish her husband to live because he is her husband and the father of her children but if shee should wish him to live and the wish were vestitum omnibus circumstantiis that is she wishes him to live Paul could not wish this vestitum omnibus circumstantiis notwithstanding he hath beene a notable malefactor and transgressor of the Law that way to wish him to live were altogether unlawfull so if Paul wished the safetie of the Iewes onely respecting their safetie than this was a lawfull wish but to wish absolutely his owne damnation secluding himselfe from the Kingdome of God this had beene a sinne and altogether unlawfull If yee consider Pauls wish materially onely Paul may wish this materially but not formally setting aside other circumstances hee might be accursed for his brethren but if yee consider his wish formally with all the circumstances he cannot be accursed for them If ye consider Christs desire Let this cup passe materially onely according to Christs infirmitie as he was man then he wisheth this cup to passe but when he considers this cup formally with all the circumstances then hee must drinke this cup for to expiate the sinnes of men and satisfie the wrath of God then he cannot let this cup passe Paul then wishing the salvation of the Iewes with such an intensive and earnest desire moved by the Spirit of God to it his desire must be fulfilled and shall be fulfilled in the owne time Every plant which the heavenly father hath planted shall not be rooted up Math. 15. 13. The Iewes are a plant which the heavenly Father hath planted therefore they shall not be rooted out Now we are to remove those objections which seeme to denie the conversion of the Iewes Object 1. Let their eyes be darke that they may not see but bow downe their backe alwayes Rom. 11.10 Here it might seeme that the Apostle foretells the finall rejection of the Iewes Answ The Apostle doth not foretell here their finall rejection but their rejection for a time Object 2. Hos 1.6 I will no more have mercie upon the house of Israel but I will utterly take them away Answ The Lord shewes here that hee will not call the tenne tribes backe againe to Israel but as for the house of Iudah he promiseth to call them backe but he promiseth not utterly to destroy Israel now but in his owne time to call them backe againe Object 3. Math. 21. Marke 11. Christ cursed the Figgetree saying hence forth thou shalt never bare more fruite and on the morning when the disciples passed by they saw the Figtree withered up This tree signified the people of the Iewes and it may seeme that they are so withered that they shall never bare fruit againe Answ Saint Ierome writing upon the second of Habbakkuke saith In seculum signifies a long time but in saeculum saeculorum signifies eternitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies saeculum but not saeculum saeculorum Object 4. 1 Thes 2.16 The wrath is come upon them to the uttermost this might seeme to speak of their finall rejection Answ The Apostle onely is speaking of the rejection of the Iewes for a time who lived in his time and who withstood the Gospel and that he meanes not of a finall rejection it is cleare Rom. 11.8 God hath given them the spirit of slumber unto this day which shewes that they shall not be alwayes in this sleepe of slumber Object 5. Luke 18.7 The son of man when he shall come shall scarce finde faith on the earth then it might seeme that there shall not be such a plentifull harvest in the Iewes conversion Answ Although there bee a great number of the Iewes who shall bee called in the latter times that if they be compared with the Gentiles who are infidells and with those who have heard the Gospell and fallen from it they shall bee but few compared with them and where there is greatest hope that faith should bee found there will be greatest apostasie found and faith will scarce be found amongst them SECT 9. Of the manner of the calling of the Jewes AS a wise Physitian in curing of a disease remoues the cause first before hee comes to cure the disease He will take the vaile of the ceremonies from off their hearts the cause why they reject Christ was because the vaile lay upon their hearts hee removes the vaile first and then he cures them hee removes the vaile first the vaile of the ceremonies Ier. 3.16 In those dayes
by them and many things which should befall to the Church they might foreknow the rising and the falling of the mornarchies out of Daniel and they might foretell the nativitie of Christ by searching the Scriptures and many things which should befall the Church in their latter times by observing the booke of the Revelation The Oracle of Delphos gave this answer to Alexander Invictus eris Alexander This was easie for the devill to foretell because Daniel foretold the fall of the Medes and Persians by the Greekes So the Oracle of Delphos foretold to Craesus that his Kingdome in the fift generation should perish This the Devill might easily learne out of the Scriptures for God visits the sinnes of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation and the children filling up the measure of their fathers iniquitie then his Kingdome was shortly to come to an end A man murthers another and escapeth It is easie for Satan to foretell what death he should die out of the Scriptures he who killes by the sword shall be killed by the sword and sometimes the Lord useth the devill as his executioner and hangman It was easie for the devill to say to Saul to morrow thou shall bee with me because the Lord used him as his executioner in this Iudgement Satan when he foretelles things to come he speakes with a low voyce and out of the ground and he pipes as chickins doe when they are new hatched Isa 8.19 sometimes hee flatters the partie who expects the revelation of him and therefore Demosthenes said that the Oracle of Apollo did but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is flatter Philip of Macedon So when Alexander came into the temple of Iupiter Hammon the priest called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in vita Alexandri faire child which Alexander tooke to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter his sonne But when the Devill was doubtfull of the events of his prophesies then hee gave his answers doubtfullie that they might admit a double sense Such was those answers which he gave by his false Prophets to Ahab King of Israel when hee was going to besiege Ramoth Gilead They demanded of him who should prevaile He answered the King should prevaile but he telles not which King whether Syria or Israel 2 Cro. 18.11 Satans responses were very doubtfull His responses were so doubtfull that the wisest amongst the heathen could not tell what to make of them All his responses were doubtfull therefore hee was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apollo Satan is a great Sophister in his answers Hee being asked how the gods should bee worshipped gave this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mittite capita Iovi hominem vero Saturno The falacie lay here in the accent for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being accented accentu gravi signifieth a man but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being accented accentu circumflexo signifieth a torch or a light but they mistaking the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they sacrificed a number of men to him in stead of setting of lights before him When the plague was verie hot at Athens Plutarch de Ei apud delphos they asked the Oracle of Apollo how it might bee remedied the Oracle answered and bade them duplare aram which neither Plato nor Aristotle understood Plato by Geometrie went about to finde out how the Altar might be doubled But the Oracle meant that they should double their sacrifices to the gods and then the plague should cease Example the third Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere posse the words imply a double sense heere either that the Romans might overcome or that they might overcome the Romans Some hold that by the placing of the negative particle the devill deceived Eve as when he laid unto her non moriendo morieris for they say when the negative with the Hebrewes is placed before the finite and the infinite verbe then it neither certainely affirmeth nor denyeth but leaves the matter in doubt This say they is the affirmative Moriendo morieris This is the Negative Moriendo non morieris This is the doubtfull Non moriendo morieris perhaps ye may die and perhaps not Vide grammaticum â—unij Thus Satan deceived Eve say they when he saw her beginne to doubt perhaps we shall not die But this rule holds not for non being set before the finite and the infinite doth flatly denie Psal 49.7 Non redimendo redimet fratremsuum that is he can no waies redeeme his brother from death And so when this particle non is set betwixt the finite and the infinite it denieth only in part Ier. 46.28 I will chastise thee in Iudgement Sed evacuando non evacuabo te that is I will chastise thee in judgement but not destroy thee here the particle non being set betwixt the finite and the infinite denieth not flatlie but onely in part yet being placed here before the finite and the infinite it is altogether negative wherefore non moriendo morieris flatlie denieth here and not doutfully Hee hath likewise deceived some by doubling the negative particle when Manfredus did contend with Charles about the Kingdome of Naples he got this answere from the devill Non non gallus superabit Fiftly he manifested his deceit by the similitude of words Such was the Oracle which Thusidides makes mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here they reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they could hardly discerne whether to prepare themselves against the warre or to use remedies against the sicknesse Sixtlie the deceit lay in the words themselves which suffer a double interpretation Gen. 3. That day that ye shall eate of this fruit your eyes shall be opened and ye shall know good and evill Wee know good and evill two manner of waies first in theorie and then by miserable experience they knew good and evill in the first sense before their fall but by miserable experience when they did eate of the forbidden fruit Vide Morne ê‘lcsse pag. 389. These Oracles hath very often deceived men Therefore Oenomaus the Phylosopher wrote a booke against them which had this inscription De oraculorum falsitate As Plutarch wrote a booke de oraculorum defectu And Porphyre testifieth when as the Oracle of Delphos could not divine by the starres what should befall them the Oracle desired them that they would aske him nothing at all and hee told them that if they ceased not to aske him he would tell them lies Object But the Lord seemeth by the Prophet Elisha to give a doubtfull answer to Hazael 2 King 8.10 To whom Elisha said go tell him that he shall not recover at al for the Lord hath told me that he shal certainly die The words seeme also to carry another sense Go tell him that hee shall recover although the Lord said that he shall die Hee shall recover because the sicknesse of it selfe is not deadly hee shall
Physitian studieth physicke onely to know his science that is Curiositas when he studieth to know his science onely that he may bee knowne this is ambitio When hee studies his science that hee may cure others this is Charitas but if hee should studie his science to poyson others this were Crudelitas All the studie of Satan is under faire pretences to destroy man Revel 17.4 The whore is said to have in her hand a cup of gold full of abhominations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Plenum philtris impuris for these philtra and pocula amatoria were mixed commonly with most impure and filthy things tending to bewitch men So when Satan presents a gilded cup to us wherein he promiseth most wholesome Physicke to us and most skilfully tempered yet mors est in olla SECT 13. Of the craft of the Devill THe Scripture saith Let no man deceive you in sublime discourse touching the worshipping of Angels pressing to that he knoweth not Col. 2.18 Here is forbidden the adoration of Angels and an opinion Phantasticall of them either to extoll them further then appertaineth to the degree of a creature or to extoll a mans knowledg of them further than he hath a ground but to enquire so far as the Scriptures teacheth us or nature it selfe either of the good angels or of these revolted Devils that is not forbidden To converse with them to imploy them to covenant with them or to worship them that is forbidden but the contemplation of their nature their power their illusions either by scripture or reason is a part of spirituall wisedome for the Apostle sayes wee are not ignorant of his stratagems We may enquire of the nature of the devills although we may not covenant with them or worship them and it is no more unlawfull to enquire the nature of evil spirits then it is to enquire the force of poyson in nature or the nature of sinne and vice in moralitie First let us consider what instruments Satan made choise of to deceive the woman by he made choise of the Serpent the craftiest beast in the field As Ioab made choise of the wise woman of Tecga and put a Parable in her mouth for to begge pardon for Absolon at the Kings hand he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes taken in a good sense gnarum Prov. 27.12 the crafty seeeth the Plague and hideth him and sometimes in a bad sense Ier. 4.22 they are crafty to doe evill Sathan is crafty in this sense Sathan makes choise of the subtillest heads to be his instruments Satan makes choise of the subtilest heads to be his instruments And as the moath breeds in finest cloath so Sathan commonly imployes the craftiest and best wittes to be his instruments to trouble and vexe the Church of God As he choosed Vlpian that great Lawyer to write bookes against the Christians so he made choise of Porphir that great philosopher to write against the Christians and Galen the Physitian and Lucian the scoffer and Iulian the Apostate But God makes choise of the foolish things of the world to confound the wise the Angell spake out of the mouth of Baalam's Asse these crafty tentations of Sathan are called his snares 1 Tim. 3.7 Satan observes the humours of the body Satan in his tentations he observes the humors of the body of man and that humour which predominates most in the body that humor he observes and takes occasion to tempt men by it When God converts a man to grace he doth not take away the naturall humors of the body but onely rectifies them But Satan perverts the humors of the body that by them he may worke mans destruction and especially he workes by melancholy upon the body and therefore melancholy is called esca diaboli by the Fathers such was the melancholy of Saul the devill wrought upon his constitution and troubled him sundry times and Math. 17.15 this melancholicke in the Syriacke is called Bar Agara and they translate it commonly filium agri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extra tectum the sonne of the field but not rightly for filius agri signifieth properly an husband man as filius civitatis signifieth a Citizen Luke 15.15 Therefore they translate it better who translate it Bar extra agar a domum because the uncleane spirits made the melancholious man flye out of the houses and to live amongst the graves These devils they call Sorodaemones that is sepulchrales larvae who drove the melancholickes to live amongst the graves Math. 8.29 and tombes of the deâ—â— These sometimes are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greeke Physitians call this disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nebuchadnezer was vexed with this When Satan possesseth these melancholickes there is some naturall thing in this disease and some spirituall When Satan possesses the melancholicke the naturall cause would be helped by physicke and the devill cast out by prayer and both would be removed both the next cause and the remote cause A man is taken with a feaver the cheefe cause is the abundance of choller and the second cause is because hee hath walked too much in the heate of the sunne first his choller must bee purged and then he must be removed to a place where there is more shadow and not so much heate These melancholickes are not cured but by prayer and fasting as by a spirituall Antidote There must also Physicke bee used for the purging of this melancholy which is the Devills bait An evill spirit came upon Saul and David played upon his Harpe and then the evill spirit left him Vtimur musica vel pro disciplina vel pro delectatione vel pro aenimi purgatione vel pro sedandis affectionibus morum composit one 2 King 3.15 1 Sam. 16.24 David used a double remedy heere to helpe this trouble of Saul first the sweete singer of Israel sang Psalmes 2 Sam. 23.1 by his calling upon the name of the Lord he cast out this devill Secondly by his musicke he setled his melancholy Tarantula iâ—ti quam primum audiuntur instrumenta musica levatur dolor Mathiolus in Dioscoridem lib. 1. 57. when the Physitian prescribed to the melancholean to absteine from such and such meates because they either increase or at least doth irritat this humour of melancholy They may doe this not onely because it is wholesome to the body but also because it is the Devils baite therefore they prescribe abstinence from such No sort of dyet displeaseth or pleaseth Satan but by accident because by them the humour is increased which makes way for his tentation Satan observes the full moone and then vexeth the Lunatickes The second sort were those whom Satan vexed not monethly as he did the Lunatickes but oftentimes whensoever it taketh him it castes him into the fire Mark 9.18.22 Those whom he vexed in the full moone were called Lunatici or Siderati
the Kings of Egypt the kings of Israel and the kings of Iudah as Abrahams Pharaoh Iacobs Pharaoh and Iosephes Pharaoh Others of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 badde as Pharaoh Ophrah Ier. 44. and Pharaoh Neco Ier. 46. and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Moses his Pharaoh Among the Kings of Israel there were none good they were either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were either bad or very bad none of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not evill They suckt the milke of Idolatrous superstition in the daies of Ieroboam whereunto they were addicted alwaies so long as the common wealth indured even the reigne of ninteene Kings But amongst the Kings of Iudah some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 optimi as David Ezekias and Iosias some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boni as Iehosaphat Asa and Manasseh Manasseh is reckoned amongst the good kings because his end was good Eze. 18. Some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Vzziah was who began well but his heart was lifted up and he fell away from the Lord afterward and some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most wicked as Ammon and Ahaz but there were none of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minime mali Object But it may be said of Iosias that the remnants of Baal were not taken away in his tyme Zepha 1.4 why then should he be reckoned amongst the best Kings Answ He studies to cut away the remnants of Baal which he could not finde out at the first because Idolaters are very subject to cover their Idolatry The first increase of Idolatry under the Kings was in Salomons dayes 1 Kings 11.5 The first increase of Idolatry amongst the kings was in Salomon time When Salomon went after Ashtaroth the goddesse of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites The Lord gave Salomon wisedome above any he exceelled the wisedome of the East country What great blessings the Lord bestowed upon Salomon before hee fell and all the wisedome of Egypt in naturall wisedome The Lord gave him a heart as large as the sand of the sea 1 Kin. 4.29 the Lord loved him and called his name Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 The Lord appeared twice to him 1 King 9.10 The Lord made choise of him to be one of his secretaries to write a part of the holy scriptures It was hee who builded the temple and bestowed infinite charges upon building of it It was he who consecrated the Temple It was he who offered when the Temple was consecrated â—0000 oxen 1 King 8.63 and 120000. sheepe It was he who prayed for the people and blessed them 1. King 8.55 It was hee who was a speciall type of Christ It was hee who fell not away untill his old age and although the Lord threatned him that hee would rent his Kingdome for this his Idolatrie yet hee continued still in it 1 King 9.11 and was not a whit bettered by the threatnings of the prophet and herein he seemes to be worse then his foolish sonne Rehoboam for when the Prophet Semajah came to diswade him for to fight against Ieroboam hee left off his purpose and went backe againe but Salomon lay long in a Lethargie before he awoke who would have thought that the dragon with his taile could have pulled downe so farre this shining starre and when we see such a great Cedar of Lebanon as this to have fallen Let us with feare and reverence worke out our salvation The decrease of this Idolatry when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes The decrease of this Idolatry was when Salomon wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes in a publike testimony of his repentance Salomon wrote three bookes the first is his Proverbes and it is intituled The Proverbs of Salomon the sonne of David King of Israel a fit booke of morall instructions for a King to write to his subjects then he wrote his booke of Ecclesiastes to the Church after his fall when he was gathered to the Church againe Coheâ—eth from Cabal congregare and he beginnes this booke thus Vanity of vanities and by vanities here he meanes especially Idolatrie for Idolls are the Gentiles vanities Ionah 2. and 〈◊〉 Act. 14.15 and he shuts up this booke thus feare God and keepe his commandements which shewes that Salomon renounced the vanities of those Idols And the last booke which he wrote was the Song of Songs which is the most excellent of all songs yea and of all Salomons Songs wherein his heart is elevated in describing this spirituall conjunction betweene Christ and his Church under the termes of a marriage made with his queene when he married Pharaos daughter Reasons proving that Salomon wrote this booke after his repentance It is cleare that Salomon wrote his booke after his repentance and after that hee had tried all sorts of vanities and not before his fall for in this booke hee describes his wisedome his power the buildings and the glory of his house which answers to that which is spoken of him 1 King 7.9 10. at the least he spent twentie yeares before all these things were done then he spent thirteene yeares in building of his house then adde to these five or sixe in repairing the citie and in building of the cities in the desert so that by this time hee had beene fortie or fiftie yeares old and adde to these the sending of the ships to Ophir which hee sent to fetch home gold Eccles 2. then hee tells how much hee was given to women J found a woman more bitter than death Eccles 7.26 and of a thousand wives and concubines which he had there was not one which he could trust Eccles 7 and these all he found but vanities Hee could not doe all those things and have experience of all these vanities but in a long time Bellarmine goes about to prove out of the text that this booke was written before Salomons fall because he saith my wisedome remained with me Eccles 2.9 but his wisedome could not remaine with him when he fell so filthily therefore saith hee this booke was written before his fall Answ The wisedome which remained with him so long as he went astray from the Lord was his carnall wisedome and his spirituall wisedome was buried all this while untill the time that he repented The reasons in particular which shewes Salomon his repentance are those First Salomon was a Prophet of God Salomon was a holy Prophet of God therefore he was not a reprobate and a Pen man of holy Scriptures now all the Prophets of God were holy men Luke 1.70 therefore Salomon was a holy man although he was overtaken with those vanities for a while The second reason is taken from the promise of God The second reason that hee was not a reprobate is taken from the promise of God made to him 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his father saith the Lord and hee shall be my sonne if he
to Moloch The second thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this that hee caused to bring the paterne of the altar of Damascus and to make the like and set it up at Ierusalem We must add nothing to the worship of God Ahaz is blamed heere for adding to Gods worship In measuring of things the Lord commands that there be a just measure and that the thing sold bee sufficient in quantity and qualitie a thing may be sufficient in quantitie but not in qualitie As when they mixed their wine with water and their silver with drosse Isa 1. heere they sold enough in quantitie but the qualitie was badde So when they sold that which was good but not enough of it with a Leane measure as the Prophet calles it The Lord requires the full measure heere and hee would have it to runne over Luke 6.38 But hee that had any thing superfluous in his body could not bee a Priest to the Lord Lev. 21.18 So no beast that had any superfluous part might be offered to the Lord Lev. 21.18 That is that which the Lord himselfe forbiddes Deut. 4.2 The worship of God must be kept in puncto mathematico Yee shall neither adde nor pare from my Law Prov. 30.16 put nothing to his words least hee reprove thee and thou be found a lyer They say that morall vertues admitt Latitudinem quandam But Gods worship must be observed in puncto mathematico there must nothing be added to it or taken from it Ahaz removed the Altar of God and put the altar of Damascus in place of it Ahaz caused the Altar to be removed hee tooke away the Altar and put the Altar of Damascus in the place of the altar which was the speciall place of Gods worship therfore the Lord appropriates it to himself and calles it his altar Mal. 1.10 as they are called his Priests and Prophets Psal 105.15 The Altar was the place that sanctified the sacrifice and not the sacrifice the Altar Mat. 23.19 The Altar was the place where God shewed signes of his mercy Jsa 6.6 and there slew one of the Seraphimes unto mee having a live coale in his hand which hee had taken with the tonges from off the altar and layed it upon my mouth and said Loe this hath touched thy lippes and thy iniquitie is taken away and thy sinne purged heere the altar was a type of Iesus Christ of whom we get all sanctifying graces This was done in the dayes of Ahaz Isa 6.10 and yet Ahaz nothing respects the Altar The altar was the place of refuge to save poore men yet Ahaz was not afraid to meddle with it He reserved the Lords altar to his owne private uses 2 King 16.15 But Mica reserved the altar of Damascus for all the sacrifices both of the King and of the people Ahaz plaies the politician making religion to serve policie onely this is a just paterne of politickes who make religion but a handmaid to them they will use it how and where they list he will keepe the brasen altar still but it was of no great request with him hee will not thrust it out of dores least he might seeme altogether to dsepise the religion of his fathers yet he preferres the altar of Damascus to it as being more glorious in show and for friendship with the King of Damascus The third thing which Ahaz is blamed for is this Ahaz offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him that hee offered to the gods of Damascus who smote him 2 Chron. 28.23 This is that Ahaz verse 22. kimhi writing upon the 119 Psal notes when This is set before some names in Scripture it signifies some great Apostasie and defection as Gen. 36.49 This is Esau the father of the Edomites So Num. 26.9 This is Dathan So 2 Chron. 28.22 This is Ahaz The Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziha together which points that he was a notable Idolater and the Hebrewes compare Ahaz and Amaziah together and they apply that proverbe to these two Kings We have weeped unto you and yee have not mourned wee have piped unto you and yee have not danced I was angry with Ahaz and gave him into the hand of the King of Damascus yet he went and worshipped his gods there was all the mourning which I got for my weeping Then I piped to Amaziah and gave him that was King of Edom captive into his hands yet hee went and worshipped his gods when he had taken them captive and there was all the dancing which I got for my piping The decrease The decrease of this Idolatry was in the dayes of Ezekias 2 King 18.4 He removed the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groves c. Why God deferres the judgements of wicked men Ezekias succeeded Ahaz Moses Gerundensis commenting upon Deut. 7. saith that God deferres to punish wicked men in this life for three causes First hee gives them this way leasure to repent them of their sinnes Secondly he deferres their judgements because of some act which they have to doe as the Iudge spareth the malefactor with child untill she have brought forth her birth Agricola non excidit spinam prius quam inde asparagum procerpserit And thirdly because some good men are to come of them And so he deferred the punishment of Ahaz because Ezekias was to come of him and of Shimei because Mordecai was to come of him Ezekias did foure things in reformation of religion There are foure things recorded of Ezekias his zeale First this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he brake the brasen serpent because the people worshipped it although it was a type of Iesus Christ who was the serpent lift up in the wildernesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nun diminuit in fine Ioh. 3.14 and calls it in contempt Nehushtan that little peece of brasse for the Hebrewes when they forme their diminitives they adde Nun to them as Ieshurun Deut. 33.5 Et fuit Rex apud rectulum So Ishon pupilla Sabbaton Sabbatulum The second thing which Ezekias did was when he took away the booke which Salomon wrote of Hearbs and Physicke which was affixed on the gates of the Temple Ezekias pulled it downe Vide Suidam in Ezekia because the people neglected the Lord to seeke their health of him and did trust too much in this booke The third thing which Ezekias did was that he shut the gates of the temple that the King of Ashur might not enter into them The fourth thing which he did was quod traxerat ossa patris sui super lecto funium he caused a bed of cords to be made and drew his fathers bones up and downe in it he did this in detestation of his fathers Idolatry he would not burne his bones as he did the bones of the Idolatrous Kings Ier. 8.1 Nor let them lye unburied but this much he did to them and then buried them againe this
with the beastes than to be a beast To be borne a beast is no fault but to be matched with them when wee make our selves like beasts or worse than beasts that is our great shame The unreasonable creatures by instinct knowes their times and seasons and man will not know the time of grace by the gracious light of the Gospell The â—ewes were worse than the sillie Crane or Swallow when they knew not the time when Iesus Christ their Messias came into the world Wee who are Christians reckon our times from the Lords birth and from his death but the Iewes abhorre this When Alexander came to besiege Ierusalem in the dayes of Iaddus the highpriest to save Ierusalem not to be sacked they were content to reckon their dates from Alexander his comming to besiege Ierusalem anno creationis 4260. And this was called afterward Aera Alexandri and after that Selucidarum Alexandri but now they will no wayes reckon from the comming of Christ for when they count the yeares of the world they omit the thousands and reckon by the hundrethes by liphrath caton as they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will not subscribe their bonds and contracts by this date the yeare of Christ How Cornelius his prayer was accepted he not knowing that Christ was come Quest How could Cornelius his prayers be accepted before God seeing Christ was come and hee knew not that Answ Cornelius the centurion before hee heard Peter he beleeved in the Messias and this hee had learned from the Iewes but he knew not that Iesus the Sonne of Mary was the Messias and if he had died in that estate he might have beene saved but after that hee heard Peter preach that Iesus was the Messias if he had not beleeved in Christ then his ignorance had beene an affected ignorance and damnable such was the ignorance of the Pharisees Ioh. 10.24 Three sorts of Iewes who differed concerning Christs comming There were three sorts of the Iewes who differed concerning Christs comming The first were those who say that Christ was come as Aquiba the Armour-bearer of Ben Cohebha who said Omnia tempora Messiae preterierunt he held that Ben kohebha was the Messias and that hee was come already there were others of them who said Thalmud in Sanedrim Cap. 11. fol. 98. that he was come although not yet revealed but that he is amongst the â—epers of Rome And there are some of them who expect yet their Gnolam haba saeculum futurum this time they call the time of their Messias and seeing themselves so often deceived waiting for their Messias they doe say that times are not to be reckoned Thalmud in Sanedrim Cap. 11. fol. 97. So Rembam sub finem Misnaioth and they lay a curse upon him who presumes to reckon the times of his comming Displodetur spiritus eorum qui sunt scrupulosi in momentis temporum sed praestoletur credat universitati verborum that is let him perish miserablie who is scrupulous in the searching the moments of time and content thy selfe with this that he hath promised that he will come and he that beleeves will not make haste Hab. 2.3 There was a general fast indicted to all the Iewes in Europe because their Messias delayed his comming so long as Helvicus testifies lib. 2. SECT 4 Reasons proving against the Jewes that Christ is come TO stoppe the mouthes of these miscreants Reasons proving that Christ is come wee will bring some reasons out of the old testament and their owne writers against them when wee dispute against an adversarie wee must bring the principalles and grounds which they acknowledge themselves or else they will not serve to confute them Christ disputing against the Saduces who denied the resurrection Mat. 22.32 he brought his proofes out of the five bookes of Moses because they admitted no other scripture but those five bookes of Moses but when hee disputed against the Pharisees Mat. 12.3 hee brought his testimony out of the Psalmes because they admitted all the old testament so Iohn writing against Ebion and Cerinthus a Iew calles Christ still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sermo because that is the phrase of the Caldees when they speake of Christ this he did to convince the Iew the more A Christian disputing once with a Iew hee alleaged the testimonie of Paul but what replyed the Iew Quid mihi cum tuo Paulo lex canonica emendavit Paulum what have I to do with your Paul the canoÌ„ law corrected him What testimonies wee must use when we dispute with the Iewes In disputing against them wee must use their owne testimonies that their owne children may bee their judges Paul used the heathens testimonie against the people who were heathenish in manners as of Aratus Epimides and Menander so must we use their writings against themselves But here we must take heede when we bring in their testimonies against them that they agree all in those testimonies for if they doe not agree they make not faith against them but onely they show this much that they agree not amongst themselves But when they agree among themselves then their testimonies are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mar. 14.59 The first reason to prove that Christ is come is taken Reason 1 from Gen. 49. The scepter shall not bee taken from Iudah till Shilo come When the scepter was taken from Iudah then Christ came That is the power of judging shall not be taken from the great Synedrion therfore a scepter hang over their head in the great Synedrion as Petrus Euneus witnesseth But when the Romans subdued the Iewes great Synedrion was removed from Ierusalem Zam David pag. 36. b. to Iabneth this which was in the confines of Dan neere to the sea cost and there it stayed for a while after the destruction of the temple after that they had changed their station nine times at last they went to Tiberius the tenth station and their the Syhedrion tooke an end and they hope that the Synedrion shall be restored againe first at Tiberias and then shall goe backe againe by degrees to Ierusalem the scepter here was taken from Iudah by the Romans when Shilo came and they say the sonne of David the Messias shall not come done cregnum illud malignum extendetur super Israel they call the Roman Empire regnum malignum but this fell out in the time of Christ when all the world went to bee taxed under Augustus Luk. 2.1 And the stories tell us after that Aristobolus and Hircanus with their continuall warres had almost destroyed all the posteritie of the Machabees Vide Iosephum lib. 1. debello Iudaiâ—â— cap. 5. 15. lib. 15. cap. 9 10. the Romans having subdued the Iewes they set Antipater an Idumean and a stranger over them to bee their King and he that he might the more easily come by the Kingdome marries the daughter of Hircanus who was then a fugitive