may speake to God and heare His speech to us in all places at all times either alone or with others the holy Angels joyning in our conversation and our selves never destitute of the fruit thereof And because the holy Scriptures are the foundation of all our faith therefore it must first appeare That these Scriptures are the very Word of God Himselfe § 1. Then how necessary it was and behovefull for the Church that God should vouchsafe thereto the knowledge of His Word § 2. Thirdly to shew what these Scriptures are § 3. Fourthly to justifie their perfection or sufficiencie § 4. Fiftly to shew that they are come unto us in the integrity as they were at first delivered to the Church § 5. Then to speake of their easinesse to be understood § 6. And lastly of their interpretation § 7. Sect. 1 § 1. Concerning the first it is an irrefragable argument that the Scriptures were given of God because the Prophecies in them which were before-hand concerning things to come were such perfect declarations of them as that they may rather seeme to be Histories then Prophecies Take for instance that promise to Abraham that his seed should possesse Canaan after 430. yeeres and accordingly in the selfe same day Exod. 12.40 41. were they brought out of Egypt Or the promise of Iudahs Kingdome foretold by Iacob Gen. 49.8 9 10. Of Iosia and Cyrus prophecied by name the one above 300. yeeres the other above 100. yeeres before he was borne Of the captivity of that nation and destruction of Ierusalem foretold by Daniel For seeing God alone is infinite in His wisedome and that all His workes are foreknowne to Him alone therefore can He alone declare from the beginning what shall come to passe at the last as He saith of Himselfe Isa 42.9 whereas the Angels being finite both in their wisedome and knowledge know nothing of things to come but either by speciall revelation as Gabriel foretold the birth of Iohn Baptist or by the Prophecies of the Scripture or by observation of naturall causes in their long and subtile experiences And therefore it came to passe that all the devils that mocked the heathen by their Oracles were so uncertaine in their answeres except they were informed by some of the meanes spoken of As the devil gave a certaine answere to Alexander concerning his expedition against Darius because he knew what the Decree of God was by the Prophecie of Daniel Chap. 8. 2. Another Argument that the Scriptures were given by the Holy-Ghost is that admirable consent of all the Doctrines contained therein which are delivered with that certaintie of Truth and Knowledge with that authority and power over the soule of the faithfull Reader and that in so simple and plaine a manner of writing as no other whereas in mens writings the unsetlednesse of their judgement their ignorance and doubtfull suppositions especially when they speake of their owne as seldome they doe justifies the holy Text Rom. 1.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 professing to teach they shew their folly 3. Moreover the Argument or things contained in the holy Scriptures doth manifest the Author thereof the Writers for the most part shewing their Commission Thus saith the Lord and Paul an Apostle not by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Then the purport or intent of the Commission We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God And this under such conditions as none but God alone is able to performe of acceptance eternall life or refusall eternall fire 4. The glorious and mighty workes which Almighty God gave especially to the first Writers of the Law and of the Gospel to doe and those miracles whereby He continually justified the trueth thereof the wonderous preservation and deliverances of the professors as of Daniel c. And the balefull confusion of the adversaries of the Trueth contained in the Scriptures in all ages approve that God alone is the Author thereof 5. The hatred of the devil and his continuall endeavours either utterly to deface the Bookes of the holy Scripture or upon pretext of obscurity and danger of Heresie not to reade them And againe the providence of God in preserving those Bookes and the love and delight which He hath begotten in the hearts of His Saints to reade and understand them are no lesse proofe that these Holy Scriptures are the Word of God and the Testimony of His eternall Truth 6. The extraordinary calling of many of the Pen-men of the holy Bookes and the enabling of them being simple and unlettered men to write and to preach those high Mysteries which none of the Princes of this world did understand as of Amos among the Herdmen of Peter Iames and Iohn and the other of the twelve Apostles shew that the Author of that Truth and their Bookes was God alone 7. The great 1. Antiquity of the Bookes of the Law preserved so long uncorrupted for in comparison of Moses almost all the writings of the heathen all their religions and many of their Gods are but upstarts and things of yesterday 2. The great simplicity and sincerity of the Writers who sought not their own praise nor concealed their owne faults and imperfections 3. The consent of the Church which receiued the Scriptures as the word of God 4. The consent of forraine Histories writing of the same things with such uncertaintie and untruth as time and heare-say use to bring into History as of Berosus Herodotus Strabo Trogus and others are a manifest proofe that the true records of the same things are the writings which God Himselfe did dictate to Moses and the Prophets which followed after him For none but God did truely know the creation of the world and none among men did certainely record the universall flood the Tower of Babel the actes of Abraham Iacob Ioseph Moses Ioshua and others So that if the devill might vaunt as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I did indite and Homer did write In the perfection of truth might the Holy Spirit of God say as it is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God And 1. Pet. 1.21 Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy-Ghost 6. And if wee beleeve that the writings of Historians and Poets and other profane Authors are indeed theirs under whose names they goe shall wee not much rather beleeve that they are the writings of God Himselfe that goe under His Name especially seeing wee know that Hee is a jealous God and neither would suffer His authority to bee abused to falshood neither would Hee give His Church to bee ever seduced by lyars and false prophets Sect. 2 § 2. And these holy Oracles God of His Goodnesse and Mercy would have to bee written from whence by their excellencie above all other they are called Scriptures
24.14 and 26.22 and 28.23 And yet some-what more particularly the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes and this division of the bookes of the Holy Scripture our Lord also allowes Luke 24.44 But in this last division the bookes are numbred 24. first of Moses 2. Foure of the former Prophets as they call them Ioshua Iudges Samuel and Kings 3. Foure also of the later Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and the Booke of the 12. small Prophets 4. The Kethubim or holy writing contained 11. bookes the 5. Poeticall that is the Psalmes Proverbs Ecclesiastes Iob and the Canticles three which they called Megilloth volumes or rolles Ruth Lamentations and Esther among which the booke of Canticles is sometimes accounted and 2. halfe Chaldee which were last written Daniel Ezra with Nehemiah and the Chronicles And these holy writings they divided from the other prophecies because they were not given either by dreame or by vision or by hearing a voice or in any extasie but were inspired by the Holy-Ghost immediately And according to this order of the bookes of the Holy Scripture divers Hebrew Bibles have bin lately printed as one by Plantin in Oct. another by Hutterus in Folio and others Now concerning the bookes of the New-Testament Saint Ierom ad Paulin. reckons them as wee And are not these Aramites strucke with blindnesse that print the Bible the decree of Trent and those prologues of Ierom before it that it may appeare how they set the Fathers at naught But for the full decision of this question let us looke unto the undoubted truth of the Scripture by the Scripture it selfe let us learne what is Scripture or the word of God 1. Therfore concerning the books of the New-Testament M. Luther accounted the Epistle of S. Iames to bee aridam stramineam dry as a Kix and his followers give their reasons against it 1. the seeming opposition which is betweene him and S. Paul in the question of justification by faith and by works 2. because hee teacheth not but supposeth onely that which is the sum of the Gospel that is the redemption of the world by the death of Christ as some men speake for Athanasius concerning the booke of Esther that none of the names of God are mentioned therein to which others answere that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mimmakom acher in Chap. 4. v. 14. is for sense in that place equivalent to any of the names of God which the prophet did there forbeare to remember because hee would not that any of the names of God should bee prophaned among the heathen with whom he lived So also Luther held the Revelation to be the writing of some well-meaning honest man but not Canonical Wherein I thinke the wonderfull wisdome and mercy of God appeared to hide the meaning of that booke from him lest he should be destroyed with pride when he should see himselfe and his ministery so alluded to therein But let Luther and his followers in this question thinke by themselues betweene us and the Church of Rome there is no difference both parties holding all the bookes of the New-Testament to be canonical The onely doubt is about the books which we call Apocryphal of unknowne and obscure Authors or strange doctrines delivered therein In which question the Canon or rule of the New-Testament is for us For concerning all the books of the Old-Testament the reason stands thus 1. All the oracles of God or Canonicall Scripture was received in the Church of the Iewes But none of the Apocryphall bookes were received in the Church of the Iewes Therefore none of the Apocryphall bookes are the Oracles of God The proposition is Saint Pauls and he accounts it as well hee may the first and chiefe preeminence of the Iew that unto them the Oracles of God were committed Rom. 3.2 The assumption is manifest for the Apocryphall bookes were extant onely in Greeke which language the Iewes never used in their holy seruices And although the booke of Ecclesiasticus were begun by the grandfather in Hebrew yet was it augmented and finished in Greeke by the grand-child And although the first booke of the Maccabees were extant in Hebrew yet was it not therefore Canonicall no more than the second that was written in Greeke So the conclusion stands sure And if neither the Church before Christ received those Apocryphall bookes nor the ancient Church since His suffering accounted them Canonicall for the Authour of the Sophisticate Cannons of the Apostles wee receive not upon what ground then should the Fathers of Trent presume to doe that which neither the Primitive Church or Fathers attempted before 2. Such another argument you have from Luke 24.27 where it is said that Christ beginning at Moses and all the Prophets expounded unto them all the Scriptures the things that were written concerning Himselfe So all the Scriptures are understood by the Law and the Prophets as I shewed before and yet for further explication it is added in verse 44. the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes For of all the Cethubim the booke of Psalmes was first and by a Synecdoche is put for all the rest Now to which of all these will you bring the Apocryphall bookes By the Law you understand the five Bookes of Moses which the Samaritanes and all the sects of the Iewish Religion except the hereticks called Nasacheans â—id receive The sects of the Sadduces and Samaritanes rejected the rest but the Church of the Iewes held all the Prophets both former and later with all the Kebuthim to bee holy Scripture but the Apocrypha are reckoned with none of these 3. A third argument from the holy Scripture against these apocryphals is from Revel 19.10 The testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of prophecie But in these apocryphals which the Iewes received not there is no prophecy no evident testimony of Iesus that was to come Therefore they are no witnesses of Him no word of His. And although in the fourth booke of that supposed Esdras there be mention of Iesus Christ Chap. 7.27 28. yet the false narration of things never done and other fictions See Master Brerew Enq. Chap. 13. have discredited those bookes so farre that the Papists themselves doe not mention them in their new Canon and vouchsafe them a place in the end of their Bibles onely lest they should be lost Object But the Fathers themselves call these bookes Canonicall Answer And our Church yeelds they are so in the meaning of the Fathers that is serving for rules of good life and vertue but not of faith as the holy Scriptures and that is the question betweene us and Trent Sect. 4 § 4. That the holy Scripture is abundantly sufficient to teach all things that belong to faith and godlinesse is manifest by the reasons brought for the proofe of the second question That it was necessary for us that God by His written Word should vouchsafe unto us the knowledge of His will 1. For how could either our hope
gestures be essentiall to the Sacrament In the third place Traditions may signifie any rule thrust upon the Church as necessary to be beleeved or obserued quite besides or contrary to the word of God for conscience sake toward God that Priests and Nunnes may not marry which things though they be brought in as Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall Traditions yet by the rule of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 4.1 2 3. they seeme rather to leane to the doctrines of devills beleeved by such as speake lyes in hypocrisie and have their consciences seared No part of Holy Scripture lost Obiect 3 Object 3. ANd if Traditions might therefore seeme to be necessary because it is yeelded by some of the Fathers that some of the Canonicall Scriptures are lost by whose reasons or authority some of the later writers have strayed after them yet this will nothing at all support those unwritten verities For it is utterly denyed and that according to reason and the word of God that any part of the holy Scripture is perished 1. For can we thinke that it stood with the goodnesse of God to give His Word to His Church for comfort and instruction and stood it not with His providence to preserue that Word that it should not perish but accomplish that thing for which it was sent Esay 55.11 But divers objections are brought hereto as you may see in the author G. Langf forenamed in the 4. § 1. The booke of the warres of IEHOVAH is mentioned Numb 21.14 but not extant Therefore some part of the holy Scripture is perished Answer It ought first to be manifest what this booke was but in briefe the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah and of the Kings of Israel are often mentioned in the bookes of Kings and Chronicles yet were not those bookes therefore holy Scripture written by the Prophets but rather by the Recorders or Secretaries of state appointed for that purpose as the histories of other kingdomes are or ought to be written and of this ranke may that booke mentioned by Moses seeme to be For it is not necessary that all writings mentioned in the holy Scripture should be holy Scripture For the Poets whose writings Saint Paul mentions were but Heathens and Iannes and Iambres as profane writers call him Mambres are no where mentioned in holy Scripture but onely 2 Tim. 3.8 2. A second doubt is from that which is in Ioshua 10.13 and 2 Sam. 1.18 where mention is made of the booke of Iasher whereto though some according to the interpretation of the word just or upright will have the sence of that text of Ioshua Is it not recorded by him whose writings are upright and true as it is said Iohn 21.24 This is the Disciple that testifieth these things and we know that his testimony is true yet because the booke is mentioned in times above 390. yeeres distant it seemes to me rather to be some Liger or booke of record wherein such memorable things were written by the appointment of their Synedrion as might serue for remembrance to future ages for that Synedrion or great Councill of 70. Elders instituted by God under Moses Numb 11. never failed so long as their state lasted 3. The writings of the Prophets themselues as of Nathan and Gad mentioned in 1 Chron. 29.29 of Ahia and Iddo 2 Chron. 9.29 of Iehu 2 Chron. 20.34 are utterly lost Answer Not so For as it is manifest that all the things written in the 2 of Sam. were done after his death so likewise may we very well thinke that both the bookes of Iudges and Ruth 2 of Samuel and the two bookes of Kings for some give the Chronicles wholly to Ezra were written by divers Prophets whom God raised up in all the ages of that Church to bee inditers of His Word and were as Saint Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-witnesses of the things which they recorded and these Prophets here mentioned with others were the Authors of those bookes 4. But some texts are cited in the new Testament which are 1. not found in the old as that in Matth. 2.23 Hee shall be a Nazarite or else are 2. not found in the Author cited by which we may thinke that some booke of his is lost as that which S. Matthew cites out of Ieremy Chap. 2.17 is not found in all that booke 3. Moreover S. Paul remembers the word of our Lord Actes 20.35 which is no where extant beside 5. And the Epistle to the Laodiceans mentioned Coloss 4.16 is utterly lost For that schedule which is found here and there is rejected by every one as unworthily to be remembred by the Apostle 5. Iude likewise cites the prophecie of Henoch which is not found except in the Talmud Answere 1. Some referre that of Matth. 2.23 to Esay 11.1 The Branch that should grow out of the roote of Iesse But it is more fully verefyed in that which is written Iud. 13.5 Where Sampson the Figure that should begin to save Israel is a Nazarite unto God and Hee much more which is separate from sinners and should perfect the deliverance of all the Israel of God and the text cited by the Evangelist may not onely intend both these but whatsoever else either the Law or the Prophets understand by the figurative snow-white puritie of the Nazarites Lam. 4.7 and is therefore cited in the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all the Prophets 2. The other citation in Saint Matthew where one Prophet is named by another doth not prove that any booke of Ieremiah is lost neither was it of any ignorance or forgetfulnesse in the Evangelist or yet mistaking of them that have copied out that booke but because that the seed of the Woman so long expected was now to come into the world it may be that Zachariah by interpretation Remember the Lord is now Ieremiah exalt the Lord who never ought to bee remembred without his praise especially in the performance of that inestimable benefit for man-kind 3. Concerning that which is cited by Saint Paul Actes 2.25 If he had that which he cites by the suggestion of the Holy-Ghost as wee may well thinke or that the saying of Christ was in fresh remembrance with them that heard it it is not therefore to bee concluded that S. Paul cites it out of any booke now lost seeing he might receive it from those Disciples which had heard it 4. And as to that Epistle to the Laodiceans it is but a common errour that S. Paul makes mention of any such but hee perswades the Colossians for the better understanding of some passages in the Epistle written to them to read the Epistle sent from Laodicea to him and that they of Laodicea should read that which he sent to the Colossians as containing doctrine and instruction fit for both the Churches to know and doe 5. And if Saint Iude were taught of God that Henoch had so prophecied though the prophecie were never written or if he cited it from
profitable labours deserve more prayses And though I have stood all day in the market because no man hath hired mee yet seeing I would as fame have the penny as he that hath borne the burden and heat of the day I would not bee idle But because the knowledge and study of heavenly things and the meanes whereby the soule may bee saved concernes all men alike even Amos among the herdmen of Tekoa asmuch as Azariah the Priest in the Temple of Ierusalem And that every one as he hath received so is hee bound to make account of his talent Therefore although the burden I confesse was more fit for a man in the strength of his memory and understanding and too heavy for mee now wasted in seventy yeares with age sicknesse and continuall paines yet I trusted in him that directed my heart to take it up that hee would give mee strength in some sort to beare it But concerning those men that have laboured herein before me although I praise their paines yet I thinke them nor fit for every mans use Aquinas according to the greatnesse of his active understanding in his bookes against the Gentiles hath moved an endlesse number of questions of which as it seemes to mee many are very needlesse and impertinent to this my purpose and would draw an English Reader into a maze out of which hee could hardly winde himselfe Raimund de Sabunde though his writings be easie and quicke yet his matiers are scattered and not according to that method which I intend Savanarola wanders up and downe meanes well saith something out of Thomas but in his Triumphus Crucis as in all the Schoolemen and so in both the former very many things are left our which most necessarily belong to this our purpose and many things brought in which are not here at all questioned Mornay though he deserves much praise for his great reading and his plaine and easie stile yet beside that which hee perswades concerning some few questions here moved hee referres us to the Scriptures for proofe of the rest A most certaine proofe indeed and above all other with a Christian but my purpose is to adde an overplus of proofe to the perswasion which the Christian hath and to justifie his faith against all adversaries not by authority of Scripture onely which with Heretickes Turkes and Infidels is of small regard Moreover that which he perswades is by reasons in a manner altogether inductive which kinde of proofe although it bee more usuall in the Scriptures than any other and is of force sufficient with them that hold the principles and maine grounds of Religion for whom only they were written and not for them who are without Rom. 15.4 yet with infidels or adversaries inductive arguments are of small force except they be layd downe with their supposition as I call it log cap. 14. For otherwise the understanding hath no foundation wheron it may stay it selfe And he that in matiers of faith brings in reasons which are not of force to compell the understanding to yeeld to the truth gives occasion to infidels and Atheists to scoffe at Religion and leaves the wavering minded more unsetled than before As I knew a young Scholar who reading Euphues refuting his Atheist by such slight inductions and arguments onely probable became much perplexed in his minde till it pleased God by his light to settle his understanding The reasons of Raimund Lully and his manner of arguing gives more full satisfaction And hee it is from whose enlightned Spirit I borrowed most because hee onely of the rest hath written particularly to almost all the Articles of the Creed yet that treatise hath great need both to be cleered and of supply And although for examples sake in his art generall and inventive hee handle some of the questions yet while he strives therein to shew the use of his art rather than the truth of the things hee proposeth his reasons with great confusion and exceeding difficulty to bee understood as it will easily appeare to him that reades him But to yeeld that I tooke my light from those illuminate doctors Aquinas and Lully for I seeke not mine owne praise but the manifestation of the truth of God and the joy and comfort of the Christian soules among mine owne nation was the light theirs is not reason the common light of every man which can either finde it out or see it being found is the light in a Church his light that made the windowes thorow which it shines what interest hath he therein more than any stranger that injoyes the light yet knowes not the mason But if my knowledge of the mason that is my reading of Aquinas make the reasons his then his reading of Aristotle shall make the reasons Aristotles from whom hee hath gathered his reasons some where whole and entire every where from his principles And so if my reasons gathered from the practise of Raimunds art or from his owne practise bee therefore Raimunds reasons because he delivered that excellent art then the light shall be the Masons But if they for their goodly buildings made Bay windowes to let in much light And I for my low yet sure built house have made but casements and loopeholes yet so disposed them as they may let in light enough to lighten every corner of my little roomes Let everie one that is pleased come in and enjoy the benefit of the light and thereby behold the truth of God and rejoyce in His light And when hee understands the reasons let him account them his owne either to strengthen himselfe and others thereby against misbeleefe and doubting or especially against such as shall either wilfully or ignorantly withstand the truth And if I for my long and great study earne not so much as the name of a diligent translator or an Abridger or a gatherer hereby yet if any man gather either profit or content I shall be glad for the paines that I tooke herein brought unto me an abundant reward And having thus defended my selfe I will tell you for what reasons I have at last taken heart to discharge my selfe of my former promise First of all when in the earnest thought of these things I found that the holy religion of the Christians howsoever tryed by Scriptures or by the cleere evidence of understanding had such light and manifestation of the truth therein as that all the darkenesse of hell could not dimme it I confesse I had such assurance of joy therein that I judged I ought not to conceale it alone For what greater joy can any man have in all the miseries and discontents of this wretched life than to know and see that his hopes proposed for a better life are such as cannot faile then to see the exceeding mercy of God such as that hee requires nothing to bee beleeved for which hee doth not abundantly satisfie the understanding if it will enlarge it selfe and desire to be satisfied Is it nothing that the
of the whole world could make it But lest wee should not conceive sufficiently thereof the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles doe enlarge our understandings by the imployment of almost two hundred thousand men for seven yeeres and â—o halfe by the descriptions of the materials and their preparation the roofe â—â—ing set with precious stones the walles overlaid yea the very pavement and hinges of the doores being of pure gold so that no historie remembers the like building both for cost and workmanship Now what this second Temple builâ— by a small band of poore captives in all but fortie two thousand three hundred sixtie beside their servants a wretched number of seven thousand three hundred thirtie seven and that in a desolate countrey amidst so many enemies that hindred their building was like to bee in comparison of Salomons every man may easily conjecture And therefore this Prophet saith Chap. 2 3. That this new built house in comparison of the former was nothing as you may further see Ez. 2.12 13. Was this house then more excellent in respect of the ornament or priviledges God promises by his prophet Chap. 1. v. 8. that he would take pleasure in it and that hee would be glorified Where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecabd by the want of the letter ×” which in number signifieth five and in sence would be translated I will glorifie it is supposed by the Rabins to intend the want of five things in this latter Temple which were in the former First the Ark with the covering and Cherubims secondly the fire from heaven thirdly Shecinah or the Divine presence manifested in the oracle Levit. 16.2 Numb 7.89 1 King 6.5 Fourthly the holy Ghost which spake not by any Prophet after this Darius in whose dayes the Temple was built fifthly the Vrim and Thumâ—nim And this many of our learned doe embrace as you may reade everywhere but Pet. Galat. lib. 4. Chap. 9. cites the booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yoma or of dayes interpreting the five things to be First the Arke as before secondly the pot of Manna thirdly the oyle of anointing fourthly the rod of Aaron fiftly the box with the offering of the Phlistines by the side of the Arke But the author of that booke was too carelesse as it is apparent 1 King 8.9 2 Chron. 5.10 where it is directly affirmed that nothing was in the Arke but onely the two tables of the Law And is it likely that the offering of the heathen should bee brought into the most holy place before Christ had entred thereinto But howsoever seeing by all confession it appeareth that this house was not to bee compared with that of Salomon either in outward beautie or in riches or in outward holinesse being so often and grievously profaned by Heliodorus the agent of Selencus then by his brother Epiphanes who set the image of Iupiter in the Temple of God and enforced the Iewes to forsake their Religion after by Pompey by Crassus and others or in the other high and heavenly ornaments and priveleges the glory thereof must needs consist in this that the Lord of glory the Messiah and Saviour of the world would glorifie that Temple with his presence and in that Temple preach peace with God by his owne satisfaction for the sinnes of the world You may reade hereto Ioh. 8.12 to the end and chap. 10.23 to 40. and 18.20 And thus the substance being more excellent than the shadowes and Christ by his suffering having finished the ceremoniall Law in the time while this house did stand according to this prophecie it is necessarie that this Iesus be the promised Messiah seeing this house stood but fourtie yeeres the time of repentance and no more after the death of our Lord. e Haggai 2.7.8 Yet one little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth the Sea and the dry land And I will move all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts Marfilius Ficinus de Rel. Christ cap. 27. interprets this place too slackly according to the letter onely understanding by the shaking of the heavens that Starre which conducted the wisemen at the birth of Christ and a supposed Ecclips at his death The Evangelists tell us of a darkenesse over all that land but no author of sufficient credit avowes any Ecclipse of the Sunne in the full Moone when * See praef Iac. Christ in Cat. Palast pag. 2â— the Passeover was kept by the shaking of the earth he understands that eâ—â—thquake at the suffering of Christ and another mentioned by Iosephus Hiâ—â—â—rto also he brings the taxing of all the Roman provinces by Augustus Luke 2. and the rebellion of Iudas of Galilee mentioned Acts 5.37 By the moving of the Sea hee meanes the miracle spoken of Mar. 4.35 and Iohn 6.16 to 22. when by his word our Lord commanded the winds and seas and they obeyed him And if this interpretation had rested with Ficinus by profession a Physician by sect a Platonick I had said nothing but seeing other profest Divines and they not of the least account doe follow him herein as Crocius aforesaid I thought it fit to cleare this text rather by that interpretation which the Apostle makes hereof Heb. 12.26 27. which is directly to this purpose for which I cite it where by the shaking is signified the removing of those things that are shaken that they which are not shaken may remaine Now the whole drift of that Epistle is to prove that the Law had but the shadowes of things to come but the body was Christ Therefore by the heaven understand the Ecclesiasticall estate of the Iewes as it was ordered under the Law and at Christs suffering utterly finished for the Law made nothing perfect but was onely the bringing in of a better hope Heb. 7.19 and Chap. 8. all By the earth understand the civill policie which was likewise so shaken by the Romans that they had not power to put any man to death Iohn 18.31 And after by Adrian were they utterly scattered from being a people These things then being thus shaken and by the shaking removed the sacrifice of Christ and his kingdome must remaine that he may be yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13.8 that is before the Law and under the Law and after the Law the onely Mediatour betweene God and man And as it was with the Iewes so likewise the inhabitants of the Islands of the Sea and of the maine land were to bee shaken that they might forsake their service of dumbe idoles to serve the living God Acts 14.15 1. Cor. 12.2 that so our Lord might bee the desire and joy of all nations and the Scripture fulfilled which saith Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth in joy thou that travellest not for the desolate Church of the Gentiles hath many moe children than shee the Synagogue of the Iewes
himselfe to the Angels in that might they behold the invisible God and be abundantly blessed thereby but since the time that the faithfull have beheld him with that Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals the day of the joy and gladnesse of his heart Cant. 3.11 He is to be seene both of Angels and men eternally and onely in the Tabernacle of our flesh and the glory of God is manifest onely in the face of Iesus Christ And as this I thinke is a full answer to the argument of Postellus so had you need to remember it because it may helpe to the understanding of some places of Scripture which may seeme to make for this conclusion 6. But if such a created Mediatour be as had power to execute the eternall decree and to create the rest of the creature the Angels and man and all this visible world from him it may stand well with the justice and honour of God and the love of that Mediatour toward man to offer himselfe for man when hee had sinned whereas otherwise if no such created Mediatour bee then God the party offended must first seeke the attonement and seeing man was not able must likewise make satisfaction to himselfe for the sinne of another against himselfe But this stands neither with the honour of God nor the rule of Iustice Answ Intire aff ction hates all â—icity And so God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that the world through him might be saved And if the onely begotten Sonne be onely that second person of the Trinity what Son is that created Mediatour And so farre is it from dishonour to God to seeke and save that which was lost as that without his mercy and pitie on man in his misery the worke of God in the creature had beene in vaine But concerning that satisfaction which was made for sinne although it had appeared that it was utterly impossible to bee made by one that was onely man Chap. 19. yet was the satisfaction made onely in the manhood of our Saviour dignified and sustained by his divinity unto the endurance of all that punishment which was due to our sinne as it is manifest by the Prophet Esay chap. 53. Col. 1.22 1 Pet. 2.24 and yet for all that is our Saviour the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Re. 13.8 yet is the blood of his sacrifice upon the Crosse called the blood of the everlasting Testament Heb. 13.20 because that by the eternall spirit he offered himselfe for us unto God Heb. 9.14 That he in his manhood might present his Church unto himselfe God blessed for ever holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 So that the redemption of man is the worke of the whole Trinitie the Sonne by the holy Spirit offering himselfe unto the Father accepting this obedience a ransome for the world And because the Sonne offered himselfe by the eternall Spirit therefore is not our Saviour a created Mediatour as Postellus supposed for no creature can be eternall And malgre all the power of hell it was an eternall Gospell Revel 14.6 Written in the Volume of the Booke of the eternall Decree Psal 40.7 Heb. 10.7 to the everlasting comfort of the faithfull That the sacrifice for sinne was appointed before there was a sinner 7. Now before I come to those Texts of Scripture which Postel urges directly hereto it will not bee unfit to let you see how he favours his owne opinion by those Scriptures which he interprets unfaithfully as where it is said Deut. 32.39 There is no God with me as Esay interprets it I am God and there is none else he makes the sense pag. 104. he is the created wisdome before which there was no other God created for he is worthily called God saith he for his union with the Deitie And againe pag. 115. for that which is Prov. 8.23 I was set up from everlasting he will have it that this divine wisdome was created not from everlasting for then it could not be a creature but before any ages were numbred by men So to that of Saint Iohn Cap. 1. The Word was with God he addes as it followes in the Abisime Creed and with the Holy Ghost and with himself argues that whosoever is with another must be different therfrom for the most part inferiour indignity I have answered concerning the authority of that Church the collection of inferiority in dignity followes not neither doth this text prove the unity of any such creature with the Creator as hee inferres but rather the difference of persons in the unity of the God head for so it followes in the Text And that Word was God I say nothing of other Texts which by allegoricall and forraine interpretations he would bring to his purpose such as that pag. 93. where by the firmament Gen. 1.6 he will understand this Mediator who parted the hidden waters of the Deitie from the manifest waters of the creature whereby it would follow that the Chaos or waters the light and darknesse were created before this Mediator see Gen. 1.13 His argument from that Spirit which moved upon the waters Gen. 1. brought pag. 29. is answered before Reason 3. I impute it no fault to him that he pag. 62. confounds those Texts of Iohn 12.28 and chap. 17.5 Charity sees no mistakings where they make not against the truth But his collection is ill from that text Glorifie me with that glory which I had with thee before the world was to conclude either that the creatures were distinct in him whom he cals God man meaning the created Mediaâ—our or for any other to suppose that the glory of God the Sonne was any whit lessened by the taking of our flesh onely it was shadowed for a time under the Cloud of his humanity except that at some times a glimpse therof appeared in his glorious miracles For first if that eminent being of the creatures in the distinction of their severall beings were not in God the Sonne that second Person of the Trinity but in this created Mediator it would follow that the wisdome of God were not infinite nor yet essentiall unto him when the knowledge of the creature in that manner of being must come unto him by a creature contrary to that which hath been proved Chap. 5. 8. And therefore to avoid this inconvenience hee is compelled to say pag. 74. that that second being of all things taking the equivalent being which they have in the Father for the first is not onely in the eternall wisedome but also in the wisdome created Whence it followes that the Creature by the same manner of being shall bee both in the Creator and in the created Mediator But the reason for otherwise the Angels could no see God The position is false the reason insufficient and answered before then to thinke that the Sonne had lost or abated any thing of his infinite glory because he prayes that he may be glorified
which many belong onely to the first grammar of that language as if in English you should write When you be come together and in the margent write Yee are 2. Some words are for clearing the sence and are as short commentaries upon the Text. 3. Some for avoiding of words harsh to the eare as when the Prophet in indignation or mockage or tyed to relate anothers speech uses such termes as seeme needfull to be sweetned by other more usuall words You may take an example of both these 2. Kings 18.27 where the Prophet as a faithfull Historian repeating the words of Rabshakeh hath that which hee spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 le ecol eth choraihaÌ„ ulishtoth eth Sheyenayehem immacem which our English translates that they may eate their owne dung and drinke their owne pisse with you the word choraiham their dung hath the derivation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chor that hole from which it comes out and the word Sheyenaiyehem their changes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shanah to change meanes their urine which they should drinke and pisse out and then drinke in againe whereby the railing Rab-scab would be as bitter as he could But for the first of these the margent hath a more mannerly word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dzoatham that which comes from them and for the second by way of exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meimei raghleihem the water at their feete and these are read for the words in the line Translators have little or nothing to doe with the Keries of the first kind in them of the last they usually take the word in the margent In the second kind they take the word in the line or that in the margent indifferently because the Keries or marginall words are both of the ancient Iewes and learned Christians held to be of divine authoritie as they in the text as you may see it made mâ—nifest by Henry Ainsworth's Aduertisement n. 7. where by sundry examples he shewes that the word which in one Prophet is put in the margent is by another put in the text Moreover the most ancient translators even from the 70. which were almost 300. yeeres before Christ if that which is now extant be any remnant of it and that Chaldee of Ionathan who is said to have beene the disciple of Hillel which lived as some write 100. yeeres before Christ and all that have followed after these have translated sometime after the margent somtime after the line often-times have noted both as you may see in many instances in the place cited And that which is above all the Pen-men of the new Testament use in some places the word of the margent for that in the line So that Galatinus with his late Rabbins may still sleepe upon the pillow of their owne dreame For nothing of the Talmud was gathered together till about the yeere of Christ 150. when one Rabbi Iudas compiled into one volume the expositions on the law and the Prophets which other Doctors had written some before some after Christ which Booke hee called Mishna a copie or second reading and divided it into Six Sedarim or orders Some 200. yeeres or more after him Rabbi Iohanan or Iohn gathered the Talmud or Doctrinall of Ierusalem out of the writings of such Rabbins as wrote after the other and this Talmud is but a commentary on the former Mishna After him likewise about the yeere of Christ 500. Rabbi Asse made a further collection of the Babylonian Talmud of speciall use among the Iewes Both these Talmuds are full of fables and idle fictions to the depravation of the trueth of God But about the yeere 1200. Rabbi Moses ben Maimon thence called RaMBaM and Maimoni gathered out that which was good and any way availeable for understanding the rites and ceremonies of the Law and left out those fooleries of which the Talmuds were full and therefore Postellus said rightly of him that hee is Instar omnium For further knowledge of which things you may read Galatinus H. Ainsworth Shickard P. Ricius and others Now if neither the Talmud nor the Mishna were extant of so long time after Christ how could the writings there cited being in private hands bring in any publike corruption into the text of the Scripture which long time before that had beene delivered safe and intire into the hands of the Church of the Gentiles But although it be yeelded unto that either the Masôrites or the Talmudists or the Cabalists by any private notes of theirs or their expositions have corrupted either the text or native meaning thereof yet doth it not therefore follow that the Nation of the Iewes have accepted these corruptions much lesse that they hold them of divine authoritie as they doe the marginall Keries and yet much lesse can it be made to appeare that the Translators of the Christians have at any time accepted of any such notes no more then we heretofore accounted the notes on the Geneva Bibles to bee Canonicall Scripture But you will aske when those Keries or marginall readings for they are alwayes read for the Cethib or word written in the text came to the Holy Scripture Answere The most voyces are for Ezra that he having care of the Ecclesiasticall policie and especially of the integritie of the Holy Scripture in conferring the copies and the differences among them noted such as hee thought fittest and that the Copies might not differ any more began that Masôreth of which I spake But Galatinus Lib. 1. Cap. 8. saith that this is a lewd lie of the later Iewes for then they should not have beene called corrections of the Scribes but of Ezra yet hee confesseth that they were long before the time of Christ seeing Ionathan the Author of the Chaldean translation doth often-times translate according to the margine yet will he not have Ezra the Author of them for then he durst not I thinke so saucily refuse them or for them the Cethib as errours and corruptions of the text as hee doth But Shikkard as he cites the common consent of the ancient Hebrewes puts it constantly upon Ezra That with much care and diligence he got divers copies of the Scripture compared them with those that were authenticall and noted them as you heard 1. But if there were any copies that were authenticall what needed this superfluous diligence 2. Beside what could 70. yeares of the captivitie doe to corrupt so many copies when they had in the captivitie so many Prophets As Daniel Ezechiel Ezra beside so many worthies as you read of in Daniel and Ezra and Ieremiah among them that were left at home Especially seeing a copie may continue many seuenty of yeeres as you read in Rambam of one of 700. yeres in his time and Cunaeus cites the Chronicle called Iuchasin concerning a Bible written by Hillel betweene whose times were 900. yeeres and yet more the learned Patrick Young assures us of a beautifull Copie of the whole Scripture written by Tecla in
nature produce his like as much as in it is as a man begetteth a man trees bring forth seed whereof their like in nature may spring and in like wise every other thing Therefore the infinite Power of God begetteth His like also which is the Sonne the image of the invisible God the first begotten of every creature Col. 1.15 But none can be like unto God in His Being who is not very God therefore Christ the onely begotten of the Father is also very God Maruail not that I make this argument from the creature to the Creator for in this very point of the Power and Godhead the Holy-Ghost Himselfe teacheth me to reason of the invisible things of God by the things visible Rom. 1.20 And hereby also learne to help your ignorance and put away your wonder how God should be one and yet three See you not how the understanding the Sun-light also is one in nature and yet three in evident and cleare distinction though in so base and imperfect order as that which is in all perfection is possible to be above it And further see you not in every thing a bodie a spirit and a life which is the knot betweene them Or rather see you not how the very bodily composition is both one and three one body which is united of three bodies that is earth water and ayre or oyle which yet againe in the roote of their nature are but one For oyle is but a due mixture of water and earth meanely fixt and meanely volatil and earth is but fixed water so that water which is but one is the roote of the three as it is manifest Gene. 1. and 2. Pet. 3.5 They which understand the rules of Pyronomie know what I say and if you understood me◠well you would confesse that not onely this instance which I have brought of earth water and ayre but even the whole frame of Nature did proclaime the Trinitie in the Vnitie If I should here tell you how the Heaven the Earth and the Deepe Gene. 1. might bee understood mystically and the Analogie betweene the Creator and the creature therein and then tell you what Let the earth bring forth living soule might meane and compare it with that place That which was made in Him was life and then particularly for man The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the earth and tell you that it was so necessary because that Christ is Terra viventium and inforce an argument to prove the Tri-Vnitie by that treeble repetition of the man made in the image of God comparing it with that place 1. Cor. 11.3 and 7. If I should then tell you that it was necessary that the Sonne of God must become flesh as well that the infinite iustice of God might be actuated in Him which could not be actuated in Him being onely God as for many other reasons Both from the Iustice and Mercie and Wisedome of God though to a well-sighted understanding I might seeme to have laid a precious foundation of Philosophie divine and naturall yet to you I might rather seeme perhaps to have proposed Cabalisticall dreames then any sound argument to the thing in question Yet this will I tell you and hold it for good Divinity that the mayne drift and scope of the whole Scripture is to shew the creation of all things in Christ through Him and for Him and the restoring of the whole creature in man by Him That in all things He might have the preeminence Coloss 1. Neither doth this any whit derogate from the honour of the Father For first It hath pleased the Father that in Him should all fulnesse dwell and besides it is an honour above all honours unto the Father to be the Father of so glorious a Sonne Therefore is this world and all the things therein created to the Image of Christ to expresse His glory even as He is the expressed Image and glory of the Father And here is the worlds Eternity which had in Christ an eternall Being according to that His Name Esay 9 6. The Father of Eternity Here are those separate Ideas about which Plato and Aristotle could never agree and which neither both of them nor many of their followers did perfectly understand not that they might not by the frame of nature and the wisedome which God had given to man be understood For is not this world as a booke wherein we may read and understand by the created truths what is the Truth which is increated but all true knowledge is the gift of God Therefore wrest not that place Coloss 2.8 against the Christian search after the knowledge of nature whereby above all other humane knowledges a man is brought to know God and to honour Him as he ought but rather be sorry that your knowledge of Nature is no more For this will I tell you to teach you to know your selfe that there is nothing in the creature which may be knowne and all may be knowne that is in the creature but man ought to know it and to glorifie the Creator thereby And this great labour hath God given to men that knowing how short they are of that they ought to be they might be humbled thereby Psal 1.11 Eccles. 1.13 And why ought this to seeme strange doth not God require that perfection at mans hand wherein He did create Him and was he not created with perfect discourse to know the creature that he might therein behold the Creator and so glorifie His wondrous power and goodnesse But this question would draw me from the question in hand and therfore I will briefly adde one reason more and because my leisure is little I will be as short as I can but I pray you lend me your eare for it is hard in English an inartificiall language to expresse my mind but because you told me you could a little Latine I will be bold here and there to use a word my reason is thus The whole and perfect nature of a Principle or Beginning is in God who is alone the beginner of all things Now a Principle is of three sorts whereof every one is so clearely distinct from another as that one cannot possibly be that other therefore in the Vnitie of the Deitie there is also such cleare distinction into a Trinitie as that one distinct cannot possible be that other from which He is distinguished yet in the Vnitie of essence they are all one The differences of a beginning stand thus It is either Principium principians non principiatum that is a Beginning which is a Beginner unto another yet hath not His beginning from another lest there should be a processe into Infinitie à parte antè this is God the Father to whom it is peculiar to beget the Son yet is Himselfe neither made nor created nor begotten of any other Secondly there is Principium principiatum principians to wit a Beginning which hath his beginning of another and is also a beginning