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cause_n	body_n	nature_n	part_n	3,516	5	4.5867	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10995	Twelue prophetical legacies. Or Twelue sermons vpon Iacobs last will and testament recorded by Moses, in the 49. chapt. of Genesis: containing his bequests and blessings, bestowed vpon his twelue sonnes. ... Preached by Francis Rollenson, Bach: of Diuinitie, and sometimes fellow of S. Iohn the Euang: Colledge in Cambridge.	Rollenson, Francis, ca. 1565-1630.	1612 (1612)	STC 21265; ESTC S116140	213,059	329

be vnto thee thou euill tongue but I wish and counsell him to set these words of the Psalmist as a watch before his lippes (p) Psal 34.12.13 What man is hee that desireth life and loueth long daies to see good keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes that they speake no guile In this world these two Tongues are contrarily censured for Gods Tongue that giueth goodly words is euer blamed but the Diuels tongue which is the Organon or instrument of wickednesse is alwaies extolled this iniudicious censure is caused through the corruption of mans nature which embraceth vice and abhorreth vertue the world being a land of darkenesse hath no fellowship with the light and therefore it blameth the good tongue be the words thereof neuer so godlie All the Prophets of the old Testament either were persecuted or murthered because of their tongues Iohn Baptist who was the Common limite of the old and the newe Testament for his Tongue lost his head and most of the Apostles of the new Testamēt because of their tongues were like sheepe led to the slaughter So is it in these dayes the Tongue that vtters the Truth is accounted an vnquiet seditious and factious tongue As Eliah was said to be a troubler of Israel Amos a conspiratour Iohn Baptist a tumultuous person so all such as speake with zeale against vice are by Worldlings reputed euill tongued raylers and bablers But let the blinde worlde iudge as it will Sure I am that such Tongues as giue goodly words and speake the Truth boldly are the Siluer Trumpets of Gods Tabernacle Of the cōtrary part the euill tongue though it swell with the venome of Blasphemie Swearing Insolencie Lying and Flatterie yet it is admired and highly esteemed if it can but say as the Tongues of the false Prophets did Peace Peace and make a couenant with the diuell and the world not to speake against sinne To conclude seeing that it was so excellent a quality in Naphtali to giue goodly words Let vs all studie to speake his language and though for speaking the truth the worlde hate vs yet this is our Comfort God will loue vs. THE ELEVENTH SERMON OF IOSEPH GEN. 49.22.23.24.25.26 Ioseph shall be a fruitfull Bough euen a fruitefull Boughe by the Well side the small Boughes shall runne vpon the wall And the Archers grieued him and shotte against him and hated him But his bowe abode strong the hands of his armes were strengthened by the hands of the mightie GOD of Iacob of whom was the feeder appointed by the stone of Israel Euen by the God of thy Father who shall helpe thee and by the Almightie who shall blesse thee with heauenly Blessings from aboue with blessings of the deepe that lyeth beneath with blessings of the brestes and of the wombe The blessings of thy Father shall bee stronger then the blessings of mine Elders vnto the ende of the hilles of the worlde they shal be on the head of Ioseph and on the toppe of the Head of him that was separate from his brethren IOseph was the Sonne of Iacob and Rahel who had been barren long for he was borne in the ende of Iacobs foureteene yeares seruice In the historie of his birth it is said that (a) Gen. 30.25 Gen. 30.22.23.24 God remēbred Rahel and God heard her opened her wombe So shee conceiued and bare a Sonne said God hath taken away my rebuke she called his name Ioseph saying the Lorde will giue mee yet another Sonne The circumstāces of Iosephs birth are demonstrations of Rahels repentance In my former lectures vpon Dan Naphtali I laid open her enuie follie impatience vaineglorie But now she is another woman and a true conuert For in that God first remēbred her secondly heard her thirdly opened her wombe all which are signes of grace and fauour it is euident that she had repented and sorrowed for her sinnes and also that she had praied vnto God to make her fruitfull whereupon God remembred her heard her and opened her wombe This name of her sonne Ioseph is by interpretation Increasing And therein is infolded or included Rahels hopefull desire of a threefolde increase The first is the encrease of her husbands loue who loued her before better then Leah yet now vpon the birth of this sonne she hopes that his loue will be augmented for children are bellowes that kindle mutuall affection betwixt man and wife and this was one cause why Sarah Rahel and Annah were so desirous of children The second is the encrease of glorie for she said God hath taken away my rebuke or infamie For barrennesse in the familie of Abraham was reproachfull as may appeare by the wordes of Isaiah saying (b] Isai 4.1 And in that day shall seuen women take holde of one man say wee will eate our owne bread wee will weare our owne garments onely let vs be called by thy name and take away our reproach The third is the encrease of issue for shee saide the Lord will giue me yet another sonne and this increase as she trulie acknowledgeth must come frō God for none but hee caries the Key of the wombe Barrennesse fruitfulnesse doe both of them depend vpon his prouidence Of the first of these there bee diuerse Naturall causes as either some originall defectes in the Birth For some are borne vnapt for Generation (c) Arist lib. 2. de gen animalium Or it may come by diseases and sometimes the constitution of the body is an impediment as in fatte bodies where nature is turned into the nutriment of the bodie but the supernaturall cause of Barrennesse is when it pleaseth GOD to restraine the wombe which hee doth sometimes for a punishment (d) Gen. 20.18 as in the women of Abimelechs house whose wombes God shut vp because Abimelech had taken Sarah Abrahams wife And sometimes for the manifestation of his owne glorie and power as when he maketh Sarah and Elizabeth continue barren euen vntill they be stricken in yeares and vntill it ceaseth to be with them as with other women that contrarie to the course of nature hee may make the barren woman to beare to bee a ioyfull mother of childrē Secondly concerning fruitfulnes euen the heathen Philosopher confesseth thus much Though generation saith Plato be done in a mortall creature Plat. Sympos yet it is a a●●ure thing procured by an immortall power though Iacob and Rahel were both very desirous of children yet for all that nature could doe nothing till God had opened her wombe Ioseph shall be a fruitfull Bough c. In this speech of I●cob to Ioseph there be three things contained a prediction a narration and a Benediction First the Prediction or Prophecie is implied in these wordes Ioseph shall be a fruitfull bough euen a fruitfull bough by the Well-side the small boughes shall run vpon the wall In this prophecie which is a declaration of things to come Iacob

Selfe-will caused Rehoboam to threaten his subiects But Caynes wrath was punished with horrour of Conscience Rehoboams (d) 1. Reg. 12.14 selfe-will with the Reuolt of his subiects and euē so in all men wrath selfe-will are neuer vnrewarded wherefore as S. Iames saith so say I (e) Iam. 1.19 My deare brethrē Let euery man be swift to heare slowe to speake slow to wrath Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce their rage for it was cruell I will diuide them in Iacob scatter them in Israel Iacob hauing before made an Apologie for himselfe doth in these words chastise his sonnes with a Temporall curse saying Cursed bee their Wrath c These bitter wordes of the Patriarch being spoken so emphaticallie as they are and no doubt not without the direction of Gods spirit shewe that this fact of Simeon and Leui is inexcusable and therefore it condemneth the doctrine of diuerse Writers who haue pleaded in the behalfe of these two sonnes and sought to cloake their crueltie with an excuse First some of the Rabbines haue excused this act of Simeon and Leui because Hamor Shechem went first about to breake the Couenant thinking to spoyle them of that they had for thus they said (f) Gen 34.23 Shal not their flocks substāce be ours but it appeareth not that Hamor and Shechem went about any such thīg they speak thus to perswade the people to be circumcised who most respect their profite or else they meane that by Trading and hauing entercourse with them they should in a manner possesse their goods but graunt it were so onely Hamor and Shechem had been guiltie of the violating of this league there was no cause to punish the whole city althogh they had reason to reuēge themselues yet such a cruell massacre cannot bee iustified Secondly some doe in part excuse Simeon and Leui making a threefold consideration (g) Carthusianus in lib. Iudith on the behalfe of God say they the punishment was iust and also on the behalfe of the Shechemites who because they were cōsenting vnto that grieuous sin of Shechem with Dinah were iustlie punished but on the behalfe of Simeon Leui this iudgement and execution was vniust because they did it craftilie but this allegation maketh nothing for the iustifying of these two brethrē in euil for God knoweth how to turn the wicked enterprises of men to his owne Glorie neither did these furious mē●ime at any such ends as the hatred of vice the glory of God but only to satisfy their own reuēgefull minds (h) Caiet in cap. 34. Gen. Thirdly some affirme that this act was not euill in respect of the thing because the Sichemites had grieuouslie sinned but in regard of the māner because they did it fraudulently this is the opinion of Caietā whose assertion is not sound because it is doubtfull vncertaine whether all the Sichemites that were slaine were guilty of this crime or no. Fourthly (i) Thom. Anglic. in cap. 34. Gen. some hold that the first motion of this slaughter was of God therfore good and that Simeon and Leui are for this onely to be blamed because in the execution they exceeded measure passed the bounds of their commission of Gods decree by being transported with passion but this cannot bee true for Iacob condemneth not onely the execution but also the very first deuise counsell saying Into their secret let not my soule come Fifthly some proceeding further haue defended both their fact and the manner of it calling their craft dissimulation a prudent caution and their reasons be these First say they All the Sichemites were consenting vnto that wickednes therfore they deserued punishmēt But to this I must answere as I did before It cannot be gathered that all the Sichemites were consenting to the sinne of Shechem and though the whole Citie had offended herein yet Simeon and Leui had no such calling or commission to put them to the sworde because they were not magistrates Secondly there is a text of scripture alledged for this purpose out of Iudith where it is saide that the Lord gaue vnto (k) Iudith 9.2 Simeon a sworde to take reuenge vpon the strangers that opened the wombe of the virgin defiled her discouered the thigh with shame polluted the womb to reproch afterward the text saith (l) Iud. 9.4 That they that is Simeon Leui were moued with zeale and abhorred the pollution of their bloud If then God gaue them a sword they vsed it with zeale then was the fact rather commēdable then to be blamed this argumēt is thus auoided Though Simeon Leui were ministers of Gods iustice vpon the Sichemites for their sin yet they did it not without sinne and therefore against this booke which is no Canonicall Scripture where their zeale is commended we may expose the censure and sentence of Iacob which saith That they did it in their selfe will therefore not by any motion of Gods spirit Also he curseth them saying Cursed bee their wrath for it was fierce and their Rage for it was cruell Now if they had done it in zeale he would rather haue blessed them Cursed be their wrath c. There be two kindes of cursing the one proceeding from a Tongue vnder which there is a poison of Aspes and this is damnable So (m) 1. Sam. 16.5.7 Shem●i cursed Dauid saying Come forth come forth thou murtherer and wicked man The other is the language of a zealous heart And so as wee reade many times the seruants of God haue vsed imprecations denounced curses Dauid saith (n) Psa 35.4 Let them be confounded put to shame that seeke after my soule And Iacob heere saith Cursed bee their wrath c. But this was not done by them in wrath or malice but with these considerations and regardes First they spake as Prophets as Mnisters and denouncers of Gods sentence and decree So then their speeches were not so much maledictions as predictions Secondly for the most part they accursed such only in temporall things for their amendment and reformation and if they denounced any spirituall curse it was vpon such as were incorrigible Thirdly they did not hereby reuenge their owne particular cause but did taxe and censure them as enemies to the whole Church Though this kinde of Cursing hath beene vsed by diuerse holy men yet their action must not bee our patterne to imitate because wee haue not the like spirit of Prophecie before we curse any man wee must examine our selues what spirit wee are of otherwise though like Iohn and Iames we be inflamed with the zeale of Elias our Sauiour will say vnto vs as hee said vnto them (o) Luc. 9.55 Yee know not of what spirit yee are Curse bee their wrath c. Iacob spareth not his owne sonnes but pronounceth against them the curse of GOD laying aside all naturall affection and

aemulation of her sisters happinesse a desire to be endeared to her husband and a feruent longing to be interessed in the promised seede herein shee doeth ill that good may ensue which is not to be allowed or iustified neither is there any inconuenience to yeeld to such holy women as Rahel their infirmities but here is not the lowest ebbe of her weakenesse for she goes further and giues her handmaide to her husband hoping to be comforted by her issue and vpon that contract with Bilha was Dan borne as I said before in my lecture vpon Isachar Laban by deceite made Iacob to diuide his Rib and to haue two Sisters to be his wiues and his two wiues being sisters by their perswasions made their owne husband to be Tetragamos the husband of sower wiues the one giuing him Bilha the other Zilpha their handmaids to be his Concubines now herein how can Iacob be excused or the childrē of Leah Bilha Zilpha be accounted legitimate considering that by the first Canon and institution of marriage made by God in paradice (g) Gen. 2.24 One man was to haue but one wife and they two saith Christ shall be one flesh the breach of euery lawe is sinne Iacob breaking then the lawe sinneth and consequently all his children except Ioseph and Beniamin the sonnes of Rahel to whom Iacob was first contracted were illegitimate S. Augustine thus answereth as long as it was the custome to haue many wiues it was no sinne Aug. Cont. Faustum manich lib. 22. cap. 47. but now it is a sinne because it is not the custome some sinnes are against nature some against Custome some against the lawe now saith he Iacob is not to be blamed for hee transgressed not the lawe of nature because he vsed his pluralitie of wiues not for lust but for the increase and multiplication of mankind neither did hee breake custome for in those daies in the east countries Polygamie was vsuall neither was it prohibited by any lawe concerning Custome Saint Augustine he holdeth the Truth but as for the Lawe of nature and the Lawe of God they Both are opposite to the multiplicitie of wiues first the lawe of Nature appeareth herein (h) Zanch. de sponsal that God when hee was to giue Adam a wife tooke onely one Rib not two and made onely one woman not two teaching vs thereby that one man should be contented with one wife and one wife with one Husband This Law of Nature is confirmed by that which God cōmanded Noah to doe when he destroyed the world with water (i) Gen. 7.7.8 Noah his wife his 3. sonnes their wiues of beasts both cleane vnclean the male the female entred into the Arke This coupling of Creatures both reasonable vnreasonable sheweth that Nature in her Seminarie requires no more but one Male and one Female Furthermore these are two Axiomes or Maximes in Nature Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne facias Do not that to another which thou wouldest not to be done to thy selfe Also Ne quod alterius est inuito eripiatur Let nothing which belongeth to another bee taken from him against his will Now in Polygamie these two Rules are broken off For first a man will not beare nor brooke it that his wife should take vnto her another man Then why should hee haue another wife Secondly the (k) 1. Cor. 7.4 Married man as the Apostle saith hath not power ouer his owne bodie but the wife How then can the Man without offering manifest wrong to his Wife bestowe his bodie vpon an other woman Concerning the law of God it doth directly forbid Polygamie as appeareth by the wordes of Christ who is the best interpreter of the Law saying (l) Mat. 19.5 For this cause shall a man leaue father mother c●eaue vnto his wife they twayne shal be one flesh Herein our Sauiour teacheth vs that the wife is not onely not to be put away vpon euery cause but also that the Husband ought not to take vnto himselfe another Wife Thus both by the Law of God Nature Polygamie is condemned Can the Custome be Iacobs protection How cā his tetragamie be iustified and the rest of his Sonnes excepting Ioseph Beniamin be legitimate I answer by Dispensation For God according to the state of those times dispēsed with the Patriarks for the Law which he had made at the beginnīg And this is euident out of the exāples of Abraham Iacob Elcaenah other godly Fathers who were not reproued by any Prophet for their multiplicitie of wiues Nay which is more God gaue Saules wiues as (m) 1. Sam. 12.8 Nathan saith into the bosome of Dauid Now then if God gaue Dauid wiues notwithstanding his first institution is for the cōtrarie we may conclude that he dispensed with his own Law gaue the Patriarchs libertie for Polygamie The reason of this dispensation was this in those times God had chosen the seede of Abraham to bee his people in whose linage the true worship of the Deitie was preserued for all other people were giuē to idolatry went a whoring after straunge gods Therefore it was necessarie that the Children of Abraham should bee permitted to vse Polygamie and haue many wiues that mankind might bee spred by procreation because this propagation of the flesh was the increase of godlines Seeing God would that the people in whō true religion was planted should continue euen vnto Christ So then it was by dispensation lawfull vnto the Patriarchs to haue many wiues to the intēt that that people whom God had chosen namely Israel might be manie in nūber neither can it appeare that they sinned when they did so but here sin must be distīguished For if to sinne be to stray frō most perfect reason surely they sinned but if we determine that to be sinne wherewith God is offended prouoked to reuēge they sinned not sith God dispensed with his law to the ende that the people of whome hee would be worshipped might be of the greater nūber For although amongst other Nations some perhaps were good men yet the publike worshipping of God was no where else but in Israel Furthermore Abrahā Iacob the rest thogh they had many wiues yet they were not hereunto led by lust but by a chast desire to augment multiplie Gods familie This was Iacobs motiue whē he went in vnto Bilha begot Dan. And therefore cōsidering both Gods dispensation his owne intention Iacob is not to be condemned neither his children borne of concubines to be debased yet Rahels act in giuīg her handmaid cānot be excused because she was moued therunto by the spirit of Pride Enuie shee knew it was a glorious thing to haue children a shame to be barren and therefore she desired to haue a child thogh borne by her maid to free herselfe from infamie in the worlde to be more equall with her sister Herein is