is no help for him in his God Yet he as an expert souldier cannot be terrified with stales or brags but betaketh himself unto his weapons V. 3. Thou I ord art a buckler for me my glory and the lifter up of my head So little is he dismaied that after his prayers he taketh his quiet rest V. 4. I did call upon the I ord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy mountain I laid me down and slept and rose again for the Lord sustained me V. 5. I will not be afraid for 10000 of the people that should beset me round about The same confidence raised from the experience of Gods assistance was in the Author of the 46 Psalm God is our help and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the earth be moved and though the mountains fall into the midst of the Sea The manner of Davids carriage his confident presaging of good success in times more apt to breed despair in others lesse experienced in assistance from above exprest in sundry Psalms composed when he fled from Saul yeeld abundance of observations pregnant for this purpose 5 Otherwiles this Kingly Prophet expostulates the wrongs offered by his enemies so confidently and relateth his own integrity in such pathetical and serious manner that unless the inscription of his Petitions or other historical circumstance did give us notice to whom he tendred his complaints we would think that they had been so many reports of what he had openly pleaded at some Bar or Court of civil Justice in the personal presence sight or audience of some visible Judge ready to give sentence for him upon the first hearing of his cause If any civil Heathen that never had heard of any invisible God should have taken up some of his Psalms the ninth for example in the streets he would have imagined that the Author of them had either heard some supream Magistrate in his time deeply protesting his resolution for righting the poor or else had been most intimately acquainted with the integrity of his proceedings in matters of Justice that he durst so confidently avouch unto the World on his behalf Psalm 9. v. 8. He shall judge the world in righteousnesse and the people with equity V. 9. The Lord also will be a refuge for the poor a refuge in due time even in affliction V. 10. And they that know thy Name will trust in thee for thou Lord hast not failed them that seek thee So lively was Davids and other Ancient Psalmists experience of the invisible Gods assistance alwayes ready as well in war as in peace as well in executing judgement upon their treacherous deceitful or secret enemies as in giving them victory over their profest and potent Foes 6 But posteritie had not oftentimes so full Experience of the same assistance as appeareth from the manner of their complaints The reason of this Diversitie in the Ancient and later Psalmists apprehension of Gods favour either in delivering them from danger or righting them from wrong was from the Diversity of Times the later not yeelding so manifest and frequent Documents of Gods mercy or justice as the former had done As Gods plagues upon the Ancient Israelites were oft-times sudden and for the time violent so their deliverance from them was speedy because their stubbornnesse was lesse and the sins for which they were to repent of lesse continuance But the continual increase of this peoples wickednesse in their successions and posterities slacknesse in sorrowing either for their own or Predecessours sins made Gods plagues inflicted upon them more durable as appeareth by the long Captivities and oppressions of this people in later Ages If we compare them with the often but short afflictions which in former times had befallen them This long durance of great calamities made Posteritie lesse apprehensive of Gods promises then their forefathers had been at the least whiles these continued they were lesse acquainted with Gods favour then their Predecessors were And from the want of like sensible Experience of his present help in time of trouble later generations are more querulous and lesse confident in their prayers uttered in their distresse as we may see in the 98 and other Psalms conceived by the Godly amongst this people in the calamities of later Times Thus we may see how truly the diversity of Gods dealing with his people in different Ages is represented in the Character Stile or Affection of these sacred Writers all much different in former and latter Ages much more may we presume that the general and true Diversity of Times and GODS divers manner of proceeding with mankinde in their several Generations is most truly related and exemplified in the Historical relations of the same sacred Volumes of which in the Section following 7 Thus much of Experiments or Observations drawn from the Character or tenor of these sacred Writings themselves or their Writers Affections represented in them These I have gathered not that I can hope to perswade any man so much by reading them as by occasioning him to observe the like whiles he readeth these sacred Volumes For every man that readeth them with attentive Observation may apprehend much more for the framing of true Belief in his own heart then he can expresse to others yea to seek to make ful resemblance of our inward Belief or such Experiments as confirm it by outward discourse were all one as if a man out of the slight impression or transitorie representation of his own face which he had lately beheld in a Glasse should seek to describe it as fully and perfectly to another mans Apprehension as if he had looked upon it with him in the same Glass 8 As there presentation of our bodily shape is lively and perfect whilest we behold it in a true and perfect Glasse but the Memorial or Phantasie of it when we are gone thence imperfect and dull So is the apprehension of our own or Experiments of others Belief sensible and fresh whilest we set our hearts and mindes unto this perfect Law of Libertie the onely true Glass of our Souls but more hard to retain in memorie or to be fully represented to another by Discourse then our bodily shape is by a bare description And as in the Art of Painting general rules may be given for the right drawing of Pictures yet he that will take any particular mans must look upon the love face it self or use the benefit of his Glass So in this case there may be good directions given how men should draw Experiments or take Observations of this kinde which being taken can not be fully imprinted in another by him that took them but every man must have continual recourse unto this Spiritual Glasse which far surpasseth all bodily Glasses in this that in It we may see not onely the true shape and proportion of our Souls as they are or of what fashion they should be but It hath also an operative
governours and what limitations soever the one did the other might admit during the time of the Law The promises of Gods extraordinary favour for directing both in their proceedings were equal to both alwayes conditional in both cases 10 As for this Law Deut 17. the very nature of the Text and circumstances annexed thereto inser no more then this That God would have a supream Tribunal amongst the Israelites wherein all controversies which could not be ended in inferiour Courts were to be finally determined lest private contentions might grow to publick dissentions or wranglings for petty damages turn to the overthrow of the State by disturbance of common peace It may be admitted then that absolute obedience is here enjoyned but not universally absolute nor in all causes but in causes of controversie betwixt man and man not in causes betwixt men and their own consciences And although the ground of controversers plea might be from some spiritual law as concerning succession in the Priesthood c. or have some spiritual matters annexed as consequent the Judges censure was to extend only unto mens civil carriage in such controversies and the Plantiffs were to prosecute their right or title were it matter of wrong of inheritance spiritual or temporal no farther then the sentence of his Court did permit All were bound upon pain of death to sit down with their private losse rather then raise tumults or endanger the publick form of government established in Israel Even when they knew the Judges sentence in particular to be erroneous they were to do or suffer as he commanded to remit their right to let go that hold and interest which they thought they had in matters of temporal consequence though perhaps of spiritual title and undergo what corporal penalty soever the Priest or Judge whether soever were supream magistrates did injoyn them but they were not bound to think as the Priest or Judge thought nor to hold their sentence was alwayes agreeable to the law of God Albeit much easier it was for the Sanhedrim then for the modern Romish Consistory to resolve more controversies brought unto them by this divine rule Recause the ancient Israelites did not use to trouble their Priests or judges with such quirks and quiddities as coined for the most part by School-men have bred greatest contention in the Christian world such as never could have been decided by the judgement of Urim or Thummim nor by Prophets 〈◊〉 or dreams He that had desired any such must have gone to â—ndor for resolution In Jerusalem or Shiloh whiles they flourished the proposers â—…roversies should have been punished for their curiosity which â—… Israelites had been as hateful as the sin of Witch-craft The want â—…bunal as this for punishing contentions and curious spirits hath â—…ch fruitlesse contentions and nice questions as cannot possibly be â—…ce set abroach or prosecuted but might easily have been preventâ—…gious care and industry of such a supream Consistory in every 〈◊〉 11 What hath been said concerning the meaning of this place Deut. 17. is confirmed by the practise of the Jews and their ancient Records First that not only conditional but absolute obedience is here injoyned is not probable out of those words v. 11. according to the Law which they shall teach thee not only the written law of God as some will have it but such Customes as were received in this Court though but probably deduced from the written law or otherwise invented by their magistrates in â—ases omitted by the Law-giver All such customes decrees or ordinances were to be obeyed absolutely in such matters as did conâ—ern mens temporal losses or commodities there was not appeal to any other Court on earth for the reversing of any â—entence given in this to have attempted thus much by this law had been present death and by the same all Christian Princes justly might yea ought to put to death all such as in any cause spiritual or temporal upon any occasion whatsoever shall appeal to Rome from the chief Tribunal allotted for the hearing of such causes in their native Country for by nature and Christian duty all are bound to abide the sentence of that Tribunal though not to approve it yet not to resist it or opposeviolence unto it though it offer violence to them For God only must take vengeance of their abusing of that authority which he had given them for others good not for their harm Would God all Christian Princes would put this law in practise and fulfil Gods word in the forementioned place that all might die which do thus presumptuously that so evil and the mischief of mischiefs all appeals to Rome might be taken away from Israel that so all Christian people hereafter might hear and fear and do no more presumptuously 12 Secondly that the high Priest was not the infallible Judge nor above Kings in giving definitive sentence is most evidently confirmed by consent of Jewish antiquitie for the High Priest was not admitted into their chief Consistory but upon this condition If he were a wise man and being admitted yet was he not to sway all as he pleased for so is it said in the same place that the king was not to be of the Sanhedrim because they were forbidden to contend with him with the High Priest they might But the Prophets of God did alwayes in their doctrine withstand either the Priests Prophets Kings or Judges as often as they went contra stationes Montis Sinai i. e. against the stations or statutes of Mount Sinai CAP. XIII That our Saviour's injunction of obedience to the Scribes and Pharisees though most universal for the form is to be limited by the former Rules That without open blasphemy it cannot be extended to countenance the Romish cause that by it we may limit other places brought by them for the Popes transcendent universal authority ANother place there is which as it seems hath been too much beaten heretofore because some of the cunningest Anglers for Peters tribute begin of late to relinquish it The place is Matth. 23. verse 2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but after their works do not for they say and do not Bellarmin in his first attempts is more forward to fortifie this hold then any other to what purpose I cannot divine unless to terrifie such as view it only a far off but it seems he felt upon better experience the maintaâ—nance of it once closely besieged would not quit the coast for elsewhere he yields as much expresly as will inforce him to surrender up this if it be instantly demanded Perhaps he hoped his premunitions might work some secret disposition in most mens minds more prejudicial to our cause then we out of our honest simplicity could at first sight suspect It wil not therefore be amiss partly to prevent the possible danger of his concealed conclusion by shewing the
or some neer adjoyning Thus he expected Oracles should either come in use again in Greece or else burst out in some more convement Soyl. The Atheists of this Age our English home-bred ones at least have altogether as great reason to deny the decay or drying up of Rivers and Lakes as to suspect the frequency of Oracles or other events in times past for neither they no◠their fathers have had any more experience of the one then of the other Plutarchs testimony amongst many others is Authentick for the use and decay of Oracles but neither his Authority nor the reasons which he brings can give satisfaction to any man that seeks the true cause of their defect He refers it indeed in a generality to the Gods not that they wanted good will to mankinde still but that the matter did decay which their ministers the demoniacal Spirits did work upon as you heard before We may upon sure grounds with confidence affirm That even this decay of matter which he dreams of had it conferred ought to the use of Oracles was from God And he as the Psalmist speaks that turneth the floods into a wildernesse and drieth up the water Springs and maketh a fruitful land barren for the iniquity of them that dwell therein did also bring not onely the Oracle of Delphi so much frequented amongst the Grecians but all other kindes of divinations used amongst his own people in the old World to desolation and by powring out his Spirit more plenteously upon the barren hearts of us Heathen hath filled the Barbarous Nations of Europe with better store of Rivers of comfort then the Ancient Israel his own inheritance had ever known Or if we desire a more immediate cause of these Oracles defect amongst the Heathens the time was come that the strong mans house was to be entred his goods spoiled and himself bound now the Prince of this world was to be cast out 2 Plutarchs relation of his demoniacal Spirits mourning for great Pans death about this time is so strange that it might perhaps seem a Tale unlesse the truth of the common bruit had been so constantly avouched by ear-witnesses unto Tiberius that it made him call a convocation of Wise men as Herod did at our Saviours birth to resolve him who this great Pan late deceased should be Thamous the Egyptian Master unknown by that name to his Passengers until he answered to it at the third call of an uncouth voice uttered Sine Authore from the land requesting him to proclaim the news of great Pans death as he passed by Palodes was resolved to have let all passe as a Fancy or idle Message if the wind and tide should grant him passage by the place appointed but the wind failing him on a sudden at his coming thither he thought it but a little losse of breath to cry out aloud unto the shoar as he had been requested Great Pan is dead The words as Plutarch relates were scarce out of his mouth before they were answered with a huge noise as it had been of a multitude sighing and groaning at this wonderment If these Spirits had been by nature mortal as this Philosopher thinks the death of their chief Captain could not have seemed so strange but that a far greater then the greatest of them by whose power the first of them had his being should die to redeem his enemies from their thraldom might well seem a matter of wonderment and sorrow unto them The circumstance of the time will not permit me to doubt but that under the known name of Pan was intimated the great Shepheard of our souls that had then layd down his life for his flock not the fained son of Mercury and Penelope as the Wisemen foolishly resolved Tiberius Albeit even this base and counterfeit resolution of these Heathens coyning bears a lively image for the exact proportion of the divine truth Charactred out unto us in Scripture For it shall appear by sufficient testimonies in their due time and place to be produced that sundry general confused or Enigmatical traditions of our Saviours Conception Birth and Pastoral office had been spread abroad amongst the Nations Hence instead of Him they frame a Pan the God of Shepherds in stead of the Holy Spirit by whom he was to be conceived they have a Mercury their false Gods fained Messenger and Interpreter for Pans father instead of the Blessed Virgin who was to bear our Saviour they have a Penelope for their young Gods Mother The affinity of quality and offices in all the parties here paralleld made this transfiguration of divine Truth easie unto the Heathen and the manner of it cannot seem improbable to us if we consider the wonted vanity of their imaginations in transforming the glory of the Immortal God into the similitude of earthly things most dislike to it in nature and quality Thus admitting Plutarchs story to be most true it no way proves his intended conclusion that the wild goatish Pan was mortal but the Scriptures set forth unto us the true cause why both he and all the rest of that hellish crue should at that time howl and mourn seeing by the Great Shephe ds Death they were become Dead in Law no more to breath in Oracles but quite to be deprived of all such strange motions as they had seduced the ignorant World with before All the antick tricks of Faunus the Satyrs and such like creatures were now put down God had resolved to make a translation of his Church and for this cause the Devils were enforced to dissolve their old Chappels and seek a new form of their Liturgie or Service Whilest the Israelites were commanded to consult with Gods Priests Prophets or other Oracles before they undertook any difficult war or matters of moment Satan had his Priests and Oracles as much frequented by Heathen Princes upon the like occasions So Strabo witnesseth That the Ancient Heathen in their chief consultations of State did rely more upon Oracles then humane policy If Moses were forty dayes in the Mount to receive Laws from Gods own mouth Minos will be Jupiters Auditor in his Den or Cave for the same purpose In emulation of Shiloh or Kiriath-jearim whilest the Ark of God remained there the Heathens had Dodona and for Jerusalem they had Delphi garnished with rich donatives of forrain Princes as well as Grecians so magnified also by Grecian Writers as 〈◊〉 it had been the intended Parallel of the holy City Insomuch that Plutarch thinks the story commonly received of that Oracles original to be lesse probable because it ascribes the invention of it to Chance and not to the Divine Provivence or Favour of the Gods when as it had been such a direction unto Greece in undertaking wars in building Cities and in time of Pestilence and Famine Whether these effects in Ancient times had been alwayes from the information of Devils as I said before I will not dispute That this Oracle
had been often consulted it is evident and that oftentimes the Devils deluded such as consulted them is as manifest But since that saying of the Prophet was fulfilled I will put my law in their inward parts and write in their hearts since the knowledge of Truth hath been so plenteously made known and revealed and the principles of Religion so much dilated and enlarged by discourse the Devil hath chosen proud hearts and busie brains for his Oracles seeking by their subtilty of wit and plausibility of discourse to counterfeit and corrupt the form of wholesome Doctrine as he did of old the truth of Gods visible Oracles by his Apish Imitations 3 This conclusion then is evident both from the joynt authority of all Ancient Writers as well prophane as sacred That God in former times had spoken unto the world by Dreams Visions Oracles Priests and Prophets and that such revelations had been amongst the Israelites as the Stars or Night-Lamps amongst the Heathen as Meteors fiery Apparitions or wandering Comets for their direction in the time of darknesse and ignorance But when both the sensible experience of our times and the relations of former Ages most unpartial in this case have sufficiently declared unto us That all the former Twinckling Lights are vanished the reason of this alteration I see men might seek by Natural Causes as Plutarch did but this doubt is cleared and the question truly resolved by our Apostle in these words At sundry times and in diverse manners God spake in the old time to our Fathers by the Prophets in these last dayes he hath spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath made Heir of all things by whom also he made the world who being as the Apostle there saith the Brightnesse of his glory hath put the former lights which shined in darknesse to flight The consideration hereof confirms that truth of our Apostle to all such as are not blinded in heart where he saith That the night was past and the day was come For the suddain vanishing of all former lights about this time assigned by Christians of our Saviours Birth abundantly evince That this was the Sun of Righteousnesse which as the Prophet had foretold should arise unto the world It was the light which had lately appeared in the Coasts of Jurie then approaching Italy Greece and other of these Western Countreys which did cause these sons of darknesse the demoniacal Spirits to flit Westward as Darknesse it self doth from the face of the Sun when it begins to appear in the East And Plutarch tels us That after they had forsaken the Countrey of Greece they hanted little desart Islands near adjoyning to the coasts of this our Britanie where they raised such hideous storms and tempests as Navigators report they have done of late in that Island called by their own Name Both reports had their times of truth and the like may be yet true in some places more remote from commerce of Christians But the Heathen as Heathenish minded men do even to this day sought the reasons of such alterations from sensible Agents or second Causes which have small affinity with those effects or if they had yet the disposition of such causes depends wholly upon his will who though most Immutable in Himself changeth times and seasons at His pleasure And wheresoever the light of his Gospel cometh it verifieth that saying of our Apostle Ecce vetera transierunt nova facta sunt omnia And new times yield new observations which cannot be taken aright nor their causes known without especial directions from this rule of Life By which it plainly appeareth that the second main Period of the World since the Floud whose beginning we account from the promulgation of the Law and the distinction of the Israelites from other people until the time of Grace yields great alteration and matter of much different observation from the former And in the declining or later part of this second age we have described unto us as it were an Ebbe or stanch in the affairs of the Kingdom of Israel going before the general Fulnesse of Time After which we see the Tenor of all things in Jurie and of other Kingdoms of the world quite changed But the particulars of this change I intend to handle hereafter I now would prosecute my former observations of the old world 4 Continually whilest we compare Ancient Poets or stories with the Book of Genesis and other volumes of sacred Antiquity these sacred books give us the pattern of the waking thoughts of Ancient times And the Heathen Poems with other fragments of Ethnick writings whose entire bodies though not so aged as the former being but the works of men have perished contain the dreams and fancies which succeeding ages by hear-say and broken reports had conceived concerning the same or like matters So no doubt had God disposed that the delight which men took in the uncertain Glimpse of truth in the one should enure their mindes the better to observe the light which shineth in the other and that the unstable variety of the one should prepare mens hearts more stedfastly to imbrace the truth and stability of the other when it should be revealed unto them And as any man almost if he be observant of his former actions cogitations and occurrents may find out the occasion how dreams though in themselves oftentimes prodigious absurd and foolish come into his Brain or Fancie so may any judicious man from the continual and serious observation of this Register of truth find out the Original at least of all the principal heads or common places of Poetical fictions or ancient Traditions which cannot be imagined they should ever have come into any mans fancy unlesse from the Imitation of some Historical truth or the Impulsion of real events stirring up admiration I or Admiration as shall afterward appear did breed and Imitation spoil the divine Art of Poetry CAP. XI Of the Apparitions of the Heathen Gods and their Heroicks 1 WEre all the works of Ancient Poets utterly lost and no tradition or print of their inventions left so as the art of Poetrie were to begin anew and the Theatre to be raised from the ground the most curious wits in this or near adjoyning Countreys might for many generations to come Beat their Brains and sift their Fancies until they had run over all the formes and compositions which the whole Alphabet of their Fantasmes could afford before they could ever dream of bringing the gods in visible shape upon the Stage or interlacing their Poems with their often apparitions And unlesse ensuing times should yield matter of much different observations from that which these present do this invention would be accounted dull and find but sorry and unwelcome entertainment of the auditors or spectators That the like invention findes some acceptation now it is because mens mindes have been possessed with this conceit from the tradition of their forefathers For many
contrarie to the customs of other people had made for the most part Odious ere known unto the world should Victivictoribus leges dare being Captives give Laws unto their Conquerours even to such as sought to Triumph in their disgrace as Birds over an Owl caught in a snare did justly minister occasion of Wonderment to sundrie Heathen and might have taught the proudest and mightiest of their Enemies that they had overcome them onely by permission or Chance or if these words seem unfit for want of that good Hap Favour in their Battels which they after their overthrowes finding became by it in a sort Conquerours of their enemies even whilst they were detained in Captivity 2 The full Height and Amplitude of those Fortunes whereof This People was onely capable would bring the natural man could he fully comprehend them within perfect ken of that Incomprehensible Omnipotent Power which was onely able to effect them But because these cannot be taken by any Ethnick Observations which reach not near those Ancient times wherein their Extraordinary Successe was most Conspicuous we must gather them from the manner of their States declining since it hath been known to Ethnick or other Writers not liable to suspition of partialitie on their behalf God in his providence as Moses prophecies compared with later and the succession of their Histories Testifie had ordained as the Fulnesse of Time and their Iniquity drew near his Favours toward them should decrease by such an uniform proportion that their Contraction in later might notifie their excessive Greatnesse in former times The manner of their deliverance from the Babylonish Captivitie to such as rightly observe the divers manner of Gods proceeding in different ages before specified will give the true Estimate of Wonders wrought for their Forefathers and Cyrus Favour towards them will appear most credible from the representation of like extraordinarie Kindnesse shewed them in Egypt by Ptolomaeus Philadelphus who thougt their supream Lord by right of Conquest set at liberty a Hundred thousand of their Bodies captivated by his Father to submit himself unto their Laws which he directed by the Divine providence caused to be translated into the most known tongue then on earth through which the nations as it were through a perspective-glasse might better discern the New Star of Jacob which was shortly to arise 3 It is a point without the Circumference of Politick Observation plainly arguing such a Celestial Providence as can control the purposes of the greatest Princes why Jerusalem so often Ruinate should still be repaired againe or the Temple continue in such Beautie after it had so often fallen into the enemies hands especially seeing the Flourishing state of the One was apprehended by their Conquerours as a great Encouragement and the Fortification of the Other as a great Opportunitie of this peoples Rebellion upon which consideration Artaxerxes did inhibit the execution of Cyrus Grant for the Reedifying of Hierusalem The City wals had been razed since the time of the Babylonish Captivitie which was before any Heathen Historiographer of note first by Ptolomey the First secondly by Pompey the Great and yet repaired before Vespasians time who overthrew their strongest munitions as Adrian afterwards did the same once again repaired 4 The Truth again of that Favour which they found under the Egyptians though otherwise known by unpartial writers is more then Credible in it self from the extraordinary Favour which they found amongst the Nations about the time of their Conquest by Pompey Tully tels us in his Oration pro Flacco that Gold was transported out of Italy it self and all the rest of the Roman Provinces for Garnishing the Temple of Hierusalem The prohibition of this practise in Asia enacted by Flaccus Governour of that Province was afterward laid to his Charge though the like had been decreed by the Roman Senat in the time of Tullies Consulship It was no little prejudice unto his cause that Pompey in the Conquest of that City did think so reverently of the Jews religion and Temple that albeit he viewed the Golden Table Candlestick and other Vessels of like metal with many costly Ornaments and two thousand Talents of their Sacred Treasure yet he did not diminish so much as one Jot of it nor spoil Jerusalems Temple of any Ornaments to beautifie the Temples of his Roman Gods This abstinence of Pompey Tullie in the forecited place acknowledgeth albeit for bettering the cause he had in hand unwilling to confesse that Pompey did abstain for any Religious Respect of the Jews or their Laws for after many shifts he takes this as the best argument to elevate the Romans conceipt of the Jewish religion Whilst Jerusalem flourished and the Jews were quiet yet their sacâ—ed rites were altogether dissonant unto the splendor of the Roman Empire the gravity of that nation and the institution of their Ancestors much more as he thought should the Romans now make lesse account of that nation which had given perfect proof what good will they had born unto the Romans by their late taking arms against them And what good will the Immortal Gods did bear to them their late Fortunes did witnesse in that they had been vanquisht made tributarie and as he thought were at the Romans disposition for their preservation or destruction 5 If these Jews late subjection were any disparagement to their Religion much more might Pompey's and Tullies overthrow discredit the Roman Gods which Pompey's Faction did reverence more then Caesars yea Fortune it self on whose Favor Tullie relied after he had fallen out with all the rest could not be excused if earthly calamitie were any just presumption of impietie against Heaven But if Tullie would have sought but the first Fountain of his Countries wrack want of Reverence to the Jewish Temple and their Religion was cause of Pompeys and Crassus overthrow and their overthrow the Ruine of the Roman State CAP. XIX Of Pompey's ill successe after his entry of the Sanctum Sanctorum The manner of his death fitting his sin Of Crassus Cassius c. 1 I Know the Secular Politician can espie many Over-sights in Pompeys proceeding against Caesar and assign other Causes of his disaster But he that had gone into the Temple of the Lord with more Reverence then Pompey did might have understood that it was his Unhallowed progresse into the Most Holy Place which had set an untimely Period to his greatnesse growth This was the main Spring or Head of all his other particular Errours observed by Secular Politicians Hitherto he had marvellously prospered in all his wayes Fortune had been his Guide and Felicity his Attendant Although his Wisdom and Experience would not suffer him to over-see any thing that lay within the compasse of warlike skill yet happy Chance delighted to have a Finger in his proceedings alwayes bringing somewhat to his aid and furtherance from beyond the Hemisphere of Humane Policy so as the Issue and product
yet from Tradition he had learned as much as could be known of them in general That Moses their first Law-giver was a Prophet and one that relied not upon Poliere but the Divine Oracles that this people in Ancient times had been much better and had prospered accordingly 5 With this Strabo the Geographer that noble Historian Dion Cassius 〈◊〉 accords but more fully with Strabo the Cappadocian whose Works new lost Josephus cited This people saith Dion differ from others as in maâ—â— other points and daily practise of life so especially in this that they worship 〈◊〉 other Gods but onely One of their own whom they hold to be Invisible and 〈◊〉 ble and for this cause admit not any Image of Him yet do they worship 〈◊〉 more devoutly and religiously then any other people do their Gods But who 〈◊〉 God of theirs was or how He came at first to be thus Worshipped how greatly he was feared of this people were points he listed not to meddle withall many other had written thereof before him It seems he gave but little credence unto Tacitus discourse of their Original for he ingeniously professeth That he knew not whence they had this name of Jews but others that followed their Rites although Aliens by Birth and â—rogeny did Brook the same Name or Title even amongst the Romans themselves therewere of this Profession He addeth Although this People had been often crushed and diminished yet did they rise and increase again above the Controll of all other Laws onely subject to Their Own Thus he spake of the Jews living in Pompey's time after which they had been often crushed before Tacitus wrote yet recovered strength again CAP. XXI The means of these Jews thriving in Captivity In what they exceeded other people or were exceeded by them 1 THese Allegations and many other which out of Heathen Writâ—… could bring sufficiently prove that albeit these Jews rasted of as bitter calamities as any other did yet had they this strange Advantage of all that whereas all other were forsaken of their Friends in their adversitie and their Laws usually changed by their Conquerours oft-times abrogated or neglected by themselves upon their ill successe these Jews still found most Friends and their Laws never forsaken by them most earnest Favourers in the time of their Captivitie and distresse This was quite contrary to Nature Politick Observation or Custom of the world Wherefore seeing Nature and Policie can afford us none we must seek resolution from their Laws The reasons subordinate to the Cause of Causes Gods providence were these In the time of their distresse They did more faithfully practise their Laws themselves and had better opportunitie or greater necessitie of communicating them unto others they being of themselves alwayes most potent to allure sober and discreet mindes to their observance made known and not prejudiced by the foolish or sinister practise of their Prosessours So their great Law-giver had foretold Deut. 4. vers 5 6 7 8. Behold I have taught 〈◊〉 Or 〈◊〉 and Laws as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should do even so in the land whither ye go to possesse it Keep them therefore aâ—…o them for That is your Wisdom and Understanding in the sight of the people which shall hear of all these ordinances and shall say Onely This People is Wise and of Understanding and a great Nation For what Nation is so Great unto whom the Gods come so near unto them as the Lord our God is near unto us in all that we come unto Him 〈◊〉 And what Nation is so great that hath Ordinances and Laws so righteous as all this law which I set before you this 〈◊〉 That They had not in later times so great prosperity as others had was no Argument that Their God was not more near to Them then the Gods of other Nations to their Worthippers for He was the God of gods and Lord of lords which did good to every Nation yea He made the Romans so great a Nation albeit they knew it not That these Jews were now in subjection and the Romans Lords was no Argument that He was better to the Romans then to Them or that They were a lesse Nation if we make an equal comparison For if God should often recover a man from dangerous diseases and propagate his life unto 200. years in health and strength competent for old Age This were no argument to prove that He were not more Favourable to him then to men of younger years or middle age whose strength is greater for the present but they unlikely to recover health often impaired or to renew life once lost in Human Estimation or to account half so many years In like sort was This Peoples Often Recovery from so many Overthrows and Captivities their long continuance a distinct Nation from others more Extraordinarie then the Romans present Strength or Greatness And albeit many other Empires and States were larger then the Kingdom of Israel was at any time yet no other people could be said so great a Nation as this For others continued the same rather by Identitie of Soyl or like Form of Government then by any Real or Material Unitie or Identitie of people their increase was meerly Political and their greatnesse rose by way of Addition or Accumulation that is by admitting such mixture of others that from the first Erection of the Kingdom ere it came to its full greatnesse the number of Aliens might overspread and hide the natural inhabitants or Progenyes of such as laid the Fundamental Laws thereof which were seldome so continuate by direct Succession as they might be rightly distinguished from others And as Theseus his ship was accounted one and the same because it retained the same Form though not so much of the same Timber whereof it was first built as did go to the making of Half the Keel so the greatest States amongst the Heathens retained perhaps some few Fundamental Laws or reliques of Ancient Families descending from their First Founders in which respect alone they might be taken for one Kingdom but not so properly termed one People or Nation to whom greatnesse could be truly Attributed seeing a great many of several people were to share in this Title But These Jews besides the perpetual Unitie of their Particular as well as Fundamental Laws lesse varied either by change addition or abrogation then the Laws of any other Nation continued still One and the same People by a strict Union of Succession their grouth was natural after the manner of Vital Augmentation For albeit they admitted some mixture of strangers they could notwithstanding alwayes distinguish the Progeny of Forrain Stocks from their natural Branches which they could still derive from their several Stemmes and these all from one and the same Root so that after so many Changes and Alterations of their State from better to worse and back again after so manie glorious Victories as Scriptures mention gotten by
death of a sinner but rejoyceth at his Repentance If we be wanting to our selves in the Practise of these Rules the Popes infallible Authoritie shall never be able to supply our Negligence his Blessing where God hath laid his Curse shall do as little good as Balaams endeavour to Curse the Israclites did them harm whom God had Blessed Observing the former Precepts well the Word of God which these men belike out of their own Experience challenge of Obscurity should be a Lantern unto our feet and a Light unto our paths as it was unto Davids 2 For the Readers further Satisfaction may it please him but unpartially to consider what two of the most-learned Jesuites in matters of moderne Controverses could answer unto this last place of the Psalmist 〈…〉 would have two strings to his deceitfull and broken Bow 〈◊〉 saith he it may be answered that the Psalmist speaks not of all Scriptures but of the Commandements onely If this answer of his could stand for good it would serve as a new Supporter to our former Assertion grounded on our Saviours words in the seventh of John For thus the Commandements 〈◊〉 not be Obscure but a Lantern unto our feet and if we follow them they will be as I have shewed before a perfect Light unto us to discern tro Doctrine from false And in this respect all good Commandements not the Decalogue or these Ten onely are properly a Light whereby we may clearly know as to avoid Evil so to discern that which is Good And by this Light was David conducted unto that true Wisdom which his enemies wanted †By thy Comman dements thou hast made me wiser then mine enemies But what reason had Bellarmine to think that David in the forementioned verse should mean the Commandements onely For there he saith plainly thy Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is much more generall then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrmandements or Testimonies yet David saith That he had more understanding then all his Teachers not the infallible Teacher that sate if any such there were in Moses Chair excepted So that his Commandements are a Light his Testimonies a Light and his Word a Light And the best 〈◊〉 as well Theirs as Ours take these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commandements Words promiseuously thorowout this whole Psalm Any one of these most of all the most generall of all Words sâ—gnisie at least all Scripture which serves for mans Direction in the way of Life 3 None can be restrained to the Decalogue onely This Bellarmine saw well enough Wherefore his second Answer is It may it must be granted that he speaks of all or rather of the whole Scripture But the Scriptures saith he are called a Lanterne and a Light non quia facile intelligantur not because they are Perspicuous and easie to be understood sed quia intellects cum fuerint illustrant mentem but because when they are understood they Illuminate the Mind or Understanding This much we have said before and still do grant that the Scriptures are not plain and easie unto All live they as they 〈◊〉 nor do they shine unto Such as are Blinded in the Pride Vanitie or Corruption of their Hearts yet a Light in themselves and a Light to all that Love not Darkâ—… more than Light A Light not after they are understood for a David got true understaning by their Light whose Propertie is as well to thew the way how to avoid that Blindnesse which causeth them to seem obscure as to illuminate the clear-sighted For as by the Sun we see what Bodies are 〈◊〉 transparent or penetrable by its light so by Scriputres we discerne what be the Obstacles that hinder the intromission of their Splendour in it self and for it self most apparent into our Hearts And the Glimpse of their 〈◊〉 Beams appearing thorow the Chinks and ruptures of that Veil of Corruption which Nature hath woven about the eye-sight of our Souls doth enlighten us so far as we begin to desire the Veils removal that we may have a full fruition of their marvellous and comfortable Light as men in the Morning after long and irksom Darknesse unlesse desirous with the sluggard in the Proverbs to have a little more sleep are occasioned to open their Windows when they see the Sun-beams appear in at the Chinks My meaning is those Precepts whereof I spake before to learn Humilitie and Meeknesse Gods Threatnings to sinners his sweet Promises to the Penitent to pray for Wisdom from above and infinite other like are so Perspicuous and clear that they cannot but find entrance into Enveiled if not withall maliciously Wilfull or sluggish Hearts and finding entrance cannot but suggest Considerations what their former Life hath been and whereunto their now professed Hopes do call them that now it is time they should arise from sleep seeing Salvation draweth neerer then when they first Beleeved that the Night is past and the Day at hand therefore time to cast away the works of Darknesse and put on the armour of Light to walk honestly as in the Day not in Gluttory and Drunkennesse neither in Chambering and Wantonnesse nor in Strife and Envie Unto Hearts thus prepared the Scriptures need no other Commendation then their own no infallible Proposers Authority to illustrate or confirm their Truth more then the Sun doth a more glorious Star to manifest his Brightnesse unto men indued with perfect sight For unto such as walk like Children of the Gospels Light nothing necessarie to their Souls health can be hid in Darknesse not the Day of Destruction which shall come as a snare upon other Inhabitants of the earth can steal upon them as a thief in the night 4 But unto Infidels Haughtie and Proud-minded men unto such as delight in Sin and love to sleep in sinfull Pleasures unto such as scorn to be controlled in their Courses the Light of Gods Word if it once shine or send some scattered Raies into their hearts it shines not so again for they draw a Curtain and spread the Veil lest further intromission of such Beams might interrupt their pleasant sleep This did Luther well teach had he been as well understood that the Scripture was onely Obscure or difficult unto Infidels or proud minds But Bellarmine replies At certè David non erat superbus aut infidelis Surely David was neither a proud man nor an Infidell and yet the Scripture was Obscure and difficult to him Let him be accounted both that thinks David was either a proud man or an Infidell But the Question is not whether he were but what was the Cause he was not such was it not the Perfection of Gods Law which did convert his soul was it not the Certainty of Gods Testimonies that gave Wisdom unto his Simplicitie Yes by these Precepts he had gotten understanding to have all the wayes of Falshood And except that Law had been his delight he had perished in his Affliction How then doth
heard or learned from his godly Ancestors doth but trace out the Print of Moses footsteps almost obliterate and overgrown by the sloth and negligence of former Times wherein every man had trod what way he liked best And though the same Prophet descend to later Ages as low as Davids Yet he proceeds still by the same Rule relating nothing but such Historical Events or Experiments as confirm the Truth of Moses divine Predictions such as are yet extant in Canonical Scriptures So perfect and absolute in his judgement was that Part of the Old Testament which then was written to instruct not only the Men such as he was but every Child of God that he presumes not to know or teach more them in It was written And thus much this people should have done by Moses Precept without a Prophet for their Remembrancer And these Words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart And thou shalt rehearse them continually unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thâ—… liesi down and when thou risest up And thou shalt bind them for a Sign upon thine hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine eyes Also thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and upon thy gates And again Sâ—t your hearts unto all the Words which I command you this day that you may command them unto your children that they may observe and do all the Words of this Law For it is no vain Word concerning you but it is your Life and by this Word you shall prolong your dayes 2 Questionlesse they that were bound to observe and do this Law were bound to know it and yet Moses refers them not to his Successor as if it were so obscure that it could not possibly be known without his Infallibility but on the contrary he supposeth it so plain and easie that every Father might instruct his Son in it and every Mother her Daughter It was their own daily Experience of the fruits and benefits in Obeying of their harms and plagues in Disobeying his Precepts which was to seal their Truth unto their Consciences For without such Observation without squaring their Lives and comparing their Thoughts and Actions unto this streight and plain Rule all other Testimonies of men or Authorities of their most infallible Teachers were in vain The Miracles which they had seen to day were quite forgotten ere nine dayes after Nor could their Perswasions or conceit of Moses Infallibility serve them for any Rule when they had shaken off these inward Cogitations and measured not the Truth of his Predictions by Experiments In their Temptations they were as ready to disclaim Moses as alwayes they were to distrust God whose mighty Wonders they had seen To what use then did the sight of all Gods Wonders or of Miracles wrought by Moses serve Motives they were necessary and excellent to incline their stubborn hearts to use this Law of God for their Rule in all their Actions and proceedings and to cause them set their hearts unto it as Moses in his last Words commands them For this Law as he had told them before was in their Hearts 3 Would any man that doth fear the Lord or reverence his Word but set his heart to read over this Book of Deuteronomy or the one hundred and nineteenth with sundry other Psalms but with ordinary Observation or attention that so the Character of Gods Spirit so lively imprinted in them might be as an Amulet to prevent the Jesuites Inchantments It would be impossible for all the wit of Men or Angels ever to fasten the least suspicion on his thoughts whether the Ancient Faithful Israelites did take this Law of Moses for their Infallible Rule in all their proceedings For nothing can be made more evident then this Truth is in it self That the Israelites Swarving from this Rule was the Cause of their departure from their God and the Occasion or Cause of their Swarving from it was this devilish Perswasion which Satan suggested to them then as the Jesuites do unto the Christian People now That this Law was too Obscure too Hard too Difficult to be understood no compleat Rule for their actions without Traditions or relying upon their Priests or Men in chief Authority This Hypocrisie Moses did wel foresee would be the beginning of all their Miseries the very Watch-word to Apostasie For which Cause he labours so seriously to prevent it Deut 30. 14. For this Commandment which I set before thee this day is not hid from thee neither far off but the Word is very near unto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart to do it How was it in their Mouthes and in their Hearts when it was so obscure and difficult unto them after Moses Death It was in their Hearts and in their Posterity too had they set their hearts to it But as it is true Pars sanitatis est velle sanari It is a part of Health to be willing to be healed so was it here Pars morbi nolle sanari more then a part of this their grievous Disease their Blindnesse of heart was their pronenesse to be perswaded that this Word or Doctrine which Moses here taught was too Obscure and Difficult for them to follow They first began as the Jesuites do to pick Quarrels with God for which their Stubbornnesse he gave them over to their hearts desire And this his Sacred Word which should have been a Lantern unto their feet and a Light unto their paths as it was to Davids became a stumbling Block and a Stone of offence 1 Cor. 1. 23. What was the reason By their swarving from this plain and straight Rule their wayes became crooked and their actions unjust And it is the Observation of the wise Son of Sirach As Gods wayes are right and plain unto the just so are they stumbling Blocks unto the wicked Not Moses himself had he been then alive could have made this or any other true Rule of Faith plain unto these Jews whilest they remained perverse and stubborn And had they without Moses or any infallible Teachers help cast off this Crookednesse of heart Moses his infallible Doctrine had stil remained easie streight and plain unto them For it was in their Hearts though hid and smothered in the Wrinkles of their crooked Hearts In our Saviours time they wil not assent unto the Word written nor unto the Eternal Word unto which all the Writings of the Prophets gave Testimony unlesse they may see a Signe What was the Cause They had not laid Moses Commandments to their hearts For had they from their hearts Believed Moses they had Believed Christ For all whose Miracles wrought for their good in their sight and presence they cannot or wil not see that his Words were The Words of Eternal Life as Peter confesseth John 6. 68. Nor would any Jesuite
have acknowledged as much had be been in their place For why should he Any other might say he had the Spirit of God and that he was the Messias and what if Peter one of his Fellows late a Fisher-man did confesse him The Scribes and Pharisees principal Members of the visible Church deny him to be their Messias And how should they know his Words to be the Word of God unlesse the Church had confirmed them If Christ himself should have said in their hearing as he did to the Jews John 5. 46. Moses wrote of me consider his Doctrine and lay it to your hearts A Jesuite would have replied You say Moses wrote of you But how shal we know that he meant you Moses is dead and saies nothing and they that sit in his Chair say otherwise And verily the Scribes and Pharisees had far greater Probabilities to plead for the Infallibility of that Chair then the Jesuites can have for their Popes who had they been in the others place could have coyned more matter out of that one saying of our Saviour Mat. 23. 2. Sedent in Cathedra Mosis for the Scribes and Pharisees infallible Authority then all the Papists in the world have been able to extract out of all the Scriptures that are or can be urged for the Pope or Church of Romes Infallibilitie 4 The Scribes and Pharisees though no way comparable to the â—esuites for cunning in painting rotten or subtilty in oppugning Causes true and â—…nd could urge for themselves against such as confessed Christ that none of the Rulers nor of the Pharisees did Believe in him but only a Cursed Crew of such as knew not the Law John 7. 48. They could Object the Law was obscure and the interpretation of it did belong to them But could these pretences excuse the people for not obeying Christs Doctrine You will say perhaps they could not be excused because Christs Miracles were so many and manifest These were somewhat indeed if Christ had been their Accuser But our Saviour saith plainly that he would not accuse them to his Father And for this cause he would not work many Miracles amongst such as were not moved with the like already wrought lest he should increase their Sins If Christ did not who then had reason to accuse them Moses as it is in the same place did Moses in whom they trusted and on whom they fastened their Implicite Faith Moses of whom they thought and said We will Believe as he Believed Moses whose Doctrine they to their seeming stood as stifly for against Christs new Doctrine as they supposed as the Jesuites do for the Catholick Church as they think against Hereticks and Sectaries as they term us Why then is Moses whom thus they honoured become their chief Accuser because while they did Believe on him only for Tradition or from pretence of Succession or for the dignity of their Temple Church or Nation they did not indeed Believe Him nor his Doctrine For had they Believed his Doctrine they had Believed Christ For he wrote of Christ So he might thinks the Jesuite and yet write so obscurely of him as his Writings could be no Rule of Faith to the Jews without the Visible Churches Authority Yea rather they should and might have been a Rule unto them for their good against the Visible Churches Authority and now remain a Rule or Law against both to their just condemnation because the Doctrine of Christ was so plainly and clearly set down in these writings had they set their hearts unto them Even the Knowledg of Christ the Word of life it self was in their mouthes and in their hearts For that Commandment which Moses there gave them was That Word of Faith which S. Paul the infallible Teacher of the Gentiles did preach as he himself testifies Rom. 10. 8. If any man ask how this Place was so easie to be understood of Christ or how by the doctrine of Moses Law the doctrine of the Gospel might have been manifested to their Consciences my Answer is already set down in our Saviours Words Had they done Gods Will revealed unto them in that Law they should have known Christs Doctrine to have been of God 5 Had they according to the prescript of Moses Law repented them of their Sins from the bottom of their Hearts the Lord had blotted all their Wickedness out of His remembrance And their hearts once purged of Wickednesse would have exulted in his presence that had made them whole Faith would have fastened upon his Person though never seen before Not the Moon more apt to receive the Sun-beams cast upon it then these Jews hearts to have shined with the Glory of Christ had they cast away all Pride and Self-conceit or the Glory of their Nation but unto them as now they are and long time have been swollen with Pride and full of Hypocrisie Christs Glory is but as clear Light to sore or dim-sighted eyes They wink with their eyes lest they should be offended with the Splendor of it This Doctrine of Christ and Knowledge of Scriptures in points of Faith shall be most obscure to us if we follow them in their foolish pretences of their Visible Church most clear perspicuous and easie if we lay Moses Commandments to our hearts For Truth Inherent must be as the eye-sight to discern all other things of like nature CAP. XVIII Concluding this Controversie according to the state proposed with the testimony of Saint Paul 1 WE may conclude this Point with our Apostle Si Evangelium nostrum tectum est iis qui pereunt tectum est in quibus Deus hujus saeculi excaecavit mentes id est infidelibus ne irradiat eos lumen Evangelii gloriae Christi qui est imago Dei If the Gospel be Obscure or rather hid For it is a Light obscure it cannot be God forgive me if I used that speech save only in our Adversaries persons It is hid only to such as have the eyes of their mind Blinded by Satan the God of this World Of which Number may we not without breach of Charity think he was one who seeing the light and evidence of this place would not see it but thought it a sufficient Answer to say Aposiolus non loquitur de intelligentia Scripturarum sed de cognitione side in Christum The Apostle speaks not of understanding Scriptures but of Knowing and Believing in Christ It is well the Jesuite had so much Modestie in him as to grant this later that he spake at the least of Knowing Christ For if the knowledg of Christ be so clear to the godly and elect then are the Scriptures clear too so far as concerns their Faith For S. Paul wrote this and all his Epistles only to this end that men might truly come to the Knowledge of Christ But he meant of a perfect and true Knowledge not such as Bellarmine when he gave this Answer dreamed of ut neque sit puer neque
Carelesnesse Sloth Negligence and want of zeal to the Truth 6 And after this Composal was once so wrought that men had felt some intermission of publick Dissention which they feared most such as were industrious in the search or would have been expert in the Knowledge of Scriptures were esteemed of but as Souldiers in the time of Peace and ease alwayes suspected lest they should raise new Broils And for this reason debarred of free accesse unto this Armory But how soever the Practise of examining the Churches Authority by Scripture was for many generations rare till Luther arose yet during all this time that of our Apostle Acts 14. 17. was in this Case most true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 GOD did not leave himself without a Witnesse In all these ages he had his Martyrs who in the fervency of their Zeal earnestly sought the dissolution of the coagulated Masse and extraction of Celestial Quintessences therein buried offering their Bodies as fuel to the flames of persecutions that were to effect it 7 Nor can you in reason demand we should give particular Instances of such Martyrs in every Age. For no man of sense but will easily conceive that your Church would seek by all means possible to obliterate their Fame and Memory upon whose Bodies she had exercised such extream Tyranny left their Example might encourage Posterity to like Resolutions Unlesse DRIFDO had unawares I think acquainted me with the Provost of STENELDA'S Epistle to S. BERNARD I had not known either your Cruelty against the Albigence's or Picards as I suppose or their Constancy in suffering Tortures in themselves most grievous yet attended with Usages as disgraceful both for the manner or form of Proceeding as injuriously inflicted as the ground or matter of Accusations brought against them were unjust and impious The Provosts Epistle was to this effect 8 I would gladly be resolved Holy Father might I enjoy your presence whence it is that in Hereticks the Devils members there should be so great Resolution for defence of their Heresies as the like can scarce be found in very religious and faithful Christians There are saith he amongst us Hereticks which put no confidence in the Suffrages of men deceased or Prayers of Saint Fastings and other afflictions of the Body usually undertaken for Sin are not in their Opinion necessary to the righteous Purgatory after death they acknowledge none Denying the making of our Lords Body in the Sacrament of the Altar the Church they affirm to be amongst them having neither fields nor possessions Of such we have known divers by the multitude misled with too much zeal violently haled agaiâ—… our will unto the flame whose Torments they not only indured with patience but entertained with joy I would therefore be resolved by you Holy Father whence so great Resolution in the Devils members should spring 9 No question but this Provost which esteemed no better of them then as of Hereticks or Satans members did relate the worst Opinions then known to be held by them and yet He as I would have the Reader note living in their time laies no such odious Tenents to their charge as those that lived long after or were imployed by the Romish State to write against Wickliff Husse or Jerome of Prage have charged them and their followers with Driedo tels us he finds no direct Answer by way of Epistle or writing unto this venerable mans demand in particular But out of S. Bernards Doctrine else-where delivered concerning like Hereticks he finds this Resolution The Constancy of Martyrs hath no affinity with the Stubbornnesse of Hereticks Pietie breeds contempt of Death in the one Hardnesse of heart in the other Such good minded men as S. Bernard I think had least to do in the Examination of such men most obnoxious to mis-information in the particulars of their carriage with which the Civil Magistrates of France though Romish Catholicks better acquainted have given them laudable Testimonies for their honest and religious Lives and whether these mentioned by that Provost were such as S. Bernard spake against in the place late cited is more then Driedo knew Howsoever in matters of this nature it is most true Bernardus non vidit omnia being as easie in his life time to be abused by crafty Politicians as his Authority is now by modern Jesuites He that will believe these men were such Hereticks as Driedo would make them only because Driedo sayes so may easily be perswaded that their Resolution did not spring so much from true and lively Faith as from Humorous Obstinacy or stubborn Pride But while we consider all Circumstances well though many we take from your Relation who in this Case relate nothing so well and truly as you should we have just cause to think they were not Hereticks but men rightly Religious fearing God more then men and more observant of his Laws then of humane Traditions For at this time as the Glory the temporal Power and Authority of your Church was exceeding Great so were the Hopes of these poor souls lesse either of purchasing Glory by contradicting or private Gains by disobeying your Decrees To attempt the one was the readiest way to procure their utter Disgrace the other an infallible provocation of greatest Danger Your Church had the whole Multitude of Nations as ready at her beck to applaud your cruel designs against them as the High-Priests and Elders had the Jewish People to approve our Saviours Condemnation The manner of their Tortures accompanied with such certainty of Ignominy and Disgrace were dreadful to the setled and deliberate cogitations of Flesh and Bloud their Memory for ought they could in human probability foresee was either to sleep with their Bodies and lie buried in their ashes or if surviving them to be perpetually scourged by the scurrilous pens and tongues of their bitter Adversaries No hope they had of being Canonized for Saints in the vehement desire whereof some in your Church have solicited the procurement of their own violent death by others hands 10 All these and many other like circumstances whiles we consider ye may brag of the Multitude and Universality as a Note of the true Church and we will easily grant you to have been at that time far more in number then these silly Sheep whose admirable Constancy neverthelesse in the heat of such extream Tyrannie and alwayes matcht with such harmlesse Simplicity doth make us think that albeit you were the greater yet these were that little Flock unto whose hearts our Saviour by his holy Spirit of comfort had said Fear not for it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom lands and possessions as your Adversaries truly object here on earth ye have had none But the Losse is little or rather your Gain exceeding great For these because these you have forsaken for the Gospels sake and mine you shall receive lands and possessions an hundred fold with life everlasting in the world to come
Melody and joy at their Destructions yet we assure our selves and ye might dread Gods further Judgement by the event it was the Cry of their innocent Bloud which fill'd the Court of Heaven and in a just revenge of their Oppression procured Luthers Commission for Germanies Revolt And yet say you Luther was the Cause of Dissention in Christs Church why so Because he burst your former Unity whose only Bond was Hellish Tyrannie Of such a dissention and of the breach of such an Unity we grant he was the Cause and you have no just cause to accuse him of dissention or disobedience for it For all kind of Unity is not to be preferred before all kind of Dissention or Revolt He that will not dissent from any man or society of men upon any Occasion whatsoever must live at perpetual Enmity with his God and War continually against his own Soul For there is an Unity in Rebellion a Brotherhood in Mischief a Society in Murther both of Body and Soul Wherefore unlesse you can prove your Cause or Title for exacting such absolute submission of mens souls and spirits unto your Church or Popes Decrees to be most just and warrantable by Commission from the Highest Power in Heaven Luther and all that followed him did well in preferring a most just most necessary and sacred War before a most unjust and shamefully-execrable Peace A Peace no Peace but a banding in open Rebellion against the Supream Lord of Heaven and Earth and his Sacred Laws given for the perpetual Government of Mankind throughout their generations 4 To presse you a little with your Objections against us and our Doctrine for nourishing dissention Our Church say you hath no Means of taking up Controversies aright If this were true yet God be praised it ministreth no just occasion of any dangerous Quarrel But be ours as it may be hath your Church any better Means for composing Controversies of greatest moment that raign this day throughout the Christian World Or doth it not by this insolent proud tyrannical claim of Soveraigntie and imperial Umpiership over all other Churches in all Controversies give just cause of the greatest dissention and extremest Opposition that can be imagined could be given in the Church of Christ The whole world besides cannot minister any like it Nature and common Reason teach us that a man may with far safer Conscience take arms in defence of his Life and Liberty then in hope to avoid some pettie loss or grievance or to revenge some ordinary cause of private discontent the Quarrel in the one though with resistance unto our Adversaries bloud may be justifiable which in the other albeit within the compasse of lesse danger were detestable But Grace doth teach us this Equitie Skin for Skin all that ever a man hath the whole world and more if he had it is to be spent in the defence of Faith the only seat of our Spiritual Life or for the Libertie of our Conscience You alone teach that all men should submit their Faith to your Decrees without examination of them or appeal from them we usurp no such Authoritie either over yours or any mens Consciences You challenge our Soveraign Lord and all his People to be your ghosily Slaves we only stand in our own defence we exact to such absolute Service or Allegeance either of you or any other the meanest Christian Church no nor our Prince and Clergie of the natural members of our own They only seek would God they sought aright in time to keep them short at home whose long reach might hale over Sea your long-sought Tyrannie over this People of Brittany happily now divided Lord ever continue this happy Division from the Romish world Unlesse your Means of taking up so great Contentions as hence in equitie ought to arise be so superexcellent that it can make amends where all is marred for which I cannot see what Means can be sufficient unlesse you either let your Suit fall or prove your Title to be most just by Arguments most Authentick and strong you evidently impose a necessitie of the greatest Contentions and extremest Opposition that any abuse or wrong losse or danger possibly to befall a Christian man either as a Man or Christian either in things of this life or that other to come either concerning his very Life and Libertie whether Temporal or Spiritual or whatsoever else is more dear unto him can occasion of breed 5 That which ye usually premise to work such a prejudice in credulous and unsetled minds as may make your sleight pretences of Reason or Scripture to be sifted anone seem most firm and solid to ground you Infallibility upon is the supposed Excellency of it for taking up all Controversies in Religion and so of retaining Unitie of Holy Catholick Faith in the Bond of Love If indeed it were so excellent for this purpose you might rest contented with it and heartily thank God for it Yea but because you have this excellent Means which we have not nor any like unto it yours is the true Catholick Church and ours a congregation of Schismaticks What if we would invent the like would that serve to make ours a true Church Or tell us what Warrant have you for inventing or establishing your supposed most excellent Order for taking up Controversies Was it from Heaven or was it from Men If from Heaven we will obey it if from Men we will imitate you in it if we like it But first let us a little further examin it CAP. XXVIII That of two Senses in which the Excellency of the Romish Churches pretended Means for retaining the Unity of Faith can only possibly be defended The one from the former discourse proved apparently False The other â—… self as palpably Ridiculous 1 WHen you affirm the Infallibility of your Church to be so excellent a Means for taking up all Controversies in Religion you have no choice of any other but one of these two Meanings Either you mean It is so excellent a means de facto and doth take up all Controversies or else it would be such as might take up all if all men would subscribe unto It. 2 If you take the former Sense or meaning we can evidently take you as we say with the very manner of Falshood For this claim of such Authoritie as we partly shewed before is the greatest eye-sore to all faithful eyes that can be imagined and makes your Religion more irreconcilable to the Truth And for this Church of England as in it some dissent from you in many Points others in fewer some more in one some more in another so in this of your Churches Infallibility all of us dissent from you most evidently most eagerly without all hope of Reconcilement or agreement unlesse you utterly disclaim the Title in as plain terms as hitherto you have challenged it Your dealing herein is as absurdly impious and impiously insolent as if any Christian Prince or State should
Jove Caesar habet Jove and Caesar are Kings and Gods But Jove of heaven that 's the only ods That Christ should retain the title of the supream head over the Church militant and the reality of supremacy over the Church triumphant our adversaries are not offended Because there is small hope of raising any new tribute from the Angels and Saints in heaven to the Romish Churches use and as little fear that Christ should take any secular commodity from it which anciently it hath enjoyed 14 But though it were true that we were absolutely bound to obey an absolute Monarch of whose right none doubts yet may we examin whether every Potentate that challengeth Monarchical jurisdiction over others or gives forth such insolent edicts in civil matters as the Pope doth in spiritual do not go beyond his authority in these particulars albeit his lawful preâ—ogatives in respect of others be without controversie many and great yet limited both for number and magnitude For suppose King Henry the eight after he had done what he could against the Pope should stil have professed his good liking of Romish religion opposing only this to all his Popish Clergie that had challenged him of revolt Am not I defender of the faith The Pope whom I trow you take for no false Prophet hath given me this prerogatrâ—… amongst Christian Princes as expresly as ever S. Peter bequeathed him his supremacy above other Bishops It is as impossible for me to defend as for his Holinesse to teach any other besides the true Catholick Faith Let the proudest amongst my Prelates examin my expositions of his decrees and by S. George he shall fry a fagot for an Heretick Would this or the like pretence though countenanced by royal authority have been accepted for a just defence that this boisterous King had not contradicted the Pope but the tatling Monks or other private expositors of his decrees would this have satisfied the Popes agents until the King and his Holinesse had come to personal conference for final debatement of the case yet for Christs servants thus to neglect their masters cause is no sin in the Romanists judgement yea an heresie is it not to deal so negligently in it For a sin of no lower rank they make it not to submit our hearts minds and affections unto the Popes negative decrees though against that sence of Scripture which conscience and experience gives us Unto all the doubts fears or scruples these can minister it must suffice That the Pope saith he expounds scripture no otherwise then Christ would were he in earth but only controls all private glosses or expositors of them But can any Christian heart content it self with such delusions and defer all examinations of doctrine until that dreadful day come upon him wherein the great Shepheard shall plead his own cause face to face with this pretended Vicar and his associates Do we believe that Christ hath given us a written law that he shal come to be our Judge and call us to a strict account wherein we have transgressed or kept it yet may we not try by examination whether these Romish guides lead us aright or awry Whether some better or clearer exposition may not be hoped for then the Pope or Councel for the present tenders to us What if the Pope should prohibit all disputations about this point in hand whether obeying him against the true sence of Scripture as we are perswaded we yield greater obedience unto him then unto Scriptures may we not examin the equity of this decree or his exposition of that Scripture which happily he would pretend for this authority his amplius fili mi ne requiras No by their general Tenent and Valentians expresse Assertion it were extream impiety to traverse this sence or exposition under pretence of obscurity c. By the same reason for ought I can see it would follow that if the question were whether obeying the Pope more then God we did obey man more then God we might not examin at least not determin whether the Pope were Man or God or a middle nature betwixt both which came not within the compasse of that comparison CAP. X. In what sense the Jesuites may truly deny they believe the words of man better then the words of God In what sense again our writers truly charge them with this blasphemy 1 IF we review the former discourse we may find that equivocation which Bellarmin sought as a knot in a bulrush in our writers objections to be directly contained in their Churches denial of what was objected Whilest they deny that they exalt the Churches authority above Scriptures or mans word above Gods this denial may have a double sence They may deny a plain and open profession or challenge of greater authority in their Church then in Scriptures Or they may deny that in effect and substance they overthrow all authority of Scripture save only so far as it makes for their purpose 2 That the Pope should openly professe himself competitor with God or in expresse tearms challenge greater authority then Scriptures have was never objected by any of our writers For all of us know the Man of Sin must be no open or outward enemy to the Church but Judas-like a disciple by profession his doctrine indeed must be a doctrine of devils yet counterseiting the voice of Angels as he himself though by internal disposition of mind a slave to all manner of filthinesse and impurity must be enstiled Sanctissimus Dominus the most holy Lord. If the poison of his iniquity were not wrapt up in the titles of divine mysteries it would forth-with be disliked by many silly superstitious souls which daily suck their bane from it because perswaded that the Scriptures which they never have examined whose true sense they never tasted but from some reliques of heathenish zeal idolatrously worship in gross do fully warrant it When our Writers therfore object that the Papists exalt the Popes laws above Gods had not these holy Catholicks an especial grace to grow deaf as often as we charge their mother with such notorious and known whoredomes as they see might evidently be proved unto the world if they should stand to contest with us their meaning is plain that the Pope in deed and issue makes the Scriptures which in shew he seems to reverence of no authority but only with reference to his own That he and his followers should in words much magnifie Gods word written or unwritten we do not marvel because the higher esteem men make of it the higher still he may exalt his throne being absolutely enabled by this device to make all that belongs to God his Word his Laws his Sacraments the pretious Body and Bloud of his Son blessed for ever meer foot-stools to his ambition For if the authority of Scriptures or such traditions as he pretends be established as divine and he admitted sole absolute infallible Judge of their meaning it would argue
either Antichristian blindnesse not to see or impudency of no meaner stock not to acknowledg that the Pope by this mean might appropriate unto himself the honour due unto God play upon his Creator in such sort as if a corrupt Lawyer having evidences committed to his trust should by vertue of them take up rents and let leases to the Land-lords dammage and Tenants overthrow And what is most villanous unto whatsoever prerogatives though most prejudicial to the divine majesty his Parasitical Canonists shal blasphemously entitle this most holy Father The Son of God and his faithfullest servants Apostles or Prophets must be brought forth to abet the forgery as if evidence given in Court by infamous Knights of the Post should in the final day of hearing be produced under the hands and seals of free Barons or other chief Peers of the Land for as was intimated before whatsoever the Pope though in his own cause shall say it must by this doctrine be supposed that Christ doth say the same Yea if it should please his Holiness to avoach ex Cathedra that these words Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melechisedech are truly and literally meant of himself as Christs Viâ—ar or of perpetual succession in Peters Chair the evidence must be taken as upon the Almighties oath who in that place hath sworn as much as these words import but what that is the Pope must judge That then he permits Christ the title of his soveraign Lord and urges others to subscribe unto his laws as most divine is just as if some Polititian should solicit the whole body of a kingdom solemnly to acknowledge one othewise lawful heir unto the Crown for their Monarch most omnipotent and absolute whose wil once signified must be a law for ever inviolable to all his subjects not with intent that he should in person retain such perpetual soveraignty over them but that he might have absolute power to dispose of his kingdom as he pleased unto the worlds end or to nominate others as absolute in his place whilest he spent his dayes as a sojourner in a forrain land Finally not the most treacherous and detestable plot the most wicked Pope that hath been is or shall be could desire to effect but may by this device be countenanced with as great and sacred authority as were the best actions our Saviour ever undertook which as may better appear from what shall be said in the next Section is to make every Popes authority as much greater then our Saviours as their lives and actions are worse then his was 3 Suppose some Devil should possesse the Popes place in similitude of a man as some Papists think the great Antichrist who shall challenge as great authority as the Pope doth shall be a Devil incarnate or the son of a Devil might he not hold his dignity by the same plea the Jesuites make for their Lord and Master Could he not be content to pretend Christs name or succession from S. Peter as Simon Magus might he have obtained what he desired would have done for his own advantage could he not urge the authority of Gods word to confirm his own over it and all that is called Gods If in such a case it might not be permitted men to examin his allegations out of Scriptures how could the devil himself be convinced by Scriptures or deposed from his supremacy thence pretended And can we doubt whether he which makes no other plea then the Devil were he in place might is not that Filius Diaboli The great Antichrist Were we not taught that the sons of this world are wise only in their own generation we might justly wonder that any men indued with natural wit could be so blind as at the first sight not to descrie the politick Sophisins used by the Romanist to cozen Christ of his kingdom As their whole Religion is but the image of the old Roman policy so their main plot of Templum Domini Templum Domini the Church the Church as if all were rebels against Christ that wil not swear absolute fealty to the Church Romish may be most fully paralleled by the like practise of such cunning States-men as having alwayes one eye to the advancement of their own private fortunes live under an absolute Monarch of himself royally minded but not much intermedling in the affairs of greatest moment Opportunity of high place under a king upon what occasion soever thus sequestred that poor mens complaints cannot possesse his ears tempts politicians to effect their own purposes under pretence of his right and to condemn all of treason or disroyalty that will not obey their designs directed in their Soveraigns name though most abhorrent from the disposition of his Royal heart were he acquainted with such lamentable grievances of his poor Subjects as are the usual consequents of Princes gracious Favours upon great Ones The more absolute such a Princes lawful authority the greater is native subjects love unto him is the more may both be abused by such unthankful officers As it is the Soveraign conceit all men have of Christs kingdom which keeps the silly in such servility unto the Pope his pretended agent 4 This is the only difference in these two cases otherwise most like An earthly Prince may live and die deluded of his Machiavillian States men over whom he hath no power after he himself is once subject But Christ lives and reigns a King for ever and though his throne be in the highest heavens beholds the things done on earth He sees and yet suffereth his pretended officers to detain such as love darknesse more then light in grossest ignorance and blind subjection to the Prince of darkenesse and his associates he sees and yet suffers them detain all such as delight in lies more then in truth from acquaintance with his Holy spirit He sees and yet suffers their foulest villanies to be countenanced by his sacred laws he sees and yet suffers his holy name to be abused to the establishing of Antichristian Heresies he sees and yet suffers his glory made a stale for maintenance of their secular pomp He is the keeper of Israel and cannot so slumber as any abuse should escape his notice his indignation shall not sleep for ever but in due time he wil rouse himself as a Lion awaked to take vengeance upon all the workers of iniquity on them above others who have thus usurped his throne on earth taking that judgement during the time of his supposed absence wholly into their hands which beloâ—…nly unto him Even so come Lord Jesu Holy and True and with the breath of thy mouth destroy him that hath destroyed truth and sincerity from amongst the Sons of men SECT III. Containing the second degree of great Antichrists Exaltation in making his authority more absolutely infallible then any the visible or representative Church of the Jews Moses or the Prophets ever had Finally in making it greater then Christs or
universal or absolute amongst the Jews as the Papists make it but was to be limited by the former Rules 1 ONe especial place on which they stand is from that Law in Deuteronomy If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgement between bloud and bloud between plea and plea between plague and plague in the matters of controversie within thy gates then shalt thou arise and go up unto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse And thou shalt come unto the Priests of the Levites and to the Judge that shall be in those dayes and ask and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgement and thou shalt do according to that thing which they of that place which the Lord hath chosen shew thee and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee According to the Law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgement which they shall tell thee sealt thou do thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee neither to the right hand nor to the left And that man that will do presumptuously not hear kning unto the Priest that standeth before the Lord thy God to minister there or unto the Judge that man shall die and thou shalt take away evil from Israel so all the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously 2 This precept admits of many restrictions any one of which doth take away all the force of our adversaries objections First it may without prejudice to our cause be granted although it cannot out of these words be necessarily inferred that God here prescribes obedience in the abstract such as was to be performed unto those Priests and Judges that lived according to that pattern which he had set them Thus may this precept of obedience for the extent be universal and concern all causes whatsoever spiritual or temporal doubts of conscience or matters of this life in all which such governours were to be obeyed but conditionally if they were such as God in his law required they should be unto such as you heard before he gave illuminations extraordinary such as the parties that were to obey might have perfect notice of But how great soever the extent of this precept be not one syllable in it makes more for absolute obedience unto spiritual then unto civil governours for it is said indefinitely vers 10. thou â—… do according to that thing which they either spiritual or temporal of that placâ—… which the Lord hath chosen shall shew thee And again the words are diâ—…ctive That man that will do presumptuously not hearkening unto the Prâ—… unto the Judge that man shall die whether the Priest were to be supream Judge or no it is not said at the least the High Priest was not the chief man alwayes in the Councel for he was not alwayes admitted into the supream Consistory or Sanhedrim which is established in this place yet Bellarmin will have the definitive sentence belong unto the Priest and the execution of it to the civil magistrate so indeed the present Romish Church in spiritual cases would be judge and mâ—ke Christian Princes her hang-men but their practise must not be taken for an infallible exposition of that Law whence they seek to justifie their practise quite contrary to the practise of the Jewish Church and Synagogue Nor doth Bellarmin or any other beside the base parasitical Canonists or the Popes trencher chaplains deny but that in many civil causes the Prince or temporal Magistrate hath a definitive sentence can he then gather out of any circumstance of this place that only spiritual causes are here meant nay he confesseth that the law is general concerning all doubts that might arise out of the law yet it is most probable that it only concerns civil controversies and Bellarmins reason to prove that it includeth spiritual causes or matters of Religion is most idle The occasion of this Law saith he was for them that did serve other Gods as appears out of the beginnning of the Chapter now the service of other Gods is a point of Religion But what though Moses in the former part of this Chapter speak of Idolaters must this law therefore concern Idolaters In the former part he speaketh only of Idolaters but this law is not only for them by Bellarmins confession Yet the circumstances of the place and the expresse law against Idolaters mentioned before evince that in this Chapter as in the former he first sets down laws concerning the true service of God and in the later part gives precepts for the observation of the second Table the maintaining of love by the final composition of all controversies that might arise betwixt neighbours In the former law Idolaters are sentenced to death and Idolatry saith Bellarmin is a point of Religion Was the Priest alone then to give sentence and the civil Magistrate only to execute it There is not the least pretence for it out of this Text. Any ordinary Magistrate might execute him that was lawfully convicted of this crime nor was it so hard a matter to judge who was an Idolater amongst the Jews as it is to determin what is an Heresie amongst the Romanists This was to be proved by witnesses not by Logical proof or force of speculative reason Had the cunningest Jesuite in the world been taken amongst them kneeling down before an Image and praying to it all the distinctions in the Master of sentences or Aquinas or both their Commentators could not have redeemed him against two honest men that had sworn he had done thus much there had been no appeal from any City in Judah unto any higher Court his doom had been read in the gates and without them he should as Homer speaks have put on a stony coat 3 That the Kings of Judah were only to execute the Priests definitive sentence in all hard controversies is a position well deserving execution without appeal at Princes hands And no doubt but it did so amongst the Jews The former Court as is most probable was to cease when they had a King amongst them And Moses in the former Chapter after he had given the other law for ending controversies gives the law for the election of their King if so be they would have one as if the former Court had then ceased to be the supream Tribunal seeing all Subjects might appeal unto the King from it in which this Soveraignty did before reside as being the supream Tribunal whence there could be no appeal 4 The King in the Law concerning his qualification is commanded to have the Law of his God written out And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of his Law and these Ordinances for to do them that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turn not from the commandment
Come and see a man that hath told me all things that ever I did is not he The Christ Upon their like experience fully consonant to the same common notion on conceit of the Messias did a many of that City conceive Faith from the womans report but moe because of his own words And they said unto the woman Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that This is indeed The Christ the Saviour of the World From the like but more lively experience of his discovering secrets did his Disciples make that confession Now know we that thou knowest all things and needest not that any man should ask thee By this we believe that thou art come out from God 16 The manifestation of this Prophetical Spirit did give life unto his greatest miracles in working Faith for his Disciples believed in him after his resurrection because he had foretold his reedifying the Temple in three dayes space Which speech of his the foolish Jews not knowing His Body to be the true Temple wherein their God did dwell after a more excellent manner then between the Cherubins take as meant of the materiall Temple which had been fourty six yeers in building But saith Saint Iohn Assoon as he was risen from the dead his Disciples remembred that he thus said unto them and they believed the Scripture and the word which Iesus had said Nor did they compare these two together by chance for our Saviour often inculcated this Method as of purpose to imprint the former Oracle of Isaiab in their hearts To assure them of his going to his Father he expresly tels them Now I have spoken unto you before it come that when it is come to passe ye might believe Foretelling the persecution of his Disciples he addes These things have I told you that when the hour shall come ye might remember that I told you them That glory likewise which God had professed he would not give to any other he foretels should be given Him and so demands it as if He that did glorifie and He that was glorified were both One Father Glorifie thy Name Then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified is and will glorifie it again How had he glorified it before By glorifying this great Prophet who did fully expresse but for exceed Moses in all things wherein Former Prophets did resemble him but came far short of him When was he so glorified At his transfiguration upon Mount Tabot which none without Sacrilegious impiety could have foretold as likely to befall him self save he alone that had not as Moses onely seen the Similitude of the Lord but being in the Forme of God thought it no robbery to be Equal with him Yet this Prophet of whom we speak though like to his Brethren in shape and substance to assure them he should come in the Glory of his Father foretells his Disciples that some of them should not die untill they had seen the Kingdom of God come with Power which was accomplished in that Transfiguration where as Saint Peter witnesseth He received of God the Father honour and glory when there came such a voyce unto him from the excedent glory This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Yea so well pleased as for his sake the world might henceforth know how ready he was to hear all that through faith in his Name should call upon him even such as had displeased him most For this cause the Codicil annexed to the divine Will and Testament here signified immediately after to be sealed with the bloud of this Best Beloved Son was that reciprocal duty before intimated in the Law Hear Him as is specified by three Evangelists For more publick manifestation of his Majesty as then revealed but to a few was that glorious commemoration of it lately mentioned celebrated again in the audience of the multitude This voice saith our Saviour came not because of me but for your sakes And in that place again after his wonted predictions of things should after come to passe as of his victory over death he testifies aloud to all the people that he was the great Prophet foretold by Moses sweetly paraphrasing upon his words And Jesus tried and said He that believeth in me believeth not in me but in him that sent me And if any man hear my words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the world but to save the world He did not accurse such as would not acknowledge his authority or derogated from his person or miracles nor needed he so to do for he that refuseth him and receiveth not his words hath one that judgeth him the word which he had spoken it shall judge him in the last day This was that which Moses had said And whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he the great Prophet shall speak in my Name I will require it of him to wit in the last day of accompts For I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me he gave me a commandement what I should do and what I should speak And I know that his commandement is life everlasting the things therefore that I speak I speak them so as the Father said unto me What is this but that speech of Moses improved to it Full Value according to the circumstances and signes of those times and as it concerned the Lord and Prince of Prophets I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him 17 This being the last conference our Saviour was willing to entertain with the Jews this his last farewell given in Moses words warrants me to construe that speech of Saint Iohns though he had done so many miracles before them yet believed they not on him as I have done the like before to wit That not his miracles considered alone but with Mosaical and Prophetical writings or common notions of the Messias thence conceived or especially as they concurred with his own predictions did immediately condemn the Jews Under the name of works his words are comprehended such at the least as foretell his admirable works or in generall all those solemn invocations of his Fathers name in such predictions as had he not been the Son of God would rather have brought speedy vengeance from heaven upon his head then such glorious testimonies of his Divinity And to me our Saviour seems to call his very words works in that speech to philip Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me the words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works Howsoever as all the works of God were created by this Eternall Word so