And though men may thinke their faithfulnesse may hinder them from honour as Balaak said to Balaam Numb 24.11 Therefore now flee unto thy place I thought surely to promote thee to honour but loe the Lord hath kept thee back from honour yet it is not so for that is the true honour which God gives and will give and no man can take and they ought as it is 2 Cor. 3.12 seeing they have such hope to use boldnesse of speech Vse 4 This may teach what manner of men Ministers ought to be how sanctified of what puritie and integritie seeing God hath taken them to be so 〈◊〉 unto himselfe therefore ought they to be carefull that offer them to God and they that receive them when they offer and when they receive not for favour or money or kindred or any such thing A man will be marvellous carefull whom he commendeth but for a common servant to a mean man his friend more to a Prince most to be so nigh to him If the Steward of a house be permitted and trusted to admit such as are fit how carefull will he be If the President of a Princes Councell to take in such as are able men how vigilant and inquisitive will he be that they be such as be competent for the place So should it be in this the like care should be had and wo unto him that hath not And men that are in the place ought to looke marvellous carefully to their conversation to keep themselves holy It was taught Lev. 22.2 ad 10. how unblemished the Priest should be for if the whole people must be holy more they And if they must be darefull of their offering and sacrifices more of themselves And if they be not then ought authoritie like Ashpenaz Dan. 1.3.4.5 to chuse out the most unblemished and looke to them and suffer not them to be good fellows gamesters and such like Covenant with Levi. They took not this calling to themselves but were chosen to it of God and he made the agreement and covenant with them Doctrine None may take this calling upon them to be Gods Ministers Gods Messengers and to meddle in these spirituall things which are proper to the Ministers but he that is called of God and with whom God hath made this covenant The affirmative inferres the negative Hereto belongs that Numb 1.51 and 16.10 and 4.15.20 Ezra 2.62.63 Heb. 5.4 This made the Apostles ever avouch their calling Gal. 1.1 Jam. 1.1 Pet. 1.1 Hereto is that Rom. 10.15 There are three kindes of callings when men are called by men and not by God as first all reachers Secondly of God by Ministery of the Word all ordinary Ministerie Thirdly by Christ immediately as Apostles Gal. 1.1 The first to be abhorred the third to be admired the second to be expected of all in an ordinary planted Church Rom. 10.15 The calling is double or hath two parts the first inward ability for gifts and aptnesse for minde willingnesse and abilitie The second is outward the calling by man and the Church Hereto belongs the descriptions of a Bishops and Ministers set out by Saint Paul 1. Tim. 3.2 whereto else may it tend if every one may intrude himselfe into the Church and the calling without the call of it and that 1 Tim. 5.22 Reason 1 Because it is a sin unto them who shall and a curse belongs to them for medling with things that are holy when they are not separated and appointed for them They are thereby liable to Gods judgements as was Vzzah 1 Chron. 13.10 and Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.18.19 Reason 2 Because else the Church should be too much burdened for when as 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour Therefore many for ambition and ease would chalenge the Ministery and take it upon them for the honours sake Reason 3 Because 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order Therefore must there be a calling and chusing of them by the Church for the other is to make all confusion and disorder Vse 1 This serves to confute all Anabaptisticall dreames who contemne all ordinary callings vocations and thinke that every man may at his pleasure and when he list take this calling and those Ecclesiasticall functions upon them For if this be found and true that must needs be false and corrupt that any should take any part of this calling without warrant from God and besides the order that God hath appointed Yet I deny not but there is a difference where a Church is not yet planted where every one that knowes Christ may preach him and labour to gaine others that are ignorant of Christian religion and are not to look for an ordinary ordination For then is he chosen by the silent suffrages and voices of those who heare and that is his calling yet is he not to refuse the ordinary calling if after it be to be had But when a Church is already planted and established because all things must bee done in order then is required an apparant ordination by voyces or imposition of hands that trouble and confusion might be avoided Neither do I deny but sometime there is an extraordinary function as were the Prophets not of the Leviticall stocke not ordained of the Priests which God stirred up when ordinary Ministers could not reforme the corruptions of the time but what he did extraordinarily is to be admired rather then imitated For we must follow the prescript rule that is given us which is that every man have his ordinary calling which is from God by men Object 1 Cor. 16.15 Now brethren I beseech you know ye the house of Stephanus that it is the first fruits of Achaia and that they have given themselves to minister unto the Saints Answer The meaning is not that they called themselves but that they set themselves apart to the Ministerie of the Saints in the purpose resolution of their owne hearts and not contemning or neglecting the calling of God by the Church Vse 2 To let private men and women see their danger in medling with those things which are proper to the Minister when they have not a calling to it If Vzzah if Vzziah were smitten how shall they escape whether they can pretend the authority of the Church as in the Romish Church they can for women to baptize yet shall they not escape for excuse of necessitie it will not serve because that it is not from God but it is from mans folly or ignorance If it be objected that it is not then a Sacrament which is given by them when they have no authoritie to deliver a Sacrament I answer yes for the Seale is the Princes though some other then the Lord Keeper set it to by some indirect dealing And though such a Minister sinne in dealing with the Word and Sacraments yet are they such to the hearer and receiver Againe that which S. Augustine * Vera sacramenta licet non
and know themselves but men It is a thing that cannot be denied because stories of all times do manifestly prove it that sometimes errours and heresies have so much prevailed that the most part of them who held and possessed great places of office and dignity in the Church of God either for feare flattery hope of gaine or honour or else mis-led through simplicitie or directly falling into errour and heresie and departed from the soundnesse of the faith so that the sincerity of religion was upholden and the truth defended and maintained onely by some few and they molested persecuted and traduced as turbulent and seditious persons enemies to the common peace of the Christian world To say nothing of the times of Christ and after him of the first Churches in the Acts. This was the state of the Christian world in the time of Athanasius when in the Councell of Selencia and Ariminium the Nicence faith was condemned and all the Bishops of the whole world were carried from the soundnesse of the faith save Athanasius and some few Confessors banished with him So that Hieron contra Luciferam Ingemuit totius orbis miratus est factum se Arrianum So Hilarius contra Aux Episc Mill. complained that the Arrian faction had confounded all Paphnutius in the Councell of Nice for the marriage of Ministers was alone But yee are gone out of the way Though they succeeded them in their places yet not in their faith not in the truth of doctrine Doctrine There may be an ordinary and externall succession of place and person without succession of faith and truth of doctrine Manifest here in these Priests who held the places and did ordinarily succeed the Priests who were specially approved of God yet did not succeed them in faith and in soundnesse of truth And as it was in the times before often a succession of the one without the other And this is first manifest by the former doctrine for when it often happened that all the ordinary Priests such as had the outward succession were in errour God exciting extraordinary Prophets to reprove them as Isaiah Ieremie c. It must needs be that there was a separation of these two In particular it is manifest in the time of Elijah 1 King 19.14 So when wicked Ahaz was King 2 King 16.11 Vriah the high Priest corrupting the worship In the Church of the Jewes in Christs time it was so for they condemning Christ and his followers as schismaticall Joh. 9.22 and 12.42 This is further proved Acts 20.29.30 These had their succession from the Apostles and held the same seats the same places which the Apostles held yet had not the same truth and faith So out of the Ecclesiasticall stories it is manifest that the Arrian Bishops as Eusebius Nicomediens and Eustathius and others did derive their succession of place persons seats and Churches from the Apostles For they were called chosen and ordained after the custome of the Church and had no new but the lawfull calling So of the Donatists and Paulus Samosatenus in the Church of Antioch succeeded Peter as well as they did at Rome And the Greeke Church judged by the Papists schismaticall hath her personall succession not onely 1200. yeares as they confesse from Constantines time but long before from Andreas the Apostle as Nicephorus lib. 8. Chronol cap. 6. Reason 1 Because the grace of God and the truth is not hereditary that men should leave it at their pleasure to their heires and successors as they can their places and seats for John 3. as the winde so the Spirit blowes where it lists Not living men can make others whom they gladly would partakers of their faith and truth how should the dead and departed living men more likely Reason 2 Because as in a common wealth new Lords new lawes and succeeding men have different mindes affections wills desires ends c. and so change many things so it is in the Church And though they should leave them it as an inheritance yet we see children hold not their patrimony but many spend all so of this And as is said of Himeneus and Alexander that they made shipwrack of faith 1 Tim. 1.19.20 So of others Vse 1 Then falls to the ground the doctrine of Popery making this externall and personall succession a note of the Church and by it would prove theirs to be the true Church But if there may be such a succession without true faith and if true faith onely makes a true Church then can it be no true nor certaine note Besides it is not certaine nor expressed in the word of God that the Pope was Peters successor no not in place but to be proved onely by tradition and not to be deduced out of the Word as Bellarmine de Rom. Pont. lib. 2. cap. 12. confesseth And so the maine point whereon the government and Hierarchy of the Papacie dependeth hath no word in the Scriptures to prove it and so the whole is hanged upon the conjectures of men as upon a rotten threed For the Scripture not affirming it what assurance can there be for matter of faith the matter must needs be suspitious and doubtfull Againe even the histories which is their proofe are in such various opinions that a man can hardly tell whom to follow touching Peters comming to Rome and his immediate successors Some say he came to Rome in the first yeare of Claudius the Emperour some in the second some in the fourth some in the tenth and it may be that none of these is true sure it is all cannot be true For his successors Tertullian maketh Clement his next successor Optatus nameth Linus and then Clement Irenaeus maketh Linus then Cletus then Clement If they differ thus what certainty where should faith finde any sure ground If then the succession at best is questionable and doubtfull if it may be certaine and yet be dis-joyned from the succession of faith as it is most certainly in them and true faith onely makes a Church then can this be no true note of the Church Vse 2 To teach us not to be deceived with the glorious shew and great boast of such succession specially when there is an apparant digression from the faith or a probable doubt of corruption in it For what succession soever be it never so long or glorious as a greater could not be then these Priests and people could have objected unto the Prophet yet if it be without truth of doctrine and true faith which is the very soule of succession it is nothing else but a very dead carkasse whereas true faith without any such outward succession establisheth and maketh a Church And indeed one of the purest and most excellentest Churches was without such a succession For the Church of which Christ in his owne person was Authour and Master in which the Apostle was brought up instructed had no succession And yet none will or dare deny that it was the best and
As wee now also doe use the words Heathen Gentiles Pagans for such people as are without Christ or are without the covenant As in the Apostles time they ordinarily called all such as were not of the Church or which used to bee called Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greekes because the greatest part of the East Country spake Greeke and that people were the principall among the Gentiles which were knowne unto the Iewes But the Syriacke of the new Testament instead of Grecians usually turnes it Aramaeans see Tremell Marg. ad Act. 20.21.21.28 Rom. 29. And the difference of the Graecian and Graecist in the language of the new Testament see in Goodwyn Mos Ar. lib. 1. cap. 3. And in every place incense offered So also the Lxx. Arab. Syr. Pagn The Tigur Arias Mont. For Kitter and Ktora Ktoreth and the word that is here Muktar doe all signifie Incense or Persume It is spoken in the language of the Leviticall Law which is ordinary with the Prophets to set out the spirituall worship of God under the time of the Gospell Yea under the Law it selfe Prayer was resembled by the Psalmist unto Incense Psal 141.2 And the same resemblance is used in the new Testament Apoc. cap. 5.8 Offered and so the Lxx Pagn Tigur Put so the Syr. the Arab. of Antioch Made but the other Arab. reades it Brought All agreeable both to the signification of the word Muggash of Nagash To drawe neare Or To come neare that which is offred it Drawes neare unto God and to the use of Incensing Onely the Vulg. Lat. translates it Sacrificed but improperly Yet the popish interpreters make use of that translation for their purpose in the interpreting of the next words of the Sacrifice of the Masse though without reason as wee shall see And a pure Offering This I say the Pontificians interpret of the Masse for say they the word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minhha signifies specially that offering of fine flower Levit. 2.1 which was say they a type of the Eucharist But 1 Mincha doth not alwayes signify a sacrifice as wee shall see afterwards And 2. The words of the Prophet cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally bee understood of the Masse for the popish Priests doe not offer Fine flower and oyle and frankincense which goe all to the making of this Mincha of which see the place Levit. 2.1.2 and Maimon Tr. de Sacrif cap. 13. s 5. And for farther answer to this interpretation see the following commentary fully together with Chemnit Examen parte 2ª lib. 6. de Missa arg 8. There are diverse other interpretations The roote of this Hebr. word is Manahh an Arabique verbe signifying To give and Minhha is any solemne gift or present To man as Genes 32.13 Iacob tooke Mincha a present for Esau So Genes 43.11 1. Sam. 10.27 and 2 Sam 8.6 The Syrians became servants to David brought gifts He. Mincha gr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But especially it is a present or gift to God which when it is of cattel it is called Korban and when of things inanimate as flower cakes wafers c. it is called Mincha So Gen. 4 3. Cain brought of the fruite of the ground Mincha an offring to the Lord. But most strictly it signified those particular kindes of meate offerings mentioned Lev. 2. There were five kinds of thē in that Chapter and among them that of fine flower which was to be offred every morning and evening Exod. 29.38.39.40.41 This Mincha was primarily a figure of Christs Oblation who gave himselfe for an offering to God for us Eph. 5.2 So Heb. 10.5 c. The Apostle openeth the 40th Psalme A type of Christ but not of the Eucharist Secondly it figured the persons of Christians who through Christ are sanctifyed to bee pure Oblations to God Prophecyed of Esa 66.20 The Gentiles shall bee brought for an offring Mincha to the Lord. To which place or rather to this of the Prophet Malachy the Apostle seemes to allude Rom. 15.16 where hee calls the convrtsion of the Gentiles through the Gospell An oblation or offering or Sacrificing of the Gentiles unto God in which respect also hee calls his preaching a Sacrifice as Erasmus reades it also Sacrificans Evangelium Though the phrase be obscure Hugo's interpretation here was of the Proselytes who should be an offring to the Lord to the Temple Ex omni loco from every place But it is not so in the Text but In every place And this sense agrees better with the conversion of us the Gentiles Thirdly it figured the fruites of grace and good works particularly Prayer The Iewish interpeters say this pure offering is meant of the prayers of the holy Iewes every were disperst So the Chalde paraphrase I will receive your prayers and it shall bee like a pure offering before mee But the place speakes of the Gentiles Therefore it is that Tertullian occasionally and Vatabl. and Calvin ad Loc. understand it of Christians their performing of worship to God in the dueties of holinesse and love Hence dueties of love are called Sacrifices Hebr. 13.16 Philip. 4.18 but chiefely the duties of Holinesse prayses of and prayers unto God when Every where there is a lifting up of pure hands to the Lord. 1 Tim. 2.8 And it is observable that the time of the Mincha which was dayly morning and evening was the time of Set prayer among the Jewes Dan. 9.21 While I was speaking in prayer Gabriel touched me about the time of the evening oblation Mincha This is that which the Rabbins call Tephilla Mincha The prayer of the evening Sacrifice Which was about Three of the Clock in the afternoone called in Scripture according to the Iewes reckoning of the time The ninth houre which is sayd to bee Acts 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The houre of Prayer Secondly the other part of the comparison or reddition shewes on the Contrary the Jewes neglect and profaning of that worship which the Gentiles would so reverently entertaine ver 12.13 This is set downe Verse 12 I. Generally ver 12. But yee have profaned it But yee Priests and others that have reason to entertaine and reverence my name and worship yee have polluted it Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee have dishonored it And so Pagn The Geneva and Deodates margin II. Particularly 1. In their thoughts 2. in their words and 3. In their deeds First in their thoughts or base conceit for it is not so likely that they uttered it in words In that yee say The Table of the Lord is polluted and the fruite thereof even his meate is contemptible They had a base conceit and prophane of Gods Altar and the Sacrifices The Table that is the Altar See before ver 7. And the fruite thereof even his meate our old autorised Eng. hath it The fruite and in the margin Or the word It is true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fructus fruit is by a metaphor
Paraphrases a larger and the noblest kind of interpreting and Homilies sermons to the multitude in which kinde they were wont to undertake whole bookes as appeares by S. Chrysost Aug. and others But afterwards as the skill in Hebrew began by degrees after the Apostles time to be well nigh quite lost so when the Greeke sun did also set at length it came to passe that the Bible was scarce at all used Till about An. 800. it was read over in greater Churches once every yeer about which time Paul Warnenfrid usually called Paul the Deacon at the Command of Charlemain did inartificially divide out Epistles and Gospels and writ Postils on them which soone came to be only in use and all other parts of Scripture in a manner neglected After his time some wrote Commentaries but rarely as Aponius on the Canticles Claudius Sesellius on St. Luke Angelomus the Monk on the Kings and Canticles VValafridus Strabus Collector of the Ordinary glosse and Haimo on S. Pauls Epistles all of them much about Paul's time But afterwards much more rarely Paschasius Rabertus Abbot of Corbey wrote upon the Lamentations and Remigius Monke and afterwards Bishop of Auxerre on the Psalmes Canticles and Mathew about An. 880. Ambros Ansbertus a French Monke on the Canticles anno 890. Bruno Archbishop of Colein on the Pentateuch an 937. After him we finde none till Paul of Jenoa wrote on the Psalmes and Jeremy which was anno 1054. onely Bale mentions one Serlo a Monk of Dover a Commentator about anno 956. And till 1100. or thereabouts wee finde some as Oecumenius and the two Anselius of Luca and Canterbury and Stephanus Anglicus Rupert Bernard and Philip an Abbot in Heinalt a familiar friend of S. Bernards But when once Schoole Divinity got the Kingdome all studied that and laid the Scripture by Peter Comestor indeed had the Scripture by heart but his brother Lombard brought Aristotle into more request then St. Paul as the Sorbonne at Paris complained Then it was that preaching on the Scripture had gone altogether out of use had not Dominicke a Spaniard the founder of the Order of Preaching Friars about an 1200. commanded his disciples to reade the Scripture and carry nothing but the Bible with them when they went to Preach And yet by these pretended friends of the Scripture was the Scripture likewise trampled upon who preferred Dominick before St. Paul according to that Picture of them both in one table John Wolf lect memor Tom. 1. Cent. 13. ad an 1205. which John Wolfius tels us was not much after that time to be seen in Venice under St. Pauls was writ By him you may goe to Christ and under Dominicks Picture By him you may goe to Christ more easily And so things stood till these latter times when about the time of the Reformation the Bible was a booke scarcely so much as known when Melancthon reports he heard some preach upon texts taken out of Aristotles Ethicks and Andreas Carolostadius was eight yeeres Doctor when he began to read the Scripture and yet at the taking of his degree had been pronounced Sufficientissimus But that which I shall content my selfe with as an instance for all is that which is reported of Albert Archbishop of Ments who being at the Dyet at Ausbourg an 1530. and finding a Bible on the table and reading some leaves where by chance hee opened it said Truly I know not what booke this is but this I see that it makes all against us But when the knowledge of the tongues began to flourish then the study of Scripture revived for till a little before the Reformation there were few or none that cared for or indevoured any skill in the Greek much lesse in the Hebrew yea most were then of John Dullards minde who was Schoolemaster to Ludovicus Vives and was wont to say unto him The better Grammarian thou provest Ludov. Viv. de caus Corrup l. 2. thou wilt bee the worse Philosopher and Divine we know what opposition Erasmus met withall in this cause and Arias Montanus for his paines in the Biblia Regia was accused of heresie before the Pope it seemes by his preface before the Bible they were Jesuits that so accused him so that hee was faine to write an Apology for himselfe Hist Conc. Trid. which he did in the Spanish tongue which is in Oxford Library Yet at length the Jesuits themselves and others of the Church of Rome were drawne to have a better opinion of this kind of learning and the learned party grew so strong that it came at least to a Consultation in the Councell of Trent about the examining of the vulgar Latine translation of the Bible by the Originals Friar Aloisius of Catanea took the confidence to give an high commendation to Cardinall Cajetan as the prime Divine of that and many ages who was wont to say That to understand the Latin text was not to understand Gods infallible word but the translators and therefore having himselfe no knowledge in the Originals hee imployed men to render the Scripture word for word unto him and so spent all his latter dayes which were eleven yeeres after his going Legate into Germany Vpon this relation Aloisius propounded the examination But there were too many to oppose so good a proposition They said it would be ten yeeres in doing that if they did it they should open a gap to the Lutherans and overthrow many Doctrines of the Roman Church which were grounded on the Latine translation Amama hath collected those particular errors in his Cens Vulg. Edit c. 1. pro leg and that if they should doe it the Inquisitors would not be able to proceed against the Lutherans who would bee alwaies readie to say It is not so in the Originall These were honest men and spoke plainely by whom we come to know what it was that hindred the worke Others were more fine and they said That it was to bee beleeved that the Latine Church was not lesse beloved of God then the Hebrew or Greeke Church who had an Authenticque Text and sure the Holy Ghost dictated the Latine Translation or if the Translator had not a propheticall spirit yet one very neere it But Isidorus Clarus a Brescian a Benedictine Abbot went against this unreasonable opinion and said much against it which the reader may finde in the judicious History of the Councell However the streame went to the approbation of the vulgar only the Cardinall Santa croce that he might comply fairely with those that voted for a correction told them that there were no errors of faith in it and yet yeelded that six might be deputed to frame a corrected Copie to print by But what correction was meant appeares by the preface before the Edition of Clement the eighth that it should be purged from the Errata of the Transcribers And they were long about this the preface tels us that Pius the IV. and V. laboured in it and selected
the feeling of it I feared the Plague by a naturall infirmity though God enabled me to abide upon my calling in the hottest brunt of it and mercifully preserved me hitherto to his Church and to speake this to you this day But if it should now come by the providence of God upon me that he beginnes to threaten it to the City I should willingly embrace it as thinking God to be marvellous mercifull unto me and whosoever he should smite by it to take it thus into his owne hand and not to leave us to more fearefull judgments which I cannot say but I marvellously feare is even at the doore to the wakening of dead men and women or the sweeping of them away I am no Prophet I pray God my words be no prophecy but what peace c. This ought to teach men in affliction if a judgment come and imposed by the hand of God to beare it patiently and meekely as David 2 Sam. 15.25 26. for it is a burden The way to be eased is not strugling with it but meekely to beare it for a prisoner to be free from his fetters is not in the Jaylors sight to seeke to breake them or to file them off that is the way to procure more or the longer lying in them So to be eased of a burden is not to wrestle with it when one is under it but to goe softly there is more ease while it is on his back and sooner comes he to be released of it A man may with impatiency wrestle and use unlawfull meanes to ease himselfe and God happly will let them prosper for a while but after he will bring a more heavy and inevitable burden on him that with his former shifts shall make more heavy to him There is a fable but it hath his Morall for this purpose A certaine Asse laded with Salt fell into a river and after he had risen found his burthen lighter for the moisture made it melt away whereupon he would ever after lye him downe in the water as he travailed with his burthen and so ease himselfe His owner perceiving his craft after laded him as heavy with Wooll the Asse purposing to ease himselfe as before laid himselfe downe in the next water and thinking to have ease rising againe to feele his weight found it heavier as it continued with him all the day The Morall is that they who impatiently seeke meanes contrary to the will of God to ease themselves of their burden shall have it more and more encrease upon them Vse 3 That men should make a speciall restraint to themselves to keepe from sinning because an heavy and grievous burden else is ready to be laid upon their shoulders Sinne it selfe is an heavy burden but few feele it and fewer feare it but to this burden shall the burden of punishment be added and who is sufficient for these things if the first burden feare them not because there is some pleasure in sinne to the flesh yet let the second which hath no pleasure at all When thou art tempted to sinne by which thou must needs tempt and provoke God learne to cast thy accompts well consult if thou bee able to meete him that comes against thee Luke 14. so if thou bee'st able to meete him and beare his burden goe on and spare not delight in all thy wayes restraine thy selfe from no sinne but if not if we may invert and resolve Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he 1 Cor. 20.22 then let this restraine us if nothing else will let us imitate Porters who called and offered money to beare a burden will poise and weigh the burden in their hands first which when they see they are not able to beare no gaine will entice them so in this case let us doe Of the Word of the Lord The circumstance of the person sending the efficient and authour as of other prophecies so of this he comes not unsent he spoke not of himselfe hee came not without the Lord but from him so he affirmeth and truely to get more reverence credit and authority with them and that it was thus from the Lord and so Canonicall the testimonies of Christ and his Apostles alledging him divers times for confirmation of Doctrine and reformation of manners proveth it but he addeth the Word of the Lord not onely to shew that he had but the word the rod and execution would come after God making his word good but as some thinke to shew that he had not a free Embassage but that he was to deliver it in certaine and set prescribed words Sometime when Prophets were more frequent and perpetuall in the Church and God spoke to them by dreames or by visions and apparitions they had divers kinds of words and had liberty for divers manners of speaking and delivery But our Prophet was such a messenger that the Commandement hee had received and was credited with he must deliver in so many words and the same he received them in and so he doth for in the whole he never useth his owne person but the Lord onely as Chap. 1.2 and 2.1 and 3.1 and 4.1 Here we might observe that the Writers of the Scriptures are not the Authors but God himselfe of which Rev. 2.7 But one particular may we herein observe this following Doctrine This Prophesie is the very word of the Lord it is of divine not humane authority which is not onely here affirmed but lest it should be doubtfull it hath the testimony of the new Testament the 3. Chap. ver 1. hath testimony Mark 1.2 and Chap. 4.2 hath testimony Luke 1.78 and Chap. 1 2 3. Rom. 9.23 Reas 1 Because this was written by a Prophet for as all the Old Testament was written by the Prophets so whatsoever was written by them was and is Canonicall Scripture therefore 2 Pet. 1.19 Luke 16.39 Heb. 1.1 Ephes 2.20 now all men hold Malachy for a Prophet the last among the Jewes till the comming of John Baptist Reas 2 Because the Church of the Jewes the onely Church of God did receive this and so acknowledged it as the word of God That they did so appeares Matth. 17.10 and the Apostles and the Evangelists alleadging of it for it is a farre more impious and heinous thing to take away Scripture than corruptly to interpret them or to adde Scripture if it were not of it Vse 1 I take instructions from hence entering the opening and expounding of this prophesie how I ought to labour with my owne heart and to seeke from the Lord assistance and grace to handle this as his word not carelessely handling the word and worke of God negligently taking his name in vaine comming to speake out of it without due preparation and constant study and speaking so talke as of the word of God 1 Pet. 4.11 not handling it with vanity and affectation not making merchandize and playing the huckster with it delivering it with a sincere affection dealing faithfully
why we may pray to Saints living but not to Saints departed For us He separates not himselfe from this Church for all the corruption of it in Priest and people hee forsakes not their assemblies but cōmunicates with them in their service sacrifices Doctrine Men ought not to separate themselves from a visible congregation or assembly a visible Church for the abuse of it and the corruption of it it being not in fundamentalls As here the Prophet did not neither read we of any Prophet who left the Church but in most corrupt ages remained there reproving and threatening them praying and mourning for them but not forsaking them It is that Ezek. 9.4 they are noted as St. Augustine observeth that mourne for the corruptions of the time not who separate themselves from the Church In the New Testament we find not Christ nor his Apostles to forsake the Church but remaine in it though marvellous corrupt teaching reproving correcting mourning for it So of the Pastors of the six Churches of Asia their corruptions noted and their Angels biding with them To this purpose is that Hebr. 10.24 25 38 39. Reas 1 Because no man ought to separate himselfe from the true Church of Christ Now such is an assembly professing the true faith notwithstanding other corruption for as holinesse if it might be supposed without true faith cānot make a true Church but false doctrine and errour in the foundation overthrows it for being a Church So è contrà corruptions in manners cannot make it no Church when true faith is taught and maintained Reas 2 Because separation and excommunication from a particular Church is the most heavy and greatest censure of the Church which as no man should incurre by his evill behaviour so no man ought to inflict upon himselfe for the corruptions of others who happily deserve to be separated themselves Vse 1 To condemne all those who withdraw themselves from our assemblies because of corruptions amongst us crying out of those who will remaine among them to the benefit of the good that is there to be had But to such an one I say as Augustine answered Petilian Non habes quod objicias frumentis Dominicis paleam usque ad ventilationem ultimam sustinentibus à quibus tu nunquam recessisses nisi levior palea vento tentationis ante adventum ventilatoris avolasses Aug. contr Petilian Cap. 1.18 That he did not well to leave Christs heape of Corne because the chaffe was in it till the great winnowing day and that he shewed himselfe to be lighter chaffe driven out by the wind of temptation that flew out before the comming of Christ the winnower What folly is it for a man to leave the Jewells and Plate in the Gold-finers shop because of the Iron tongs and black coals What warrant have they when as Noah left not the Arke for all the uncleane beasts Vse 2 To teach every man not to be so offended for the corruption of the times as to separate himselfe from the Church for them * Si amarent pacem non discinderet unitatem Aug. contr lit Petiliani lib. 24. If they had loved peace they had not broken unity saith August And in another place A vessell of honour ought to tolerate those things that are vile * Vas in honore sanctificatum debuit tolerare ea quae sunt in contumelia nec propter hoc relinquere domum claritatis Dei ne vel vas in contumeliam vel stercus projectum de domo sit Aug. contr epist Parm. lib. 3.5 and not therefore to forsake the house of God lest himselfe be cast out as a vessell of dishonour or as dung That certainly which is 1 Cor. 5.13 Put away from your selves the wicked person is to be understood of those who have authority which if they exercise not is their sinne not mine or thine Shall I forsake the good and the Church where I may be safe for their evill Nec quisquam sine consensu cordis sui ex ore vulneratur alieno Let no man then separate himselfe for why should a good pure and sound member separate it selfe from those that are corrupt and cut it selfe off both to make the whole worse and to lose to it selfe the good it might have by abiding For us The Prophet who had the least hand in the sinnes and was the least cause of the burden he feares and as it were mournes and seeketh how to avoid it when the Priests who were the cause of it are secure and carelesse Doctr. It often falls out that the faithfull mourne and feare the plagues they foresee when they who have deserved them sleep securely and rather provoke God still Mich. 1.8 Therefore will I mourne This hath beene by your meanes Here is the reason why God will not accept their prayers because they are authors and principall causes of the evill and sinnes amongst them Doctrine The prayers of hypocrites and wicked men whether Ministers or Magistrates or private men whether superiours or inferiours cannot be profitable to the Church nor others for whom they pray nor accepted of God This is manifest here as also by that where the prayers of the wicked are rejected with divers such places This the Lord taught when in his Law he commanded that the Priest should first offer for himselfe Levit. 4.3 and Heb. 5.3 Reas 1 Because they are not profitable for themselves neither shall be accepted much lesse for others Not for themselves Isaiah 1. and 66. Reas 2 Because they are in Gods sight abhominable Prov. 15.8 such cannot prevaile with him Object Balaam prayed for the people of God and was heard for them and yet he was a wicked man Numb 23.19 20. Answ A truth it is St. August so answereth Parmen contr Epist Parm. lib. 2. cap. 8. proving they ought not to separate themselves as they taught because men are polluted But for the example I think we may say Balaam was not heard saving his judgment because he certainly never prayed hee did prophesie indeed in a certaine forme of prayer therefore that speech of his is accounted a blessing because he did ominate and foretell happy things which would befall to the people of God But he never prayed indeed for his heart went against it it was utterly against his will who for the wages of Balac would rather have desired to curse onely hee was compelled to it by the Spirit of God Therefore he was not heard which prayed not but the Spirit of God which in the good worketh the affections and suggesteth words did onely put such words into his mouth for any good that should come by them to the people of God as for the terrour and destruction of Balac who had set himselfe against the people of God to shew him that not they before him but he should fall before them Vse 1 This sheweth the folly and the vanity of the reason of some Popish and Popishly affected who plead for lenity connivence
to Timothy and Titus by Saint Paul 1 Tim. 5.21 2.4.1 and that 2 Tim. 2.2 All the time Eli was young and able to looke to the worship of God being faithful it was pure and the offerings of God regarded 1 Sam. 1.2 So of Iehoradu 2 Chron. 24.2 Hence that Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock whereof the holy Ghost hath made you everseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud Hence is that of Hegesippus in Eusebius while the Apostles lived and they who heard Christ teaching the Church remained a pure and incorrupt virgine but when that age was past errour and corruption was spread abroad Reason 1 Because while they are faithfull and watchfull the envious man will not sow his tares They who have desire to corrupt the puritie of doctrine and worship of God will not shew themselves or obscurely or fearfully and if they do yet they will be soone pulled up and the growth of them prevented Reason 2 Because the people shall by their diligence be armed by instruction to discern and withstand corruption from without and be excited against their owne coldnesse and carelesnesse which naturally would come upon them as naturally men thinke any thing too much and every thing good enough for Gods service unlesse they have remembrances to the contrary Vse 1 Then most commonly if not alwayes by the corruption and contempt of Gods service and worship we may gather the negligence carelesnesse and unfaithfulnesse of the Ministery in every Church and è contra for such people such Priests such followers such guides Travellers will hardly go before their guide but follow after him It may sometime fall out otherwise but that happeneth as many a careful master hath corrupt servants though he have never such care over them because his neighbours do not carefully and straitly bring up theirs so from the neighbour parishes But where the Ministers are joyntly faithfull they have not that corruption which otherwise would be Vse 2 To teach as many as desire and love the pure worship of God that it may continue and not be corrupted to do what is in them for their places and condition that there may be continued a faithfull and painfull Ministery Private men use private meanes to pray that the Lord of the harvest will thrust out still more and more labourers Others in their place to speake and advance Lawes and Ordinances for that purpose for if old and faithfull Eli be any way disenabled and his successors be Hophni and Phineas given to their bellies to idlenesse to prophanenesse and yet they may carry it out as they with little or no check and not be compelled to other carriage how shall not the offerings of God and his worship be contemned If Wolves be among the Flocks the Shepheards be asleep and watch them not by night in season and out of season how should they not be spoyled The nature of man of it selfe will be carelesse enough of the service of God how much more if they have corruptions nay if it want encouragers but finde bad and corrupt examples Vse 3 To admonish the Ministers seeing that upon them depends the purity or corruption the honour or contempt of the service of God as they have a desire that he whose they are whom they serve and who hath taken them so nigh unto himselfe may be honoured of his people and have pure and holy worship performed unto him so to be faithfull diligent in their places to teach and instruct to exhort and perswade men unto them As they ought to give the Lord no rest for his people being his remembrancers so not them for him being messenger for if they be carelesse and negligent as the people will grow corrupt so they will like themselves in their corruption For men who carry their sinnes away unrepented will take themselves not to sin and so no glory should be given to his Name How unfaithfull should that servant be who for sparing himselfe a little will let his masters honour fall to the ground so that Minister Be they as watchfull as they can they shall finde that this corruption will sease upon men and settle upon them if they wake them not how much more if they sleep will the enemy sow tares I will even send a curse upon you The curse in generall which is not for their sinne so much as for their impenitencie for so the coherence sheweth and this his long patience towards them I will even send a curse For the contempt of his worship comes many plagues and curses upon men vide cap. 1.14 Vpon you Though his Priests and deare to him yet that would not save them Doctrine No person can be free from the judgements of God if they sinne be they never so neere unto him either in place or particular profession or in generall profession of his Word as it is manifest here So Numb 20.12 Levit. 10.1.2 Eli and his sons 1 Sam. 4.2 Sam. 6. Vzzah Luke 1.18.20 Acts 5. Reason 1 Because when he cannot be sanctified in them he will be glorified Levit. 10.3 that is he will justifie himselfe and his justice when he spares not such as are nigh to him For as it was the greater manifestation of Salomons justice that he put a murtherer to death and a great on Ioab so the more that he put him to death at the hornes of the Altar 1 Kings 2.31 Reason 2 Because he might either purge their present condition or prevent their future sinnes and keep both them and others from presuming What better meanes then sharp medicines and severity in punishing Deut. 13.11 Vse 1 Then from the judgements of God upon men of a speciall or generall profession may not a man condemne the profession because this proves the professors not to be such as they should be as many are ready to condemne the Ministery and the profession of pietie from some judgments that happen unto them that are in the profession Admit that the judgement argue the corruption yet must it not condemne the profession or the place * Si videris sacerdotem indignum non ob id calumniari sacerdotium debes neque enim calumnianda res est sed ille solum meretur onerari convitiis quitanto bono abutatur Non enim si Judas proditor fuit hoc Apostolicae professionis crimen sed unius tantum viri mens improba fuit medici quidem multi carnifices sunt qui pro medelis venenum propinant nec tamen artē vitupero sed qui arte sua iniquus abutitur nautae quamplures navigia amiserunt nec ars navigandi tamen corum perversa voluntas jure damnanda Chrysostom If you see an unworthy Priest you may not presently slander the Priesthood but him who abuses it If Iudas were a traytor it was his owne fault and not to be laid to the Apostolicall profession Many
may see the truth and patience and piety of our most holy predecessors and when wee see them to provoke our selves to imitate them and to uphold our selves in right paths by them Heb. 12.1 But yee are gone out of the way They had erred from the truth and good wayes of their predecessors Doctrine The Rulers Governours and Ministers of the Church may erre both in matter of doctrine and of Gods worship Let us look into the booke of God and we shall finde this true not in some one or two but in the greatest part of them yea all for ought we know First these things were fore-told for though the people bragged Jer. 18.18 The Law should not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise God threatned the farre contrary Ezek. 7.26 and Micha 3.6 That the Sunne should go downe over the Priest And see the event of this Isa 56.10 Zephan 3.4 Jerem. 6.13 and 23.13 But this was in Israel onely yea see it in Judah Jerem 23.14.16 and not in Prophets onely but Priests 2 Chron. 36.14 Reason 1 Because their knowledge be it never so great is but in part and imperfect 1 Cor. 13.9 Now they who are ignorant in part Vulgare illud maxima pars eorum quae scimus minima pars eorum quae ignoramus may erre in some things Ignorantia erroris matter Bernard ad Cant. nisi ignorando errare non potest August Enchirid. Seeing all men are in part ignorant then they may erre yea the Priest Heb. 5.2 Reason 2 Because they are but in part sanctified and every man hath some part of the old man in him as Saint Paul 2 Cor. 11.5 who had gone as farre as any other confesseth of himselfe Philip. 3.12.13 Rom. 7.17.24 Therefore may they in part strive against their owne judgement and be drawne by temptation to defend errour Sometime against their owne conscience for though errour in judgement arise ever of ignorance yet errour in act as in teaching in defending and maintaining of error is joyned often with knowledge and ariseth not out of ignorance but want of grace and sanctification Reason 3 Because the promise of incessant assistance and infallible guidance was never made to any but to the Apostles because they were to plant Churches where there never had any been before and to establish a new forme of Church government and worship of God never used or heard of before therefore to them John 14.26 and 16.13 which was not a perfect and absolute illumination which the Apostle professeth he had not 1 Cor. 13.9 but an infallible suggestion of things as occasion required Which is understood not of things that were expedient for them to know as Christians nor as teachers which they had already but as Apostles 1. To be planters of new Churchs and new government Now that this was promised to them onely I prove for it is added he will shew you the things to come a priviledge that no Pope or Patriarch ever durst challenge and if not this will passe by vertue of that promise why the other when they are both in one and the same promise therefore it was to them alone yea not so much as the extraordinary Prophets of the old Testament had it either promised or performed as Greg. super 1 Reg. 3.8 observeth for they had not the Spirit extraordinarily alwayes infallibly guiding them save when they came with some speciall message from God which is manifest by the errour of Nathan when he was out of his message 2 Sam. 7.3 And of him that was deluded by the false Prophet after he had done his message to Ieroboam and made to transgresse the commandment of the Lord 1 King 13.2.18 and 19. which he would not have done if he had not been deceived for before he would not do it for all the Kings offer vers 7.8 and in Jer. cap. 42.4.7 Vse This serves to confute the doctrine of Popery who hold that the Church cannot erre nor a Councell which is the representative Church but they have brought it to a narrower scantling for the question is wholly about one for whatsoever they talke of Church or Councels it commeth in conclusion all home to the Pope he it is alone that cannot erre For the Church they grant that any particular Church in the world may erre save the Church of Rome that too if the Pope should translate his Sea from Rome as Peter did from Antioch thither Bell. de Pont. Rom. 4.4 For Councels that a generall Councel may erre if the Pope do not confirme it Ibid. 4.3 And è contra Idem de Conc. author 2.2.5 But if all be true that we have shewed he may erre But Bellar. de Pontif. Rom. 4.3 proveth he cannot for Luke 22.32 I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and so for the Pope and so he cannot erre It is answered First that by faith is not heere meant an historicall faith but a justifying faith not a generall faith but a particular nor that by which we beleeve God but in God which fails not by errour so it be not fundamentall for so should we condemne all who ever have lived But when a man doth fall wholly from grace and ceaseth to be a member of Christ And that it is so appeares out of the drift and scope of our Saviour Christ for his drift was to arme and protect Peter against that triall and temptation that he then foretold him of not against errour in teaching the Church but against Apostasie in time of triall Therefore saith Theophilact in Lucam he sheweth him the particular temptation for our Saviour would not arme there where he was not to be hurt where there was no danger not put an helmet upon the head when the heart and breast was to be strucken And thus much Bellarmine confesseth when he makes Peters fall to be a matter of fact to cast utterly off his former profession and not of faith and therefore it was perseverance in the habit of justifying faith not infallibility in the matter of historicall faith that Christ prayed for which so differs that a man may have the one that is justifying faith and yet hold an errour not fundamentall to the death as Bellarmine contends for the Fathers divers of them And the other that is a right beliefe of the generall points of religion and yet not have justifying faith nor saving and sanctifying grace as Bellarmine contendeth the Pope cannot erre and yet confesseth he may want saving grace Secondly it is answered that that he prayed for here was a thing not proper to Peter but common to all the Apostles yea all the elect and if the gift and grace be common to all and conceived Joh. 17.9.10.20 by the same person in effect the same for all upon which ground the ancient Fathers apply this place to all the Apostles yea to all the elect and if to all then helps it them but a little The second proofe he cannot
purest Church For whom succeeded Christ and his Apostles Did he succeed Aaron and the Leviticall Priesthood Did he elect his Apostles out of them Nothing lesse For he succeeded not Aaron but Melchisedech being a Priest after his order not the others and so the succession was interrupted for many hundred yeares and so may be still And on the contrary there may be succession and no true Church when the faith is corrupt and not sound which made the Fathers when they speake of succession not urge a naked and externall succession but a true succession and such as was joyned with the succession of faith and religion * Non sanctorum filii sunt qui tenent loca sanctorum sed qui exercent opera eorum S. Hierom. They are not the children of the Saints who hold their seats but who follow their workes * Non ex personis fidem sed ex fide personaes probari oportet Tertul. lib. de Preser avers Haeret. We must not prove the faith from the persons but the persons from the faith So say we let them prove the persons from the faith and not faith from the persons They have not the inheritance of Peter who have not the faith of Peter All which shewes they would not have us to stand upon the succession of the place and person but the faith and doctrine * Non habent haereditatem Petri qui fidem Petri non habent Ambr. lib. 1. de poenit c. 6. Vse 3 This wil prove our Church to be a true Church though we have no succession externall and personall which separated from faith makes no Church but we have succession of faith which makes a Church for if these may be separated if there may be a Church where there is no personall succession as before If a personall succession and no Church as also before we holding the true faith of Christ the true doctrine of salvation are notwithstanding the want of personall succession the Church of Christ If they understand an extraordinary succession such as hath oftentimes been in the Church we say we have it Neither hinders that which the adversaries object that an extraordinary succession ought to be confirmed with miracles which we have not for the calling of the Prophets was extraordinary yet had they no miracles to confirme it let them shew us what miracles Ieremy Ezekiel Ioel Hosea Amos had who were called extraordinarily or Iohn Baptist John 10.41 Besides what miracles needs there when as our Pastors either deceased or living bring in no new doctrine or new faith nor erect a new Church but restore the old faith and repaire and purge the Church foully corrupted And whereas they deny us any ordination of Ministers because they which are lawfully ordained must be by an Apostle or one succeeding him immediately they be all fictions of their owne without a word of the Scripture for they are true Pastors which are called of their flockes and of the lawfull Magistrate teaching the people and doing those things which good Pastors should do And for Bellarmines distinction of calling or election which he acknowledgeth was sometime alone of that the people did chuse and grants may be good but not ordination It is answered if election be good we contend not much about ordination for they who have authoritie to chuse and call have to ordain If an orderly ordination be not to be had And finally if all Bishops should be Arrians and such as would ordaine none but them of their owne sect as sometimes they were must ordination by them be necessary or we must have no Ministers Vse 4 Then ought men to labour for knowledge that they be not deceived by the face of men and the Church but that they may know what is the true faith and who they are that bring it knowing them to be the Pastors of the Church by their doctrine Mat. 7.15.16 This fruit is doctrine Yee have caused many to fall by the Law The second thing reproved in them in seducing or mis-leading others making them to fall into sinne Doctrine It is a manifest corruption in the Ministers of the Church a thing wherein they are farre unlike to their faithful predecessors whereby they are made unacceptable unto God when their preaching or carriage is such as men by them are kept in sin caused or occasioned to sinne As this proves it and Isaiah 3.12 Ezek 13.22 And this is done either by not preaching or very negligently that they cannot know what to doe and so must needs sinne and offend Or by not reproving by which they doe not thinke thir sinnes to be sinnes but remaine in them according to that Levit. 19.17 or by dawbing as Ezek. 13.10 and promising life unto them notwithstanding their sinnes as vers 22. or by bad example as Gal. 2.12.13 Reason 1 Because it is against the main and principall end of his calling which is to turne men from sinne and Satan to God and godlinesse and righteousnes As then it is a fault for men to go contratry to the main end of their calling or trade any Artificer as when he should build to pull downe when he should make to marre when he should cure to wound And if we may speake familiarly as we complaine of Tinkers for making two holes when they undertake to stop one or of Chyrurgions that make two wounds when they professe to cure one made already so must it needs be a corruption in these Reason 2 Because he crosseth the desire of God who delighteth much in the conversion of a sinner and would have men converted from sinne and not kept in them Vse 1 This will convince many Ministers of corruption degenerating from the Prophets faithful Ministers of God who so walk in their Ministery as men are hardened by them caused and occasioned to sinne they preach so seldome and carelesly instruct the people they have charge of they reprove so little or smooth so much or are so corrupt and licentious And this not in the Church of Rome only but in the reformed Churches which haue justly separated from her so that sinne abounds every where Now woe be to such watchmen for they shall answer for the bloud of those perishing soules and that which perisheth shall be made good foule for soule And woe unto such dawbers Ezek. 13.13 Vse 2 This may serve for an Apologie for the Ministers of God when they preach and exhort and reprove and threaten but with small thankes from those that heare them yet seeing the contrary is corruption and a degenerating from the faithfull and their steps and a meanes to make them unacceptable to God their Lord and Master It may speake for them if they thus preach and practise It may be if they preached all peace all placentia and waken never a secure man out of his sinne they would cunne him more thanke and all speake well of him But woe unto you when all men speake well
had abundance to make as many women as he would or he had remainder of the Spirit As some taking that the Prophet alludeth to Gen. 2.7 The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the ground and breathed in his face breath of life and the man was a living soule And after making woman of his rib he breathed into her breath of life as it was the remainder of the Spirit and though he had abundance more because he had denied that they two should be one and not moe Because he sought a godly seed Here is another amplification of it from one speciall end of marriage which is the propagation of the Church and to have a religious and holy posterity such as might worship the true God which will not come from the other but rather increase the Synagogue of Satan and make a profane seed for taking to them the daughters of a strange God must needs have a corrupt seed they following the mothers and if of their owne yet to doe a thing so contrary to Gods commandment must needs bring a curse and a profanenesse upon them and an adulterous seed prove an idolatrous brood and it being the fruit of their perfidy and unfaithfulnesse can have no blessing from God In this verse the Prophet condemneth Poligamy from Gods ordinance as a thing against it because he was the authour of marriage which he made but to be of two and ordained they two should be one and but they two and so hence we have a doctrine which is the description of marriage Doctrine Marriage is a lawfull conjunction of one man and one woman that they two may be one flesh There are many sorts of conjunctions but what conjunction this is that which followes expresseth But that marriage is a lawfull conjunction of two thus to be made one is manifest as here so Gen. 2.24 He shall cleave to his wife which is meant of a carnall conjunction and copulation whereby they are as it were incarnated one to another That as Eve was flesh really of the flesh of Adam so she was given to him by marriage that she might againe be one and the same flesh with him by a holy conjunction of their bodies Hence followes it in the same place They shall be one flesh And this Chapter explaines Matâ—h 19.5 For having repeated the institution he addes for conclusion and for further confirmation vers 6. Wherefore they are no more twaine but one flesh Now when we speake of a conjunction we understand not that onely which is after the consummation of the marriage carnall copulation and knowledge one of another as it is coÌ„monly taken for without that though it never follow there may be marriage this matrimoniall conjunction as we commonly receive the marriage to have been betwixt Mary and Ioseph but also that voluntary and free covenant which is passed betwixt them by which the man hath power over the body of the woman and so è contra he is become her head and she subject to him as the body to the head as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 7. Reason 1 Because God would have a holy feed and the propagation of his Church which that it might be he requires a conjunction and a lawfull one and but of these two For howsoever it was increased by other conjunctions of one with many yet that was Gods indulgence to them and his over-ruling providence which brings light out of darknesse and makes good of evill Reason 2 Because he who by the holy Ghost in a reall union is united to the Lord is made one spirit with him 1 Cor. 6.17 Therefore by a reall conjunction of man with his wife they are made one with another one flesh Reason 3 Because he that committed adultery is become one flesh with a harlot 1 Cor. 6.16 And so as much as in him is hath cut off himself from his wife is no longer one flesh with her Then by a carnal corporal holy conjunction he is one and they one flesh Vse 1 This serves for that end the Prophet speaketh it it condemnes Polygamie Zanc de operibus Dei p. 659. b. for if marriage be a conjunction of two how can it be of moe Adam and Eve were but two and God said they should be one flesh And his son which came from the bosome of the Father saith They two shall be one The reason that some give to excuse at least if not make lawful the Polygamy of the Fathers for the multiplying and increasing of mankinde might here have better taken place seeing whole mankinde was to be derived from them and the earth to be replenished from them and seeing to them was the commandment given Gen. 1.28 Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth If God did not permit it to them it must needs be apparant that it was not from the beginning but hath since crept into the world by the corruption of man But of this afterwards Vse 2 This condemnes all divorces which are not done and made for adultery but for other vain and slight causes such as for the hardnesse of the peoples hearts and which in compassion to the weaknesse of the women Moses permitted to the Jewes for when God hath said they shall be one they make them two as if his law were not perpetuall And when as Christ hath said Those whom God hath joyned may no man sever they take upon them to sever and dissolve themselves at their pleasure The decrees of the Medes and Persians were not to be broken no not by the Kings themselves much lesse could any subject do it But these decrees are far surer But such men are grossely impudent as take upon them to dissolve if not to give her a bill of divorce so put her away yet many send them home to their friends and separate themselves from them and live very reproachfully Vse 3 This condemnth all adultery all adulterers as they who doe divide that which God hath joyned more neere then any bond of nature can make for it is to be preferred before that which is betwixt children and parents when as both of them must forsake father and mother and cleave one to another yea their owne children that they may remaine one For seeing God hath made him one with his wife by his owne consent and he joyning himselfe to a harlot maketh himselfe one body with her as the Apostle Now one body cannot be two bodies therefore an adulterer cannot be one body with an harlot and at the same time one body with his wife but joyning to her he doth what is in him cut himselfe off from this and so they are no longer one but two And so as he dealeth injuriously with her taking from her that is hers for he is not his owne she having power over his body as he of hers 1 Cor. 7.4 So he dealeth impiously against God who hath joyned them and said they shall
should but be left hand thoughts for the body vide Bern. serm 6. de advent dom c. d. e. Vse 3 To instruct parents to take more care for the soules of their children then usually they doe seeing they are thus created and so in a more speciall manner Gods The little care they take for it and the great care for the body tells us that they believe this is theirs and not that And as men care more for their owne then for other mens and many a man bestowes more cost and care upon a house of his owne erecting then of one of his fathers providing so in this But the contrary should be that they should principally care for this and for that but in respect of this God having to dust and ashes joyned so excellent and immortal a soule put in such an earthly tabernacle so excellent a Prince Though they ought to have care to keep that in reparation and tenantable yet their speciall care should be for this for the diet the cloathing the adorning and the beautifying of it with good graces and vertues whereas contrary the care of parents now is onely for the bodies of theirs how they may cloath them with scarlet with pleasures and hang them with rich ornaments of gold upon their apparell 2 Sam. 1.24 to set them out with Lawnes and Cambrickes and deck them with all the vanities spoken of Isaiah 3. as if they would provoke God to plague both body and soule But is it any marvell when most parents care onely for their owne bodies and not for their soules How should they care for the soules of their children seeing charity ever begins at home To them the Prophet speaketh at least by way of allusion as it is applyed by some of the learned Haggai 1.2.4 They say it is not yet time to looke to Gods house and his worke that when they are old they are afraid to be young Saints they or theirs they let Gods house lye waste and his field grow over with weeds the soules of themselves and their children If they would consider their wayes in their hearts they should finde God plagues us for this sinne as for others verse 6.7 If any man should hang thy house and adorne it with cloath of gold and hanging of Arras and should compell thee to sit naked in ashes wouldst thou take it well thou wouldst not Now not another but thou thy selfe adornest the house of thy soule with gold and pearles and suffers thy soule to sit in filthinesse and corruption so of thy children How shall God take it at thy hands Knowest thou not that the Prince of the Citie ought to be magnifically deckt Chrysost de diversis hom 70. Let every man then remit off his care for the one and increase it for the other And let it not be true in this that the Kings work and the Church worke is most negligently looked to But as Kish Sauls father ceased caring for the Asses and cared for Saul who must be King so for the soule seeke to have it nourished and decked and adorned And wherefore one Because be sought a godly seed The end of marriage noted and the reason why still God appoints but one for one and hath not allowed Bygamy or Polygamy but condemnes it Of which then first Doctrine Polygamy is simply wicked impious and unlawfull that is for a man to have two or moe wives or one woman two or moe husbands The learned make two kinds of Polygamy first when a man hath two wives but successively one after the death of the other touching which now there is no controversie neither ever was it sinne in the Court of Conscience how heretically soever Tertullian after his fall disputeth against it or how hotly soever Hierom opposeth it under the name of Bygamy against Iovinian and others Secondly when one man hath two or many wives and è contra of which is here spoken and condemned Further it is condemned by the Scripture Gen. 2.24 Cleave to his wife not wives Hier they one flesh one cannot be so with many And if any except that two is not there expressed he may finde it Matth. 19.5 Further vers 9. And if he that puts her away may not doe it what he that keeps her If adultery in the one how not in the other Prov. 5.18.19 None of which can be if many wives be taken 1 Cor. 7.2 To avoid fornication let every man have his wife and let every woman have her owne husband His wife saith the Apostle not wives and her owne or proper husband not such an one as is common to her and another Ephes 5.25 Christ had and hath but one Church So Ierome reasoneth against Iovinian inveighing against Lamech the first Polygamist who as he saith had divided one rib into two Reasons against this besides that the Spirit of God hath here set downe we adde these First no man may take that which is anothers and give it to another without the knowledge and consent of him that is owner of it Now the man hath not power over his owne body but his wife 1 Cor. 7.4 And if it may be supposed she may remit her right besides that she hath no power to it for God gave it her but for herselfe and not to translate it whither she will In God himselfe remaines the full right who will not remit it if she will Secondly they must not defraud one another of their company fellowship and due benevolence 1 Cor. 7. But this they must needs doe if they have many So we may see it Gen. 30.15 Thirdly because the love betwixt them ought to be in the highest degee being one flesh and one bone In respect of her he ought to love none else Now friendship and love in the highest degree saith S. Augustine by the light of reason cannot be betwixt many for the more it is extended to many there must needs be remission of it towards every one And in Polygamy it is manifest that for the love of one the rest are contemned and made as hand-maids to her and she onely ruleth Fourthly because heathen men by the light of nature have condemned it though some of them did practise it as Laban Gen. 31.50 If thou shalt vex my daughters or shalt take wives besides my daughters there is no man with us behold God is witnesse between thee and me Also the Roman Emperours Dioclesian and Maximian decreed that none under the power of the Romanes should have two wives seeing that in the edict of the Pretor such a man is to be accounted infamous Divers such lawes there are so that Arcadius and Honorius would not permit the Jewes their Polygamy Socrat. hist lib. 4. cap. 26. edit Christopher p. 672. onely Socrates reporteth in his Eccles hist lib. 4.31 that Valentinian having Severa married Iustina And to cover his filthinesse made an Act that it might be lawfull for a man to have two wives but that law was
walke not in this and many other things as others have done but as God hath spoken Now wee may adde to the former words and collect out of them that when it is said Did not he make one who is the Author of marriage Doctrine The first instituter of marriage is God the Author of the conjunction that is betwixt man wife as at the first so now is God and he alone Manifest as here So Gen. 2.22 And the rib which the Lord had taken from the man made he a woman and brought her to the man Hence that Prov. 2.17 It is called the Covenant of God called so properly because he is the Author of it Hence Math. 19.6 whom God hath joyned together Reason 1 Because the breach of this ordinance either in man or woman by his law is death when either hath broken he ordained that the nocent party should dye yea hee that abused a woman but betrothed it was death Deut. 22.22.23 Now God for no ordinance of man ever ordained death Reason 2 Because though parents friends and parties themselves take care to provide matches after their humors some one some another yet is it not in the power of them all or any to make liking or knit hearts but only the Lord. To this some apply that Mat. 19.6 whom God hath coupled he working secretly and leading their hearts one to another Hence that Pro. 19.14 House riches are the inheritance of the fathers but a prudent wife commeth of the Lord and 18 22. he that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and receiveth favour of the Lord. Vse This teacheth us that this is as the Apostle an honourable estate having such an honourable Author as the God of Gods And it notes unto us the spirit of Antichrist in the Popes and Church of Rome yea the spirit of Satan teaching such doctrine of divells Innocent saith it is to live in the flesh and calleth it Bed pleasure and uncleannesse when he would condemne Ministers marriage by it so Siricius and others have spoken most wickedly and despitefully of it allowing simple fornication before it in their Priests And wherefore one because he sought a godly seede The end of marriage in the holy intent of God to have a holy seede the Church and religion propagated and increased The meaning is not as if holinesse and sanctification came by nature which is onely of grace for of such holinesse he doth not speake but the word is the seed of God that is that their children might be the sonnes and daughters of the true God and pure religion for it is here as the contrary was before Verse 11. The daughters of a strange God such as professed the worship not of the true God The meaning of this is manifest by that which we have in Ezra 9. 1.2 the holy seed matched with the people of the land namely they who professe true religion and the true God with those who falsifie both Also 1 Cor. 7.14 where holinesse is nothing but to be within the Covenant and professors of the true God and religion God then ordained marriage for the procreation of Children and that holy ones the propagation of the Church and the increase of such as should truely worship him Doctrine The end of marriage the most proper and excellent end of it is the procreation of children for the propagation of Gods Church and Gods worship That it is an end is here affirmed that it is the most proper and excellent I manifest because it was the end of it before the fall in mans perfection though sinne had never come yet this end was ordained of God as Gen. 1.28 propagation of mankind but specially the Church Nay by that is onely meant the Church seeing they were in their perfection and if then they had given themselves to propagation or had continued in their first estate they had brought forth still holy men in their perfect image who should have beene the seed of God Lombard hath a speech * Post lapsum hominis conjugium remedium est quod ante lapsum duntaxat officium fuit Lombard After mans fall marriage is a remedy which before the fall was onely an office The whole is true but it is not the whole truth for it is now officium as well as then to procreate children and propagate the Church now that this is the end that shewes that he prohibiteth and reproveth so often unequall matches with infidells because though that may encrease mankind yet not the Church for that will spread rather idolatry then the true worship Deut. 7.3.4 and Ezra 9.1.2 Hence it is that amongst the people of God that virginity was a griefe and barrennesse a shame and so taken and accounted because they could not increase the Church for the first see Judges 11.37.40 for the second see Luke 1.25 Hence the Apostle forbiddeth to take into the Church young widdowes for the service of the Church but will have them marrie for the increase of the Church 1 Tim. 5.14 Reason 1 Because this to bring forth children to increase his Church and true worshippers most procures that which is and ought to be the maine end of all that is the glory of God For not every one that brings forth children doth this but the contrary as the Heathen and Infidels who bring them forth for idolatry and dishonour of God This being to the contrary is a principall end Reason 2 Because this is the duty enjoyned them from God to bring up their children in his true worship Eph 6.4 Now the end of conjunction for procreation ought to be the same that their end of education must be of bearing and bringing forth which is of bringing up Vse 1 To reprove many who when they seeke a wife or a husband never thinke of this I say not they intend not procreation of children and increasing of the world as they say but not the increase of Gods Church and a religious seede that should further and set forward the true worship of God Certaine it is many of them take barrennesse for a crosse and a reproach unto them but it is onely because they have not little ones to solace themselves withall when they are young or to leave their wealth to when they are of yeares but never to propagate by them the Church and true worship of God It may be in our times they leave not unto them false worship but that is onely thankes to the state not them who if the state did so beare it would as well leave the one as the other to them And that I may not slander them I prove this from their choyse and from their use of their marriage estate The first is apparent that they choose onely for beauty though they be the daughters of men or for riches for portion or person never respect religion nay if there be the other to be had though their religion be suspected and it be either none
in the clouds when he shall sit upon a glorious Throne and come in the glory of his Father Shall speedily come The time immediately after Iohn begun his office And this was fulfilled Marke 1.14.15 which serves to the proofe As that this is the Messias whom the Prophets foretold of So to prove the truth of the Prophesies and that the old and new Testament answer one another as the two Cherubims looked face to face And that as one saith * Testamentum vetus erat veluti quodam cor tina in quâ divina misteria tegebantur quae fuerunt in novo Testamento reserata The old Testament was as a curtaine close drawne within which divine mysteries were hid which in the new Testament were exposed to so open view Shall come The comming here is not his birth no more then of Iohn nor his bodily comming but the execution of his Ministerie comming preaching working miracles instituting and celebrating Sacraments or other duties of his calling which though it might give us just occasion to speake of his propheticall office which also may be observed when he is called Angel or Messenger Yet hence may we observe that the Ministerie is not so base a thing as it is commonly esteemed Vide. Mala. 2 4. Vnto his Temple They who literally understand these words do by them prove Christ to be the true eternall God of Israel one with the Father for that Temple was consecrated but to one God of Israel and the Prophet here appropriates it to Christ Even the Messenger of the Covenant Christ called the Messenger because he declares unto us the will of his Father is the Prophet of the Church and to it Doctrine Christ is the principall Prophet of the Church to reveale his Fathers will unto them Rev. 3.14 Of the Covenant Christ is so called because God covenanted with the Fathers or promised them he would give him them to be their Prophet Doctrine Christ was promised to the forefathers God did covenant with them to send him in the fullnesse of time to be their Prophet and Saviour So much is affirmed here And is also proved by Gen. 2.23 For so the Apostle takes it to be spoken of Christ and his Church Ephe. 5.30 31 32. Also that Gen. 3.15 Now from hence till this time it was still prophesied of the continuall Oracles of the Prophets As Deuter. 18.18 Isaiah 9.6 This is that generally affirmed Rom. 1.1 2. Reason 1 Because 〈◊〉 loved them therefore he promised him unto them For there is the same reason of the promise which is of the performance but this came from love John 3.16 Reason 2 Because in his love he desired to save them and there being no other meanes but Christ Acts 4.12 He promised him that as we are saved by the performance and the vertue of that is past so they might be saved by the promise and the vertue of that which was to come Vse 1 To teach the excellency and worthinesse of the Gospel and the mysteries of salvation by Christ seeing it was promised so long time before by God himselfe and the promise so often iterated and repeated to the Fathers Things that Princes promise are not small or of little worth but of great value but that which they promise so long before and which they so often renew to severall men must needs be great and excellent when they are known to be Princes of great Magnificence and Glory So of this And as by that God would kindle in them a marvelous desire and an earnest desire to have it effected and accomplished so would he in us a due estimation and love unto it being now accomplished for being God hath provided better for us then for them as Heb. 11.40 We ought the more to love believe and esteem of it If Moses accounted but of the sight of the promised Land a farre off and rejoyced in it They who enjoyed it were much more bound to rejoyce in such a performed mercy of God If the Fathers Hebr. 11.13 When they saw the promises but as marriners upon the sea within the kenning of the land the sight of wished for Cities which they never came to much more we who do enjoy them performed least if we delight not in the knowledge and live in the faith of them we see them not Luke 17.22 Vse 2 If God in his love promised them Christ and it was love that he did promise it much more is it love he hath performed it to us Seeing that is more love which is in deed then in words Therefore ought we if they to love him and the more nay if they were bound in words we indeed and if a bare profession acknowledgement or beliefe would have sufficed them it would not us but we must love him indeed which is to keep his commandements and give him obedience and if as Chryso the Jewes obeyed in the candle light how much more we in the sunne light So if they for the promises we more for the performance If Courtiers give all attendance for to rise more when they are risen Behold he shall come This is to be understood of the first comming in the flesh and infirmity not his comming in Glory And so some take this to note his comming in the flesh so his humanity Doctrine Christ came into the world and became man tooke unto him not the nature of Angels but of the seede of man Heb. 2.16 He shall come saith the Lord. In this comming is noted the execution of his office it selfe and this saith the Prophet the Lord said as noting unto us that Christ did not take this office to himselfe but he was sent of God and called to it of his father Doctrine Christ did not take this calling unto him to be the Angell and Prophet of his Church but he was called to it and appointed by God So here For seeing God saith he shall come it argues that he sends him and therein the promise appeareth Hence that Deut. 18.18 I will raise them up a Prophet Isai 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath annointed me to preach c. John 20.21 As the father hath sent me so send I you John 5.37 The father himselfe hath sent me Reason 1 Because it is an honor to be but Gods Embassadour under Christ and from him more to be immediately Now the reason for the Priesthood will hold in this Heb. 5.4 No man may take it ambitiously to himselfe but he must be called and sent Reason 2 Because all might understand and know that it was Gods work and his businesse that he did therefore he sent him he doth his worke John 4.34 and that argues God sent him John 5.36 Reason 3 Because he onely knew the will of God and was able to manifest it therefore God sent him as the chiefe John 1.18 No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath
themselves and need not the helpes of others If any thinke I wrong men in judging thus of them I answer no because I judge by their fruit and practice For when their little love to the assembly of the Church appeareth by their negligent frequenting of them when prayers are made and the word Preached Saint Hierome tels me directly that some thinke they need not the preaching of the Church some not the prayers but thinke they are able enough to instruct themselves of themselves to prevaile with God which riseth commonly either from ignorance or knowledge the ignorance of their infirmities or the knowledge of their graces that makes them not desire the helpes of others as Moses tooke Aaron and Hur with him when he went to pray being privy to his own infirmities This makes them disdain others being puffed up with pride and self conceit Vse 2 To instruct every man be his excellency what it may be to affect and desire the prayers of others of the Ministers and publique congregations and the people of God for besides that God is in a speciall manner there present the cause why David and his men so desired the Temple Psal 84.1 3 7. So men in desiring them shew themselves to delight in the presence of God as gracious children in beholding the face of their father there is much profit to be had by them Non parvus est fructus domine ut à multis tibi gratiae aguntur de nobis à multis regeris pro nobis August confess 10.4 The benefit is not small O Lord that thou shouldest bee praysed by many of us and prayed unto by many for us For a man shall have not only the benefit of the prayers of one or two but many hundreds and if one faithfull prayer prevaile much Jam. 5. how much more many Thus shall he enjoy the communion of Saints which is a worthy thing so shall he better increase in the graces blessings received and keep that he hath for the best here and the most perfect must not imagine himselfe to bee already a burning and shining light within the house of heaven Sic ardens lucens nondum in domo se esse confidat ubi sine omni timore ventorum accensum lumen deportatur sed meminerit se esse sub dio utraque manu studeat operire quod portat nec credat aeri etiamsi videat esse tranquillum Repenâ—è enim hora qua non putaverit mutabitur si vel modicum manus remiserit lumen extinguetur Bern. ser 3. in vigil nat Dom. l. where once kindled there is no danger of any winds to blow it out but must remember that he is yet in the open ayre and must cover and defend the light he carries with both hands nor be confident though the ayre seeme to bee calme for sooner then he is aware if he take away his hand his light may be puffed out saith Saint Bernard Quest If the prayers of living Saints bee so needfull and profitable whose prayers we may desire and intreat why not also of dead Saints why may not their prayers be profitable to us and we desire them Answ How profitable soever their prayers may be to us and how certaine soever it may be that they doe pray for us as some think with Bernard ser 2. in vigi Nat. Dom. that Apocal. 6.10 doth prove it because of the answer vers 11. yet to desire their prayers as those who are living is not lawfull because it is without precept or president in the Scripture because it is against reason and the Scripture For first that they know not what we doe nor heare our prayers is manifest Isaiah 63.16 againe how should they come to the knowledge of them they in Heaven we in Earth and dispersed in many severall places As for the answer of the Rhemists out of Hierome against Vigilantius that they are in every place because they must follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth Revel 14.4 if the place be understood of them who imitate Christ upon earth and not of the soules departed as it may be at least it must bee unstood of all the elect whereof part are in the Church in the earth then the conclusion must be they who are upon earth must be every where as well as they who are in heaven which is most absurd But admit it of the Saints in heaven how is it possible they should be every where Not at one and the same instant they say but such is their motion speed and agility to be where they list and their power and will is answerable as well as the devill can be every where to worke mischiefe To which I answer that their comparison is absurd for the Devils by propriety of nature and the Lords permission have such passage in the world So have not the soules of the Saints for they are appointed by God to rest Revel 6.11 and 14.13 What rest if they must be tossed up and downe by the breaths of men sometime in England sometime in France c But say they did how were it possible they should heare the prayers of all that call upon them at one and the same instant if they be not in many severall places at one and the same instant And if it be impossible the prayers must needs be vaine Besides if it were not yet in that which Papists give their reason for it is made more abhominable that is to make way for themselves to the favour of God even as by Nobles and great men we procure accesse to the King Numquid tam demens est aliquis c. Is there any so mad saith Ambrose in Epist ad Rom. cap. 1. or so carelesse of his life that he will give the honour of the King to a Noble man to procure him accesse to him when he shall be guilty of treason when hee commeth before him And yet they thinke they are not guilty of treason to God who under pretence of seeking God by Saints doe give unto the Creatures the honour of God the Creator and forsaking the Lord worship their fellow-servants And though there be saith he some reason why they should make way to a King by his Nobles and Pensioners because hee is a man and knows not who are fit to be trusted with the Common-wealth yet unto the Lord who knows all things and knows the worths and worthinesse of men there needs no spokes-man but onely a holy mind Thus farre he But to adde to him that this thing is without precept in Old or New Testament confessed by themselves Eccius grants not in the Old because the Fathers were then in limbo a good reason against him and the Israelites were marvellous prone to Idolatry Not in the New lest the Gentiles should returne to their Idolatry and lest the Apostles should be too vaine-glorious and ambitious if they had commanded it and so a great difference and strong reason
erre is Matth. 16.18 The gates of hell shall not prevaile against the Church whence they first reason that the foundation and roofe of the Church cannot erre such as Peter and the Popes his successors I say nothing that it is not yet proved that the Pope is Peters successor nay it is manifest that he succeeded rather Simon Maguer then Simon Peter But I say that Peter is not the rocke In the words saith Augustine there is difference betwixt Petrus and Petra both in the Greeke and Latine Againe the rocke here is not Peter but Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 and 3.11 whereunto agrees the Fathers and their owne writers also late writers whereby all colour of argument taken from this place for the Pope is utterly quashed But grant that they begge then must it either be in regard of his person but but cannot be for the Church cannot be builded upon flesh and bloud Or in regard of some superioritie and place above the rest But as that cannot be proved so the contrary is manifest 2. Cor. 12.11 Or of his doctrine taught by him and of the faith of Christ confessed by him and so it is true Now this was common to him and all the rest For as Iohn is called a Pillar Gal. 2.9 so was Iames as well as Peter and all the rest as Revel 21.14 To which is that Ephes 2.20 with whom the Prophets are joyned because they writ the Scriptures which is indeed te foundation of our faith they being put for their writings Our of all which nothing will follow for the Pope or nothing in speciall manner I will trouble you with no other reasons onely I will shew you this chalenge is false because many of them have erred The first shall be Marcellus or Marcellinus who offered up sacrifice to Idols and by the Councell of Sessa was made to recant it The second Liberius whom Hierom and Athan sius affirme to have been an Arrian one that denied the Deity of Christ Thirdly Thirdly like to him was Felix who was an Arrian as the same Hierom writeth Innocent the first made both Baptisme and the Eucharist necessary to salvation of Infants Augustine lib. 1. contra Iulian. Pelagian cap. 2. The latter of these errours was condemned by the Councell of Trent Sessio 5. sub Pio quarto Canon 4. Fourthly Leo the first who died as Arrius did an Arrian Fifthly Siricius accounted Matrimony pollution Sixthly Vigilius accursed all who affirmed that there be two natures in Christ Seventhly Honorius the first which taught as Melchior Canus confesseth that Christ had not two wills or operations Eighthly In Concilio Romano Pope Stephen the sixt he abolished all the Acts of Formosus his predecessour and commanded all that had received Orders from him to be ordered againe and thought that the Sacrament depended upon the vertue of the Minister Ninthly in concilio Ravennae habito Iohn 9. disanulled all the Acts of Stephen and Sergius the third all that Formosus had done And so that which Iohn had done and approved the Acts of Stephen Some of these must needs erre Tenthly Gregory the seventh whom Cardinal Benno in his writing of him who lived at the same time makes an Heretick a Necromancer a seditious and a Simonist an adulterer not the worst Bishop but the worst of all men A right Hellebrand Eleventhly Celestinus the third allowed heresie to breake the bond of marriage and that a man might marry againe if his wife fell into heresie and è contra So Alphonsus de Castro Twelfthly Iohn 22. or 21. who held that the soules separated from the bodies saw not God nor rejoyced not with him before the day of judgement and was forced to recant it with sound of trumpet by the University of Paris for feare of losing his Popedome as Iohn Gerson writeth in his Sermon of Easter Thirteenthly Iohn 23. or 22. was accused in the Councell of Constance for denying eternall life and the resurrection of the body All which with many moe prove manifestly against them that the Pope can erre and hath erred and so may still Bellarmine I confesse hath a great many of shifts and evasions to cleare his holy Fathers but they are so light and foolish they are not worth the studying on for the most part Vse 2 This teacheth us how dangerous a thing ignorance is even in every Christian for if it be the cause of errour in the Ministers it will be in the people And if the Ministers all one and other are subject to errour if they erre and the people be without knowledge they will go after taking errour for truth because they are able to distinguish neither the one nor the other If it were infallible and certaine that their guides could not erre nor their Ministers be deceived it were no matter though they were never so ignorant but when it is most certaine that they are subject to it and their erring will not excuse the people though the other answer for their abusing and mis-leading of them their ignorance is very dangerous and that implicite faith Popery so much commends damnable And in them and others who would perswade the people they may be ignorant and a little or no knowledge is required of them it is suspitious as if they meant to make a prey of them to broach some errors among them For then saith Chrysostome theeves go to stealing when they have first put out the candle and then do men utter their bad wares when they have dim and false lights Vse 3 To perswade all men to labour for knowledge and to increase in the knowledge of the Word and Mysteries of salvation That they having the rule of truth and falshood the word of God may not be carried away with the errour of one or many be they never so great or learned Erre they may be they never so learned for they know but at the best in part and erre oftentimes they do because they are not wholly sanctified For as the greatest part of a Church is wholly unsanctified so the best are but in part sanctified and so are subject to partiality and errour yea may both erre and defend errour against their knowledge some violent temptation of pride pleasure and profit and such like carrying them thereunto seeing none now is incessantly guided and governed by the Spirit Then had they need of knowledge that they may try and discerne the spirits and doctrines and he that is not carelesse which end goes forwards not retchlesse for his soule whether it walke in the paths of truth or in the paths of errour will not be carelesse for it and to grow in knowledge But if they erre how not we Lookers on may see more then players We may allude to that Prov. 28.11 The rich man is wise in his owne conceit but the poore that hath understanding can try him And God often to the simple reveales things when hid from wise Matth. 11.25 to humble them
you neglect it If nothing else the reward might make you diligent But most take it as a rejecting of their sacrifices though they goe not the same way because they differ in the reading of the Text. Who is there among you that would shut the dores that yee might not kindle mine Altar in vaine So the Chald. Lxx. Theod. Vatabl. I would some body would shut the doores that they might not offer these polluted sacrifices to no purpose Who is there that would shut the dores And kindle not fire on my Altar in vaine So the Geneva and their note is God desires they would rather shut the dores then receive and burne such offrings The author of the following commentary followes that In which I must depart from him because wee in our last and the best English translation reade the words otherwise as above Wee supply the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For naught out of the following sentence as Piscator also doth Who is there that would shut the dores for naught Unto which I will offer a double sense 1. There are none of you that would or did serve mee without recompense and therefore being so ingaged to serve mee and yet withall so unthankfull I have no pleasure in you or your sacrifices Or 2. Who is there even among you any of you for I will even make your selves the Judges that would so farre gratifie the people as to open the dores of the Temple to pray for them or to kindle the Altar to sacrifice to make atonement for them and yet not be respected by them but doe all this for naught they bringing you the refuse tythes poore meane and corrupt offerings as good as if they brought none at all But so yee deale with mee and despise my name Therefore I have no pleasure in you nor will accept your offering Who would shut the dores 1 of the Temple The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The double dores The difference betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ianua and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ostium see in Genes 19.6 Lot went out at the doore ad ostium id est aperturam The dore place and shut the dore Ianuam The opening dore after him The Greeke expresseth the difference more clearely Lot went out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the porch or outward dore And shut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dore the inner dore after him But to returne to the Text in hand these two-leaved dores of the Temple were daâ—ly to bee opened by the Priests of the familie of Korah where they wayted as it were to watch their watches there See â— Cron. 16.38.26.1 2 Cron. 35.15 Henr Mollerus in PsalmuÌ„ 84 ver 11. Neitheâ— doe yee kindle fire on my Altar Illustrate my Altar so Tremell or as Montan. hath it Cause my altar to shine which is also to the sense of our translation because things kindled or set on fire doe shinâ— According to that of Virgil. Collucent ignes and Maenia respiciens quae jam infelicis Elisae Collucent flammis The Lxx render it as we doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee kinâ—le The Chald paraphrase expresseth the meaning too yee offer upon my Altar I have no pleasure in you The Italian I doe not esteene you a jot I will not accept an offering c. The word here is Minhha of which see the next verse in which Thirdly he threatens the remoovall of his worship ver 11 12 13. where we consider Verse 11 I. The translation in the word of illation For Tremell reades it But and Piscator therefore would have it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we need not so supply the originall in which wee have a cleare context in which God passeth from the former threatning to this as alleadging this as a reason of the former I will not accept their offering for I have other people that more reverence me II. The threatning it selfe set downe by a comparison of dissimilitude betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles where 1. The proposition shewing the Gentiles care of his worship ver 11. 2. The reddition shewing the Iewes neglect and profaning of it ver 12.13 First the proposition shewing the Gentiles care of Gods Worship and respect unto it ver 11. From the rising of the Sunne to the gowing downe of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall bee offred unto mine name and a pure offering for my name shall bee great among the heathen saith the Lord of Hosts I will abolish your sacrifices impure and bounded in one narrow land my name and my worship shall not bee confined in Iudaea but the whole World shall bee my Temple and all Nations shall worship with pure offerings for my name shall and will be magnified among them every where From the rising of the Sunne to the going downe that is every where from East to West And what if these Westerne parts of the World be particularly prophesyed of to enjoy the worship of God after the Iewes which were in the East Or what if these Islands of ours that lie in the Sea into which the Sunne is said To goe downe which is an expression of the old Greeke Poets see Ioh. Scapula in Thom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Prophet here useth such a word in the other originall when the West is called according to the vulgar conceit The Sun-set or The sunnes going downe or Going in introitus solis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To lie downe or Goe in My name great the Gen. supplies IS we supply it shall be great Gods Name what it is we saw ver 6. Shall bee great Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorified Among the Gentiles in the end of the verse they are cal'd The heathen but the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iewes theÌ„selves are also ordinarily called Gojim Esa 9.3 Thou hast multiplied the nation Hagoi The Thargum there the people of the house of Israel Ezek. 2.3 I send thee to the children of Israel to a rebellious Nation Gojim Nations called so in the plurall because though they were but one people they were many tribes or divided into many factions But when the word is opposed to the Jewes as here it denotes other people that are not of the seed of Abraham who in the new testament are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Math. 10.5 Goe not into the way of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.11 Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word the Lxx use here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though this word also be used for the Iewes even in the new Testament Luc. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee loved our Nation That is the Iewes But the Iewes used the word ordinarily to signifie another people and a people of another worship and to this day they use to call a Christian Goi A gentile