wisedome and she will exalt thee Prov. 4.8 the onely way for a Minister to get credit is to seeke the credit of his Master but there are too many like the Pharises who did all that they might be seene of men and in effect they say as Iehu said come and see how zealous I am for the Lord of hoasts 2 King 10.16 where a man might see as it were through a hole of his coate pride peeping out and he seeking his owne praise and not the Lords honor Let us not be like Onan who knowing that the seede should not bee his refused to raise it up to his eldest brother If the second brother raised not up seed to his eldest brother then they spit in his face The greatest credit to a Preacher is to beget children to his eldest brother the Lord Iesus Christ this was Pauls glory this shall be their Crowne and glory in the day of the Lord the Lord likes not these barren Eunuches in the Church who beget not children unto him It was a great credit for Abdon Iud. 12.14 To have fourty sonnes and thirty Nephewes that rode on threescore and ten Asse-Coltes but what credit shall it be for a Preacher to have so many sonnes and daughters begotten to the Lord riding in Chariotes of triumph to Glory when they can say behold me And the Children which the Lord hath given me Esay 8.18 When a Preacher hath begotten many sonnes to himselfe and built up his owne house this shall never be reckoned upon his score but what children hast thou begotten unto me will the Lord say as Arrowes are in the hand of a mighty man so are the children to the fathers Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but pleade with the enemies in the gate Psal 127.5 The Lord objected to the Iewes by Haggai Cap. 1.4 Is it time for you to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lye waste So the Lord may justly object to many of us that we build our owne houses but suffer the house of the Lord to lye waste it was an opprobry in Israel when a man or a woman wanted children scribe hunc sine liberis Iere. 22.30 and therefore they said when they had children deus abstulit opprobâ—ium meum Luc. 1.25 The Lord hath taken away my opprobry the Lord take away that opprobry and shame from the ministry that they stand not up as barren and unfruitfull Eunuches in the day of the Lord. How shall we judge who is a profitable Preacher Quest Ans Not by the event but by his diligence Esay was a good Preacher and yet his ministry for the most part was to make fat the hearts of the people and he said I have spent my strength in vaine Esay 49 4. so Iere. 6.25 Cura officij eventuâ— was an excellent Preacher yet he said The bellowes are burnt the Lead is coÌ„sumed the Founder melâ—eth in vaine Christ himselfe converted not so many as Peter did There is cura officij and cura eventus we must measure a faithfull Pastor How the faithfulnesse of a Preacher is to be measured per curam of ficij and not eventus his cura officij is this nosce statum gregis tui Prov. 27.23 To know his sheepe by their names Ioh. 10. Secondly to feed them diligen ly to goe out and in before them to leade them to the wholsome pastures to sow his seed faithfully and then he may lye down and sleepe and then it growes up day and night and he cannot tell this cura eventus belongs not to him Lastly he should be grieved when he sees the people hard hearted and will not be converted Three sorts of Preachers There are three sorts of Preachers First those who give a good account of good sheepe who can say with Esay 8.18 Here am I and the children that thou hast given me Secondly those who give a good account of bad sheepe he is free of their blood curavimus Babylonem noluit sanari Iere. 51.9 this faithfull Preacher shall not want his reward with God although he hath not converted many and Augustine shewes the matter by this comparison two men come into a Barbers shop to be washed a Blackamore and another man the Barber washes the other man and makes him whiter he washes the Blackamore and makes him blacker yet the Barber will be payed for both because he hath taken equall paines upon both so shall the good Preacher get his reward although hee make not the Blackamore looke the whiter A Minister shall not bee like Iacob in the day of his reckoning for Iacob made good to Laban that which was torne by the wilde beasts Gen. 31.39 but a Minister shall not make good that which is lost if it be not lost thorow his negligence it shall suffice if he can shew the skinne and the marke to the Lord and if he have sustained the heat of the day and the cold of the night as Iacob did that is all that the Lord requires from him The third sort is he that gives a bad account of bad sheepe when the sheepe perisheth through his negligence then the Lord shall require their blood at his hands Whether should a Minister be grieved Quest when he seeth his Ministery unprofitable amongst a people and that his Ministery is like to be the favour of death unto them No question he should be grieved Answ Ieremie wished that his head might be a fountaine of teares Ier 9.1 That he might weepe for that people and Christ himselfe wept over Ierusalem Mat. 23.37 But Christ himselfe ye will say gave thankes to God his Father Obj. That he had hid these things from the wise of the world and revealed them unto babes Matth. 11.23 and the Angell sang praise when Esay made fat the hearts of the people Esay 6. Christ is considered two wayes first Answ as he was the Minister of Circumcision secondly as Mediator Christ as he was the Minister of Circumcision Christ considered as the Minist r oâ— circumcision and as Mediator and sent to teach the Iewes no doubt it was a great griefe to him when he saw them hard-hearted that they would not beleeve but againe if ye will consider him as Mediator looking up to Gods wisedome and dâ—cree he giveth God praise for passing by some and chusing others Paul looking to his charge he wished the Iewes to be saved but when he looketh up to Gods will in a second consideration then his preaching was to make fat the hearts of that people as was the preaching of Esay he resteth in this and he rejoyceth that God is glorified Simile Although the spheares have their owne motions in particular yet they all follow the motion of the first mover So although Christ and Paul be sorry at the first for the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts yet they must follow the motion of the first mover God
our Divinity is more in practise than in contemplation therefore these onagri or wilde asses the Heremites who lived without all society of men forget the cheife end wherefore they were let here living rather like beasts than like men and if wee shall take a view of the ecclesiasticall history as out of Theodoret and Zozomen wee shall see how unprofitablie these men have spent their time leaving the congregation of the Saints of God Theodoret writeth of one Macedonius qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gubba dictus est Cap. 13. de historia religiosa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gubba in the Syriacke tongue is a Ditch he was called gubba because he stoode in a Ditch all his time and he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he eate nothing but Barley pulse See how unprofitablie this man spent his time not giving himselfe to reading of the holy Scriptures for he was altogether ignorant of them for when Flavianus the Bishop sent for him that hee might make him a Minister he was so ignorant of that which the Bishop had done unto him when he ordained him Minister that being required the next Sabbath day to come againe to the Church answered him who came for him that he was affraid to be made Minister the next Sabbath day also and so refused to come see how this holy man spent his life for forty yeares in contemplatin and what great progresse he made in Christian Religion From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pillar So Theodoret maketh mention of one Styllites who stoode under a pillar all his life time and never came into a house So Zozomen in his ecclesiasticall history Lib. 6.29 writeth of one Pior who going out of his fathers house into a desert vowed solemnely that he should never see any of his kinsmen or friends againe and living fifty yeares there he had a sister who longed to see him before shee dyed the Bishop pitying the poore woman granted leave to Pior to come and visit her and he returning into his countrey standing before the doore called out his sister and shutting his eyes he said unto her behold I am your brother Pior looke upon mee as much as you please but shee entreating him earnestly to come to her house he altogether refusing went backe againe to the Wildernesse and so wee reade in Theodoret of one Adynus In Sacra hist lib. 14. 8. who lived ninety yeares in the Wildernesse and never spake to any man as if he had beene possessed with a dumb Divell this is that holy contemplative life which the Church of Rome commendeth so much but this is pure Religion to visite the fatherlesse and widdow in their necessity Iam. 1.27 These Heremites living this contemplative life were like Polyphemus having but one eye in his head and looking ever up but never downe The opinion of the Schoolemen in this point The Schoolemen differ but little in this poynt how Divinity teacheth us practise Thomas and his followers say that fides non est recta ratio agendi sed recta ratio sentiendi and therefore Contra gentiles hee compareth faith to hearing rather than to sight but he addeth that practise followeth faith as the fruit of it but Scotus maketh faith to be habitus practicus Yee see how both of them insist in this that Divinity consisteth in practise The end of the Sadduces and Pharises Divinity The Lord Num. 15.38.39 commanded the Israelites to make fringes upon the borders of their garments that they might remember the Commandements of the Lord and keepe them the Sadduces gave themselves onely to looke upon the fringes and if they had onely remembred the Law they thought then they had discharged their duties but the end of the Pharises was to remember their owne traditions The end of the Monks and Iesuites Divinity So the end of the Monkes Divinity now is onely idle contemplation with the Sadduces and the end of the Iesuites Divinity now is onely to practise mischeefe and many Christians when they reade the Scriptures now they reade them not for practise but for to passe the time with they are like little children who seeke Nuts to play but not to breake them and eate the kernels The conclusion of this is Iam. 1.22 Conclusi Be yee doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiving your selves EXERCITAT IIII. Of Adams knowledge before his fall Gen. 2.19 Whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name of it FIrst consider in Adams knowledge the manner how he got this knowledge and secondly the measure of his knowledge His knowledge was inbred knowledge and not acquired for as soone as he did behold the creatures Of the manner how Adam got his knowledge never having seene them before he gave them all names according to their nature This knowledge being inbred it could not be acquired also nam duplex ejusdem scientiae in vno subjecto non datur causa there cannot be two causes given of one the selfe same knowledge in one subject although one and the selfe same knowledge cannot be said both to be acquired and inbred Adams inbred knowledge and our acquired knowledge are not diverse sorts of knowledge yet Adam might have had experimentall knowledge afterward of his inbred knowledge His inbred knowledge and our acquired knowledge are not divers sorts of knowledge for as the sight restored to the blind although it was miraculous yet when he saw it was one sort of sight with our sight so these inbred habites and acquired habites are but one sort of habits but these inbred habits in Adam and infused habits were more excellent than acquired habits for these things which God doth are such that nature cannot produce the like or so perfect as that wine which Christ made miraculously at the marriage of Cana in Galilee Things done miraculously are more excellent than nature can produce them Iob. 2. was more excellent wine than other naturall wine so when Christ cured the blind their sight was more perfect than our naturall sight so when he made the lame to goe Act. 3.16 So the habites of inbred knowledge in Adam were more perfect than any other sinfull man could ever attaine unto after him Of the measure of Adams knowledge The creatures are lesse than the knowledge of God they were equall with the knowledge of Adam before his fall but they exceed our knowledge now When the eye looketh upon the white colour Simile it scattereth the sight and the white colour exceedeth it but when it looketh upon the greene colour exaequat visum and it is a proportionable object for the eye but when it looketh upon a taunie colour it is lesse than the sight So the creatures are lesse than Gods sight they were equall with Adams sight before his fall like the greene colour and they exceed our sight since the fall as the white colour doth exceede
we touch the needle of the compasse with a Loadstone that the stone may draw it right to the pole againe So the mind must be touched with the Loadstone of the Spirit of grace that it may come backe againe to the Lord as to the pole EXERCITAT VI. Of the seven Precepts given to Noah Act. 15.20 We write unto them that they abstaine from things strangled and from blood BEfore the Law was written the Hebrewes say that the Lord gave to Noah seven Precepts which were delivered of Noah by tradition to his posterity after him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these the Iewes call pirke abhoth capitula patrum the traditions of the fathers The most ancient first tradition that we reade of was that Gen. 32.32 because Iacob halted upon his thigh therefore the children of Israel eate not of the sinew which shranke which is upon the hollow of the thigh unto this day So were these seven precepts delivered by tradition The first was against strange worship or idolatry 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should not worship false gods and this they called gnabhuda zar◠strange worship The second they called it gnal birkath hashem that is they should blesse the name of God The third was gnal shepukoth dammim that is he was forbidden to shed innocent blood The fourth was gnalui gniria that is he should not defile himselfe with filthy lusts The fift was gnad hagazael de rapina that he should take nothing by violence or theft The sixt was gnal hadinim de judiciis The seventh was abhar min achai ne menbrum de vivo that he should not pull a member from a living creature and eate of it This precept they say was given last to Noah Gen. 9.4 but the flesh with the life thereof which is the blood thereof shall yee not eate that is How this precept of Noah not to eate blood is to be understood as the Iewes interpret it yee shall not pull a member from a living creature eate of it as the wild beast doth but to stay untill the beast be killed and then eate the flesh thereof neyther shall ye eate the blood while it is hot as if it were yet in the body this is cruelty against a morall precept to eate hot blood while the life is in it Where the reason of the Law is perpetuall the Law is perpetuall for where the reason of the Law is perpetuall the Law must be perpetuall The reason of the Law is ye shall not eate blood because the life is in it so long as the life is in it yee must not eate it and see how this sinne Ezek. 33.35 is matched with other great sinnes Yee eate with the blood and lift up your eyes towards your Idols and shed blood and shall yee possesse the land The morall transgressions of the Law joyned with it here sheweth that it is cruelty to eate hot blood But Levit. 7.27 was the ceremoniall part of the Law and the Apostles in the councill Act. 15. forbiddeth them to eate any thing that was strangled whereby they meant the ceremoniall part of the Law Quest Whether are we to take these precepts as ceremoniall or as morrall Answ The most of these are morrall precepts and the same which are set downe againe in the Law For when the Apostles biddeth them abstaine from fornication Act. 15. See Beza Act. 15. It is the same that is forbidden in the fourth precept given to Noah not revelare turpitudinem and to interpret here fornication for eating of things sacrificed to Idols seemeth to be a strained sense for that is forbidden already by the first precept to Noah And to uncover the nakednesse according to the phrase of the Scripture is meant of bodily pollution and not of spirituall fornication Of eating of blood see more in the appendix of Command 6. Now besides these morrall precepts set downe by the councill they interlace this ceremoniall precept de suffocato forbidding to eate things strangled and they give the reason wherefore the Gentiles should abstaine from these Act. 15.21 For Moyses is read in their Synagogues every Sabbath Why the Apostles forbid to eate blood or things strangled as if Iames should say they professe not onely the morrall Law but also the ceremoniall Law yet therefore yee Gentiles shall doe well to abstaine from these things which may give them offence The Iewes respected these precepts most because they were kept in the Church even from Noahs dayes The Hebrewes adde further that there was no other precept given untill Abrahams dayes then God added the precept of circumcision and afterwards taught them to separate tithes God at the beginning taught his Church by tradition and not by write The Lord taught his Church in her infancie this wayes by traditions and not be write and even as parents teach their children the first elements by word Simile and afterwards by write so the Lord taught his Church first by word and then by write Conclusion The conclusion of this is The Lord never left his Church without his word to direct her before the fall he spake immediatly to Adam and Eve taught them In the second period he taught them by these seven precepts In the third period by the Law written and in the fourth period by the Gospel EXERCITAT VII Of the diverse wayes how God revealed himselfe extraordinarily to his Church Heb. 1.1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets GOd manifested himselfe to his Church God revealed himselfe to his Church foure wayes first by prophesie secondly by the holy Spirit thirdly by Vrim and Thummim and fourthly by the poole Bethesda First by prophesie Sundry sorts of prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were sundry sorts of prophecie the first was lepi face to face to Moyses onely This sort of prophesie was the highest degree of revelation and it drew nearest to that sort of vision which we shall get of God in the heavens He manifested himselfe to Moyses face to face How the Lord manifested himselfe to Moses and hee knew him by his name that is not onely by the face as Princes know many of their Subjects but he knew him inwardly and liked him this was notitia approbationis Moyses saw God face to face yet he saw not the essence of God for hee dwelleth in a light inaccessable Iohn saw Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn saw God three manner of wayes First in his incarnation he saw God dwelling amongst men in the flesh here Secondly in his transfiguration upon the Mount Thirdly in the Spirit upon the Lords day Rev. 1.10 Although Iohn lay in the bosome of Christ and
the Schoolemen speake their Synagogues and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houses of prayer were but Loci ut loci therefore they might not sacrifice in them but when they worshiped in them they turned alwayes their faces towards the Temple The Tabernacle which was the first place commanded for the worship of God was a type of heaven Psal 15.1 Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle and when they could not have accesse to the Tabernacle they thought themselves but like the wandring Arabians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellative hic sumitur a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 protraxit we reade not that Daevid ever dwelt in the tents of Keâ—ar therefore it should be translated as in Kedar that knew not God nor his worship Psal 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourne so long dwelling as in the Tents of Kedar This Tabernacle was divided in three parts the holiest of all the holy place and the court of the people The holiest of all signified heaven the second place signified the state of the old Law where the Priests entered in daily and offered for themselves and the people and the court of the people signified the Church here below The people might not come into the court of the Priests The people might not come into the holiest of all but Esay 56.7 My house shall be called the house of prayer he applyeth this both to the Iewes and Gentiles which Christ applyeth to the Iewes onely in the Temple of Ierusalem and the Prophet speaketh in prototype as Christ in type the Proselytes might not come into the court of the Israelites they stood but in Atrio Gentium in the court of the people but Esay foretelleth that the Gentiles shall have as free accesse to the house of God as the Iewes because his house is the house of prayer and this Salomon foretold 1 King 8.41 If a stranger come from a farre country to call upon thy name then heare thou in heaven that is grant that they may have as great accesse to thee as the Iewes have When Herod built the Temple he wrote an inscription upon the gate of the court of Israel that no stranger should enter in there under the paine of death but now this inscription is changed that whatsoever stranger he be that doth not enter into the house of the Lord shall dye the death before The Levites might not goe into the holy place the people might not enter into the court of the Priest but now wee are all Kings and priests to God 1 Pet. 2.9 before the Levites might enter where the people might not goe they might goe into the court of the Priests but not into the holy place but now all the people are the Lords Levites Mal. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellative hic sumitur quia habet ×” praefixum Yee have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hostes Levi here is put for the whole people and therefore they have as great accesse now as the Priests had Before none might enter into the holiest of all but the High priest once in the yeere Heb. 9.7 but now all have accesse to the throne of grace Heb 4.16 Rom. 5.2 The Tabernacle and the Temple were alike in many things first in the forme A comparisen betwixt the Tabernacle and Temple for the Tabernacle was a paterne to the Temple Againe there was no light in the holiest of all in the Tabernacle In what things they were alike So neyther in the holiest of all in the Temple and the signification was this Rev. 21.23 and the City had no neede of the Sunne neyther of the Moone How the Lord is sayd to dwell in a cloud to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lambe is the light thereof In the holiest of all there was no light and the High priest when he entred into it kindled smoke and he saw nothing because the Lord dwelleth in a cloud Psal 18.11 he was not able to behold the shecina or glory that dwelt in the holiest there was no externall light that came there but the Lambe was the light and when we shall be glorified wee shall not see that inaccessible light in which hee dwelleth So in the holyest both in the Tabernacle and temple there was no light but the light of the Candlestick no light in the Temple but that which the lampe gave for there were no windows in the Temple to give light to it and it was compassed round about with Chambers that it could have no light Ob. 1 Sam. 3.3 And ere the lampe of God went out in the Temple of the Lord where the Arke of God was and Samuel was layd downe to sleepe Then it may seeme that they had other light than the light of the candlestick Answ Before the lampe of God went out that is before the lampes were changed by the Priests and new lights added and the signification of this was the Church should be directed by no light but by the light of the Word 2 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto yee doe well that yee take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts The Court of the Priests was not covered There was a court for the Priests both in the Tabernacle and Temple and it was not covered above to signifie that the Church here hath more of the light of nature than of the light of grace Againe the Tabernacle and Temple had the like implements both in the Holiest and Holiest of all And last the Tabernacle and the Temple served for the same use for Gods worship In what things the Tabernacle and Temple differed Now let us see wherein they differed First the Tabernacle was moveable and the other was fixed the moveable Tabernacle signified our estate and condition here and the Temple which was unmoveable signified our estate in future glory The Tabernacle had not the court of the Gentiles Secondly the Temple was much more large than the Tabernacle the Tabernacle had not the court of the Gentiles as the temple had there was but one golden candlesticke in the Tabernacle and ten in the Temple 1 King 7.49 So in the Tabernacle was but one brasen Laver in the Temple there were ten so there were but two Cherubims in the Tabernacle but foure in the Temple Lastly the Tabernacle indured not so long as the Temple did and when the Tabernacle had no use it was layd up in the Temple The Conclusion of this is Conclusion the Tabernacle gave place to the Temple So both the Temple and the Tabernacle gave way to Iesus Christ who was both the true Tabernacle and Temple and of whom they were but types EXERCITAT IIII. Of the Arke A Ceremoniall Appendix of Command 2. Exod. 25.17 And thou shalt make a Mercie seate of pure Gold c.
and glistering like gold So Iob. 37.22 Gold commeth out of the north that is faire and cleare weather It was beaten oyle to signifie with what paine and travell the word is prepared and with patience preached and made to shine in his Church No Waxe might be burnt in these lampes because Honey was uncleane therefore Waxe was uncleane Honey might be in no Sacrifice because it fermenteth Levit. 2.11 So no Waxe might serue for light So there was no silke in the Tabernacle because the Worme which maketh silke was an uncleane thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baccae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spicae The Prophet Zacharie in a vision saw two Olive branches empyting themselves thorow the two golden pipes into the Candlesticke and they are compared to two eares of corne What the two Olive trees were in the vision of Zacharie because they were full of Olive berries as the eares were of graines These Olive trees were the cause of the preservation of the Church and the cause of the maintenance in the Candlesticke The two annointed ones which stand before the Lord of the whole earth vers 14. Targum paraphraseth them to be Zerubbabel and Ioshua who represented the Church and commonwealth The Lord commanded to make snuffers of pure gold for the snuffing of the lampes The snuffers of gold what they signified and snuffe-dishes to receive the snufle he would have the snuffe taken from the light to signifie that he would have the word kept in sinceritie and puritie and hee would have the snuffers of gold to teach them to be blamelesse and holy who are censurers and correctors of others and he would have the snuffe-dishes of gold to teach them that the covering of the offences of their brethren was a most excellent thing Lastly in what manner the Priests dressed the lamps The manner how the Priests trimmed the lampes when the lampe was out he lighted it and when it was not out he dressed it when the middlemost lampe was out he lighted it from the Altar but the rest of the lampes every one he lighted from the lampe that was next and he lighted one after another to signifie that one Scripture giveth light to another they say in the Talmud that the cleansing of the innermost Altar was before the trimming of the five lamps and the trimming of the five lamps before the blood of the daily sacrifice and the blood of the daily sacrifice before the trimming of the two lamps and the trimming of the two lamps before the burning of incense That the Priests should order and trimme the lamps The signification of the trimming of the lamps signifieth how Christ and his Ministers should continually looke unto the purity of doctrine and preaching of the light of the Gospel from evening to morning in the darke place of this world untill the day dawne and the day starre arise in our hearts Reve. 1.13 2 Pet. 1.19 EXERCITAT XI Of the Table of the shewbread A ceremoniall appendix of Commande 2. Exod. 25.23 Thou shalt also make a Table of Shittim wood c. vers 30. And thou shalt set upon the Table shewbread before me alway THe Lord commanded to make a Table and to set twelve loaves upon it The loaves represent the Church First the Church is represented by loaves here as many graines make up one loafe so many beleevers make up one Church 1 Cor. 10.17 for we being many are one bread The loaves made of fine flower Secondly these loaves were made of fine flower and not of barley which was a base graine and therefore used in no other sacrifice but in the offering for jealousie Num. 5.15 So Gideon represented by a barley cake Iudg. 7.13 and I bought her for so many Homers of Barley Hos 3.2 but the Wheate was most excellent graine and the flower of the Wheat was most excellent bread Deut. 32.14 he made them eate the fat of the kidneys of Wheate The twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes Thirdly there stood twelve loaves upon this Table to represent the twelve Tribes who came of the twelve Patriarchs The Tribes were represented by many things these twelve Tribes were represented by many things by the twelve stones set up in Iordan and so by the twelve stones set up in the land of Canaan So by the twelve stones set upon the breastplate of Aaron and upon his shoulders in onyx stones So by Canaan divided into twelve parts and from them the twelve Apostles in the New Testament and the new Ierusalem built upon twelve foundations Revel 21.14 These twelve loaves stood before the Lord Why called shewbread therefore they were called panis facierum or propositionis and they signifie that the Church is alwayes the object of the eye of God and therefore he saith set up no Idoll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gnal panai in my presence Why the bread was removed every Sabbath They were removed every Sabbath and new loaves put in their places to signifie the renuing of the graces of God to his Church None might eate of these loaves Who might eate of the shewbread but the Priests who served in their course that weeke and their children the Priests daughter did eate of this bread when she was a widdow and returned home to her father againe Levit. 22.18 So we being maried to the Law and it having dominion over us Rom. 7.1 we were out of our fathers house and might not eate of his holy bread but being dead to the Law Rom. 7.4 and divorced from our sinnes as widowes we may come home to our fathers house and be partakers of the holy things The Priests so long as they were in this holy service The legall sanctification of the Priests and eate this holy bread they were not to keepe company with their wives for this was a part of their ceremoniall uncleannesse Exod. 19.14 Moyses commanded them to wash their cloathes and not to come at their wives This abstinence 1 Sam. 21. How David asked the shewbread is called via munda a cleane way and to eate in this uncleannesse is called via polluta When David in necessity came to Ahimelech the Priest to aske bread for him and his men the Priests had no common bread to give them but this holy bread this bread the Priests sayd they might not eate of it if they were in via polluta and their vessels not sanctified by via polluta is meant here to keep company with their wives and by the sanctification of the vessels is meant the sanctification of our bodies Our bodies called our vessels for our bodies are called our vessels 1 Thessalon 4.4 That euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in sanctification honour And that this is the meaning it is cleare by Davids answer when he saith they have abstained from women this three dayes 1 Sam. 21. In their necessity David
Priests onely killed the sacrifice and sprinkled the blood and the Lambe was then caried home Secondly It was abhomination to sacrifice in Egypt Maimone in Corban Peshang cap. 1. ◠it was an abhomination to the Egyptians to see beasts killed there because they worshiped beasts as their Gods but it was not abhomination before the Lord for feare of the Egyptians they would not sacrifice there they might have sacrificed there as well as they killed the Paschall Lambe there it was a thing lawfull in it selfe We must distinguish two things in the paschal Lamb it was both a Sacrament and a sacrifice the sprinkling of the blood in the Temple was a sacrifice the eating of the Lambe at home in their severall houses was a Sacrament and so as it was a sacrifice they offered and as it was a Sacrament they received Reasons proving that the Paschall Lambe was a sacrifice Reasons proving that it was a sacrifice are these Reas 1 First 2 Chro. 30.1 Hezekiah gave Commandement that all the people should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem to keepe the Passeover Wherefore should he have commanded them to come to the house of the Lord to eat it if it had not been a sacrifice if it had been onely a Sacrament it had beene enough to have bidden come to Ierusalem to eate it Reas 2 Secondly 2 Chro. 35.11 And they killed the Passeover and they sprinkled the blood it was the blood of the sacrifice that the Priest sprinkled Reas 3 Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 6. cap. 45. Iosephus writeth that Cestus Florus when he would shew to the Emperor the multitude of the Iewes that were in Ierusalem at the Passeover he desired the Priests that they might get the number of the people and how did the Priests find out the number of the people he saith by the number of the Lambes which they killed at the Passeover and then they reckoned how many were in every familie at the eating of a Lamb and so they found out the number of the people it was the Priest then that killed those Lambes and none else The Paschall Lambe a figure of Christ The Paschall Lambe was a figure of Iesus Christ the Paschall Lambe was taken the tenth day and separated untill the fourteenth at the evening of the fourteenth it was killed Iesus Christ the true Paschall Lambe Came sixe dayes before the Passeover to Bethania Ioh. 12.1 and the morrow after he went to Ierusalem where they met him with branches of palme trees and this was five dayes before the Passeover then he stayed foure dayes in Ierusalem and was killed in the day of the Passeover at night and thus he accomplished the ceremonies of the Law Quest Whether did the Iewes and Christ eate the Passeover upon the same day or not Answ Christ observed the true day Whether Christ kept the Passeover that same day which the Iewes kept in the end of the fourteenth day and the beginning of the fifteenth he eate it betwixt two evenings but the Iewes transferred the day and eate it in the end of the fifteenth day and beginning of the sixteenth and therefore when Christ eate the Passeover it was the day of the Preparation to the Iewish Passeover although indeed it was the true Passeover Iohn 17.62 When the Passeover preceded the Sabbath they used to transferre the holy actions of that day to the Sabbath that two feasts may not fall together and they did their common worke upon that day which should have been done upon the Passeover and reserved the holy actions to the Sabbath following and it was upon this day that they crucified Christ They kept this translation of feasts Why they transferred their feasts to the Sabbath lest the feast of Lots should have fallen 2 4 7. Lest the feast of the Passeover should have fallen 2 4 6. Lest the feast of the Pentecost should have fallen 3 5 7. Lest the beginning of the new yeare should have fallen 1 4 6. Lest the day of expiation should have fallen 1 3 6. They observed this translation of the feasts because they had certaine feasts which fell upon these dayes that two feasts should not fall together as the three feasts of Dedication the foure fasts mentioned in Zachariah and the feast of Lots When the divers keeping of the Passeover began This diversity was not kept so long as the first Temple stood whence arose it then it seemeth to have taken the beginning from the divers beginning of the moneth for when they reckoned their moneth from the apparition which was doubtfull and uncertaine hence it came to passe that the beginning of the moneth was not alwayes at the selfe-same period for the last day of Adar might fall out so that it should be the beginning of Nisan and therefore the Sanhedrin appointed that the full Moone should be the thirteenth day which according to the verity was the fourteenth this diversitie arose of this because of the divers apparitions of the Moone so they kept the preparation to the Pascha diversly Great dissention betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches for keeping of the Passeover When the Apostles have so clearely determined that matter that no man should bee condemned or judged for not keeping these dayes yet Satan came and did sow his Cockle and his Darnell and raised dissentions in the Churches betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches about the keeping of the Passeover the Easterne Churches alledged that Iohn and Philip celebrated the Passeover in memory of Christs Supper for they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fourteenth day of the Moneth but the Westerne Churches alledged that Peter and Paul kept the Passeover upon the first Lords day after the fourteenth day of the moneth upon which day they kept diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pius Bishop of Rome ordained the Passeover to be kept on the Lords day Pius Bishop of Rome in the yeere of God 147. gave out an Edict that the Pascha should be celebrated by all upon the Lords day yet those in Asia cared not much for this Edict and there arose hot contentions on both the sides Polycarpus Iohns Disciple came into Rome to settle this contention and he appointed that every one should celebrate the Pascha as they were wont yet this contention was not buried for the Easterne and Westerne Churches left not off one to write against another Victor the Bishop of Rome in a Synode holden there Victor his Statute concerning the Passeover ordayned that the Pascha should be celebrated there upon the Lords day from the fourteenth day of March untill the twenty one of that moneth Those of Caesarea Palestina Pontus and Achaia embraced this Edict yet others stood out against it and said they would keepe it according to Iohns tradition wherefore Victor excommunicated all the Bishops in Asia Yet Irenaeus Bishop of Lions Polycarpus Schollar setled the
matter under this condition that every one should celebrate it after his owne forme The contention betwixt the Easterne and Westerne Churches wakened againe This peace lasted not long for in the yeare of Christ 318 the contention was wakened anew againe which Constantine the Emperour tooke hardly out exhorting the Asiatickes not to be partakers with the Iewes who crucified Christ but they would not obey the Emperours letters for they said they kept not the Iewes Passeover but the new Passeover instituted by Christ But a Councell being convened at Nice for the repressing of the heresie of the Arrians it was appointed that through every Church of the Empire The decree of the Councell of Nice the Pascha should be celebrated upon the Lords day by all The Councell for finding out of the Pascha appointed first that it should be celebrated after the twenty one day of March for at that time the vernall Equinox was upon this day and the Pascha should be celebrated after the Equinox Secondly that after the twenty one day of March they should looke still to the fourteenth day of the moone and after this day should the Passeover be kept upon the Lords day and to find out the time of the Moone they composed the sicle of the golden number for wheresoever in the Kalender the golden number is found of that yeere there is the new Moone and although these rules were sure at the Councell of Nice yet they hold not now for the Equinox is not now fixed upon the twenty one day of March but ever anticipateth it for now it is on the tenth of March but now these who reckon to the Passeover looke to the first new Moone after the first day of Lent and the first Sunday after beginneth the Quadragesima and the seventh Sunday after is the Pascha The Iewish feasts went backeward Marke that all these Iewish feasts being reckoned by the Equinoxe they goe backward from the day upon which they were first instituted when the Passeover was instituted at the first it fell upon the twenty seventh day of March. When the Passeover was instituteâ— the Equinoxe was upon the 27 day of March. At the Councell of Nice the Equinoxe turned backe to the twenty one day on which the Passeover was kept and now it is turned backe to the tenth day If the Passeover should be kept now according to the Equinoxe it should be kept the tenth of March. The reason why the Equinoxe varieth so is because in the space of every hundreth and sixe yeares Why the Equinox varieth At the Creation the Equinox was upn tho 3 day of April the whole Spheres come from the South to the North by motion of the Firmament one degree the world being created upon the third of Aprill which was the Equinox then now it is turned backe to the tenth of March and if the world were to continue so long it would turne to the tenth of Ianuary By this the Lord would teach the Iewes that all their feasts have taken an end but the Sabbath continually goeth forward for it shall fall this yeare upon the first of Ianuary it will fall upon the second of Ianuary the next yeare and so forth but the feasts goe backeward that which falleth upon Saturday this yeare shall fall upon Friday the next yeare and as the Planets have a contrary course to the first mover going backeward whereas the first mover goeth forward so these feasts going backeward turne to nothing but the Sabbath going still forward shall end in that eternall Sabbath Conclusion The conclusion of this is these feasts being so alterable and moveable it was a foolish contention betwixt the Easterne and the Westerne Churches about the keeping of the Passeover EXERCITAT XX. Of the Pentecost A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit 23.15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that yee brought the sheafe of the wave-offering seven Sabbaths shall be compleat c. THe Pentecost is called the feast of weekes because there were seven weekes betwixt the morrow after the Passeover and it is called the Pentecost from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fifty and in Hebrew Haghashibignoth There were sundry memorable things reckoned by the number of fifty in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many memorable things by the number of fifty as fifty dayes from their comming out of Egypt unto the giving of the Law The Dough which they brought out of Egypt lasted thirty dayes for the Manna descended the sixeteenth day of the second moneth now betwixt the fifteenth day of the first moneth when they came out of Egypt to the sixteenth day of the second moneth are just thirty dayes after that time within fifteene dayes they came to Sinai that maketh forty five dayes then the Lord commanded them to sanctifie themselves three dayes annd that maketh forty eight dayes then the second day after that the Law was given So there were fifty dayes betwixt the morrow after the Passeover and the Pentecost So there were fifty dayes after Christs Resurruction and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles so in the fiftieth yeare was the Iubile The errour of the Samaritans in reckoning of the Pentecost There were seven weekes from the morrow after the Passeover to the Pentecost the Samaritans mistaking the word Sabbath they kept seven Pentecosts in one yeare therefore they were called Hebdomaditai They began to reckon the Pentecost from the morrow after the Passeover which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the first Sabbath after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ rose upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as there were fifty dayes betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Pentecost so there were fifty dayes betwixt Christs Resurrection and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost The Angell stirred the poole at the Passeover At the Pentecost the man which had an infirmitie thirty eight yeeres was cured Ioh. 5.5 For it is said verse 4. That an Angell went downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at a certaine season and the Hebrewes say lemognad hase and the Helâ—nists say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 following the Hebrewes at this season that is at the Pentecost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is taken distributivè so Mat. 27.15 The Angell came downe at their feasts when many people were met together at Ierusalem conferre Ioh. 4.36 with cap. 5.1 At that Pentecost the Angell but came downe but at the great Pentecost the Holy Ghost came downe When the Barley Harvest began Vpon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the beginning of their Harvest and then there were but handfuls of Barley brought in therefore at the Passeover they read the History of Ruth in the dayes of the Barley Harvest Ruth 1.22 In the beginning of the Barley Harvest the Chaldee Paraphrast paraphraseth it at the Pentecost But at the
Pentecost the full Harvest was gathered in their first Harvest was of their Barley of their basest Graine onely but the full Harvest of their best Graine the Wheate was at the Pentecost Christ said Ioh. 4.35 Say ye not Allusion there are foure Moneths and then commeth Harvest Behold I say unto you lift up your eyes and looke on the Fieldes for they are white already unto Harvest But although the Harvest was great yet there were few Labourers Mat. 9 37. Here is an excellent allusion betwixt the Pentecost when their Cornes were ripe being the time of their full Harvest and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost for at the Pascha there was little Harvest but at the Pentecost all the regions were white so before the holy Spirit came downe there was but a small Harvest but when the Holy Ghost came downe The Apostles gathered that which the Prophets had sowne there was a plentifull and a great Harvest and at the Pentecost they gathered that which the Prophets had sowen Iohn 4.38 Yee reaped that wherein yee bestowed no labour Christ is called the first fruits from the dead Christ the first fruits from the dead 1 Cor. 15.20 as a handfull of the first fruits sanctified the whole field of Corne that was growing so Iesus Christ the first fruits from the dead sanctifieth all those who are lying in the Grave to rise againe by his power even when they are in the dust of death Psal 22.15 The day of the Pentecost was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pentecost had but one holy day as the last dayes of the Passeover and the feast of Tabernacles were called gnazereth holy dayes there was but one holy day of the Pentecost but the first and the last dayes of the other great feasts were both holy and yet the Pentecost was the most excellent Feast of all for then the Comforter came and the gift of the Holy Ghost came downe plentifully upon the Church Lastly observe the phrase Act. 2.1 When the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled The Scriptures speake of things as done whâ—n they are but in the act of doing that is fulfilling So Ier. 25.12 And it shall come to passe when seventy yeares are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon and that Nation saith the Lord Seventy yeares were not coÌ„plete here for in the seventieth yeare they returned from the captivity so here when the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled that is upon the very day of the Pentecost when it was fulfilling This word gnazareth is usually restrained by the Iewes to the last of the Pentecost and it is translated by the Seventy Amos 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Paul useth Heb. 12.23 for a generall Assembly EXERCITAT XXI Of the Feast of Tabernacles A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit. 23.33 And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speake unto the children of Israel saying The fifteenth day of of this seventh moneth shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven dayes unto the Lord. God instituted many things to put his people in memory of his judgements and mercies THe Lord would not have his people forgetfull neither of his mercies nor of his judgements of his mercies Therefore he commanded them to keepe the Passeover in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt he gave them the Law fifty dayes after they came out of Egypt therefore hee would have them to keepe the Pentecost he fed them with Manna therefore he commanded the pot with Manna to be reserved they dwelt in Tabernacles or Boothes all the time that they were in the Wildernesse therefore he commanded them to keepe the feast of Tabernacles lest they should forget his benefits Psal 103 2. Forget not all his benefits So he will not have them forget his judgements therefore he commanded the Censers of Nadab and Abihu to be nailed upon the Altar to be a memoriall unto the children of Israel Num. 16.39.40 The feast of Tabernacles was instituted why the feast of Tabernacles was instituted to put them in remembrance that they were but Pilgrimes in the Wildernesse and had not a permanent dwelling there Their first station in the Wildernesse after they came out of Egypt was Succoth a Boothe or a Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernaculum Tentorium est etiam proprium nomen loci a tiguriissic dicti a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit obtexit and they had fortytwo Stations in the Wildernesse from the first to the last and all this time when they were in the Wildernesse they had nothing to dwell in but Tents and Boothes so that here they were but Pilgrimes upon the earth as their fathers were before them Psal 39.19 Because our life is a pilgrimage therefore David saith I am tossed up and downe as the Locust Psal 109.23 The Locust is now here now there so is the life of man tossed to and fro and Micah saith Arise and depart for this is not your rest Micah 2.10 Observe how the Lord doth Minister comfort to his people shewing them a sure dwelling Comforts which God giveth to his children dwelling in their tabernacles here and a place of rest for their transitory Tabernacles we dwell in thesâ— bodies but as in a Tabernacle but this is our comfort 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of GOD an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens When the Patriarches dwelt in Canaan they dwelt in Tents and Tabernacles Heb. 11.9 But their comfort was They looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11.10 When they travelled in the Wildernesse with the ambulatory Arke this Tabernacle the Lord refused and his glory departed from it but in place of it Christ himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dwelt amongst us as in the Tabernacle of his flesh Ioh 1.14 where the Shecinah or Divine Majesty dwelleth for ever This was the Tabernacle which the Lord made and not man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.9 Lastly although the grave be called domus saeculi mans long home Eccle. 12.5 Yet our bodies doe rest there but as in a Tabernacle for a while Act. 2.26 Our bodies rest there but for a short time and he hath prepared another City for us to dwell in This feast of Tabernacles was said to be kept seven dayes Levit. 23.34 And the Evangelist saith Vpon the last and great day of the feast Iesus stood up Ioh. 7.37 This was the most solemne day of the feast this day they kept festum laetitiae legis the feast of joy because they ended the reading of the Law this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the next Sabbath they called Sabbath berefith because they began againe to read the booke of Genesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they read three Haphtaroth or Sections that day the first was Haphtaroth elle pekudi
Againe the Church is like the Moone for her alterations and change for the moone hath many changes she is somtimes Cese in ab scondito or in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the conjunction Secondly she is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when shee is in the prime Thirdly she is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corniculata Fourthly she is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 halfe Moone then she is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibbosa and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full Moone so in declination First she is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and fourthly in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many are the alterations which are in the Moone so there are in the Church Psal 89.2 Salomons Kingdome is compared to the Moone Solomons Kingdome compared to the Moone the Moone in twenty eight dayes finisheth her course fourteene dayes to the full and fourteene dayes to the wane so from Abraham were fourteene generations to Salomon then the Moone was at the full then from the end of Salomons dayes untill Zedokiah are fourteene generations and then the Kingdome decayed and waned Lastly observe here that they are commanded to keepe the New Moone and not the full Moone to teach the Church that her greatest perfection here is to bee growing to perfection The Moone keepeth three courses Three motions of the Moone the first is called mensis peragrationis The second is mensis illuminationis and the third is mensis conjunctionis Mensis peragrationis is this Mensis peragrationis what when the Moone goeth from the point of the Zodiacke to the same point againe and this shee doth in twentyseaven dayes and eight houres the Iewes observed not this moneth because it hath no reference to the Sunne but respecteth onely the owne proper course of it The second is mensis illuminationis that is Mensis illuminationis what when the Moone is entring in under the Sunne and when she is wearing out under the sunne againe this moneth comprehendeth twentyeight dayes the Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the old and new and this moneth the Iewes keepe not The third is mensis conjunctionis Mensis conjunctionis what the moneth of the Moones conjunction with the Sunne consisting of twenty nine dayes and twelve houres she remained under the beames of the Sunne twelve houres before the point of the change when she is comming out under the Sunne in those twelve houres she is said to bee in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because she could not be seene immediately after these twelve houres were past for the brightnesse of the Sunne beames they stayed untill the Sunne went downe What time of the new Moone they blew the Trumpets then they went up to the Turrets of their Synagogues and then they blew their Trumpets and killed their sacrifices in the space of those eighteene houres her twelve houres after she came out under the Sunne and the sixe houres to the prime the Iewes marked them with those two letters Iod He which make eighteene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 18. Againe Motus Velo cissimus tardissimus medius observe that the Moone hath Motum velo cissimum tardissimum et medium her swiftest course is when she is farthest from the earth and then she is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this course she runneth 17 degrees in one day and she remaineth not under the shadow of the Sun the Iewes observed not this motion The slowest motion of the Moone is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nearest the earth then she runneth but ten degrees in one day and shee remaineth under the Sunne more than two dayes This course of the Moone the Iewes observed not The Iewes observed the first apparition â—f the Moone in her middle motion The third motion of the Moone is a middle motion and in one day she runneth thirteene degrees and then remaineth under the shadow of the Sunne two dayes and the Iewes observed her first apparition in this course for their New Moones the Moone keepeth alwayes a constant course but yet when she is farthest from the earth the seemeth to us to runne more swiftly therefore they could not make their observation of the change of the Moone from that course neither when she is neerest to us for then she seemeth to make too slow a course therefore they observed this course when she was in her middle motion neither too slow nor too swift Of their feast of Trumpets In the first day of the seventh moneth they had the feast of blowing of Trumpets the Iewes commonly hold that this feast was kept in remembrance of Isaacs deliverie when the Lambe was killed for him but Psal 81. vers 5. David biddeth them blow up the Trumpet because it was a statute in Israel and a law of the God of Iacob this he ordained in Ioseph for a Testimony when he went out through the Land of Egypt A figure to shew at what time the Iewes began their New Moones EXERCITAT XXIII Of the day of Expiation A ceremoniall appendix of Command 4. Levit. 23.24 On the tenth day of the seventh moneth there shall be a day of Atonement c. THis day of Atonement is called Dies cippurim the day of expiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Picavit pice obduxit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aliquem iniustum pronuntiare Caphar properly is to cover a thing with pitch or plaster Gen. 6.14 Christ must cover our sinnes so that they appeare no more contrary to this is Hirshiangh to condemne a man or to make him wicked that is to pronounce him to bee wicked Foure things commanded to be done in the day of expiation There were foure memorable things commanded on this day of expiation first that they should fast Secondly that they should abstaine from al sorts of work and all sorts of delights Thirdly that they should afflict their soules Fourthly that they should proclaime the Iubile this day The day of expiation called a fast by way of appropriation First they were commanded to fast this day they had many fasts as the fast of the fourth moneth and the fast of the fift and the fast of the seventh Moneth and the the fast of the tenth moneth Zach. 8.19 But this was called the great fast as Act. 8.9 Sailing was dangerous because the fast was now past this fast was the day of expiation No workes to be done upon the day of expiation Secondly they were commanded to abstaine from all workes this day In other feast dayes they were commanded to abstaine froÌ„ servile works as plowing sowing reaping but this day was to be kept as Holy as the Sabbath it selfe they might kindle no fire this day nor dresse meat they were to abstaine from all delights and pleasures this day as first from washing of themselves secondly from
this ceremoniall Law but where the ground of the Law is Iudiciall and the ceremony but an appendix of it then the Iudiciall law may be observed at least the equitie of it Example Cities of refuge were appointed as a Iudiciall Law to save the mankiller from the revenger of the blood there was a ceremony annexed to this Law that they should stay within the City of refuge untill the death of the High-priest this was but an appendix of the judiciall Law therefore the Law may stand that Cities of refuge bee kept or at least the equity of it that those who casually kill be not slaine Quest What if a Christian now should keepe any of the ceremonies commanded in the Law Answ There is a three fold use of the ceremonies Materialis formalis mixtus vsus a materiall a formall and a mixed use A threefold use of the ceremoniall Law Materialis as if a man should abstaine from eating of swines flesh onely because it were unwholsome he Iudaizeth not in this case but if hee should abstaine from swines flesh as a meat uncleane and forbidden in the Law then he should formally keepe the ceremony and truely Iudaize the mixt use is this when a Christian borroweth Iewish ceremonies to any use in the Christian Church Marke how the Apostles in their practise renounced the ceremonies of the Law first the Apostles kept the Christian Sabbath after Christs Resurrection and not the Iewish Sabbath therefore they renounced the ceremonies and the Apostle willeth the Corinthians to keepe the Passeover all the dayes of their life in holinesse and restrained it not to some few dayes as the Iewes Passeover was Object But when the dayes of the Pentecost were fulfilled Act. 2.1.2 Cor. 16. Here Paul reckoneth according to the Iewish Pentecost Answ When he speaketh of their Pentecost here and when he sayes the dayes of their fast were expired Act. 27.9 the Iewes at the day of expiation had a great fast Paul doth not Iudaize here but onely marketh these for a civill use to know the time of the yeare which was most knowne to the Iewes when Paul Act. 17.19 calleth Areopagus Mars street none will thinke that Paul worshipped Mars here but he useth onely this name as a name of distinctiō to know this street frō other streets so when he sayes that he sayled in a ship that had the badge of Castor and Pollux Act. 28.11 we must not thinke he worshipped Castor and Pollux but hee useth them onely as names of distinction to put a difference betwixt this ship and other ships Paul used the names of the Iewes feasts for distinction so when Paul useth the name of the Pentecost and the name of the fast Act. 2. and 27.9 he used them onely as names for distinctions sake and not for any Iewish observation and when Paul practised any of these ceremonies he practised them not for the ceremonies themselves but for the weake Iewes sake Example When he did shave his head in Cenchrea the Port towne in Corinth Act. 18.18 this was not according to the Law altogether Paul did not shave his head according to the law for if he had done it according to the Law he should have gone to Ierusalem and there have cast the haire of his Nazarits vow under the Altar and burnt it after the death of Christ none of the Apostles ever went to the brasen Altar againe to sacrifice but onely they practised some of the meaner ceremonies bearing with the weake Iewes Quest How could these ceremonies be hinderances from Christ seeing they were types of him to come Answ Christ saith Ioh. 16.7 If I goe not away the Comforter shall not come Christs bodily presence amongst the Apostles hindered his spirituall presence amongst them if the bodily presence of Christ hindered the comming of the Spirit unto them how much more did these ceremonies under the Law hinder the sight of his Incarnation and obscure his glory amongst them The ceremonies in the third estate are against Christ In the third estate these ceremonies were against Christ in this estate the Apostle calleth it concision and not circumcision Phil. 3.2 In the third estate the Iewes preferred the shadow to the body The errour of the Iewes in preferring the Ceremonies to Christ the bones to the marrow and the letter to the spirit they preferre the shadow to the body the ceremonies to Christ the bones to the marrow because they content themselves onely with the outward figures and types and seeke not for the thing signified and so they have the killing letter but not the quickning spirit and therefore Saint Hierome compareth them well now to dogges who get onely the bones to gnaw but they get none of the marrow or that hidden Manna Iesus Christ to their saluation Conclusion The conclusion of this is it was a great benefit to learning when the obscure Hieroglyphicks in Egypt were changed into letters and the darke and mysticall writings of Plato were changed by Aristotle into a cleare and plaine forme of writing It is a farre greater benefit when the Lord hath changed these darke figures and shadowes into the cleare light of the Gospel Hovv to make use of the Ceremonies of the Law in opening of a Text and reducing them to practise Of the Notes whereby Aaron and his posterity were discerned to be called to the Priesthood Num. 17.2 And the Lord spake unto Moses saying speake unto the Children of Israel and take every one of them a rod c. WHen Corah and his complices murmured against Aaron and contended with him for the Priesthood as we may see in the Chapter preceding the Lord commanded every one of the first borne of the tribes to bring a rod to him that by this new miracle causing Aarons rod to blossome he might end this controversie and confirme Aaron the more in the Priesthood The Prince of the tribe represented the whole tribe Secondly hee commanded that the names of the Princes of the tribes should be written upon the rods and the reason was because the Prince represented the whole tribe so the Prince being repelled from the Priesthood the whole tribe was repelled Write thou every mans name upon his rod. Aaron had not written upon his rod the Tribe of Levi but the name of Aaron and so the rest of the Princes Another reason wherfore the names were written upon the rods of the Princes was because the Princes of the tribes were their first borne and therefore they might seeme to claime right to the Priesthood every mans name was written upon his rod and Aarons name was written upon his rod because he was the first borne of Levi for the first borne of Levi was Cohath and he begot Amram and Amram begot Aaron who was elder than his brother Moses Quest How were the Tribes reckoned in the Scriptures Answ How the tribes are reckoned in the Scripture Whē a matter is in hand which
therefore let us make great reckoning of this time to redeeme it Psal 108.2 I my selfe will awake early but in the Originall it is more emphaticall Hagnira shahher Expergefaciam auroram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expergefaciam Auroram As if David should say the morning never tooke me napping but I wakened it still Secondly The day representeth the shortnesse of our life the day representeth the shortnesse of our life to us and it is compared to an artificiall day Psal 90.5 In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up but in the evening it is cut downe and withereth it is like Ionas Gourd which groweth up in one artificiall day and decayeth againe and the houres of the day whereunto our life is compared are like planetary houres long in the Summer and short in the Winter Compare our dayes with the dayes of our fathers they are but few and evill in respect of their dayes therefore our dayes are called dies palmares The Lord made the day for man to travaile The day was made for man to travaile in it and the night for him to rest in therefore they are monsters in nature that invert this order who sleepe in the day and wake in the night Psal 104.23 Man goeth forth unto his worke and to his labour untill the evening And Vers 20. Thou makest darknesse and it is night wherein all the beasts of the Forrest doe creepe forth Those who turne day into night follow the beasts and not man such a monster was Heliogabalus who would rise at night and then cause morning salutations to be given unto him the History saith that the world seemed to goe backward in this monsters dayes this sort of people Seneca calleth them our Antipodes for when we rise they goe to bed contrà How they reckoned the dayes of the Weeke THe Iewes reckoned their dayes thus Prima Sabbath secunda sabbath the first day of the weeke the second day of the weeke c. Secondly the Latine Church reckoned from the Passeover Prima feria secunda feria c. Thirdly they borrowed afterward another sort of reckoning from the Heathen who reckoned their dayes by the Planets the Sunne the Moone Mercurie Mars c. Quest What is the reason that they reckoned not the dayes of the weeke according to the order of the Planets for the Planets stand after this order Saturne stands in the highest place then Iupiter next Mars and so in order Sol Mercurie Venus and then Luna Iupiter followeth not Saturne in the dayes of the weeke but Sol so Mercurie followeth not Sol but Luna Answ The order of the dayes of the weeke is Mathematicall for the seven Planets being set downe in a circle according to their owne naturall order by an equall distance they make seven triangles reaching from their bases to the Hemisphere whose bases arise from the severall corners drawne in the circle in whose circumference the seven Planets are set downe according to their owne order making up one equall triangle in every one of their two sides as ☉ Sol ☽ Luna ♂ Mars ☉ Sol is in the right side of the triangle ☽ Luna in the top and ♂ Mars in the left side of the triangle and so from ♂ Mars to ♃ Iupiter by ☿ Mercurie and from ♃ Iupiter to ♄ Saturne by ♀ Venus and from ♄ Saturne to ☽ Luna by ☉ Sol and from the ☽ Moone to ☿ Mercurie by ♂ Mars and from ☿ Mercurie to ♀ Venus by ♃ Iupiter as yee may see in the figure following A Demonstration to shew how the dayes are reckoned according to the seven Planets Quest Whether may these names of the weeke dayes which are imposed by the Heathen be used in the Christian Church or not Answ The Apostles themselues used such names for distinction as Areopagus Mars streete Act. 17. So we sailed in a Shippe whose Badge was Castor and Pollux Act. 28. and such like CHAPTER XXVII Of their moneth EXOD. 12.2 This shall be the beginning of moneths to you BEfore the people of God came out of Egypt the moneths were reckoned according to the course of the Sunne Reasons proving how many dayes every moneth had following the custome of the Egyptians and Chaldeans and their moneths were full thirtie dayes as may be gathered out of the eight of Genesis the floud began to waxe the seventh day of the second moneth Iair answering to our May and it began to decrease in the seventh day of the seventh moneth Tishri from the seventh day of the second moneth to the seventh day of the seventh are one hundred and fiftie dayes which being divided by thirtie giveth to every moneth thirtie dayes After they came out of Aegypt their moneths were full thirtie dayes Numb 11.19 Yee shall not eate one day neither fiue dayes neither tenne dayes but even a whole moneth Hence we may gather that their moneth was full thirtie dayes Reasons proving how many moneths are in the yeare because they reckoned by fiue ten twentie thirtie So there were twelue moneths in the yeare every moneth consisting of thirtie dayes 1 King 4.7 And Salomon had twelue Officers over all Israel which provided victuals for the King and his houshold Each man in his moneth through the yeare made provision now if there had beene more then twelue moneths in the yeare as afterward the Iewes made their intercalar yeare Veadar then one should haue had two moneths So 1 Chron. 27.1 and 12.15 The chiefe Officers served the King by courses which came in and out moneth by moneth throughout all the moneths in the yeare here we may see that there were twelue moneths in the yeare every moneth had thirty dayes which made up in the yere three hundred and sixtie dayes But because there were fiue full dayes lacking in the moneths to fill up the course of the Sunne The twelue moneths come short of the course of the Sunne fiue dayes which is three hundred sixtie and fiue dayes the Egyptians put to the fiue dayes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the last moneth Tishri and they illustrate the matter by this apologue The fiue odde dayes illustrated by an apologue of Mercurie and the Moone they say that Mercurie and the Moone at a time did play at the dice for the fiue odde dayes and that Mercurie did winne them from the Moone and Mercurie followed the course of the Sunne And in respect the Sunne every yeare runneth three hundred sixtie fiue dayes and sixe odde houres How the leape yeare or bissextile is made up which sixe odde houres every fourth yeare maketh a day they added this day to the fourth yeare which yeare by the Egyptians was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as ye would say the dog turning about to himselfe as when he biteth his owne taile and the Latines called it annus from annulus because it turned about to the same point againe So Ioh. 18.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a yeare
the doctrine it selfe they never erred Peter in the transfiguration knew not what hee sayd Luk. 9.33 David was minded to build an house to God he asked of Nathan if he should doe so 1 Chro. 17.2 Nathan sayd to him doe what is in thine heart So when Eliab stood before Samuel 1 Sam. 16.6 Samuel sayd surely the Lords annointed i◠before me So the Disciples erred in their counsell which they gave to Paul forbidding him to goe up to Ierusalem Act. 21.4 But the spirit of God taught the contrary by Agabus vers 17. David Psal 116. sayd in his hast that all men are lyars he meant that Samuel the man of God had made a lye to him because hee thought the promise too long differred in getting of the kingdome So when he wrote a letter to Ioab with vriah in this he was not Gods secretary but the Divels But as they were the secretaries of God and spake by divine inspiration they could not erre But it may seeme Object that all which they wrote in holy Scriptures was not done by divine inspiration for Paul wrote that he would come to Spaine Rom. 15.24 and yet he never came to Spaine We must distinguish betweene their purposes externall and their doctrine Answ they might erre in these externall purposes and resolutions but all which they wrote of Christ and matters of salvation was yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 He wrote that he was purposed to come to Spaine and so he was but he was let that he could not come But Paul repented that he wrote the Epistle to the Corinthians to grieve them Object 2 Cor. 7.8 If this was written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost why did he repent of it Paul wrote this Epistle to humble them Answ and when he saw them excessively sorrowfull that was the thing that greeved him but it greeved him not simply that he wrote to them to humble them When a Chyrurgian commeth to cure a wounded man Simile he putteth the poore patient to great paine and maketh him to cry out that grieveth him but it greeveth him not when he cureth him So it repented not Paul that he had written to the Corinthians but it repented him to see them so swallowed up with greefe Object But if the Scriptures be Divinely inspired how say they Iud. 16.17 there were about three thousand upon the roofe of the house So Act. 2.40 and that day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules Is not the number of all things certainely knowne to God Answ The Scriptures set downe the number that way because it is little matter whether we know the number or not And secondly the Lord speaketh to us this way in the Scripture after the manner of men Object Peter erred in a matter of faith Gal. 2.14 Ans Wherein Peter erred The error was not in the substance but in the circumstance of the fact and where it is sayd Gal. 2.14 That Peter walked not uprightly according to the Gospel it is to be understood onely of his conversation hee erred here onely in this principle of Christian Religion not walking according to his knowledge but hee erred not in his writing Ob. All men are subject to error the Prophets and Apostles are men therefore subject to error Ans The Prophets and Apostles are considered as members of the Church The Apostles considered two manner of wayes and so they might erre and they pray as other men Lord forgive us our sinnes Secondly they are considered according to their functions and immediate calling and then they were above the Church and could not erre Quest What needed Nathan to be sent to David to attend him continually one Prophet to another Answ Although one Prophet stood not in need of another yet he who was both a King and a Prophet had neede of a Prophet to admonish him for Kings stand in slippery places and have neede of others to advertise them The Prophets as they were Prophets could not erre therefore that collection of the Iewes is most impious they say that David wished to the sonnes of Ioab foure things 2 Sam. 3.29 First that some of them might dye by the sword Secondly that some of them might dye of the bloody flixe Thirdly that some of them might leane upon a staffe And fourthly that some of them might begge their bread And so they say it befell Davids posterity for his sinfull wish One of them leaned upon a staffe Asa was goutish One of his posterity was killed by the sword as Iosias One of them dyed of the flixe as Rehoboam And one of them beg'd his bread as Iehojachim But this collection is most impious for David spake not here by a private spirit of revenge but as a Prophet of God and therefore when they assigne these to be the causes why these judgements befell Davids posterity they assigne that for a cause which was not a cause Prorogative 4 The fourth prerogative they were holy men Holinesse distinguished them from those Prophets which were profane and unsanctified who had the gift of illumination but not of sanctification The pen-men of the holy Ghost were holy men the Lord made choyse of none such to be his secretaries who were not sanctified The Lords Prophet is called vir spiritus the man of the Spirit Hos 9.7 because he is ruled and guided by the holy Spirit that he become not profaine If the very women who spun the curtaines to the Tabernacle were wise hearted Exod. 35.25 Much more will the Lord have those who are to build his house wise and holy men Those who translated the Bible into Greeke yee shall see how often they changed their faith and were turne-coates Aquila of a Christian he became a Iew. Symmachus was first a Samaritane and then he became halfe Iew halfe Christian Then Theodoton first he was a fllower of Tatianus the hereticke and then he became a Marcionite and thirdly he became a Iew. But the Prophets of God after they were called continued holy men and never fell backe againe See more of Salomon in the Politiks God will have no man but holy men to be his secretaries Luk. 1.70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets Therefore Salomon being a Prophet and one of Gods secretaries behoved to be a holy man and being holy he could not be a reprobate hence he is called Iedidiah The beloved of God 2 Sam. 12.25 and whom God loveth he loveth to the end The holy men of God wrote as they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit inlightned them and directed them when they wrote they were inspired three manner of wayes Illuminati antecedenter per concomitantiā subsequenter first antecedenter Secondly per concomitantiam and thirdly subsequenter First they were illuminate antecedenter when the Lord revealed things to come to his Prophets and made them to write his prophesies then their tongue was
whole worke but this may bee much more sayd of the Scriptures of God which have such a dependance and connexion that if yee take away but one verse the whole shall be marred Ob. But it may be sayd that there are sentences which seeme not to cohere or agree fitly together Gen. 48.7 And as for me when I came from Padan Rachel died by me in the Land of Canaan in the way when there was but yet a little way to come to Ephrath and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath the same is Bethlehem Vers 8. And Israel beheld Iosephs sonnes How doth this cohere with that which goeth before it would seeme that there is no dependance here Ans They cohere well enough with the words going before How sentences in the Scripture seeming to disagree cohere very well for Iacob had adopted two of Iosephs children then hee giveth the reason of this adoption in these words as if he should say whereas I might have had moe children by my first wife Rachel if shee had lived it is great reason that I supply this defect in her by placing some in sted of these children which she might have borne to me and I adopt those thy sonnes since she is dead The second place which seemeth to have no coherence with things going before Esa 39.21 Take a lumpe of sigges and lay it for a plaister unto the boyle and he shall recover vers 22. Ezekias also had sayd what is the signe that I shall goe up into the house of the Lord. What coherence is betwixt these words and the words going before There is a right coherence here and hee setteth downe that last which was first for brevities cause which is more at large set downe in the booke of the Kings and therefore Iunius translateth it well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vajo ner In plusquam perfecto Esay had sayd Ier. 40.1 Object The word which came to Ieremiah from the Lord c. Answ The words following seeme not to cohere with the former The beginning of the fortieth Chapter with the seventh Verse of the fortiesecond Chapter and these things which are insert betweene them doe containe but the occasion of the prophesie to wit when Godoliah was killed the rest of the Iewes would have gone into Aegypt which Ieremiah forbiddeth them to doe And it came to passe ten dayes after Chap. 42. 7 c. This should be joyned with the first Verse of the fortieth Chapter and all the rest should be included in a parenthesis As we have spoken of the stile of the Scripture in generall so let us observe the stile of some of the writers in particular Esayes stile differed much from the stile of Amos he being a Courtiour and he but a Neat-herd So the stile of Ezekiel differed from the stile of the rest of the Prophets he calleth himselfe The Sonne of man not because it is a Chaldee phrase but because of the excellent visions which he saw therefore he is called the Sonne of man that is an excellent man as Iesus Christ in the New Testament is called The Son of man that is an excellent man So this is peculiar to Iohn the Evangelist to call Christ the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Chaldees and the Talmud usually call him so Iohn opposed himselfe to Ebion and Cerinthus two Iewes who denyed the divinity of Christ wherefore he hath usually the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Ioh. 7.5 which was frequent in the Chaldee paraphrast and read often by the Iewes So there are some things peculiar to Paul for hee useth some words according to the manner of the speech in Tarshish and Cilicia as Collos 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their language signifieth insidiose alteri praeripere palmam So 1 Cor. 4.3 Mans day according to the phrase of Tarshish is put for the time of judgement because they had some appointed times for judgement Conclusion The Conclusion of this is here we may admire the wisedome of God who gave most excellent gifts to his Secretaries for the edification of his Church Moses was a man of a slow speech God gave excellent gifts to his Secretaries for the good of his Church and of a slow tongue and Aaron must be his spokesman Exod. 4. Yet Moyses was mighty in words and deeds Act. 7.22 It is sayd of Paul that his bodily presence was weake but his letters were weighty 2 Cor. 10.11 By his preaching he converted many from Ierusalem to Illiricum Rom. 15.19 but by his letters hee converted moe Paul converted moe by his writing than by his preaching both in Europe Africa and Asia such was the majesty and grace in his writing that they acknowledged it to be from the Lord. EXERCITAT XII That the Hebrew Text is not corrupted Psal 119.140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it THe Church of Rome The Church of Rome maketh the vulgar Latin translation to be canonicall that they may advance the authority of the vulgar Latine translation which they have made canonicall doe labour to disgrace the originall Text the Hebrew and Greeke Controvers 1. Gordonij cap. 9. holding that they are corrupt in many things Master Iames Gordon our Country man observeth foure distinct periods of time The first period he maketh to bee the Iewes Synagogue before Christ came in the flesh he granteth that all this time the Hebrew Text was not corrupted by the Iewes The second period of time he maketh to be from the ascension of Christ untill the dayes of Hierome and Augustine and he saith that in this second period the Iewes went about to corrupt the translation of the Seventy because the Christians then began to use arguments taken out of that translation against them as Iustine Martyr testifieth writing against Tripho The third period he maketh to be after the death of Saint Hierome untill the time that the Talmud was composed and set together and then he saith there arose great contention betwixt the Orientall and Occidentall Iewes the Orientall Iewes were those who dwelt upon the East side of Euphrates in Babylon Media Persia What Iewes were called orientall and what occidentall those Peter called the Church at Babylon 1 Pet. 5.13 The Occidentall Iewes were those to whom he wrote Scattered abroad in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia 1 Pet. 1.1 because of the diversity of their reading and corruptions in the Text. He saith that the Iewes met at Tiberias Anno 508. and there set downe the Points and made their Masora to obviat this that no more corruption should enter into the Text. The fourth period he maketh to be after the Iewes had met at Tiberias they decreed that none should use any copy but such as were corrected by the Masoreth and so from this time he freeth the Text from corruption but hee laboureth much to prove that the Hebrew Text was corrupt before and that
and so they will have the Councill to be understood but they of old sayd plainely that in every thing this translation was Authenticke Lastly when wee demand of them whether the Church may make a new Version yet or not or mend that which is alreadie done Gretserus who taketh the defence of Bellarmine Lib. 2. cap. 10. pag. 540. against Whittaker denyeth that there can be any thing added to this translation In Prolegom bible or be made more perfect But Serrarius holdeth that this Version may be yet helped and that it is not come yet to such a perfection but that it may grow to a greater if the Church would condescend The translation of the Seventy although the Apostles themselves followed it in many things yet it was never holden to be Originall and Divine by the Church neyther were the Churches commanded to receive it under the paine of a curse Hierome marketh in his Preface upon the first of the Chronicles that the Churches of Alexandria in Egypt followed the Translation of Hesychius which was a translation set forth after the Seventies translation rather then the translation of the Seventy but froÌ„ Constantinople to Antioche they followed the translation of Lucian the Martyr but the Churches of Palestina which lay betwixt these two followed Origens Hexapla And so he saith the whole world was divided into thâ—se three then what great presumption is it in the Chuâ—ch of Rome to make the Vulgar Latine Authenticke and Originall and to injoyne it to be read in all the Churches Franciscus Ximenius Cardinal of Toledo in his Preface before the Bible set out at Complutum in Spaine saith that he set the Vulgar Latine betwixt the Hebrew and the Greeke as Christ was set betwixt two Theeves is not this a fine comparison to preferre the Vulgar Latine to the Hebrew and Greeke The Syriack translation was first translated into Latine by Guido Fabricius and afterwards by Tremellius Genebrard and Serarius taking occasion upon this translation charged Tremellius with great forgerie First that he tooke away all the Titles from the Epistles but this was no forgerie for neyther the Superscriptions nor the Subscriptions are any part of the Canonicall Scripture as may be seene before in the postscripts added to the Syriacke translation Secondly they charge him that he tooke away the Calender for the reading of the Gospel upon holy dayes but neyther the Hebrew Calender nor the Syriacke Calender are Divine Scripture and that use for which they say this Calender served for reading of the Gospel upon holy dayes was onely used in the westerne Romish Churches but not in the Easterne Churches Thirdly they say that he committed Plagium in stealing his translation from Guido Fabricius and setting it out under his owne name but what diligence he used in translation of the Syriack he who wrote his life testifieth And will any man thinke that he who was a native Iew borne and trained up in these tongues was so ignorant that he had no skill but that which he did steall from another and Gretserus addeth that first he was a Iew and then he became a Monke thirdly a Calvanist or Hugonite and lastly that hee returned to his vomite againe and dyed a Iew. But that yee may perceive what a Railer this was who spared neyther the living nor the dead I will set downe a memorable proofe of his death he who wrote Apophthegmata morientium the notable sayings which sundry uttered at the last houre of their death relateth this of him When they demanded of him what confession hee would make of his faith he sayd Vivat Christus pereat Barabbas Whereas the rest of the Iewes cryed Vivat Barabbas pereat Christus this he sayd to signifie that he renounced Iudaisme and tooke him onely to the merites of Christ Was this to dye like a Iew the Name of this worthy man should smell to us as the Wine of Lebanon Hos 14.7 Of a Paraphrase THe second way how God maketh the Scripture plaine unto us is by paraphrasing it which goeth in a larger circuit of words than a translation doth and this is called tirgam a Paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Ecphrasis is an exposition of this Paraphrase The first Paraphrase was the Paraphrase of Ionathan the sonne of Vzziel who paraphrased the great Prophets thirty yeeres before Christ both plainely and without Allegories but upon the small Prophets hee runneth out more upon Allegories The second Paraphrase was the Paraphrase of Onketos otherwise called Rabbi Aquila adding Nun and changing a into o as Aquila Onkelos as Bonarges Banuarges It was hee who translated the Old Testament into Greeke also he paraphrased the five bookes of Moyses ninety yeeres after Christ not long after the destruction of the Temple The third Paraphrase was Targum Hierosolymitanum upon the five bookes of Moyses most fabulous and most impure but because Targum Ionathan was in great request among the Iewes and not so fabulous as this Targum the Printers amongst the Iewes put these two letters Tan Iod before that Paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make the Reader beleeve that it was Targum Ionathan Ionathans Paraphase for these two letters stand both for Targum Ionathan and for Targum Hierosolymitanum Lastly Rabbi Ioseph Caecus paraphrased Cetubhim or the written bookes All these Paraphrases if yee will respect the langu ge were eyther in the Babylonian or Hierosolymitan tongue three in the Babylonian and Targum Hierosolymitanum in the Hierosolymitan tongue These Paraphrases Paraphrases when they are blasphemous are to rejected where they paraphrase against Christ are to be detested Exam. 1. Gen. 4. Incaeptum est nomen domini profanari but Targum Hierosolymitanum paraphraseth it blaspemously In diâ—bus illis coeperunt Idola colere fecerunt fibi Deos erroneos quos cognominabant de nomine Sermonis domini And here he implyeth Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sermo dei This paraphrase is blasphemous against the Sonne of God and therefore to be detested Example 2 Can. 4.5 Thy two breasts are like two young Roes Targum paraphraseth these two Roes to be two Messiases the one the sonne of Ioseph the other the sonne of David the one Poore and the other mighty that is a blasphemous Paraphrase and therefore to bee detested Example 2. Iob. 23.9 He paraphraseth it this wayes Michael is upon his right hand and Gabriel upon his left hand Michael is upon his right hand and he is fire and Gabriel is upon his left hand and he is water and the holy creatures are partly fire and partly water This Paraphrase is blasphemous because it maketh the Sonne of God but a Creature and matcheth Gabriel with Michael Paraphrases when they are ridiculous are to be rejected Secondly where these Paraphrases are fabulous they are to be rejected Example 1 Gen. 3.21 The Lord made coates of skin for Adam and Eve Targum Hierosolymitanum paraphraseth it this wayes
David made out of his owne experience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Luk. 22.32 these were called Psalmi didasâ—alici The third was Michtam Aurei Psalmi golden Psalmes all the Word of God is like fine gold Psal 119. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And yet these Psalmes are called Golden Psalmes because there is some speciall and choyse matter in them so all the word of God is faithfull all to bee trusted yet Paul saith Fidus est hic sermo This is a faithfull saying 2 Tim. 1.15 Having some notable things in it and as all the Ring is Gold yet the Diamond is the most excellent So although all the Word of God be excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet these are most excellent So some are intituled lehazcir Ad recordanduÌ„ to bring to remembrance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 38. 70. because they were made in remeÌ„brance of some notable deliverance or of some great benefit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fourthly some are called Psalmes of degrees Psalmeâ— wâ—ich they sang wh n they carried the Arke out of the house of David to the Temple When they brought the Arke from Davids house into the Temple they sang Psal 119. by the way it beginneth with these words Beati immaculati in via and intreateth especially of the Law of the Lord In omnibus versibus Psalmi 119. dempto versu 122. vna harum vndecem vocum invenitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there is not a verse in it except onely the 122. verse which hath not some epithet of the Law of God in it as his Iudgements his Word his Statutes his Lawes his Testimonies his Commandements his Precepts his Covenant c And when they entred into the Court of the Gentiles with the Arke they sang the last part of this Psal 119. When they went further to the Court of the people When and where they sung the Psalmes of degrees when they stood upon the first degree they sung Psal 120. which containeth the history of the deliverance of the people out of Egypt And when they stood upon the second degree they sung Psal 121. My helpe commeth from the Lord. When they were upon the third step they sung Psal 122. I was glad when they sayd unto mee let us goe into the house of the Lord. So they sung a Psalme upon every step as they ascended and upon the eight step when they beheld the excellent buildings of the Courts of the Levites they sung Psal 127. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it When they entred into the Court of the Priests they sung Psal 128. Vide Villalpand in Ezek. 40.28 And upon the last step they sung Psal 134. Blesse yee the Lord all his servants which watch by night in the house of the Lord. The people might goe no further then the Priests went forward with the Arke into the Temple and when they entred into the porch of the Temple they sung Psal 118. vers 19. Open to me the gates of righteousnesse When they were standing in the porch they sung these verses following The Psalmes which the Priests sung when the Arke entered into the Temple and into the holiest of all This is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter When they were in the midst of the Temple they sung the 22. verse I will praise thee for thou hast heard mee and art become my salvation and when the Arke entred into the holiest of all they sung Psal 24. The inscription of the Psalmes which we understand not are eyther Notes of Musicke or Instruments of Musicke Some inscriptions are Notes or tunes of Musicke Notes of Musicke or common Tunes with which the Psalmes were sung are these Gnal muth-labben Psal 9. gnal sheminith Psal 6.12 gnal aijeleth Shahar Psal 22. gnal Ionath Elem Rechokim 56. Altaschith 57. 59. 75. gnal shushan Eduth 60. gnal shoshannim 45. 69 gnal shoshannim Eduth 80. gnal Mahalath Leannoth 88. Some inscriptions are instruments of Musicke Instruments of Musicke are these Neginoth 4. 6. 41. 54. 67. 76. Nehiloth 5. gittith 8. 81. Mahalath 53. The Iewes who live now understand not the musicke nor musisicall instruments which were of old The Instruments of musicke set downe Psal 150. none of the Iewes themselves can distinguish them and they are ignorant of all these sorts of Musicke now but wee are to blesse God that the matter contained in these Psalmes may be understood by the Church Psalmes are divided according to the time The Psalmes againe were divided according to the time when they were sung some were sung every morning as Psal 22. at the morning sacrifice So Psal 92. was sung upon the Sabbath So at the passeover they sung from Psal 112. to vers 19. of Psal 118. and this was that hymne which Christ and his Apostles sang at the passeover Matth 26.30 And when they had sung an Hymne they went out into the mount of Olives Psalmes divided according to their subject The Psalmes were divided also according to their subject The first booke of the Psalmes intreateth of sad matters the second of glad the third of sad the fourth of glad the fift of glad and sad matters Psalmes which concerne Christ There are some Psalmes which concerne Christ in his Natures and Offices His Natures as Psal 110. The Lord sayd to my Lord c. His kingly authority as Psal 2. His priestly office Psal 110. Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek So his passion Psal 22. So his buriall and resurrection Psal 16. and his ascension and glory Psal 118.25.26 when David was crowned King the people cryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anna Iehova hoshignah na anna Iehova hatzlihhah na Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity that is we beseech thee O Lord to save the King and to prosper him And the Priest sayd Blessed bee bee that commeth in the name of the Lord we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. This prayer is applyed to Christ Matth. 21.9 Hosanna filio David they contract these three words Hoshignah na anna in one word Hosanna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contracte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they say Hosanna to the Sonne of David id est contingat salus filio David in altissimis they wished not onely prosperity and safety in the earth here Vetum hosanna pacem gloriam comprehendit but all happinesse to him in the highest heavens Luk. 19.28 There are some Psalmes which concerned Davids particular estate in his persecution by Saul by Absolon c. In his sickenesse in his adversity Psalmes which concerned David In his prosperity how he fell in adulterie and repented Psal 51. how he dedicated his house to the Lord Psal 30. how he purged his house of wicked