Sorcerers are more dangerous instruments than witches 139. what sorcerers should be put to death 160 Soule whether it goeth out of the body and returneth or not 73. what the Hebrews doe meane by gathering of the soule 243 Spirit foure illapses of the spirit 219. to he cloathed with the spirit what 220 Saints what duties are to be performed to the dead bodies of the Saints 206. Of the care that God hath of his Saints in their birth in their death and after they are dead 207 Starres whether they produce alteration in religion or not 56. why they are called Mozalim and Meshartim 58. what use we are to make of them ib. Superstition is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and why 17 Superstition the mother of ignorance 18. a comparison betwixt the superstitious and religious ibid. Symmachus from what religion he fell 302. Synedrion when it was removed out of Ierusalem 308 T Tentation two fold 71 Teraphim how they were made 88. it is taken three wayes in the Scripture ibid. what sort of Teraphim was kept in Davids house ibid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 118 Tephilim whence it comes 152 Theodosius it is fabulous that he sent a letter to Chrysostome after his death 36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 133 Thunder is the voyce of God the Lord used to speake in the thunder 247 Tophet a resemblance betwixt tophet and hell 290 Transportation twofold 105 Some deny reall transportation 107 Tradition of the tradition of the house of Elias 310 Tunica molesta what 144 Tympanum what ibid. Types of the calling of the Iewes 353. types shewing to the Iewes their restitution from the captivity of Babylon 351 Tzijanacke what it is 124 V Verbum sublatum and verbum Absolutum what 215 Vitia creationis and vitia accidentis 107 Vivicomburium what 124 FINIS A TREATISE OF THE FOVRE DEGENERATE SONNES The ATHEIST the MAGITIAN the IDOLATER and the IEVV ISA. 1.2 I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me IT is very well knowne and miserable experience teacheth us that many who are anciently descended and come of Noble parents fall into vile sinnes and degenerate from their antecessors not following their footsteps Not unlike unto those are the degenerate children of God Ephes 1.15 Of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named who are fallen from that first estate in the which they were created and are not to bee reckoned as his genuine and naturall children but as unnaturall not worthy to be called his sonnes These degenerate children are foure There rests the fift sonne who is Gods naturall sonne who worships God in purity and sincerity The Atheist denies his Father The first disobedient and degenerate sonne is the Atheist who denieth God his father The second is the Magitian or Sorcerer The Magitian renounceth his Father who after that he had solemnly vowed himselfe to God in baptisme yet after hee renounceth the true God The Idolater misknows his Fa her and giveth himselfe over to Sathan and enters into covenant with him The third ungracious and degenerate sonne is the Idolater who gives the creature that worship which is due onely to God The Iew killed his Father The fourth lewd sonne is the Iew who cruelly murthered the Lord of life The fifth sonne is the Christian The Christian acknowledgeth and worshippeth his father sincerely who feares God and worships him sincerely And from these comes Atheisme Magick Idolatry Iudaisme and Christianity which are the subject of this Treatise following Of the first degenerate sonne the ATHEIST SAthan that crooked Serpent turning himselfe into diverse shapes hating alwayes that which is good he studies alwaies to turne men out of the right way Now to draw them into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is unto superstition Sometimes againe he perswades them to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to Atheisme but he never drawes them to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the true worship and the golden mediocritie The Hebrewes call the Atheist Acharon because he is altogether alienate from God And the Poets in their Mytheologies call him the sonne of the earth And this Atheisme they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fight of the Gyants SECT 1. Of the causes which leades men into Atheisme VVHen the shallow braine of man cannot comprehend the infinite God The first cause that moves men to be Atheists because he cannot comprehend him with his poore understanding he beginnes by and by to despise him and so Sathan leades the poore wretch to Atheisme Thou canst not comprehend him therefore reject him That which should most diswade man from Atheisme and lead him most to worship the true God Sathan uses it as a snare to draw him from God for if we could comprehend God he could not bee God And if our minde could comprehend God we should not be finite but infinite and so consequently we should be Gods We doe not comprehend God but apprehend him onely as the Schoolemen speakes The second cause Secondly when men commit wickednesse they study by all meanes to escape the punishment He lyeth in waite to catch the poore and sayes in his minde God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it Psal 10.9 And even as rebels after they have conspired against their soveraigne being guilty of Laesmajestie they study to destroy all the rolles and registers and that the King himselfe bee put from his throne that they may escape all punishment which they are liable unto And as those who are addebted to others wishes all the bonds and obligations whereby they are bound to repay were burnt So Atheists and those who despise God casting off the yoke of obedience that they may worke sinne with greedinesse denies altogether God and his scriptures The third cause Thirdly if it fall out that sometimes the Atheist bee stirred up from this his Lethargy and beginne to seeke any thing at the hand of God hee doth it but coldly and faintly And if the Lord grant not to him his desire according to his minde either he denieth God altogether or doubts at least whether there be a God or not Iob 22.15 What is the Almighty that wee should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him So when the Israelites wanted water in the wildernesse Exod. 17.7 they beganne to say Is the Lord amongst us or not The fourth cause Fourthly the constant course of nature and the wheeles mooving one within another and turning about in the selfe same manner mooves the Atheist to Atheisme 2 Pet. 3.4 Where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fel asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation But to those who lookes more neerely to the works of Gods providence and to the connexion of causes It is manifest that the second causes are alwaies mooved by the first cause And those who acknowledged
most probable which Iosephus holds that Ioshua Eleazar and some of the elders of Israel went up with Moses to the mount Nebo but after his death that the Angells carried his body to the valley of Moab and then it was buried where no man knoweth The Angels buried Moses his bodie The Angels are ministring spirits to the godly in this life and at their death they carrie their soules to heaven but they carry not their bodies to the grave This was a singular favour showne to Moses that the Lord buried him by the ministrie of Angels They attended Christs grave but yet they buried him not as they did the body of Moses Not to be buried is a great judgement Eccles 6.3 An untimely birth is better than he that gets no buriall It was a great judgement upon Iehojakim Ier. 22.18 who got insepultam sepulturam and no man lamented his death saying Ah my brother ah my sister or ah my Lord ah my glorie vers 18. The Iewes pray to deliver them from foure things first from the circumcision of the Sechemites Gen. 34.26 Secondly from the Religion of the Samaritans Thirdly from the death of the uncircumcised Ezech. 28.10 And fourthly from the buriall of Iehojakim that they get not the buriall of an asse Ierem. 22.19 Moses his buriall was the most honourable buriall that ever was it was more honourable than their buriall who got the burning of their fathers 2 Chro. 21.19 1 Chro. 16.14 And more honourable than the burial of Gamaliel for whom Onkelos burnt an hundreth pound of frankincense for the honour of the dead It was a more honourable buriall than the buriall of those who were buried in the garden of their fathers buriall 2 Kin. 21.18 It was more honourable then these who were buried in the citie of David But consider the attendants who attended his buriall Abner his buriall was an honourable buriall when all the people mourned for him and the King himselfe followed the hearse and wept 2 Sam. 3.31 But here the Angels waited upon his buriall and God himselfe attended the hearse to the buriall and was the chiefe mourner there When a private man died lamentation was made but seven dayes for him Syrac 22.13 but they lamented for Moses thirtie dayes and they cryed out ah our brother ah our Lord ah our glorie Ier. 22.18 thus God honoureth them who honour him He buried him in a place where no man knew He buried his body Where no man knew ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the abolishing of Idolatry yet Moses was present with Christ at the transfiguration Mat. 17.3 So these who are buried in the sea blowne in the aire and burnt to ashes and no man knoweth what is become of their bodies yet they shall appeare before the Lord in the day of the resurrection Michael buried the body of Moses What if the Church of Rome had the body of Moses now and knew it to be his body would they burie it or not Whether would they stand for Michael or the devill They might say that it was a fit thing to burie it at that time because the people was an ignorant people then and Satan was ready to move them to Idolatrie But now seeing they would give no worship to it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they might safely set it up to be worshipped In the time of Ioshua Idolatrie did not so increase the elders who out lived Ioshua and who were in age when they came out of Egypt and remembred what the Lord had done for Israel the iniquitie of Baalpeor did not cleave unto them but the rest were not cleansed from the iniquitie of Baalpeor Iosh 22.17 Is the iniquitie of Baalpeor to little for us from which we are not cleansed unto this day they committed no new Idolatrie but the filthinesse of Baalpeor clave unto them because they repented not of that iniquitie In every sinne there are foure things to be considered first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the transgression of the Law secondly reatus the guilt which obligeth the partie who sinneth to undergoe the punishment Thirdly macula the blot which defileth the soule and lastly the punishment it selfe The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the transgression of the Law and the consequents of the transgression are the guilt the blot and the punishment The guilt of sinne bindes a man to answer for the transgression of the Law and it stands in the middest betwixt the sinne and the punishment and goeth immediately before the punishment and it is more terrible than the punishment Cap. 4. de divinis nomi nibus part 4. Therefore Dionysius said well non est malum puniri sed fieri poena dignum that is it is not evill to be punished but to deserve punishment yet wretched sinners are affraid of the punishment but not of the guilt but the martyres of God chose rather to indure the greatest torments then to incurre the guilt of sinne If we would escape the punishment we must first looke that the guilt be removed Manie thinke when the sinne is past and forgotten in their mindes then there is no more punishment to follow but if the guilt lie still unpardoned the sinne remaineth still Iosephs brethrens sinne lay over twenty yeares and this sinne which they committed at Baalpeor lay over a long time unrepented of but as long as the guilt remained so long were they subject to punishment the punishment alwaies followeth the guilt as the shadow doth the body The Apostle 1 Cor. 11. faith ye shal be guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ that is of the punishment which he deserveth who abuseth the body bloud of our Lord. The third thing considerable in sinne is the blot or staine of sinne in the soule This staine blots the soule as Inke cast upon a Laune cloath defileth it and even as in bodily things spots taketh away that nitor and brightnesse which is in the body so doth sinne deprive the soule of grace and makes it deformed Saul was as comely and proper a man as was in all Israel and he was Tobh bonus id est pulcher Tobh 2 Sam. 9.2 Yet this blot of sinne so defiled him that he was no more the sonne of Kish the Benjamite Kish Kush but the sonne of Kush the Blacke-more or Ethiopian Psal 7. in the inscription The Lord that he may take away this guilt and this blot he opened a fountaine in the house of David for sinne and uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 for sinne to take away the guilt and for uncleannesse to take away the blot Christ was not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemption Math. 20.28 but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Laver of regeneration to wash away these spots Ephes 5.26 Tit. 3.5 He came not by blood onely nor by water onely but both by blood and water by blood for our justification and by water for our sanctification He that is washed
this Magicke from those who lay upon the West as from the Philistims Esay 2.6 So this Magicke abounded amongst the Ammorites therefore the Hebrewes saith In quocunque est aliquid de medicina nihil est de via ammoriorum hoc licitum est that is when men use naturall meanes there is no sorcerie then as was amongst the Amorites Tâ—â—â—dly this Magicke abounded in the South of Canaan in Egypt as we see in Iannes and Iambres who resisted Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 they used a proverbe or taunt unto Moses as it is written in the Talmud Tu stramen portas in Afra Afra was a place in Egypt where straw abounded most their meaning was that there was magicke enough in Egypt already and therefore it was needlesse for them to practise their magicke in Egypt So they said In urbem oleribus abundantem olera venalia importas Thou carries hearbes to sell to a towne that abounds with hearbes So this magicke abounded in Samaria where Simon abused the people by witchcraft Act. 9. To whom all gave heede from the least to the greatest and they called him the great power of God So this sorcerie abounded in Ephesus Act. 19.19 Therefore they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This magicke was professed there and they had Libraries of great price there which afterward they burnt So this sorcerie is very farre spread in these parts of the world where we live now and where the Gospel is preached The Prophet Esay speaking of the calling of the Gentiles saith Esay 43.5 I will bring thy seede from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North give up and to the South keepe not backe so we may say now that neither the North nor the South withholds but they runne from all parts of the world to the devill and hee hath his synagogue where the Gospel is preached and there he sets up his throne Look to Lapland Findland and to the mountaines of Savoy and here amongst our selves how they abound Is not this a just judgement for the contempt of the Gospel SECT 2. How fearefull a sinne it is to enter in covenant with the devill VVhen men binde themselves one unto another What a sinne it is to covenant with the devill they binde themselves either by promise or by an oath or by a covenant They binde themselves by a promise A promise is obligatio fidei and here they paune their fidelitie and honestie but in an oath there is obligatio animae salutis In it they paund their fidelitie honesty and soule and then by covenant which is confirmed by write by oath and by some solemne rites as when they confirmed their covenants of old they vsed to divide a beast in two and those who entred into the covenant used to passe betwixt the parts of the beast divided Gen. 15.10 Ier. 34.18 and they wished that if they brake that covenant they might be parted and cutte as that beast was into peices And the Hebrewes say scindere faedus David saith scissores faederis mei Psal 50.5 that is who made a covenant with me because a beast was cut when the covenant was made and this covenant they called Berith To promise to the devill is a great sinne but to binde our selves by an oath to him is a greater sinne but to enter in covenant with him is the greatest sinne of all to deliver up to him soule and body to be tormented and cut by him at his pleasure Secondly in all covenants fidelitie is most to be respected There are foure great liars with whom a man must not covenant hell death the world and the devill These who covenants with death with hell and the world makes lies their refuge These who covenants with death and hell as the Prophet Esaiah speakes Esay 28.15 They make lies their refuge and under falshood they shadow themselves There are two things that secure sinners are most afraid of the Iayle and the Iayler first of the Iayle hell and next of the Iayler death The deceitfull heart of man promiseth to the secure sinner immunitie from both these and makes an imaginary covenant with man and promiseth to secure him from them both first that hee shall be free from hell and promiseth to him peace when his destruction is at hand when a man makes this kinde of covenant with his deceitfull heart hee makes lies for his refuge and his covenant is nothing Secondly hee is afraid of death the Iayler and in comes the deceitfull heart of man and makes this imaginarie covenant and puts the evill day farre from him and so he makes lies his refuge Hagag said 1 Sam. 15.32 when he flattered himselfe that the bitternesse of death was past when as Samuels sword was hanging over his head Secure sinners when death is neare to them they put it farre from them both in respect of preparation and expectation and upon a sudden it surprises them and in a sudden they goe downe to hell wherefore we should never covenant with them The third lier that we should not covenant with is the world The world is like that Olive tree which Habbacuck speakes of Hab. 3.17 mentita est oliva the Olive tree made a lie It promised faire in the spring when it blossomed but it brought nothing to perfection So the world promiseth much but performes nothing really to men and it is like Ionah his Gourd when hee thought to have sheltred himselfe under it a worme did consume it So it fareth with the world when men thinkes to shelter themselves under it then it vanisheth therefore we must never covenant with this liar the world But above all to covenant with the devill To covenant with the divell the father of lies that is a fearefull covenant who is the father of lies Ioh. 8.44 This is the greatest madnesse of all who can trust him or what fidelitie is in his promises he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who promiseth much in words but performes nothing Magis blandus quam benignus so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to praise and flatter us when hee mindes no such things he holds out bread to us but hee gives us a stone he presents a fish to us but he gives us a Scorpion therefore wee should never covenant with him hee is ready to intice us to sinne and the first to accuse us Hee is like unto Ioab who would have perswaded the man to have killed Absalom the Kings sonne and if he had killed him hee would have set himselfe first against him 2 Sam. 13.18 therefore we should never covenant with him Thirdly It is not lawful to make a covenant of peace with the devill where God hath proclaimed warre God hath put an enmitie betwixt the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent he hath not put anger betwixt them for those who are angry one with another they may be
they returned not to those bodyes as sinfull and impure bodyes as Moses when he was in the transfiguration and those who rose when Christ suffered their soules came not into impure bodyes againe Those bodyes were corpora non pura Soules not glorified comes to a sinfull body againe but they were not impura They were like to our bodyes when they lye in the grave Corpus purum impurum non purum They are not sinfull bodies any more but yet they lye under the consequents of sinne corruption and mortality and they were not to abide in those bodies but shortly to returne to glory againe But those soules that returned to their bodies againe and were to abide there were not glorifyed soules they entered againe into sinfull bodies Such as was the soule of Lazarus Eutichus Act. 20.9 and the soule of the widowes sonne of Naum These soules came againe into sinfull bodyes for that hypostaticall union betwixt the soule and the body was not perfectly dissolved as our soules and bodies are separate by death neither were the soules glorified then in heaven A diabolicall trance is that which Witches and Sorcerers falls into when they lie dead and senselesse for a time and their soules seemes for a time to be out of their bodies yet this union betwixt the soule and the body is not dissolved now as they beleeve but the act of vivification is onely suspended for a time Satan cannot bring a soule into a body againe as the Lord doth So Sorodemones or Larvae sepulchrales haunts about the graves to make men beleeve that their ghosts walkes here after they be dead SECT 9. Of Lots THe Lord who is the righteous judge of the world Gen. 18.25 and would every man to enjoy his owne amongst other meanes hee hath appointed lots to cause strife to cease amongst men Proverbes 16.33 Quest But lots are cast into the lappe and moderated by the Lord Prov. 16.33 then what needes any other meanes to decide controversies but lots A twofold providence of God a generall and a particular Answ There is a twofold providence of God first a generall providence and then a more particular providence Possessions and inheritance are from the parents but an understanding wife is from the Lord Prov. 19.14 A good wife is given by the speciall providence of God where we may see the ruling hand of God more than when he bestowes inheritance by his generall providence hath God regard of oxen 1 Cor. 9.9 that is he hath not this speciall care of them as he hath of men The lot was reckoned among the inferiour sort of manifestation of Gods will This distribution by lot was reckoned amongst the inferiour sorts of manifestation of Gods will Therefore when Ioshua divided the land by lot Iosh 19.51 he divided it in Shilo before the Lord at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation where Eliazar the Priest was present They rested not here in a lot but they consulted also with the Lord by Eleazar the Priest concerning this division Sauls election was by lot but not Davids Matthias his election was by lot but not Saint Pauls the lot was but an inferiour degree of the manifestation of the will of God 1 Chro. 23.5 the Lord speake by lots Num. 26.56 secundum es sortis according to the mouth of the lot but this was but an inferiour determination by his mouth These lots were of three sorts either they served for division or consultation Lots were of three sorts or divination A divisorie lot This divisorie lot served for to divide possessions inheritances and goods amongst men by this divisorie lot the tribes got their possessions in the land of Canaan And others got their possessions by this sort of lot and therefore a lot is put for an inheritance Psal 16.5 Psal 125.3 In these divisorie lots these caveats must be looked unto first What caveats must be kept in a divisorie lot when lots are cast to divide controversies betwixt men then they must have equall right to the things that are to be divided In Israel if the question had beene amongst brethren for the dividing of their fathers goods this could not have beene divided by lot for the eldest should have had a double portion and the lot keepes medium rei non personae a lot might have beene cast for deciding amongst the rest of the brethren because they had all alike right to their fathers goods When the two Goates were presented before the Lord Lev. 16.8 they were just alike in all things which of them should be killed and which of them should escape here the Lord bids cast a lot for them So who should dwell in Ierusalem and who not Ezr. 2.11 and so the priests service was by a divisorie lot Secondly in these divisorie lots this caveat must be observed that the lots be not cast on things unlawfully gotten by robbery See Ioel 3.3 Naum. 3.10 Obadiah 11. or theft such was the lot that the souldiers did cast upon the coat of Christ Thirdly in these divisorie lots men must take heede that this be not their chiefe end to know the will o God for then they are not divisorie lots but consultory lots but their chie e end must be in casting the lots that stri e may cease amongst brethren Consultory lots The second sort of lots are consultorie lots when men consults with the Lord by lots what should be done in such and such cases This lot differeth much from a divisorie lot for a divisorie lot was onely about division of inheritances and deviding of goods but a consultory lot was used in higher matters as who shold live and who should die Such was the lot which was cast for the triall of him who had the excommunicate thing and it fell upon Achan Iosh 7.18 this was commanded by God himselfe This lot observes medium personae as the divisorie lot observes medium rei Quest Whether is it lawfull now to enquire for a guiltie man by lot or not Answ It is not lawfull for Iudges now are bound to judge per scrutinium per teste by confession and such and not by lot But if in a campe all the souldiers should transgresse the kings Edict and should commit a thing worthy of death yet the King willing to show mercy might he not cause a lot to be cast to trie who should live and who should die this the king may safely do because all are guilty alike here and so of old they used decimare exercitum when all were alike in the transgression that some might live and some might die When the mariners caused the lot to be cast to trie who was guilty in the ship this was an extraordinary triall which is not lawfull for Iudges to follow Quest Whether may wee call this a divine lot or a diabolicall lot which they did cast here for finding out the guilty man Whether the lot which was cast
said that the Pharisees and Iohns disciples fasted but not Christs disciples the meaning is they fasted not usually as Iohns disciples and the Pharisees did but yet they fasted The third weapon to beate the devill is the sword of the spirit Ephes 6.16 take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Cant. 2.8 It is called the sword of the spirit because it is directed immediately by the spirit and because this sword pierceth to the heart This sword differeth from the magistrates sword this sword proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord Rev. 1.10 and it is called the rod of his mouth Esay 11. but the magistrate carries his sword onely in his hand Thirdly this sword is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a two edged sword it can both kill and save The Magistrates sword can onely kill but never quicken to restore a man to life Sauls sword never returned emptie from the bloud of the slaine 2 Sam. 1.20 It alwayes killed but it could never quicken but this sword can doe both therefore it hath not beene unfitly compared to the bitter waters when the woman that was guiltie of adulterie dranke them her thigh rotted and she died but if shee had beene an honest woman then having dranke of these bitter waters she conceived and brought forth a child so this sword both killeth and quickneth This sword divides betwixt the soule and the spirit but the Magistrates sword divides onely the head from the body This sword is of greatest force against the devils tentations It was by this sword that Christ beat Satan and all his tentations Mat. 4. when the disciples returned backe from the preaching of the Gospel then Christ saith Luke 10.18 I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven the preaching of the Gospel is the speciall meane to make Satan fall when David gat the sword of Goliah in his hand having experience of it before he said there is no sword like that 1 Sam. 21.10 so there is no sword like this sword in the spirituall combate against the devill Quest What if the Lord should suffer Satan to appeare to us in a visible shape whether might wee use the sword of the word against him or not Answ We may not Satan is a very subtill enemie and can easily circumvent us therefore wee should not reason with him did hee not deceive Eva in her best estate when she reasoned with him how shall wee be able then to resist him Our part onely then in such a case is this to turne about our faces to the Lord and weepe upon him and desire the Lord to rebuke him Object If it be said why may wee not use this sword against Satan if he should visilby appeare to us as wel as when wee are commanded to use it against his tentations Answ His tentations are not so subtill when hee tempts us as when hee appeares visibly to us face to face for his tentations are mixed with our corruptions which are not as subtill as Satan himselfe is and therefore it is easier to resist these tentations by the word than to resist Satan himselfe SECT 16. That Sorcerers and Witches should be put to death THere are three sorts of people whom Satan tempts first those whom he tempts contrary to their will as those who were possessed in the primitive Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those should not be put to death those they pittied and placed inter Catechumenos amongst those who were catechized in the Church The second sort are those who enter in an indirect covenant with the devill those were not put to death sed admonebantur tantum they were onely admonished Those who enter in direct covenant with the devill should die the death The third sort were those who entred into the direct covenant with the devill and those were to die the death Deut. 18.11 For all that doe these things are abomination to the Lord. So Lev. 20.27 The Iewes in their thirteene rules of expounding of the Scripture this is the eight rule when a precept is set downe it is not set downe ut doceat de se non exivit sed ut docrat de toto universâ— exivit Their meaning is if a thing be spoken generally elsewhere and then be explained more plainely this clearer explanation is to be referred to the generall Example the Magitians indefinitely are commanded to die the death Exo. 22.18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live But Lev. 20.27 A man also or a woman that had a familiar spirit or that is a wizzard shall be surely put to death they shall stone them with stones and their bloud shall be upon them Hence they conclude that all sort of Magitians should die the death The diviners they hold should not die the death first they say that Kesem who is a diviner and who takes upon him onely to foretell things to come hee should not die the death but be admonished onely Secondly they say that Menaches Maimonides hujusmodi artium sectatores vel lapidibus obruendi erunt ut lidgnom Bagnal Oâ—h Mekasheph vel mitiori poena mulctandi ut Cosem Menaches Megnonan who markes the flying of the foules ought not to die the death hee is to be admonished and other wayes censured Thirdly incantator the charmer is not to die the death non facit opus peccatoris as they say in phesikta that is they doe not any thing that deserves death Fourthly Hamegronen qui observat nubes he is not to die the death and they say of him Non moritur est liber etiam a plagis that is hee should not die and he is free from stripes And lastly they say Qui perstringit â—oâ—lâ—s who deceives the sight as Inglers non moritur sed admonetur he is not to die the death but onely to be admonished But these three were alwayes to be put to death first Mekasheph malefitus or pharmacus they are called veneficae Exod. 22.18 Secondly Obh those who had a familiar spirit Thirdly Iidgnoni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui multa novit praedicit Targum translates him Ariolus these were alwayes put to death as in Sauls dayes he cut off the wizzards and those who had familiar spirits 1 Sam. 28.9 and Iosias tooke away the workers with familiar spirits and wizzards 2 King 23.24 Saul who caused before familiar spirits and wizzards to be taken away now because he falls to consult with them againe therefore justly he falls into the hands of the Philistines and is killed When Tiberius was Emperor hee caused to hang up those sorcerers and put them to death ad sacros lucos suspendebantur Magitians should lose their temporary estate As the Magitians should be put to death so should they lose their temporall estate and inheritance the Canaanites for their same was cast out of Canaan Deut. 18.12 Because of these abhominations the Lord thy God did drive out the
revived againe and the saints who would not take the marke of the beast neither in their hand nor in their forehead Rev. 13. This strife about religion will set the fathers against the children and the children against the parents Satan would have set up Moses his body to have made an Idoll of it The bodies of the saints may bee made Idols both living and dead The bodies of the saints may bee made Idoles both when they are dead as heere of the body of Moses when they are alive as when Cornelius fell downe at Peters feete and worshipped him Peter refused that worship Act. 10.26 27. and said stand up for I my selfe am a man Peter refused this worship because it was divine worship or inclining too farre to it So when the Priests would have sacrificed to the Apostles Act. 14. they rent their cloathes and ran in amongst the people crying and saying why doe ye these things we are men of like passions with you preaching to you that yee should turne from these vanities They would have made the Apostles to bee in the number of these Idoll vanities when they would have given him divine worship Satan goes from an exteâ—mitie to another Againe yee may observe heere how Satan goes from one extremitie to another when Moses was alive how often moved he the people to have stoned him but now when he is dead hee would have him to make an Idoll of his body so the Iewes in die Palmarum did sing Hosanna to Christ and the next day they cried Crucifige So when the viper lept on Pauls hand they said he was a murtherer but when he shooke it off and it hurt him not they said he was a God and those are unstable in all their waies Iam. 1.8 He would have set up Moses his body to have beene worshipped if the Lord had suffered this body to have remained in the Church how would the devill afterward have made up a ground for the continuance of Idolatrie in the Church then hee would have said If all sort of worship be denied to the bodies of the saints why would the Lord have suffered the body of Moses the man of God to stand this way in the Church as a stocke without all honour to be given to it would hee not rather have throwne it downe as hee did the Idoll Dagon The Lord forbad onely this divine worship to be given to the heathen gods as to Iupiter Mars Venus But it was never his minde that the divine worship should not bee given to the bodies of the saints departed and if Moses himselfe were redivivus hee would explaine himselfe in this point that it was forbidden onely to give this worship to heathen Idoles but not to saints which is forbidden in the Law for hee communicating so many dignities with the saints would not refuse to communicate with them a part of his honour Michael resisted the devill and would not suffer him to take the bodie of Moses and make an Idoll thereof The Apostle Iude 5. borrows from the Apocripha book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Libro 3. cap. 2. Pethirath moshe dimissio mosis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This strife which was betwixt Michael and the devill about the body of Moses What duties wee are bound to perfore to the dead Quest. What duties are wee bound to performe to the bodies of the Saints when they are dead Answ We are to use them with comlinesse Acts 9.37 they washed the bodie of Dorcas and layed her in an upper chamber and to wrap them in linnen as Christs bodie was and to bury them in an honest buriall place we ought to esteeme reverendly of their bodies because they are the members of Christs mysticall bodie and they waite for the blessed resurection and to suffer them to rest in peace in their graves 2 Kin. 22.20 But we are never to worship them or their reliques if we follow the example of Michael who would not suffer Moses his body to bee worshipped The decrease of this Idolatrie The decrease of this Idolatry was when Michaell buried the body of Moses where no man knew Great is the care which the Lord hath over his children in their infancie in their old age in their death and after they are dead and as the eyes of the Lord was upon Canaan from the beginning of the yeare to the end Deut. 11.12 so are the eyes of the Lord upon his children from their infancie to their old age from their old age to their death and after they are dead and first from their infancie to their old age Esay 46.3 Heare O house of Iacob and the remnant of the house of Israel which are borne by me from the wombe and brought up with me from the birth therefore untill thy old age I the same even I will carrie you to your hoarie heades the Prophet points at these two times of our life especially because these two periods are most weake in all our life our infancie and decrepit age then the death of his Saints is precious in the fight of the Lord Psal 116.18 and then after they are dead the Lord hath a singular care of them What a care had the Lord of Moses in his birth when hee was cast out to be drowned The Lord preserved him and drew him out of many waters therefore he was called Moshe from Masha extrahere and David alludes to this Psal 18.16 Thou hast drawne me out of many waters Hence the Poets from this faine that some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borne in the waters because Moses was drawne out of the waters and in his death the Lord shewes his singular love to * It is said of Moses Dâ—ut 34.7 that he dyed ad osculum oris dei which Salomon Iarchi paraphraseth at a kisse of the mouth of God Death was a kisse of the mouth of God to him him and here after he is dead the Lord suffers not his body to be made an Idoll of Good King Iosias when hee was killed in the battell a man might have thought that the Lord had little respect unto him who made him fall before his enemies but see what respect the Lord carried unto him when he saith Thou shalt be gathered in peace to thy fathers 2 King 22.20 Who would have thought that the Lord had such a care of him and yet his soule was bound up in the bundell of life and he was gathered in peace to his fathers So he had a great care of the body of Iacob he promised to goe downe to Egypt with him and to bring him backe again Gen. 46.4 But how is it said that he brought him backe againe then seeing he died in Egypt The Lord attended his very corpes when he brought it backe and saw it buried in Machpelah in the place which Abraham bought for a buriall place Gen. 50.13 The Lord buried Moses his body It is