this noble Historiographer hath said of this Event Id malum Divinum potius quam Humanum fuit this was a Calamity more then Humane in which the Finger of God was Evidently seen And as it was a Type of the last Day so may it and the like following confirm the truth of Sodoms Destruction Nor did God speak onely once in this Language to the Roman to omit other wonderful works of God in these times to be recounted in their proper place The like fearful Earthquakes with other Prodigious Concomitants fell out in Trajans time at Antioch But the harms not terminate within her Territories or the Cities about her herewith destroyed For abundance of Souldiers and multitudes of other people did repair from all quarters to the Emperour Wintering there some in Embassages some for Suits some upon other Businesses some to see Plays and Pageants Whence the dammage as this Author saith did redound to all that were Subject to the Roman Empire This out of question was the Lords doing That all the world might Hear and Fear his Wondrous Works and wondering enquire after the true Causes and meaning of them Thus Antioch as well as Edom and Babylon is overtaken with the Psalmists curse for Rejoycing in the Day of Jerusalem Besides â—he Massacres of the Jews there committed when Titus came unto that City â—he Inhabitants after their Insinuating Gratulations petitioned with all Humility and Policy that the Reliques of this People for whom there was no place left in their own land might be Extirpate thence comprising the Christians no doubt under this Name 6 Many particulars then known are not registred by such Heathen writers â—…s now are extant many Signs of those Times not regarded by any Heathen all which might witnesse the Truth of our Saviours Predictions and exâ—…ound their meaning were they as well known to us as to the Faithful then â—…ving whose Meditations it seems were so wholly taken up with these Contemplations that they had no leisure to leave their Comments in writing â—…o Posterity That dreadful Wo directed against the women of Hierusalem with child and giving suck did take these Antiochians at the rebound Women in such cases could not die but a double death and yet how many such â—…re slain none can tell Of an infinite company of all sorts starved by their â—…se imprisonment in houses whose foundations were sunk the roof remaining Onely one woman was found alive which had sustained her self and her child by her milk Another child found in the like concavity alive sucking his deceased mothers Duggs In fine saith the Author there was no kind of violent Disaster which did not at this time befal men For the Earthquakes being caused by the Divine Power mens Wits were not their own nor knew they what Medicine to seek for these Miss-haps Such as were on the House-tops had no List to descend to fetch any thing out such as were in the Field had no Mind to return back to fetch their clothes Trajan himself was drawn out at a window by no Mortal Creature as this writer thinks so astonished with this disastrous Sight that for many dayes after the Earthquake had ceased he durst not come into any House See Dion l. 68. 7 Neither of these strange Signs of the Son of Man fell out in any corner of the world but the one in the Chief the other in the Second City of the Empire at that time the Emperours Court so that the whole Worlds Representative as we may so speak was in Danger and all men at least men of all sorts at their Wits End by their terrors all mankind had publick warning to prepare themselves against That terrible and dreadful Day These being such Types of it as the First Destruction of the Holy City and Temple by Nebuchadnezzar was of the Second by Titus so as that which is truly said of the one may in an higher degree be truly avouched of the other 8 Of these times again was that of the Prophet meant I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth Bloud and Fire and Pillars of Smoak the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the Moon into Bloud before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come But whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved If we rightly observe the Prophets Method in this place it will both Justifie and Illustrate the former Interpretations of Jeremy and our Saviours Prophecy First he speaks none can deny of Christs coming in the Flesh and Effusion of the Holy Ghost upon all people I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh By The Spirit the Gospel was to be communicated to all Nations and thus as the Evangelist witnesseth at the first descending of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles there were resident at Hierusalem men that feared God of every Nation under heaven and all these at their Baptism received the gift of the Holy Ghost whereby they might manifest the Power and Vertue of the Gospel unto the Countries where they lived If we compare the generality of Saint Lukes speech in that fifth verse with our Saviours Mat. 24. 14. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached throughout the whole world for a witnesse unto all Nations and then shall the End come We cannot doubt but our Saviours prophecy was verified before the Destruction of Hierusalem which was the End he meant should come But why should the Prophet Joel immediately after his description of the time of Grace adde in the second place I will shew wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth bloud and fire and pillars of smoak Doth he call the people of God again unto Mount Sinai to fire blackness darkness and tempest unto the sound of Trumpets the voice of words which they that once had heard should not desire to hear any more No but he would have the world understand That after the Gospel was once proclaimed throughout It the Lord would shew himself as terrible a Judge to all such as did not embrace the Glad Tidings thereof as he had done before to the Israelites at the promulgation of the Law Both that fearful sight in Mount Sinai and those other Prodigious Appariti in Italy and Syria were Types and representations of That Dreadful Day The former was seen and testified by the Israelites onely because the Law was onely revealed to them the horrors of the later are registred by Heathen Writers known and felt by the principal Nations of the World and from them diffused to all others as Earthquakes which begin at the Centre leave their Effects upon the whole Surface of the Earth because the Gospel was at that time communicate to all the inhabited or frequented Parts of the World Those Prodigious Signs then which the Prophet Joel describes and the Heathen witnesse to
of final judgement By this beloved Reader thou mayst perceive my journey is long and may well plead my excuse for setting forth so soon but from that course which I have chosen or rather God hath set me I trust nor hopes of preferment nor any desires of worldly wealth nor affectation of popularity by handling more plausible or Time-serving arguments shall ever draw me away So far I am from aiming at any such sinister end That since I begun to comment upon the nature of Christian faith I never could nor ever shall perswade my self it possibly can find quiet lodging much less safe harbour but in an heart alike affected to Death and Honour alwaies retaining the Desires and fear of both either severally considered or mutually compared in equal ballance Both are good when God in mercy sends them both evil and hard to determin whether worse to unprepared minds or whilest procured by our sollicitous or importunate suit or bestowed upon us in their Donours anger Onely this difference I find death is mankinds inevitable doom but worldly preferment neither so common to all nor so certain to any the less in reason should be our endeavors either for providing it or preparing our selves to salute it decently though comming of it own accord to meet us But what meditations can be too long or what endeavors too laborious for gaining of an happie end or giving a messenger of so importunate and weighty consequence as death one way or other brings correspondent entertainment This Christian modesty I have learned long since of the heathen Socrates to beseech my God he would vouchsafe me such a portion of wealth or whatsoever this world esteems as none but an honest upright religious mind can bear or to use the words of a better teacher That of all my labours under the sun I may reap the fruit in holiness and in the end the End of these my present meditations Everlasting Life Thine in Christ THOMAS JACKSON A Table of the Several Sections and Chapters in the 2. Books following The first Book divided into two general parts The one explicating the nature of Belief in general the other shewing the Method how our Assent unto the divine truth of Scriptures may be established The first general part contained in the first and second Sections SECT I. CAP. 1. THE definition of Belief in general with the explication from parag 1. to the 12. The diverse objects and grounds thereof and by what means it is increased parag 12 c. Page 2 SECT II. CAP. 2. Of Assent unto objects supernatural or unto what a natural Belief of such Objects or a bare acknowledgement of Scriptures for Gods Word binds all men pag. 7 CAP. 3. Of general incitements to search the truth of Scriptures or Christian Belief 9 The second general part containing the Heads or Topicks of such observations as may confirm the divine truth of Scriptures of which some are External some Internal SECT I. Of Observations internal or incident unto Scriptures without reference to any relations or events other then are specified in themselves 13 CAP. 4. Of Historical Characters of sacred Antiquities 13 CAP. 5. Of the Harmony of sacred Writers 17 CAP. 6. Of the Affections or dispositions of sacred Writers 19 SECT II. Of Experiments and Observations external answerable to the rules of Scriptures page 25 CAP. 7. Containing the Topick whence such observations must be drawn 25 CAP. 8. That Heathenish Fables ought not to prejudice divine truths 26 CAP. 9. Observations out of Poets in general and of dreams in particular 27 CAP. 10. Of Oracles 30 CAP. 11. Of the apparitions of the heathen Gods and their Heroicks 34 CAP. 12. The reasons of our mistrusting of Antiquities 37 CAP. 13. Of the diversity of events in different Ages 39 CAP. 14. Of the original and right use of Poetry with the manner of its corruption by later Poets 42 CAP. 15. Of some particular Fables resembling some true stories of the Bible 47 CAP. 16. Of Noahs and Deucalions floud with other Miscellane observations 50 CAP. 17. Of Sacred Writers sobriety and discretion in relating true miracles compared especially with later Heathens vanitie in coyning fruitless wonders 57 The third SECTION of the second general Part. Containing Experiments drawn from the revolution of States or Gods publick judgements but especially of the estate of the Jews from time to time 61 CAP. 18. Of the state of these Jews before our Saviours time gathered from heathen Authors with Tullies objection against them 61 CAP. 19. The ill successe of Pompey the great for his going into the Sanctum sanctorum the manner of his death witnessing his sin the miscariage of Crassus parallel likewise to the manner of his offence against Jerusalem with the like disasters of other Romans that had wronged or molested the Jews 63 CAP. 20. Tacitus objections against the Iews refuted by their palpable grosseness and more competent testimony of other heathen writers 69 CAP. 21. The means of these Iews thriving in captivity In what sence they might peculiarly be termed a mighty people wherein they did exceed or were exceeded by other nations 73 CAP. 22. That all the heathens objections against or doubts concerning the Iews estate 〈◊〉 prevented or resolved by Iewish writers 78 CAP. 23. The fulfilling of Moses and other prophesies touching the desolation of â—ewrâ— and destruction of Ierusalem and the Signes of the Time witnessing Gods wonderful hand therein 83 CAP. 24. The fulfilling of our Saviours prophecie Matth. 24 with others concerning the time ensuing Ierusalems destruction That those signes in the Sun and the Moon are long since past as may appear from our Saviours words expounded parag 3. compared with the Prophet Joels parag 8. 90 CAP. 25. That the Saracens are the true sons of Ismael Of their conditions and manners answerable to Moses prophecie 103 CAP. 26. The beginning and progresse of Ismaels greatnesse 107 CAP. 27. The persecutions of the Iews by Traian and the desolation of their Country by Adrian their scattering through other Nations foretold by Moses 111 CAP 28. Of the Iews estate after the dissolution of the Roman Empire generally thorowout Europe until their coming into England 114 CAP. 29. Of the fulfilling of other particular prophecies of Moses in the Iews persecutions in England Germany France and Spain 120 CAP. 30. General collections out of the particular histories before mentioned the strange dispositions of the Iews and Gods judgements upon them all testifying the truth of divine Oracles 129 LIB I. SECT IIII. Of Experiments in our selves and the right framing of Belief as well unto the several parts as unto the whole Canon of Scriptures 140 CAP. 31. Shewing the facility and use of the proposed Method by instance in some whose belief unto divine Oracles hath been confirmed by Experiments answerable unto them 140 CAP. 32. Containing a brief resolution of doubts concerning the extent of the general Canon or the number of integral parts
that day to believe them if we speak properly and absolutely without reference to their former incredulity Our meaning is they shall do more then believe them for they shall feel them Nor can we say properly that the Elect after the resurrection shall believe the articles of faith seeing all agree that of these three principal vertues Faith Hope and Love onely Love shall then remain The reason is that which you have heard alreadie because evident knowledge must be excluded from the nature of faith and belief and the godly shall then clearly see Christ face to face and fully enjoy the fruit of his Passion which now they onely believe 11 As for certainty We may not exclude it from the nature of belief unlesse this speech be warily understood For the certainty of the Articles of our Faith ought to be greater then the certainty of other knowledge for we must believe them although they be contrary to the capacity of our understanding for even this must we believe that many things as all supernatural things surpasse the reach of our understanding Yet this we may safely say that the certainty of the articles of our belief as of Christ his death of his and our resurrection cannot be so great to us in this life as it shall be in the world to come when we shall evidently know them This rule then is infallible That the knowledge of any thing is more certain then the belief thereof although the belief of some things as of Christ his Passion be more certain then the knowledge of other things as namely then the knowledge of humane sciences So then out of this it is evident that belief taken generally doth neither exclude all certaintie nor necessarily require any seeing some belief hath a kinde of certaintie adjoyned with it and some cannot admit it Wherefore it remaineth that Assent is the essence of belief in general I say such an assent as is not joyned with evidency 12 This Assent may be weaker or stronger and so come nearer unto or be further from certainty according to the nature of that object whereunto we give assent or according to the nature of that whereupon our belief is grounded or lastly according to our apprehension either of the object or that which is the ground of our assent Excesse in the first of these to wit in certaintie or stabilitie of the object doth rather argue a possibility of firmer belief or more credibility not more firm or actual belief For as many things are more intelligible then others and yet are least understood of many so many that are most credible are least believed 13 Excesse in the second of these whence the assent of belief may be strengthned that is in the ground of belief doth rather argue a stronger hypothetical belief then any absolute belief unlesse the apprehension or conceit of this ground be strong and lively In ordinary reports or contracts it skils not of what credit the partie be unto whose credence or authority we are referred for the truth of any promise or report unless we have good inducements to think that he did either say or promise as we were told If we be not thus perswaded by some apprehension of our own we give onely conditional assent unto the report or promise and believe both with this limitation if he say so whose credit we so esteem But if we can fully apprehend that he said so we believe absolutely 14 As in science or demonstrations it is requisite both that we know the true cause of the effect and also that we apprehend it certainly as the true cause otherwise we have onely an opinion so in true and absolute belief it is requisite that we have both a sure ground of our belief and a true apprehension of that ground otherwise our belief must needs be conditional not absolute It remaineth therefore that we set down first the nature of the objects that may be believed secondly the several grounds of belief and thirdly the manner of apprehending them albeit in some the apprehension of the object it self and the ground of belief are in a sort all one as in that belief which is not grounded upon the authoritie of the teacher This rule is general Wheresoever the objects are in themselves more credible the ground may be more strong and the apprehension more lively so men be capable of it and industrious to seek it and equal apprehension of such objects as are more credible in themselves upon such grounds as are more firm makes the belief stronger then it could be of objects lesse credible or upon grounds lesse firm Caeteris paribus every one of these three First Greater credibility of the object Secondly Surer ground of belief Thirdly more lively apprehension of the object or ground encrease belief 15. For the Objects of belief whence this assent must be distinguished they are either natural or supernatural but first of that which is natural The 〈◊〉 of natural belief are of two sorts either scibilia or opinabilia either such things as may be evidently known in themselves but are not so apprehended by him that believes them or else such things as we can have no evident or certain knowledge of but onely an opinion And of this nature are all the monuments of former ages and relations of ancient times in respect of us which are now living all future contingents or such effects as have no necessary natural cause why they should be nor no inevitable let or hinderance why they may not be as whether we should have rain or fair weather the next moneth whether such or such Nations shall wage war against each other the next year These matters past and contingent which are not yet but may be albeit they agree in the general nature of opinabilia that neither of them can be exactly known but onely by opinion believed yet both differ in that which is the ground of our assent or belief The ground or reason why we believe things past as that Tully lived in Julius Caesars time or that the Saxons inhabited this land is the report of others The ground or reason why we believe future contingents is the inclination or propension which we see in second causes to produce such effects or the coherence betwixt any natural or moral contingent cause and their possible or probable issue As if we see one Kingdom mighty in wealth and at peace and unitie in it self bearing inveterate hate to another or if we know that the one hath suffered wrong not likely to be recompenced and yet able in politick estimation to make it self amends we beleeve that such will shortly be at open hostilitie one with another Or if we see the air waterish we believe it will shortly rain Yet are not the grounds why we believe things past and the grounds of believing future contingents alwayes so opposite but that they may jump in one and conspire mutually for the strengthning of belief
or some neer adjoyning Thus he expected Oracles should either come in use again in Greece or else burst out in some more convement Soyl. The Atheists of this Age our English home-bred ones at least have altogether as great reason to deny the decay or drying up of Rivers and Lakes as to suspect the frequency of Oracles or other events in times past for neither they no◠their fathers have had any more experience of the one then of the other Plutarchs testimony amongst many others is Authentick for the use and decay of Oracles but neither his Authority nor the reasons which he brings can give satisfaction to any man that seeks the true cause of their defect He refers it indeed in a generality to the Gods not that they wanted good will to mankinde still but that the matter did decay which their ministers the demoniacal Spirits did work upon as you heard before We may upon sure grounds with confidence affirm That even this decay of matter which he dreams of had it conferred ought to the use of Oracles was from God And he as the Psalmist speaks that turneth the floods into a wildernesse and drieth up the water Springs and maketh a fruitful land barren for the iniquity of them that dwell therein did also bring not onely the Oracle of Delphi so much frequented amongst the Grecians but all other kindes of divinations used amongst his own people in the old World to desolation and by powring out his Spirit more plenteously upon the barren hearts of us Heathen hath filled the Barbarous Nations of Europe with better store of Rivers of comfort then the Ancient Israel his own inheritance had ever known Or if we desire a more immediate cause of these Oracles defect amongst the Heathens the time was come that the strong mans house was to be entred his goods spoiled and himself bound now the Prince of this world was to be cast out 2 Plutarchs relation of his demoniacal Spirits mourning for great Pans death about this time is so strange that it might perhaps seem a Tale unlesse the truth of the common bruit had been so constantly avouched by ear-witnesses unto Tiberius that it made him call a convocation of Wise men as Herod did at our Saviours birth to resolve him who this great Pan late deceased should be Thamous the Egyptian Master unknown by that name to his Passengers until he answered to it at the third call of an uncouth voice uttered Sine Authore from the land requesting him to proclaim the news of great Pans death as he passed by Palodes was resolved to have let all passe as a Fancy or idle Message if the wind and tide should grant him passage by the place appointed but the wind failing him on a sudden at his coming thither he thought it but a little losse of breath to cry out aloud unto the shoar as he had been requested Great Pan is dead The words as Plutarch relates were scarce out of his mouth before they were answered with a huge noise as it had been of a multitude sighing and groaning at this wonderment If these Spirits had been by nature mortal as this Philosopher thinks the death of their chief Captain could not have seemed so strange but that a far greater then the greatest of them by whose power the first of them had his being should die to redeem his enemies from their thraldom might well seem a matter of wonderment and sorrow unto them The circumstance of the time will not permit me to doubt but that under the known name of Pan was intimated the great Shepheard of our souls that had then layd down his life for his flock not the fained son of Mercury and Penelope as the Wisemen foolishly resolved Tiberius Albeit even this base and counterfeit resolution of these Heathens coyning bears a lively image for the exact proportion of the divine truth Charactred out unto us in Scripture For it shall appear by sufficient testimonies in their due time and place to be produced that sundry general confused or Enigmatical traditions of our Saviours Conception Birth and Pastoral office had been spread abroad amongst the Nations Hence instead of Him they frame a Pan the God of Shepherds in stead of the Holy Spirit by whom he was to be conceived they have a Mercury their false Gods fained Messenger and Interpreter for Pans father instead of the Blessed Virgin who was to bear our Saviour they have a Penelope for their young Gods Mother The affinity of quality and offices in all the parties here paralleld made this transfiguration of divine Truth easie unto the Heathen and the manner of it cannot seem improbable to us if we consider the wonted vanity of their imaginations in transforming the glory of the Immortal God into the similitude of earthly things most dislike to it in nature and quality Thus admitting Plutarchs story to be most true it no way proves his intended conclusion that the wild goatish Pan was mortal but the Scriptures set forth unto us the true cause why both he and all the rest of that hellish crue should at that time howl and mourn seeing by the Great Shephe ds Death they were become Dead in Law no more to breath in Oracles but quite to be deprived of all such strange motions as they had seduced the ignorant World with before All the antick tricks of Faunus the Satyrs and such like creatures were now put down God had resolved to make a translation of his Church and for this cause the Devils were enforced to dissolve their old Chappels and seek a new form of their Liturgie or Service Whilest the Israelites were commanded to consult with Gods Priests Prophets or other Oracles before they undertook any difficult war or matters of moment Satan had his Priests and Oracles as much frequented by Heathen Princes upon the like occasions So Strabo witnesseth That the Ancient Heathen in their chief consultations of State did rely more upon Oracles then humane policy If Moses were forty dayes in the Mount to receive Laws from Gods own mouth Minos will be Jupiters Auditor in his Den or Cave for the same purpose In emulation of Shiloh or Kiriath-jearim whilest the Ark of God remained there the Heathens had Dodona and for Jerusalem they had Delphi garnished with rich donatives of forrain Princes as well as Grecians so magnified also by Grecian Writers as 〈◊〉 it had been the intended Parallel of the holy City Insomuch that Plutarch thinks the story commonly received of that Oracles original to be lesse probable because it ascribes the invention of it to Chance and not to the Divine Provivence or Favour of the Gods when as it had been such a direction unto Greece in undertaking wars in building Cities and in time of Pestilence and Famine Whether these effects in Ancient times had been alwayes from the information of Devils as I said before I will not dispute That this Oracle
the Turks by Adoption Heires of the same promise So truly doth the Scripture tell us the truth of all antiquitie and the true causes of Nations encrease but of this elsewhere To conclude this story of Noah 6 The former Argument drawn from the suddain increase and propagation of men the scarcitie of Arts Civil Discipline and Inventions with other Experiments better known to them then us enforced certain of the Ancient Philosophers to hold a perpetual Vicissitude some of General some of Particular Deluges whereby the works of Antiquitie once come to perfection had been and continually should be defaced either generally throughout the World or in sundry Countries according to the extent of the Inundation This Opinion might seem more safe because not eaâ—â—e to be disproved in that Old World in which the wisest living besides the people of God had no distinct Knowledge of any thing that had happened 100 year before his own Birth much lesse what mutations should follow after his death but unto us their Prognostication is like unto some late Prophecies of Dooms-day confuted by a world of witnesses even by the continuance of every thing after that time which by their prophecies should have imposed a fatal end to all things We may truly use the Mockers words to these mockers of truth Since the old Philosophers died all things continue alike Seed-time and Harvest have been still distinct nor hath there been any Floud to destroy either the Whole Earth or any entire Nation thereof For Assurance of which promise the Almightie hath set his Bow in the Cloud whose Natural Causes though the Philosophers can in some sort assign and shew the manner how diversities of colours arise in it yet the Ancient Poets saw more then either they themselves have left exprest or later Philosophers sought to conceive when they feigned Iris to be Thaumantis Filia the Daughter or as we of this age would say the Mother of Wonderment the Messenger of the great God Jupiter and his Goddesse Juno The occasions of this Fiction had they been well acquainted with them might have informed Philosophers that the Rain-bow had some better use then a bare Speculation how it was made some Final besides the Material and Efficient Cause unto whose search the Admirable Form or composition of it did incite men naturally And the Ancient Philosophers who were for the most part Poets and endued with more lively notions of the First and Supreme Cause of all things did usually assign a Final Cause commonly Supernatural of such effects as proceeded from Efficient and Material Natural Causes As the Pythagoreans thought the Thunder whose matter form and efficient they well knew was made to terrifie such as were in Hell not erring in the general that it had some such like use though mistaken in the particulars whom it was made to terrifie Natural Philosophie gives us the Material and sensible Efficient Causes the Scripture onely the true and Supernatural End which leads us to the Immortal Invisible and Principal Efficient Cause of all natural effects even of Nature it self And Aristotle acknowledgeth the motions or dispositions of the Matter to depend upon the End or Final Cause albeit he gives no Final cause at all of main principal much lesse the Supreme or Principal Final cause of all natural effects but confounds the Form with the End against his own principles and contrary to the Analogie between Nature and Art which is the ground of all his Discourse about the Matter Form and Efficient For the Artificial Form is not the End of the Artists work but rather incites the Spectator to view and admire his Skill from which his gain or fame may redound And these one or both are the Principal end of all his labours so is the Glory of the First and Supreme Efficient Cause the Principal and utmost End of all the works of Nature and Nature itself if I may so speak the Art or Skill of the First and Supernatural Cause But as Aristotles Philosophie is imperfect because it leades us not either unto the First Cause or Last End of all things so it is fully sufficient to confute such Divines as think there were Rainbows before the Floud Which opinion hath no pretence of Scripture to enforce it and grounds in nature it can have none unlesse they will avouch this evident untruth That every disposition of the Air or every Cloud is fitly disposed to bring forth the Rain-bow And if other Natural Causes with their motions and dispositions depend upon the Final such as acknowledge the truth of Scripture have no reason to think that either the Clouds or Air had that peculiar disposition which is required unto the production of the Rain-bow before the Floud when this wonderful Effect could have no such use or end as it hath had ever since For it was ordained as the Scripture tels us to be a Sign or witnesse of Gods Covenant with the New World a Messenger to secure mankind from destruction by Deluges Now if it had appeared before the Sight of it after the floud could have been but a silly comfort to Noahs Timorcus Posteritie whose mistrust lest the the like inundation should happen again was greater then could be taken away by any ordinary or usual Sign if we may believe such Testimonies of Antiquitie as we have no reason to suspect I omit the discussion of their Opinion who think the Rain-bow doth naturally argue such a temper of the air as is unapt for the present to conceive any Excessive Moisture Either from these reasons in nature then well known or from the Tenour of Gods forementioned Covenant communicated to the Ancient Heathen people by Tradition doth Jupiter in Homer make Iris the messenger of his Peremptorie command unto Neptune to desist from aiding the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Jove I come a messenger to him that Neptune hight His pleasure is that thou henceforth ne come in field or fight But hence to Heaven or to wide Sea address thy speedy flight 7 The true Mythologie of which Fiction I should from the circumstance of the Storie conjecture to be this The swelling of waters and abundance of moisture did advantage the Grecians and annoy the Trojans for whom fair weather was best as having greatest use at that time of service by Horse For this reason is Neptune by Iris commanded to get him into the Sea which â—s as much as to say the Over-flow of waters and abundance of moisture was now to be asswaged and Apollo on the other side sent to encourage Hector and his Trojans The meaning is that Jupiter would now have fair and drie weather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go to prepare the Troops of Horse for they must do the deed And charge thine enemies at
Glories and all the Patriarches from whom the Jews descended had been in Egypt in ripe Age where our Saviour came not but in his Infancie As for his Miracles the Testimonie of Moses and other Prophets whose divine Authoritie is acknowledged by the Jew shall evince them wrought by The Einger of God In the mean time the estate of the Jews since Their death sufficiently known to all the world and foretold by Them shall manifest against the Atheist that They all wrote by The Spirit of God CAP. XXII That all the Heathens Objections against or doubts concerning the Jews Estate are prevented or resolved by Jewish Writers 1 OUt of that which hath been hitherto Premised this Conclusion stands firm supported both by forrain Writers observation and these Jews own confession That They were a People Remarkable for their unusual Prosperitie and Calamity I am fully persaded it would have given full Satisfaction to any â—ngenuous Roman or later Heathen That This was a People Beloved of God had they known as much as we do that all they could Object in contempt of the Jews or their Religion had been conceived before by the Aslyrian and Babylonian but Falsified in the Event fully answered by Judaical Writers and plainly foretold by their Prophets lest such Events as occasioned others to contemn them might have proved Temptations to the Godly amongst this people as if they had been Forsaken of their God The dayes had been wherein the Babylonians had taken themselves for men and their Idols for gods as good as Rome had any and these Jews for as Base a People as the world yielded They had gathered captivitie as the sand mocked the Kings and made a sâ—orn of the Princes deriding every strong Hold and hence as the Prophet foresaw they were as ready as the Romans to take courage in transgressing and doing wickedly imputing this their power unto their God But the Prophet is not herewith dismayed nor tempted to think his Gods power was lesse then theirs albeit to shew himself a true Patriot of Israel he complains of their Intolerable Presumption which in due time he well foresees should be abated Art not thou of old my Lord my God mine Holy One We shall not die O Lord thou hast ordained them for Judgement and O God thou hast established them for correction Thou art of pure eyes and canst not behold wickedness wherefore doest thou look upon The Transgressours and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then He and makest men as the â—ishes of the sea and as the creeping things that have no Ruler over them They take up all with the Angle they catch it in their Net and gather it in their Yarn whereof they rejoyce and are glad Therefore they sacrifice unto their Net and burn incense unto their Yarn because by them their portion is Fat and their meat plenteous Shall they therefore stretch out their Net and not spare continually to slay the Nations No he knew their time was limited and other Nations as Jeremiah saith When his Time was come were to serve themselves of Him though God at that time had exposed the Princes of Judah to his violence for their Violent Oppression of their Brethren as Habakkuk expressely notes in the beginning of his fore-mentioned Prophecie These Jews before the Event did prove the contrarie were as incredulous they should be brought into Captivitie by the Babylonian or such foolish Idolaters as the Romans were of their great prosperitie under David or Solomon And for to beat down this proud Humour in them the Prophet Ezekiel foretels That for their Extream Crueltie the Lord would punish them by the Most wicked of the Heathen Make a chain for the Land is full of the judgement of Bloud and the City is full of Cruelty Wherefore I will bring the Most Wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses I will also make the Pompe of the Mighty to cease and their Holy Places shall be desiled When Descruction commeth they shall seek peace and shall not have it Calamity shall come upon Calamity and Rumor shall be upon Rumor then shall they seek a Vision of the Prophet but the Law shall perish from the Priest and Counsel from the Ancient And lest any should marvail why God would so use his Chosen People he gives the reason in the words immediately following Because he was a God of Justice The King shall mourn and the Princes shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people in the land shall be troubled I will do unto them according to their ways and according to their judgments will I judge them and they shall know That I am The Lord. 2 More particularly both Tullies Objection concerning their Overthrow and Conquest is directly answered Strabo and Seneca's doubt concerning their thriving in Captivitie fully resolved and Tacitus false Imputations of their increase sufficiently cleared by the Psalmist They were stained with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people and he abhorred his own inheritance and he gave them into the hand of the Heathen and they that hated them were Lords over them Their enemies also oppressed them and they were humbled under their hand Many a time did he deliver them but they provoked him by their counsels therefore they were brought down by their iniquities Had Tully read thus much he might have been fully satisfied that it was not love or hate of his Immortal gods which made the Romans Conquerors the Jews Captives But it was their Love to Sin onely Hateful to their God which brought them in subjection unto the Romans and made Caesar whom Tully and other Romans hated Lord over them as they had been over the Jews And if Strabo Seneca Tacitus or others that either envied or marvelled at these Jews prosperity had read what follows in the same Psalm they had rested better satisfied with the reason that the Psalmist there gives then with such as Blundering Politicians guesse at For although they had been brought down by their iniquity yet their God who had given them into their Enemies Hand saw when they were in Affliction and heard their Crie And he remembred his Covenant towards them and repented according to the multitude of his Mercies and gave them Favour in the sight of all them that led them away Captives The Psalmist had better understanding of Gods dealing with these People then Tully and Strabo had and in Confidence of Gods Mercies which they had often tasted he concludes with this Prayer Save us O Lord our God and gather us 〈◊〉 among the 〈◊〉 thâ—… we may praisâ—… by Holy Name and glory in thy 〈◊〉 Though this Godly Pâ—almist saw this People in greater distresse then they were in Tullâ—… time yet he attributes not their Captivity and oppreâ—… 〈◊〉 any want of Good-will in their
from speaking any good unto the Jewâ—… yet the Oracles of Carmel assure Vespasian of good Successe in all that he should set â—is hand unto 2 As these and many other Presignifications were more then Natural so the means of his Advancement if we respect onely the purpose of men were meerly Casual nor is it possible for the Atheist to imagin their Concurrenâ—e contrived by Policy 3 But herein we may clearly see Gods Covenant of exalting this People and humbling their foes quite Inverted All the Plagues threatned to such as bare ill will to Sion light on her Friends and Inhabitants All the â—lesâ—ingâ— promised to such as prayed for Jerusalems Peace are heaped upon them that work her Ruine More particularly do they verisie that Propheâ—â—e of Mâ—… â—â—â—t 28. 4â— The stranger that is amongst you shall climb up on high and tâ—â—â— shalt come down beneath alow For these Children of the Kingdom taking Violent but false hold upon Gods truest Promises do by their unseasonable desire of exalting themselves above the Nations hoise Him up to highest Dignity that was ordained to pluck them down from their seat and bring them below all other people The manner of it was thus 4 There was a constant Opinion through the East that Jewry about this time should bring forth the Monarch of the World In Confidence of which Prophecie the Jews as the Roman Writers observe did Rebel Vespâ—… otherwise likely to have lived in Danger and died in Obscurity and disgrace whereunto Nero had designed him appointed for reasons afore alledged to Manage these Wars gets Renown for his good Service among the Romanâ— Good wâ—… of the Eastern nations and upon Nero's death and Civil Broiles thence ensuing partly by promise of assistance from the Parthian partly by other unexpected Occurrents had the Empire thrust upon him otherwise backward of himself to entertain Hopes suggested to him from Heaven by many wonderful Signs and tokens Yet after all this being made Emperour on a suddain before he could bethink himself what belonged to so High a Place he wanted 〈◊〉 as the Historian notes Authority and Majesty to countenance his proceedings and these again are confâ—â—med unto him at his first entrance into the Empire by means more Miraculous then the former Since Rome began was it not heard that any Roman had opened the eyes of the Blind unlesse this man had been from God he â—ould have done nothing Why then do the Heathen rage and the people â—…in thing against God and his Annointed The Christ as if He had not Healed him which was born Blind with Spittle when as Vespasian â—…perour dâ—d â—ure one desperately blind by spitting upon his eyes or whence came that vertue into this new Emperours feet that he should â—eal a lame and withered thigh by treading upon it Both these effects were well known unto the most judicious Roman Writers of those times so constantly avouched by them as can leave no place for suâ—pition in Ages following 5 What shall we Christians say to these things Onely this In both these Cures there was the Finger of God pointing out Vespasian to the world as Christs Right Hand appointed for some Extraordinary and Peculiar Service even to inâ—… the Plagues foretold by him upon these Jews which had reviled traduced and crucified the Lord of Glory for the like and infinite other far greater Miracles wrought amongst them These strange Calamities had they fallen in Nero's or other like Emperours time might have been attributed to their Cruel disposition but that Vespasian for his natural Inclination another Moses scarce provocable to revenge Practize of Treason against his Person in private men should work that strange desolation upon a whole Land hath this signification that he was Gods Instrument onely in this Businesse what he did he did impelled by Him not of his own Motion or Inclination And because he had diligently executed that which was right in Gods eyes and had done unto these Jews according to all things that were in Gods Heart he had by what Revelation God best knoweth Jehu's Blessing Sealed unto him That his Son should sit upon his Throne so confident was he in this perswasion as after the discovery of many to scorn all Conspiracies though daily intended against â—… avouching still either his Sons or None must succeed him in the Empire as both of them did Though the later much degenerate from so worthy a Father most dislike unto his noble brother was most unworthy and uncapable of so High a Place but onely from his Fathers deserts which GOD had ordained should be rewarded with this Honour Had either of his Sons rendred according to the reward bestowed upon them more Scepters had sprung from the Flavian Stock But as it Grew â—pace so did it quickly Fade Titus the fairest Branch to all mens seeming being plucked off to his great Hearts grief in the Blossom for what Secret sin GOD knoweth best This One was grievous enough to have deserved a more grievous death that apprehending his Fates approach he durst so Considently look Heaven in the Face and Expostulate his untimely death as unjust seeing he never had offended the Sacred Powers thereof but Onely Once The Signs of those Times were Extraordinary could the Romans have rightly observed them But these Great Conquerours were taken with their Captives â—rrour in not discerning or mis-applying them As the Spring Sun which naturally reviveth all other living Creatures often times prepareth such Human bodies as are fullest of Life and Bloud but most neglective of the opportunity of taking Physick or using diet convenient for that season to hot and desperate diseases never perceived in their Summers growth until they be ripe of death in the Autumn so albeit the Sun of Righteousnesse whose coming into the world was to give life unto it did first arise in Jewry yet by her childrens Confidence in their wonted Temper so whole and sound unto their seeming that of all other people they onely needed no Physitian the very Beames of saving Health did secretly dispose their evil disposed hearts to violent death which burst out in the later end or Autumn of that Age wherein he appeared For that Generation with whom our Saviour Christ Jesus conversed on earth was not fully past until this People began to swell with insolent and proud hopes of Soveraignty over others and by their untimely provocation of the Romans bring suddain Destruction upon themselves as stout and full Bodies by violent and unseasonable Exercises are soonest brought down from the height of their strength unto the grave The Romans again seeing these Jews defeated and themselves possessed of their hopes Vespasian being called to the Empire during these wars which Titus his son did gloriously finish to the utter ruine of that Nation think sure their Gods had been more potent then the GOD of the Jews and apply the Prophecie meant of Christ unto Vespasian as if He
and natural meaning of the place is as if he had said When you have seen Hierusalems Fatal Day then look for such Signs in the Sun and Moon as I have told for the one doth Prognosticate the others Approach as certainly as the Budding of the Fig-tree doth Summer The like connexion of these fearful Signs with Hierusalems desolation we have in Saint Luke chapt 21. 25 Having spoken before onely of the tribulation of Hierusalem he continueth his speech Then there shall be signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the earth trouble amongst the Nations with perplexity the Sea and the Waters shall roar and mens hearts shall fail them for fear and for looking after those things which shall come on the world For the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken and then shall they see the Son of man come in a cloud with power and great glory And when these things begin to come to passe then look up and lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth near And he spake to them a Parable Behold the Fig-tree and all trees when they now shoot forth ye seeing them know of your own selves that Summer is then near so likewise ye when ye see these things come to passe know ye that the Kingdom of God is near Verily I say unto you this generation shall not passe till All These Things be done As we are bound by Christian Faith to Believe that this Prophecy is not yet but shall be Fully accomplished at the last Day so in truth I should suspect my Heart of Infidelity if I did not acknowledge it truly verified in such a sense as I have intimated immediately after the destruction of Hierusalem The former Distinction of Our Saviours Coming in Power or to present the terrors of the last Day and His last coming unto Judgement Indeed he himself hath intimated for he gave his Disciples infallible Signs when they might certainly expect the former verse 33. Heaven and earth shall passe c. but of that day and hour to wit of the last judgement no man no not the Angels of Heaven but my father only knoweth As if he had said This last day shall not come with such Observation as the former will the Signs here described shall not Prognosticate but accompany it In the Former there were signs in the Sun and Moon but in the Later both Sun and Moon shall cease to â—e In the Former the powers of Heaven were shaken the Earth did tremble and the Sea did roar in the Later The Heavens shall be gathered like a scroll and passe with away a noise the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt the Sea shall be no more the whole Frame of Nature shall be dissolved on a suddain and such as until that time mind earthly matters confining their thoughts within this Sphere of Mortality shall be intrapped in the ruines and prest down to Hell with the weight of it Onely such as being In this world are not Of it but have their Conversation in Heaven where their Redemer sits at the right hand of GOD shall escape these suddain and fearful dangers as Birds that are without the Compasse of the Trap when it begins to fall Seeing it will be too late for men to begin their Belief Then too late to flie from death when destruction hath surprised them or to cry for Mercy first when Gods Judgments begin to seize upon the World The Atheist or carelesse Worlding may gather both the Terrors and Calamity of that Day from the often-mentioned lively representation of it under Titus for even in his time the Heavens and the Earth did threaten to passe away that all the world might know Christs words should not passe away The fire of Gods wrath which Moses had foretold should eat the Foundations of the Mountains in Jewry and such as Josephus tels us had been krndled in the Holy Mount did devour the Foundations of the Mount Vesuvius in Campania The Consequences thereof with other Prodigious Concomitants were so strange and fearful that if we compare the Ingenious Heathen Historiographers description of them with the fore-cited place of S. Luke his Relation doth as fully answer our Saviours Prediction as the Historical narrations of Events past contained in Scripture do the Prophecies that had gone of them before 4 The suddain Earthquakes were so Grievous that all the Valley was sultering hot and the tops of the Mountains sunk down under the ground were noises like Thunder answered with like Bellowings above The Sea roared and the Heavens resounded like noise huge and great Crashings were heard as if the Mountains had fallen together great stones leaped out of their places as high as tops of Hils and after them issued abundance of Fire and Smoke in so much that it darkened the Air and obscured the Sun as if it had been Eclipsed so that night was turned into day and day into night Many were perswaded that the Giants had raised some Civil Broyls amongst themselves because they did see their Shapes in the smoke and heard a noise of Trumpets others thought the World should be resolved into the old Chaos or consumed with Fire some ran out of their Houses into the Streets others from the Streets or High-wayes into their Houses others from Sea to Land some again from the Land to the Sea So Dion 〈◊〉 66. 5 These questionlesse were The Signs of the Son of Man that made all the Kindreds of the Earth thus Mourn For the Calamity was Publick the Abundance of Ashes and Dust was such that it over-spread Egypt Africk and Syria choaking not onely Men but Beasts and Birds poysoning Fishes and spoyling the grounds where it came The inhabitants of Rome whither this infection came a few dayes after the fire kindled in Campania thought that the Frame of the World had been out of joynt that the Sun did fall down to the earth and the earth ascend up to heaven And albeit the ashes and dust did not such present harm there as it had done every where else yet it bred a most grievous Pestilence breaking out not long after and in the year following whilest Titus went to view the calamities of Campania a great part of Rome was burnt by fire issuing out of the ground Amongst other harms these following were most remarkable It consumed the Temple of Serapis of Isis of Neptune the Pantheon the Diribitorium the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus unto which the Jews were not long before enjoyned to pay that Tribute which they formerly had done to the Temple of Hierusalem Thus though the Ark be taken yet will it be the Downfal of Dagon their chief God that took it and though Hierusalem lay buried in her Ruines for her Peoples grievous Sins yet shall hers as All Sacred Pensions Sacrilegiously employed devour the Seats of their possessors But what can we more say then
Dominions not as Enemies or Rebels of the Empire but as Noxious Creatures to Humane Society with Revenge suting to their former Outrages Partly for the Cyprians better Security in time to come partly in Memory of their former Misery and these Jews Infamy It is publickly inacted that no Jew though driven by Tempest thither should presume to set foot within their Coast upon pain of present execution as already condemned by his very Appearance on that Soil which had been tainted with the deadly Venom of his Country-men 2 But lest Posterity little respective of Jewish Affairs through negligence of the Roman Writers should forget or from the inconsiderate frailty of Humane Nature lesse observe these two most grievous Persecutions of the Jews then was behoveful for Testification of Moses or Christs Prophecies and Confirmation of Christian Faith In Adrians time like Traitors that had fainted upon the rack before their full Confession taken they are recovered to greater Torture And lest the Nations in that or Ages following should not acknowledge them to have been such a Mighty People as the sacred Story makes them they are made a Spectacle to the world again to shew their Natural Strength by their grievous lingring pains in dying This was that which Moses had said Deut. 28. 59. The Lord will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed great plagues and of long continuance sore diseases and of long durance Yet their Destruction now aâ— at both times alwayes before was from their own Procurement For Adrian causing new Aelia built by him where Hierusalem stood to be inhabited by others Christians as well as Jews and permitting the use of their Country-religion to all the Jews began first to Repine while Adrian was near afterwards to Mutiny upon his departure out of these Eastern Provinces 3 The Fresh memory of their former Desolation made their strength seem little and the Apprehension of their weaknesse made the Romans Care for preventing new dangers lesse then otherwise it might and in reason should have been But as men Environed with Darknesse have great advantage of such as stand in the Light and presumption of good-casting in the beginning bring such as intend the after-game well to better possibility of winning the stake so these Jews partly through the Romans Confidence of their strength partly by their own Secrecy in meeting security of harbour in Caves and Dens purposely digged in the earth and diligent providing necessaries for war from little and contemptible beginnings gather such strength and resolution that they can be content to set the Whole Stock upon it offering Battel unto the choicest Warriours of the Empire to Julius Severus that noble General himself called to this Service such was the danger out of this Island of Britain And albeit the Romans in the end had the Victory without Controversie yet would they not have wished many Triumphs at the same price This peoples last conflict with death and destruction now seizing upon them may witnesse to the world that they had been a principal part of it now so generally and deeply affected with their last pangs For as this judicious and unpartial writer saith The whole world in a manner was shaken with this commotion of the Jews Dion 69. Book 4 But as the Preacher observeth that riches are oftentimes reserved to the owners for their evil So these Jews Extraordinary strength was given them for like Destruction The greater danger their Mutiny had occasioned to the Empire the greater was the Emperours Severity in punishing their Rebellion past the greater his care to prevent the like in time to come In battels and skirmishes were slain of this people 580000. besides an infinite number consumed with famin and diseases during the time of this lingring war protracted of purpose by the Romans not willing to trie it out in open field with such a forlorn desperate multitude Now as Moses had expresly foretold and Dion living not long after this time Emphatically notes They were left Few in number their land laid waste fifty of their strongest Munitions utterly razed 985 of their chief and most populous Towns sackt and consumed by fire 5 This Mighty Destruction of these Jews and general Desolation of their Country by Romans and their Tributaries of these Western Countries a people strange and perhaps unheard of to their Ancestors are Everlasting Monuments of the truth of Moses his Prophecy Deut. 28. 49. The Lord shall bring a nation upon thee from far even from the end of the world flying swift as an Eagle a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand a nation of a fierce countenance which will not regard the person of the old nor have compassion of the young The same shall eat the fruit of thy cattel and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed and he shall leave thee neither wheat wine or oyl neither the increase of thy kine nor the flocks of thy sheep until he have brought thee to naught And he shall besiege thee in all thy Cities until thy high and strong wals fall down wherein thou trustest in all the land and he shall besiege thee in all thy cities throughout thy land which the Lord thy God hath given thee Thus at length Judah as well as Israel hath ceased to be a Nation not without Manifest Signs foreshewing their Fatal Expiration Solomons Sepulchre which they held in greatest Honor a little before this War did fall asunder of its own accord as if it would have signified unto them that Gods covenant made with Solomon for Judah's peace and restauration was now utterly void and finally Cancelled by its Rupture and Fall Wolves and Hyena's did howl throughout their Streets and devour this People in the Fields these are the Lords Messengers of Woe and vengeance to this ungratious seed whose Fathers had kild and stoned his Prophets sent unto them for their good Yet is not the wrath of the Lord ceased but his hand is stretched out against them still For Adrian after this strange Desolation by publick Decree ratified with the Senates consent prohibits any Jew to come within the view of Jury This he did onely in a Politick respect lest the sight of their native Soyl might inspire this People with some fresh desperate Resolutions but herein made though unwittingly Gods Angel to keep by his powerful sword this wicked Progeny of those rebellious and Ungratious Husband-men that had kild their Lords First-born out of that Pardise which he had set them to dresse and keep The same mighty Lord having now as it were Disparked the place which he had walled and fenced about and graced with many Charters of greatest Priviledges doth by his Arm stretched out against them still scatter the Reliques of this Rascal Herd throughout all the Nations under heaven So as this Remnant left by Adrian and their race have been as the Game which Gods judgements have held in perpetual
Chace for this Fifteen hundred years 6 Thus are Gods Judgements executed upon this People according to the order and course of Moses his Sentence pronounced against them almost two thousand years before For after he had foretold that Paucity whereunto this last War had brought them Deut. 28. 62. he addes immediately vers 63. As the Lord hath rejoyced over you to do you good and to multiply you so he will rejoyce over you to destroy and bring you to naught and ye shall be rooted out of the land whither thou goest to possesse it and the Lord shall scatter thee amongst all people from the one end of the world to the other Such as were Captivate in this War were transplanted by Adrian into Spain his native Country where they had their Synagogues since his until Ferdinando and Isabels time Of their ill rest there and in other of these Western Nations foretold by Moses in the very next words we are now to treat but first to advertise the Reader That the state of these Jews from this time until the Expiration of the Roman Empire cannot easily be gathered from any Roman Writers who seldom vouchsafe the Jews or Christians any mention unless enforced thereunto by some such Famous War or Mutiny as fell out in Vespasians Trajans or Adrians time or by some other event redounding to the Romans glory whereas Jury after this time was not famous for any tumult till Romes Captivity the Jews wanted strength and Christians willing mindes to erect any Emperours praise by their Seditions So that whatsoever Calamity Either of Them suffered by the Romans was past over by Roman Writers as private wrongs not worthy of Registring in their Annals 7 No marvail then if they took no notice of our Saviour or his acts all tending to Peace and Loyalty For as Tacitus notes Judaea was most quiet in Tiberius time which was the best news the Romans cared to heaâ—… thence only Tacitus spleen to Christians it seems had made him inquisitive of their first Original whose Author he acknowledgeth to have been one Christ put to death by Pontius Pilate in the raign of Tiberius 8 The estate of these Jews in general between Adrians and Honorius time may be gathered out of the Reverend Fathers of the Primitive Church who usually stopt the Heathens or Blasphemous Athiests mouthes by proposing their condition then known unto all the world for such as our Saviour had foretold But these Reverend Fathers observations and such scattered testimonies of their estate and quality as can be gathered out of Roman Writers during that flourishing age of Fathers and continuance of the Roman Empire will come in more fitly in the Article of our Saviours Passion CAP. XXVIII Of the Jews estate after the Dissolution of the Roman Empire generally throughout Europe until their coming into England 1 AFter the dissolution of the Roman Empire they had some hopes of taking root under the shelter of Theodebert and Theodorick Kings of a great part of France and other Provinces then annexed to that Kingdom And whilest the Bishops of those Countries made merchandize of sacred Orders these Jews purchased Christians for their Bond-slaves until Gregory the Great by his Fatherly Admonitions and reproof wrought a Reformation of these two foul Enormities and open Scandals of Christianity Their number after was much increased throughout most parts in France by their suddain decrease in Spain caused by Sisebodus King of the Gothes and Lord of that Country who had urged them to profession of Christian Religion or perpetual exile from his Dominions Such as made choise of Banishment before Baptism fled in troops into France where in short time they and their Country-men there residing before had as hard entertainment under Dagobert though peaceably admitted at the first Some think the Fame and Honour which the Goth had purchased amongst Christians by his late Fact did enflame the Franck with a zealous desire of like glory others from more particular information of Ancient Writers as well French as Spanish refer the Original of both Persecutions unto Heraclius the Emperour who seeking his Fates in the Stars puls down Gods Judgments from heaven upon these Jews scattered from the East to West By this means he had learned whether by meer skill in Astrologie or otherwise is not now to be disputed That the wings of his Empire should be clipped by a Circumcised people This fore-knowledge howsoever gotten was not given him for his Good for his Fears came upon him whence he least suspected but for these Jews Mischief for he deeming Them the likeliest or the only men that could bring his Fates upon him inserts the former Persecution as a condition of peace then concluded between him and Sisebutu afterwards prevails with Dagobert for enforcing all the Jews throughout his Dominions either to renounce Circumcision France or their Lives And no doubt but he that could prevail thus far with these western Kings did also deal effectually with other Soveraignties of Europe nearer unto his Imperial Seat for disinabling of this Nation from effecting what he feared much more would he seek their Extirpation or Conversion throughout his own proper Dominions And so I find his persecution of the Jews recorded by such as wrote his life as one of the chief Memorables in his Raign which confirms their report though otherwise Authentick who refer the two former Persecutions under the Goth and Frank unto the occasions above mentioned 2 Shortly after the Progeny of such as had been enforced to Baptism by Sisebutus for their revolt from Christ and conspiracy against Egica his Anointed and his Kingdom were adjudged to perpetual Servitude throughout all the Provinces belonging to Spain prohibited the use of their rites and Ceremonies not permitted to inhabit together but as if the Lord had used the Land of Jury as a Marl-pit to fat the Soil of this Nation where his Vine was planted after he had lead forth the Jews thither in heaps he scatters their heaps over the whole sur-face of the Land All Parents not suffered to commerce with their children at all after the seventh year of their age committed by publick Decree to the Education of Christians appointed in riper years to be given in marriage unto their Sons and Daughters that so the succession of infidelity might be abolished But Christian Princes consultations prevail as little for their good as Pharaohs policy for their Fore-fathers harm they must multiply that Gods plagues may be multiplied upon them This last here mentioned in their estimation not the least though otherwise intended by the state of Spain was by the disposition of the divine providence brought to passe that another prophecy of Moses might be fulfilled Thy Sons and thy Daughters shall be given unto another people and thine eyes shall still look for them even till they fall out and there shall be no power in thy hand Deut. 28.
this Jew at his return to Paris then flourishing with all manner of Arts and Sciences found his Country-men marvellous great Students in Divinity and in much better state then might be expected to continue any long time 13 Lewes the seventh albeit instigated thereto as was said before had not shorn them so near upon his Expedition to the Holy Land but that they might bear Fleece again for his Son to pluck off Their Synagogues had remained still beautified and their private wealth either before his death much increased or in his time not much impaired But Almighty GOD who in Testimony of his rejoycing to do them good had raised up Cyrus to Balthazar 's Throne to release their Nation from that Captivity which Nabuchad-nezzar had brought upon them to give the world as perfect a proof of his Rejoycing over them to destroy them and bring them to nought Deut. 28. 63. did Advance Philippus Augustus son unto the former Lewes unto the Crown of France to defeat the Jews throughout that Kingdom in an instant of all their former hopes No sooner was he enthroned King but presently he giveth forth his Edict That their Synagogues should be spoiled of all Donatives and ornaments belonging to them and enformed of the grievances which Christians sustained by them granteth a general Release of all debts due unto them from Christians consiscating all their lands and immoveable goods This was done that Moses his prophecy might be fulfilled in part Deut. 28. 30 31 33. Thou shalt build an house and not dwell therein thou shalt plant a Vineyard but shalt not eat the fruit thereof Thine Ox shall be slain before thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof Thine Asse shall be violently taken away before thy face and shall not be restored unto thee Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies and no man shall rescue them for thee the fruit of thy I and and all thy labours shall a people which thou knowest not eat And thou shalt never but suffer wrong and violence alwayes CAP. XXIX Of the fulfilling other particular Prophecies of Moses in the Jews persecutions in England Germany France and Spain 1 THat they should not once or twice in this or that Age in some one or few Kingdoms only but alwayes in every place where they have come since their rooting out of their own Land suffer such wrong and violence must needs be thought to have proceeded rather from Divine Justice then mans Injustice which could not but have varied with the diversity of times places and the several dispositions of parties amongst whom in this their long Pilgrimage they have lived And yet this brief Enumeration following of their particular spoils and hard usages since Philippus Augustus time throughout the most civil and best governed States of Europe will abundantly confirm the truth of Moses general Induction in the place now cited Thou shall never but suffer wrong and violence alwayes To begin with their persecutions in this Land 2 Had Henry the eldest son of Henry the second who was present at the fore-named French Kings Coronation acquainted with these severe Edicts against the Jews lived to enjoy the Crown of England after his Father as he was entituled King with him the grievous wrongs and violence immediately after befalling these Jews throughout this Kingdom had been ascribed to this politick imitation of the French King his Brother at least men would have thought they had been done by his sufferance or connivence But God had taken him away and yet these Jews Intreaty continues much worse under Richard the first who never intended them like harm onely upon his Coronation day with his Raign begins their Wo which ends not till their final Extirpation hence not willing to be beholden unto them for their presents or as some think partly afraid lest admitted to his presence they might practise some Sorcery upon his body he gave command that no Jew should come either within the Church where he was Crowned â—or the Palace where he was to dine But they desirous to present him with some gift in hope to have their Charters and other Priviledges granted by other Kings confirmed by him presse in at the Palace gate amongst others making perhaps more hast but worse speed one of them receiving a blow for his forwardness by one of the Kings servants who might well justifie the fact by the Kings command to keep them out The people about the gate apprehend the matter so as if this Jew had been beat by the Kings commandment and so they thought might all the rest of that crew and hence fall upon them with such weapons as they could find as it was easie to find bats to beat these doggish Jews home to their kennels where they found but silly shelter For albeit their houses were strong yet the rage of the people was too great against them With the multitude the former rumour was enlarged that it was the Kings pleasure to have all the Jews destroyed And as the Axiom is Mens own desires are quickly believed So far more apt they were to apprehend this rumour as true then to examin whether it were true or no that the Lord chief Justice and other Officers sent from the King to appease the tumult were more likely to catch harm themselves then to free these Jews from present danger some of whose houses now flaming gave the people light to spoil and rifle others in the dark For so violently were they set to wrong them and eat their labours that they could not be satisfied from dinner time on the one day to two a clock on the other many of these Jews in the mean time being rosted or smothered with their goods other leaping out of the fire fell upon their enemies weapons Although the outrage was such as in a peaceable state might seem intolerable yet was the hainousness of the offence quite swallowed up by the multitude of the offenders But as the English escapt unpunished so the Jews were not amended by their correction Their Stubbornness as the Scripture tels me did first procure their Blindness and their Blindnesse becoming Hereditarie hath confirmed their Stubbornness to posterity 3 The former violence which they suffered would have been a sufficient Caveat to any people in the world besides to have carried themselves with more moderation in a strange land but not the flies so stupid and senselesse in discerning the causes of their smart as this people is Their perfidiousnesse and daily sucking of Christians bloud had made them most odious in this as in other Lands and though a number of them be Massacred to day for like attempts yet the rest are as ready again to morrow to seize upon every sore either to exhaust the reliques of life from such as are shrunk in their estate by cruel exactions and damned usurie or else to intrude themselves as wedges or instruments of divisions into every breach that shall appear
of Egypt c. This the Lord himself foretold and gave them warning of even when he specified the Articles of his Covenant made with Solomon for their peace 1 Kings chap. 9. vers 6 7 8 9. These Authorities may suffice to stay all such doubts as might arise from curious enquiring after the causes of these peoples incessant misery which cannot seem strange because fore-told nor unjust in that they were born to more extraordinary prosperity from which being faln by following their own ungracious wayes they are now reserved as Pharaoh after many admonitions was for Marks or Butts against whom the arrows of Gods wrath and vengeance must be shot to the terrour of others and manifestation of his power 3 These grounds supposed the Consideration of their many and Cruel Massacres their often spoiling and robbing and other outrages which according to the fore-cited Prophecies of them they continually suffer would the Atheist but lay it to his Heart would wring thence what the Divine Oracles have uttered that this had been a people appointed to destruction never suffered to multiply unto a Nation as if God had used them as men do wild Beasts nursing onely so many of them as may make sport by their destruction So likewise their continual wandring up and down in the world without any rest doth abundantly witnesse that albeit they bare the shape and nature of men yet are they no natural part of the World but have the same proportion in the Civil body or Society of Mankind that bad humours have in our natural and material bodies Which by course of nature should be expelled her confines but being retained run from joynt to joynt and lastly breed some grievous swellings in the extream parts And amongst other most tried and demonstrative Experiments of Moses often-mentioned Prophecie this is not the least that Spain and Portugal for these later years have been the chief receptacle of these Jews as if Hercules Pillars accounted by the Ancients the utmost ends of the World were not the full period of their peregrination West-ward whom the Lord had threatned Deuteronomie 28. verse 64. to scatter amongst all people from the one end of the World unto the other There they have been in greatest abundance for many years as it were expecting a wind for their passage to some place more distant from their native Country And who knows whether that Prophecy Deuteronomie 28. verse 41. Thou shalt beget Sons and Daughters but shalt not have them for they shall go into captivity hath not been fulfilled in the Jews inhabiting that Kingdom Whether many of their Stock whom Emanuel detained in Portugal have not been transported since into America or whether many of the Spanish Colonies have not a mixture of Jewish Progeny in them Nay who knows whether the West Indies were not discovered partly or especially for this purpose that the sound of these Preachers unto whom God hath appointed no set Diocesse might go out into all Lands with the Sun and their words unto the ends of the world until they return unto the place whence they were scattered But these conjectures I leave to be confuted or confirmed by future times desirous to prosecute briefly some observations of their fore-passed miseries not yet ended 4 As Gods judgements upon this people have had no end so neither have the grounds or motives of Christian Belief any limits every degree of their fall is a step unto our rising Enough it were to condemn the whole Christian world of Infidelity if it should not be rapt with Admiration of Gods mercy towards us as it is manifested onely in his severity towards them But if unto their perpetual grievous calamities here recounted we adde their like continual stubbornnesse of heart we shall prove our selves more stiff-necked then this people it self unless we take up Christs yoak and follow him under which only we shall find that ease and rest unto our souls which they have wanted ever since his death and without repentance must want everlastingly Angels Men and Devils yea all the world may clearly see that the God of their Fathers hath cast them off that they have born no Signs or Badges of his Ancient wonted favours whilest innumerable grievous marks and skars of his fearful indignation against their Fathers still remain unhealed in the children after more generations then their Ancestors Seat of prosperitie had been in the promised Land And yet even these later as all the former since their scattering thence continue their boastings of their prerogatives as if they were his only chosen people A grievous distemper of bodie and mind hath run in their bloud for almost 1600 years the children still infected with their fathers disease all raving and talking like men in a Phrenzie As if they were Wisdoms First-born and Heirs of Happinesse This their unrelenting stubbornnesse is an irrefragable Argument That they are the degenerate seed of faithful Abraham For Stubbornness is but a strong Hope malignified or as we say grown wild and out of kind If the Scripture had not described His Nature and quality with His Name we might have known by these modern Jews that their First Progenitour had been a Man of strong Hopes against all Hopes in the sight of men But these go further continuing stiff in their perswasions of Gods favour towards them contrarie unto the grounds of Hopes either in the sight of God or man insolent in confidence even whilest they are at the very brink of deepest despair Abraham looked for a Son after the chiefest strength of his body was decayed and Sarah his wife by course of Nature past all possibilitie of conceiving but His Hopes were assuredly grounded upon His Faithfulnesse which had promised the same These hope for a Messiah after the Fulness of time is past and gone and their Country being the Land of his Nativitie covered with Barrennesse and desolation without all grounds of hope quite contrary to the predictions of GODS Prophets whom they believe in grosse after whose meaning They groap as palpably now in the Sun-shine of their Messiahs glory already revealed as if it were in Egyptian darkness Yet even the fulnesse of that joy which most of them do look for in the dayes of their Messiah were their hopes of his coming as probable as they are impossible could not in reason support any other mens nature to sustain that Perpetual violence disgrace and torture which they indure throughout so many successions in this wearisome time of their Expectation Abraham was approved of God for his readinesse to sacrifice his son Isaac at his command These his degenerate Sons have crucified the Son of Abrahams God and for their infidelitie and disobedience have been cast out of that good Land which was given to Abraham and his righteous seed and for their stubbornnesse in like practises their posteritie continue Exiles and Vagabonds from the same not to this day willing to offer up the sacrifice of a
this come upon them that the Fulnesse of the Gentiles might come in With a more mightie hand hath God brought us out of the shadow of death and Dominions of Satan then he brought the Israelites out of Egypt out of the house of Bondage with a more powerful and harder stretched out Arm hath he scattered these Jews among all people from the one end of the world to the other then he brought the frogs flies and caterpillers into Egypt And it should be as a token in our hands and as frontlets between our childrens eyes that the Lord hath redeemed us through a mighty hand When Israel departed out of Egypt the Egyptian did not furnish him with weapons for his defence or Apologies for his departure These Jews scattered abroad are made such Messengers as Uriah was of their own destruction bearing records against themselves but sealed up from their sight holding Moses their chief Accuser in greatest Honour or to follow that faithful follower of Christ S. Augustine in his Similitude to this purpose although these Jews be desperately blind themselves yet they carry those Looking-glasses before them which long since put out their eyes by their too much gazing on them so as now they can hold them onely in their hands or turn their faces towards them not able to discern their misshapen visages in them but we Gentiles which come after them do herein go before them that we may clearly see their Deformity and Hideous blindnesse first caused by the glorious beams of the Divine Majestie shining in these sacred fountains whilest they used them as as Narcissus did his Well or little Babes do Books with fair Pictures only to solace themselves with representation of their Godly Forefathers Beauty set out in them in freshest colours not as Looking-glasses to discover much lesse to reform what was amisse in themselves whom they in the pride of their hearts still presumed to be in all points like their worthy Ancestors 8 If unto all their miseries throughout so many Ages we adde their perpetual Stupidity and Deadnesse of Heart to all works of the Spirit if to this again we adde their Incomparable Zeal and Courage in preserving the Letter of the Law and lay all unto our hearts what is it we can imagin the Lord could have none unto his vineyard that he hath not done to it He hath commanded the clouds not to rain upon the natural branches that the abundant fatness of the root might be wholly communicate to us Gentiles by nature wilde grafts He hath laid his vineyard in Israel waste and left the hill of Sion his wonted joy More desolate then the mountains of Gilboah that the dew of all his heavenly blessings might descend upon the vallies of the Nations Let us not therefore tempt the Lord our God in asking further Signs for confirmation of our Faith for no Sign can be given us Equivalent to this Desolation of the Jews Such as the dayes of Jerusalem were in her distresse such we know but how far more grievous we cannot conceive the Day of Judgement shall be even a Day of wrath and a Day of vengeance An end of dayes and an end of comfort a beginning of an endlesse night of sorrow troubles woe and miseries to the wicked Such as the condition of these Jews hath been for more then fifteen hundred years such shall the state of unbelievers be without end without all rest or securitie from danger disgrace and torture ten thousand times more dreadful and insufferable then what the others at any times have feared or felt What else hath been verified of them as in the Type must be fulfilled in unbelievers as in the Body or substance These shall fear both night and day and shall have no assurance of their life but in stead thereof an inevitable perpetuity of most grievous death In the morning they shall say Would God it were evening and at evening they shall say Would GOD it were morning and wish that Time might be no more or that no dayes of joy had ever been that all their mirth had been exchanged for sorrow even whilst it was first conceived within their breast that so no memory of sweet delights or pleasures past might adde gall unto the bitternesse of their present grief nor minister oyl unto that unquenchable flame wherein they frie. Thus much of Gods extraordinary mercies and judgements towards these Jews and of the Experiments which their Estate from time to time hath afforded for the establishing of our Assent to Scriptures 9 Particular judgements upon any Land or People as remarkable and perspicuous to common sense as heretofore have been we are not in this Age to expect The approach of this general and fearful judgement we may justly think doth swallow up the most of them as great plagues usually drink up all other diseases The conversion of these Jews we may probably expect as the chief Sign of later times onely this last part of Moses prophecy Leviticus chapter 26. 44. hath not been as yet fulfilled â—…ut must be in due time for so he saith Yet notwithstanding this even â—… the plagues and curses which he had threatned and we have seen fulâ—…d in these Jews when they shall be in the land of their enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them For I am the Lord their GOD But I will remember for them the Covenant of old when I brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might be their God I am the Lord. And the continuation of their former plagues seemeth much interrupted the plagues themselves much mitigated in this last Age since the Gospel hath been again revealed as if their misery were almost expired and the day of their redemption drawing nigh Yet would I request such as with me hold their general conversion before the end of all things as a truth probably grounded on GODS word not to put that evil day far from them as if it could not take them unawares unâ—l GODS promise to this people be accomplished For were that the point now in hand I could me thinks As probably gather out of Scriptures that their conversion shall be sodain As at all and such as many parts of the world shall not so soon hear of by Authentick reports or uncontroulable relation as sensibly see at our general meeting before our Judge 10 Like Experiments might be drawn from the Revolutions or Alterations of other states oft times wrought by such causes as are without the reach of Policie but most consonant to the Rules of Scriptures or from the Verification of such rules in Gods Judgements upon private persons But these observations cannot be made so evident to ordinary Readers before the doctrine of Gods providence be unfolded Wherefore I must refer them partly to that place partly to others of my Labours which have been most plentiful in this
the Holy Ghost did write we answer briefly That the Language Tongue or Dialect is but the Vesture of Truth the Truth it self for substance is one and the same in all Languages And the Holy Spirit who instructed the first Messengers of the Gospel with the true sense and knowledge of the Truths therein revealed and furnished them with Diversity of Tongues to utter them to the capacitie of divers Nations can and doth throughout all succeeding Ages continue his gifts whether of Tongues or others whatsoever are necessarie for conveying the true sense and meaning of saving Truth already taught immediately to the Hearts of all such in every Nation as are not for their sin judged unworthy of his societie of all such as resist not His Motions to follow the Lusts of the Flesh And as for men altogether Illiterate that cannot read the Scripture in any Tongue we do not hold them bound nor indeed are any to Beleive absolutely or expresly every Clause or sentence in the sacred Canon to be the Infallible Oracle of Gods Spirit otherwise then is before expressed but unto the several Matters or substance of Truth contained in the principal Parts thereof their souls and Spirits are so surely tied and fastned that they can say to their own Concences Wheresoever these men that teach us these good Lessons learned the same themselves most certain it is that Originally they came from God and by the gracious Providence of that God whose Goodnesse they so often mention are they now come to us Such are the Rules or Testimonies of Gods Providence the Doctrines or real truths of Oriâ—…il Sin of our Misery by Nature and Freedom by Grace Such are the Articles of Christs Passion and the Effects thereof of the Resurrection and Life everlasting Unto These and other Points of like Nature and Consequence every true Christian Soul indued with Reason and Discourse gives a ful a firm and absolute Assent directly and immediately fastned upon these Truths themselves not tied or held unto them by any Authority of Man For albeit true and stedfast Belief of these Fundamental Points might be as scant as the true Worship of God seemed to be unto Flias in his daies yet every Faithful Soul must thus resolve Though all the World besides my self should worship Baal and follow after other Gods yet will I follow the God of Heaven in whom our Fathers trusted and on whose Providence who so reâ—…es shal never fall So likewise must every Christian both in Heart resolve Cutwardly profess with Peter but with unfaâ—â—ed praiers for better Succesâ—… diligent Indeavours by his Example to beware of all Presumption Though the World beside my self should abâ—ure Christ and admit of Mahomet for their Mediator yet would not I follow so great a Multitude to so great an Evil but always cleave unto the cruciâ—ied Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer who I know is both Able and Willing to save all such as follow him both in Life and Death So again though all the subtiltie and wisdom of Hell the World and Flesh should joyntly bend their Force stretch Invention to overthrow the glorious Hope of our Resurrection from the dead yet every Faithful Christ an must here resolve with Job and out of his Believing Heart profess I am sure that my Redeemer liveth and he shal stand the last on the earth and though after my skin this Body be destroyed yet shal I see God in my Plesh whom I my self shal see and mine eyes shal behold and none other for me Job 19. 25. As we hope to see Christ with our own eyes immediately and directly in his Person not by any other mens eyes so must we in this life stedfastly believe and fasten our Faith upon those Points and Articles which are Necessarie for the aâ—taining of this sight of Christ In and For Themselves not from any Authoritie or Testimonie of Men upon which we must relie for this were to see with the eyes of others Faith not with our own 12 Many other Points there be not of like Necessitie or Consequence which unto men specially altogether unlearned or otherwiâ—e of less capacity may be proposed as the Infallible Oracles of God unto some of which it is not lawful for them to give so absolute and firm irrevocable Asâ—ent as they must do unto the former because they cannot discern the Truth of them in it self or for it self or with their own eyes as it is supposed they did the Truth of the former CAP. III. The general Heads of Agreements or Differences betwixt us and the Papists in this Argument 1 Aâ—… the Diâ—â—iculties in this Argument may be reduced to these Three Heads First How we can know whether God hath spoken any thing or no unto his Church Secondly What the Extent of his Word or Speech is as whether All he hath spoken be VVritten or some Unwritten or how we may know amongst Books written which are written by Him which not Likewise of Unwritten Verities which are Divine which Counterfeit Thirdly How we know the Sense and Meaning of Gods VVord whether VVritten or Unwritten 2 These Difficulties are common to the Jews Turks Christians and all Hereticks whatsoever All which agree in this main Principle That whatsoever God hath said or shall say at any time is most undoubtedly and infallibly True 3 But for this present we must dismisse all Questions about the Number or Sufficiencie of Canonical Books or Necessitie of Traditions For these are without the lists of our proposed Method All the Professours either of reformed or Romish Religion agree in this Principle That certain Books which both acknowledge do contain in them the undoubted and infallible Word of God 4 The first Point of Breach or Difference betwixt us and the Papist is concerning the Means how a Christian man may be in Conscience perswaded as stedfastly and infallibly as is necessarie unto Salvation That these Books whose Authoritie none of them denie but both outwardly acknowledge are indeed Gods Words 5 The second Point of Difference admitting the stedfast and infallible Belief of the former is concerning the Means how every Christian man may be in Conscience perswaded as infallibly as is necessary to his Salvation of the true Sense and Meaning of these Books joyntly acknowledged and stedfastly believed of both 6 In the Means or Manner how we come to Believe both these Points stedfastly and infallibly we agree again in this Principle That neither of the former Points can ordinarily be fully and stedfastly Believed without the Ministerie Asseveration Proposal or instructions of men appointed by God for the begetting of Faith and Belief in others hearts both of us agree that this Faith must come by Hearing of the Divine Word 7 Concerning the Authority of Preachers or men thus appointed for the begetting of Faith the Question again is Twofold 8 First whether this Authority be primarily or in some peculiar sort
eating simply when they Doubted but in eating Such Meats when they doubted Other meats they might have eaten with little or no Offence albeit with more Uncertainty whether it had been better for them to eat or no. Nor was it so much a positive Doubt as rather a Ra hnesse or want of setled Resolution in many of them which made them Sin as may appear from the Circumstance of the Place yet was this eating not only a Sin but a most Grievous Sin in all that did eat such Meats without a constant and wel-grounded Resolution Both the Sin and the extraordinarie Grievousnesse of it did hence arise they had eaten of things sacrificed to Idols or other Meats in their Judgement accursed by the Law which they suspected not only to be Unlawful to be eaten but Doubted whether in eating them they should not be partakers of the Table of Divels initiated to the Sacraments of Idolatrie or separated from the Israel of God or finally become Apostata's from Faith and the Holy Doctrine As on the one side the evil which they feared was extraordinarily grievous and the Reasons of their fear such as could not easily be cast off but would be alwayes likely to breed Despair after the Action were past albeit many of them did shake off all doubt for the present so on the other part there was not quid pro quo not the least possible Surmise of performing any degree of any good or acceptable Service in the sight of God by their eating For as Saint Paul in the same place notes The Kingdom of God is not Meat or Drink but Righteousnesse and Peace whosoever in these as if he had said not in eating and drinking Serveth Christ is Acceptable unto God and is Approved of Men. Those then of whom he there spake accounting it a chief part of their Righteousnesse to abstain from all Unclean things their danger in eating was in Quantitie exceeding Great and for the Qualitie Spiritual their Losse in abstaining from such meats being provided of others was in Quantitie as Nothing and for the Qualitie meerly Corporal Wherefore thus to have eaten with the least Scruple of such grievous Danger was worse then Esau ' s alienating of his Birth-right for a Messe of Pottage And albeit they had Doubted today and grown Resolute tomorrow upon no better Motives then the bare examples of others or in an Humour or Braverie because they would not Doubt any longer but use their Libertie as others did yet had such Resolutions been deadly For Opinions of this nature may not be cast off in a Moment nor may a man adventure upon a Doubt of such fearful Consequence but upon great Motives of some Spiritual good the Probabilities of attaining which may countervail the evil feared or upon serious deliberation and perspicuous discovery of their former Errour and causelesse Scruple From these grounds did our Apostle infer that exhortation Let every man be fully perswaded in his Mind He exacteth not this Fulnesse of Perswasion in Matters of ordinary Consequence Too much Curiositie in them alwayes occasioneth less Diligence or Circumspection then were requisite for establishing our minds with true Faith in Points of greatest Moment nor did he mean such Fulnesse of Perswasion hot Spirits usually enforce upon themselves without mature and sober deliberation For such Resolutions albeit they may seem most strong as indeed they are for the time exceeding stiff yet are they easily to be undermined by Satan the inward Temptations of the Flesh or other Occurrents and after once they begin to fail such as lean most unto them fall so much the more Headlong into deepest Despair by how much they have been stronger or higher Pitcht as it seems some of these to whom he writes had been too bold in eating and were afterwards tortured by the Sting of Conscience The end of our Apostles Exhortation was This Seeing their Perswasions concerning the Unlawfulnesse of such Meats had been as it were bred up with the parties Doubting they should in no Case adventure upon the contrary Practise but upon long and wel-setled Resolution grounded upon a sincere and clear Manifestation of their former Errour For as the Physitians of our Bodies do not alwayes apply such Medicines as they know most forcible to expel the present Disease if the same be contrary to our former long accustomed Diet for vitiosae Consuetudini indulgendum est there must a caâ—e be had that a Custom though depraved be not too violently thwarted or too sodainly broken off so likewise must skilful Physitians of the Soul not seek so much to expel inveterate Opinions though Erroneous by present force of strongest Arguments or eager Exhortations but rather suffer them to wear out their strength by little and little never infusing contrary Perswasions but miâ—igated and qualified and that sparingly as Opportunity shall serve Otherwise what one saith of Nature her self Expellas furcâlicet usque recurret Though with strong hand she be out-thrown She still repairs unto her own will prove true of that altera natura inveterate Custom It sodainly expulsed will one time or other retire as violently and so shall the Relapse be much worse then the Disease it self 8 For these Reasons did they also offend most grievously who by their Example or Instigation did cause their weak Brethren to eat such Meats as they made this Conscience of for so they caused them for whom Christ Jesus died to perish for their Meats sake as it is vers 15. Whereas the losse of Meat or Life it self should by the Rule of Charity be accounted Gain in respect of our Brethrens inestimable Danger which may ensue upon such Actions Better it were we should suffer our selves to starve for Meat and so procure our own Corporal then occasion their Eternal Death by our Example so saith our Apostle If Meat offend my Brother I will eat no Meat while the world standeth that I may not offend my Brother It were better for me to die then that any man should make my rejoycing vain Nor did our Apostle in this place speak Hyperbolically or more then he meant to have Performed if he had been called to such a trial of his Resolution as some of his Forefathers had been So we read when Antiochus's Officers out of great love as they esteemed it unto the good old man had permitted Eleazar one of the principal Scribes to make choice of such flesh as he would and might safely eat by his Countrey Laws only requesting him to dissemble by his silence As though he had eaten the things appointed by the King even the Flesh of his Idols Sacrifices Albeit he might have had Life upon this condition yet he confidently answered and willed them straight wayes to send him to the grave For it becometh not our Age said he to dissemble whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar being fourscore years old and ten were now gone to another Religion and so
Rule of Life shall inlighten them unrepented of no other Rule or Authoritie shall teach them the way to Life 4 Since we thus grant that the Scriptures may be Obscure to most men by their own default but perspicuous to others free from like fault or Demerit it remains we further enquire whether the same Scriptures do not most plainly set down First the Causes why they are so Obscure to some and Perspicuous to others Secondly the Remedy or means how their Obscurity or difficulty may be prevented If they plainly teach these two Points this is a sure Argument that they are if not that they cannot be so excellent a Rule of Faith as we acknowledge them For this very Point That the Scriptures in respect of diverse Persons are Obscure and Perspicuous though Obscure to none but through their own Default is a Principle of Christian Faith and therefore must be plainlie set down in the absolute complete Rule of Faith And to omit others in their due place to be inserted what can be more perspicuonsly taught either by Scriptures or other Writings than this Truth God giveth grace to the Humble and resisteth the proud or this He will confound the Wisdom of the Wise or such as Glory in their Wisdom These and like Rules of Gods Justice in punishing the proud and disobedient hold as true in the search of Scripture as in any other matter yea especially herein Thus were the Scribes and Pharisees men of extraordinary skill in Scriptures blinded in the most necessary Points of their Salvation though most plainly set down in Scriptures For what could be more plainly set down then many Testimonies of their Messias Many places of far greater Difficultie they could with Dexteritie unfold how chanced it then they are so Blinded in the other They were scattered in the proud Imagination of their hearts and glorious conceits of their Prerogatives in being Mosis Successours and in their stead simple and illiterate but humble and meek spirited Men raised up to be infallible Teachers of the Gentiles to unfold those Mysteries of Mans Redemption which the Scribes and Pharisees could not see with evidence of Truth to enlighten the sillie and ignorant and convince the Consciences of their learned proud Oppugners By their Ministerie Prophetical and Mosaical Mysteries became a Light unto the Gentile whose life had been in the shadow of death whilest a Veil was laid before the hearts of the most learned Jewes so that even whilst the Sun of Righteousnesse which enlightens every man that comes into the World did arise in their coast and ascend unto their Zenith they groap their way as men that walk in dangerous Paths by dark-night 5 Was the Scripture therefore no Rule of Faith unto these Jews to whom it was so Dishcult and Obscure Or is it not most evident that this Blindnesse did therefore come upon Israel because they hated this Light being carried away with Lowd cries of Templum Domini Templum Domini as the Papists now are with The Church The Church And for words of supposed Disgrace offered to It onely upon a Surmise that Christ had said he would destroy and build It up again brought to seek the destruction of the Glory of It even of the Lord of Glory Thou that wouldest make others beleave the Pope is such dost thou beleeve the Scriptures to be Infallible How is it then whilest thou readest Gods Judgements upon thy Brother Jew thou doest not tremble and quake lest the Lord smite thee also thou painted wall with like Blindnesse seeing thou hast justified thy brother Pharisees stubborn Pride wilfull Arrogancie and witting Blasphemie in oppugning Scriptures And as for all such whose hearts can be touched with the terrour of Gods Judgements upon others in fear and reverence I request them to consider well whether one of the greatest Roman Doctours were not taken with more than Jewish madnesse in mistaking Scripture in it self most plain and easie who to prove the Scriptures Obscurity to be such as in this respect it could not be the Rule of Faith alledgeth for his proof that place of the Prophet And the vision of them all is become unto you as the word of a Book that is sealed up which they deliver to one that can read saying Read this I pray thee then shall he say I cannot for it is sealed 6 The Prophet relates it as a wonder that they should not be able to discern the Truth What Truth an obscure or hidden Truth Impossible to be understood This had been a wonderfull Wonder indeed that men should not be able to understand that which was Impossible to be understood Wherein then was the true Wonder seen In this that they whose eyes had formerly been illuminated by the evidence and clearnesse of the Divine Truth revealed by Gods Messenger should not be able to discern the same still alike clear and perspicuous but now to be shut up from their eyes as appeareth by the similitude of the sealed Book whose Character was legible enough but yet not able to be read whilst sealed A man might as well prove the Sun to be dark because Polyphemus after 〈◊〉 had put out his eye could not see it as the Scriptures by this place to be Obscure The Prophets words entire are these Stay your selves and Wonder they are blind and make you blind they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with drink For the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes The Prophets and your chief Seers hath he covered And the vision of them all is become unto you c. And more plainly Therefore the Lord said because this people come near me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but have removed their heart from me and their fear towards me was taught by the precepts of men doth he not mean the Blind Obedience of Modern Papists as well as ancient Jews Therefore behold I will do a marvellous work in this People even a marvellous work and a wonder For the Wisdom of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent man shall be hid The Lord himself foretels it as a wonder that this People should be so ignorant in the Word of God and yet will the Jesuite make us beleeve the Word of God is so Obscure that it cannot be unto us the Rule of Faith when as without the knowledge and light of it not which it hath in it self but which it communicates to us there is no Vision no Knowledge in the Visible Church but such wonderfull Darknesse as the Prophet here describes 7 Let the Reader here give sentence with me whether it were not wonderfull Jewish Blindnesse or wilfull Blasphemie in Valentian so confidently to avouch that the Veil which Saint Paul saith is laid before the Jews hearts was woven a great part out of the Difficulty of Scriptures such Scriptures as the
Believe their Infallibilitie most infallibly it could be no Rule of Faith but might be rejected till we see it evidently proved whereas they contend it should be the Rule of Faith unto all and by their own confession a main Article of their Creed but according to their Positions as we shall hereafter prove the onely Article of Christian Faith How destitute these their Assertions are of all Grounds of Reason or Rules of Nature hath been made evident There remain onely Two Pillars possibly imaginable for supporting this pretended Infallibilitie Tradition and Scripture Against Tradition all the Arguments they can heap against the Certainty of Scriptures stand good as shall hereafter God willing be shewed That no Argument can be drawn from Scripture to their succour albeit the later Jesuites have earnestly sought to scrape a many for better then Scrapings are not the very best they bring we are now to prove 7 That our Belief of Scriptures Truth and their true Sense by what Means soever we attain thereto must be infallible Both agree The Means that must infalliblie ascertain or prove their Divine Truth and true Meaning unto us say our Adversaries is the Churches Infallibilitie which likewise must be infallibly Beleeved otherwise it could not be the Rule of Faith or Belief infallible It shall suffice here once for all to admonish the Reader That as often as we mention Belief of Scriptures or the Churches infallibility in this Dispute we mean not any kind of Belief but that only which is infallible so likewise whiles we mention the Means or Proofs of either we understand onely Means or Proofs infallible whereon Faith may immediately relie as upon a Rule most sure and certain In all these we demand nothing but what our Adversaries most willingly grant From their grant we argue thus 8 If either the Scriptures can thus ascertain or prove the Churches Infalibilitie or It the infallible Truth of Scriptures to our Souls we must of necessity either Believe the one of these before the other The Churches Infalibility before Scriptures or Scriptures before It or both together without all prioritie of Belief or praeexistent knowledge of the one whence the Belief or knowledge of the other must spring The members of the Division are in the Proposal actually two but in the Disquisition will prove three To begin with the first 9 If they say we must believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God before we 〈◊〉 believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Church they overthrow their own and est ablish 〈◊〉 Postions For thus they make the Scripture a Rule of our Faith at the least In this one Article of the Catholick Churches Infallibilitie which by this Assertion we may and ought infallibly to believe because the Scriptures which we first infallibly believe do teach and prove it Hence private men should be taught by the Holy Ghost first to believe the Truth of Scriptures and for it the Churches Infallibilitie Wherefore the Scripture must be the immediate Rule of their Belief in the Article of the Churches Infallibility which to them is the generall Rule of Faith and so by consequence the Scriptures which to us are onely the Rule of Earth must be more then so to them even the Rule of their Rule of Faith But if the Scriptures may be the immediate and insallible Rule of their Belief in this one Article of the Churches Infallibility what reason possibly can be imagined why they should not be the infallible and immediate Rule of their Faith in all other parts or Articles of their Creed For I call Heaven and Earth Men and Angels to witnesse bâ—…xt ours and the Romish Church whether the Articles of Christs Incarnation his Death his Passion his Burial his Resurrection his Aseension his Intercession for us the Resurrection of the dead and Life everlasting c. be not to any mans Capacitie in the World much more plainly set down in sundry places of Scripture then the Infallibilitie of the present Romish Church in these words Peter feed my sheep Peter to thee 〈◊〉 give the â—…s of Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and us or in any place her sonnes can challenge for it Wherefore if the Holy Ghost teach us this Article of the Churches Infallibilitie immediately without the Churches infallible Authoritie which as we now suppose must be proved from the Scriptures first infallibly Believed then questionlesse he may and will immediately teach us the other Articles of our Creed and whatsoever necessary to Salvation which are more plainly and perspicuously set down in Scriptures without the help or assistance of the Churches infallible Authority which it is supposed to teach by places more doubtfull 10 Or if our Adversaries will hold it no Absurdity to say that the Holy Ghost may teach us the true Sense and Meaning of the fore-mentioned places of Scripture which seem to make for the Infallibility of the Romish Church as Petre pasce oves c. immediately without the help or assistance of the Churches Infallibilitie which is here the lesson supposed to be taught and refers all other Points of Faith or matters of Doctrine unto the Churches teaching immediately they are bound in Reason to shew a Scripture for this Assertion And besides they must perforce make the same comparison betwixt the Holy Ghosts immediate teaching and the Church or Popes immediat teaching which our Saviour Christ made between the Holy Ghosts extraordinary teaching which was to ensue his Glorification and his own immediate teaching before his Passion and as soon as the Holy Ghost hath once taught us the Meaning of these places which make for the Churches Infallibilitie that may be applied unto him in respect of the Popes Supereminencie in teaching which our Saviour Christ spake of himself and his own personall Instructions in the dayes of his Humility in respect of that 〈◊〉 â—ed Comforters Illuminations to be bestowed in abundant measure upon his Apostles immediately upon his Ascention For thus by their Assertions that Holy Comforter after that Lesson once taught Tues Petrâ—… should take his leave of faithfull hearts in the same termes our Saviour there did of his Disciples I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away For if I go not away the Comforter that Infallible Teacher on whose Authority your Souls must rest will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and again I have many things to say unto you but ye cannot hear â—oem now howâ—eit when He is come that hath the Spirit of Truth your infallible Teacher whose Tongue while he speaks ex Cathedra I must attend he will lead you unto all Truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear be shall speak he shall glorifie me for he shall receive of me and shew it unto you These words I say might be
how great soever his Authority was the Pope can have have no pretence to be his successor therein For the edification of the people committed to him by our Saviour was to be finished before Ierusalems destruction since which time Israel hath been perpetually scattered amongst the Nations without a shepherd to gather them And when it shall please the Lord as it is probable it will to reduce them to his fold their Ruler shall be of their own people strangers shall have no more dominion over them 3 Had the Pope derived his right from Saint Thomas Rartholomew or other Apostle which have no writings extant this might have yeelded some surmises not so easie to be disproved that Romish traditions did contain the summe at least of all these Apostles unwritten Doctrine if from Saint Paul the great Doctor of the Gentiles and first planter of faith amongst the Romans as much commended by him as any other of his children in Christ the improbabilitie had been much lesse then now it is in Peters case that the Bishop of Rome if any should have succeeded him But when that people began to grow out of love with the truth fashioning themselves unto this present world the disease whereof Saint Paul forewarned them it was Sathans policie to present unto them longing after such a Monarchical state as their Heathenish Predecessours had such shews of Peters Supremacie and residencie at Rome as by the Divine permission had either crept into some of the Ancients religious cogitations or else in time of darknesse have been shufled by the Predecessors of these cheating mates late discovered into their writings as sit baits to entice them unto this derivation of that absolute power from Peter to their greater condemnation and our good For God no doubt in his providence ordered this their blindnesse to illuminate us as he did the fall of the Jews to confirm the Gentiles in faith seeing of all the Apostles Peters prerogatives as hath been shewed were most evidently personal all to determin with himself unto which observation his own writings also give testimony Even a little before he was to leave the world where he most manifested his earnest desire of preserving his flock found in faith after his death he gives no intimation as shall be shewed more at large hereafter of any Successor unto whom they were to repair His present Epistle he foresaw would be more availeable to this purpose then any Tradition from him I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things though that he have knowledge and he established 〈◊〉 present truth For I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to â—… you up by pretting vnto in remembrance seeing I know that the time is at hand that I must lay down this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewea me I will endeavour therefore alwayes that ye also may be able to have remembrance of those things after my departing 4 As for peculiar direction of later times whence perpetual infallibilitie must be derived it cannot be gathered from his writings that he knew so much as his brother Paul did Albeit in this point these two great pillars of Christs Church more famous then all their fellow Apostles besides for present efficacie of their personal ministerie come far behind the Disciple whom Jesus loved whose written Ambassage was in a peculiar sence to tarry till Christs last coming unto judgement as he himself did unto Christ first coming to destroy Jerusalem and forewarn the Nations Besides the Doctrine of common salvation necessarie for all to know plentifully set down in this Disciples Epistle his Revelations contain infallible directions peculiar to every age And as in some one gift or other every Apostle almost exceeds his fellowes so if amongst all any one was to have this prerogative of being the ordinary Pastor or to have ordinary succeslours as Aaron though inferiour to Moses in personal prerogatives during his life had after his death this doubtlesse was Saint John who ascribes that unto the diligent Expositors hearers or Readers of his Books which the Romanist appropriates to such as relie upon the visible Churches determinations never questioning whether it be that Babylon which Saint John deciphers or no Blessed is he saith Saint John that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophesie and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand Blessed they are that read it with fear and reverence or so affected as this Disciple was for unto such the Lord will by means ordinary by sober observation of the event reveal his secret intent as he did it unto him by the extraordinary gift of Prophesie for the testimoâ— of Jesus is the spirit of Prophesie Revel 19. 10. 5 It is evident the Spirit of God intended to shew Iohn and Iohn to shew the faithfull all the Eclipses that should befall the Church until the worlds end His prophesies since his death were so to instruct the world of all principal events present or to come as Histories do of matters forepast Now as he in our times wherein God inspires not men with Moses spirit is accounted the best Antiquary that is most conversant and best seen in the faithfull Records of time not he that can take upon him to divine as Moses did of the worlds state in former Ages so since the gift of prophesie ceased he is to be esteemed the most infallible teacher the safest guide to conduct others against the forces of hell chiefly heresies or doctrines of Devils that can best interpret him who first descried them and in his life time forewarned the Churches of Asia planted by Saint Paul and watered by him of the abominations that threatned shortly to overspread them and after them the whole visible Church until these later times Doth the Pope then professe more skill in Saint Iohns Revelations then any other If he do let him make proof of his Profession by the evidence of his Expositions But from this Apostle he pretends none at all and we demand but any tolerable proof of succession from S. Peter 6 A supreme oecumenical Head say the Parasites to the Sea Apostolique is as necessary now as in Saint Peters time therefore he must jure civino have a Successour But neither doth Scripture or Reason admit any such Head as they have moulded in their brains either then or now As hath been abundantly proved and their own instances brought to illustrate the probabilitie of such a device contradict them For admit that Christ and earthly Princes stood in like need of Deputie-Governours in their absence would the King of Spain were he to go on Pilgrimage unto his Kingdom of Jerusalem leave but one Deputie over all the Dominions of Spain and Portugal the West Indies Sicilie Naples and Millain Or leaving but one would indue him with such absolute power over all his Subjects in these
he heal them Then said I Lord how long And he answered until the cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate and the Lord have removed men far away and there be a great desolation in the midst of the land The truth of our assertion is so pregnant that Maldonat the most judicious expoâ—â—tor amongst the Jesuites takes it as granted the words late cited were literally meant only of that generation with whom the Prophet lived and brings this very Text as one of the aptest instances to illustrate the third kind as he makes it of fulfilling prophesies to wit when that which is truly and literally meant of one is fitly applied unto another matter or sort of people for the similitude of their nature or disposition Although to speak the truth he might have referred it more justly at least more artificially to the fourth kind there mentioned by him For as shal appear hereafter this prophesie was alike literally properly and directly meant of both but verified of the former times more immediately as first in order because that part of its object had precedency in actual existence of the later more compleatly as principally intended by the holy Ghost 4 The blindnesse there spoken of was even then begun but did encrease from that age until the captivity and continued until Christs coming in whole dayes it was augmented and the prophesie fully accomplished as the desolation which followed their blindnesse in putting him to death was greater then that which Nebuchadnezzar brought upon the City and land for the provocations wherewith Manasseh Jehoiachim and other wicked Rulers as wel Priests as Laicks had provoked the Lord by cruel persecution of his messengers sent unto them This was a disease in their Prelates and 〈◊〉 lineally desâ—â—nding to the Scribes and Pharisees who took themselves for infallible teachers and free from oppugning such doctrine as therefore-fathers had persecuted unto the death The sin of these later in crucifyiag Christ was in degree more grievous because his personal worth was much greater then the Prophets but the ignorance was of the same kind in both for as our Saviour saith Mat. 23. 32. the later did but fulfil the measurâ—… their fathers iniquity in murthering Gods messengers And as afterwards shall be declared such as the Romanists account the Church representative most infallible did continually cause or countenance these persecutions The original likewise of this cruelty continued from former to later generations was the very same in both the one distasted Gods words whilest the Prophet spake them the other understood them not whilest they were read every sabbath day unto them both fulfilled them in condemning Gods messengers and thedding innocent bloud upon such gross and palpable blindness as Isaiah describes 5 It wil recreate the attentive Reader to observe how the Lord hath confounded the language of these cunning builders whâ—es they seek to raise up new Babylon from the foundation of the old Synagogue Bellarmin would seem to make a conscience of blaspheming and therefore hath rather adventured to be reputed ridiculous in avouching as you heard before without all ground or shew of reason that the infallible authority formerly established in the Synagogue did expire upon our Saviours entrance into his Ministerial function Many of his fellows knowing how necessary it is for them to defend the publick spirit of the Synagogues and conscious withal how frivolous it would be to say it should vanish by our Saviours presence who came rather by doctrine and practise to establish then overthrow any ordinance of the law resolve though by open blasphemy to maintain the Scribes and Pharisees infallibility until the aboâ—…ing of Aarons Priesthood That they condemned our Saviour was in these mens judgements an â—riour only in matter of Fact not of â—…th or â—…rine and in such case the Pope himself may err whiles he speaks ex Caâ—… That the High Priest did not erre in Faith they take it as proved because the Evangelist saith he prophesied It were good one should die for the people John 11. 50. 6 Such infallibility as this I never shall envy the Pope and I desite no more then that he would confirm this last cited doctrine ex Cathedra For no question but all such throughout the Christian world as bear any love to Christ at all any besides the Jesuites who make no conscience of vilisying their Redeemer for advancing the Popes dignity by desending his insallibilin would renounce his decrees and take him for Antichrist ever after For this was no errour de facto upon false information or privy suggestion Even the High Priests themselves for the inveterate hate which they had born unto our Saviours person and doctrine such as the Romish Church did unto Hus and Jerom of Prage hold a Councel how they might put him to death and so far were they from being missed with false information that they suborn fals witnesses against him and failing in this seek to insnare him in his own confession and finally condemn him with joynt consent for avouching one of the main points of Christian Belief the Article of his coming to judgement I think might Satan himself speak his mind in this case he would condemn Gretzer and his fellows if not for their villany yet for their intolerable folly in questioning whether it were an errour in Faith or no to pronounce the sentence of death with such solemnity against the Judge of quick and dead for professing and teaching the main points and grounds of Faith This villany is too open and evident to maintain the policy of the Prince of darknesse And if neither fear of God nor shame of the world could bridle the Jesuites mouths or stop the pens from venting such doctrine yet certainly this Prince of darknesse their Lord and Master for fear of some greater revolt wil lay his command upon them and make them in this discoursing age speak more warily though they niean still no lesse wickedly 7 Because this is a point worth the pressing let us overthrow not only their answers already given or arguments hence drawn for their Churches authority but in brief prevent all possible evasions If any Papist shal here reply that these High Priests and their assistants did not speak ex Cathedra when they so far missed the cushion this answer as it might perhaps drop from some ignorant Jesuites mouth or pen who is bound by oath to say something and therefore must oftentimes say he knows not what for the defence of the Church so we may wel assure our selves that the Pope himself dare not for his triple Crown deliver it ex Cathedra nor wil the learned Papists hold this point if it be wel urged For as these High Priests errour was most grosse and grievous so was it received upon long and mature deliberation their manner of proceeding was publick and solemn They took Jesus saith the
manifested to the peoples consciences was to over-sway the contrary proposals of known Prophets though never so peremptory Nor was it impossible for Prophets to avouch their own conceits under the name of divine Revelations more immediately sent from God then the Pope pretends witnesse the †man of God that went from Judâ—h to Bethd seduced by his fellow Prophets faigned revelation from an Angel counselling him to divert into his house contrary to the Lords commandment given before The ones dealing was I confesse most unusual so was the others death yet a lively document to cause all that should hear of it until the worlds â—nd take heed of dispensing with the word of the Lord once made known unto themselves upon belief of more manifest revelations or instructions by what means soever given to others either for recalling or restrainingâ— Hence may the Reader desâ—ry as wel the height of our adversaries folly as the depth of their impiety making their Churches authority which by theâ— own acknowledgement cannot adde more books to the number of the Canon already finished but only judge which are Canonicâ—… which not â—ar greater then theirs was that did preach and write these very books which both we and they acknowledge for Canonical For the Prophets words were no rule of faith until examined and tried by the written word precedent or approved by the event the Popes must be without trial examination or further approbation then his own bare assertion CAP. XIX That the Church representative amongst the Jews was for the most part the most corrupt judge of matters belonging to God and the reasons why it was so 1 â—… Ut was the neglect of Moses law or this peoples inward corruption abounding for want of restraint by it the sole cause of their dulnesse in perceiving or of their errour in perverting the things of Gods spirit This overflow of wickednesse served as a tide to carry them but the continual blasts of such vain doctrine Templum Domini Templum Domini the Church the Church was like a boisterous wind to drive them headlong into those sands wherein they alwayes made shipwrack of faith and conscience The true Prophets never had greater opposites then the Priests and such as the Papists would have to be the only pillars yea the only material parts of the Church representative Not withstanding whom the Fathers had traduced for impostors or Sectaries and oft times murdered as Blasphemers of the Deity or turbulent members of the State the Children reverenced as men of God and messengers of peace unto the Church and common-weal What was the reason of this diversity in their judgement or doth it argue more stedfast Belief in posterity No but more experience of the events foretold oft-times not fulfilled until the Priests and other opposits either coaevals or ancients to the Prophets were covered with confusion The childrens motives to believe particulars oppugned by their parents were greater and the impediments to withdraw their asâ—â—nt from them lesse That the children should thus brook what their fathers most disliked in the Prophets is no more then we may observe in other Writers Few much reverenced in any faculty by posterity but had eager detractors in their flourishing dayes Vicinity alwayes breeding Envy And even of such as did not aemulate them for their skil nor would have been moved with envy at their fame or glory they were not esteemed as they deserved being defrauded of due praise by such of the same profession as better pleased the predominant Humor alwayes next in election to the lavish Magnificats of present times but usually rejected by posterity when that particular humour evermore shorter lived then the humorous began to change Thus in every Faculty have those Authors which most applied themselves to solidity of truth neglecting new-fangle tricks or flashes of extemporary wit endured in greatest request and best Credit throughout all ages as meats strongest and most nourishing not most delicate are fittest for continual diet What the Latin Poet said of his Poems every Prophet might have more truly applied unto his writings Mox tibi si quis adhuc pretendat nubila livor Occidet meriti post me referentur bonores Though clouds of envy now may seem thy splendent rayes to choak These with my ashes shall dissolve and vanish as their smoak What whilst I breath sharp censures blast when my leaf fals shall spring Thy fame must flourish as I fade Grave honour forth shall bring It was a method most compendious for attaining such eternity of fame as the continual succession of mortality can affoord us which is given by another Poet but in Prose Dum vivas virtutem colas invenies famam in Sepulchro He that hunts after Vertue in his whole course of Life shall be sure to meet with Fame after Death but hardly sooner least of all could these Prophets be much honoured in their own Country whilest men of their own profession carnally minded possessed the chief seats of dignity sometimes the best stay and pillars of faith in Gods Church most capable of that infallibility which their proud successors did more boast of Yet were even these seducers alwayes willing to celebrate the memory of ancient prophets because the authority given to their sayings or reverence shewed unto their memory by the present people over whom they ruled did no way prejudice their own dignity or estimation which rather increased by thus consorting with the multitude in their Laudatoes of Holy men deceased Thus from one and the same inordinate desire of honour and praise from men did contrary effects usually spring in these masters of Israel The dead they reverenced because they saw that acceptable unto most and likely to make way for their own praise amongst the people but fear lest the living Prophets should be their corrivals in Suites of Glory whereunto their souls were wholly espoused did still exasperate and whet the malice of impatient minds conscious of their own infirmities against their doctrine which could not be embraced but their estimation must be impaired their affections crossed their politick projects dashed The higher in dignity the Priests and Rulers were the more it vexed them such poor men as the true Prophets for the most part were should take upon them to direct the people Their objections against those men of God their scurrilous taunts and bitter â—… their odious imputations forged to make way for bloudy persecutiâ—… are most lively represented by the like practises of the Romish Clergâ—e â—…d almost as many years against the Albigeans Hussites and geâ—… against all whom they suspect to have any familiarity with the Spirit â—… testimony against them is as authentick as evident only overâ—…gh Gods permission in the worlds sight by prejudice of privateâ—… Thus when poor Michaiah would not say as the King would have â—… the politick State-Prophet Zidkiah son of Chenaanah gave him a â—… the cheek to beat an answer out to
their greatest wonders seemed but Apish toyes howsoever difficiles nugae And some of these juglers either out of the strength of their own illusions or upon the presumption of their profane skill in deceiving others have adventured to foretell their resurrection but were not able to dissolve the bands of death their everlasting durance in whose prisons hath openly shewed they spake presumptuously that not Mahomet himself the greatest of them was that Great Prophet foretold by Moses What was the reason then the Jews would not the Turks unto this day will not believe in Christ crucified For the inhabitants of Jerusalem Saint Paul hath answered Because they knew him not nor yet the words of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day they have fulfilled them in condemning him The same Apostle though indued with the power of miracles yet in that place rather useth Davids words then his own works to prove Christs resurrection Of which that saying of Christ was most truly verified in the obstinate Jews Not hearing Moses and the Prophets so as to be moved by them to true repentance neither were they perswaded though this great Prophet of whom they wrote was raised from the dead again 22 Were we well acquainted either with that manner of interpretation or those prenotions the Apostle supposed as known when he used that testimony of the Psalmist Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee to prove our Saviours resurrection it would not be hard to perswade us Moses words hitherto expounded were as literally meant of Gods raising his Son out of his Maiden grave as out of his virgin Mothers womb And I make no question but the conclusion of S Peters Sermon Unto you whom a little before he had termed children of the Prophets hath God raised up his Son were meant by him of his raising Christ from the dead And yet are these words but an application of the former principal text he there insists upon Moses said unto the Fathers The Lord your God shall raise up unto you a Prophet even of your brethren like unto me ye shal hear him all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And unto this resurrection doth the strict propriety of that phrase from the middest of thee well agree For these things were not done in a corner but in Jerusalem the Metropolis of Judea not without expresse notice given to the rulers Moses indeed foretold his own death and whatsoever other Prophets raised up by God unto this people did foretell came still to passe yet none ever foretold his own raising up But seeing Christ First raising from the virgins womb though most miraculous was yet more private he forewarned the world to expect This Second altogether as powerful but more publick And in it again he is like to Moses raised up by God to be a Saviour of his people out of that Ark which without divine especial providence had been his Tomb. This similitude amongst the rest betwixt Christ and Moses as wel in their later as first birth but especially the notice our Saviour gave unto his enemies of the later hath made them unwittingly Prophets to their wo. For seeing it hath left their unbelief without excuse their last errour concerning his Resurrection is become worse then the first concerning his Birth Neither could have seemed incredible though both most miraculous to this ungratious seed of Jacob had they looked as the Prophet willed them unto the rock whence they were hewn and to the hole of the pit whence they were digged The mighty increase of Sarahs womb no better then dead and strange multiplication of Isaacs seed beyond the posterity of all the people with whom he sojourned did but portend the fruitful of-spring of the Virgins only Son should in number and dignity far surmount the sons and daughters of all the fertile mothers in Judea Isaacs posterity had been great yet able to be numbered by David But his generation who shall declare that was cut out of the land of the living Therefore strang there even of one and him as dead or destinated to death as Isaac was yea of one truly dead that made his grave with the wicked as many as the stars in the skie in multitude in dignity greater and as the sand by the sea store innumerable Mightier was the encrease of that Rock wherein he made his grave whence we are hewen then of that pit whence Israel according to the flesh was digged His exaltation since hath been their fall For seeing they would not believe his predictions as their Lawgiver had commanded the world may clearly see the curse indefinitely there denounced against all such as would not hear fulfilled upon that stubborn generation according to the full extent of S. Peters paraphrase upon it Not one or a feâ—â—only were destroyed out of the people as Korah Dathan and Abiram for disobedience unto Moses but the whole people or nation were utterly rooted out of the land All which with all particular circumstances and signs precedent or ensuing this great Prophet in his life time had so distinctly foretold that if we compare former Prophets with him they may seem to have but dreamed he alone that put these unknown ditties into their heads to have had the perfect skill of right interpreting their meaning CAP. XXII That the method used by the great Prophet himself after his resurrection for planting faith was such as we teach The excesse of Antichrists exaltation above Christ The Diametrical opposition betwixt the spirit of God and the Spirit of the Papacy 1 MOses was to be acknowledged a great Prophet because the whole host of Israel infallibly knew the Lord was with him in all he did every Prophet after him to be known by the Rules which he had given for their discernment Christ Jesus to be taken for The Great Prophet and Mediator of the everlasting Covenant because in words in works in all his wayes exactly answerable to Mosaical and prophetical Characters of the Messiah that was to come This sweet Harmony of legal Types or ancient prophecies as wel with the whole course of his blessed life as with his ignominious and cruel death or manner of his glorious resurrection I should either have esteemed or regarded lesse had not my Saviour himself preferred the assurance of prophetical testimonies before the certainty of their senses that had conversed with him in their life time admitted to conference with him after his rising from the dead For so we read of two Disciples which had seen his miracles heard his doctrine and acknowledged him for a Prophet mighty in word and deed but yet distrusted the report of his resurrection after it had been the second time confirmed by such of their fellows as had doubted with them yea their Master himself had told them as much before his death And had he not good reason then to upbraid them with distrust having now
Christ hath given him Wherefore in his judgement care and diligence are necessary to the Pope not so as if he could not define aright or rightly use his authority without them but that he doth not sin himself whilest he defines an infallible truth for others to believe Hereto may be added that albeit a diligent care were necessarily required for the infallibility of the Popes decisions yet the same faith which bindes us to believe he decides the controversie infallibly â—indes us also to believe that he used as much diligence as was requisite As for example in like case If God should promise that the next year should be a plentiful year of corn we would conceive he promised withall good and seasonable weather and whatsoever else necessary for effecting of his promise as Canus well notes But Valentians last conclusion is that no sure arguments can be brought why we should think study or diligence are necessary for the right use of the Popes authority so far as it concerns other mens faith that must rely upon it Rely upon it they must whether he determin ex tempore or upon deliberation and for ought I can see whether he give his sentence drunk or sober raving or in his right mind so he have the wit to charge all upon pain of damnation to believe it But what if some forrainer should of set purpose send a dead-mans water to trie this grand-Physitians skil could he without either care or diligence in examining their testimonies or special Revelation from above which in such businesses Valentian disclaims discover their knavery Or would his prognostication of life and health redeem the party deceased from the land of death as some say Pope Gregory by his prayers did Trajan These and many like questions might here be made which fall not within the reach of Valentians answers hitherto recited and yet these must abundantly suffice for resolution of all doubts concerning the Canonizing of Saints or approbation of Religious Orders in which business likewise we must believe the Pope cannot erre Let the Reader pause a while look on their madness and laugh his fil at their apish drunkenness in this argument that when his mirth hath found a vent and his heart is wel setled he may with a sober unpartial stedfast eye behold the Mystery of this iniquitie CAP. XXXII What danger by this blasphemous Doctrine may accrew to Christian States that of all heresies blasphemies or idolatries which have been since the world began or can be imagined till Christ come to judgement this Apostasie of the Jesuites is the most abominable and contumelious against the blessed Trinity 1 WHat the consequences of these positions may be none can doubt No less they are then I have said a resigning up of mens souls and consciences into the Popes hands a consecration of hearts minds and bodies to work any mischief imaginable at his appointment For what if the Pope upon the relation of Ravilliacks stubbornness they would say constancy in his torture or Catesbyes praying to the Virgin Mary at his death should Canonize both for Saints and enjoyn the Christian world so to honour them Every bloody Assasinate would pray unto the one for good success in acting his blood-thirsty designs on Princes bodies And if it should please the Pope so to determine all men should stand bound to give such solemn worship as by their Doctrin is due to Sacred reliques unto that bloody knife which hath been sheathed in Ravilliacks Soveraigns breast Every deep dissembling Polititian or ambitious cholerick discontented spirit would burn incense saltpeter sulphur and brimstone to the others image in hope of better speed in undermining states 2 If any Jesuite or other brazen faced favorer of their Order or this doctrin should here reply This dreamer casts doubts beyond the Moon for is there any likelihood his Holiness wil ever Canonize such wicked Imps for Saints I must answer him as Tully did Rullus utterly disclaiming all purpose of doing such wrong unto the Roman state as his Petition unto it once granted might enable him to effect and from my soul I wish every Christian Prince every Princes Councellor would take that grave Senators words for his motto Primum nescio deinde timeo posiremo non committam ut vestro beneficio potius quam nostro consilio salvi esse possimus First whether the Pope would Canonize such miscreants for Saints or no is more then we know Secondly his former practises minister so just cause of fear to Christian states that it stands them upon rather in wisdom to prevent his power of doing then rely upon his fidelity for not doing them some inestimable mischief by putting this practise in execution if opportunity serve and abilitie be left him thereby to strengthen his faction Did not his Legate into France upon notice of the Parisian Massacre bestow his Holinesses best blessing Cum plenitudine potestatis With absolute and plenarie power derived from himself upon the notorious assasinate Boydon chief Ring-leader of that immane and Wolvish Massacre committed at Lyons begun without any warrant of publick authority onely at this hellish miscreants instigation desirous to follow or rather out-go his Superiours in cruelty Was not that villany it self authorized from Rome where it found such extraordinary approbation Never did that City rejoyce so much in memory of Christs birth or Saint Peters as at the hearing of this more then Herodian butchery of so many thousands noble-minded gentlemen with other Innocents and Saints of God So full was this Legates heart of joy hence conceived that after he came into France out of the abundance of it his mouth did sound the praises of the bloody actors and contrivers of this shameful Tragedy Etiam cum delectu verborum With such choice and affected words as caused them blush to hear him that had not been ashamed to act the villany And as if this excellent exploit had been effected by vertue of the holy Catholick Church the Popes Petition to the French King was that the Trent Councel might upon that good success begin to be of force in France and be thus sealed with blood Yet can any man doubt whether this Church would authorize murther or Canonize Assasinates for her own advantage Publickly suppose she would not yet if the Popes Decrees when they expresly binde all must as Valentian contends be beleived by all upon such terms as he annexeth no question but if he give any special injunction to the Order of Jesuites or such as they shal adjudge fit Associates to whom these secrets may be imparted it shal be as devoutly entertained by them whom it concerns as if it were universal If charged they be under pain of damnation secretly to worship this or that damned villain it wil be held a formal denial of Faith either not to perform what is enjoyned or to bewray what they perform We may wel suppose the Jesuites and others of their