Root of the Beasts Number 666. with his judgment of an Analytical Table of the Apocalyps pag. 880 EPIST. XCVI Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. H. modestly excusing his own abilities and intimating what cause he had to decline coming forth in print with his Observation touching the Latitude of Rome pag. 881 EPIST. XCVII Mr. Mede's Letter to a Friend touching some Papers of his printed without his privity pag. 882 EPIST. XCVIII Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib touching some Socinian Tenets with his resentment of the Difficulties the Design for Peace among Protestants met with pag. ibid. THE FOURTH BOOK CONTAINING Mr. MEDE'S EPISTLES BEING ANSWERS to divers LETTERS OF Learned Men. EPISTLE I. The Fellows of Trinity Colledge near Dublin their Letter to M r. Mede desiring him to accept of the Provostship of their Colledge Worthy Sir THE vacancy of the place of Provost of this Colledge happening by the death of our late Governour Sir William Temple hath drawn us the Fellows of the same to seck abroad for a Successor on whom that place might be conferred among many whom we have had recommended unto us especially by the Lord Primate of Ireland your worthy self is one Vpon which consideration being of all other the weightiest we have fixed our resolutions upon your person and have accordingly setled the Election And howsoever we are as yet ignorant of your intentions as unacquainted with your person yet the hope of your acceptance is so much advanced by the Lord Primate his confidence of the same as we conceive you will not expect we should use many words to that purpose A long-continued uncertainty in your determinations will as matters now stand be a means to lay us open to many disadvantages which we hope you will stop by your freely accepting of what we so freely tender unto you What the Affairs are that require your speedy settlement in the Government we refer to the Relation of Mr. Temple and Mr. Lloyd two of the senior Fellows to whom you may give credit as our Agents whose Commission is from us and Imployments in the behalf of our Colledge have our approbation And thus ceasing to be further trouble some unto you we commit you to the protection of the Almighty ever resting Your assured Friends Trinity Colledge March 15. 1626. Io. Brodley Io. Iohnson Edw. Parry Io. Wigget Nath. Linch Ranulp Adams EPISTLE II. M r. Mede's Answer to the foregoing Letter Worthy Gentlemen YOur love and good opinion of me a person so unknown unto you hath so far obliged me to your Society that I confess an Answer by Letter is no way sufficient to acknowledge it Yet both the great difference accompanying your Election with such inconveniences as I saw must needs have followed thereupon besides the consciousness of mine own disabilities and infirmities which gave me just cause to suspect I should not satisfie that expectation which would be of a Stranger in such a place hath deterred me from accepting that honour which was by you so lovingly conferred upon me which therefore I must and do fully and freely resign into your hands hoping that God will direct you in the choice of some other both more able and worthy to take that charge upon him Howbeit as I shall never forget this so undeserved a favour so will I ever account my self to have that relation to your Society which shall bind me as affectionately to love and pray for the prosperity thereof as if I were a Member and if God should ever give me opportunity no less to endeavour the same In the mean time I heartily desire Almighty God to bless you and will ever remain Your obliged Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Coll. 10 April 1627. EPISTLE III. Ios. Medi Epistola ad R. Ia. Usserium Archiepisc. Armachanum Reverende Primas EX nuâ—errimis Domini Loei ad Capellum nostrum literis haud medioâ—ri cum animi molestia intellexi quos numero Apocalyptico septem ad R. D. tuam in Hiberniam tranâ—miseram Libellos in itinere Dublinum Droghedam inter deperiisse Hem itáne eos in fraterculorum Hibernorum quibus minimè laboraveram aut sumptus feceram manus devenisse Ut ut sit jacturam istam Reverende Antistes quantum possum nunc resarcio missis numero quidem propter inopiam meam paucioribus sed paris omnino meae in R. Paternitatem tuam tot mihi nominibus honorandam observantiae officii testibus Unum autem me malè habet quod cui praecipuè atque inprimis debueram hoc quicquid sit literarii muneris ei jam malo infortunio meo postremo ferè omnium obveniat quod destinaveram Tu enim Reverende Praesul primus mihi ad haec ulteriùs excolenda stimulus Tu torpentem animum alloquio comitate plausu tuo excitâsti Imò quod nunquam mihi nisi cum gratissimi animi significatione memorandum est Tu illustri illâ tuâ ad Collegii Dubliniensis Praeposituram commendatione effecisti ut nullius antea neque meriti neque existimationis homuncio exinde tamen aliquid esse videar ab aestimatione Vestra Quidni igitur aegerrimè feram tam serò ad Teperventuram esse hanc qualemcunque officii mei devotionis tesseram Huic igitur malo sive infortunii sive culpae fuerit aliquatenus ut medicer consultum fore putabam si Auctariolum aliquod Libellulis hisce meis adjungerem Dissertatiunculam de gemina illa apud Daniclem periodo Dierum c. 12. v. 11 12. praeterea Specimen interpretationis Millennii Apocalyptici à reliquo similium Speciminum corpore resectum Nam rogatu seu magìs instantiâ amicorum quibus institutum meum in Libellulo meo praeter omnem opinionem placuit factum est ut Specimina quaedam exinde concinnaverim Interpretationum Apocalypticarum ad amussim Clavis Apocalypticae In quibus quae de septima Tuba ejúsque mille annis disseruerim limatissimo judicio â—uo R. P. eâ— quâ par est humilitate subjicio De quo etiam quid paulò post mihi acciderit apud Paternitatem tuam tacere non possum nimirum vixdum me haec conscripsisse atque cum amicis de iisdem contulisse cùm ecce in Catalogo Francofurtensi propter tumul tus bellicos marinorum itinerum pericula post quadrimestre demum ad nos allato Libellum deprehendo hoo titulo Verosimilia Historico-Prophetica De rebus in novissimo die eventuris è sacris utriusque ' Iestamenti Oraculis collecta pio accurato studio cujusdam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protinus animum meum suspicio incessit quam postea veram comperi de Millennio Apocalyptico agi Proinde Bibliopolis nostris id negotii dedi ut omni studio Librum istum perquirerent Duo tanâ—ùm aut tria exemplaria Londinum advecta sunt Unum ego nactus sum Author Lutheranus est sed Anonymus vir quidem ut videtur doctus quod in istius sectae homine rarum permodestus
time and gives me no leisure to perfect that whereby I might perhaps prevent a great part of the Objections which now are made Thus hoping you will accept this tumultuary Answer I rest commending your Studies and endeavours to the Divine Blessing Christ's Colledge Iune 17. 1629. Your loving Friend Ioseph Mede EPISTLE VII Mr. Hayn's Second Letter to Mr. Mede about several Prophetical passages in Daniel and the Revelation To the First THESIS BEfore Christ's time all the East as Tacitus saith expected a King to rule over all the world whence could this be but from the expectation of the Iews of the Kingdom which was to spread over all the world after the ruine of the fourth Beast in Daniel and that they now saw the divided Kingdom of the Greeks after Antiochus Epiphanes his time decaying and likely to be extinguished And in Christ's time the faithful the rest were blind guides not to be followed believing Christ and the Apostles preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God against which Hell gates should not prevail must necessarily conceive that the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel was at the last cast and therefore understand the Fourth Kingdom to be the parted Greeks lately expiring in Cleopatra her Brother Ptolemy or others and not the Roman still flourishing and not likely yet to fall For the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel was to fall before the setting up of the everlasting Kingdom of Christ. And if in Christ's time the faithful did conceive thus of the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel then succeeding Ages to those Primitive times so long as they retained a right judgment were of the same mind The Iews in after-times went about to perswade that the Romans calling them Edom also were the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel because they might be thought to hold aright that Messias was not yet come who should be the Stone falling on the toes of the Fourth Kingdom Eusebius and some others have fallen into this trap set by Iews Seeing it is a course to harden Iews against the true Messias already come we shall do well to avoid it If you demand Why then did not Christ and the Apostles use this Argument to prove him the true Messias In effect they did They preached that the Kingdom of God was at hand the coming whereof implies the Fall of the Fourth Kingdom and that was then ocular and to be understood of the Successors of Antiochus falling not of the Romans flourishing And seeing that in the preaching of Christ's Kingdom it was to be taught that his Kingdom was not of this world at which point the Iews stumbled Christ's main Argument was The works which I do they testifie of me To the Second THESIS You affirm that the Roman Kingdom was revealed to Daniel in imagine confusa but explicated to Iohn by specification of the Fates and the order rerum gerundarum This cannot stand good For the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel is more particularly and distinctly set down then any of the other Three And of the other Three be not revealed in imagine confusa but fully enough for the specification of their Fates and the order of their acts then much more the Fourth Kingdom which is far more amply in types and explication set out in Daniel Then secondly It cannot be said to be set down in imagine confusa for it is orderly and in special manner handled First for the Original It rises out of the Sea Then for the power It is strong as iron able to break in pieces and subdue all Dan. 2. 40. It is fearful very strong and hath ten horns It hath iron teeth and nails of brass In conclusion It hath one little horn that pulls away three of the former ten It hath ten Kings and one unlike the rest It in the end shall be partly strong as Iron partly weak as Clay For the stirs it should make and the persecution brought on the Church thereby It subdued and did break in pieces all things as Iron bruiseth and breaketh all Dan. 2. 40. It devours and breaks in pieces and stamps the residue under feet Dan. 7. 7. As the ten horns do mischief so especially the little horn which made war with the Saints and prevailed against them and consumed them It waxed great even to the host of heaven and cast some of the host and the stars to the ground and stamped on them Chap. 8. 10. It thought to alter times and laws Chap. 7. 25. Then also as you hold in your Explication of Dan. 11. ver 36. and after the Roman Kingdom is there prophesâ—ed of that he should conquer Macedon and every King and Nation should persecute mock and crucifie Christ and persecute Christians till Constantine's times Then the Pope should arise worshipping Daemonia and countenancing single life shall not regard any God but magnify himself above all In the Seat and Temple of God should worship Mahuzzims with gold and with silver and precious stones and distribute the earth among his Mahuzzims deal with Saracens and Turks enter into Palaestine c. Chap. 11. Then for the blasphemy of this Kingdom mention is made of the mouth speaking presumptuous things Chap. 7. 8. speaking against the most High Verse 25. and speaking marvellous things against the God of Gods Chap. 11. 36. The Fall also of this Kingdom is plainly expressed Chap. 2. 34 45. Chap. 7. 11 26. by being broken in pieces and blown as chaffe by being destroyed and given to the fire by perishing unto the end Lastly the time of this Fourth Kingdom 's domineering or at least of the chief violence of it is expressed A times time and half a time answerable to the time of the woman's keeping from the Serpent Apoc. 12. 14. Then the time of taking away the daily sacrifice continues 2300. days Thus it is evident how particularly Daniel hath laid open the Original the Acts the Sufferings and Fall of the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel And yet I have not brought all particulars Hence it is manifest that this cannot be a general decyphering of the Roman Kingdom but a particular description of some other Kingdom which fell before Christ's time Here now if you shall object that the Beast Dan. 7. doth shew the very same kingdom that is set out Apoc. 13. because in Original and Power and Persecution and Fall and Time it so much agrees with the same I answer That God is unchangeable and inflicts punishments alike on sinners alike and expresses after-matters by words used in narrations of former matters of like nature which much helps our weakness for understanding of these depths And therefore the Apocalyps is as it were made up with the Allusions Metaphors and Formulae loquendi of the Books of the Old Testament yet do not almost all the Visions of the Apocalyps as one unjustly judges handle imprimis Res Iudaeorum but Res Christianorum in the words of former Prophets So we may express a matter that Tully never
after so many hundred years And if your self in this difference follow Mr. Broughton's way you may as soon perswade me there is no Sun in heaven as make me believe it And though it mattereth not much what I think or think not yet in this I dare say that all the Learned men of note in Christendom are of my mind And for my part I cannot but think it a prodigium that any man should think otherwise and I suppose your self are so far of my judgment 4. If you make the Fourth Beast hornless before his destruction you will make Daniel both at odds with himself and the Angel his interpreter If the Horn continue until the Ancient of days comes to give Iudgment to the Saints of the most High and until the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom verse 22. or if he continue until the Iudgment sit and they take away his dominion and the Kingdom be given to the people of the Saints of the most High verse 26 27. how was he Hornless when the Ancient of days sat in Iudgment to destroy him and give his body to the burning flame This I should have taken notice of in another place but I then forgat it yet I said there that which was sufficient to overthrow it I would not have such an Evasion in my Opinion 5. Though all the Four Kingdoms have respect to the Iews as those who were all that time to be in bondage under them yet it doth not follow that the beginning of each Kingdom should be counted from the time they were first possessed of Palaestine but from the time the Caput regni should be given unto the people which were next to succeed Nor is that Observation solid That those Kingdoms were called Beasts for the beastly usage of God's people the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies naturally Animal And you will not I know say so of the quatuor Animalia in the Apocalyps though we translate them also four Beasts The congregation of Israel as we translate it Ps. 68. 10. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Coetus Caterva that notion may be applied to Kingdoms and States also So the type is so much the more concise by reason of the ambiguity of the word in those languages But whether it be this or that I affirm nothing nor is it much to the purpose either way And thus I think I have not left any thing of moment unanswered I had no other end in all this but to let you see I have sufficient grounds to be perswaded of my Tenet and to be averse from yours Whether others can be perswaded by them or not that I know not nor do I arrogate so much ability to my self as to perswade others what I am perswaded of my self There is more goes to perswasion than Reasons or Demonstrations and that is not in my power I desire not you should make any Reply but the contrary for I am now resolved to answer no more whatsoever you should send You know as much of my Opinion and my grounds for the same as I would desire of any mans and I think I perfectly understand yours and where your chief strength lies Why should then either of us both spend our time any further to no purpose Thus desiring the Father of lights to guide us in the way of Truth and to open our eyes to see where we see not I rest and remain still Your very loving Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Octob. 21. EPISTLE XIII Dr. Twisse's First Letter to Mr. Mede Good Mr. Mede AMongst many fruits of my acquaintance with Dr. Meddus this hath been one of the chiefest that he hath brought me acquainted with your self though not de facie yet de meditationibus and that in the opening of Mysteries I was so happy as to light upon two Copies of your Clavis Apocalyptica thereby to gratifie both my self and my friend I was beholden to Dr. Meddus for the one and to Mr. Briggs for the other Since that I have seen divers Manuscriptpieces of yours whereof I make precious accompt Your distinction of Fata Imperii Fata Ecclesiae the one contained in the Seals the other in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth exceedingly affect me as a Key of great use for the opening of these Mysteries Your interpretation of the Seals proceeds in my judgment with great evidence of illustration And in the last place your Exposition of the Trumpets hath taken me quite off from the Vulgar opinion that formerly hath been so common For all which I most heartily thank you And did it become me to profess so much who am nothing worth I should be apt to say you are as dear in my affection as to any friend you have I beseech you go on to perfect the good work you have begun in the Revelation and in other mysterious passages for the clearing whereof I well perceive by the blessing of God you have attained to a very singular faculty I seem to discern a providence of God in causing the opinion of a Thousand years Regnum Sanctorum to be blasted as an Error by the censure passed upon the Chiliasts to take men off from fixing their thoughts too much on that in those days when the accomplishment was so far removed but with purpose to revive it in a more seasonable time when Antichrist's kingdom should draw near to an end Concerning which I have something to propose in searching after more particular satisfaction But I know not whether yet I may be so bold with you and besides I fear to divert you from your so weighty and so profitable studies yet they are such as withall I have thought with my self of accommodating an Answer But though my heart serve me not to communicate them to you at this time yet surely I shall make them known to Doctor Meddus A friend of mine also hath this day given into my hands certain Disputations upon divers mysterious points in Daniel and the Revelation In one of them he disputes of this Thousand years Regnum Sanctorum with variety of Reasons pro con but inclining rather to the contrary A very ingenuous man he is and a great student in Mr. Brightman If I may have liberty to communicate these things unto you and that it might be without offence to your more weighty studies I would so use this liberty as not to nourish my self in idleness but withal to imploy my self in answering what soever I find therein to the contrary At this time give me leave to propose to your consideration Whether that fear of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost of our Protestant profession may not be avoided and the three days and an half Rev. 11. not signify a space of time succeeding the continuance of those Witnesses but intermixed with it My Reason is this The two Witnesses signifie all the Witnesses giving
hypothesin praestandam adigerer 6. Concerning the Book written mediately or immediately by the B. of Lincoln It is written very ably and with much variety of Learning and where that Coal lay open to the lash as it did in some things very fouly he pays him soundly and very magisterially Yet I may tell you that in the Discourse concerning the Antiquity of the Name Altar there is parùm aut nihil sinceri aut sani And though his Adversary quoted what he never seems to have read and examined and is accordingly and deservedly met withal yet are there such strange mistakes confusions concealments and wrested interpretations of the Answerer that he lies open to the lash for that part extremely insomuch that I believe that part to have been elaborated by another hand and one that gave more trust to the opinions of some of our Writers than to his own search and judgement But whereas the Coal maintained that Altars had generally and anciently stood up against the East-wall and not in medio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was a monstrous and foul error as I had often told some of ours here you shall find him most fully and largely confuted but the place of Socrates as strangely expounded as the Coal's illation therefrom was most illogically and weakly deduced Thus with my wonted affection and prayers I rest Yours Ios. Mede Christ's College March 22. 1636 7. EPISTLE LXX Dr. Twisse's Thirteenth Letter to Mr. Mede wherein after his desire to know his judgment of Mr. Potter's Book touching the Number of the Beast 666 he expostulates with him about certain Ceremonies c. Reverend Sir and my worthy Friend HAD I stay'd longer in Cambridge you had enjoy'd my company longer or to speak more properly I should have desired to enjoy your company longer and it would be very long ere I should be weary of your discourse I long to hear your judgment of Mr. Potter's Discourse touching the Number of the Beast 666. I presume also you know Bishop Usher's opinion of Christ's Kingdom here on earth I would gladly know it and whether he doth retract his former opinion touching the Binding of Satan which in his Book De successione Ecclesiae he conceives to have been in the days of Constantine I have returned your Paper and sent you a Copie of your own concerning The Four Monarchies which you call The A B C of Prophecies I have sent you also Tilenus his Synod of Dort and Arles reduced to practice with an answer thereunto In Oxford it 's counted unanswerable translated out of French by D. or A. from whom it was spred as I hear in O. and at first fathered upon one of them But it appears by the Dutch copy and Voetius his answer in Dutch that Tilenus was the Author At my coming from Cambridge I found 8 Copies of them sent unto me and 6 of them I have sent amongst you for truly I never found better content in any friends than there with you and with your self amongst the rest O Mr. Mede I could willingly spend my days in hanging upon your ears while you discourse of Antichrist and the accommodation of his Legend to the Pope of Rome and the Whore of Babylon to Rome it self though my studies have lain far more in their Writings than in our own Divines and I was never found to dislike any Opinion of a Papist for the Papistâ—s sake who maintains it as having profited in Divinity more by their Writings than by our own always excepting Interpretation of Scripture How much more to hear you discourse of the glorious Kingdom of Christ here on Earth to begin with the ruin of Antichrist It may be you do not find many Disciples more docile this way than my self But I would intreat you to spare me in the point of Ceremonies in some particulars whereof you told me once in a Letter you were no Practitioner but now I fear by that which I find you are a Promoter of them In Easter-term last I heard your good Friend while he lived complain not a little of a Sermon of yours which you had then lately preached and he delivered it with much grief After Mr. B. wrote unto you of the battel of Armageddon inquiring whether the time thereof were not already extant the next Letter I received from him had this passage I am verily of Mr. M s. Opinion in this that the times wherin we live are the times for the slaughtering of the Witnesses Whereupon I compared your Letters and I found that well it might be by your opinion And if it be so how sorry should I be to observe that you should have an hand in the slaughtering of them as namely by promoting of such courses and countenancing them for not conforming whereunto many are like to be slaughtered that is according to your interpretation turned out of their Places And as for outward complements nothing more pleaseth a natural man in Religious worship and he finds himself apt enough for it yea far more apt than he who knowing and considering that God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit are most careful for the performance thereof whereupon while their minds are intent they find themselves not so free for outward complements the care whereof is apt to cause avocation and disturbance in that Unum necessarium You bade me stand up at Gloria Patri and it was in such a note too that you had the mastery of me I know not how I profess I little look'd for such Entertainment at your hands My Wifeâ—s father Dr. M. was Bishop Bilson's Chaplain and most respected by him of any Chaplain that ever he had and he a Cathedral-man too but they could never get him to stand up at Gloria Patri I living in a Countrey-Auditory am a mere stranger to such Ceremonies neither do I know any order of our Church urging thereunto neither do I know when it began and upon what grounds it may be it was upon their prevailing against the Arrians and as the Creed is pronounced standing so and in the same respect this also all which is duly to be considered before we come to the practice of it It is true we were private and I was loth to offend you In like sort concerning Bowing towards the Altar for which it was as I heard that you preached I profess unto you I have hitherto received no satisfaction and I long to hear of my Lord of Armagh's judgment of the passages between us And therein I perceive the main thing you reached after was a certain Mystery concerning a Sacrifice which the Papists have miserably transformed but in your sense is now-a-days become a Mystery to all the Christian world And hereupon you touched upon the Iudgments of God at this time in Christendom as if it were for the neglect of that Sacrifice which while I attended in the issue came only to the Sacrilege of these
a great man in the Reformation had once a Consultation to have translated the Lord's-day unto Thursday upon pretence to take away Superstition and though that Consultation succeeded not yet he is known to have been no great friend to the hallowing thereof How true this is I know not penes authores fides esto but such a thing I have read I can assure you Thus with my heartiest affection which I never found my self prone to change for mere difference of Opinion I commend you and yours to the Divine blessing and am still Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Coll. Iuly 21. 1638. EPISTLE LXVI Mr. Hartlib's Letter to Mr. Mede with an Extract of a Letter concerning Dr. Alting's Censure of Dr. Field's opinion Worthy Sir I Cannot but confess my self much obliged unto you for the Papers which you have been pleased to impart unto me You do well to help us by a fuller unfolding of those excellent Mysteries which divers will take for Paradoxes But I return to your Letter and assure you that I will have a special care to send back your Papers In the mean time I pray accept of these inclosed which concern the work of Pacification Mr. Dury remembers his respects unto you and will be glad to embrace your Letter when-ever it comes He hath not yet read your Book because he can get none for himself the Book becoming now rare every way When you have done with the Papers I pray let me have them again some of them I had not leisure to read over The printed Treatise I got from beyond the Seas the Author of it thus writes unto me Adsui Doctori Altingo Is maximopere optat non praemisissem meo contra Bodsaccum Exercitio istud ex Fieldo excerptum Ratio 1 a Quia falsa sunt quae ille tum de Orientalium hodierna tum de Occidentalium ante Lutherum Religione refert 2 a Quia Lutherani indè capient calumniandi ansam quasi Universalem aliquam Religionum conciliationem moliamur Intellexi simul hâc occasione Genevae imprimis Novum Testamentum linguâ Graecâ qualis nunc est adeò ut non tantùm Originale Graecum sed Versionem Graecam simus habituri quam ad rem 1000 Imperiales Domini Ordines dederunt ut mittantur Exemplaria in Graeciam Inter argumenta cur Fieldi sententiam rejicit est quòd Witebergensis quidam olim ad Graecum Patriarcham miserit Confessionem Augustanam ut approbaret sed illam ut heterodoxam rejecisse Quòd hodiernus Patriarcha alius sit id personale esse facilè apparere ex quibus scriptis ille hauriat Sepultus est hâc hebdomade noster Burgersdicius c. But I would fain know your judgment about this Censure of Field it being a thing of very great consequence Dr. Alting I hear is writing an Ecclesiastical History Thus expecting your Answer I rest for ever Your assured and affectionate Friend Sam. Hartlib London March 13. 1634. EPISTLE LXXVII Mr. Mede's Answer to Mr. Hartlib vindicating Dr. Field's Tenet and shewing in what sense it may be said that the Roman and Greek Church have not erred in Primariis Fundamentalibus Fidei Articulis Mr. Hartlib I Received not your Packet till yesterday at dinner-time I send with this inclosed a Book to Mr. Dury which I was fain to rob a Friend of promising to give him another as good but I send the Book and this my Letter apart that the one may bring news of the other if they should chance not to arrive at your hands together I thank you for Mr. Streso Concerning that of Dr. Field I have hitherto subscribed to it according as I conceived to be his meaning though whether the particulars of his narration be every one of them true I cannot affirm the most I believe are But it is no marvel though such a Tenet make your forein Divines to startle That notion is almost proper to our English to maintain that the Roman Church much more the Greek â—rreth not in Primariis Fundamentalibus Fidei Articulis because explicitely they profess them howsoever by their Assumenta implicitely and by consequent they subvert them This your forein Divines and some too of our own think to be an harsh assertion because they rightly conceive not our meaning whereof you may be more fully informed by Dr. Crakenthorp against Spalato cap. 47. and by Dr. Potter in his Charity mistaken You may remember also that Bishop Davenant in the Discourse you shewed me at London by the name of Fundamental Articles understands the Articles of the Creed of all Christians and no other Take notice likewise that we say the Roman Church and Ours differ not in the Articles we account to be Fundamental not that we differ not and mainly too in those which they account Fundamental Nor do we say but by consequent they ruin too even those Articles we account Fundamental though explicitely they profess them In a word we hold That all the Roman Errors consist in the Assumenta they have added to the Foundation and not in the Foundation it self which they profess notwithstanding Besides that in the main Points of Controversie between them and us the Truths we affirm against them were heretofore freely maintained in their Church as for the substance from time to time and though for the most part the opposite Faction overtopped them yet were not the Tenets of that Faction made the Tenets of their Church till the Council of Trent decreed them and condemned the other This is the sum of the Tenet of ours But what do I write of these things in so tumultuary a manner It is a point that requires a man should have his brains at home What though the Patriarch Ieremy rejected the Augustane Confession for Heterodox when it was sent him It is true that often one Sect of Religion condemns that in another which it self affirms because it understands not its own in anothers terms and after another way Besides though the Patriarch rejected the Confession â—n gross yet it follows not he rejected it for those Points whereof Dr. Field affirms but because it condemned likewise their Assumenta For it is certain that in the Assumentis we differ mainly from them and they from us Now the clock strikes three I must an end So with my best affection I rest Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Coll. March 18. 1634. EPISTLE LXXVIII Ioan. Duraei Epistola ad Ios. Medum Cratiam Pacem Clarissime Doctissime Vir HVmanissimis tuis Literis praeclaro illo quod amicitiae mecum initae pignus esse voluisti Scripto cujus priorem ante aliquot annos posteriorem nunc primùm video partem ità animum meum affecisti ut sufficientes neque jam scribere neque posthac habere gratias queam quas quia me referre posse desperâ— ideo debitorem me tibi agnosco Sed ante omnia Candorem tuum exosculor
postae accidit sub Hadriano usque ad consummationem seculi ruinae Hierusalem permansurae sunt quanquam sibi Iudaei auream atque gemmatam Hierusalem restituendam putent rurstisque victimas sacrificiâ— conjugia sanctorum regnun in terris Domini Salvatoris quae licèt non sequamur damnare â—amen non possumus quia multi virâ—rum Ecclesiasâ—icorum Martyrum ista dixerunt Unusquisque in suo sensu abundeâ— Domini cuncta judicio reserventur Haec verba tua sunt Hieronyme Sed dic sodes An viri isti Ecclesiastici Martyres sanctissimi dixerunt circumcisionem victimas in regne illo Christi restituendas cave dixeris Aut si ità credidisse scires annon sine cunctatione damnares Quod autem Cerinthum attinet si quid hujusmodi erraverit ex Iudaismo attulit Iudani enim fuit Christianis non imputandum Mirum tamen est de hac Cerimhi haere si apud Irenaeum Tertullianum nè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem reperiri qui tamen exprosessâ— de erroribus ejus scripserunt Totum hoc â—â—â—ur fide cujusdam Gaii hominis obscuri quem â—escio an ex Alogorum baereticorum numero fuerit quos testatur Epiphanius â—am Ioannis Evangelium quà m Apocalypsin Cerimho adscripsisse Certè eodem tempore vixit Apocalypsin quod artiâ—et ab corum sententia non abhorruisse quicunque verba ejus apud Eusebium hand oscitanter ligeriâ— fatebitur Isai. cap. 2. Vers. 11 17. * Quam magistri agnoscunt passim necnon author lib. Sapientiae cap. 3. vers 7 8. * Mal. 4. 1. * Isai. 5. 16. ‖ Zeph. 3. 8. * Sapient cap. 3. 7 13. Confer 1 Pet. 2. 12. cap. 5. 6. juxta Vulg. quaedam ex 〈…〉 Graeca Lib. 11. c. 1 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Iren. l. 3. c. 12. Tertull. lib. de Resuâ—r carnis Syrum interpretem Quinimo illud praelium commissum absoluâ—um fuit in ictu oculi ut postea demonstrabitur At temph commensuratio non est facta in ictu ocuit * Noâ—at in Luc. 17. * Hujus editionis pag. 424. * Apocal. 6. 17. Drusiâ—â— ad cap. 1. Ioelis Dies Domini genusloquendi forâ—nse ut si dicat Iudicium Domini quomodo Apost Diem humanum dixit pro Iudicium humanum 1 Cor. 4. 3. Bestia septiml capiâ—â—â— est imago Bestiae sexto caâ—ite mactat vâ—l imaginem gerit c. * Apoc. 14. 4. * Cap. 7. 14. * Hujus edit p. 423. * Cap. 3◠〈◊〉 * Cap. 7. 9. * Hujes edit pag. 421. * Hujus edit pag. 506. * Hujus edit pag. 439. lin 1. 2. * Hujus edit pag. 439. * Hujus edit p. 455. * Hujus edit pag. 482. * Hujus edit pag. 500. * Hujus edit pag. 522. * Hujus edit pag. 421. * Hujus edit p. 439. * Conferatur Hymnus Davidis novissimus 2 Sam. 22. cum eodem Ps. 18. 〈◊〉 excidii Hierosolylmitaâ—i 2 Reg à v. 1â— cap. 24. ad finim â— 25. cum eadem historia Ier. 52. Legatio Merodach Baladaâ— 2 Reg. â— 20. com 12 13 c. cum eadem Esai 39. 2 Sam. 21. 19. cum 1 Par. 20. 5. * Hujus edit pag. 519. * Sic Ireâ—d â—5 c. 32. l. 5. * Hâ—c respicere videtur il lud Cypriani Epist. 52. Aliud est pendere in die Iudicii ad sententiam Domini aliud statim à Domino coronari Agit verò nisi admâ—dum â—allor dâ— pâ—aerogativa Martyrum c. Et illud Irenaei lib. 1. c. 2. Christum in suo de coelis adventu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enim hic pro poena posita videtur non virtuâ—e Qunni poenam in Mora Resurrectionis constituit Teâ—uâ— * Deut. 33. 6. Psal. 49. 11. Esai 65. 6 15. * Vt Ps. 16. 10 Act. 2. 31. Ezek. 14. 25. apud Lxx. Levit. 19. 28. alibi Adde Apoc. 6. 9. Addit quidam Eccles 16. ul◠‖ Auth. Qu. Resp. ad Orth. qu. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indignat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Huc pertineâ— illud Auth. Qu. Resp. ad Orâ—h qu. 120. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 2 Pet. 3. 8. * Cap. 11. 8. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. de Mundo cap. 3. * Consule R. Episâ— corum Aâ—mach Respons ad Ieseiâ—am p. 337 338 339 c. Cap. 20. Ver. 8 9. Psalm 72. â— Isai. 49. 6. * Non enim tam â—essâ—o ad dcâ—tram Dei quà m plena omnimodasub jugatio câ—ncuicatio hostium iuea aâ—â—â—gatione attendituâ— quae demum in Secuâ—â— do adventu adâ—mpâ—nd â— est * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Vers. 14. Responâ—â— cap 14. in neâ—â— indeâ—â— versu 3. ad sâ—â—â—ersûs 7. in Grâ—â—o 9. * Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In a Letter to Mr. Wood of Lenton in Lincolnshire by way of Answer to his Apoc. 17. 18. * See the Scheme at pag. 431. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Chap. 7. 1. In answer to a letter from the same Friend * Chap. 15. Chap. 16. * Chap. 16. 10. In answer to Mr. Wood's letter of April 29. 1624. * What 's meant by Sun Moon and Stars Heaven and Earth and Sea c. see in the Author's Comment upon Apocal 16. where is mention of the Vials and Chap. 8. where is mention of the Trumpets See also Chap. 6 V. 12 13 c. Chap. 17. Verse 10. * 30 Days to every Month. * Lib. 18. de 〈◊〉 Dâ—i c. 53 54. i. e. penultimo ultimâ— * Ibidem c. 54. sub finem An. Christi 1. 33. 70. 94. * If you will count the Embolism of 5 days then add 5 years more to each of them For Gensericus took Rome the year after nor was there any afterward that may be truly accounted Emperor though some Tyrants scuffled for that name some few years after * If you will count the Embolism of 5 days then add 5 years more to each of them For Gensericus took Rome the year after nor was there any afterward that may be truly accounted Emperor though some Tyrants scuffled for that name some few years after * If you will count the Embolism of 5 days then add 5 years more to each of them For Gensericus took Rome the year after nor was there any afterward that may be truly accounted Emperor though some Tyrants scuffled for that name some few years after * If you will count the Embolism of 5 days then add 5 years more to each of them For Gensericus took Rome the year after nor was there any afterward that may be truly accounted Emperor though some Tyrants scuffled for that name some few years after * Of the beginning and ending of these days see the Author 's elaborate Discourse toward the end of this Third Book De Numeris Danielis c. * For Solomon prayed before the Altar at that time and
I neglected not to consult either Ecclesiastical Antiquaries or those that had commented upon the Fathers such as I could meet with in private or publick Libraries though oftentimes my consulting such proved but a fruitless though toilsom labour it being the fashion of many Commentators to write a deal of Notes upon what is easie and needs them not but to give the Go-by to places more difficult The most serviceable in all my search was the industrious and learned Rigaltius agreeably to whose judgment and the sense of the most diligent Writers as also to the scope of the place not neglecting also sometimes to consult the living and the better Libraries I have render'd some Passages which haply at first sight may seem to others to import otherwise There is this yet farther to be advertis'd That where the Testimonies out of Greek Authors are sometimes quoted in Latin as in those 2 Tracts about Churches and the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have in the translating attended not always to the Latin but rather to the Original Greek where it seem'd more expressive which I have therefore set down in the Margin either part of it as in Pag. 336. and elsewhere or the whole as in another Treatise Pag. 642. that large Quotation out of Theodoret is more free from ambiguity in the Greek than as it was formerly quoted in the Latin And thus much for the First Head of Advertisements I proceed to the next II. Advertisements touching the Author and his Writings 1. As for the Author I shall not need to exspatiate in a large and particular recounting of the several Perfections whether Intellectual Accomplishments or Moral â—â—â—owm â—ts which were eminently conspicuous in him there being â—â—â—n a true and lively Picture of him in the following History of his Life and Death written by some of great acquaintance with him and that always had a just esteem for him and in that compendious Epitaph annexed thereunto which together with the Verses set in the beginning of this Volume was sent out of the Countrey from a Reverend person sometime of Cambridge as likewise in the adjoyning Appendix to the Author's Life sent from another Doctor anciently of the same University one who frequently resorted to Mr. Mede and thought himself richly rewarded by his discourse for every journey he made to his Chamber In these Three there is an endeavour to represent the Author's Picture at large and in his full proportions Howsoever it may not be impertinent to superadde here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some few Memorials as Pictures of Great persons are wont to be express'd not only in their just proportions but also in little Tables and Medals In short then His Intellectual accomplishments must needs be eminent and advanced above the ordinary pitch they being the Effects of excellent Natural parts accompanied with an early and unwearied Industry as also which is a more rare conjunction with a great Iudgment and a great Memory He began his search after Wisdom betimes and continued it unto the last it might truly be said of him to borrow the words of Siracides that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the flower till the grape was ripe from the budding ingenuities of his youth till the more concocted and mature thoughts of his riper years he delighted in Wisdom he sought her from his youth up and had his heart joyned with her from the beginning And for a proof of that success which attended this his early enquiry after Knowledge it may not be here impertinent to observe That some of those peculiar Notions of his which occur in his latter Writings as in that of the Reverence of God's House were his eldest thoughts and studies as he himself calls them somewhere in his Epistles What he hath observ'd in his Christian Sacrifice about the Oblation of Praise and Prayer at the celebration of the Eucharist he had an early apprehension of as appears by that not till now published Discourse of his upon Psal. 50. 14. which was composed by him in his younger daies What he hath at large illustrated in his learned Discourse upon 1 Tim. 4. 1. concerning Daemon-worship and the Apostasy of the Latter Times he had a glimpse of many years before as is evident from his Discourse upon 2 Pet. 2. 1. And as for that short but elaborate Tract De Numeris Danielis or Revelatio Antichristi perfected by him toward the latter end of his Life he call'd it an old Notion long laid aside by him but now upon an apprehension of its Usefulness thought fit by him to be resumâ—d and perfected Ita ut cano placeret quod juveni complacebat as Walsingham though an adversary reports of Wiclef By which Instances to name no other it may appear what a quick Sagacity he had in his younger years and how his early studies were blest with the discoveries of such Theories as lay deep and were not obvious to every eye His skill in History and Geography appear'd betimes a fair Specimen whereof the Reader may observe in those two Discourses of his upon Gen. 10. 5. where he treats of the Original Habitations and First Seat of Iaphet 's Sons and their Colonies after the great dispersion from the Tower of Babel a Subject that the learned Bochartus in his Phaleg has copiously discours'd of And for the happiness of Mr. Mede's Conjectures in an argument so difficult and so little traced by any Writers before him I refer the judicious Readers to those above-mention'd Discourses where they will find several Conjectures of his more easie and less unforced than in some Authors that have written either before or after him not excepting Bochartus himself And herein we have another proof of his early Sagacity But more particularly for History his Commentaries upon the Apocalyps and some passages in Daniel speak the eminency of his skill herein there being no Interpreters before him that have with equal clearness accommodated those Prophecies and Visions to their proper Events That Methodus legendi Historicos cum fructu drawn up by him and sent to Sr. William Boswel his ancient and inward Friend for the private use of some studious Gentlemen would also have testified as much This Method for the study of History as likewise his Catalogue of such Authors as were most eminent in the several Arts and Sciences sent to the same Learned Knight and what was sent at a third time to him for the use of some Friends of his a little Bibliotheca Theologica or an account of such Authors as had made the best distribution of Theology into its parts and had written best for the several parts thereof these his Three Epistolary Discourses for the which Sr. W. B. does in his Letters return most affectionate thanks to Mr. Mede would certainly have been most advantageously instructive unto all could they have been found among Sr. W. Boswel's Papers and copied out for the publick use but as
nor Riches was the top and utmost of his desires And yet when he spake thus he would add not that he should be restless or discontented till he could obtain some such thing but to shew what kind of life he did affect and in how low an Orb of this world's Preferments he would have been content to be placed This sense of his mind is clearly express'd by himself in a Letter of his to a worthy Friend written upon occasion of certain ungrounded conjectures made by some upon his being by the then Archbishop of Canterbury admitted into the number of his Chaplains in which he affirms That he had lived till the best of his time was spent in tranquillitate secessu and now that there is but a little left should I saith he be so unwise suppose there were nothing else as to enter now into a tumultuous life where I should not have time to think my own thoughts and must of necessity displease others or my self Those who think so know not my disposition in this kind to be as averse as some perhaps would be ambitious 28. This inward sense of his Soul which was also his most deliberate choice did not arise from any sad melancholy or sour discontent upon some great disappointment for he that had no great Ambitions could have no great Disappointments nor did it spring out of a fond and over-dear affection to Privacy or from an unfitness for business and converse with the world the property of some who are styl'd Mere Scholars for his Collegues and others who had the happiness to be acquainted with him knew him to be a person of singular Prudence and admirable abilities both for giving pertinent directions and advice in any important case as a Friend and for the managing of Colledge-affairs as Fellow and for discharge of his particular Trust as Tutor He was wont indeed to call his Study his Cell but not as if he meant according to the lazy and useless Monastick way of life to immure and shut up himself there from converse with others He was far from affecting such an unprofitable unactive Solitude for none was more free and open for Converse especially with ingenuous and inquiring Scholars Let who would repair to him provided they were not captious and impertinent he would give them their fill of discourse and enlarge to ample satisfaction yea he would farther take the pains if so much were desired to give his full mind in writing even himself would do it without the help of an Amanuensis 29. There is one thing more to this purpose which here offers it self to be considered That though our Author loved a retired studious life yet his Thoughts were not shut up within his Cell but his Soul covered the whole Earth to borrow that expression of Siracides concerning Solomon his Heart was as large and wide as the Universe He so lived and was affected as became a Citizen of the World More especially as became a Christian and a member of the Church Catholick his Thoughts and Cares were particularly concern'd in the affairs of Christendom And accordingly for the gaining of forein Intelligence besides his Letters from some knowing Friends with whom he kept correspondence he was not unwilling to expend yearly something out of his small Incomes and when he sent it to such as were at charge to furnish him weekly for the most part with Intelligence he us'd in his Letters to them to call it His Tribute that was his word implying his ingenuity and withal his respect not Wages or any the like word of a mercenary or servile signification and to one of them he was pleas'd once pleasantly to say I am neither Dean nor Bishop but thus much I am willing to set apart to know how the World goes adding that if it were with him as it is with some whose Incomes were greater and who wanted neither Riches nor Honour but a good Heart and the power to do good with them in the world he should do a great deal more than that he did as numbering the affairs of Christendom amongst his best concernments and the gaining a more particular acquaintance therewith by helping to maintain correspondencies amongst Learned and wise men in distant Countries amongst the best uses he could make of that estate which God had given him Herein he also verified that of the Psalmist The works of the Lord are Great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein 30. But yet more particularly he had a very pious solicitude for the affairs of the Protestant Reformed Churches being heartily desirous that the Design then on foot for procuring Peace amongst Protestants might take effect And therefore he could not but greatly wonder to see so little life and affection toward this negotiation for Peace in too many of the Protestant profession yea even in some who would seem best affected to the forein Churches these he observ'd would profess a desire that such a Pacification could be accomplish'd but yet with a kind of heaviness and deadness as he thought who in the mean time was not so coldly and indifferently affected it being his heart's desire and prayer to God that all Protestants would follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith each might edifie the other then would not those who were come out of Babylon be so unwise and desperate as manifestly to weaken the Protestant Interest by their fierce animosities and violent contests about some Doctrines neither Fundamental nor Necessary to Salvation and consequently expose themselves as a prey to the common Enemy that breaths out nothing but threatnings and slaughter against the true Worshippers the faithful Servants of Christ and would triumphantly rejoyce to see their memorial cut off from the earth that the Name of Protestants may be no more in remembrance This truly Heroick Design for Peace that was the Epithet our Author gave it he foresaw would prove Difficult but yet he judged it Fecible and the enterprise was the more Heroick because accompanied with Difficulties That which made it Difficult was as he well observ'd Prejudice and Studium partium and a fond esteem of some Opinions peculiar to each side or contended for by some of note amongst them who having once drawn bloud in such Controversies that was his apt expression whereby he meant their having publickly engaged and declar'd themselves therein were therefore the more averse from hearkening to any Overtures of Peace as fearing some beloved Dogmata and consequently their Reputation should thereby receive no little prejudice But that this Pacifick design was Fecible he nothing doubted and that it might the better attain an happy issue he thought in general this was the most compendious and effectual way viz. That neither side should be roughly press'd or urged to relinquish presently their Opinions of difference but rather all fair and calm endeavours should first be us'd to perswade both parties That the difference
of Controversie mens passions are vehemently engaged and the Disputants generally argue according to their Interests and therefore when he saw men impetuous in the assertion of their Opinions and peremptory in the rejection of other mens Iudgments he commonly answer'd such only with silence not caring to entertain discourse with them who in stead of a sober and modest Enquiry into Truth were addicted to a disingenuous humour of Disputacity that was his term which in his sense signified To be always resolved for the last word which is the troublesome temper and practice of self-conceited and pertinacious wranglers for after he discover'd any to be such he would give them full leave to have the last word and all because he would speak no more what-ever he thought Nor was he less unwilling to allow them also the last word in writing Witness those Paper-collations between him and Mr. T. H. a great follower of that man of more Reading than Consideration Mr. Hugh Broughton Indeed T. H. had a great opinion of his own performances in this kind and of the much good might be done by such Conferences and accordingly did ply Mr. Mede with one Paper after another who yet was wholly of another mind and plainly told him Of these reciprocations of discourse in writing wherein you place so much benefit for the discovery of Truth I have often heard and seen Truth lost thereby but seldom or never found And for this reason as also because Conferences by writing were tedious and less safe and would take away a great deal of his time he was averse from all such Pen-work as he call'd it desiring him not to make any Reply for he was resolved to answer no more whatsoever he should send and he was as good as his word for though Mr. H. could not hold but would needs send him another large Paper of the same complexion with the former yet could not this provoke him to recede from his fix'd and well-grounded resolution against all multiplying of unnecessary and fruitless Replies So true was he to that expression of his I can with much more patience endure to be contradicted than be drawn to make Reply having little or no edge to contend with one I think setled and persuaded unless it were in something that nearly concern'd his Salvation and withal he added You know as much of my Opinion and my Grounds for the same as I would desire of any mans and I think I perfectly understand yours Why should then either of us spend our time any farther to no purpose 32. But not to dwell only in Generals His Prudent moderation particularly discover'd itself in an Instance of no small weight and importance In short thus When that unhappy difference about the point of Praedestination and its Appendants instead of a more free sedate and Christian-like method of debating it was blown to so high a flame in the Low-Countreys and began to kindle strifes here at home he would often say he wondred that men would with so great animosity contend about those obscure Speculations and condemn one another with such severity considering that as the Wise man saith to whose words he would often allude We hardly guess aright at things that are upon Earth and with labour do we find the things that are before us But the things that are in Heaven who hath searched out But if at any time as it was said of S. Paul at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his spirit was stirred within him it was when he observ'd some to contend with an unmeasureable confidence and bitter zeal for that black Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation upon which occasion he could not forbear to tell some of his Friends That it was an Opinion he could never digest being herein much of Dr. Iackson's mind That generally the Propugners of such Tenets were men resolved in their Affections of Love and Hatred both of which they exercis'd constantly and violently and according to their own Tempers made a judgment of God and his Decrees To the like purpose he express'd himself about two years before his death in a Letter to an ancient Friend of his formerly of the same Colledge It seems harsh that of those whom God hath elected ad media Salutis and calls by the preaching of his Gospel any should be absolutely and peremptorily ordain'd to damnation And afterwards by way of Reply to the objected authority of S. Austin as to some part of the Predestinarian Controversie he added If those were Hereticks which followed not S. Austin the most part of the Fathers before him were in Heresie and a part of the Church after him Zelots are wont to be over-liberal in such charges Thus would he sometimes in private reveal his judgment but in his publick performances he was reserved and did purposely abstaìn from medling with these matters And accordingly we have received this from some old acquaintance with him That in those days when the Controversies between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants made so great a noise in the world he was wont to bring his Common-places to an ancient Friend and Colleague to be perused by him with a desire that he would expunge whatsoever did but seem to countenance the Positions of either party To which may be added this other Instance of his own relating in a Letter to another Friend about four years before his death viz. That there being great combustions and divisions among the Heads of the University in preparation to the Commencement each party being desirous to get the advantage in the Election of the Answerers and so to fit the Questions to their mind and the more Calvinian party having prevail'd upon this occasion I went not saith he to this week as commonly I use to do for fear of being taken to be of a side These things we have noted particularly to shew with how much Sweetness as well as Prudence the great Learning of this Good man was admirably temper'd 33. But besides his Prudent Moderation there was also to be observed in him that which by the Epigrammatist is made one main Ingredient of an Happy life Prudens Simplicitas a mixture of what our Saviour Christ commends as imitable in the wise Serpent and in the harmless Dove He was not so Imprudent as always to utter all his mind that 's the property of a Fool Prov. 29. or before any company to reveal what new Notion or unvulgar Truth he had discover'd But he was always so generously Honest so Apert and Single-hearted as not to speak wickedly for God or talk deceitfully for him nor would he apply himself to any unwarrantable policies for the promoting or commending of Truth to others Such little crafts and undue practices were below the Nobleness and Integrity of his spirit To this purpose we may fitly take occasion here to remember a serious and excellent passage of his I cannot believe that Truth can be prejudiced by the discovery of Truth
in brief his present Conjectural thoughts which afterwards at better leisure he would bring to the Test and pursue with more accurateness Pitching upon some of these he hath done me the honour to promote me to be his Amanuensis And then first causing me to turn to Texts in the Hebrew Fountain and in the LXX he would Critically give the Importance of the words and here drop many a rich Observation That done he would take down many of the Ancients whether Church-Historians or Fathers Greek and Latin c. and directing me to what places I should turn make me read them to him Upon which again he would by the By give out very considerable Notes and still as he had done with each Author would say You see it holds yet and yet c. So at last one of those Conjecturalls and What Ifs as he call'd them became an adopted Verity And this he called Hunting of Notions At this Sport no less profitable than pleasant we have upon Fasting-days continued from three after Mid-day until the knocking of the Colledge-gates at Night and then he has dismissed me richly laden 3. Of his Advice to young Students in Divinity TO those who intended Curam Animarum he would give among many other these Three Counsels 1. That they familiarly acquaint themselves with and constantly make use of that Golden Observation of Is. Casaubon viz. Vniversam Doctrinam Christianam Veteres distingâ—ebant in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 idest ea quae enunciari apud omnes poterant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arcana temere non vulganda It is in his Exercit. XVI ad Annal. Eccles. Which whole Exercitation he would commend to their often reading and indeed the whole Book And here he would sadly complain to the same effect and almost in the same words with the Admired Lord Verulam It is a Point of great Inconvenience and Perill to entitle the People to hear Controversies and all kinds of Doctrine They say no part of the Counsel of God is to be suppressed nor the People defrauded So as the Difference which the Apostle maketh between Milk and Strong Meat is confounded and his Precept That the weak be not admitted unto Questions and Controversies taketh no place Upon neglect of which sage Counsel we have lately seen those Dismal and Tragical Consequences which Mr. Mede did indeed Prophetically presage would be thereupon And for the present he gave some Instances but not without Indignation of them who under pretence of Revealing the whole Truth to the People would make choice of strange Texts in Leviticus and elsewhere and out of them vent such Stuffe as no modest Ear could endure to hear 2. His next Counsel was That with other Practical Doctrines they should not forget to preach and press Charity and this not in a slight perfunctory manner but Studiedly and Digestedly to give the People the true Nature of it the full latitude of it the absolute and indispensable Necessity of having it both Praecepti and Medii and as the L. Verulam hath express'd it to bring down Doctrines and Directions ad Casus Conscientiae otherwise the Word the Bread of Life they will but toss up and down and not break it 3. His last Counsel was When they had some Necessary Truths to deliver against which the present Humour of the Times ran counter that in this case they should go Socratically to work as to lay down at a convenient distance first one Postulatum and then another that will be clearly inferred from the former and so a third and a fourth c. still depending upon and strengthning each other A Truth brought in thus Backward saith he will be swallowed down unawares Whereas if you first shew its Horns there will be such startling and flinging that there will be no coming near with it 4. How far he was from Ambition FOR proof hereof we cannot desire a clearer Evidence or Demonstration then his so constant declining Preferments even then when they sought him out Witness his Answer to the Letter of the Fellows of Trinity Colledge near Dublin And by the way that Election into that Provostship was so firm as well as free that he was desired to make a Formal Resignation before his Successor could be elected and admitted into it which he did as himself hath told me more than once Witness again his Third Letter to the then Lord Primate what time some new hopes began to be raised of his acceptance of the same Provostship upon the remove of Bishop Bedel To all this I can add two more Instances which I believe are not known to many One That divers years after the refusal of the Provostship he received a Letter from a Friend in Ireland assuring him there was then kept for him a Dignity worth at the least 1000â— per ann and staied only for his acceptance To persuade him to which he used many potent arguments among the rest this The great freedom from molestations and incumbrances that place would indulge him in c. This Letter he was pleased to communicate to my self when freshly received concealing indeed the Name subscribed though that was not hard to guess at But here again his Modesty proved inflexible The other Instance is this When he newly related to his then Grace of Canterbury and now glorious Martyr neither of whom I believe had seen each others face in all their lives I am sure he told me so not long before his death he desired me to tell him freely what I heard men say concerning his Chaplainship c. The sum of my Answer was That I perceived he was looked upon as a Rising man and that many rejoyced at it because of his known merits c. To the latter part of my Answer he replied I am much beholden to my Friends for their good opinion of me c. But no man knows my Defects so well as my self And this was but the native Language and Dialect of his innate Modesty But when he came to reply to the former part which spake him a Rising man here he used more than ordinary Solemnity and with a grave composed countenance uttered these words At to my Rising come now I will make you my Confessor I can safely appeal to that Infinite Majesâ—y who hears me which words were accompanied with a gesture of great Reverence that if I might obtain but a Donative sine cura sine cura he repeâ—ted it which I may keep with my Fellowship I would set up my staffe for this World And the reason why I desire this is that I mought be able to keep a Nag for my Recreation sometimes in taking the air and in visiting my friends in the Countrey since this my Corpulency then growing upon him makes me unwieldy for walking In pursuance of this discourse I chanced to smile at a Conceit then coming into my mind which he quickly observed and was very earnest to know the reason of it
Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts omits the first which was to be while the Fourth Beast yet lived and designs the last only when that ruffling Horn's time being finished and the Beast destroyed The Ancient of daies gives the Son of man a Kingdom wherein all nations tongues and people should serve and obey him Dan. 7. 13. The Reason Nebuchadnezzar a Gentile was a Type of the Gentiles who were to have their part in both estates of Christ's Kingdom wherefore both are shewn him Daniel a Iew was a Type of the Iews whoâ—e nation should have no share in the first but only in the last and therefore the last is only shewn him This Vniversal Kingdom of the Son of man revealed in the clouds of heaven which Daniel here saw and which the Angel expounds to be the Kingdom of the Saints of the most High is the same with that voiced in the Apocalyps upon the sound of the seventh Trumpet All the Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Compare them Whence it will follow That those finishing times of the Fourth Beast called A Time Times and half a Time during which that wicked Horn should domineer and ruffle it among his ten Kings are the self-same Time which the Angel in S. Iohn forewarn thâ— should be no longer as soon as the seventh Angel began to sound Chap. 10. 6. The self-same Times whose finishing the same Angel swears unto Daniel in the same form and gesture he doth to S. Iohn should be the period of those wondrous afflictions of the Church and of the scattering of the power of the holy people Dan. 12. 7. And consequently those very Times of the Gentiles whereof our Saviour speaks Luke 21. 24. that the treading down of Ierusalem and dispersion of the Iews should last until the Times of the Gentiles were finished even the same Times whereof Tobit harped Chap. ult That notwithstanding Iudah should again after a while return and build a second Temple yet should not the Vniversal restitution be nor Israel return from all places of their Captivity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lastly the same Times with S. Iohn's Apocalyptical Times of the renewed Beast's blasphemous reign and profanation of the Temple and City of God forty two months or 1260 days Forasmuch as the same Kingdom of our Lord Christ is the immediate and common consequent to them all Compare them When Daniel's times are done the Son of man comes in the clouds of heaven to receive the Empire of all the Kingdoms of the world Dan. 7. 14. When S. Lukes times of the Gentiles are finished then shall be Signs in the Sun and Moon the Son of man comes also in the clouds of heaven ver 27. the redemption of Israel ver 28. and the Kingdom of God is at hand ver 31. When S. Iohn's Apocalyptical Beasts forty two months reign with the Witnesses 1260 days mourning determine the Ark of the Covenant is seen in heaven and all the Kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ Apocal. 11. 15. ad finem An APPENDIX The First coming of Christ was to be while the Fourth Kingdom was yet in being his Second when it should end The hewing of the Stone out of the mountain which is the rearing of the Kingdom of Christ was before it smote the Image upon the feet and upon the destruction thereof became so great a Mountain as filled the whole earth Therefore the hewing out of this Stone was while this Image was yet in being Daniel himself interprets the Stone to be the Kingdom of Christ not Christ himself and saies that the God of heaven should set it up in the days of those Kings or Kingdoms that is adhuc currente horum Regum periodo vel diebus Tetrarchiae hujus nondum expletis whilest the daies of those Kingdoms of the Gentiles yet lasted or before they expired namely whilst the last of those Kingdoms was still current and in being He that shall here expound in the daies to mean after the days shall give me leave not to believe him unless also he can perswade me that the Stone which smote the Image was hewed out of the mountain after the Image was dashed in pieces and vanished The Iews in our Saviour's time expected the Messiah's coming before the times of the Fourth Kingdom expired For they looked it should be destroyed by him after he was come and then the Kingdom restored to Israel According to that of Dan. 7. when the Beast should be slain and his body destroyed the Kingdom should be given to the people of the Saints of the most High Only they thought not the distance between the first coming of Christ and his destruction of the Fourth Beast to be so long Whence was that question of the Apostles to our Saviour at his Ascension Wilt thou now restore the Kingdom to Israel But I am gone much further than ever I intended and therefore will here make an end I make question whether you can read my scribling If you can I hope you will excuse my hast And so I commend you to the divine protection and am Your loving Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Iuly 22. EPISTLE IX Mr. Hayn's Third Letter to Mr. Mede about several passages in Daniel and the Revelation SIR I Confess that conference by writing multiplies words by giving more scope to deliberation and may justly make you backward to Collations in this kind But the disquisition and finding of truth countervails all than which I seek nothing more by this my pains To that part of your answer received Iuly 22. I have inclosed a Reply and expect the rest of your Answer formerly intended when you should return to Cambridge And now to this present Reply as your occasions will permit Such Writings as I have seen of yours testifie to me both your plentiful reading and diligent observation of matters most remarkable therein as also I am perswaded in this Argument Yet cannot all that yet you have said drive me from my hold I reverence the Learned on both sides and will ever give them all duerespect and will not be found to stand single in any opinion But the persons of men shall not sway me against the native light of the Sacred Text which I know makes for me If Alsted and some others have lest their Masters in some of these points I think we shall find others as Glassius of equal judgment to Alsted to run this way But 't is to be considered herein not so much Qui dicunt pro auâ— contra as Quid dicunt And therefore I will not put into the scales mens Authority but their Reasons And hope that after your perusal of this present Reply you will be more inclinable to a different judgment from some of your former Tenets And thus leaving you to the protection and direction of the God of Truth I rest Your very loving Friend Tho. Hayne
begins at the Great Iudgment That the Kingdom in Daniel and that of a 1000 years in the Apocalyps are one and the same Kingdom appears thus First Because they begin ab eodem termino namely at the destruction of the Fourth Beast That in Daniel when the Beast then ruling in the wicked Horn was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Dan. 7. vers 11 22 27. That in the Apocalyps when the Beast and the false Prophet the wicked Horn in Daniel were taken and both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Apoc. 19. ver 20 21 c. Secondly Because S. Iohn begins the Regnum of a thousand years from the same Session of Iudgement described in Daniel as appears by his parallel expression borrowed from thence Daniel sayes Chap. 7. S. Iohn says Chap. 20. V. 9. I beheld till the Thrones were pitched down and the Iudgment i. Iudges sat V. 4. I saw Thrones and they sat upon them 22. And Iudgment was given to the Saints of the most High And Iudgment was given unto them And the Saints possessed the Kingdom viz with the Son of Man who came in the clouds And the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Now if this be sufficiently proved That the thousand years begin with the Day of Iudgment it will appear further out of the Apocalyps that the Iudgment is not consummate till they be ended For Gog and Magog's destruction and the universal Resurrection is not till then Therefore the whole thousand years is included in the Day of Iudgment Consectarium de Interpretatione aliorum Scripturae locorum huc pertinentium Hence it will follow That whatsoever Scripture speaks of a Kingdom of Christ to be at his second appearing or at the destruction of Antichrist it must needs be the same which Daniel saw should be at that time and so consequently be the Kingdom of a thousand years which the Apocalyps includes between the beginning and consummation of the Great Iudgment Ergo That in Luke 17. from verse 20. to the end And that in Luke 19. from the 11. verse to the 15. inclusively And that in Luke 21. verse 31. When ye see these things come to pass know that the Kingdom of God is at hand See what went before viz. The Son of man's coming in a cloud with power and great glory borrowed from Daniel And that in 2 Tim. 4. 1. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom By these we may understand the rest taking this for a sure ground That this expression of The Son of man's coming in the clouds of heaven so often inculcated in the New Testament is taken from and hath reference to the Prophecie of Daniel being no where else found in the Old Testament As our Saviour also calls himself so frequently The Son of man because Daniel so called him in that Vision of the Great Iudgment and that we might look for the accomplishment of what is there prophesied of in him It was not in vain that when our Saviour quoted the Prophecie of Daniel he added He that readeth him let him understand Certainly the great mystery of Christ is chiefly and most distinctly revealed in that Book which God the Father of lights so enable us with his Spirit that we may understand to his glory and our own comfort Amen I pray compare this with the Paper I sent you of the Four Monarchies which I called The A. B. C. of Prophecie and with the latter end of my Specimina de mille annis and with my Interpretation of Praeconium Tubae VII You shall find the grounds of all this in them I have no copy of this I now send I would desire you when you are weary with reading it to send me it again that I may get it transcribed to save me a labour another time when some other friend shall make a Quaere to like purpose I find ever and anon inconvenience for want of such a provision I will send you it again presently Before Christmass will be time enough I desire to be remembred to Master Doctor Twisse to whose Letter I shall make some Answer when I get some leisure now I have none Yours Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Novemb. 25. 1629. EPISTLE XVI Dr. Twisse his Second Letter to Mr. Mede Worthy Sir I Pray forgive me this once in interrupting your more momentous meditations Thankfulness urgeth me to express that your Letter is a Iewel unto me making me partaker of such fruits and giving me interest in such affections I profess you have strange conceits I mean for the worthiness of them they possess me with admiration especially that touching the manner of the Iews Conversion Those passages of Scripture and the reference of them which you make I do consider with Reverence and the particular relation S. Paul makes of himself as first tasting of that Grace in reference to the like which were to succeed had he made mention of the miraculous operation in his Conversion as he doth of God's Long-suffering and Patience the Congruity had been absolute Yet I seem to discern something whereby that may be argued also to be implied for otherwise in likelihood he was not the first Yet to object for your Ingenuity I perceive gives me leave S. Paul was a particular person and then travelling on the way The Conversion we speak of is of a Nation and that wonderfully dispersed in the world the like manner of Christ's appearing unto whom for their Conversion is hard to conceive And besides I seem to conceive evidence from 2 Cor. 3. 15 16. that their Conversion shall be wrought from amongst themselves by reading Moses and the Prophets for it is the veil laid before their Hearts which hinders them from discerning the end of the Law which is Christ which veil shall be taken away and being taken away they shall be turned unto Christ. Yet I confess the Text saith not when the veil is taken away they shall be turned to the Lord but rather when they shall be turned to the Lord the veil shall be taken away Yet again so it is said Luk. 7. 47. that many sins were forgiven her for she loved much yet by the scope of the Parable there proposed the formal truth appears to be this She loved much for many sins were forgiven her So here it may be argued that the taking away of their veil is the cause of their turning to the Lord for the position of the veil is that which hinders them from discerning him therefore the removing of the veil is the making may for the discerning of him by that in Moses Yet I seem to see how this may be answered The veil hinders from discerning him in the Law of Moses but if God be pleased to manifest his Son by sight the veil can no way hinder that And why may not the
like miraculous favour be shewed to them as well as to S. Paul their obstinacy being greater and sealed with greater blasphemies than his was May it not be said that therefore this Apparition was made to S. Paul that he might have Apostolical authority independent on men as well as the rest of the Apostles And cannot the spirit of illumination clear all and that from Moses as well as it did in the heart of the Gentiles who had not so much as Moses to direct them As for Provocation how can Salvation on the Gentiles part be it unto the Iews seeing the Iews such is their blindness cannot acknowledge any such condition of the Gentiles Yet I confess the judgment of flesh and bloud may teach them that the Gentiles becoming Christians are turned to the worship of the God of Abraham as appears by their embracing of the Old Testament as the Word of God yet this hitherunto hath nothing moved them yet a time may come it may and the Prosperity of our Church also And it is said that they shall obtain mercy by the mercy shewed unto us Rom. 11. 31. As for the black time to be expected if so it seems to be wondrous great if not greater than all that went before For the time hath been the strong man hath so far possessed the House of God in peace that scarce here and there a Witness hath been found openly to contest against him in this or that particular And the days of the persecution of the Waldenâ—es were wonderfull heavy times And we have seen many black days for many years And if it be so as I doubt it is too probable and most congruous to God's course indeed in the exaltation of his Church I doubt it will concern our England most yet God grant we may be of the number of those that suffer that within three days and a half we may be raised and reign with Christ at his coming But will you not make us acquainted with that Sin you intimate that cries for vengeance we are loth to adventure our conjectures but we dare promise to joyn in mourning for it But I heartily thank you for all and particularly for that Speculation of the untimely advancing of the Martyrs to a Reign derogatory to the Mediation of our Lord a bitter fruit of too irregular animosity against the Chiliasts and of very ponderous consideration in this case I have done with some sorrow for putting out of your mind better thoughts I assure you the place you are pleased to afford me in your good affections I esteem as a part of the best happiness I enjoy in friends and heartily wish I may not be unworthy of it I heartily commend your self and your precious studies to the Blessing of God and rest Yours in all true Affection Will. Twisse Newbury Nov. 16. 1629. EPISTLE XVII Mr. Mede's Answer to Doctor Twisse his Second Letter concerning the two Wars of the Beast against the Witnesses as also of the manner of the Iews Conversion SIR I Owe an answer to your Letter though I can scarce find time to attend it Some I have now gotten and therefore desire you to vouchsafe to read and accept these few lines The Apocalyps mentions two Wars of the Beast one to be in medio Testium luctu during the time of the Witnesses mourning-prophecy another when the Witnesses began to make an end of mourning The first while the Court of the Temple was wholly troden down and prophaned by the Gentiles the latter when it began to be purged and so the cause of the Witnesses mourning to be removed In these two Wars we may observe in the description these differences First The intermedium bellum is said to be against the whole Body of the Saints Chap. 13. ver 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and overcome them But the Bellum novissimum or last War is against the Prophets or Witnesses only The Beast which ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war with the Witnesses and overcome and kill them Chap. 11. v. 7. This difference is remarkable and to be considered for the better understanding of this last War and how it differs from that formerly against the Waldenses c. Secondly In the former his prevailing and success is absolute so that all kindreds tongues and nations submit unto him and worship him Ch. 13. v. 7 8. But in the latter some of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c and of the kindreds and tongues and nations shall be an obstacle to the perfecting and securing his victory as not suffering him when he shall have slain the Witnesses to bury them and make them sure in hope to recover them Thirdly The first prevailed many ages this latter but three days and an half Adde if you well though it be included in the former the first advanced his Dominion to that height it came to this latter shall occasion his utter ruine and downfal These differences I thought good to propound to your consideration to intimate that the seantling of this last War cannot be well taken from that against the Waldenses and Albegenses c. as being to be of another kind namely an extermination of the Reformed Pastors out of their places and Churches and not a general extermination of the Body of the Reformed people which are too many to be dealt with according to former violence and shall remain to terrifie the Beast and revenge the Clades of their Prophets before almost they shall have done rejoycing over them FOR my conceit of the manner of the Iews Conversion though it often solicits me to give credence to it as best becoming the greatest work that ever God yet did for that people for whom in former times he shewed so many wonders yet I will ingeniously confess the grounds I have hitherto found seem not to my self sufficient to build a firm assent upon but only by a kind of concinnity induce to a pleasing but a wavering conjecture And therefore it were to little purpose to contend much for that wherein my self have no sufficient confidence I use to object to my self That the appearing of Christ in heaven belongs to the time of his Second coming But the Iews must be converted before then lest they all should perish amongst the enemies of his Kingdom whereof they would be the principal I salve it with a supposition of some latitude in that appearance as being first to be ushered with some preparation or praeludium towards the Iewish Nation before his great and universal Appearing to the whole world to judgement So Cestius Gallus the President of Syria compassed Ierusalem with an Army by way of anticipation three years before the final and fatal siege by Vespasian to be for a warning to the believing Iews to flee into the mountains of Arabia according to our Saviour's sign given them Luk 21. ver 20. For strengthening of such a supposition methinks I
The third day Herbanus required to end the controversie that if Iesus of Nazareth were indeed living and reigning in Heaven and if those who worshipped him had any power with him that he would upon their prayers manifest himself from Heaven and they would then believe in him Thereupon all the multitude of Iews cried out in derision Ostende nobis Christum tuum Vae quia fiemus Christiani c. The conclusion was that Christ Iesus after a dreadful Thunder and Lightning appeared from Heaven with beams of glory walking upon a purple cloud with a Sword in his hand and a Diadem of inestimable beauty upon his head and over the Assembly uttered a voice Appareo vobis in oculis vestris ego crucifixus à Patribus vestris Which having spoken the cloud took him presently out of their sight The Christians shouted Domine miserere the Iews were all stricken blind and received not their sight till they were all baptized This Story whereof I tell you but the brief hath been long unknown to these Western parts and was brought in our time from the Eastern among divers other Greek Manuscripts and published in Greek and Latin by Nicolaus Gulonius in octavo under the name of Gregentii Archiepiscopi Tephrensis Disputatio cum Herbano Iudaeo The beginning is imperfect In the end is the Story I have related I have seen and used that Book but could not be owner of it But the Latin translation is inserted into the Bibliotheca Patrum of the edition of Colen in the fifth Tome pag. 919. which if you read I could wish you would joyn with it the Story of the Martyrium Omeritarum published by Baronius out of a Vatican Manuscript in his sixth Seculum about the middle It is worthy your reading and supposed to have happened a little before this Conversion of the Iews I speak of which Baronius nevertheless then knew not of as being published after he had written that Tome The Persecution was raised by Dunaan a Iew who had gotten the Kingdom of the Omerites and meant to extinguish the Christian City and Dition of Nargan which was subject as many other small Reguli were to that Kingdom c. If this Story be true it makes much for a probability of such a conjecture for the future If it be counterfeit at least it argues that some many ages ago thought such a mean not unlikely For Poets themselves are wont to feign Verisimilia So howsoever I am not the first that thought of such a matter That which you say of S. Paul's miraculous Conversion that by it he had Apostolical authority immediate and independent as having his Mission from Heaven and not from Men I acknowledge it But that this should be the only end of his so being converted I suppose it is not necessary For it might have pleased God to have converted him by an ordinary mean and yet have given him a Mission for his Apostleship by an immediate and extraordinary way The immediateness of Apostolical Mission depended not upon such a miraculous Conversion though it pleased God at one and the same time by one and the same miraculous manifestation both to convert him to the Faith of Christ and send him to be an Apostle to the Gentiles But it is now time to give over I have been tedious and troublesome I know and perhaps not well busied in spending so many words and paper about a wavering and uncertain Speculation But because in my first Letter I had unawares discovered my fancy I was somewhat solicitous till I had more fully explained my self lest I might seem to believe much upon very little reason or be supposed to be more confident in this conceit than I am But he that seeks for that which is yet to find must be poring as well where it is not as where it is God Almighty the Father of Lights direct us in the search of his Truth and give us grace when we find it to use it to his Glory and our own Salvation To whose protection I commend your self not forgetting my best respect who am Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Decemb. 2. 1629. I shall bid you farewel for this year and write shorter Letters the next that so I may hold out I have made a saltus in my Meditations by these Discourses of the Great Day I am not come to it yet I have much to think of and bring to more perfection which is preceding to it The Witnesses Dragon Beast c. EPISTLE XVIII Mr. Mason's Letter to Mr. Mede touching the Millenaries Good Mr. Mede I Think my self much indebted unto you that you do so freely communicate unto me your learned Writings I wish I had been more conversant in studies of this nature that I might in some sort be able to talk with you in your own language But you have had the happiness to follow these studies with good leisure and much opportunity and I to say nothing of other wants have been hindred both with businesses of my place and weakness of my body that I have scarce had time to think on any thing but what hath been necessary for my present imployment and so it happeneth to me in my studies as to poor men in getting of their living we have nothing but from hand to mouth The consciousness of these wants maketh me to write so seldom and so slightly Else if I had any thing in my thoughts that might be fit for your reading I would be as free in communicating my studies with you as you are in imparting yours unto me especially in this business wherein you have travelled with such success I only now can say that I wish I may see the full finishing of your intended Work and so do others abroad also but yet I had rather stay your leisure till you have concocted all according to your mind than to hasten you forward before the time Dr. Potter hath read your former Papers which you committed to Mr. D. and by occasion thereof hath proceeded to read others of the same Argument which when I understood I desired him to peruse two Writings of Dr. Gerhard of the same Argument both purposely intended against the Millenaries the one is in the second part of his Disputationes Theologicae Disp. 3. de novis Fanaticis the other in the ninth Tome of his Common Places Loc. de Consummatione seculi cap. 7. p. 442 c. Vpon the reading of those Treatises he sent a Letter expressing his mind and judgment concerning them which I received this evening And because I know you desire to hear the opinion of Learned men I have sent down inclosed herein so much of his Letter as concerneth that business Which I did the rather also because I suppose this may give you ocâ—â—sion to answer such grounds as Gerhard hath laid to the contrary Perhaps if you consider him well you may find a tacit Answer to that which you object against S. Hierome for
laying an imputation on the Mellenaries as if they dreamed of Earthly Pleasures in this Kingdom of our Lord for he saith that as Dr. Gerhard thinks of the Cerinthians and Iews not of the ancient Fathers how truly I leave it to your consideration and judgment In the Margin of your Notes on Iustin Martyr I noted a place to the same purpose in Lactantius It is in black lead and may easily be wiped out if it be nothing to your purpose Dr. Potter signified in a former Letter that he had a purpose to write to you perhaps he is not yet ready for that which he meaneth to say but if he send his Letter this way I will take care to send it down by your Carrier In the mean while and ever I commend you and your studies to the Blessing of the Almighty and so for this time I leave you Your ever assured Friend Henry Mason S. Andrew's Undershaft Decemb. 10. 1629. EPISTLE XIX Dr. Potter his Letter to Mr. Mason touching the Millenaries Good Mr. Mason I Have read those two large and learned Discourses of Gerhard against the Millenaries and find him as his woâ—t is to be very diligent both in recounting the Opinions of other men and in the establishing of his own By him I see the conceit is ancient among our later Writers and favoured by many ignorant and fanatical spirits which I confess casts much envy upon the Conjecture But yet methinks First the consent of so many great and worthy Lights of the ancient Primitive Church doth more honour and countenance the opinion than it can be disgraced or obscured by these late blind abettors Secondly The Anabaptists and their fellows are confident where Mr. Mede doth but modestly conjecture and that Thirdly upon other and better grounds than their dreaming doting heads ever thought of Lastly The Devil himself may sometime speak truth and so may his disciples with an ill intention or at hazard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I suppose no Learned man or Christian can deny that the Nation of the Iews shall be once hereafter called by God's mercy to the Faith and that their general Conversion will bring with it a great and glorious alteration in the Church and therefore that Kingdom of our Lord upon earth howsoever in some circumstances it may not answer our hopes which may be ungrounded and deceived yet for substance it seems an indisputable Truth But Prophecies are Mysteries till their accomplishment let us therefore leave them to God and to Posterity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have received Philostrates and Origen c. C. P. EPISTLE XX. Mr. Mede's Second Letter to Dr. Meddus containing four grounds why the First Resurrection Rev. 20. is to be taken literally with some other Observations concerning the difference between the State of the New Ierusalem and the State of the Nations walking in the light thereof as also concerning the time of the Regnum Christi Worthy Sir I Sent the fourth sheet I promised to the Bury-Carrier yesterday with a note therein promising to make some Answer to your Quaere to day to be delivered to the Carrier as he passed through Newmarket but some 4 or 5 miles from the place where I am When I had thus done some hour or two after I received a transcript of another of yours dated August 14 of the conformation of the taking of Wesel But to the Quaere which I must answer but briefly till I have a better and more free occasion to enlarge upon particulars The full resolving thereof depends upon so large an explication of the Oeconomy of God in the restitution of Mankind as cannot be comprised in a Letter And I am somewhat unwilling to discover what I think unless I could do it fully which made me abstain in my Specimina from any explication of that First Resurrection save to name it only But howsoever when at first I perceived that Millennium to be a State of the Church consequent to the times of the Beast I was a verse from the proper acception of that Resurrection taking it for a rising of the Church from a dead estate as being loth to admit too many Paradoxes at once yet afterward more â—etiously considering and weighing all things I found no ground or footing for any sense but the Literal For first I cannot be perswaded to forsake the proper and usual importment of Scripture-language where neither the insinuation of the Text it selfe nor manifest tokens of Allegory nor the necessity and nature of the things spoken of which will bear no other sense do warrant it For to do so were to lose all footing of Divine testimony and in stead of Scripture to believe mine own imaginations Now the 20 th of the Apocalyps of all the Narrations of that Book seems to be the most plain and simple most free of Allegory and of the involution of Prophetical figures only here and there sprinkled with such Metaphors as the use of speech makes equipollent to vulgar expressions or the former Narrations in that Book had made to be as words personal or proper names are in the plainest histories as Old Serpent Beast c. How can a man then in so plain and simple a narration take a passage of so plain and ordinarily-expressed words as those about the First Resurrection are in any other sense than the usual and Literal Secondly Howsoever the word Resurrection by it self might seem ambiguous yet in a sentence composed in this manner viz. Of the dead those which were beheaded for the witness of Iesus c. lived again when the thousand years began but the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were ended it would be a most harsh and violent interpretation to say that Dead and consequently Living again from the dead should not utrobique be taken in the same meaning For such a speech in ordinary construction implies That some of the dead lived again in the beginning of the thousand years in that sense the rest should live again at the end of the thousand years and è contrà In what manner the rest of the dead should live again at the end of the thousand years in that manner those who were beheaded for Iesus lived again in the beginning of the thousand years which living again of those some is called the First Resurrection Thirdly Though the ancient Iews whilest they were yet the Church of God had no distinct knowledge of such an order in the Resurrection as First and Second but only of the Resurrection in gross and general to be in die Iudicii magni yet they looked for such a Resurrection wherein those that rose again should reign some time upon earth as appeareth Wisd. 3. from the first to the eighth verse inclusivè where it is expressely said That the Souls of the Righteous which were departed should in the time of their visitation shine and that they should judge the nations and have dominion over the people
aeternitatis There came forth that year I conceived my Specimina of that Millennium a Discourse by a Lutheran with this Title Vero-similia historico-Prophetica de Rebus in novissimo die eventuris pio studio cujusdam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He conceals his name it is a little but elaborate Discourse He hath the same notion of Dies novissimus which I had of Dies Iudicii I found with no little admiration a great part of my private Speculations of this matter in that Tractate Spying it in the Catalogue and guessing what it meant by the Title I laid for it at London There came but two I got them both one for a friend another for my self I have used means for more Copies but they cannot say the Merchants be heard of Mine is now lent away when I can recover it I will send it you Thus I take my leave lest I seal too late God keep us Dalham-Hall Aug. 18. Yours Ioseph Mede Post-script Now I have done I repent me of so tumultuary and confused a Discourse of so great a Mysterie wherein so much is wanting to give it light and evidence I must desire you therefore to keep it to your self and to pardon the fault you have been an occasion of in putting me upon it EPISTLE XXI Dr. Meddus his Letter to Mr. Mede touching Dr. Twisse's Answers to nine Quaere's about Regnum Sanctorum Worthy Sir and my dear Friend THis hath been unto me no pleasant time being much weakened by this months bleeding and a pain in my right arm I have done with the Lutheran though doing all with my own hand I have been longer about it than Dr. Twisse was having the help of divers hands I now send it back with many thanks You may remember in the beginning of November I sent you a Letter from Dr. Twisse when I wrote he had besides some Quaere's to have proposed unto you concerning the thousand years Regnum Sanctorum but he durst not be so bold yet left it free unto me to do as I thought good But then propounding other things and being loth especially to hinder you in the going forward as with another part of the Revelation so with the clearing of 2 Pet. c. 3. And besides your inhibition was then a command unto me to make no more demands till after these late Holy-days But now in hope of your favourable bearing with me I shall adventure to make his Quaere's and Answers known unto you yet with this caution that neither they nor your judgment or censure of the Lutheran Book which I once desired may retard your other meditations nor to give answer thereunto but at your best leisure and conveniency Now to the Quaere's and Answers Quaere 1. As concerning the persons to be raised which are expressed Rev. 20. 4. to be only Martyrs and Piscator will have it proceed only of such Now this is very strange considering that undoubtedly some never suffering Martyrdom have been as great in the favour of God as any Martyrs as Abraham Isaac Iacob and the Virgin Mary Answ. This may be helped two waies First by such an interpretation of Martyrdom as may be extended much further then to the suffering of death for the testimony of Christ Secondly by comparing this of Rev. 20. 4. with other places as namely with Rev. 5. 10. 11. 18. where the same grace is extended to them that fear God's Name to small and great Object But then here followeth a contrary inconvenience that so it shall be extended unto all Answ. Yet is it not said To all that fear God's Name Quaere 2. Concerning the Communion between the Saints raised from their graves and the people then living and remaining on the earth called the nations that are saved that is from the fire whereby the earth and the works thereof shall be burned 2 Pet. 3. 10. Alstedius will have the Saints raised to be Doctors of the Church taking no notice of any distinction of male and female though of both Sexes there have been both Saints and Martyrs Rev. 21. 24. it is said that the nations shall walk in the light of New Ierusalem and if the Saints shall reign over the Nations there must be a Communion such as is between Governors and persons governed And this Government shall be undoubtedly in reference to the Worship of God Now consider 1. What Communion can such Bodies as ours have with glorified bodies considering that when Moses came down from the Mount his countenance did so shine that the Israelites could not endure to look him in the face Answ. First this glorious lustre may be qualified so far as to be without offence Secondly The world being restored why may not the mortal Bodies of men be something altered also Surely God can proportion it 2. Whether shall the Bodies of the Saints raised be covered or naked It seems very incongruous they should be naked neither can we devise in any congruity a glorified Body should be covered What raiment were any fit covering for such Neither is it congruous their glory should be covered as Moses's face was with a Veil Answ. As Angels appeared their faces shining like lightning and their raiment whitè as snow which aspect terrible at the first by familiar conversation might prove not terrible so Light may be as a garment to the Saints raised 3. Whether Christ and the Saints raised shall eat and drink One Mr. a Minister in Lincolnshire maintains they shall as I have heard from a noble person and for his opinion alledgeth that of our Saviour I will not from henceforth drink of the fruit of the vine until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God Mar. 14. 25. Add to this Luk. 14. 15. One sitting at table with Christ said Blessed is he that eateth bread in the Kingdom of God This he meant as did all the Iews of the Kingdom of the Messias on earth which opinion our Saviour doth no where correct Otherwise what use will they have of the Restauration of the world Yet this is very hard to concoct 1. That Christ and his Saints all glorified should come from Heaven to eat and drink on earth which comes near to the vile opinion of Cerinthus that for a 1000 years God's Saints should live on earth in carnal pleasures 2. In this case it seems their Bodies should be exposed to excrements which is not to be endured in Bodies glorified Answ. 1. No more than our Saviour's was after his Resurrection or Angels who sometimes did eat with the Patriarchs Answ. 2. If so yet not for necessity much less for satisfaction to the flesh but for other reasons as Christ did eat with his Apostles after his Resurrection Quaere 3. Then there will be no place for such desires as to be dissolved and to be with Christ Philip. 1. 23. and to be removed out of the body and to dwell with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 8. For then to be dissolved will
with the computation of years upon suâ—h grounds as the world affords Yet as in the course of your contemplations you should light upon any further or fuller satisfaction I should think my self very happy to have my desire satisfied in being made partaker of them and of the opinion of that most reverend Prelate Dr. Usher the Lord Primate of Armagh concerning the same which you gain'd of him by conference Otherwise I shall bethink my self of a course to obtain it from himself which I conceive to be very possible more ways than one I desired by Dr. Meddus to obtain your interpretation of three particulars in Daniel Dan. 7. 12. As concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time Conradus Graserus in his Historia Antichristi seems to interpret it of the lasting of each of the three first national Monarchies after the death of each first Monarch which in my judgment is as appliable to the fourth Beast as to the three first The other is Dan. 7. 8. touching the little Horn before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up which Graserus applies to Mahomet and his rending of three Provinces from the Roman Monarchy namely Syria Egypt and Africa I had rather understand it of Antichrist as Moulin doth But whether it be of Provinces rent from the Empire by Antichrist or by others about his rising and what they are I am to seek And of the reconciling of this with that Rev. 17. 12. where it is said that the ten horns are ten kings which receive power as kings one hour with the Beast Good Sir pardon my over-great boldness I have sent my Copy of your Paraphrase of the last of Peter and your Discourse of that Fiery judgment to be considered of as you think good and according to your motion When Peter saith His beloved brother Paul in all his Epistles speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are some things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though some few Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza observeth yet little reason that should carry it Hemingius reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the perverting of those things gives instance in the Millenaries But if the embracing of that opinion from a Text of Scripture were the corrupting of it were not Peter himself far more liable thereunto in this Epistle than Paul I know some to the contrary have observed something in Paul against the opinion of the Thousand years Regnum Sanctorum as namely Piscator I have heard of no writer that from Paul's Text hath pleaded for it I looked you would have noted something concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which to my judgment seems a singular phrase I will observe carefully to retain your LXX Weeks by me without communicating them to any As for Doctor Potter he hath seen upon my knowledge your Specimina upon the Seals and Trumpets as also your Generals and if I be not deceived that of Regnum Lapidis and Regnum Montis in Daniel The rest I will communicate unto him very shortly as Placita Iudaeorum and your Notes upon Iustine or what else soever you shall desire either to him or any other and that in your own Name that he may know your good affection towards him by your desire to gratifie him in such special pieces of no vulgar contemplation I desire to commend your self and worthy studies to the blessing of God and rest Newbury March 5. 1629. Your very loving Friend much obliged W. Twisse EPISTLE XXIV Mr. Mede's Third Letter to Dr. Meddus touching the explanation of some obscure passages in Daniel mentioned in the foregoing Letter of Dr. Twisse SIR I Have nothing upon the seventh of Daniel but what you have seen in those two Discourses viz. The purport of the four Kingdoms in Daniel and secondly The Description of the Great Day of Iudgment Dan. 7. Both which I sent you written with my own hand to be communicated to Dr. Twisse and the latter being sent me back to take a Copy for my self I returned it again unto you As for those three Chapters of the Apocalyps I have not yet done a word and see so much business now coming upon me that I know not when I shall begin For I can do nothing in those things but in silence and security of not being distracted In the mean time I must desire my friends to content themselves with those short Specimina concerning those Chapters which they had at the beginning of my communication of my Meditations on these things And it may be if I had not communicated them to so many till they had been more full and perfect I had been ere this time more forward than I am Concerning your three Questions I have chosen to make answer to them this Festival-week not knowing after it be past when I shall have so much leisure again And first I will begin with the two last Quaest. 1. If the Horn with eyes and mouth speaking words against the most High c. in Daniel or the fourth Beast ruling in that Horn be the same with S. Iohn's Bestia novissimi capitis and consequently the ten Horns amongst which that Horn ruled the same Kingdoms which S. Iohn saw typed by the like number of Horns as the Church from her infancy believed how can S. Iohn who saith that his ten Kings receive their kingdoms at the same time or hour with his Beast be reconciled with Daniel who saith the wicked Horn rose up after them Resp. I translate not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Dan. 7. 24. After them but Behind them as the Greek doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and take the meaning implied to be that the ten Kings were not aware of the growing up of the little Horn till it overtopped them The learned in the Tongues know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie as well Behind in place as After in time and the first as often and frequently every whit as the latter So also Post in Latine is indifferently either Loci or Temporis The translation cannot be excepted against as either new or strained The sense is obvious and most agreeable to the event and so we shall not need seek any other way to avoid the appearance of contradiction Otherwise it were not impossible to expound After them to be in order of number and not in order of time which we in English would express And another shall rise up besides them that is besides the ten and so make the eleventh But we shall not need so harsh and unusual a way Besides it might be granted that the little Horn in respect of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and height of dominion was after the ten Kings though his beginning were at the same time when they began Quaest. 2. What were those three
rest of the Beasts together with the fourth Beast and so not to admit of such a distance Let others judge Thirdly But I will not conceal that I have suspected there might possibly be a third Interpretation farâ—d â—â—ering from them both and which would make the Vision fully to agree with the Angel's interpretation But the words then must be construed much otherwise than they use to be viz. Daniel in the former verse mentioning precisely the Body of the Beast to be given to the flames it should follow thus And as the Body was burned and destroyed so the rest of the Beast viz. the tâ—n Horns and ruffling Horn had their dominion at the same time the Body was burned taken away and prolongation of life was given them for a season and time viz. until I saw one like to the Son of man coming in the clouds c. that is they reigned till the Son of man came in the clouds c. The reason why I thought of this Interpretation is because the word which we traâ—slate here plurally is as it is pointed in the Original of the singular number namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas if it were the plural it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that say the Chaldee Grammarians is the difference between the singular and the plural Emphatick that the one hath Scheva â— in the penultima the other hath Camets â— And so we render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Scheva in this Chapter singularly Beast twice in the following verses of this Chapter viz. verse 19 23. The reason which moved the Interpreters to translate it here plurally was because the Affixes following are all plural their dominion their lives But this may be because that remainder of the Beast under the Horns consisted of many Kingdoms and in that respect the dominion and duration thereof is expressed with plural Affixes as of many March 31. Yours Ioseph Mede Post-script My paper streightens me and my time and I have been a 3. or 4. times troubled while I was writing this last way of Interpretation which made me so blurr and blot and scarce know what I did I should else have expressed my self more plainly and fully EPISTLE XXV A more distinct and perspicuous expression of the last of those three ways to interpret that twelfth verse of Dan. 7. I Confess my skill in the Chaldee is no more but Grammatical yet thus much a little smattering in Grammar could teach me and so made me seek in what sense it might be translated singularly notwithstanding the plural Affixes following it and what this rest or remainder of the Beast if it be so turned might be First I observed that in the destruction of the Fourth Beast immediately before mentioned the Body of the Beast was precisely and particularly named whereby I began to conceive the Remainder here spoken of might be the Beast's Horns that is the eyed and mouthed Horn with that Decarchy of Horns subject to him which the Holy Ghost would tell us was destroyed at the same time and together with the Body of the Beast And so the Text to be construed thus The Body of the Beast was destroyed and given to the burning flame And the rest of the Beast also viz. the Horns had their dominion taken away after that a continuance of life had been given them for a season and a time Thus interpreted it would answer to that part of the Angel's interpretation verse 25. which saith that the State of the Beast under the wicked Horn's dominion should last a time and times and half a time whereunto otherwise there will be nothing answering in the Vision Secondly The Kingdom of the Son of man immediately following the expiration of this season and time in the Vision would answer to that in the Interpretation verse 22. The Horn prevailed against the Saints until the Ancient of days came and the Saints possessed the Kingdom Thirdly It is certain that the Session of Iudgment described in the Vision sate to destroy the wicked Horn for so saith the Angel verse 26. But the Iudgment shall sit and they shall take away his dominion And Daniel himself in the Vision exspected to see that in special for as soon as the Bench was set and the Books were opened verse 10. I beheld then saith he verse 11. because of the voice of the great words which the Horn spake viz. he looked what would become of the Horn. Something then should seem to follow in special concerning it else Daniel was frustrate of his looking But what follows I beheld until the Beast was slain This is something but general only And his Body destroyed This indeed is special but not that which Daniel looked after For how would these hang together I looked to see what would become of the Beast's horn and I saw his Body destroyed should it not seem rather to follow to answer Daniel's looking And the rest of the Beast also that is not the Body only or people of the Beast's dominion were destroyed but the Horns also with their Captain-horn who spake the big words that is the State then domineering had their dominion taken away after they had enjoyed it a season and a time Lastly Those words of the Angel's interpretation verse 26. The Iudgment shall sit and take away his dominion that is the Horn's dominion seem to have reference to that passage in the Vision which saith in the same words that the rest of the Beast had their dominion taken away The reason of the plural Affixe's answering to a singular Antecedent being because this rest of the Beast had in it a plurality of Kingdoms according to the rule of the Grammarians That a singular Antecedent to be taken collectively or distributively may have a plural number answer to it This was my adventure I. M. EPISTLE XXVI Mr. Burnet's Letter to Mr. Mede touching the Provostship of Trinity Colledge near Dublin SIR I Am bold to write unto you though a stranger to certifie you that I hear Dr. Bedle Provost of Trinity Colledge in Ireland is chosen Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland which is valued worth 600 l. per annum appointed thereto by the King howbeit some time will be ere he leave the Colledge in the mean space I am bold to intreat your Answer to know if you will accept the place of Provost if you be chosen thereto as you were wrote to by my Lord. Primate formerly before Mr. Bedle went I am now writing to my Lord Primate an Answer of Letters this day I received from him and do certifie him of this accident for it was but this week that the King granted it and no Letter is yet gone over I sent the Book you sent me long since to my Lord Primate I dwell at the sign of the Golden fleece in Lombard-street and shall expect your Answer next return and so I commend you to God Almighty resting London April 12. Your loving Friend Francis Burnet
EPISTLE XXVII Dr. Ames his Letter to Mr. Mede touching Lawenus his Censure of his Clavis Apocalyptica Good Mr. Mede I Shewed your Clavis to one much given unto those Studies and desired his censure which having at length received I send herewith unto you desiring from you to receive what you think fit to be opposed You shall perceive his full meaning out of the printed Treatise adjoyned He seemeth to me to carry all to the Iews upon no other grounds than communion of Phrases Thus with hearty salutations to you and Mr. Chappel I rest Franeker Oct. 11. Your loving Friend W. Ames EPISTLE XXVIII A Second Letter from Dr. Ames touching Mr. Mede's Defence SIR YOur Answer to Lawenus I have received that you be no longer in suspence and like so well that I shall long to see more of your Notions in that kind yet methinks that Millenary state spoken of may well be understood of the Church raised from a dead condition and so continued for that space We have here no News but of Silva-Ducis streightly and hopefully besieged by our Army the Enemy as it seemeth not being in case to bring an Army into the field Thus with salutations to your self Mr. Chappel c. I rest Franeker May 27. Your loving Friend W. Ames EPISTLE XXIX Mr. Mede his Third Letter to Archbishop Usher excusing his unwillingness to accept the Provostship of Trinity Colledge in Ireland containing also an account of Lawenus his Animadversions upon his Clavis and his Answer together with his Explication of Ezek. 4. 6 c. Right Reverend and my most Honoured Lord I Make no question but your Colledge is far better provided of a Provost than it would have been of me who never could perswade my self I was fit to be the Head and Governour of the only Seminary of a Kingdom And therefore though my name were the Second time brought upon the Stage yet was it without consent or privity of mine Indeed a Proposition was made unto me upon Mr. Bedle's preâ—erment and before the news thereof was sent to him whether I would accept the place in case I were again chosen thereto Unto which because I answered not by a direct and categorical denial but only alledged divers reasons both from mine own unfitness in divers respects and other circumstances which might and did deter me therefrom leaving them who made the motion to infer the conclusion it pleased some to whom I am yet beholden for their affection so to interpret it as if in modesty only I had by such a kind of answer concealed my willingness which as soon as I understood and that some Sir Nathaniel Rich by name endeavoured upon the motion of some others to procure me to be named by his Majesty I presently took him off and that so effectually as he stirred no more though perhaps I was not a little blamed by some of my friends for so doing But enough of this For my Clavis I am afraid that Reverend Archbishop your Lordship nameth values it far more than it deserveth though it may be something I have by God's goodness discovered toward the better understanding of that Book which if I have the praise be to God alone to whom it is only due But I cannot imagine what those Additions thereto should be which your Lordship saith you received out of the North of Ireland I sent a Copy or two to Franeker to Doctor Ames he sends one of them to Daniel Lawenus an ancient Student in those parts in that Prophecy whose Apparatus to a bigger volume of many years study was printed the same year desiring his censure of it He finding it not to sute with his Notions wrote presently Stricturae in Clavem Apocalypticam not knowing my name but calling me Synchronista and sometimes seemed to be very angry in his confutation of me though he agreed with me in the mainest Paradox of all He sends it to Doctor Ames as I suppose not intending me But the Doctor dispatcheth it to me together with his printed Book for my better understanding his meaning desires to receive again from me what I thought fit to oppose by way of defence Thus unwittingly I made my self work yet such as in the doing I at length found some benefit by having my torpid thoughts revived and quickned and the second time more able to wield any notions than they were at the beginning But I should admire if your Lordship had seen a Copy of this For besides that I sent into Friseland I conceive not how any other should get abroad having as I thought kept mine own Copy private in my study That touching the years of Israel and Iudah I know not what it should be unless that the 40. years of Iudah's sin for which the Prophet lay so many days upon his right side were the years of Manasses Idolatry to which the Scripture particularly ascribes their captivity 2 Kings 24. 3. ch 23. 26. Ier. 15. 4. Which I thought had been a novelty and cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but since I find it to be the opinion of R. Kimchi whom I suppose also the first author thereof Salianus adds Hieronymus not Iosephus de Prado Funccius but I never looked them It was but a conjecture which had it been new I conceived would not have been altogether unacceptable to your Lordship whom yet far be it from me to teach or inform but only to be better instructed or confirmed by your Lordship's profounder judgment Presently after my Clavis was printed I drew at the intreaty of some friends Specimina Interpretationum Apocalypticarum ad amussim Clavis Apocalypticae which finding beyond my expectation or merit to be accepted I have since gone more largely through some part thereof as The Description of the Theatrum Apocalypticum chap. 4. The 6 Seals and 7 Trumpets unto the 11. Chapter The rest is yet but Specimina as it was in the beginning the last Chapter whereof I once sent your Lordship namely de Millennio But could I have gotten an orthographical Scribe I would have sent your Lordship all ere this both Specimina and the larger Expositions upon the first half But I had no such of mine own and those who have are not so kind as to lend them for any hire And for my self I should never get through that which is mine own without everlasting mending blurring and pausing at every sentence to alter it I am exceedingly sorry for the death of Buxtorf and Amama especially the latter as being but now in store and one that had a natural genius to inlighten the Text of Scripture and to find the notion of the Sacred language If Ireland will not spend the remainder of my Pamphlets if your Lordship have opportunity to send them I shall willingly entertain them again their fellows being all gone Thus with my most humble Service remembred to your gracious Lordship desiring the God of Heaven to bless and preserve your Grace I
leaf hath its several Label inserted in the proper distance with a Seal and several impressions of Emblematical Signature each several leaf being taken and unsealed in order the several matter therein contained will appear and no more of any of the rest till they be opened in order Thus far Mr. Haydock The Transcript of his Letter for the Original could not be met with being imperfect was not fit to be printed He also acquainted Mr. Mede in his Letter with a purpose he had to represent in lively Pictures the Apocalyptick Visions and sent him the Pictures of the Cherubins done by himself for a Specimen of his skill in that Art wherein he had exercised himself for many years having in his younger days translated out of Italian and published the works of Io. Paolo Lomazzo concerning The Art of Painting EPISTLE XXIV Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Haydock wishing him to perfect his design of representing the Apocalyptick Visions in lively Pictures and applauding his ingenious observation upon the form of the Seven-sealed Book Humanissime Cultissime Vir ACcepi literas tuas benevolentiâ humanitate plenas in quibus favorem meum ambis hominis scilicet nihili nedum ut tu putas papali nescio quo fastâ—dio digni Sed ut caetera quà m nihil sum sciam probè non sum tamen tam ab humanitate procul ut animo tam in me propenso par pari reddere nesciam Et verò tu abunde meritus es ut tibi faveam qui sic ultro compellas amicitiam defers De libello meo quod attinet si quid exinde fructûs vel ad te vel ad alios redierit Deo Opt. Max. in solidum sit gloria Ejus enim solius est quicquid est boni meum nihil praeter imbecillitatem ignorantiam Illud autem vehementer doleo quòd te priùs non novissem quà m Opusculum illud meum in lucem ediderim sanè multò ornatius operâ tuâ prodiisset Cherubinorum quadriformium Iconas quas misisti longè elegantissimas novo artificio visendas summa cum animi voluptate contemplor neque satìs pro merito suo laudare aut quod potiùs nullâ in talibus facultate praediâ—um fari decet admirari possum Utinam totius Consessûs Apocalyptici typum eâdem manu delineatum aliquando videre liceat Sane nusquam domum tibi à Deo collatum sanctiùs collocaveris quà m in divinissimae istius Prophetiae typis ad vivum delineandis Cylindri tui Sigilliferi ingeniosa observatio est quae priùs mihi licèt saepiuscule ea de re cogitanti in mentem non venerat imò an omnino talis Voluminis forma in qua uniuscujusque Sigilli reseratio novam ordine scripturam legentium oculis subjiceret dari possit addubitaverim De re verò ipsa adhuc incertus sum quid statuerem Aliquando in ea sententia fui Visiones istas Sigillares non literarum notis in volumine scriptas sed Iconibus quibusdam depictas sub Sigillorum tegellis latuisle iisque reseratis visui non ad legendum sed contemplandum ordine quamque suo patuisse atque ad hanc mentem verba ista ad Ioannem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haud ineptè accommodari posse Postea animadverti hanc opinationem meam Narrationi Apocalypticae universae non convenire utpote cum in Sigillo quinto sexto oratio rei visae tribuatur praeterea in Sigillo septimo Tubarum visa non simul eodem tempore exhiberi sed ordine successivè in aspectum produci observaverim Ad haec apparatum clangori praevium ità describi ut non nudis rerum visarum Iconibus in Volumine quocunque tandem id fiat modo depictis nec nudâ earundem scripturâ led omnino repraesentatione extrinsecâ rem gestam fuisse fateri oporteat Tandem igitur quoniam inconcinnum nimis videbatur solâ repraesentatione extrinsecâ rem peractam affirmare nihil prorsus conferente Libro in eam sententiam prolapsus sum Utrumque conjungendum esse dicendúmque Singula quidem Vaticinia in Volumine sive Signis Iconismis sive literis descripta exarata fuisse ea verò Ioanni caeterÃsque coelestis Dramatis spectatoribus non aliter quà m repraesentatione forinsecâ recitationis viam explente propalam fuisse facta Scilicet eodem ferè modo ac in Dramatis nostris Academicis fieri amat ubi actoribus cum libris adstent monitores Cùm enim neque Agnus ipse è libro recitaret quidquam neque Apostolus tam propinquus ei adesset stabat enim Agnus juxta seslorem Throni ut è resignantis manu legere potuerit necesse est eum hâc quam dixi ratione singula percepisse Hasce meditationes meas ut apud me expromerem effecit humanitas tua jam desino plura Deum verò Opt. Max. veneror ut selicem tibi senectutem vitam longiorem beatae illius prodromam largiatur Ian. 20. 163â—â— Tui studiorúmque tuorum pro merito aestimator I. M. EPISTLE XXXV Sir William Boswell's Second Letter to Mr. Mede touching his Book sent to Ludovicus de Dieu Good Mr. Mede I Am sure long ere this by my Brother T. B. you have understood which you shall by this present that your Letters of 15 March 13 May 9 11 16 Iune with Letters and a Book inclosed to Ludovicus de Dieu came safely to my hands in London as his unto him from you since my return hither For this last week he was President of a Provincial Synod held de decennio in decennium by the Ministers of Holland in this Town so as I delivered the token of your love with my own hand into his but in so busie a time I could not expect an Answer or other than thanks which he prayed me to render in abundance for the special honour you had done him thereby Divers other Letters Responsory to Beverovicius have been long expected but Salmasius delay in his wherein he would omit nothing set or fallen from the Ancients especially Philosophers to that purpose hath cast all other mens arrier whom I should be as glad to see because together with their learning I should how well they had learned tenere modum for ought I know a most necessary part of Scholarship and Philosophy It grieved me not a little that I could not see you in England but in recompence I hope now and then to see your countenance and affection in black and white for which you shall have returns from this place of all sorts it yields and you affect when I know what will be most wellcome being evermore Your most assured and ancient friend William Boswel Hague 25. Iuly 1634. EPISTLE XXXVI A Third Letter from Sir William Boswell to Mr. Mede touching his Book sent to Ludovicus de Dieu Good Mr. Mede WHat entertainment your Letters and Book found with Ludovicus de Dieu you
will see ere long by his own in answer his time hitherto having been taken up by being President in a Provincial Synod of Holland and publishing his Annotations upon the Acts of the Apostles It was sufficient for me to receive many thanks for the conveiance and that which was better better than Musick to hear innumerable commendations of so near a Friend though I knew them due for 't is no small pleasure to see debts paid where we think our selves to have Interest At my coming last into England I lay above three weeks wind-bound in the Briel where I enjoyed the company of the Minister Author of the inclosed which I have gained by my acquaintance and send it for your affection to the Argument by this bearer son of Desiderius Heraldus whose works and worth you know of old that you may for the Father's and my sake give him now and them conference and advice about such studies as he pursues wherein himself will open his own mind It will be a great kindness if Doctor Ward whom I pray salute from me will give him countenance and access at his times of leisure which you may procure and thereby oblige both him and me and his Father my old and singular friend You may see by this and that title how glad I should be to meet opportunities of doing any thing for your self that might assure you with what truth and readiness of serving you I shall ever be Your most affectionate Friend as of old William Boswel Hague Sept. 1634. EPISTLE XXXVII Monsieur Testard his Letter to Mr. Brooks about his translating Mr. Mede ' s Clavis Apocal. into French as also concerning the Number of the Beast's Name SIR I Have translated into French that I might communicate it to divers friends the Book you sent upon the Revelation which seems to me worthy admiration and full of comfort to those that expect the consolation of Israel I desire earnestly if it may be obtained the opinion of the Author touching a conceit came into my mind whilst I was reading the Book particularly that which he remarks upon the number of 144000 and upon 666 the name of the Pseudoprophetical Beast with the Reason he gives of the composition of the name all of 6 which is That the number of 666 ariseth from the multiplication of 3 Vnites joyned together making up the number of III. That these three Vnites set forth the three Offices of Christ which pertain to him incommunicably and distributively and conjoyntly considered All which the Pseudoprophetical Beast usurps conjoyntly in which consists particularly his Antichristianism And this multiplication produceth the number of 666 as also the multiplication of 12 by 12 which is the Apostolical number produceth the 144000. That for this reason the number of 666 is called the number of a man in the singular number because it is in one only man whereas the number of 144000 is a number of men in the plural number and drawn from the number of men If the Author hath set forth any other Treatises I desire earnestly you would send them to me From Bloys in France Iune 1634. P. Testard EPISTLE XXXVIII Mr. Brook's Letter to a Friend DOE me the favour as to request Mr. Mede to give some satisfaction to the request of this Gentleman my especial friend and to suffer some Manuscripts which he hath not yet published to be copied out to be sent him either in Latin or English I will satisfie his pains that shall undertake it with promise that nothing shall be communicated but to private friends Your assured Friend Ioh. Brooks Westminster 23. Feb. 1634. EPISTLE XXXIX Reverendo Doctissimo Viro D. D. Mede Paulus Testardus S. P. D. QVantâ me laetitiâ totum perfuderint Vir Reverende Doctissime quas ab amplissimo Viro D. Ioh. Brooks accepi literas quae singularem tuam erga me non modò immeritum sed ignotum humanitatem testantur desunt mihi verba voces quibus significem vix profectò eam capit animus Etenim non modò eae mihi exhibuerunt quae in mei gratiam dignatus es de mysterio Numeri Nominis Bestiae scripto explicare sed etiam de optatissimi ad tuam Dignitatem accessûs facultate mihi per eum facta certum fecerunt Isto V. R. D tanquam salvo conductu securus non diutiùs haesi quin ad te istas transmitterem quibus gratias quantas possum maximas R. tuae pro eximio isto beneficio referrem primùm ut ex animo refero tum Quaestionis quae ad te perlata fuit occasione descriptâ rem ipsam genuinam meam mentem ampliùs aperirem quod sic cum bona D.T. venia facio Praeteriit jam ferè triennium ex quo D. Brooks cum quibusdam Anglicè scriptis libris Clavim tuam Apocalypticam cum Commentariis pro liberali suo ergae me affectu misit Opus sine nomine sed invitante materiâ mittentis commendatione statim perlegi deinde saepius saaviter trahente Rationum turunt pondere atque industriae expositionis elegantiâ concinnitate relegi non tantùm Dei donum in te saepius miratus sed aliquid tibi assidenti ut loqueris alicubi revelatum addam extra ordinem facilè persuasus Dicam verbo Nihil unquam mihi visum in Apocalypsin non dicam quod cum Clavi tua Expositione aequandam veniat sed quod ad eas propè accedat Atque ut ità sumus naturâ comparati ut ejus boni cujus nos maximè oblectat fruitio cognitionem cum aliis facilè communicemus nec verò duntaxat cognitionem Bonorum spiritualium salutarium sed ipsam etiam tanta est eorum praestantia fruitionem horas aliquot quando sivit perpeâ—uus muneris mihi à Deo misericorditer demandati labor versioni Scripti tui in linguam Gallicam impendi ut pretiosissimi istius ac divini the sauri fruendi copiam amicis meis facerem si sine eorum quibus sine summa necessitate displicere est nefas offensa licuisset Publico etiam Versionem typis vulgandam curando suavissimam utpote proculdubio futuram consolationem iis omnibus qui Israelis Dei ut scitè vocas subrogati consolationem exspectant Regnúmque illud Christi Septimae Tubae deinceps aequè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Possúmque procul adulationis arte D. T. sincerè profiteri animum meum singulis tuis Expositionibus tam plenum praebuisse assensum quà m praeberi potest ab eo qui non caeco impetu sed ratione ducitur atque in re ut agnoscis ipse non parum difficili Ipsámque adeo rationem quam reddis Numeri nominis Bestiae Bicornis visam mihi convenicntissimam Nec enim quicquam in literis meis ad D. Brooks tanquam illud Expositioni tuae adversum patarem proponere unquam mihi fuit animus sed quod maximè ei
locorum seriem multiplo accipiantur factum ex datis non fore ut tu supponis Sexcenta sexaginta sex sed tantùm Octodecim Quippe quia si data Unitatum Trias cum Senario composita Sexcenta sexaginta sex conficere debeat Unitates istas omnino pro CXI numero non verò pro simplis unitatibus reputandas esse Alioquin enim tres istos Senarios ex iis factos non nisi pro simplis quoque Senariis habendos Hic scrupulus si eximi potuisset reliqua quae adduxerim tanti fortè futura non essent quò minùs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tuum calculo meo comprobarem praesertim si usquam in S. Scriptura quod tamen non memini officia illa Christi Triade signarentur Alioquin enim ad S S. Trinitatem potiùs retulerim cujus nempe cum cultu Bestiae sexti capitis daemonolatriam Pseudopropheta nefario temperamento commiscuit Neque enim prorsus absque suspicione sum posse in numero isto Trium Unitatum aliquid mysterii latere quod mihi nondum eruere datum est Haec habui Vir Doctissime quae ad Quaesitum tuum responderem Fecit autem tua erga Scriptum meum benignitas affectus ut alias quasdam chartulas meas Domini Brokaei rogatu tecum communicare non dubitârim Harum unâ mysterium calculi istiu◠Angelici apud Danielem cap. 12. com 11 12. jam ante septennium vestigare sum conatus quousque verò assecutus sum necdum scio Alteris duabus Epistolâ ad Amicum Conjecturâ de Gogo Magogo Apocalyptico sententiam meam de beato Millennio paulò pleniùs aperio Plura non addo nisi ut sanctissimis tuis studiis faveat benignissimus Deus c. Mense Ianuario Anno 1635 6 Ios. Medus EPISTLE XLI Mr. Mede's Answer to some Enquiries of Dr. Twisse touching the meaning of Ezekiel 38. 17. and Daniel 11. 35 36. Worthy Sir WHen I received your last I was full of business and therefore deferred my answer thereto till some time of better leisure and freedom which now I have attained But for that of yours which in particular concerns my self I will say only this that my friends conceive me to be a man of far greater abilities than I am Believe me I am far unfit for such undertaking as they think me Ingenium habeo tardum cunctabundum and though perhaps my Fancy be a little pregnant for notions yet for expression I am very unready and write nothing either in Latin or English without much pains and difficulty Such a disposition is not fit for the wars but for peaceable and retired meditations Besides for the introducing and perswading a new and unfrequented Truth the choice of a seasonable time is half the work without which a man shall sooner damnifie than promote it We see it by experience what a wound sometimes a Truth gets by an error in this kind If the time therefore be not seasonable and likely private communication and insinuation is most safe publick avouching is dangerous even to the cause it self lest it be condemned before it be understood and so never fecible again till that generation be gathered to their fathers if then A Truth therefore not yet admitted must be urged very warily and tenderly for fear of incurring such a dangerous prejudice by an overpotent opposition For the sons of men are untoward creatures that talk much of Reason but commonly stear by another Compass as of Passion Faction or Affection c. I thank God for that portion of knowledge hath been pleased hitherto to give me in these Mysteries and the opportunity he hath vouchsafed me to make it known to others so far as I have done I deserved neither of them and for the latter never intended it but was catcht as it were at a running pull If it be his pleasure I shall proceed further he will afford me those opportunities and inducements which yet I find not And thus much for that matter Now for the rest I perceive what it is that most pincheth you in the Millenarian Prophecy to wit that of Gog and Magog Wherefore I send you enclosed herewith my Conjecture thereof How you will approve it I know not Howsoever you may gather thereby and by what I formerly sent you my whole conceit of that Mystery and that my thoughts are still now and then reflecting upon their accustomed subject AS for your Quaere about the meaning of that Ezek. 38. 17. Thus saith the Lord Art not thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the Prophets of Israel which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them I suppose you would know by what Prophets and where any such Enemy as that Gog was prophesied of before Ezekiel I answer by Esay chap. 27. 1. with the two last verses of the foregoing Chapter by Ieremy chap. 30. 23 24. by Ioel chap. 3. 1 c. by Micah chap. 5. vers 5 6 9 15 In all which places is mention of some terrible Enemy which should come against Israel at the time of their Return whom the Lord should destroy with a hideous and dreadful slaughter This Enemy is that Army of Gog of the land of Magog chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal of which Ezekiel prophesieth formerly mentioned by the Prophets which were before him but never so punctually and particularly described by the place of his habitation nation and name as by him The nearest unto him comes Micah who prophesies of him under the name of the Assyrian a Nation to the Northward And He that is the Ruler to come forth of Bethlechem shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land c. Not as though this should be his Original Nation but as the Province from whence he should fall into the land of Israel For the Prince of Magog and Tubal cannot come into the Land of Israel till he be first master of the Land of Ashur which lies between them And the Prophet describes him by this Name rather than by that of his own Nation because the Name of Ashur was at that time so terrible to the Iews and the Invasion of Salmanasser and Sennacherib still fresh in their minds and perhaps those Nations were then at the devotion of the Assyrian and no small part of his Army as they used to be of the Saracens when they ruled in those parts Howsoever by this name he pointed to a Northern Enemy whatsoever the Nation should be that should then Empire it in those parts as the Assyrian did when he prophesied For Assyria is described by that situation Esay 14. 31. Ier. 1. 13. and ch 4. 6. Zachary 2. 6. and I believe our Geographical Tables are not so true and exact herein as they should be in that they place Saroh as they say Assyria is now called too much to the Eastward I see I
illis Hine constat Legem testificari Resurrectionem mortuorum Note therefore that when in a two or three of these places it is added and to thy seed or their seed after them the word after is not to be referred to give as if it were I will give it to thy seed after I have given it to thee but to seed as Thy seed after thee that is to thy posterity their seed after them that is to their posterity which should come out of their loyns For that the off-spring is in beginning after to the beginning of the Parent To perswade this conceit by stronger testimonies than of Rabbins I pray compare with that which hath been said the 8 9 and 10 verses of Hebrews 11. adding to them the 13 14 15 and 16 verses of the same Chapter In the last of which you need not stumble at the Epithet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavenly because it notes not only that which is in heaven but that which is from heaven de Coelo as it is said verse 10. They looked for a City whose builder and maker is God And consider well the latter part of this 16. verse with our Saviour's Argument Compare besides and consider that of Zachary's Benedictus Luc. 1. 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we for fear of Limbus patrum translate To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers c. But there is no such word as promised in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is directly To shew mercy or kindness to our Fathers For that is the Scripture phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To shew benignity unto or deal kindly with one The Fathers then themselves are the Object of this benignity and favour which is to be by Christ it is to be shewn to them But what is this favour and mercy the words following will tell us and to remember his holy Covenant What was that To give unto them even to them in their own persons the Land wherein they were strangers and that by and with that seed of theirs wherein all the Nations of the earth were to be blessed Add lastly and consider what may be the meaning of that Matth. 8. 11. Many shall come from the East and the West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of heaven when the children of the Kingdom that is the Iews many of them shall be cast out into outer darkness c. Now I have done I am afraid I have not expressed my mind so clearly and evidently as I would But the Summe of what I would say is this God covenanted to give to Abraham Isaac and Iacob in their own persons as well as to their seed the Land wherein they were strangers that is the Land of Canaan for an inheritance But this was not performed to them while they lived therefore must they one day live again that they may be partakers of this Promise and consequently the Saints shall live on earth after their Resurrection To your Postscriptâ— Objection That if the Saints come not all together with Christ those which are left behind shall be in worse case than they were before The assoiling thereof depends upon the exact knowledge of the State of the Saints in bliss and the degrees they are in which we know not Who can affirm whether all the Saints now in bliss have the Vision of Christ in his Humanity or some of them only And as for the presence of his Godhead they may enjoy it in an illustrious manner though his Humanity be on earth We must be content in so great a Mystery to be ignorant of something Deus providebit For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not contend for the sense I used them in They may be understood the other way so may they be in mine Quisque fruatur suo judicio But what say you to that in the end of Daniel Go thy way Daniel till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand up in thy Lot at the end of days What is this in thy Lot Is it not In thy course or In thy turn See the Courses or Turns of the Priests and Levites so called 1 Chron. 24. For my full interpretation of that part of the 11. of Daniel I have it in a Treatise upon 1 Tim. 4. which I preached in certain Sermons at S. Marie's before I was so well versed in the Apocalyps or understood the Mystery of the Millennium and therefore it hath some things in it not so consentaneous to my present opinion either in that or some other things there discoursed I could mend the foundation thereof Notwithstanding these defects I could be willing to let you have a sight of it if I could send it by a certain hand but the hand of a Carrier is too contingent to adventure it in And this to save the labour of writing out that which concerns that Prophecy of Daniel which would be a little tedious to me Mr. B. at his sending me your last desired to know my opinion of Gog and Magog in the Apocalyps whether they were not Hypocrites on the one side within the Church and open Enemies without on the other Whereby I gather he is not acquainted with my conceit of the Millennium and wants the Praecognita Wherefore it would be a tedious business to go about to inform him by writing I answered him My Opinion required many Praecognita and what it was you could inform him but I thought it concerned not these times Thus with my best respect and commending your self and all yours to the Blessing of the Almighty I rest Christ's Colledge March 23. 1634 5. Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede EPISTLE XLIV Mr. Hartlib's Letter to Mr. Mede intimating a Learned man of Leiden his judgment of his Book on the Apocalyps Worthy Sir IVst now I received a Letter from a Learned man of Leiden to whom also I sent your Clavis who writes thus Doctissimum Commentarium Apocalyp coepi legere Gratulor mihi de talibus scriptis quorum etsi fides non potest esse nimis certa in omnibus sunt tamen quorum nomine maximi aestimari debent Nam 1. Non parùm valent contra Atheos quorum perversiâ—as priùs concinnis ejusmodi delectanda quà m convincentibus expugnanda 2. Nec minùs ad erigendos eos qui certitudinis de Religione deliquium patiuntur aliquando qualis nemo non est 3. Nec non ad solatium in adversis Nihil enim fortiùs solatur quà m quod certitudinem de Religione Christiana ex habitu in vivum vegetum actum excitat At hoc potest Apocalypseos consideratio talis 4. Quantum in eo situm sit ut evincatur Papam esse Antichristum nemo non novit At hoc longè fortiùs persuadetur tali modo quà m per disputationes saltem disputationes confirmat 5. Nè dicam quòd multa Scripturae dicta in hoc Commenâ—ario egregiè explicantur
corruptione itidem mutatione liberabitur Itaque hominis causà in cujus gratiam major hic mundus creabatur primùm renovatus tandem faciem induet multò â—ùm jucundiorem tum pulchriorem M. Deinde autem quid superest Aud. Vltimum generale Iudicium Veniet namque Christus ad cujus vocem mortui omnes resurgent animâ corpore integri atque in throno Majestatis suae residentem videbit totus mundus post excussionem autem conscientiae cujusque extrema sententia pronunciabitur Tunc temporis filii Dei perfectè possidebunt Regnum illud immortalitatis aeternae vitae quod illis praeparatum fuit ante jacta fundamenta mundi regnabunt cum Christo in aeternum Impii verò qui non crediderunt abjicientur in ignem aeternum destinatum diabolo angelis ejus I send you this passage as I did the former that you might admire with me what this Author meant whether such expressions could fall from him by mere chance or whether they argue not some further notion in this Mystery than was common and ordinary though those to whom the review and approbation of the Book was committed were not capable to observe it CONCERNING Ezekiel's Vision of the measuring of the Temple I have no no Notions either general or special worth relation Only I suspect some Mystery to be in the Numbers as in the New Ierusalem in the Apocalyps I observe all the Numbers to be 12 or multiplied thereof with reference I suppose to the 12 Apostles But whether the Number of Ezekiel's measures should have reference I cannot yet so well comprehend I have been sometimes tampering that way and methought they seemed to suit very well with the Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the letters whereof are 3 in each and the Numbers they signifie 1. 5. 6. 10. 30. For these are the Numbers or the Radices of the Numbers of nigh all Ezekiel's measures Notwithstanding I give my self but little satisfaction in so Cabbalistical a conceit Yet seeing the measures of the City in Ezekiel cap. ult in sine are diverse from those of S. Iohn in the Apocalyps if the Cities be the same the Numbers also must have some identity in a Mystery which they have not in the Letter one fitted to the time of the Law the other to the time of the Gospel But he that can tell me how to unfold this Mystery shall be my Master CONCERNING my application of the King of the South and the King of the North to the Saracen and Turk who should plunder the Roman Empire in his latter end 't is not my conceit alone but Mr. Brightman's upon that part of Daniel And 't is true which you guess that I incline to apply the King of the North's going forth upon the tidings from the East and the North in a fury to destroy and to that purpose to plant the Tabernacles of his palace in the glorious mountain of Holiness to the Iews return and the expedition of Gog and Magog into the Holy land For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place is constantly in this Book a description of the Holy land See chap. 8. 9. and this chap. vers 16 and 41. The tidings from the East and North may be that of the return of Iudah and Israel from those quarters For Iudah was carried captive at the first into the East and Israel by the Assyrian into the North namely in respect of the Holy land and in those parts the greatest number of each are dispersed at this day Of the reduction of Israel from the North see the Prophecies Ier. 16. 14 15. and chap. 23. 8. also chap. 31. 8. Or if this tidings from the North may be some other thing yet that from the East I may have some warrant to apply to the Iews return from that of the Sixth Vial in the Apocalyps where the waters of the great River Euphrates are dried up to prepare the way of the Kings of the East If you can digest this application of the Kings of the South and North to the Saracen and Turk I will then desire you to consider the notation of the Time when which saith the Holy Ghost v. 40. should come to pass 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the time of the End that is of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Roman Kingdom which what they are you will find in my Discourse upon 1 Tim. 4. And to this you may refer that Question of Daniel in the next chap. vers 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How long shall this latter end of wonderful things be which the Angel answers For a time times and a half referring to his former Vision thereof chap. 7. 25. Of the same Latter times he asketh yet again vers 8. incertus mirabundus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord what are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translation turns but untowardly And further than this I cannot go in Daniel The next is all dark But it may seem the Angel tells the Prophet in those last Numbers when and how long it should be before this Mystery of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be understood For so he intimates both vers 4. Shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the End and again vers 9. The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the End and then None of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand vers 10. Now you know the Mystery of Antichrist whereon the knowledge of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly depends was not discovered till a good part of them were run out What if those Numbers vers 11 12. point out that time counting from the Prophanation of Epiphanes But I confess I know not here which way to take This I intimate was an old Notion which I can neither satisfie my self in nor yet meet with another better grounded Io. Mede EPISTLE LV. Dr. Twisse's Seventh Letter to Mr. Mede desiring to know his thoughts touching Genuflexio versus Altare Worthy Sir and my dear Friend THese are only to give you to understand that your Packet is arrived safely in my hands your Letters your Manuscripts two larger upon 1 Tim. 4. and the other of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a third less Time will not serve me to express the content I take in them the satisfaction you give me in your Letters I am taken with the meditation of the slavery of the Creature ever since the Fall of Adam in bondage to them that are slaves to sin and what that bespeaks of better times both for the Creature and for us the passages of the Form of Doctrine prescribed by the Council of Nice the Catechism in K. Edward's days and the rest And like enough the land of Canaan shall have preeminence above all the
the Churches of the Orient and in the Latin Church their Mattins and Even-song if of later ages not at it yet always near and toward it Desks for reading Prayers is a new device since the Reformation never in the Church before Whatsoever was spoken to God was spoken at the Altar or towards it whatsoever to the people out of the Ambo or Pulpit and towards them as Readings Sermons Tertul. Exhort Castit c. 10. Si spiritus apud se reus sit conscientia erubescit quomodo audebit orationem dicere ad Altare An Altar is nothing else but a Table to call upon God at whence the Scripture relates so often of Abram and Isaac that they built Altars where they came and there called upon the name of the Lord. 6. If it be lawful to invocate and call upon God at and toward the Altar as Solium praesentiae 't is as lawful to worship him toward it The specification of Christian worship is to adore and invocate the Father through Iesus Christ crucified why should it not then be comely when we address our selves unto him to look toward the place where his Passion is commemorated and the Rites thereof exhibited 'T is but to represent that by our posture which otherwise we express by our tongue when we say Through Iesus Christ our Lord. 7. 'T is the fashion of all Nations and Religions and ever was to use some Reverential gesture when they enter into God's House Our Saviour when he sends forth his disciples to preach the Gospel Matt. 10. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when ye enter into an House salute the same i. e. as S. Luke relates it and the Vulgar and some other Copies have in this of Matth. say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agreeable whereto is that Custome now almost only retained amongst a few of the Vulgar to say when they come into an House God be here Why should not some such Rite be comely when we come into the House of God I am sorry now that I entered at all into this discourse for I see so many things requisite yet for the understanding thereof as of the Nature of Temples and their Holiness of the Christian Sacrifice so much decantated in the ancient Church of the Lawfulness of Rites ordained by men and the like that it would require a Volume to give satisfaction herein But you desired but to know what I thought of Genuflexio versùs Altare and I think I have told you and you see hereby what a mungrel I am I know not how you will like it I know how full of prejudice in these Things most of our Divines are But I am verily perswaded that the Notions of Antiquity hereabout are so far from being followed that they are quite forgotten and unknown I will neither trouble you nor my self any longer but commend you to the Divine protection and so I rest Christ's Coll. May 13. 1635. Your loving Friend Ioseph Mede EPISTLE LVII Dr. Twisse's Eighth Letter to Mr. Mede containing his thankful acknowledgments of Mr. Mede's singular goodness in communicating his Papers and his high esteem of them particularly of his Notions upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as also his Observations upon Mr. Mede's foregoing Letter what he approved therein and what he excepted against Good Mr. Mede and my thrice worthy and dear Friend I Have at length return'd your Manuscripts both the first and latter concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the smaller one containing two Discourses and the Prophetia Tobiae expounded in the belly thereof I am heartily sorry to hear your Labours upon the Revelation published for the common good and opening such Mysteries unto the world have put your self to so much expence and found so little reward in the world I protest I cannot think of it without disdain I have not spared to profess my indignation thereupon before some good friends of quality and shall be ready to do as much upon every occasion But your Reward shall be the greater in Heaven My motion was not to put you to any expence or care about the business I wrote of I nothing doubt but order shall be taken to have it done otherwise if you would but give way But I would not in the least respect abuse your kindness which I account precious as a jewel by doing ought that might occasion any distaste in your self upon any proceedings of mine or others whereunto I should give any occasion Sir I cannot sufficiently express my obligation unto your self for your singleness in communicating such precious commodities For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the construction of it which you make I am clearly of your mind and that Genitivus materiae is nothing strange were there no other incongruity of construction in the Text thereby avoided which yet there is and that foul one The truth is the phrase is unquestionably usual expressed of Things but being expressed of Persons we being apt to understand it of Genitivus Efficientis that use makes the other way seem strange as I found in Dr. S. But so much the more it became the Holy Ghost to express the Mystery of Iniquity in a covert manner not easily and at first sight to be discovered but in good time by serious intention and consideration of all circumstances when the Lord thought it most seasonable to bring it to light And blessed be God that he hath brought it to light and that my self have lived to see such Mysteries of iniquity brought to light and made good by evidence of Scripture and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 testifying so much and that with such evidence that I know not where to parallel it with the like all things considered Long agoe I have entertained an opinion that you are as exact in the right understanding of Daniel Mysteries as of those in the Revelation I saw a touch you gave in a Letter to Dr. Meddus of the years mentioned in Daniel 12. by way of passing your judgment on some parts of Alstedius his Chronologie I would you would be pleased to impart unto me what you think of the beginning of those times mentioned in Daniel 12. 11 12. and what remarkable things fell out at the end of each the rather because I am promised some notions of Mr. G. your friend thereabouts I doubt not but you conceive two seasons of the Abomination of desolation one before our Saviour's coming in the flesh by Antiochus Epiphanes another which our Saviour himself points unto as to be made by the Romans which yet Baronius saith cannot be meant of that by Tirus when he took Ierusalem because at that time it was too late to be warned of flying thereupon and shifting for themselves Your Chappel-Exercises 1. that of Psal. 8. of quelling the enâ—â—y and the avenger 2. the other of Zipporah's speech which I would not for any good you had divided and kept from me not only my self but divers others as Mr.
Altar But why the Lord's Table where the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is administred should be called Solium praesentiae more than the Font where Baptism is administred or the Pulpit where God speaks unto us I do not yet find sufficient reason to satisfie me Yet I have heard that one who much furthereth these courses should give us a reason thereof that Hoc est Corpus meum is more with him than Hoc est Verbum meum And to my thinking the Table of the Paschal Lamb might as well be called Solium praesentiae as the Lord's Table with us 7. As for the fashion of all Nations and Religions to use some Reverential gestures when they enter into God's House this openeth a way to a new consideration and inquisition as Whether Bodily Gesture alone be fit to be urged or practised in entring into God's House the outward adoration without the inward the one without the other being no better than Hypocrisy Yet these days are full of Formality Lastly Things lawful in themselves become unlawful by accident as when they are superstitiously practised though not by our selves yet by concurring in the same act we may scandalize by countenancing the Superstition of others Thus have I taken liberty to communicate my thoughts unto you to be censured by you as you think good my self but upon the present observation of times taking into consideration And I willingly profess I fear Superstition hereby will creep on in a conceit as if God were better served by worshipping him towards the Altar than otherwise the contrary whereunto were it publickly professed I should be the less sollicited with such fears Yet am I nothing sorry but very glad that you have entered thus far into this discourse and for the Notions here mentioned whereupon I shall willingly confer with other Divines For your judgment concerning Ezekiel's Vision so freely communicated I heartily thank you That I have your acknowledgment of the obscurity thereof gives me much content yet withal your adventures thereupon which you are pleased to impart they are as sparks of light unto me shining in a dark place Your candour throughout works me to think the better of any opinion which you embrace I profess unto you you make me more and more happy in all your Speculations I shall heartily beg at the Throne of grace for God's blessing upon your Studies and that he will be pleased to enlighten you more and more for the opening of these heavenly Mysteries to the comfort of God's Church in these uncomfortable days Hereupon comes to my remembrance what I had almost forgotten though I purposed to mention it with the first I was not long since resolved to write unto you to inquire whether the K. of S. proceedings in Germany might not be the accomplishment of the Fourth Vial and that in these times we are in a preparation to the Fifth by the slaughtering of the Witnesses according to that Exposition which you give thereof Sr. N. R. told me moreover that your opinion was that it should be very Vniversal The Lord keep you and bless you I shall ever remain Newbury Iune 1. 1635. Your faithful and respectful true friend much obliged Will. Twisse EPISTLE LVIII Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse's Eighth Letter further explaining himself concerning Holiness of Churches Altars or Sacred Tables God's Throne or Place of presence therein c. With a Caveat to the Reformed Churches SIR COncerning the accomplishment of the Fourth Vial I shall be then better able to judge when I see what will be the conclusion of these great Commotions now on foot If they settle so as thereby some prop shall be taken away which now upholdeth the Beast or any further way opened to his downfal than yet hath been then I shall think it is accomplished otherwise not For every Vial must be a degree of the Beast's ruine Ergò id quo non labefactatur status Bestiae Phialae complementum non erit Let us expect what this new shock to be given to the H. of A. will come to If they be once heaved out of the Imperial Throne or their succession interrupted I shall believe it is done Their fall whensoever it happens will in all likelihood so shake the Beast as will drive him into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or burning-Fever the raging Symptomes whereof such as stand in his way are like to feel For the other points of the Holiness of Churches of Altars or Sacred Tables of the reverent accommodation in the one at or toward the other the paths unto them by reason of infrequency and unaccustomedness are so full of checks and impediments as makes all collation by pen over-tedious and troublesome For nothing almost can be presupposed by way of Postulatum but will be questioned In a discourse ore tenus I could rid my way a great deal better with much more speed and ease But in so much Pen-work as this Argument would require I am not willing to engage my self and perhaps 't would not be operae-pretium Nevertheless that you might know there is something to be said by way of Answer to your Exceptions and to give you occasion of further meditation in these things I thought not good to wave it altogether till I had let you see a little further into my thoughts and speculations this way before I shut the window Thus therefore I express them not following the order of your Letter but as my mind prompts me 1. Concerning Holiness of Churches THERE is a Threefold Holiness to be found in Scripture or if you will the word Holiness is there used in a Threefold Notion which I would distinguish thus 1. Essential Holiness 2. Holiness of Integrity and 3. Relative Holiness 1. Essential Holiness is that whereof God is called Holy as Sanctus Israelis i.e. Israelis Deus juxta illud 1 Sam. 2. 2. Non est Sanctus sicut Dominus neque enim est alius praeter te non est Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut Deus noster For this Holiness is God himself his Essence his Divine Majesty whence all other Holiness is derived not any inherent Attribute differing from him as in created subjects 2. Holiness of Integrity is that which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Sanctimonia and may be described A state of Righteousness or of pureness and cleanness from sin This is that Holiness whereof the Apostle speaks Heb. 12. Without Holiness no man shall see God and whereof we call such as fear God and eschew evil Holy men Of this kind of Holiness nothing is capable but reasonable Creatures Angels and Men. 3. But there is a third kind of Holiness Relative Holiness being nothing but a state of Relation of peculiarity to God-ward either in respect of Presence or Propriety and Dominion 1. Of Presence when God is peculiarly and in a special manner present as when he appeared to Moses in the flaming bush Exod. 3. 5.
some brand or stamp upon them which points at the Sin for which they are inflicted you may call it a Sin-mark If the passages and ground of the continuance of this German War be well considered would not a man think they spake that of the Apostle Thou that hatest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge But I dare go no further it may be I have said too much already For I well know the way that I go pleaseth neither party the one loves not the Pope should be Antichrist nor the other to hear that these things should not be Popery Thus you see I have at length brought both ends together and end where I began Pardon me this one Letter and I will trouble you no more with this Theme your Reply to my short Answer to your Quere occasioned it I forget not my best respect unto your self nor my prayers to the Almighty for blessing to you and yours Thus I rest Christ's Coll. Iuly 15. 1635. Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede I sent by Mr. B. 4. or 5. Exercises upon passages of Scripture such as I had in separate papers and fit to be communicated For those that were in Books joyned with other things I could not and some that were apart for some Reasons I would not expose to danger of censure I hope those which I sent are safely arrived with you EPISTLE LIX Dr. Twisse's Ninth Letter to Mr. Mede thanking him for his pains in the foregoing Letter and desiring his resolution of a Doubt concerning the 7 Lamps signifying the 7 Angels in Zach. 4. Right dear and Right worthy Sir I AM somewhat of a more chearful spirit than when I wrote my last I have gotten more liberty of spirit to consider your large Discourse savouring of great Learning no less Iudgment and a distinctive Apprehension of things of good importance and that not in my judgment only but in the judgment of others though all require serious and further consideration And for mine own particular I cannot but reflect upon my self how deeply I am beholden unto you for intrusting me in so liberal a manner with these your Speculations We can never offend in putting difference between the Holy and Prophane neither can we offend in presenting our selves too reverently at the Lord's Table Never was the Mercy-seat so well known in the days of the Old Testament as in these days of the New We now behold the glory of the Lord with open face and accordingly our Saviour tells us the Lord requires the true worshippers should worship him in spirit and in truth in distinction from worshipping him either at Ierusalem or in the Mount the woman spake of And in this kind of worship we cannot exceed But as for outward Gestures I doubt I shall prove but a Novice as long as I breath and we affect not to make ostentation of our Devotion in the face of the world the rather because thereby we draw upon our selves the censure of Hypocrisie and sometimes if a man lifts up his Eyes he is censured for a P. and I confess there is no outward Gesture of Devotion which may not be as handsomly performed by as carnal an heart as breaths I am confident you are far from studia partium so should we be all and be ambitious of nothing but of the love and favour of God and of our conformity unto him in truth and holiness I heartily thank you for all and particularly for these Pieces which now I return I hope they will arrive safely in your hands What I wrote the last time I have almost utterly forgotten saving the clearing of one Objection concerning the Seven Angels standing before the Throne represented by the Seven Lamps which I much desired it arising from the Text it self the Lamps being maintained by the Oile which drops from the Two Olive-trees which are interpreted to be Zorobabel and Ieshua But I have troubled you so much that I fear the aspersion of immodesty in troubling you any further I cannot sufficiently express my thankfulness for that I have already received I desire ever to be found Newbury Iuly 27. 1635. Yours in the best respect Will. Twisse EPISTLE LX. Dr. Twisse's Tenth Letter to Mr. Mede desiring him to reveal unto him those Pluscula in Zach. chapters 9 10 11. which fit not so well Zachary's time as Ieremy's as also to resolve a Doubt about the 7. Lamps in Zach. 4. with some reflexions upon Mr. Mede's large Letter about Temples and Altars and the Christian Sacrifice Worthy Sir DO you not miss your Letter ad Ludovicum de Dieu And do you not find it strange it is not returned with the rest I assure you I took no notice of it till Wednesday last two days after the last week's Letter I wrote unto you In every particular it was welcome unto me as all yours always are But your Variae lectiones concerning the Old Testament and the pregnant evidences thereof which you alledge do astonish me and above all your adventure to vindicate unto Ieremy his own Prophecy which so long hath gone under the name of Zachary I never was acquainted with any better way of reconciliation than that which Beza mentions of the likeness of abbreviations of each name which might cause a mistake by the Transcribers O that you would reveal unto me those Pluscula which in those three Chapters of Zachary 9 10 11. do more agree as you observe to the time of Ieremy than to the time of Zachary Why may you not have a peculiar way also to reconcile the Genealogie in the LXX with that in the Hebrew where Kainan is found in the one which is not in the other Thus I make bold to put you to new trouble but I presume it is no more trouble to you than the writing like as that other whereabout I moved you How the Seven Lamps are maintained by the oyl derived from the two Olive-Trees if by the Seven Lamps are meant the Seven Angels that stand before the Throne of God Yet have I not done with your large Letter concerning Temples and Altars Since the writing of my last while I was reading that large Letter of yours to some Divines who were much taken with admiration at the Learning contained therein in an Argument wherein we had been so little versed I say in the reading of it I observed one thing which in all my former readings I took no notice of and that is in these words This is a point of great moment and consequent worthy to be looked into by all the Learned of the Reformed Religion lest while we have deservedly abolished the prodigious and blasphemous Sacrifice of the Papists wherein Christ is again hypostatically offered to his Father we have not but very implicitely and obscurely reduced that ancient Commemorative Sacrifice of Christians wherein that one Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross was continually by that sacred Rite represented and inculcated to his Father his Father
approbation by him and after that some other Prophecies yet added of his IF you had not put me out by your last Letter which I received on Friday Aug. 7. I was looking into an old Notion concerning our old business of Antichrist a Notion which I had long laid aside but upon a late occasion began to take some new liking thereunto seeing some good use thereof namely That the Prophecy of Antichrist and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein he was to reign should not be understood till many hundreds of years after Christ but remain sealed till the time appointed viz. ad seculum usque duodecimum All this by express prophecy and that therefore the Authority of the Fathers and their opinion concerning this point is of no validity howsoever it be now come of late among our selves to be a main Objection That the Pope is not He. But now I must defer it to more leisure some other business coming upon me and I being unfit for above one thing at once There was something I wrote to you once about the proof of the Resurrection out of Moses and that Demonstration of our Saviour in the Gospel which I never perceived you found leisure hitherto seriously to examine and consider of yet may it have something considerable Thus desiring Almighty God to fill you with all benediction with my best respect I take my leave and am Christ's Coll. August 12. 1635. Yours Ioseph Mede Postscript My Sizer being not yet come with a candle I will transcribe a passage of Eusebius concerning the Christian Sacrifice in his De landibus Constantini He is magnifying the unparallel'd power of our Saviour testified by the wonderful change he had then wrought in the world to which purpose with other passages he hath this Quis alius solo nostro Servatore excepto coepulonibus suis inornenta rationalia Sacrificia precibus arcanâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peragenda tradidit quorum causâ tum Altaria in toto terrarum orbe constituta tum Ecclesiarum dedicationes factae Solique omnium moderatori Deo divina Sacrificiorum solâ mente ratione obcundorum ministeria ab omnibus gentibus exhibita Sacrificia verò sanguine cruore fumo peragi solita vi quadam occultâ invisibili deleta extincta sunt EPISTLE LXII Dr. Twisse's Eleventh Letter to Mr. Mede signifying his high esteem of Mr. Mede's Discourse De Numeris Danielis Chap. 12. 11 12. Right dear and my right worthy Friend THis day a little before dinner came your Letter unto me I have been of late extremely melancholick your Letters inspire chearfulness into me How am I beholden unto you for communicating unto me your Treasures which I esteem beyond the Treasures of the Queen of Sheba You have heretofore blessed me with the Mysteries of Dan. 11. now with the Mysteries of Dan. 12. vers 11 12. The bare discovery of others Errors I should esteem a Iewel and a preservative from engaging our selves in erroneous ways which is worst of all Better a great deal to content a man's self with Ignorance so to keep himself entire for the embracing of Truth when the time of its nativity is come But you go farther and from the Text it self discover whereto those Numbers tend namely for the discovery of Antichrist which gives me wondrous content and all this you crown with admirable accommodation to the Event What a gracious God do we serve that hath so well provided for us in these times and for our consolation so many hundred years ago and as he hath reserved us for these times of light so raiseth up some to open these Oracles unto us What should man be the better for that sweet Dew Hony I mean if the Lord had not provided such a Creature as the Bee by natural instinct to seek after it and gather it for the use of others as well as for themselves I protest unto you if I should lie in prison all days of my life next unto the consolations of God's spirit your Writings would most refresh me They do always dispel melancholy I desire no better Preferment than you can perform and that is to be preferred to acquaintance with your Rarities I make bold to keep your Discourse till the next week for I cannot let it pass from me without copying it out I commend me to your Love as one of them I hold most dear and shall ever from my heart desire that God will prosper your courses and studies and recompense you with himself to be your Buckler and exceeding great Reward I rest Newbury Octob. 12. 1635. Yours ever in the surest bond Will. Twisse EPISTLE LXIII Mr. Estwick's Letter to Mr. Mede touching the Millennium SIR TOuching the Opinion of the Millenaries it was not yet my hap to light of a Book to inform me You shall find me to be a teachable Scholar only this Mora Resurrectionis seems to be confuted in divers places of the Scripture where it is said The dead shall be raised at the sound of the last Trump All they that are Christ's at his coming 1 Cor. 15. 23. in a moment vers 52. and the coming of the Son of man See Matt. 24. 39. and excepting one place I think the Resurrection is said to be of good and bad together How these and the like Scriptures are to be expounded agreeably to the doctrine of the Millenaries I would willingly know Warkton Nov. 4. Yours ever N. Estwick EPISTLE LXIV Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Estwick vindicating Lactantius about the Millennium and proving Cyprian to be for the same Opinion with some reflections upon Ierom's want of Candour and Faithfulness in relating the opinion of his adversaries Mr. Estwick YOU would bring me to express my self de modo before you were persuaded de re But soft you there I like not that Method S. Ierom is a man of no faith with me when he describes the opinion of his Adversary which whatsoever it were he would set it forth as odiously as possible could be He was a man that cared not what he said so it might disparage his Adversary This appears sufficiently in the cases of Vigilantius and Iovinian Yea but he lived at the same time Answ. So do we with those we differ from and yet we see the experience daily that scarce any one will relate the opinion of his Adversary candidly Yea but I cannot deny that Lactantius was for ciborum abundantia gulaeque ac ventris ingluvies ea quae sub ventre sunt But what if I can The words of Lactantius are only these Lib. 7. cap. 24. Tunc inquit qui crunt in corporibus vivi he speaks of those who shall be living at Christ's Second coming non morientur sed per eosdem mille annos infinitam multitudinem generabunt erit soboles eorum sancta Deo chara Qui autem ad inferis suscitabuntur that is those who shall
then to pronounce the Sentence of Condemnation upon such as are to be condemned Now I suppose the Sentence of Absolution shall continue all the time of the First Resurrection that is all the Thousand years long that that once ended and finished and not before he shall then proceed to pronounce the Sentence of Condemnation upon such as are to be condemned For so the Text saith that he shall in the first place pronounce the Sentence of bliss and Absolution upon those who are to be absolved and that done then come to the Sentence of Condemnation upon those who shall be in statu ordine damnandorum that is successively and not at one and the same time though the Scripture here mentions not the Intervallum which shall be between the beginning of the one and the other Thus you see although my plough stand still unless sometimes it joggs me yet then I am not unwilling to listen unto it 7. To that in the end of Esay 66. of Festivities in the Kingdom of Christ I answer I see no reason why the Lord's-day should not be a celebrious Day when the Lord reigneth Yet I think the expression there is accommodated to the condition and Diurnial of the Church under the Old Testament ad capium Auditorum and no more thereby to be understood but that in that New world not the Iews alone as then did but all the Nations should come before the Lord to worship him in the frequent Festivities then to be whatsoever they should be Thus I have as well as I could answered your Sabbatical number of Quaeres if not so largely and fully as you desired it is because there were too many of them for the narrowness of my mind to intend at one time Thus therefore with my Prayers to the Almighty for the continuance of his blessing and favour to you and yours I rest Christ's College April 18. 1636. Your respectful and true Friend Ios. Mede EPISTLE LXVII Mr. Mede's Second Letter to Mr. Estwick touching the Gothick Liturgy and the time when the Goths became Christians SIR THE Cothick Missal is that which the Goths in Spain used till they received the Roman which though as all other Liturgies it be to be supposed to have received many alterations and additions in time yet no doubt may retain some ancient passages whereof these Prayers pro defunctis may be some either received from the Spanish or African Christians or from the beginning of their Christianity which was before Chiliasm was condemned by Damasus or they plundered the Roman Empire For Theophilus Gothorum Episcopus was at the Council of Nice Anno 360. Vlphilus their Bishop at a Council at Constantinople assented to the Formula Ariminensis from whence the Goths became first infected with Arrianism S. Augustine de Civitate Dei useth this argument of the Goths Christianity against the Gentiles calumny That the Ruine of the Empire was for their rejecting their ancient Gods and receiving the Christian Religion For they were Christians that took and sacked Rome saith he and not Gentiles Vide Thus with my wonted affection and prayers I rest Christ's Coll. Nov. 9. 1636. Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede EPISTLE LXVIII Mr. Mede's Third Letter to Mr. Estwick more fully treating of the Gothick Liturgy and a Clause therein of Praying for the Dead to have part in the First Resurrection with a Passage in Methodius touching the Millennium Mr. Estwick THE body of the Gothish Nation or of one part thereof had received the Christian Faith before they plundered the Roman Empire as appeared by Alaricus himself who with his Army solemnly observed the Christian Rites Yet seems this to have been between the days of Constantine and Iulian and not elder Howsoever there is no question but there were many Churches among them before as was in other Nations long before the Faith was publickly received by them If so then without doubt when the Nation publickly received the Faith they received likewise that Form of Liturgy which had formerly been used in their Countrey by those of the Christian Rite amongst them And thence might remain those passages of Praying for the Dead to have part in Resurrectione Prima Irenaeus Lib. 1. cap. 3. edit Fevardent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Tertullian Lib. adv Iudaeos where he tells us that Brittannorum inaccessa Romanis loca were Christo subdita says moreover that In Sarmatarum Dacorum Germanorum Scytharum abditarum multarum Gentium Insularum nobis ignotraum locis Christi Nomen qui jam venit regnat c. Why may not the Goths be comprehended under some of these As for the Vandals and the rest of those Northern Nations I find not that they brought any Signs of Christianity with them when they first invaded and seated in the Empire but were altogether Pagans As for that Form of Prayer for the Dead Vt partem haberent in Resurrectione Prima I believe it was usual in those Formulae for the Dead till Chiliasm was cried down and then expunged namely that it followed those words which appear yet in most of those Forms Vt collocet eâ—orum animas Deus in sinu â—brahae unde abest doler suspirium as it does in this Gothish Missal Whence it is that now in those Forms there appears no Prayer at all for their Resurrection or Consummation then notwithstanding that in the Protasis they compellate God with Qui hominem mundi civem mortalem in constitutione sua fecisti promisisti ei Resurrectionem Who can believe that in such Prayers they should not at all pray for the Resurrection But that passage being it seems anciently specificated to Resurrectio Prima they thought it sufficient in after-times to omit it without substitution of any other for it And hence comes that silence of the Resurrection But that you may yet see my thoughts still now and then reflect upon that Speculation which you thought I had forgotten I will give you a passage of Methodius Olympi Lyciae deinde Tyri Episcopus and a Martyr sub Decio alii sub Valeriano which passage with a good part of his Dialogue de Resurrectione contra Originem is preserved by Epiphanius Haeres 74. There Proclus cui tribuit lonquendi partes speaks in this manner Et verò conturbatam iri Creaturam velut in conflagratione ista morituram ut restauretur non tamen extinctum iri exspectandum Vt in instaurato Mundo ipsimet instaurati ac doloris expertes habitemus juxta illud Psal. 103. Emittes spiritum tuum creabuntur renovabis faciem terrae Quòd nimirum ambientem Aerem temperatissimum deinceps facturus sit Deus Cum enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terra adhuc perseveratura sit habitatores in ea futuros omnino necesse est qui nec morituri sunt ampliùs neque copulandi nuptiis aut procreandae soboli operam deturi sed Angelorum more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in immortalitatis
statu optima facturi Proindéque stultum est Quanam vitae ratione usura sunt corpora in Resurrectione quaerere si nec Aer neque Terra neque quicquam caeterorum sit ampliùs futurum Whether do you not think this man to have been a Chiliast But no man desires to be acquainted with Notions that way wherefore then should I go about to cram them I think scarce any of you of my acquaintance knows the tenth part of my adventures that way I can be content to satisfie my self without troubling others unless I see them seriously desirous to be informed But no man I find loves any Speculations but such as he thinks will advance his profitable ends or advantage his Side or Faction Mundus amat decipi But there will be a time one day when God thinks fit Christ's Coll. Nov. 15. I. M. EPISTLE LXIX Mr. Mede's Fourth Letter to Mr. Estwick with part of another Letter the beginning whereof is wanting in answer to several Enquiries 1. FOR my Paradox of the American World I could say that to make it probable and so much as would be too tedious to write For the present I will add this more concerning it That I believe it was not inhabited in Christ's and his Apostles times nor some Ages after it nor are there any vestigia found therein of any elder habitation thereof I believe it to have been first inhabited since the days of Constantine when the Devil saw he could no longer reign here without control and the continual affront of the Gospel and Cross of Christ. Then he sought out another World to plant him a Kingdom in ubi nec Pelopidarum facta neque nomen audiret Upon this ground may be answered many scruples concerning that World as of Noah's Deluge of the Creatures there not found here where Noah's Ark rested of the Apostles preaching the Gospel why it was contained within out World and yet said The sound thereof went into the ends of the Earth c. Some of them you say are converted But the New-Englanders have not yet converted one the Spaniards have but unto Antichrist not to Christ and the Story of their Conversion is such as may make a man justly suspect there hath scarce yet been ever a true Christian of that race Yet I speak in my Conjectura de Gogo Magogo of a General Conversion only not of a Conversion of some few or of some small and scarce considerable part in regard of the Vastness of the whole 2. To your Case of Conscience I answer thus Though the teaching of a School be in some sort reducible to a Sacred Function as it may be managed and intended yet for Titius to leave a Pastoral charge for it when he hath been once dedicated to that Sacred Office I hold an inexcusable Sacrilege unless perhaps in a case of Necessity I would rather therefore advise the continuance of both than to forsake the one for the other 3. For that of the Ark of the Covenant what do you mean There is nothing more indubitate in Scripture than that the Ark was under the wings of the Cherubins in the Sanctum Sanctorum or most Holy place as Exod. 26. 33 34 1 Kings 8. 6 c. and Heb. 9. Or do you mean for I have not the Bishop's Book that it was not there when Hilkiah found the Book of the Law That place of the Chronicles indeed if it be rightly translated should argue it had been taken thence during Manasseh's prophanation of the Temple and that it may be by the true worshippers for what fellowship had the Ark of God with Idols and so not restored again to his place till Iosiah purged the Temple Or what if Manasseh himself had caused it to be taken thence when he dedicated the Temple to his Idols lest it might serve them as it once did Dagon But Tremellius or Iunius turns the place otherwise and yet methinks somewhat forcedly Videsis 4. How often is the Resurrection of the Vnjust mentioned in the Epistles either together with that of the Iust or by it self And where both are mentioned elsewhere it is not said they should be together though they be mentioned together for there is difference between mentioning and being As for the Last Trump it proves nothing until you define what is the First Trump yea what Trump is It is no where said The Resurrection of the dead shall be in a moment but that those who are alive shall be changed in a moment And what though the Resurrection in respect of each Individuum be in a moment Yet would it not follow that all that rise shall rise in one and the same moment To that of the 25 of Matthew you shall have a sufficient answer when you have made progress enough to understand it For out of chap. 24. which you cite I see not any thing toward your purpose For those in ver 39. are not the dead but the living nor is the Resurrection at all mentioned in that Chap. but at the most implied only In the mean time I send you the Copie of an Epistle written once to Mr. Chappel to satisfie a friend of his who had desired him to know my Answer to certain Quaere's and Objections somewhat like those of yours His Letter being directed to Mr. Chappel and not to me I made my Answer accordingly as you see Keep it clean and send me it again when you have done with it and as I see occasion I may perhaps send you some more of the like Argument 5. For reading the Service at the Altar c. was it not enough to give you the Premisses but I must put the Conclusion into your mouth I add now That the Priest or Deacon came down from the Altar to read the Gospel unto the Ambo or other eminent place where he might be seen and heard of the people And in such place were all Lessons of Scripture read whosoever read them and not at the Altar The Altar was the place to speak to God at the Ambo or Pulpit or such like place to speak to the People Besides those Prayers at the Altar whereto the People were to say Amen were read in a high distinct and singing tone which might be heard and understood at great distance of all the people That submiss reading in Churches sine cantu which we use now was not then in use If it had it could never have been heard of half the Congregation in so large Churches and where some stood so far off as the Catechumeni Auditores Penitentes who were to be partakers of the Readings and Sermons and nothing else and yet stood at the remotest distance from the place both of it and Prayer I love not to answer to things in Hypothesi but in Thesi. The world is right on no side Let them look to the hypothesis whom it concerns Quo jure ego qui Thesin tantùm defendo ad
Times But whether your meaning were not That for God to be robbed of such a Sacrifice was a great Sacrilege I know not And by Mr. B. I heard as from your self the practice of Bishop Andrew's Chappel was that which first cast you upon such a way so as from thence to observe the course and practice of Antiquity But in my poor judgment it is very strange that a matter of such importance as you seem to make it should have so little evidence in God's Word and Antiquity and depend merely upon certain Conjectures That which you style your Conjectura de Gogo Magogo in my poor judgment is more rational by far and yet the matter thereof you know to be very strange but it prevails very much with me That Declaration of the Palsgrave's Churches since I came home I have seen I remembered your Censure of it as a laxe thing Others passe other judgments upon it on my knowledge and those Divines were accounted in those days as grave and learned Divines as most in Christendom Indeed the matter of Bowing at hearing the name of Iesus is nothing pleasing to some in these times But how doth B. A s. reading in Antiquity serve his turn for that Cornelius à Lapide is a Papist and a Iesuit he saith ad nomem Iesu in S. Paul is no more than ad Iesum I know it is the Father's pleasure that as we honour the Father so we should honour the Son and all the world shall never bring me to shew more reverence at the hearing of the name of Iesus then at the hearing of the name Iehovah and when we are as we should be intent upon our religious comportment before God according to the inward adoration in spirit that we should watch when a word comes to perform outward obaisance in my judgment is very strange And I remember how faintly Mr. H. carries himself in this and others in pleading for it most of all urge this that no body is troubled about it but now more than enough must yield or suffer I never had experience of the practice till now and that makes me the bolder to write as I do Yet whatsoever we shall be put unto I am glad that I have such liberty to confer with you thereabouts I am lately grown acquainted with my Lord of Armagh being encouraged to write unto his Grace about the matter of the Sabbath which I willingly apprehended and acquainted him with all my Grounds whereupon I proceeded and he justifies them all I intreated also help in Antiquity about the Notion of a Sabbath given to the Lord's-Day and he profest unto me that he never inclined his mind to observe that in all his reading and added this reason For he never thought to see such times as these to call into question Whether the Moral Law contains Ten or but Nine Commandments And Dr. Reynolds being ask'd what he thought of Beza's judgment concerning the Sabbath made no other answer but this You know the Commandment Thus have I made bold to write freely as to my dear friend I doubt not but whensoever I am put unto it I shall find you the readier to afford me your best satisfaction for certainly I will neglect no means to keep me out of the paw of the Lion as well as I can I commend you to the grace of God and with many thanks for your love and free communication of precious things I take my leave ever resting Newbury March 20. 1636. Yours to love and honour you Will. Twisse EPISTLE LXXI Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse's several Expostulations together with his judgment of Mr. Potter's Discourse touching the Number of the Beast 666. Worthy Sir I Have received yours and heartily thank you for the Book you sent me which I find to be no laxe but a nervous close and well-composed Discourse as written by an abler hand than Voetius or any Dutch-man of them all yea I believe the ablest in that argument now living Concerning Mr. Potter's Discourse before I tell you my opinion I find I have some things else to answer and such as press me so hard as I cannot deny them the first place especially one of them which complains much of being mistaken As that I bad you hearing Prayers in our Master's Closet to stand up at Gloria Patri I 'le assure you you were mistaken My words were We stand up or They stand up I know not certainly which intending only to have you take notice of our manners and fashions as I did also the night before when they bowed at the name Iesus in the Creed I confess indeed when I saw you so suddenly to alter your posture I had some suspicion lest you misunderstood me and repented me I had spoken and thought of it sometimes afterward Yet mine was but doubting I would yours had been so too For why would you suppose me to be so uncivil as to speak unto a stranger and my better in degree in such a rude manner or note as you call it Surely in this you were to blame Nay I do not remember that ever I bad any one little or great either to stand up at Gloria Patri or how at the name Iesus or to conform to other the like posture all days of my life however my opinion hath been concerning them The plain truth is I had a desire to have talked with you about these things and to have acquainted you with something I had that way which now I find your mind so averse I shall never do For this end it was that I ever anone put you in mind to observe our postures and now and then at other times in our discourse touch'd upon something of that kind to have given occasion of conference about those matters And the rather I desired it because I had declared my self so far in my Letters unto you formerly as I thought might require more to be added to prevent such scruples as might arise from thence You may remember what hint I gave you in our Gate-house the first night concerning that place in Daniel And he shall think to change Times and Laws and they shall be given into his hand for a time times and half a time I would fain have entred with you upon that Scripture and told you I had some Notion thereabout which some friends of mine had termed Dog and Cummin-seed c. As for my Sermon at S. Marie's if I could have enjoyed you privately sine arbitris which I much but in vain desired in all probability you had been together with some other things better acquainted with some of the Contents thereof And as for preaching for Bowing to Altars if my memory fail me not the word Altar unless in citing a place of Scripture was never mentioned in my whole Discourse Sure I am there was no Bowing spoken of either with respect to it or to the Communion-Table but only of Bowing in general without any
Dominus docuit offerri in universo mundo purum Sacrificium reputatum est apud Deum acceptum est ei c. The evidence of this was such as forced Hospinian Hist. Sacrament lib. ◠c. 6. to say Iam tum primo illo seculo viventibus adhuc Apostolis magis huic Sacramento quà m Baptismo insidiari ausus sit Daemon homines à prima illa forma sensim adduxit and Sebastianus Francus Statim post Apostolos omnia inversa sunt Coena Domini in Sacrificium transformata est Now Sir if I was loth to pass so harsh a censure as some do upon the First Fathers and Church Christian and could not be perswaded but that which the Catholick Church from her infancy conceived of the Eucharist should have some truth in it and accordingly endeavoured to find out that ratio Sacrificii therein such as might be consonant both to the Principles of the Reformed Religion and unto the Scripture of the New Testament yea perhaps found therein not quoad rem only but quoad nomen also did I merit to be irrided for having found out I know not what Mystery of a Sacrifice now-a-days a Mystery in my sense to all the Christian world When all men are at a seek and one cries I think I have found it shall he be chidden therefore Sir I can remember when you understood me more rightly and interpreted my freedom with much more candour To tell you true therefore I am somewhat suspicious lest the air of Cambridge did you some hurt But let that pass That which I wrote to you concerning this Mystery especially in my Second Reply was for the most part little other than Testimony of matter of Fact If it were false testare de mendacio if true cur caedor Yet one thing more It is no time now to slight the Catholick consent of the Church in her First ages when Socinianism grows so fast upon the rejection thereof nor to abhor so much the notion of a Commemorative Sacrifice in the Eucharist when we shall meet with those who will deny the Death of Christ upon the Cross to have been a Sacrifice for sin Verbum intelligenti There may be here some matter of importance Lastly You may remember how much I desired to be spared from any farther writing or answering upon this argument because I knew it was a nice and displeasing theme and such as I should have no thanks for Now I see I am become a Prophet and that when I looked not for it And thus I have done with this business which hath made me so much work The Censure I gave of the Declaration of the Palsgrave's Churches was not in respect of the matter but the manner of handling as the term of laxe shewed And before I had seen it I heard that Censure given of it by one that wishes the Palsgrave's Churches and their Doctrine as well as I know any Is I erred in my judgment there is an end I use not to be often faulty in rashness that way And this shall teach me to be more wary hereafter If I had had any suspicion of misconstruction I could in this kind have held my tongue with as much ease as any man What my Lord of Armagh's opinion is of the Millennium I know not save only that I have not observed him neither when I gave him my Synchronisms nor in discourse thereabout after he had considered them to discover any opposition or aversation to the Notion I represented thereabout The Like Mr. Wood told me of him after he had read his papers nay that he used this complement to him at their parting I hope we shall meet together in Resurrectione prima But my Lord is a great man and thinks it not fit whatsoever his opinion be to declare himself for a Paradox yet the speeches I observed to fall from him were no wise discouraging He told me once he had a Brother si bene memini who would say He could never believe but the 1000 years were still to come Now for Mr. Potter's Discourse I confess I came to the reading thereof with as much prejudice as might be having been cloyed with so many vain and fancisul Speculations about that mystical Number that I had no stomack to any more of them Which was the reason to tell you true that I shewed no more desire or eagerness to have a sight of your Exscript notwithstanding your commendations and offer of the same For I was loth to be put to give my Censure which I doubted according to former experience must be in sequiorem partem But when I was a little entered thereinto◠and began to perceive the Grounds whereon he meant to build I found my self presently to altar and to anticipate in my mind with much content what he aimed at before I could come to read it and longed not a little to find it well proved and to fall out accordingly That which wone me was the way to reduce Ezekiel's and S. Iohn's so differing measures of the New Ierusalem unto the same and so as both should allude to the Measures of the Ierusalem that was in being As soon as I found this I was not a little glad to see that made fecible which I before took for desperate and as it is ill halting with Criples I began presently to wish O that the Number of the Beast might have the like success for the designing of his See of Rome Concerning which and the compleat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of both Numbers when I found such Testimonies produced you may guess how I was affected namely That if it be not a Truth which I was very willing to believe it is the most considerable Probability that ever I read in that kind And thus with many thanks for your kind communication thereof unto me even when you had found me not to long for a sight of it I commend you and your learned meditations to the Divine blessing and so I rest Christ's Coll. Aprill 1637. Yours Ioseph Mede Diversum sentire bonos de rebus iisdem Incolumi licuit semper amicitiâ Eusebius De laudibus Constantini p. 492. Edit 1612. Quis praeter Christum Servatorem cunctis totius Orbis terrarum incolis sen terrâ seu mari illisint praescripserit ut singulis septimanis in unum convenientes Diem Dominicum sestum celebrarent I know not whether the Tractators of this argument have observed this passage or not Graeca sic habent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Vanity of man's life When I began this Letter Dr. Whaley your good and religious Friend was in health Before I had finished intermitting some few days I heard he was fallen suddenly sick and soon after that he was recovering Now when I was about to seal my Letter upon the opportunity of a Friend 's going to London I hear he is departed this life and the Bells are yet ringing out for him I expected not to have been the
messenger of this ill news May 2. Vale. EPISTLE LXXII Dr. Twisse's Fourteenth Letter to Mr. Mede touching Mr. Potter's Discourse of the Number of the Beast viz. 666. Worthy Sir and my dear Friend YOV have communicated unto me many precious things which makes me to acknowledge my self more indebted to you than to all the men in the world And the more glad I am when I light upon any thing that is worth your knowledge This last week I received a Letter from Mr. Potter enclosing two other Letters one of his own to Dr. Turner in answer to another of his both which I have sent you Therein you shall see how Mr. Potter's discovery works already like wax before it sees the light of the Press I had formerly wrote unto him what your judgment was upon the Abstract I sent you as your self wrote unto me and as I heard also from Mr. Hall But lately Mr. Hartlib sent me a Copy of your judgment morefull since you received the compleat Copy wishing me to send it over unto Mr. Potter which I did and he is glad as he professeth to me to hear that you esteem so well of his Interpretation and over and above adds that if any man think so well of it as to translate it into Latine he will not be sorry for it Nay he is willing to add something to it concerning the First Beast and the Second Beast and the Image of it He is exceedingly desirous to know his judgment of it in such sort that he hath a mind either to write or to go over unto him I pray let him have a sight of it and entreat him to set down his judgment concerning it Now Sir concerning the occasion of these Letters I will shew you what he writes to me Mr. Potter had understood from Oxford that Dr. T. who is one of the Mathematick Professors there had alledged against his Book That the Root of 666 was not 25. but this was by those who told him of it accounted so slight and untrue an Objection that Mr. Potter did not regard it But after this being with he told him that Dr. T. told the Vice-chancellor that Mr. Potter was out in the Mathematical part of it Hereupon Mr. Potter wrote unto Dr. T. and receiving no Answer wrote a second time thereupon Dr. T. answered which Answer of his I here send you with Mr. Potter's large Answer unto him wherein you shall find not only the vanity of Dr. T 's Exception but a strange Mystery discovered even to admiration I have sent you Mr. Potter's own Letter for fear lest in transcribing I should miss in the calculation of the Numbers He desires to have the Letters again when we have perused them and transcribed them I pray return them by Mr. Hartlib I commend me heartily to the continuance of your love and rest Newbury Aprill 30. 1638. Yours ever in true affection and great obligationâ— Will. Twisse I pray remember my due respect to Dr. Bainbrigge the Master of your House EPISTLE LXXIII Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Twisse's Fourteenth Letter touching Mr. Potter's Notions of the Number of the Beast with some Observations of his own concerning his Book Worthy Sir I Thank you heartily for Mr. Potter's Letter I confess I have an especial esteem of his Discourse but little looked that what I wrote carelesly to Mr. Hartlib demaning my opinion thereof should have come to his hands Concerning this Letter I am perswaded the Doctor 's Exception is fully and sufficiently answered namely That the Root of a Number ought to consist of Unities of the same denomination with the Unities of the principal whose Root it is and that if the Unities be of another denomination it is not the Root of that Number but of another I see also a fair possibility of a discovery of new Mysteries even in the Fractions but perhaps it will not be so safe to discover them until they be well armed unto those who are not well affected to the main For it is sufficient with a great many to discredit a Tenet if they can but find any thing not defensible brought toward the maintenance thereof Verbum sapienti I care not if I acquaint you with what came into mind upon my first cursory reading of the Letter the one an Observation the other as I found afterward a mistake of Mr. Potter's meaning 1. First when I read him applying the Fractions 41 51 to the Latitude of Rome I called to mind that the old Astronomers and most of our Maps make the Latitude of Rome to be 41 degrees and about 50 or 51 minutes The later Mathematicians promote it some minutes farther Northward but Rome was big enough when time was to bear the difference of a few minutes And if that which Mr. Gellibrand observed be true it is possible that the Latitudes of some places may be a little changed since Ptolemy's time by some motion of the Earth whatsoever it be The Mistake was this 2. As I ruminated upon his application of the Denominator of the Fractions 51 to so many Italian miles which I well understood not at my first cursory reading I fell into this conceit that his meaning had been that a Degree in a great Circle had contained but 51 Italian miles whereas we suppose 60 and that therefore 41 51 was as much as 41 fifty one Italian miles that is 41 Degrees a Degree being 51 Italian miles That which led me into this conceit was his mention of Snellius who in his Eratosthenes Batavus which I had sometime look'd upon but it is many years since as I remembred made a Degree to contain some miles less than 60. Whether my memory fails me I know not for the Book I never saw but once in the Stationer's shop But when I read the Letter the second time with more deliberation I found his meaning to be That Rome lay under such a Parallel as whereof every Degree contained 51 Italian miles but this supposes I think that a Degree of a great Circle should be above 60 Italian miles which how near or far off it be from Snellius his experimental definition I know not My skill in Mathematicks is but little only so much as makes me able to understand a Discourse in that kind In my younger time I studied the Grounds of those Sciences but ever since neglected them and therefore if I commit any Soloecisms in talking of such matters I must be excused I will add also some of my thoughts concerning his Book 1. That there is no such Argument to prove the Divinity of the Apocalyps and consequently to convince an Atheist of the Divinity of the whole Scripture whereto this Book gives testimony as the strange agreement between Ezekiel's Lineal and S. Iohn's Cubical measures of the city Ierusalem for the compass and Area thereof both the numbers and denomination of Measures being so differing as they are and those of S. Iohn besides to be derived from 12.
quo de tuo ergà mea qualiacunque in Pacis causa studia affectu certiorem reddis déque cautela in colligendis Ecclesiasticae Pacis suffragiis adhibenda prudenter mones Nihil praeter debitum officii erga Superiores respectum à quoquam exigendum Nihil insciis cujusque Ordinis Primoribus promiscuè proponendum Nihil privatis temerè in publico negotio nihil extra ordinem aggrediendum Me quod attinet semper ità cogitavi attamen nescio quibus adductus tandem fidiculis hoc in me onus susceperim aliquid ab aliorum provocatione aliquid à mea vel simplicitate vel temeritate fateor profectum est certè in hoc mihi Conscientia praebet testimonium nihil à me hactenus quaesitum quod vel meipsum vel mea sed tantum quod publicum aliorum commodumâ— spectarâ—â— Ab omnium partium legibus dominio solutus omnium me Servum exhibui quoad potui Neque mihi aut ab eruditione aut rerum experientia singulari animus ad haec molimina satis instruct us vires fiduciam sibi sumpsit sed invict â potiùs quadam propensitate delatus est in hunc impetum ut experireâ—ur quid in praejudiciis animorum inter partes tollendis praestari divinâ benedictione posset à privatae indusiria quid apud alios in tam sancta causa juvanda promptiâ—udinis fuâ—uâ—um esset Siquid praeter spem non tamen ultra votum accidit Deo qui corda hominum regit abjectis saepe utitur ad gloriae suae manifestationem instrumentis laus tribuenda est De caetero quid imposterum mihi conandum incertus sum Extra sphaeram hanâ— privatae vocationis Theologicae me trahi non facilè patiar atque ideo quoniam res jam paulatim vergit ad publicam tractationem nihil aliud mihi propono quà m ut propensam hanc animorum inclinationem in tempus usque praestituti Conventûs fovere annitar occasionibus sim intentus quibus Belgarum siquidem haberi facilè potest publicus in hoc Concilio consensus obtineatur Vidisti jam ex narratiuncula à Lomino Hartlibio missa quid apud Ecclesias Batavicas transactum sit Tua singularis Prudentia mihi rem gratam suâ humanitate dignam fecerit si non graveâ—ur suum de meis illis conatibus judicium exponere An scilicet nimiâ parrhesiâ peccatum non fuerit Quantum nobis liceat ab illis Ecclesiis exspectare Quâ ratione posthac quoniam de responso Synodico jam solicitus sum sive non concedant sive concedant meis postulatis causa haec cum illis tractanda est Certum mihi est per Dei gratiam nihil agere quod animorum irritationi ant justae suspicionâ— praebere possit occasionem Pacis enim studia cum omni lenitate humilitate patientia pacificè sunt tractandâ— neque privato mihi aut expedire aut licitum esse judicâ— Ã quoquam effiagitare vel importuniùs extorquere velle quidquam quod non suâ sponte Conscientiâ duce Charitate comite quilibet praestare paratus sit Hâc lege tecum Claâ—â—ssime Spectatissime Vir familiaeriter agam ut cuique nostrùm liceat suo jure uti libere loqui tacere Ità Divinae gratiae te tuáque studia animitus commendo Vale favore â—uo amplectere illum qui est Pietati tuae addictissimus Ioannes Duraeus Westmonasterii 9 Kal. April 1635. EPISTLE LXXIX Mr. Mede's Answer to Mr. Hartlib excusing his not giving his judgment of Mr. Dury's manner of Address and Treaties with those of the Batavian Churches Mr. Hartlib I Received yours on Saturday with the Copy enclosed and Mr. Dury's courteous Letter To which yet I doubt I shall make no answer but use the liberty he there vouchsafes me Vt â—uique nostrûm liceat suo jureuti liberè loqui tacere For he desires me to give my judgment of his manner of Address and Treatiâ—â—â— with those of the Batavian Churches What may be expected from them and What â—â—â—se were best to be taken in case they grant or deny But what were this but for Phormio to teach Hannibal Stratagems of war Ego verò ità usu rerum non valeo ut hoc vel cogitare audeam nedum scribere For the place I live iâ— I could perhaps tell something but the condition of those Churches and their humors I know not farther than by hear-say and much of that too I learned by the Papers you last sent me And for my part rebus sic stantibus I cannot conceive any way better than what Mr. Dury there relates he took whose wisdom and ability therein I am fitter to receive knowledge and information by than to censure or give direction unto And in particular methinks the deferring of them to the last and not dealing with them till all other Churches had declared themselves will if any thing bring them off at least in some degree to shew their concurrence For in such a case Singularity cannot be without a blur which perhaps they will consider though their home contentions have made them I believe resty enough But Lord is there any hope of a Pacification whilest each party studies to maintain their advantage against the other entire A Ioyner cannot set two pieces of Timber together without paring something from either I pray remember me most kindly to Mr. Dury I send home herewith the Copy of his Epistle ad Batavos which I shewed only to Dr. S. to whom I had communicated the former Dr. W. and the rest are from home this Easter-time and I thought not fit to keep it till their return And do the affairs in Germany say you begin to turn Lord what will the Scene be then that is now to come upon the Stage It is an intricate business so full of windings and turnings that no man can yet guess what is the way that Providence aims at to accomplish its end Thus in haste with my affection and Prayers I rest Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Coll. April 1. 1635. EPISTLE LXXX Another Letter of Mr. Mede's to Mr. Hartlib shewing his Reasons why he refused to declare himself concerning the Acta Lipsiaca Worthy Mr. Hartlib IT grieves me not a little yea perplexes me to hear that Mr. Dury is come off with no better success from my L. I am loth malè augurari but I like it not I fear it is mali ominis and that our State and Church have no mind to put their hand to this Work Deus avertat omen But our Church you know goes upon differing Principles from the rest of the Reformed and so steers her course by another Rule than they do We look after the Form Rites and Discipline of Antiquity and endeavour to bring our own as near as we can to that Pattern We suppose the Reformed Churches have departed farther there-from than needed and so we are not very solicitous to
But enough of this You long you say to hear my Answer to the particulars of your Letter Which do you mean I suppose chiefly that of Fundamental Articles But if such great Prelates and learned Doctors as you mention detrect the defining of the Ratio of a Fundamental Article or designing the Number of them as a matter not only difficult but inconvenient and dangerous Quid ego miser homuncio facerem I confess I am in part guilty of advising Mr. Dury to urge men to think of such a Definition as a ground to examine the points of difference by of what nature they are But I intimated withal how likely they would be to detrect it and wherefore namely lest by that means they might either declare some darling Opinion of their own not to be Fundamental and thereby prejudice their own cause or else exclude out of that number some Articles formerly determined by the Church and so incur a suspicion or be liable to be upbraided with favouring some condemned Heresie But what if to avoid the aforesaid Inconveniences we should go this way to work Make two sorts of Fundamental Articles Fundamentals of Salvation and Fundamentals of Ecclesiastical Communion one of such as are necessarii cognitu creditu ad Salutem simply and absolutely and therefore no Christian soul that shall be saved uncapable to understand them another of such as are necessarii creditu ad Communionem Ecclesiasticam in regard of the predecision of the Church The first not to be of such Truths as are merely Speculative and contained only in the Understanding but of such only as have a necessary influence upon Practice and not all those neither but such as have necessary influence upon the Act and Function of Christian life or whereon the Acts without which a Christian lives not necessarily depend Such namely as without the knowledge and belief whereof we can neither invocate the Father aright nor have that Faith and reliance upon him and his Son our Mediator Iesus Christ which is requisite to Remission of sins and the hope of the Life to come How far this Ratio of a Fundamental Article will stretch I know not but believe it will fetch in most of the Articles of the Apostles Creed And by it also those two main Errors of the Socinians the one denying the Divine Nature the other the Satisfaction of Christ may be discerned to be Fundamental For without the belief of the first the Divine Majesty cannot be rightly that is incommunicably worshipped so as to have no other Gods besides him For he that believes not Christ to be Consubstantial with the Father and yet honours him with the same worship worships not the Father incommunicably which is the Formalis ratio of the worship of the true God from whom we look for eternal Life And without the belief of the Second the Satisfaction of Christ there can be I suppose no saving Faith or reliance upon Christ for Forgiveness of sin After this manner may other Articles be examined Thus much of the first sort of Fundamental Truths measured by the necessitude they have with those Acts which are required to Salvation Concerning the second sort of Fundamentals viz. necessary ad Communionem Ecclesiasticam It is not fit that the Church should admit any to her Communion which shall professedly deny or refuse their assent to such Catholick Truths as she hath anciently declared by universal Authority for the Symbol and Badge of such as should have Communion with her And this sort of Articles without doubt fetches a greater compass and comprehends more than the other as being ordinate and measured by another End to wit of Discipline and so contains not only such Truths the knowledge whereof and assent whereto is necessary unto the being of Christian life but also to the well-being thereof and therefore not needful to be understood of every one distinctly and explicitely as the former but implicitely only and as far as they shall be capable or have means to come to the knowledge thereof This is the Sum of my thoughts concerning Fundamentals If I have not expressed my self so dilucidly as I should I pray help it with some intention of your conceit in the reading For the Book you speak of I like it not I knew by hear-say much of the Author and his condition some years before the High-Commissiâ—n took notice of him and wondred he escaped so long For in every company he came he took an intolerable liberty of Invectives and Contumelies against the Ecclesiastical State when no occasion was offered him Such Books as these never did good in our Church and have been as disadvantageous to their Party who vent them as they have been prejudicial to the common Cause I durst almost affirm that the alienation which appears in our Church of late from the rest of the Reformed hath grown for a great part from such intemperancy and indiscretion as this is and will be still increased more and more if those who seem to be the chief favourers of them go on in this manner He hath too ready a Faculty in expressing himself with his pen unless he would employ it better For who can excuse him from a malignant disposition towards his own Mother thus to publish her faults in Latin of purpose to discover her shame to strangers and to call her Sisters to see it as Cham did his Brothers Think what kind of crime it is for a man that is Civis and a Member to traduce the Rulers of his people among foreiners and what little good affection they are like to expect from ours who are made partisans in such a kind Thus with my best affection I rest and am Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Coll. Febr. 6. EPISTLE LXXXIV Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib expressing his Opinion touching Mr. Streso's Book and his distinguishing of Three sorts of Fundamentals Mr. Hartlib I Read over your Streso with some attention and find many learned and considerable passages and discourses therein But for my Animadversions which you look for it were against my Genius for I am one that had rather give my opinion by much though the world hath taught me even there to be somewhat nice than censure another man's But in general I conceive his way to be somewhat ambiguous and intricate more than needs He distinguisheth Three sorts of Fundamentals One he calls Fundamentum ipsum The other two he measures by their relation to it either à parte antè and such he terms Sub-fundamentales or à parte Pòst which may be called Super-fundamentales The one of such Truths quae substernuntur Fundamento the other such as follow by immediate consequence from the same This I take to be the Sum of his opinion Now for that which is his Fundamentum ipsum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I make no doubt but the acknowledgment of the truth thereof is Fundamental ad Salutem So I believe also are his
Ante or Sub-fundamentals though the most of them not proper to Christianity but common to it with Iudaism For the Church of the Gospel is built or graffed upon the Iewish the common Foundation remaining the same in both But as for the third sort of Fundamentals or Super-fundamentals which he makes such as are by immediate or necessary consequence deducible from the Fundamentum Salutis I make some question whether all such are necessaria cognitu creditu ad Salutem simply First because the necessity of such consequence may not be apprehended by all who hold the Fundamentum Secondly because I am not yet perswaded that to deny or be ignorant of a Truth which is merely Speculative such as some of these Consequences may be is damnable but only of such Truths the knowledge and acknowledgment whereof hath necessary connexion with some practical requisite unto Salvation I mean whereon depends necessarily the acquiring of some Act necessary or the avoiding some Act repugnant to Salvation So that still it seems to me the readiest and easiest way for resolution in this matter is To enquire and examine what those Acts are wherein consists our Spiritual life or that Union and Fellowship which we have with the Father and his Son our Mediator Iesus Christ. That which is necessarium cognitu creditu unto these is Fundamental ad Salutem i.e. cujus agnitioni Salus tanquam Fundamento innititur That which is not so is not Fundamental ad Salutem For example He that comes unto God saith S. Paul must believe that God is So likewise He that comes unto Christ or unto the Father by him as every one must do that will be saved must believe that Christ is and that he is constituted the Mediator between God and us He that comes unto and relies upon Christ for remission of sin must believe that Christ suffered and was offered a Sacrifice for the sins of men and thereby purchased that power to confer remission unto all that should repent and believe in his Name He that bids a true farewel to sin and savingly buckles to the works of a new life must believe there is a life to come and a Day wherein God by the Man he hath ordained shall judge both the quick and dead and give unto every one according to his works according to that of S. Paul Acts 24. 15 16. I have hope towards God that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust For this cause do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men According to these examples you may examine more The difference between Mr. Streso's way and mine is this He measures his Fundamentals by their relation to one Fundamentum I measure all by the relation they have to Eternal life in regard of those Acts and Dispositions whereby we are capable thereof Take this Similitude In a Creature indued with animal life are many Members or Organs whereof though none can be wanting hurt or wounded without some deformity defect or detriment of the whole yet all are not essential unto the Life of the Body but such only from whence those Faculties and Functions flow whereon Life necessarily depends such as are Respiratio Nutritio Gustus Tactus Pulsus Somnus and the like Therefore the Organs whereon these depend can neither be wanting nor notoriously hurt or wounded but the Body presently dieth Without Legs Arms Tongue Eyes Ears Nose a man may live though a most pitiful ugly and loathsome spectacle and more fit for the Spittle than the publick society of men But without Head Heart Lungs Stomach and the like he cannot namely because these Members and the sound and good temper of them in some degree are necessary to those Faculties and Functions which are requisite unto Life Apply this and improve it by your Meditation Vale. Yours Ios. Mede February 27. EPISTLE LXXXV Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib touching the Acta Lipsiaca as also touching a Confession of Faith and the way of determining Fundamentals that it should be short easie and evident Worthy Sir I Have received the Acta Lipsiaca but if I could have given you notice in time I would have saved you that labour and borrowed of Dr. W. for he had promised to lend me his When I had read it over Lord me thought what little differences are these to break communion for viz. for one or two Speculative Subtilties for some Logical or Metaphysical Notion So I believe much of these disputes when the wisest and moderatest of both sides have expounded themselves is I will not say mere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For your Extracts I read them presently and laid them by and to confess the truth some business following presently took me so much up that I had almost forgot I had them till your admonition put me now in mind of them That George Francis his way Degradibus necessitatis dogmatum Christianorum quibus Fidei Spei Charitatis officia reguntur methinks by the Title should come somewhat near that fansie 'T is true that he says Some men have such an unhappiness of Logick that by an affected following their methods and Technological artifices they make things more obscure and intricate which in the true use of Logick should be made more easie and perspicuous I have not yet attentively read Mr. Dury's Consultation which I will do and then send it back For mens minds here are so remote from thoughts of this nature that it is to little purpose to communicate it to many The way to determine Fundamental Articles must be made very short easie and evident or it will breed as many Controversies as are about the Points themselves in question I can gather that by what I sometimes meet with It is not fit that a Confession which concerns all that will be saved to know and remember should be any long or tedious Discourse The Ten Commandments given by God are an Epitome faciendorum The Lord's Prayer is Summa or Epitome petendorum According to which Pattern the Confession we seek for should be but Summa credendorum Thus with my prayers and best affection I rest Christ's Coll. Iuly 24. Your assured Friend Ios. Mede EPISTLE LXXXVI Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib touching the defining of Fundamental Articles Mr. Hartlib I Have received yours It seems strange to me that men should hold that those who erre in Fundamentals cannot be saved and yet maintain it scarce possible to set down the Ratio of a Fundamental Article or any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby to know them What though Fundamentum Fundamentalia be Metaphorical terms yet may they soon be turned into proper ones namely Articuli cognitu creditu necessarii ad Salutem Here is no Metaphor Whether therefore may there any Ratio or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be given to discern these I believe not that Canon
of the Council of Ephesus intended to prescribe to any other Council of like Authority not to explicate or improve the Creed of Nice as they did that of the Apostles but that no private Bishop should compose any other Formula Fidei to be a Rule and Symbolum of Communion than that of Nice Thus with my Prayers and best affection I remain Christ's Colledge ult Iuly 1637. Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede EPISTLE LXXXVII Another Letter more fully treating about the defining the Ratio of Fundamental Articles Mr. Hartlib YOU wish I had declared my self more largely But what needed it you had the substance of all I had to say But if you would have it more fully then thus 1. By Fundamental Articles in the inquiry we mean such as are Necessarii cognitu creditu ad Salutem that is Fundamenta Salutis Fundamental to Salvation not Fundamenta Theologicarum Veritatum Principles whence Theological Verities are deduced For these though they may be sometimes coincident are not the same 2. What then though the Term Fundamental be Metaphorical and improper yet we see it may easily if we understand our own meaning be expressed in clear and proper terms And therefore this can be no impediment to the finding or defining the Ratio of such Articles whereby they may be known and distinguished from others 3. And what though the whole Scripture be Fundamentum or Principium Veritatum Theologicarum or Dogmatum Fidei Yet is not every content in Scripture necessary to be known and believed explicitely unto Salvation and therefore this Notion of Fundamentum nothing to the purpose since as I said Principia Theologica or Fundamentalia dogmatum and Fundamentalia Salutis are not the same but differ formally though some of them may be materially coincident 4. But the Definition of such Fundamental Articles would be dangerous inconvenient and subject to much reprehension yea in respect of the diversity of mens judgments is in a manner impossible This methinks is very strange That any who acknowledge there be some Truths necessary to be known and explicitely believed unto Salvation should yet deny there can be any Ratio or Character given whereby to know them yea affirm it to be unsafe to determine any such if it might be found or that any enumeration of such Articles should be made What Cannot or may not those Truths be defined and known without an explicite belief whereof we cannot be saved What will follow upon this Neither when we speak of defining here do we mean any such matter as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exactness of a Logical definition which might entangle us in School-niceties and janglings but any description or designation of that Ratio or distinguishing Character whereby such Truths as are cognitu creditu necessaria ad Salutem might be known from others And this sure might be done without any such engagement in Logical scrupulosity 5. As for the Objection of the Canon of the Oeeumenical Council of Ephesus Certainly that Council never intended to restrain the power of any Council or other publick Ecclesiastical Authority like it self but only private Persons from attempting to make any such Creed Formula or Confession of Faith besides that of Nice This I suppose may be gathered from those words Si Episcopi c. Si Clerici c. Si Laici c. and the Censure to be laid upon them Nor does it seem simply and altogether to forbid them neither to compose any such for private instruction or use but only for a publick intent to be tendered as a Form of Confession of Faith to Pagans or Iews at their Baptism or to Hereticks when they were again received into the Church For why should not the Churches now as well as then have the like power upon the like occasion further to explicate or make more explicite the former Symbols of Faith as the Council of Nice did that of the Apostles yea or any Church or Churches that are or would be of the same Communion to do it for themselves For then we know the Churches were all of one Communion now they are not and therefore may provide for themselves according to their condition Besides how came the Creed of Athanasius to be since publickly received in the Church or the Council of Chalcedon after this of Ephesus to make a new Exposition of Faith unless this Canon were understood as aforesaid since neither of them are the same with that of Nice Or how could the Reformed Churches make such publick Confessions for themselves as they have done Thus I think I have declared my self largely enough now and perhaps more largely than befitted me when I consider to whom it hath reference But my hope is you will conceal the Author's name from any man and not reveal it save to Mr. Dury alone And so with my best affection I remain Your assured Friend without subscription of my name EPISTLE LXXXVIII Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib containing his advice for framing a Fundamental Confession agreeably to the practice of the Ancient Church in composing their Creeds or Symbols of Faith Mr. Hartlib WHen I read over Mr. Dury's Consultation before his Discourse ad Dominum Forbesium came to my hands I perceived he aimed at the self-same ground for the discovery and discerning of Fundamental Verities from not-Fundamental that I had formerly done in mine to you though in a differing way of expression as men that conceive apart are wont to do I made them to be such Truths as have necessary influence upon the Acts and Functions of Christian life or without the explicite knowledge whereof those Acts and Functions cannot be exercised He goes further and specifies wherein this Christian life consisteth namely As Natural life consists in the conjunction of the Soul with the Body so doth Spiritual life in the conjunction of Men with God that is in being in Covenant with him All those Verities therefore the knowledge and belief whereof is necessary to the Acts and Functions requisite to the being and continuation in the Covenant with God in Iesus Christ are Fundamental Verities without the explicite knowledge and belief of which a man cannot be saved But for the framing or composing such a Fundamental Confession as is sought for let me discover my Opinion Fancy or whatsoever it be I observe That the Confessions or Creeds of the Ancient Church which were their Symbols of Communion were always the former Creeds or Confessions enlarged with such further additions or explanations subjoyned to the former Articles respectively as the Heresies of the Times made requisite for the distinction of Orthodox Believers So the Nicene Creed was the Creed of the Apostles enlarged in the Articles of the Father and Son and one or two other The Creed of Constantinople added to the Article of the Holy Ghost in that of Nice those words The Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the
Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified against Macedonius This is the Creed we say at the Communion in our Church That of Athanasius yet more enlarges that of Nice as doth that of Chalcedon also the Article of the Son against Eutyches Were it not fit therefore that we should tread in their steps and frame our Confession or Symbolum in like manner to wit not making the Form of our Confession wholly new but taking the former Creeds or some of them for our ground to enlarge their Articles with such further additions and explanations as the state of the Times requires that so our Confession might be the Creeds of the Ancient Church specified only to the present condition of the Churches and no other Thus we should both testifie to the world our communion and agreement with the Ancient Catholick Church a matter of no small moment that we may not seem to have made a new Church or Religion as we are charged and yet withal distinguish our selves from the Sects Heresies and Apostasies of the Times To which end it were fit the words of the Ancient Creeds should be retained as much as could be and for the more easie reception thereof that the additions and insertions should be made in the express words of Scripture as near as the nature of the composure would suffer it and not otherwise As for the meaning of them their application to the several Articles would specifie it as far as were needful to the end aimed at by such a Confession Compare the Creeds of Nice Athanasius and Chalcedon with that of the Apostles and you will understand my meaning And consider that in such a business as this we must not be too much in love with Methods of our own devising though perhaps they seem better but follow that which all the Churches will most easily yield unto and cannot except against I believe our own as may by some passages be already guessed would hardly be brought to subscribe to any other Form than of such a mould Take this also before I conclude That my meaning is not we should do as the Council of Trent hath done by adding Twelve more Articles to the Creed but that our Additions should be inserted into the several Articles of the Ancient Creed as subordinate to them and farther Explanations of them Which those of Trent indeed could not well do those which were added being the most of them incompatible and inconsistent with the former Articles according to the true and original meaning of the same and therefore not to be incorporated with them I send you home the Consultation I will keep the Discursus a while longer For Comenius his Praeludium I thank you but I have not had leisure to consider so much of it as were needful to give a censure I believe such a thing is fecible but for the way Hic labor hoc opus est So with my best affection I rest Christ's Colledge Aug. 14. 1637. Your assured Friend Ios. Mede EPISTLE LXXXIX Mr. Hartlib's Letter to Mr. Mede for a sight of his Papers about the Millennium Worthy Sir I Had occasion to exchange some Letters of late with Dr. Twisse In his last he writes thus unto me As for Regnum Sanctorum Christi in terris Resurrectic prima c. Passages there have been between me and Mr. Mede thereabouts and I am but his Scholar therein and I know full well you are so well acquainted with him that you may have any thing from him who is my Master in this I have yet no liberty to take into consideration the matter of Fundamentals neither have I any affection to it as finding no sure footing in that argument Thus far he I pray let me reap the fruit of his confidence in the enjoying of those Papers which have passed between you on the fore-mentioned Subject Truly I shall count it a great favour if you shall be pleased to communicate them and having perused them I will be careful to return them safely into your hands with my hearty thanks Thus craving pardon for my freedom I take my leave remaining always Worthy Sir London Octob. 19. 1637. Your most assured and willing Friend to serve you S. Hartlib EPISTLE XC Mr. Mede's Answer with his judgment upon a Discourse arguing from some Politick Considerations against the composing a Fundamental Confession Mr. Harlib I Answered not your first Letter because I had not wherewith to satisfie you For that which Dr. Twisse says he had of me concerning the Millenary opinion the grounds and stating thereof was only in Letters between him and me whereof I kept no Copies and now it would be tedious to me to renew what I then wrote In conference I could do it with ease but writing is very tedious to me and my notions and wit too die presently when I intend my mind to express them by writing Concerning the Paper you now send what judgment should I give but that I like it not It favours methinks of too much averseness from that business I believe you think so The Gentleman whosoever he be seems himself to be one of those he speaks of that hath in his eyes to preserve his own opinions from iudemnity But if every man do so what hope of conciliation Besides the matter aimed at in this business is not that either side should presently relinquish their opinions of difference but only take notice that notwithstanding these differences both sides do so far agree in other Points that they may and ought to acknowledge each other as Brethren that so their Affections being united and exasperation abolished they might be the better disposed and fitted to judge of the Points of difference between them And whereas he objects That such Points being declared not Fundamental would lose part of their strength and be shaken this inconvenience would be recompensed in that the Opinions of the opposite party will suffer as much and so what we lose at home we should gain abroad Howsoever it seems to me no very warrantable policy That for the better strengthning and propagating a Truth men should be born in hand that the belief thereof is Fundamental when it is not that is that a Truth should be maintained by a Falshood I cannot believe that Truth can be prejudiced by the discovery of Truth but I fear that the maintenance thereof by Fallacy may not end with a blessing I would know whether the Author of this Letter thinks that the Lutherans and Calvinists agree not in so much as is necessary unto Salvation If they do would not a Confession composed of such things wherein they agree contain all things necessaria cognitu ad Salutem and yet no necessity that this or that particular Tenet should be defined by such Confession to be or not to be Fundamental I would know also whether he thinks it fit that particular Churches should have particular Confessions whereunto their Members should profess their assent
it the second time a New Book because some of them lay upon their hands printed the Title-leaf anew with the then present year of our Lord at it and at Delph as before This knavish trick I observed and compared the Books at that time But the Author I never heard nor know who it was but I believe a Laick Gentleman and so I think I have heard By your last piece that Divine whose it is seems not to understand what we mean by a Fundamental Confession and Fundamental Articles For he takes them to be such as are instar Principiorum out of which all other Theological Verities or Articles are deducible wherein he is wide for the question is of Fundamentalia ad Salutem i.e. Cognitu creditu necessaria ad Salutem not of Fundamenta veritatum Theologicarum Thus with my best affection I rest Christ's Colledge Ian. 29 1637 8. Yours I. M. EPISTLE XCIII Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib with his Censure of Grebner's Prophecy in a MS. in Trinity Colledge Library in Cambridge SIR ON Saturday I received yours dated March 14 that is the Wednesday fortnight before The Prophecy which I here send you again I would not have you make too much of It is taken out of Paulus Grebnerus his Prophecies a Manuscript in Trinity Colledge Library It was left them by Dr. Nevil their Master had been presented it seems to Queen Elizabeth whom part of his Prophecy concerned and so came to Dr. Nevil's hands whilest he was Clerk of the Closet to her Majesty 'T is now almost 28 years since I first saw and turned it over the rather because of the fine pictures therein in colours c. When the Wars began in Bohemia which was eight years after I had first seen it remembring something I had seen therein I had a desire to survey it anew and borrowed it to my chamber to see if there were any thing therein worth taking notice of But I found nothing but vanity and fancy and the whole series thereof and many of the particulars manifestly then confuted by the contrary Event as you may guess by this one thing I shall tell you The beginning or Epocha of his Prophecies he makes from the year 1572. when the new Star appeared in Cassiopeia and ends the whole series of his Vexillai so he terms them at the year 1613. which he supposed should be The Day of Iudgment having no other ground for the same than the Numeral Letters of the Latine word IUDICIUM as they are all which makes that Number What think you now He prophesied great matters of Henry the IV. of France which proved clean contrary of Queen Elizabeth and other Princes which never came to pass I have I know not how often to satisfie one or other told them as I now tell you and yet every five or six years it comes up again as if it had never been discredited Men are prone to believe any thing they would have and any words that seem that way they lay hold on never regarding though the ground be foolish and the coherence with the rest repugnant to their construction I 'le tell you what Paul Grebner meant or dream'd by that you sent me Know he lived in the time of King Iohn of Sweden who married a Popish Lady This is his Hujus temporis Rex Sueciae i. sui temporis which he supposed should be invited by the Catholick party to take their part and to invade Denmark c. The Carolus he speaks of was Carolus Sudermanniae Dux King Iohn's Brother with whom he threatens King Iohn that if he joyned with the Popish League he should leave his Kingdom unto him who should of Carolus become Carolus Magnus that is of a Duke be made a King and be in respect of his Dominions and Conquests another Charlemaign of the North Et sic saith he è Carolo Carolus Magnus regnum capessit for so it should be read qui magno successu fortunâ c. It follows Deus autem Regis conjugem Papisticam ex hac vita evocat This is King Iohn's Wife What should it mean else This he dream'd should happen to King Iohn assoon as he should have declared himself for the Popish League and that then presently Charles his Brother should take the Kingdom c. By this time I doubt not but you understand it and how little they heed Circumstances and other Connexions who would interpret it of any other Charles Howsoever Grebner was for a great part deceived concerning even that Charles he meant I think my Letter be now long enough therefore with Prayers and best affection I rest Christ's Colledge Apr. 3. 1637. Your assured Friend Ios. Mede Post-script I had written yesterday but that partly other writing partly Molesti homines robbed me of my time Would you have me send back Mr. Dury's Letter or not Vale. EPISTLE XCIV Mr. Hartlib's Reply thanking him for that Censure Worthy Sir I Thank you for your last of the third of Aprill I never made much of Grebner's or any of those Prophetical fancies I approve fully of your judgment which you have given upon it I hope it will work some good upon those who are used to be carried away with these Dreams Some weeks ago worthy Dr. Twisse communicated unto me Mr. Potter's MS. of 666. Certainly our Germans will be wild when they shall see it in a more known language If you please to let me have your Copy also I shall take it as a special favour I am very confidently assured that my Lo. Gr. of Cant. himself hath written a Book in answer to some Popish Points as it were a second part of Chillingsworth composed chiefly upon the point of Fundamentals and Non-fundamentals which Book is almost ready for the Press only because in his quotations he hath trusted to his memory he is revising and examining them and then it comes forth In the mean time I rest London 6. April 1638. Your most willing and affectionate Friend to serve you S. Hartlib EPISTLE XCV Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib concerning the Number 25. the Root of the Beast's Number viz. 666. with his judgment of an Analytical Table of the Apocalyps which was sent him his differing from the Author thereof in four particulars Worthy Mr. Hartlib COncerning your Mathematician's Letter about Mr. Potter's interpretation of the Beast's Number I like his Observation of the Roman Calendar that of all the Numbers of the Epact they should chuse XXV for the AEquation with the Golden number and I think it as far as I understand it worthy to be added to the rest of Mr. Potter's of that kind But that of T. L. 1666 I have known long but never had any fancy to and I think it not worthy to come in collation with that of Mr. Potter's Yet it is pretty I confess what your Author observeth of the Roman Numeral letters CDILMVX idest MDCLXVI I would willingly send you my Copy of Mr.
Potter's Book but by a sure hand for the Carrier I dare not trust It cost me to be written out to my mind besides mine own pains in distinguishing it and dividing the whole into 8 Sections and prefixing the Contents of every Section at the beginning and writing the margins with mine own hand and therefore I would not willingly lose it If I light upon a convenient messenger I shall send it The Analytical Table of the Apocalyps if you had not charged me therewith I should not have believed it had been still in my hands for I verily thought I had sent it back long before this and was a while very much afraid I must have sent you word it was lost yet at length I found it and have sent it herewith The Author of the Analytical Table differs from me wholly in the 20. Chapter and follows Mr. Brightman What I conceive you may find in my Commentationes Apocalypticae My difference will appear by these particulars 1. I hold but one Millennium and that to begin at the destruction of the Beast He holds two one beginning at Constantine another at the destruction of the Beast 2. I deny that Satan was ever yet tied up much less at the time of Constantine 'T is one thing to be dethroned and thrown down from Heaven that was at the time of Constantine another thing to be bound and close prisoner and not so much as peep out of his dungeon See my Synchronisms Clav. Apocal. Part. 2. Synch 4. pag. 22 23. 3. I take the Resurrection both of them First and Second to be proper and real he Metaphorical 'T is not safe to deprive the Church of those Texts whereon her faith of the Resurrection is builded For this interpretation will necessarily rob us of that of Daniel Chap. 12. also whereon I believe the Church of the Old Testament built her faith of that Article there being no such evident place besides in all the Old Testament 4. He seems to appropriate the Second Millennium which I think the only to the glory of the Iews only I extend it to the whole Catholick Church of the Gentiles when the Iews shall come into the fold and that the Apocalyps is properly and primarily the Gentiles Prophecy I mean of the Church of the Gentiles and of the Iews but by accident and coincidence only The Iews have prophecies enough of their own in the Old Testament In my Books and the papers I once sent you concerning this Point all this is easily to be seen With my best and wonted affection I rest Christ's Colledge April 16. 1638. Your assured Friend Ios. Mede EPISTLE XCVI Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib modestly excusing his own abilities and intimating what cause he had to decline coming forth in print with his Observation touching the Latitude of Rome Mr. Hartlib TOuching the Letter you sent me De necessitate Textualis interpretationis S. Scripturae I so fully agree with the Author in the former part thereof that I could not have expressed mine own thoughts thereabouts in mine own words better than he hath done in his But for the latter part alas it is nothing so I know my self better than any man else and I am conscious that I am infinitely far from any such ability as he collecteth out of a little diligence perhaps in a Discourse or two If I have hit upon any Truth it is wholly to be attributed to my indifferency in such searches to embrace whatsoever I should find without any regard whether it were for the advantage of one side or other and not to any ability beyond others Freedom from prejudice studium partium or desire to find for this side rather than that which I confess I endeavour as much as I can possibly to subdue my self unto is sufficient with a little diligence to discover more than I have yet done without any such great learning I confess I know my self to have so little of that this Gentleman supposeth me to have that the very reading thereof hath made me more than half melancholick ever since I am bound to love him and take it kindly that he hath any good or favourable conceit of me or ought of mine But no man can make me believe that I have those abilities I have not yea 't is somewhat burthensome and unwelcome to me to bethought to have Ex animo loquor Yea I am almost so uncharitable as to suspect this is some stratagem to work me to something I know not what But let it go I could tell some tales of my Altare of another strain that would make you think I have no great joy to come in publick as I think I can safely say I did never yet plenâ voluntate but yielding to other mens importunities or desires yet I know not whether I shall yet rest and keep my thoughts and my self in my Cell In a word Mundus amat decipi magis quà m doceri and will never entertain any man well that shall deal ingenuously with them He must look to have Micaiah's luck He must say true and yet not prophesie against Ahab If he does he must to Pound and to hard meat for it For mine to Dr. Twisse there is something wherein I had not fully informed my self about the Latitude of Rome as having not Ptolemy by me I said the old Astronomers made the Latitude thereof 41. 50. minutes the later promoted it some minutes more to the North. When I wrote so I trusted to Io. Stadius who makes it so and supposed he had derived it from those before him But after looking upon Maginus his Ptolemy I find that Ptolemy according to him makes it but 41. and 40. min. and some others and some Maps less The sum is this Ptolemy 41. 40. Stadius and others 41. 50. Maginus himself 42. 2. Origanus 42. 4. The Middle is about 41. 51. I have no time to enquire further nor Books at hand I pray transcribe this in yours to Dr. Twisse lest he send my notion or mistake to Mr. Potter without this correction though it be not material For by his words to you I suspect he means to do it which occasioned me to add this Thus with my wonted affection I rest and am Christ's Coll. Iune 4. 1638. Yours Ioseph Mede EPISTLE XCVII Mr. Mede's Letter to a worthy Friend touching some Papers of his printed without his privity Worthy Sir I Thank you very heartily for your Book and kind Letter as I should have done long ago for another Book you sent me But I have entangled my self a long time with so much needless writing to no purpose as it makes me sometimes glad of any pretence to be idle when I should not For what you say of a Scribe it was I that took order to have such a one sent to you not you to me I 'le assure you you have performed more than I durst have thought of doing though you please to profess yourself my Disciple
But it is no unwonted thing for Scholars thus to outgo their Masters There are some Papers of mine walking I know not where concerning Bowing towards the Altar which were written by way of Answer to some body and a man of note demanding of me what I thought thereof One was my first Answer Another more large replying to the Exceptions he made against that first and the whole opinion and practice being somewhat larger than I use to write Letters and written with some intention of mind after my thoughts that way had been long asleep I by chance kept a Copy of it which how it came to be so much dispersed I profess I know not That so-long-since-written Discourse of mine De Sanctitate Relativa c. savours too much of my infancy in Divinity and first thoughts and affection of style ever to see the publick light And indeed I had resolved to enjoy my self and such contentment as I could find in my Cell and never to have come in print again either to please or displease any man but only to vent such Notions as I had conceived privately by a new way I took of Common-placing changing my Theme qualibet vice When now on a sudden before I was aware and little expected any such matter one of my Straglers is perkt into the Press telling the world he was one of those Common-places What his destiny is I know not but if it be good some body can say He hath flung many a stone in his days but never hit the mark till now and that too by mere chance and not so much as intending it For writing to Sir W. B. I think it is not tanti upon this occasion 'T is a Pamphlet and I had rather it should come to his hands with a kind of neglect on my part than with too much pomp But I thank you for what you have done and for your further offer Thus with my best affection I commend you to the Divine blessing and am Your old and assured Friend Ios. Mede Christ's College Iuly 3. EPISTLE XCVIII Mr. Mede's Letter to Mr. Hartlib touching some Socinian Books and Tenets together with his resentment of the Difficulties which Mr. Dury's Pacifick Design met with and of the Evil of Prejudice and Studium partium Mr. Hartlib I Received yours with the Discourse inclosed of Schism That Extract of the Letter to you is but a Symptom of Studium partium of which kind he that will be an indifferent and moderate man must look to swallow many Therefore Transeat Only thus much to be nearer or further off from the Man of sin is not I think the measure of Truth and Falshood nor that which would be most destructive of him always true and warrantable If it be there be some in the world that would be more Orthodox and Reformed Christians than any of us The Socinians you know deny That Souls live after death until the Resurrection or That Christ hath carnem sanguinem now in Heaven both as most destructive of the idolatrous errours of the Man of sin the first of Purgatory and Invocation of Saints which they say can never be solidly everted as long as it is supposed Souls do live the other of Transubstantiation of the Elements of Bread and Wine into the Body and Bloud of Christ. Is not this to undermine Antichrist with a vengeance as they say I have not been very obtrusive unto men to acquaint them with my notions and conceits in that kind for some of them that are but lately known have lien by me above these twenty years and not shewn to any unless they urge me and ask me what is my opinion and yet my freedom to utter my mind than to such as are prejudiced the contrary way does neither them nor me any good Therefore Cupio defungi if it would be and to be troubled no more either with Quaesita or Reciprocations in that kind For the Discourse you sent me It proceeds from a distinct and rational Head but I am afraid too much inclined that way that some strong and rational wits do It may be I am deceived The Conclusions which he aims at I can more easily assent to than to some of his Premisses I have yet looked it but once over But any more free or particular censure thereof than what I have already given look not for left I be censured my self 'T is an Argument wherein a wise man will not be too free in discovering himself pro or con but reserved Thus with my wonted affection and prayers I rest Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Coll. Aug. 6. 1638. After this Mr. Mede wrote another Letter the last Letter he wrote to Mr. Hartlib about a month before he died wherein besides matters of News and his repeating what he had said in the foregoing Letter concerning the great Learning of the Author of that Discourse of Sschism he expresseth his resentment of the Difficulties which Mr. Dury's design of Pacification met with in these words Mr. Dury and such as wish well to his business must comfort themselves as the Husbandman doth who though he sees no appearance of his Seed awhile after it is sown especially in dry weather yet despaireth not but as soon as the Rain from above shall water the ground to see it begin to spring up You see what an invincible mischief Prejudice is and Studium partium It leaves no place for admission of Truth that brings any disadvantage to the side That 's the Rule which they examine all by Will so many Rents of the Church as we see ready to sink it never make us wiser Thus with my prayers and best affection I rest Your assured Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Aug. 28. 1638. The End of the Fourth Book THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE WORKS OF The Pious and Profoundly-Learned Ioseph Mede B. D. SOMETIME Fellow of CHRIST'S Colledge in CAMBRIDGE CONTAINING FRAGMENTA SACRA OR MISCELLANIES OF DIVINITY Io. 6. 12. Colligite quae superfuerunt Fragmenta ne quid pereat Chrysost. Homil. in 1 Tim. 5. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE CONTENTS OF THE FIFTH BOOK CHAP. I. The disposition of the years of Iehoiakim according to the several Events mentioned in Scripture pag. 889 CHAP. II. The Mystery of S. Paul's Conversion or The Type of the Calling of the Iews pag. 891 CHAP. III. An Answer concerning a Discourse inferring from the Septenary Types of the Old Testament and other Arguments That the World should last 7000 years and the Seventh Thousand be that happy and blessed Chiliad pag. 892 CHAP. IV. An Explication of Psal. 40. 6. Mine ears hast thou bored compared with Hebr. 10. 5. A body hast thou prepared me pag. 896 CAP. V. D. HIERONYMI Pronunciata de Dogmate MILLENARIORUM cum Animadversionibus pag. 897 CAP. VI. Verba GAII apud EUSEBIUM Lib. 3. cap. 22. Hist. Eccles. cum Animadversionibus pag. 899 CAP. VII De Nomine Antichristi apud S. Ioannem pag. 900.