10. 41. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward OUR Blessed Saviour giving his Apostles their mission to preach the Gospel unfurnished with outward things and forewarning them what harsh and unkind usage they and their successors were like to find amongst men for the better encouragement of such as should entertain and minister unto them he pronounceth That whosoever received them received him and he that received him received him that sent him Whereby it appeareth how honourable an office it was to afford them entertainment and such as the noblest need not be ashamed of But because the hope of reward is the most forcible spur to all undertakings he addeth that too in the words of my Text He that receiveth saith he a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward that is He that receiveth a Prophet not for any respect but quatenus talis because he is a Prophet shall have a Prophet's reward Which words contain in them evidently these two Propositions First That there is some special and eminent degree of Reward due unto a Prophet above other men Secondly That he that shall entertain a Prophet and do any good office unto him under that name that is for his office sake shall be partaker of that Reward Of these Two I intend to treat beginning with the First the more general That there shall be differing degrees of Reward in the life to come is evident by sundry places of Scripture As first from that so often iterated passage wherein God is said to reward every man according to his works Which not to be understood only of the differing quality of our works good and evil which God rewards accordingly the one with everlasting bliss the other with eternal fire as some here except but also of the differing works of just men compared together is manifest by that 1 Cor. 3. 8. where the Apostle comparing his own and Apollos work together saying He had planted and Apollos watered addes that both should receive their reward according to their work that is as their work differed so should their reward do In the second place the same is represented by that Parable Luke 19. of the Ten servants who received of their Lord being to go into a far Countrey ten pounds to trade with till his return At what time he that had increased his pound to ten pounds was made ruler over ten Cities he that had gained but five pounds over five Cities and so the rest according as they had improved the stock given them A third place is that 1 Cor. â—5 41 42. There is one glory of the Sun and another of the Moon and another glory of the Stars for one star differeth from another star in glory So also is the Resurrection of the dead Here is the full stop and not the words to be referred to that which follows to wit that the body is sown in corruption but is raised again in incorruption as some would have them For the Apostle speaks here of the difference of things heavenly and glorious One star saith he differs from another star in glory and not of the difference between glorious and inglorious corruptible and incorruptible For this belongs to his other similitude There are celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another A fourth place is that 2 Cor. 9. 6. where the Apostle speaking of the reward of beneficence avoucheth that he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Fifthly That speech of our Saviour to the twelve Matt. 19. 27. imports as much Behold we saith Peter have forsaken all and followed thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what shall we have therefore V. 28. Iesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Regeneration or Resurrection when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel S. Luke relates it upon another occasion whereby it appears our Saviour uttered it more than once Ye saith he to the Twelve are they which have continued with me in my temptations therefore I appoint you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22. 28 c. Whatsoever is meant by the Reward intimated in this expression for the quality thereof 't is plain there is some peculiar and more eminent degree of glory here promised the Apostles which shall not be common to others with them First Because it is the reward of their proper and peculiar service unto Christ as the Text shews Secondly Because these twelve Thrones in regard of their number can befit no more but these twelve Thirdly Supposing the twelve Tribes of Israel here mentioned to be likewise in a condition of bliss and happiness it must needs be that those who sit upon twelve Thrones to judge that is to govern them must be in a higher degree of dignitie than those over whom they shall be set Whatsoever therefore the meaning of the Reward be thus much may be gathered from the description thereof That there shall be differing degrees of glory in the Kingdom of Christ to come To conclude it hath been the ancient and constant Tradition of the Church testified by the unanimous consent of all the Fathers and was never questioned by any until that Peter Martyr in this last age first began to doubt thereof and others since more boldly adventured to contradict it Their main Reasons or Objections are these two First That the Reward to come depends not upon the virtue or dignity of our works but only upon the merit and satisfaction of Christ But his merits and satisfaction are uniform and the same to all Ergo the Reward also which is to be given by virtue thereof shall be so This Objection proceeds from that scrupulosity which many of ours have to admit of any relation or connexion between our Works and the Reward to come whence also is that that they should not be done intuitu mercedis with an eye or respect to the Reward Which is an Assertion repugnant to the tenour of the Scripture where the Holy Ghost is wont to ground his Exhortations upon the hope and promise of Reward Now what an unreasonable conceit is it to think that where wages is promised for the encouragement of the labourer the labourer should be bound to work without having any eye or respect to his wages But to the Objection I answer thus That it is true the Merits and satisfaction of Christ are the Foundation of our Reward namely that alone which makes our works capable thereof without which they were not nevertheless it is true also that
apud Persas aureum caput arietinum pro diademate gestare as appears from Ammian Marcellinus l. 19. The clear understanding of these and many other particulars in those Chapters depends altogether upon History By all which it is manifest how necessary it is for the full understanding of several parts of Scripture to be acquainted as the Author was with the Original Languages ancient Versions the Genius and Idioms of the Scripture-style and also with History and the ancient Customes both of the Iews and others without which it would be a fruitless attempt even for such as otherwise are of good abilities to undertake to give a pertinent and satisfying account of the forementioned and other the like passages of Scripture And as for those who though they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bring not forth the Fruits of the Spirit would engross the Spirit wholly to themselves as the Iews did the Messias to their Nation to the excluding of the Gentiles and ignorantly despise all humane Learning and means of Knowledge what has been said may abundantly check their vain confidence such Scriptures as I have instanced in and others of the like nature being not to be explain'd without skill in the learned Languages History and Antiquity which is not to be had but by a studious converse with the best Authors except they will say that such skill and knowledge is infused and that the particular Events and Res gestae at large treated of in Books are made known to them by extraordinary Revelation which yet they are so wary as not to pretend to as they are also so wise as not to pretend to the Gifts of Tongues or Interpretation of Tongues those Gifts of the Spirit not unusual in the Apostles Age. 3. His diligent enquiry and happy insight into the Oriental Figurative Expressions and Prophetick Schemes throughout the Scripture For he observ'd that there were especially in the Writings of the Prophets certain Symbols Emblems and Hieroglyphical representations which were no less familiar to those Eastern Nations than our Poetical Schemes and Pictures are to us and that the true meaning of these Symbols was to be found out by some such means as these as 1. By comparing those several places of Scripture where they occur and observing what they use to stand for or what their uniform signification and notion is in such places which may be farther cleared as by considering the fitness and analogy between those Symbols and the Things represented by them so likewise by attending to some Plainer expressions in the Context which are a certain Key to the understanding of those that are Figurative and Emblematical Thus what in Ier. 4. 23. is figuratively describ'd The Earth is without Form and void 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words used Gen. 1. 2 of the old Chaos and the Heavens have no light is the same with what is plainly express'd in the Context The whole Land is spoiled The whole Land shall be desolate And that in Haggai 2. 6 21. I will shake the Heavens and the Earth is explain'd by the words immediately following Thus in Zech. 11. 2. The Cedar is fallen the defenced Forest is come down is no other than that which is plainly set down in the same verse The mighty or the Nobles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are spoiled But in Dan. chap. 7. and ch 8. and in Apoc. 17. much of the Visions is there explain'd and the Symbols therein are render'd out of the Prophetical style afterwards into more easie and familiar sense 2. By observing how these Oriental Symbols are interpreted and render'd into plainer expressions by the Chaldee Paraphrasts who may justly be presum'd to know best what was meant thereby in those Countries as for example when the Prophets frequently speak of the Sun 's being darkned in its going forth the Moon not giving her light and elsewhere of the Stars falling from Heaven upon the Earth a phrase not to be understood Literally the Targum renders these and the like Prophetick strains in words that signifie the diminution of the Glory and Felicity of the State and the Downfal of the Grandees and Chiefs therein Sun Moon and Stars being put according to the Prophetick style for the Higher Powers Princes and Peers those Great Lights shining in the Firmament of the Political World Thus also when the Prophets denounce God's Iudgments to come upon all the Cedars and Oaks Esay 2. and when the Firre-trees and Oaks are bid to howl Zech. 11. the Targum in stead of mentioning these tall and goodly Trees has 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes of the People and Rulers of Provinces 3. By consulting such Authors as had collected any Fragments and Remains of the ancient Onirocriticks as Apomasar or Achmetes the Arabian published by the learned Rigaltius had of the Onirocriticks of the Indians Persians and Egyptians concerning which I need not enlarge the Author having inserted some pertinent Extracts thereof together with his judgment of their fitness to illustrate the meaning of the Prophetical Representations in his Commentary upon the Apocalyps p. 451. and elsewhere By which Onirocriticks it may appear what the Eastern nations did commonly suppose to be signified by such Symbols 4. His observing things in distant places of the Apocalypse to Synchronize and belong to the same time whence he was well assured That it was a false Hypothesis and a fundamental Error in any Commentators to think That all the Prophecies and Visions in this Mysterious Book are placed in such an order as is agreeable to the order of time wherein they were fulfill'd or That the Events succeeded one another in the same Series and order as the Visions do and consequently for them to frame their Interpretation of the Visions according to that deceitful Hypothesis and not according to that safe guidance and light which the Synchronisms afford must needs expose them to manifold mistakes from first to last and encumber the whole work with such Difficulties Inconsistencies and Incongruities in applying the Prophecies to History and Events as cannot possibly be excus'd and remov'd by all their wit were it greater than it is Of such consequence it is for all that would interpret the Apocalyptick Visions to take heed to the Apocalyptick Synchronisms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use S. Peter's expression as unto a light that shineth in a dark place Otherwise their whole Fabrick of Annotations will be but as a Building without a sure Ground-work and Foundation an House built upon the Sand which is but a fluid and uncertain bottome a Pile of private Fancies slight Conceits and weak Conjectures And though there may be some things therein which may have a shew of Learning and a seeming Concinnity to the injudicious and unskilful in the Prophetick Style yet the main of their performance for want of attending to this and the other means of knowledge mention'd in the foregoing particulars will
example many other of the Iews of the best rank having married strange wives likewise and loth to forgo them betook themselves thither also Sanballat willingly entertains them and makes his son-in-Law Manasse their Priest For whose greater reputation and state when Alexander the Great subdued the Persian Monarchy he obtained leave of him to build a Temple upon Mount Garizim where his son-in-Law exercised the office of High Priest This was exceedingly prejudicious to the Iews and the occasion of a continual Schism whilst those that were discontented or excommunicated at Ierusalem were wont to betake themselves thither Yet by this means the Samaritans having now one of the sons of Aaron to be their Chief Priest and so many other of the Iews both Priests and others mingled amongst them were brought at length to cast off all their false gods and to worship the Lord the God of Israel only Yet so that howsoever they seemed to themselves to be true worshippers and altogether free from Idolatry nevertheless they retained a smack thereof inasmuch as they worshipped the true God under a visible representation to wit of a Dove and circumcised their Children in the name thereof as the Iewish Tradition tells us who therefore always branded their worship with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spiritual Fornication Iust as their predecessors the Ten Tribes worshipped the same God of Israel under the similitude of a Cals This was the condition of the Samaritan Religion in our Saviour's time and if we weigh the matter well we shall find his words here to the woman very pliable to be construed with reference thereunto You ask saith he of the true place of worship whether Mount Garizim or Ierusalem which is not now greatly material forasmuch as the time is at hand when men shall worship the Father at neither But there is a greater difference between you and us than of Place though you take no notice of it namely even about the Object of worship it self For ye worship what ye know not but we Iews worship what we know How is that Thus Ye worship indeed the Father the God of Israel as we do but you worship him under a corporeal representation wherein you shew you know him not But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth In Spirit that is conceiving of him no otherwise than in Spirit and in Truth that is not under any corporeal or visible shape For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not fancying him as a Body but as indeed he is a Spirit For those who worship him under a corporeal similitude do beli◠him according as the Apostle speaks Rom. 1. 23. of such as changed the glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man Birds or Beasts They changed saith he the truth of God into a lie and served the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta Creatorem as or with the Creator who is blessed for ever v. 25. Hence Idols in Scripture are termed Lies as Amos 2. 4. Their Lies have caused them to erre after which their Fathers walked The Vulgar hath Seduxerunt eos Idola ipsorum Their Idols have caused them to erre And Esay 28. 15. We have made Lies our refuge And Ier. 16. 19 20. The Gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth and shall say Surely our Fathers have possessed the Chaldee hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have worshipped a lie vanity wherein there is no profit Shall a man make Gods unto himself and they are no Gods This therefore I take to be the genuine meaning of this place and not that which is commonly supposed against external worship which I think this Demonstration will evince To worship what they know as the Iews are said to do and to worship in Spirit and Truth are taken by our Saviour for one and the same thing else the whole sense will be inconsequent But the Iews worshipped not God without Rites and Ceremonies who yet are supposed to worship him in Spirit and Truth Ergo To worship God without Rites and Ceremonies is not to worship him in Spirit and Truth according to the meaning here intended DISCOURSE XIII S. LUKE 24. 45 46. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day OUR Blessed Saviour after he was risen from the dead told his Disciples not only that his Suffering of death and Rising again the third day was foretold in the Scriptures but also pointed out those Scriptures unto them and opened their understanding that they might understand them that is he expounded or explained them unto them Certain it is therefore that somewhere in the Old Testament these things were foretold should befall Messiah Yea S. Paul 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. will further assure us that they are I delivered unto you saith he first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Both of them therefore are somewhere foretold in the Scriptures and it becomes not us to be so ignorant as commonly we are which those Scriptures be which foretell them It is a main point of our Faith and that which the Iews most stumble at because their Doctors had not observed any such thing foretold to Messiah The more they were ignorant thereof the more it concerns us to be confirmed therein I thought good therefore to make this the Argument of my Discourse at this time to inform both you and my self where these things are foretold and if I can to point out those very Scriptures which our Saviour here expounded to his Disciples Which that I may the better do I will make the words fore-going my Text to be as the Pole-star in this my search These are the things saith our Saviour which I spake unto you while I was yet with you That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Then follow the words I read Then opened he their understanding c. These two events therefore of Messiah's death and rising again the third day were foretold in these Three parts of Scripture In the Law of Moses or Pentateuch in the Nebiim or Prophets and in the Psalms and in these Three we must search for them And first for the First That Messiah should suffer death This was fore-signified in the Law or Pentateuch First in the story of Abraham where he was commanded to offer his son Isaac the son wherein his seed should be called and to whom the promise was entailed That in it should all the Nations
Here the difference between those that teach and are taught is as much as between the light of the Stars and the brightness of the Firmament Some will have the whole sentence to speak of the eminency of glory laid up for Prophets translating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first place not docti or intelligentes but Doctores The Teachers shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many unto righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever But I have followed that interpretation which our Translators thought most likely Thirâ—dly To this eminency of glory the Angel seems also to have respect in the end of the Chapter when he says But go thy way Daniel till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand up in thy lot at the end of days in sorte tua in thy lot that is in sorte Prophetarum in the lot of Prophets And this perhaps may be that too which our Saviour intends Matt. 5. 19. Qui secerit docuerit magnus vocabitur i. erit in regno coelorum Whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called that is shall be great in the kingdom of heaven The reason of all this is Because those who teach and convert others to righteousness have an interest and a kind of title to all the good works which they shall do How then can their Reward but be great and eminent when not only their own works but the works of their converts and disciples shall be brought into their account A matter if we consider it of no small encouragement and comfort unto us whom God hath placed in this condition to be Teachers and Instructers of others if so be we bury not our Talent in a Napkin but employ it for the advantage of our Lord and Master For it is not the Habit or Faculty but the Work which shall reap the Reward we speak of Happy are we therefore if we neglect not this opportunity of bliss which God hath given us AND thus having done with the First Proposition I undertook I come unto the Second which is That he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall be partaker of a Prophet's reward He that receives that is doth any good office or deserves well of a Prophet For this to be the meaning may appear by that which follows He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward where righteous is to be taken by way of eminency for one of eminent sanctity such as among the Iews had therefore the surname of Iust or Righteous as Simeon the Iust Iames the Iust and other the like Then in the next words the expression is varied Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple shall not lose his reward whence I say we may gather what good office the word receiving before used intimated to us namely to relieve maintain support and the like He therefore that thus receives a Prophet shall be partaker saith our Saviour of a Prophet's reward that is have an eminent reward or of the quality of a Prophet's though himself be none The reason is Because he that supports and enables a Prophet for his duty hath an interest in his work and consequently in the reward that belongs unto it This appears by the contrary because he that maintains and abetts those who commit an evil act makes himself guilty of their sin and so of the punishment due to the same An example whereof we have in that of the Benjamites in the Book of Iudges who by abetting the men of Gibeah who committed that foul abomination with the Levite's Wife made themselves guilty of their sin and brought that hideous judgment which at first was deserved only by a few sons of Belial upon the Heads of the whole Tribe It is a known story Now it is par ratio for a man to entitle himself to anothers good works as to his ill BUT there is a modification in the Text whereupon this Reward we speak of depends otherwise not to be looked for And that is This good office must be done in nomine Prophetae in the name of a Prophet not for any other respect than as he is and because he is a Prophet He that receiveth a Prophet in nomine Prophetae shall receive a Prophet's reward Not he that receives him only for some personal or by-respect because he is his kinsman friend or friend's ally or which is the ground of the most respect the Prophet gets among the most now-a-days because he is one of their one side and faction but setting all such respects aside eo nomine quia Propheta with mere respect to their office and calling or because they are as Valens and Valentinian in their Rescript apud Theodoretum calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stewards of the great King of all the earth I may tell you that this is no ordinary thing now-a-days We may perhaps find some that can be content to make much of the Prophet for some personal qualities of his or perhaps because he hath abilities above ordinary or because it may be he is like to further the way they wish good luck to or that they may gain repute among some sort of men or for other respects of like nature But are there many which regard them in the name of a Prophet How then comes it to pass that their courtesies are so appropriate to the Persons of some that they shew no respect or esteem to the Calling in others Whence comes that Unchristian or indeed Atheistical language Abase Priest A paultry Priest It would never have grieved me if any other had served me thus but to be served thus by a base Priest who can endure it Tell me in good earnest is this to honour a Priest or a Prophet in the name of a Prophet or not rather point-blank unto it to reproach and dishonour him under that reverend Name that is to despise and reproach the Calling it self For can a man honour that condition the name whereof he thinks to be a reproach Is any man wont to say A base Lord a base Knight A base Gentleman A base Christian No And why because he accounts them all Terms and Titles of Honour Iudge then by this what account they make of God's Ambre who turn the very Title of their Calling into a name of reproach and what reward by proportion they are like to merit at Christ's hands Not a Prophet's I am sure and whether a Christian's or not themselves may judge 'T is often and too often true indeed that for our Persons we are unworthy of any better respect but even then it best appears whether a man hath respect to the Calling eo nomine when there is nothing in the Person to move him to it But there is another sort of men who honour not a
Prophet in the name of a Prophet yet behind namely such as rob and spoil them of their livelihood and daily bread and not only themselves give nothing to enable and encourage them the better to perform their Ministery but take from them several ways that which the Piety and Bounty of their Ancestors hath allotted them yea to many if not to the most no gain or theft is more sweet than that which is gotten out of the Priest's portion But whether it will prove so at that day when the just God shall reward every man according to his works may be greatly feared I told you a little before that the reason why he that receives a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall be partaker of a Prophet's reward is because he that supports and enables a Prophet to do his duty hath thereby an interest in his work and consequently in the reward due to the same If this be so what can they look for who by subtracting their daily bread from them hinder and disenable them from the free and chearful performance of their duty by distracting them with the cares of providing for their bodily life Do they not derive upon themselves the guilt of whatsoever impediment comes hereby to the propagation of the Kingdom of Christ Shall not the loss of every Soul that perisheth for want of due provision to maintain an able Minister be cast to their account at the last day I will speak nothing now of the burthen which Sacriledge it self as being a robbing of God carries with it See Prov. 20. 25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make enquiry nor of those dreadful execrations which the Donors of such things were wont antiquo ritu to lay upon the heads of all such as should divert them to prophane uses wherewith these men willingly and wilfully involve themselves I will I say not speak of these for the present occasion calls upon me and tells me that I came not hither to curse but to bless I therefore change my note and say Blessed be God our heavenly Father who notwithstanding the malignity of many hath not left us destitute but in every Age hath raised up some to shew kindness unto the Prophets and to provide entertainment for them Witness the goodly Buildings and liberal Endowments in our two Seminaries for the entertainment and education of Prophets and Prophets Sons more particularly the Bounty of those Worthies the fruits of whose Piety and Devotion we our selves here assembled by the Divine goodness enjoy Whose blessed names therefore as their deserts challenge at our hands let us remember with all due honour and thankfulness After the mention of the Names of the College-Benefactors this followes in the Authors own Manuscript These are the Names of our pious Founders and Benefactors let their Memory be blessed for ever And when Christ our Lord shall come in his Glory to render every one according to his works and their Bones flourish again out of their graves let all the benefit and enlargement which shall redound to the Church of God by this their Bounty be cast in their account and we with them and they with us hear that comfortable voice Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the World DISCOURSE XXIV S. LUKE 2. 13 14 And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory be to God on high or in the highest and on earth Peace Good-will towards men AT the Creation of the world when God laid the foundations of the Earth and stretched out his line thereon the Stars of the morning as God himself describes it Iob 38. 7. sang together and all the Sons of God that is the holy Angels shouted for joy This in my Text is so like it that a man would think some new Creation were in hand nor were it much wide of truth to affirm it for if ever there were a day wherein the Almighty Power the incomparable Wisdom the wonderful Goodness of God again the second time appeared as it did at the World's Creation it was this day whereof S. Luke our Evangelist now treateth when the Son of God took upon him our Flesh and was born of a Virgin to repair the breach between God and man and make all things new The news of which Restauration was no sooner heard and made known to the Shepherds by an Angel sent from heaven but suddenly the heavenly Host descended from their celestial mansions and sung this Carol of joy Glory be to God on high and welcome Peace on earth Good-will towards men A Song renowned both for the singularity of the first example for until this time unless it were once in a Prophetical Vision we shall not find a Song of Angels heard by men in all the Scripture and from the custom of the Church who afterward took it up in her Liturgy and hath continued the singing thereof ever since the dayes of the Apostles unto these of ours Yet perhaps it is not so commonly understood as usually said or chaunted and therefore will be worth our labour to enquire into the meaning thereof and hear such Instructions as may be learned therefrom Which that we may the better do I will consider First the Singers or Chaunters The heavenly Host Secondly the Carol or Hymn it self Glorid in excelsis Deo Glory be to God on high c. For the First The Heavenly Host here spoken of is an Army of holy Angels For the Host of heaven in the language of Scripture is twofold Visible or Invisible The Visible Host are the Stars which stand in their array like an Army Deut. 4. 19. Lest thou lift up thine eyes saith the Lord there unto heaven and when thou seest the Sun Moon and Stars even all the Host of heaven shouldst be driven to worship and serve them The Invisible Host are the Angels the heavenly Guard according to that of Micaiah 1 King 22 19. I saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left So. Psal. 103. 20 21. Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments Bless the Lord all ye his Hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure Where the latter words do but vary that which is expressed in the former From this it is that the Lord Iehovah the true and only God is so often styled the Lord or God of Sabaoth or of Hosts that is King both of Stars and Angels according to that Nehem. 9. 6. Thou art God alone and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee By which Title he is distinguished from the Gods of the Nations who were some of the Host to wit of the Stars or Angels but none of them The Lord of Hosts himself For the same reason and with the same meaning and sense in
for the Apostate Faction as for the sake of some chosen ones that this blessing was continued Had there been nothing but Egyptians there darkness should wholly have surprised them but for Goshen's sake for a few righteous in Sodom God would not take this blessing from them He that espies any day-light will conclude the Sun is in our Heaven though for the clouds he see her not If we should see a candle hang up in a room and see it full of blind men yet would we say surely there is some amongst them can see why else hangs the candle there So must we reason from the day-light and candle-light of Divine Truths still appearing and hung up in the Church For as S. Paul said What if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect Rom. 3. 3. And Rom. 9. 4 c. when the body of the Iewish Nation refused Christ yet he reckons their priviledges as many as Rome could ever challenge Whose is saith he the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law the service of God and the promises whose are the Fathers c. Not as though saith he the word of God had taken none effect For they are not all Israel which are of Israel c. NOW I come to the second mark here laid down in my Text to know what manner of Heresies should be in the great Apostasie of the Christian Faith Even denying the Lord that bought them They should give up their names as Christ's servants as his purchase and yet deny their Lord and Master For Servants in times past used to be bought with a price and so were as their Masters proper possession Christ buys his servants with his bloud The meaning therefore is they should profess themselves his servants and yet deny him to be their Master What Heresies should these be Even the very same the first mark told us of Christian Idolatry For as a Wife who hath given her faith to one Husband if she commit adultery with others denies him to be that she calls him though she call him Husband never so much So the Church the Spouse of Christ having given her faith to him alone to be her only Lord and Mediator in whom and through whom alone she would approach the Throne of Majesty in Heaven if she bows down her self to other Mediators whether Saints or Angels if she invocates and worships the Father in any other thing save Christ alone the only Image we must worship the Image of the Father and the only Agent we must imploy to God before the Throne in Heaven she commits Spiritual Adultery that is Idolatry and denies the Lord which bought her That this should be the meaning here let this one reason serve the turn That that is always the meaning of the like Phrase in the Old Testament where in stead of the Lord that bought we have the Lord that brought them out of the land of Egypt Let us compare them I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt Thou shalt have none other Gods but me In the New Testament thus saith Christ I am Christ the Lord which bought thee Thou shalt have no other Christ but me Are not these alike So when the Israelites fell to Idolatry and to worship Idols and strange Gods hear how the Lord speaks then Deut. 32. 15 16. Ieshurun waxed fat forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation they provoked him to jealousie with strange gods So may we say the Christian Mother waxed fat forsook God which redeemed her c. Iudges 2. 12 13. They forsook the Lord God of their Fathers which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other gods and served Baal and Ashtaroth and this expression is frequent Psal. 81. 10 11. 1 Kings 9. 9. 2 Kings 17. 7. Iust so might the Lord speak of Christians They forsook the Lord which brought them out of the Spiritual Egypt and worshipped Saints and Angels I meant to have spoken much more of this but the time will not suffer me I desire we may observe from this twofold mark of the Christian Apostasie What that is among so many Corruptions both now and heretofore overwhelming the Church of Christ wherein the Holy Ghost placeth the essence and which he accounteth as the Soul of the great Apostasie under the man of sin and would have us to make the Pole-star of our discovery thereof Not every Error not every Heresie how gross soever but Idolatry and Spiritual Fornication As for other Heresies though accompanying this yet are they but accidental and not of the essence of the great Apostasie which was to come Even as Whores are seldom without other foul faults which yet are no parts of Whoredom so hath the Spiritual Whore many other Heresies but her Whoredom is Idolatry Idolatry is the only Character and Note whereby the great Apostasie of the visible Church is discovered and distinguished from all other Blasphemies Seditions and Heresies of what age or time soever Which is the reason why Babylon is intituled in the Revelation of S. Iohn not the Liar of Babylon nor the Tyrant of Babylon nor the Heretick of Babylon nor the Murtheress of Babylon though she be all these but the Whore of Babylon yea the Great Whore and the Mother of the Fornications and Abominations of the Earth Chap. 17. DISCOURSE XLIV 1 COR. 10. 3 4. And they did all eat the same Spiritual meat And did all drink the same Spiritual drink For they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. THE first part of this Chapter is a Comparison of some Sacramental Types in the old Law with the two Sacraments of the new and that in two respects namely 1. For the same nature or substance of the Mysteries in both and 2. For the same condition of the Receivers if either they abuse them or walk unworthy of them The words which I have now chosen are in special an agreement of some of the foresaid Types of the Law with the Eucharist or Lord's Supper First in substance of the Mystery And they that is the Fathers in the Wilderness all ate the same Spiritual meat and all drank the same Spiritual drink Secondly in the dangerous condition of unworthy Receivers either of this or the other Sacrament in these words But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the Wilderness And first I will speak of the first of these which you may see is also double first concerning our Spiritual meat and secondly concerning our Spiritual drink in both which the Apostle affirms those of the old Fathers to have been the same with ours For the understanding whereof we will first speak of the Spiritual meat as the words lie and then of the Spiritual drink and in both first what is required to be
but was translated out of Chaldee The passages which this Ramban quoteth thence are chap. 7. v. 5 6 7 and part of the 8. and again v. 17 18 19 20 21. In the last of which quotations because there is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I greedily looked what word in the Chaldee answered here to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I found to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which those who have skill know to signifie the Planets 12 Signs or Constellations of Heaven as being the same with the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore here are Stars and Planets which I shall not need prove to be the host of the Ethereal heaven yea and perhaps too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are derived of the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ire as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now we know the Scriptures make three heavens 1. The Air or Sublunary heaven 2. The Ethereal or Starry heaven 3. The heaven of Glory or Empyreal heaven Every of these heavens have their host or army The host of the heaven of Glory or the third heaven are the Angels and blessed Spirits The host of the Ethereal heaven are the Stars and Planets The host of the Aereal or Sublunary heaven are either visible as the Clouds of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other Meteors as also the rest of the creatures mansioning therein as the Fowls of heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or invisible viz. the wicked Spirits and Devils whose Prince Satan is called the Prince of the power of the Air Eph. 2. 2. and his host 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rulers of the world that is of the Sublunary world and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked spirits in heavenly places namely in the lowest or sublunary heavens Eph. 6. 12. And whether S. Paul Gal. 4. 8 9. and Gol. 2. 8 c. includes not some of those under his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot affirm let the Learned further consider it when namely he speaks to and of Gentiles and not Iews HAVING hitherto prepar'd the way let us now come closer home to S. Peter whose words evidently import that some of these Heavens or all of them shall suffer a Conflagration at the Day of Christ. Not all of them for who ever put the Empyreal heaven in that reckoning And for the Ethereal heaven he that considereth both the supereminent nature and immensity thereof and of those innumerable bodies therein in regard of which the whole Sublunary world is but a point or centre and that it no way can be proved that ever those bodies received any curse for mans sin or contagion by the world's deluge or that any enemies of God dwell in them to pollute them he that considereth this will not easily be induced to believe that the Fire of the day of Iudgment should burn them It remaineth therefore that the Sublunary heavens only with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be the subject of this Conflagration These Heavens saith S. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. solventur shall be dissolved and their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall melt with fervent heat 'T is a Metaphor taken from the refining of metalls quae igne solvuntur ut purificentur which are melted in order to their purifying and refining So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as Coeli igne adhibito constabuntur This to be the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appears because S. Peter himself interprets solvi to be liquefieri For having in the tenth verse said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. shall be dissolved he in the twelfth verse repeating it says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. shall melt Now melting is for refining and purifying Nor is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 averse from this notion the LXX using 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the Psalms more than once The words of the Lord are as refined or tried silver LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 12. and so elsewhere But when the Sublunary heaven shall be thus refined even the Ethereal lights of the Stars of the Sun and Moon c. will appear to those on earth much more glorious than now they do as sending their raies through a purer Medium so that all the world to us-ward shall be as it were renewed As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or passing away verse 10. it is an Hebraism signifying any change or going of a thing from the state wherein it was and answers to the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth both transire and mutari as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also in Chaldaism doth And Schindler notes that Psal. 102. the Arabick for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutabuntur hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transibunt In the twelfth verse it is expounded by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have already shewed is commuted with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They therefore all three of them signifie one and the same thing and I see no reason why we should imagine a greater emphasis in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an utter abolition in the destruction by fire than was before implied in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he spake of the destruction by water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 6. But what shall become of the invisible host which I named as part of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this Sublunary heaven viz. those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the army of wicked and unclean spirits shall the Fire of the last Iudgment touch these I answer Though the operation of the Fire shall not be upon them to burn them yet shall they also suffer by this fiery judgment being thereby to be exiled and dejected from those high mansions and bestowed in some lower place For so that of Iude seems to imply The Angels saith he which kept not their first estate but left their own or proper habitation he hath reserved to be bound with everlasting chains of darkness at the Iudgment of the great Day Vide Piscat in hunc locum And this seems to me to be the most literal and unforced exposition of this description of S. Peter of the Heaven and Earth's conflagration at the Day of Christ and so to be preferred before any other BUT if a Prophetical strain or Scheme may be here admitted there is another way of explication which yet in the conclusion will come to the same purpose the former did although the way thereto be not the same And certainly our Saviour in the Gospel describing the coming of this Day useth a Prophetical expression The Sun saith he shall be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken For if this be taken literally whither shall the Stars fall from heaven which are either
16. 16 and 23. A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to my Father And in that day when I am gone to my Father ye shall ask me nothing Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you Verse 24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall receive Heb. 7. 25 26. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them For such an High Priest became us who is made higher than the heavens How is it then that some extenuate that kind of Saint-worship wherein Prayers are not made unto them directly but God is prayed to in their names and for their mediation sake to grant our requests Is it not a denial of Christ's Prerogative to ascribe unto any other for any respect of glory or nearness to God after death or otherwise that whereof he alone is infeoffed by his unimitable Death triumphant Resurrection and glorious Ascension Certainly that which he holds by incommunicable title is it self also incommunicable To conclude therefore with the words of S. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is but one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Iesus As God is one so is the Mediator one for it is a God-like Royalty and therefore can belong but to one There is but one God in Heaven without any other Gods subordinate to him therefore but one Mediator there without any other Mediators besides him As for the Angels and blessed Saints they have indeed a light of Glory too but they are but as lesser Lights in that heaven of heavens And therefore as where the Sun shines the lesser Stars of heaven though Stars give not their light to us So where this glorious Sun Christ Iesus continually shineth by his presence sitting at the Right hand of God there the Glory of the Saints and Angels is not sufficient to make them capable of any Flower of that Divine honour which is God-like and so appropriate to Christ by right of his heavenly exaltation in the Throne of Majesty Whatsoever Spirit saith otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holds not the head but is a Christ-apostate-spirit which denies the Faith of Christ's Assumption into Glory and revives the Doctrines of Daemons The way being now cleared I may I hope safely resume my Application which I have already given some taste of That this Doctrine of Daemons comprehends in most most express manner the whole Idolatry of the Mystery of iniquity the Deifying and invocating of Saints and Angels the bowing down to Images the worshipping of Crosses as new-Idol columnes the adoring and templing of Reliques the worshipping of any other Visible thing upon supposal of any Divinity therein What copy was ever so like the sample as all this to the Doctrines of Daemons And for the Idolatry of the Eucharist or Bread-worship though it may be reduced to Image-worship as being the adoration of a Sign or Symbole yet let it be considered whether for the quality thereof it may not be taken rather for an Idolatry of Reliques the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Sacrament being the Mystical Reliques which he left us as Monuments of his death till he come Whichsoever it be I must confess it hath a strain above the Abominations of the Gentiles who though they supposed some presence of their Daemons in their Images and Reliques yet were they never so blockish as to think their Images and Reliques to be transubstantiated into Daemons But to come to the main again I will confess for my self that I cannot think of this Daemon-resemblance without admiration nor do I believe that you will hear without some astonishment that which I am now to add further That the advancers of Saint-worship in the beginning did not only see it but even gloried sed gloriatione non bonâ that they had a thing in Christian practice so like the Doctrines of Daemons We heard before that Plato in his Respub would have the Souls of such as died valiantly in battel to be accounted for Daemons after death and their Sepulchres and Coffins to be served and adored as the Sepulchres of Daemons Eusebius lib. 13. Praepar Evangel cap. 11. quoting this place adds with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things do befit at or after the decease of the Favourites of God whom if thou shalt affirm to be taken for the Champions of the true Religion thou shalt not say amiss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence it is our cusâ—ome to go unto their Tombs and to make our prayers at them and to honour their blessed Souls The purpose of Eusebius here was to shew as a preparation to draw men to Christianity how well the present use of Christians in honouring the memories of their Martyrs by keeping their assemblies at their Sepulchres did agree with that of the Gentiles so much commended by Plato in honouring their champions and worthies for Daemons after death But alas in the next Age after it proved too-too like it indeed For these ear-rings which the Christians had borrowed or stolen from the Gentiles at their coming out of AEgypt presently became a golden calf as soon as the woman the Church came into the wilderness yea and Aaron the Priest had a foul part in it too Read the eighth Book of Theodoret De curandis Graecorum affectionibus whose Title is De Martyribus or in the mean time take these few passages thereof Thus he speaks having quoted that passage of Hesiod for Daemons commended by Plato If then the Poet Hesiod calls good men after their decease the Guardians and Preservers or Deliverers of mortal men from all evill and accordingly the best of Philosophers in confirmation of the Poet 's saying would have their sepulchres to be served and honoured I beseech you Sirs he speaks to the Greeks why do you find such fault with what we do For such as were eminent for Piety and Religion and for the sake thereof suffered death we also call Preservers and Physicians in no wise do we term them Daemons God forbid we should ever fall into such a desperate madness but the hearty friends and servants of God That the Souls of holy men even when they are out of the Body are in a capacity of taking care of mens affairs Plato affirms in the eleventh Book of his Laws The Philosopher you see bids men believe even the vulgar reports that is the relations and stories which are commonly talk'd of concerning the care which deceased Souls have of men But you do not only disbelieve us and are utterly unwilling to hearken to the loud voice of the Events or Effects themselves The Martyrs Temples are frequently to be seen famous for their beauty and greatness They that are in health pray for the
whosoever shall remember thy name and this my conflict no pestilent disease may enter upon his house nor any other of those evils which may bring damage or troubles to the bodies of men She had no sooner spoken saith he but a voice was miraculously heard from heaven calling her and her fellow-Martyr Iulian to the heavenly pâ—aces and promising also that those things which she had asked should be accomplished In Saint Blasius who suffered saith Baronius under Licinius our Simeon tells us That when a woman came unto him to cure her son who had a fish-bone sticking in his throat he prayed in this manner Thou O Saviour who hast been ready to help those who called upon thee in truth hear my prayer and by thy invisible power take out the bone which sticks in this child and cure him And whensoever hereafter the like shall befall men children or beasts if any one then shall remember my name saying O Lord hasten thy help through the intercession of thy servant Blasius do thou cure him speedily to the honour and glory of thy holy Name Again he tells us That while they were carrying him before the President he restored to a poor widow a Hog her only Hog which a Wolf had taken away from her And when as afterward in sign of thankfulness she brought the Hog's head and feet boiled to the Martyr in prison he blessing her spake in this manner Woman in this Habit celebrate my Memorial and no good thing shall ever be wanting in thine house from my God yea and if any other imitating thee shall in like manner celebrate my Memorial he shall receive an everlasting gift from my God and a blessing all the days of his life When he comes to suffer he makes him pray to God thus Hear me thy Servant and whosoever shall have recourse to this thine Altar he means himself and whosoever shall have swallowed a bone or prickle or be vexed with any disease or be in affliction or necessity of persecution Grant Lord to every one his heart's desire as thou art gracious and merciful for thou art to be glorified now and evermore When he had thus prayed saith he Christ descended from heaven as a cloud and overshadowed him and our Saviour said unto him O my beloved Champion I will not only do this but that also which thou didst request for the widow and I will bless also every house which shall celebrate thy Memory and I will fill their store-houses with all good things for this thy glorious Confession and thy faith which thou hast in me Saint Catharine whom he calls AEcatharina a Martyr of Alexandria under Maximianus he makes to pray thus at her Martyrdom Grant unto those O Lord who through me shall call upon thy holy Name such their requests as are profitable for them that in all things thy wondrous works may be praised now and evermore But above all the rest Marina's prayer whom we Latines call Saint Margaret is compleat and for the purpose she suffered under Diocletian and thus she prayed if you dare believe Simeon And now O Lord my God whosoever for thy sake shall worship this Tabernacle of my Body which hath fought for thee and whosoever shall build an Oratory in the name of thy handmaid and shall therein offer unto thee spiritual sacrifices oblations and prayers and all those who shall faithfully describe this my conflict of Martyrdom and shall read and remember the name of thy handmaid Give unto them most holy Lord who art a lover of the good and a friend of Souls remission of sins and grant them propitiation and mercy according to the measure of their faith and let not the revenging hand come near them nor the evil of Famine nor the curse of Pestilence nor any grievous scourge nor let any other incurable destruction either of Body or Soul betide them And to all those who shall in faith and truth adhere to my house her Oratory or Chappel or unto my name and shall unto thee O Lord offer glory and praise and a sacrifice in remembrance of thine Handmaid and shall ask salvation and mercy through me Grant them O Lord abundant store of all good things for thou alone art good and gracious and the giver of all good things for ever and ever Amen While she was thus praying with her self saith Simeon behold there was a great earthquake c. yea and the Lord himself with an host and multitude of holy Angels standing by her in such sort as was perceptible to the understanding said Be of good chear Marina and fear not for I have heard thy prayers and have fulfilled and will in due time fulfill whatsoever thou hast asked even as thou hast asked it Thus saith Simeon who nevertheless in the very entrance to this his tale of Marina or Margaret complains much forsooth that not a few of these Narrations of the Acts of Martyrs were at the beginning forged yea profaned as he faith more truly than he was aware of evidentissimis Daemoniorum doctrinis Besides he calls I know not what Narration of this Virgin 's Martyrdom in that sort corrupted Dictio Daemoniaca but for his own part he would reject all counterfeit fables and tell us nothing but the very truth Which how honestly he hath performed and what touchstone he used let the Reader judge Baronius I am sure is quite ashamed of him who though he can be sometimes content to trade with not much better ware yet this of Simeon's he supposes will need very much washing and cleansing before it be merchantable CHAP. V. An useful Digression concerning the time when Simeon Metaphrastes lived and the occasion of his writing That his living within the time of the great Opposition against Saint-worship moved him to devise such Stories as made for the credit and advantage of that Cause then in danger A brief historical account even out of the Records left by the Adversaries of the great Opposition in the Greek and Eastern Churches against worshipping of Images and of Saints When it began how long it lasted and under what Emperors Of the Great Council held at Constantinople under Constantinus Copronymus against Idolatry An attempt to foist in two Canons in favour of Saint-worship frustrated Several Slanders and Calumnies fastened upon the Council and the Emperor by the idolatrous faction The Original of these Slanders That they were notorious Lies proved from the Decrees of the Council BUT for the better understanding of this Mystery of iniquity and what necessity there was of such desperate shifts when time was ye shall know that this superstitious Simeon lived towards the end of that time of great and long Opposition against Idolatry in the Greek and Eastern Churches by divers Emperors with the greatest part of their Bishops Peers and People lasting from about the year of our Lord 720 till after 840 that is a 120 years which was not against Images only though they bare
more quiet meditations Nihil affirmo sed propono I had thought when I began to propound something to your further meditations out of the seventh of Daniel But you see I am grown past a Letter and can scarce any longer make my Characters legible and therefore here with my best respect to your self I end desiring God to enlighten us daily more and more in the knowledge of his Truth and so I remain Yours to be commanded in all the duties of Friendship Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Nov. 11. 1629. EPISTLE XV. Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Meddus touching the Day of Iudgment Worthy Sir I Have now found some little time to make some kind of Answer to your Letter of the last week save one You desire me to point out the particulars wherein I differ from that Lutheran But this I cannot do without making a censure of the whole Discourse which would ask me some labour and besides I have not now the Book by me But by the way the Stationer which told me he had six of them was deceived Indeed he had six Books which he thought to be the same but four of them were Discourses of Law by some error sorted together with them You secondly desire me to point out the places of the Old and New Testament appliable to my Tenet of the Day of Iudgment Where I understand not well whether you mean of the Regnum to be then or of the acception of the word Day for a long space of time even of a thousand years But I suppose you mean the former to which therefore I will say something the rather because I know you will communicate it to Doctor Twisse to whom I had intended some such thing in my Letter I sent by you to him but time would not suffer me to write it then having spent both it and my paper in other discourses before I was aware That which I have to say is this The Description of the Great Day of Iudgment Dan. 7. THE Mother-Text of Scripture whence the Church of the Iews grounded the name and expectation of the Great Day of Iudgment with the circumstances thereto belonging and whereunto almost all the descriptions and expressions thereof in the New Testament have reference is that Vision in the seventh of Daniel of a Session of Iudgment when the Fourth Beast came to be destroyed Where this great Assises is represented after the manner of the great Synedrion or Consistory of Israel wherein the Pater Iudicii had his Assessores sitting upon Seats placed Semicircle-wise before him from his right hand to his left I beheld saith Daniel verse 9. till the Thrones or Seats were pitched down namely for the Senators to sit upon not thrown down as we of late have it and the Ancient of days Pater consistorii did sit c. And subaudi I beheld till the Iudgment was set that is the whole Sanhedrim and the books were opened c. Here we see both the form of Iudgment delineated and the name of Iudgment expressed which is afterwards yet twice more repeated First in the amplification of the tyranny of the wicked Horn verse 21 22. which is said continued till the Ancient of days came and IVDGMENT was given to the Saints of the most High i. Potestas judicandi ipsis facta And the third time in the Angel's interpretation verse 26. But the IVDGMENT shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it to the end Where observe also that cases of Dominion of Blasphemy and Apostasie and the like belonged to the jurisdiction of the great Sanhedrim From this description it came that the Iews gave it the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Day of Iudgment and the Day of the Great Iudgment whence in the Epistle of S. Iude verse 6. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Iudgment of the Great Day From the same description they learned that the destruction then to be should be by fire because it is said verse 9. His throne was a fiery flame and his wheels burning fire A fiery stream issued and came forth before him and verse 11. The Beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame From the same fountain are derived those expressions in the Gospel where this Day is intimated or described The Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels Forasmuch as it is said here Thousand thousands ministred unto him c. and that Daniel saw One like the Son of man coming with the clouds of Heaven and he came to the Ancient of days and they brought him or placed him near him c. Hence S. Paul learned that the Saints should judge the world because it is said that many Thrones were set and verse 22. by way of Exposition that Iudgment was given to the Saints of the most High Hence the same Apostle learned to confute the false fear of the Thessalonians that the day of Christs second coming was then at hand Because that day could not be till the Man of Sin were first come and should have reigned his time appointed Forasmuch as Daniel had foretold it should be so and that his destruction should be at the Son of mans appearing in the clouds whose appearing therefore was not to be till then This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. Paul whom the Lord saith he shall destroy at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his coming Daniel's wicked Horn or Beast acting in the wicked Horn is S. Paul's Man of Sin as the Church from her Infancâ—e interpreted it But to go on While this Iudgment sits and when it had destroyed the Fourth Beast the Son of man which comes in the clouds receives dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve and obey him verse 14. which Kingdom is thrice explained afterwards to be the Kingdom of the Saints of the most High verse 18. These four Beasts saith the Angel are four Kingdoms which shall arise But viz. when they have finished their course the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom c. Again verse 22. The wicked Horn prevailed until the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom Again verse 27. When the fourth Beast reigning in the wicked Horn was destroyed the Kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven is given to the people of the Saints of the most High c. These Grounds being laid I argue as followeth The Kingdom of the Son of man and of the Saints of the most High in Daniel begins when the Great Iudgment sits The Kingdom in the Apocalyps wherein the Saints reign with Christ a thousand years is the same with the Kingdom of the Son of man and Saints of the most High in Daniel Ergo It also
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