into his world wherefore I vow to giue Almes for him that for this his soule may be bound vp in the bundle of life with the soule of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Sarah and Rebecca Rahel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which be in the garden of Eden Amen The Lord remember the soule of Mris N. the Daughter of N. who is gone to her world Therefore I vow c. as in the other before Amen The Lord remember the soule of my father and my mother of my grandfathers and grandmothers of my vncles and aunts of my brethren and sisters of my cosens and cosenesses whether of my fathers side or mothers side who are gone into their world Wherefore I vow c. Amen The Lord remember the soule of N. the sonne of N. and the soules of all my cosens and cosenesses whether on my fathers or mothers side who were put to death or slaine or stabd or burnt or drowned or hanged for the sanctifying of the name of God Therefore I will giue Almes for the memory of their soules and for this let their soules bee bound vp in the bundle of life with the soule of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Sarah and Rebecca Rahel and Leah and with the rest of the righteous men and righteous women which are in the garden of Eden Amen Then the Priest pronounceth a blessing vpon the man that is thus charitable as it followeth there in these words Hee that blessed our father Abraham Isaac and Iacob Moses and Aaron Dauid and Salomon he blesse Rabbi N. the sonne of N. because he hath vowed Almes for the soules whom he hath mentioned for the honour of God and for the honour of the law and for the honour of the day for this the Lord keepe him and deliuer him from all affliction and trouble and from euery plague and sickenesse and write him and seale him for a happy life in the day of Iudgement and send a blessing and prosper him in euery worke of his hands and all Israel his brethren and let vs say Amen Thus courteous Reader hast thou seene a Popish Iew interceding for the dead haue but the like patience a while and thou shalt see how they are Popish almost entirely in claiming the merits of the dead to intercede for them for thus tendeth a prayer which they vse in the booke called Sepher Min hagim shel col Hammedinoth c. which I haue also here turned into English Do for thy praises sake Do for their sakes that loued thee that now dwell in dust For Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake Do for Moses and Aarons sake Doe for Dauid and Salomons sake Doe for Ierusalem thy holy Cities sake Doe for Sion the habitation of thy glories sake Do for the desolation of thy Temples sake Do for the treading down of thine Altars sake Do for their sakes who were slaine for thy holy Name Do for their sakes who haue bene massacred for thy sake Do for their sakes who haue gone to fire or water for the hallowing of thy Name Do for sucking childrens sakes who haue not sinned Doe for weaned childrens sakes who haue not offended Do for infants sakes who are of the house of our Doctors Do for thine owne sake if not for ours Do for thine owne sake and saue vs. Tel me gentle reader 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. whether doth the Iew Romanize or the Roman Iudaize in his deuotions This interceding by others is a shrewd signe they haue both reiected the right Mediator betweene God and man Christ Iesus The prophane Heathen might haue read both Iew and Papist a lecture in his Contemno minutos istos Deos modo Iouem propitium habeam which I thinke a Christian may well English let go all Diminutiue Diuinities so that I may haue the great Iesus Christ to propitiate for me CAP. XLI Of the Latine translation of Mat. 6.1 ALmes in Rabbin Hebrew are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsedhakah righteousnesse which word the Syrian Translator vseth Mat. 6.1 Act. 10.2 and in other places From this custome of speech the Roman vulgar Translateth Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis One English old manuscript Testament is in Lichfield Librarie which hath it thus after the Latine Takith hede that you do not your rigtwisnes before men to be seyne of hem ellis ye shullen haue no mede at your fadir that is in heuenes Other English Translation I neuer saw any to this sense nor any Greeke coppie It seemes the Papist will rather Iudaize for his owne aduantage then follow the true Greeke The Septuagint in some places of the old TestameÌ„t haue turned Tsedhakah Righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almesdeeds to little or to no sense As the Papists haue in this place of the new Testament turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almesdeeds by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse to as little purpose In the Hebrew indeed one word is vsed for both Tsedhakah for Almesdeeds which properly signifies Righteousnesse vpon what ground I know not vnlesse it be to shew that Almes must be giuen of rightly gotten good or else they are no riâ—hteousnesse or they are called zadkatha in Syrian Hu ger Zadek lemehwo they are called righteousnesse because it is right they should be giuen and giuen rightly The Fathers of the Councell of Trent speake much of the merit of Almes whom one may answer in the very words of their vulgar Attendite ne iustitiam vestram faciatis Take heed you do not make them your Iustification CAP. XLII An Embleme A Wall in Rome had this picture A man painted naked with a whip in one hand and foure leaues of a booke in the other and in euery leafe a word written In the first Plango I mourne In the second Dico I tell In the third volo I will and in the fourth facio I do Such a one in the true repentant He is naked because he would haue his most secret sinnes laid open to God He is whipped because his sinnes do sting himselfe His booke is his repentance His foure words are his actions In the first hee mournes in the second he confesses in the third hee resolues and in the fourth hee performes his resolution Plango I mourne there is sight of sinne and sorrow Dico I tell there is contrition for sinne and confession Volo I will there is amending resolution Facio I do there is performing satisfaction CAP. XLIII Mahhanaijm Gen. 32.2 ANd Iacob went on his way and the Angels of God met him And Iacob said when he saw them This is the Host of the Lord and he called the name of the place Mahanaim The word is duall and tels of two armies and no more what these two armies were the Iewes according to their vsuall veine do finde strange expositions To omit them all this seemes to me to be the truth and reason of the name There was one companie with Iacob which afterwards he
the skillfull amongst them say Signifying the Lord which containeth heauen and earth For Iesu according to the old Hebrew signifieth heauen and the Earth is called Sura vsser Thus that father in his second booke against Heretickes Cap. 41. on which words I can criticke onely with deepe silence Onely for his two letters and ½ I take his meaning to bee according to the Iewes writing of the name Iesu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who denie him the last letter of his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they deny him for a Sauiour So the Dutch Iew Elias Leuitae saith in expresse words The Christians say that their Messias was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the commandement of the Angell Gabriel because he should saue all the world from Gehinnom but because the Iewes doe not confesse that hee is a Sauiour therefore they will not call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ieshuang but they leaue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last letter out and call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesu. After this kind of writing as Irenaeus saith the word consisteth of two letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and halfe a letter that is which may be so called because it is so little The Chaldee writes the name of God with two Iods aboue and a vowell vnder thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From hence some haue picked an expression of the Trinity In the two letters the Father and the Sonne and in the vowell the Holy Ghost proceeding from both And from the aequidistance of the letters and vowell they gather the distinction of the Persons and by the neerenesse of all the vnity of Essence Such another conceit hath Bonfinius in his Hungarian Historie When the Heresie of Arrius saith he had got head almost ouer all the world and was dilated as well by persecution as by disputation a towne in Gaule was besieged because it held the Orthodox faith of the Sons coequalitie with the Father God to confirme this their faith shewed this miracle As the Priest was at high Masse at the Altar behold three drops of blood fell from heauen vpon the Altar lying a while in an equall distance one from another to shew the distinction of the three Persons at last in sight of all the People they met together to shew the vnity of Essence so the story But we haue a more sure word of Prophecie That there are three that beare record in Heauen the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are one The Chaldee sometimes vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dehhila and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dahhalah feare or terror for God because of the feare that is due to him So Iacob comming from Syria and being to sweare to a Syrian sweares according to this Syrian or Chaldee Phrase By the feare of his father Isaac Gen. 31.53 or by the God that Isaac feared as Onkelos and Ionathan render it CAP. III. Of the Phrase The Sonnes of God Gen. 6. and Iob. 1. ALL take this Phrase in Iob to meane the Angells and truely in which sense while they haue taken it in the sixt of Genesis they spoile all For hence they think that Angels lay with women and begat children So can Iarchi almost find in his heart to think and so Tertullian Lactantius and others Some tell what euill Arts these Angells taught women and how they begat mighty children of them How farre this conceit is from true Philosophie let Aristotle censure Merlin in Geffry Monmouth is recorded to be such another hatch beleeue it who list His veine of Prophecying can make Alanus de Insulis thinke it is so but I must needs confesse it comes not into my Creed As some conceit that the fallen Angels or Deuills here begat children of women so the Iewes most wickedly fable that Adam begat children of Deuills Those hundred and thirtie yeares say they that Adam was separated from Eue Deuills came to him and he ingendred with them and begat Deuills and spirits and fiends And againe Foure women are the mothers of Shedhim or Deuills Lilith Naamah Ogereth and Mahlath I beleeue both these alike for I beleeue that neither is likely Both the Chaldees Onkelos and Ionathan render the sonnes of Elohim the sonnes of the Potentates or Iudges taking the word Elohim in the same sense that it is taken in the middlemost verse of the booke of Exodus Cap. 22.28 Thou shalt not curse Elohim or the Iudges This opinion is farre better then the former but Christians haue a better then this That the house and progenie of holy Seth are the sonnes of God or the Church and the brood of Cains females were the Daughters of men Cypriano di valera in his Spanish translation of Gen. 4. and the last verse translates it thus Entonces commenciaron llamarse Then begun men to be called by the name of God or by the name of the Lord And in the margin hee explanes himselfe thus that then the men of Seths house began to bee a publike Church and to be distinguished from Cains family and to be called the sons of God Gen. 6.2 CAP. IIII. Of the Phrase Sonnes of Man THis Phrase is frequent in Scripture and Rabbin Hebrew but most frequent in Chaldee and Syrian Bene Anasha Bar nosho In the latter of which the Syrian vsually writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but leaueth out the first letter as that tongue doth frequently in other words vse the like ecclipsis writing not as they reade as it is said of the French Ezekiel in his Prophecie in Scripture Hebrew is frequently called sonne of man Why so often he and no other Prophet should be so stiled reasons are giuen by diuerse To mee though farre inferiour to all them the groundworke seemeth to bee because his Prophecie was written in Chaldean captiuitie hee vseth the Chaldean Phrase Sonne of man that is O man The same Phrase Daniel vseth in Chaldaea Dan. 10.16 CAP. V. Of Iaphets plantation by his sonne Iauan IAuan is generally held to be Greece And the Greeke tongue is by all Hebrewes called the speech of Iauan The Arabians do so stile the same language The Syrian in Romans the first chapter verse 16. calls the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon what reason I cannot imagine Iauan the sonne of Iaphet is held to haue planted or peopled this country in memorie of whose name the Iones are famous monuments Moses saith hee had foure sonnes Elisha Tarshish Cittim Dodonim which it is likely planted all the country of Greece as farre as into Italie Elisha and Dodonim dwelt at first neere together and so did Tarshish and Cittim but their posteritie scattered farre and neere The Ierusalem and Babilon Targums doe almost resolued vs of these foure mens plantation For Ionathan reades the fourth verse of the tenth of Genesis thus And the sonnes of Iauan Elisha Elis Tarsus Acacia and Dardania Ieruselamy thus And the sonnes of Iauan Elisha and the names of their
Easterne most especially must acknowledge this Some men in the East saith Origen reserue their old speech meaning by likelihood the Hebrew and haue not altered it but haue continued in the Easterne tongue because they haue continued in the Easterne countries No Easterne tongue that I haue heard of is Hebrew now so that what to say to Origen I cannot tell vnlesse he meane that those that haue continued in the East haue kept neerest this holy tongue because neerest the holy land this to be true is knowne to the meanest learned In their speech it is apparent and by their writing confirmed All of them haue learned from the Hebrew to write from the right hand to the left or as we vsuall call it in England to write and reade backward The China and Iapan writing excepted which is indeed from the right hand to the left but not with the lines crossing the leafe as other tongues doe but the lines downe the leafe A strange way by it selfe Againe most of the Easterne tongues do vse the Hebrew character for quicke writing or some other end The Chaldee letter is the verie fame The Syrian though it haue two or three kinds of its owne yet is content sometime to take vpon it the Hebrew character The Arabian doth the like especially the Iewes in Turkie vse in hatred of Mahumetans to write downe their matters of Religion in the Hebrew character though in the Arabian tongue So do the Christian Arabians for the same cause in their holy things vse the Arabian tongue but Syrian letter And I take a place in Epiphanius to be meant to this purpose also about the Persian tongue His words out of another are these The Persians besides their owne letters do also vse the letters of the Syrians as in our times many nations vse the Greeke though almost euery nation hath a proper character I referre to the Reader to iudge whether hee meane not that the Persians as other countries about them did did vse the Hebrew character for their quicke writing which is called Syrian by Theodoret. To speake of the grace and sweetnesse and fulnesse of the Hebrew tongue is to no purpose to relate for euen those that cannot reade this tongue haue reade thus much of it CAP. XXXI Of Vowels EAsterne tongues especially the Hebrew and her three Dialects Chaldee Syrian and Arabian are written sometimes with vowells somtimes without with for certainty without for the speedier writing we haue Hebrew Bibles of both kinds The Septuagint it seemes translated by the vnpricked Bible as S Hierome in his commentary vpon the Prophets seemeth to import as to any one that examineth it is easie to find Instead of all other places in Gen. 4.7 it is apparant where the seuenty Translators reseruing the letters haue strangely altered the vowels The Hebrew hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo in tetibh Seeth weim lo tetibh lappethahh robhets which is is in English thus If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou do not well sinne lieth at the doore they translate it as pointed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Halo im tetibh seeth weim lo tetibh lephatteahh hhatatha rebhats Which is If thou do well in offering and do not well in diuiding thou hast sinned be quiet This follow with one consent the Greeke and many of the Latine Fathers They could not thus translate because they knew not the text or because they wanted pointed Bibles but on set purpose to hide pearles from swine as the best learned think But that they did alwayes misse on set purpose where they missed their many lapses seeme to deny but somtime they mistooke the vnpricked text and so misconstrued A vowelled Bible they might haue had but would not Some there bee that thinke the vowels of the Hebrew were not inuented for many yeares After Christ. Which to mee seemeth to be all one as to deny sinewes to a body or to keepe an infant vnswadled and to suffer him to turne and bend any way till hee grow out of fashion For mine owne satisfaction I am fully resolued that the letters and vowels of the Hebrew were as the soule and body in a child knit together at their conception and beginning and that they had both one Author 1. For first a tongue cannot bee learned without vowells though at last skill and practice may make it to be read without Grammar and not nature makes men to do this and this also helped out with the sence of the place we read 2. That Masorites should amend that which the Septuagint could not see and that they should read righter then the other who were of farre greater Authority I cannot beleeue 3. Our Sauiour in his words of one Iota and one small kerai not perishing from the law seemes to allude to the least of the letters Iod and the least vowell and accent 4. Lastly it is aboue the skill of a meere man to point the Bible nay scarsely a verse as it is The ten Commandements may puzzle all the world for that skill CAP. XXXII Of the Language of two Testaments THe two Testaments are like the Apostles at Ierusalem when the confusion of tongues at Babel was rerecompensed with multiplicitie of tongues at Sion speaking in different languages but speaking both to one purpose They differ from each other onely in language and time but for matter the new is veiled in the old and old old reueiled in the new Isaiah in his vision heard the Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh one to another Holy Holy Holy Lord God of tsebhaoth So the two Testaments like these two Seraphins cry Zeh el Zeh one to another the old cries to the new and the new ecchoes to the old The old cries Holy is the Lord that hath promised the new answers Holy is the Lord that hath performed The old saies Holy is the Father that gaue the Law the new saith Holy is the Sonne that preached the Gospell and both say holy is the Holy Ghost that penned both Law and Goâ—pell to make men holy The two Cherubins in Salomons Temple stood so that with their outmost wings they touched the sides of the house and their other wings touched each other So the two Testaments one way touch the two sides of the house and the other way touch each other In their extent they read from the beginning of the world to the end from in the beginning to come Lord Iesus In their consent they touch each other with He shall turne the Heart of the Fathers to the children Mal. 4.6 and He shall turne the heart of the fathers to the children Luke 1.17 Here the two wings ioyne in the middle Tertullian calls the Prophet Malachy the bound or skirt of Iudaisme and Christianity a stake that tels that there promising ends and performing begins that prophecying concludes fulfilling takes place there is not a span betweene these two plots of holy ground the old and new
the writing of the wall so that they could not read it though it were in their owne language because it was not in their owne letter In after-times the very languages themselues began to vary as the Chaldee in Daniel and Onkelos and Ieruselamy and Ionathan and the Syrian in the Testament doe witnesse The Paraphrafts do much differ between themselues for purity of speech and all far short of the Bible Chaldee They are very full of Greeke words and so the Syrian a relique of Alexanders conquests some thinke they finde some Greeke in Daniel Montanus himselfe renders Osphaia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all along Foure kind of characters is the Chaldee to bee had in or if you will the Chaldee in two and the Syrian in two Our Bible and Paraphrasts and Rabbins Chaldee is in the Hebrew letter and the other kind of letter is the Samaritan The Syrian hath either a set letter such as we haue the New Testament imprinted in or their running hand such as the Maronites vse in their writing for speed there is no great difference betwixt them as you may see by their Alphabet CAP. XXXV Of the Arabian Language THis is the most copious of the Hebrew Dialects and a tongue that may brag with the most of tongues from fluencie and continuance of familiaritie This tongue is frequent in Scripture especially in Iob a man of that country How other parts of the Bible vse it I thinke may be iudged by the neerenesse of Iudaea and Arabia and of the two languages In this one thing it differs from its fellow-Dialects and its mother tongue that it varieth terminations in declining of nownes as the Greeke and Latine do and that it receiueth duall numbers in forming verbs as doth the Greeke Of the largenesse of the Alphabet and difference from other Alphabets and quiddits of the tongue or indeed any thing of the tongue I cannot say which I haue not receiued of the most industrious and thrice learned both in this and other the noble tongues Master William Bedwell whom I cannot name without a great deale of thankfulnesse and honour To whom I will rather be a scholler then take on me to teach others This tongue was Mahomads Alcoran written in and is still read in the same Idiome vnder paine of death not to mistake a letter which is as easily done in this tongue as in any CAP. XXXVI Of the Latine Tongue THis is the first Idiome of our Grammar Schooles A tongue next the sacred tongues most necessarie for Schollers of the best profession Whether Latine were a Babel language I will not controuert pro et contra Sure I dare say that what Latine we read now was not at Babel if we may beleeue Polybius who saith that the Latine tongue that was vsed in Iunius Brutus time was not vnderstood in the time of the first Punicke warre but onely by great schollers So much in few yeares it had degenerated The old Poets compared with smooth Ouid and Tully shew much alteration This spacious tongue once almost as big as any and as large as a great part of the world is now bounded in schooles and studies The Deluge of the North the treasurie of men ouerwhelmed the Romane empire scattered the men and spoiled the Latine Goths Vandalls Lombards and the rest of the brood of those frozen Climates haue beaten the Latine tongue out of its owne fashion into the French Spanish and Italian But some sparkes of their hammering are flowne into other languages of the West So that most countries hereabout may owne Rome for a second Babel for their speech confused CAP. XXXVII The Language of Brittaine neere a thousand yeares ago Ex Beda lib. 1. de Hist. Angl. Cap. 1. BRittania in praesenti iuxta numerum librorum c. Brittaine in my time saith Bede doth search and confesse one and the same knowledge of the high truth and true sublimity in fiue tongues according to the fiue bookes wherein the Law of God was written namely in the English Brittaine Scottish Pict and Latine tongues And in the ninteenth chapter of the same booke he saith that when Austen the Monke came from Gregory the great to preach the Gospell in England he brought with him Interpreters out of France to speak to the English That language it seemes was then vsuall in England but whether the French that France speakes now is a question William the Conqueror tooke great care and paines to haue brought in his tongue with his conquest but could not preuaile CAP. XXXVIII Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast his conceit of Leuies choosing to the Priesthood translated out of his Paraph. on Gen. 32.24 ANd Iacob was left alone beyond the foord and an Angell in the likenesse of a man stroue with him and said Diddest thou not promise to giue tithe of all that thou hadst and behold thou hast twelue sonnes and one daughter and thou hast not tithed them Out of hand he sets apart the foure first borne to their foure mothers for saith the margin they were holy because of their primogeniture and then were eight left He begins againe to count from Simeon and ended in Leui for the tenth or tithe Michael answereth and saith Lord of the world this is thy lot c. thus the Chaldee On whose words if they were worth commenting on I could say more CAP. XXXIX Of the Iewes abbreuiature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THis short writing is common in all their Authors When they cite any of the Doctors of their schooles they commonly vse these words Ameru rabbothenu Zicceronam libhracah in foure letters thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus say our Doctors of blessed memorie But when they speake of holy men in the old Testament they vsually take this Phrase Gnalau hashalom on him is peace in briefe thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus when they mention Moses Salomon Dauid or others this is the memoriall they giue them The Arabians haue the like vse in their Abbreuiation of Gnalaihi alsalemo on whom is peace The words in Hebrew want a verbe and so may be construâ—ed two wayes On him is peace or on him be peace The learned Master Broughton hath rendered it the former way and his iudgement herein shall bee my law To take it the latter way seemes to relish of Popish superstition of praying for the dead which though the Iewes did not directly do yet in manner they appeare to do no lesse in one part of their Common Prayer booke called Mazkir neshamoth the remembrancer of Soules which being not very long I thought not amisse to translate out of their tongue into our owne that the Reader may see their Iewish Poperie or Popish Iudaisme and may blesse the Creatour who hath not shut vs vp in the same darkenesse CAP. XL. Mazkir neshamoth or the Remembrancer of soules in the Iewes liturgy printed at Venice THe Lord remember the soule or spirit of Abba Mr. N. the sonne of N. who is gone
Iosi saith On a time I was walking by the way and I went into one of the deserts of Ierusalem to pray then came Eliah of blessed memorie and watched me at the gate and stayed for me till I had ended my prayer after that I had ended my prayer he saith vnto me Peace be vpon thee Rabbi I said vnto him peace be vpon thee Rabbi and master Then said he to me my sonne wherefore wentest thou into this desert I said vnto him To pray Hee said to mee thou mightest haue prayed in the way Then said I I was afraid least passengers would interrupt me He said vnto me thou shouldest haue prayed a short prayer At that time I learned of him three things I learned that wee should not go into the desert and I learned that we should pray by the way and learned thet hee that prayed by the way must pray a short prayer Thus farre their Talmud maketh them these letters patents for Hypocrisie fathering this bastard vpon blessed Elias who was not a high-way prayer or one that practised his owne deuotions in publike for hee was Iohn Baptists type for retirednesse CAP. LII Israels affliction in Aegypt OF Israels being in Egypt many Heathen Authors doe touch though euery one a seuerall way and all of them the wrong Iosephus against Appion is angrie at their fables about it Of the famine that brought them thither if we take the want of Nilus flowing to bee the naturall cause as most like it was there seemes then to be some remembrance of those seuen yeares in Seneca in his naturall questions where he saith Per nouem annos Nilum non ascendisse superioribus saeculis Callimachus est Author that is Callimachus writes that in old time Nilus flowed not of nine yeares together where hee outstrips but two of the number But of Israels affliction in Egypt I finde the Heathens silent God had told Abraham of this their hardship long before and shewed him a token of it by the fowles lighting vpon his carcasses Gen. 15. A type of Israels being in Egypt and of Pharoahs being plagued for their sakes was when Pharoah suffered for taking Sarah from her husband and keeping her in his house as it is Gen 12. How long they were in that land few there bee but know but how long their affliction lasted is vncertaine Probable it is that it was about an hundred and twenty yeares the time of the old worlds repentance and Moses his age This is to be searched by Leui his age which within a little one may find certaine All the generation of Iosephs time die before they are afflicted as all the generation of Ioshuahs time die before they fall to Idolatry Iudges 2.10 The reasons why God should thus suffer them to suffer whether it were to fit them for the receiuing of him and his Law or whether it were to whip them for their Idolatry or for some other cause I dare not enter too neare to search this I see that when the foundation as it were of the visible Church is laid thus in affliction that that the Church cannot but looke for affliction whilest it liues in the Egypt of this world But as Israel increased vnder persecution so does the Church for euen when sparsum est semen sanguinis Martyrum surrexit seges Ecclesiae Nec frustra orauit Ecclesia pro inimicis suis crediderunt qui persequebantur Aust. Ser. de temp 109. To omit the Iewes fancie that the Israelitish women bare sixe at a birth and to omit questioning whether faetifer Nilus the drinking of the water of Nilus which as some say is good for generation did conduce to the increasing of Israel I can onely looke at God and his worke which did thus multiplie and sustaine them in fornace affliction Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos God had promised this increase to Iacob as he fled to Haran Gen. 28. in a dreame from the top of Iacobs ladder And here he proues faithfull who had promised CAP. LIII Israels Campe according to the Chaldee Paraphrast his description Num. 2. THe Chaldee is precise about pitching Israels Campe I haue not thought much to translate a whole chapter out of him that the Reader may see at the least his will if not his truth Numb 11.1 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron saying 2. Euery one of the children of Israel shall pitch by his standerd by the ensignes whereto they are appointed by the standerds of their fathers shall they pitch ouer against the Tabernacle of the Congregation round about 3. The Camp of Israel was twelue miles long and twelue miles broad and they that pitched Eastward toward the Sun-rising the standard of the Campe of Iudah foure miles square and his ensigne was of three party colours like the three pearles that were in the brestplate or rationall the rubies topaz and carbuncle and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Iudah Issachar Zebulon and in the middle was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flie before thee And in it was drawne the picture of a Lions whelpe for the Prince of the children of Iudah Nahshon the sonne of Aminadab 4. And his hoast and the number of them seuenty foure thousand and sixe hundred 5. And they that pitched next him the Tribe of Issachar and the Prince that was ouer the Armie of the Tribe of the sonnes of Issachar Nethaneel the sonne of Tsuar 6. And his Army and the number of his Tribes 54400. 7. The Tribe of Zebulon and the Prince that was set ouer the Army of the Tribe of the sonnes of Zebulon Eliab the sonne of Hhelon 8. And the Army and their number of his Tribe 57400. 9. All the number of the hoast of Indah were 186400. by their Armies they went first 10. The standard of the hoast of Reuben shall pitch Southward by their Armies foure miles square and his ensigne was of three party colors like the three stones in the brestplate the Emeraud Saphire and Diamond and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Reuben Simeon Gad and in the middle was written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heare O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And in it was drawne the picture of a yong Hart but there should haue beene drawne in it a Bullocke but Moses the Prophet changed it because hee would not put them in mind of their sinne about the calfe And the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of Reuben was Elitzur the sonne of Shedeur 12. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe 59300. 13. And the Tribe of Gad and the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of Gad Eliasaph the sonne of Deuel 15. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe 45600. 16. All the
number of the hoast of Reuben 151450. by their Armies they went second 17. Then went the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the hoast of the Leuites in the Camps and their Campe was foure mile square they went in the middle as they pitched so they went euery one in his ranke according â—o his standard 18. The standard of the Campe of Ephraim by their hoasts pitched Westward and their Campe was foure mile square and his ensigne was of three party colours like the three stones in the brestplate a Turkie an Achat and an Hamatite and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes Ephraim Manasseh and Beniamin and in the middle was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the cloud of the Lord was vpon them by day when they went out of the Campe and in it was drawen the picture of a child And the Prince that was set ouer the Army of the Children of Ephraim was Elishama the sonne of Ammihud 19. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe 40500. 20. And next him the Tribe of Manasses and the Prince which was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of the children of Manasses Gamliel the sonne of Pedah tzur 21. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe 32200. 22. And the Tribe of Beniamin and the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of the children of Beniamin Abidan the sonne of Gideoni 23. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe 35400. 24. All the number of the Campe of Ephraim 180100. by their Armies and they went in the third place 25. The standard of the Campe of Dan Northward and their Campe foure miles square and his ensigne was of three partie colours according to the three stones in the brestplate a Chrysolite Onyx and Iasper and in it were deciphered expressed the names of three Tribes Dan Naphtali Asher and in the middest was written and expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when it rested he said returne O Lord to the 10000. of Israel and in it was drawne the figure of a serpent or arrow-snake and the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the children of Dan Ahiezer the sonne of Ammishaddai From thence to the end of the chapter he goes on iust with the Hebrew text so that I wil spare further labour about translating onely I must tell the Reader thus much that the Pearles he speaks of I haue not punctually followed the Chaldee in rendring their names but haue followed the Geneua Bible which was at that instant the onely English Bible about me As also for perfect and future tense I finde the Chaldee confused and for this I haue beene the lesse curious CAP. LIIII Of Iob. ABout Israels being in Egypt Iob liues in Arabia a heathen man and yet so good and so Saint Gregory saith his Countrey is purposely named that the goodnesse of the man may be the more illustrated His times may be picked by the genealogie of himselfe and his friends that come to see him And God in the first and second chapters saith that there was not a man on earth like him for goodnes which is a signe that Abraham Isaac and Iacob and Ioseph were not aliue nor Moses but in the times twixt Ioseph and Moses Israel corrupt themselues with Egyptians idols and in Israel the likeliest place to finde a good man in is not one to be found like Iob. Thus when Israel idolizes and the Church begins to faile in Iacob God hath one in Arabia that hath a little Church in his house It is not amisse for euery one for his more watchfulnesse to marke that Satan knowes Iob as soone as euer God speakes of him When the Angels appeare before God Satan the Deuill is among them So When the Disciples are with Christ Iudas a Deuill is among them Pharoah in Egypt is afflicted by God Iob in Arabia is afflicted by the Deuill His afflictions harden him against God His afflictioÌ„s harden him against the Deuill Iobs children feasting ouerwhelmed by an house The Philistins sporting ouerwhelmed by an house Iudg. 16. Iob is afflicted as the souldiers 2. King 1. by fire As the Ziklagites 1. Sam. 30. by captiuity As the Egyptians with losse of children Exod. 12. And as the Egyptians with boiles Exod 9. And which was not his least crosse like Adam with an ill counselling wife Iob hath 3. with him when hee is changed by affliction So Christ hath three with him when he is changed in his transfiguration which three as they were by Christ when Moses and Elias Law and Prophecie told him in the mount of his departing which hee should accomplish at Ierusalem Luk. 9.31 So these three were with him when hee began to accomplish these things Mat. 26.37 CAP. LV. Egyptians Deities ex Athenae Deipn Lib. 7. A Naxandrides in his booke of Cities turning his speech to the Egyptians saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus does one Heathen Idolater deride another because hee worships as the other thinks the more ridiculous Deities The very Heathen could deride and scoffe at their vaine gods Dionysius was most notorious this way and knauish in this kinde was the Painter who when hee should haue drawne the picture of such a goddesse for a Grecian City to worship hee drew the portraicture of his owne sweet-heart and so made her to bee adored And indeed what man could haue held laughing to haue seene as my Poet saith here an Egyptian on his maribones adoring a dog or praying to an oxe or especially to see him mourning and howling ouer a sicke cat fearing least his scratching God should die CAP. LVI Of the Law broken by Adam THe Law was Adams lease when God made him tenent of Eden The conditions of which bond when he kept not he forfeited himselfe and all vs. God read a lecture of the Law to him before hee fell to be a hedge to him to keepe him in Paradise but when Adam would not keepe within compasse this Law is now become as the flaming sword at Eden gate to keepe him and his posteritie out Adam heard as much in the garden as Israel did at Sinai but onely in fewer words and without thunder The Lâ—w came more gently to him before his fall but after his fall comes the thunder with it Adam at one clap breakes both the tables and all the commandements 1. He chose him another god when he followed the Deuill 2. He idolized and deified his own belly as the Apostles phrase is his belly he made his god 3. Hee tooke the name of God in vaine when he