have been so frequent among the Nations presently after Jerusalems destruction and the Extirpation of the Jews were added as so many Seals to assure the Truth of the Prophets and Gospel and to testifie both to Jew and Gentile That if either the one did follow his Jewish Sacrifice or the other his wonted Idolatrie after the Truth of Gods new Covenant with Mankind was Sealed and proclaimed There remained no more sacri fice for sins but a fearful looking for of judgement and violent fire that there was no other name under Heaven able to save them from such everlasting Flames as they now had seen some Flashes of but only the Name of Jesus whom the Jew had crucified So the Prophet Joel concludes Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord that is of Jesus for now all Israel might know for a surety that God had made that Jesus whom they had Crucified both Lord and Christ He shall be saved The fruits of calling upon the name of the Lord and that distinction betwixt the state of the Elect and Reprobate intimated by the Prophet in the last Verse of that Chapter shall be most fully manifested in the Day of Judgement For such as have watched and prayed continually alwayes expecting their Masters Coming shall upon the first apprehension of his approach lift up their Heads as knowing that their Redemption draweth neer But for the Riotous or carelesse liver he shall not be able to stand before the Son of Man instead of calling upon his Name he shall cry unto the Hills Cover me and to the Mountains Fall ye upon me Yet was the same distinction between the Reprobate and the Elect truly notified by the confident Carriage of the Christians in those fearful times lately mentioned which did so much affright the Heathen as we may gather from Antoninus the Emperours Decree inhibiting the Christians persecution by the Commons of Asia It seems the other had accused the Christians as Hurtful Persons and offensive to the Gods unto which the Emperour makes Reply in this manner I know the Gods are careful to disclose hurtful persons for they punish such as will not worship them more grievously then you do those whom you bring in trouble confirming that opinion which they conceive of you to be wicked and ungodly Men It shall seem requisite to admonish you of the Earthquakes which have and do happen amongst us that being therewith moved ye may compare our estate with theirs They have more Confidence to God-wards than You have I will shut up this Discourse for the present with that Saying of our Saviour Remember Lots Wife and His Exhortation Take heed to your selves lest at anytime your Hearts be oppressed with Sâ—rfetting and Drunkennesse and Cares of this Life and lest that Day come on you unawares for as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the whole Earth So did the former Calamities in Titus and Trajans time which were as the Dayes of Noah They ate they drank and rose up to play and when they said Pax tutaomnia suddain destruction came as an unexpected Actor upon the Stage For as you heard before one Cause of the great Concourse unto Antioch at that direful Season was to see Playes and Prizes and in the former under Titus two whole Cities were overwhelmed with the Tempest of Gods Wrath while the Citizens were sitting in the Theatre So must all such Fruitlesse Spectacles or pleasant but unseasonable Comedies be concluded with their Spectators Tragedie in the Catastrophe of this great and spacious Amphitheatre All that follows till you come at the 9th Paragraph was An APPENDIX in the former Edition yet set before the whole Book and so must be accounted and allowed for in the Reading ALbeit Lawful in every Age it hath been to Vary if without dissension from former Interpreters in unfolding divine Mysteries without Censure of Irregularity so the Explication be Parallel to the Analogie of Faith yet partly to clear my self from all Suspicion of Affecting Novelties partly more fully to satisfie the ingenious and unpartial Reader I have thought good to acquaint him with Some Observations which have almost beâ—â—othed my mind unto that exposition of our Saviours Words related by Saint Matthew and Saint Luke which I here commend to his Christian consideration That happily will cause others to suspend their Judgements which for a long time did retard my Perswasion and inhibit my Assent unto the Truth I here deliver For albeit the Reasons alledged seemed very probable whilest weighed apart but far more pregnant from comparing the Concurrence of all Circumstances which led me to that opinion yet on the other side strange it seemed that my best grounds being borrowed from the relation of Antiquity no Ancient Writer living shortly after those times should have observed the like But whilst I considered again how the Almighty whether in his just Judgement for the Sins of that present or in his Wisdom and Mercy for the greater good of future Generations had deprived us of all their sacred Meditations that lived about Titus's time or immediately after both Effects as I conceived might have One the same just Cause though secret and onely known to God not fit for us to make any further Inquiry after theâ—… might stir us up to true Admiration of his Wisdome And truly Admirable his Wisdom seemed in this that the Canon of the new Testament being finished in the most known Tongue then extant in the World in which respect besides others The Gospel of the Kingdom might be truly said to be preached through The Whole for a witnesse to all Nations he would have it Severed from all other Writings as well by the Subsequent as Precedent Silence of Ecclesiastical Sacred Writers He that would not have any Prophet in Israel after the Erection of the Second Temple would not for the same Cause onely known to Him have any Writings of men otherwise most religious and devout to be extant in the Age immediately following the Gospels Promulgation that it thus shining like a Solid or compact glorious Star in the Transparent Sphere Environed every where with Vacuity might more clearly Manifest â—t Self by its own Light to be Supercelestial Necessary it was the Period of that Generation wherein our Saviour lived and died should have the Divine Truth of his Gospel confirmed unto them by Signs as the Prophet speaks In the heavens and in the earth to increase their Care and diligence in commending it to Posterity who were to rely on it immediately not on their Fore-fathers relation of Signs past The like or more effectual and as fully answerable to the Rules set down in it they could not want so long as they carried souls or minds careful to observe and practise what is prescribed And who knows whether the Lord had not appointed that the serious consideration of those Prodigious Signs which followed the publishing of the
Rule of Life shall inlighten them unrepented of no other Rule or Authoritie shall teach them the way to Life 4 Since we thus grant that the Scriptures may be Obscure to most men by their own default but perspicuous to others free from like fault or Demerit it remains we further enquire whether the same Scriptures do not most plainly set down First the Causes why they are so Obscure to some and Perspicuous to others Secondly the Remedy or means how their Obscurity or difficulty may be prevented If they plainly teach these two Points this is a sure Argument that they are if not that they cannot be so excellent a Rule of Faith as we acknowledge them For this very Point That the Scriptures in respect of diverse Persons are Obscure and Perspicuous though Obscure to none but through their own Default is a Principle of Christian Faith and therefore must be plainlie set down in the absolute complete Rule of Faith And to omit others in their due place to be inserted what can be more perspicuonsly taught either by Scriptures or other Writings than this Truth God giveth grace to the Humble and resisteth the proud or this He will confound the Wisdom of the Wise or such as Glory in their Wisdom These and like Rules of Gods Justice in punishing the proud and disobedient hold as true in the search of Scripture as in any other matter yea especially herein Thus were the Scribes and Pharisees men of extraordinary skill in Scriptures blinded in the most necessary Points of their Salvation though most plainly set down in Scriptures For what could be more plainly set down then many Testimonies of their Messias Many places of far greater Difficultie they could with Dexteritie unfold how chanced it then they are so Blinded in the other They were scattered in the proud Imagination of their hearts and glorious conceits of their Prerogatives in being Mosis Successours and in their stead simple and illiterate but humble and meek spirited Men raised up to be infallible Teachers of the Gentiles to unfold those Mysteries of Mans Redemption which the Scribes and Pharisees could not see with evidence of Truth to enlighten the sillie and ignorant and convince the Consciences of their learned proud Oppugners By their Ministerie Prophetical and Mosaical Mysteries became a Light unto the Gentile whose life had been in the shadow of death whilest a Veil was laid before the hearts of the most learned Jewes so that even whilst the Sun of Righteousnesse which enlightens every man that comes into the World did arise in their coast and ascend unto their Zenith they groap their way as men that walk in dangerous Paths by dark-night 5 Was the Scripture therefore no Rule of Faith unto these Jews to whom it was so Dishcult and Obscure Or is it not most evident that this Blindnesse did therefore come upon Israel because they hated this Light being carried away with Lowd cries of Templum Domini Templum Domini as the Papists now are with The Church The Church And for words of supposed Disgrace offered to It onely upon a Surmise that Christ had said he would destroy and build It up again brought to seek the destruction of the Glory of It even of the Lord of Glory Thou that wouldest make others beleave the Pope is such dost thou beleeve the Scriptures to be Infallible How is it then whilest thou readest Gods Judgements upon thy Brother Jew thou doest not tremble and quake lest the Lord smite thee also thou painted wall with like Blindnesse seeing thou hast justified thy brother Pharisees stubborn Pride wilfull Arrogancie and witting Blasphemie in oppugning Scriptures And as for all such whose hearts can be touched with the terrour of Gods Judgements upon others in fear and reverence I request them to consider well whether one of the greatest Roman Doctours were not taken with more than Jewish madnesse in mistaking Scripture in it self most plain and easie who to prove the Scriptures Obscurity to be such as in this respect it could not be the Rule of Faith alledgeth for his proof that place of the Prophet And the vision of them all is become unto you as the word of a Book that is sealed up which they deliver to one that can read saying Read this I pray thee then shall he say I cannot for it is sealed 6 The Prophet relates it as a wonder that they should not be able to discern the Truth What Truth an obscure or hidden Truth Impossible to be understood This had been a wonderfull Wonder indeed that men should not be able to understand that which was Impossible to be understood Wherein then was the true Wonder seen In this that they whose eyes had formerly been illuminated by the evidence and clearnesse of the Divine Truth revealed by Gods Messenger should not be able to discern the same still alike clear and perspicuous but now to be shut up from their eyes as appeareth by the similitude of the sealed Book whose Character was legible enough but yet not able to be read whilst sealed A man might as well prove the Sun to be dark because Polyphemus after 〈◊〉 had put out his eye could not see it as the Scriptures by this place to be Obscure The Prophets words entire are these Stay your selves and Wonder they are blind and make you blind they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with drink For the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes The Prophets and your chief Seers hath he covered And the vision of them all is become unto you c. And more plainly Therefore the Lord said because this people come near me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but have removed their heart from me and their fear towards me was taught by the precepts of men doth he not mean the Blind Obedience of Modern Papists as well as ancient Jews Therefore behold I will do a marvellous work in this People even a marvellous work and a wonder For the Wisdom of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent man shall be hid The Lord himself foretels it as a wonder that this People should be so ignorant in the Word of God and yet will the Jesuite make us beleeve the Word of God is so Obscure that it cannot be unto us the Rule of Faith when as without the knowledge and light of it not which it hath in it self but which it communicates to us there is no Vision no Knowledge in the Visible Church but such wonderfull Darknesse as the Prophet here describes 7 Let the Reader here give sentence with me whether it were not wonderfull Jewish Blindnesse or wilfull Blasphemie in Valentian so confidently to avouch that the Veil which Saint Paul saith is laid before the Jews hearts was woven a great part out of the Difficulty of Scriptures such Scriptures as the
apprehension sometime in their own meerly Fatal altogether Incorrigible by worldly Policie especially in more Ancient times Hence did the Wise Men of Caldea upon the first notice of the Windes Turning for them read Hantans Destinie but too late If Mordecai be of the Seed of the Jews before whom thou hast begun to Fall thou shalt not prevail against Him but shalt surely Fall before Him Achior the Ammonites Speech to Holofirnes whether truly uttered by him or Fained by the Pen-man of that Storie was framed no doubt according to the known Experience of thosetimes and contains such Advise as a Faithful Councellor well acquainted with their Estate upon like Occasion should have given unto his Lord not so well acquainted with it This he was bound unto by the rules of Poetrie which the Author of that Book unlesse perhaps his Memorie faild him in the Circumstance of Time an Escape incident to Fictions for their Assinitie with Lies very well observes if his work be rather to be censured for a Poem then an Historie his Advice was This And whiles They sinned not before their God They prospered because the God that hated iniquity was with Them But when They departed from the way which he appointed Them They were destroyed in many Battails after a Wonderful Sort and were led Captive into a Land which was not theirs and the Temple of their God was cast to the ground and their Cities were taken by the Enemies But now They are turned to their God and are come up from the Scattering wherein They were scattered and have possessed Hierusalem where their Temple is and dwell in the Mountains which were Desolate Now therefore my Lord and Governour if there be any Fault in this People so that They have sinned against their God let us consider that this shall be their Ruine and let us go up that we may overcome Them But of there be none Iniquity in this People let my Lord Pass By lest their Lord defend Them and their God be for Them and we become a Reproach before all the World The first Root of all such Effects or known Experiments as in Ancient time yielded matter to their Neighbours of this or like observation was Gods First Promise unto Abraham And I will make of thee a great Nation and will bless Thee and make Thy Name Great and Thou shalt be a Blessing I will also bless them that bless Thee and curse them that curse Thee and in Thee shall all the Families of the earth be Blessed Which promise as it doth concern the Temporal State of the Jews was to be limited according to the Tenor of Achiors Speech and did then onely take Effect when they followed Abrahams Foot-steps and lived in Faithful Obedience to Gods Laws or having transgressed them did turn again with their whole Heart to seek the God of their Fathers From Experience of their good Successe in such cases partly I think were their Neighbour Countries so Savage and Merciless towards them in their greatest Distresse alwayes Crying upon like occasion as the Edomites did in the Day of Hierusalem Down with it Down with it Even to the Ground Because they could not hope for any Revenge but by waiting the Turning of their Fates and taking them in the Ebbing of their Fortunes for when they begun to rise they knew there was no means to stay them The Arabians Immane and Savage Practises upon their Embassadors seeking Compassion to their Lamentable Estate torn and ruinate by the Mighty Hand of their God in a Fearful and Prodigious Earthquake do argue a deep rooted Memory of their Ancestors strange Overthrowes mentioned in Scripture by this peoples Forefathers and these later Arabians long lying in wait to do these Jews a Mischief if they had not been restrained by the Mighty Hand of God who now as they suppose being turned their Enemie they apprehend this Opportunitie of working a Full Revenge Nor are their hard hearts mollified with their Publick Miseries nor their inveterate malice so quenched with their Embassadors Bloud shed in the seventh year of Herods raign but it burst out again in Vespasians time For these Arabians though never as Am. Marcellinus Lib 14. notes any true Friends or Well-willers to the Roman State were the forwardest men to assist Titus in Hierusalems last and Fatal Siege For the same reasons were the Nations round about them as earnestly bent to hinder the Re-edifying of Hierusalem after the Return from Captivitie as these were now to pull it down as fearing lest this Peoples good Fortunes should rise again with their City Wals. But as Nehemiah notes After the enemies had heard that the Wall was finished they were afraid and their Courage failed them for they knew that this Work was wrought by God Nehem. 6. 16. 5 These and like Observations make me think it was not Skil in Astrologie or such Arts as the Magi used whereunto this of all people was least addicted which first hatched that opinion of the Jews descent from the Magi rather the later Heathen ignorant of their Original and not able to derive that strange successe which did hant them or their demeanour answerable thereto from Ordinary or natural Causes referred all to Magick Spels or some Art of Divination So unwilling is Flesh and Bloud to acknowledge such as They Hate for the Beloved of the Lord and so powerful is the Prince of darknesse either to blind the hearts of the worldly wise or to avert their eyes from beholding an Unpleasant Truth that if at any time the Finger of God appear in the Deliverance or good Successe of his people the Infidel or Natural man ascribes such effects as Magicians unlesse upon presumption of Travellers Priviledge amongst the Ignorant durst not arrogate to themselves unto Magical or other like Arts because the corruption of their Nature is more capable of such Practises then of true Belief in God and they more prone in distresse to flie unto Sorceries or Magick Charms then with true Faith and Firm Constancy to expect The Deliverance of the Lord by such means as the Faithful Israelites did So when the Christian Legion had by their Prayers relieved Antoninus's Army readie to swound for Thirst with plentie of water in as Miraculous Sort as Elishd did sometime the Host of Israel the Heathens acknowledging the Effect for Supernatural ascribed it to Arnuphis the Egyptian Sorcerer his acquaintance with Mercury and other supposed Gods of the Air. In like sort the modern Jew acknowledging many Wonders wrought by our Saviour takes it for a sufficient Argument That all of them were wrought by Magick Skill onely because the Evangelist saith He had been in Egypt so is he bâ—â—nded with wilful malice that he cannot see how by this Objection he laies all the wonders which Moses wrought open to the like Exception of Atheists Insidels and Heathen For both Moses in whom he Trusts and Abraham in whom he
had been That Monarch of the World which according to the common received Opinion throughout the East was at this time to arise in Jewry So doth the God of this World still blind the eyes of the worldly-wise with Fair Shews or earthly shadows of Heavenly Things that they cannot or care not to look into the Body or Substance of Divine Mysteries for whose representation onely those are given otherwise uncapable of any cause either in Nature Reason or Policy Vespasian the Emperour indeed was the Second Type or shadow of the Messiah That great Monarch and Prince of Peace whose endlesse Kingdom shall put down all Wars for ever For seeing by the Fall of these Jews as Saint Paul saith Salvation is come unto the Gentiles it pleased the Wisdom of our GOD to have their Destruction Solemnized with the self-same Signs that His birth had been which brought forth Life unto the World For immediately after their Fatal Overthrow by Titus Janus had his Temple shut and Peace a Temple erected by Vespasian Thus Divine Suggestions Effect no more in most mens thoughts then diurnal Intention of mind doth in hard Students broken sleeps which usually set the Soul a working seldom finding any distinct Representation of what she seeks though contenting her self oft-times for that Season with some pleasant Phantasm as much different from the true nature of that she hunts after as the clouds which Ixion imbraced were from Juno Vespasians Secret Instinct in this devotion did aim no doubt as it was directed by all Signs of the Time at the true Prince of Peace but was choaked and stifled in the Issue or Passage and his intent blinded in the Apprehension by the palpable and grosse conceipts of Romish Idolatry wherein he had been nuzled as mens In-bred desire of true Happinesse is usually taken up and blind-folded by such pleasant sensible Objects as they most accustom themselves unto And yet God knows whether this vertuous Emperours last Hopes were inwardly rooted in Pride and Presumption of heart or rightly conceived there were onely brought forth amisse As if a man should first apprehend the state of Blessednesse or Regeneration in a dream the Representation of it would be grosse though the Apprehension sound Quite contrary to his Sons disposition when he himself apprehends death coming upon him which the Physitians and Astronomers could not perswade him to beware of he solaced himself with this saying Now shall I be a God his inward Hopes of a Celestial state after this life might for ought that any man knows be true and sound and the representation onely tainted with the Romans grosse Conceipt 6 But whatever became of Him in that other World His Entrance into this His Continuance herein and Departure hence were in all the worlds sight of unusual and Extraordinary Observation The disposition of the Times by the most irreligious amongst the Romans were referred to Fates or divine Powers who had not graced the Birth Life and Death or long flourishing Raign of Augustus with half so many Tokens of their Presence on Earth or Providence over Humane Affairs What Effect or issue can the Roman assign answerable unto them Rome could not invite the nations to come and see whether any prosperity were like hers for hers had been far greater and of longer continuance then now under Vespasian who was suddenly called away by a Comet from Heaven and Augustus his Sepulchre opening of its own accord to welcome him to his grave Whereat then did all these Signs point They should have been as a New Star to lead the wise men of the West unto Hierusalem now crying out of the dust unto the careless Roman Have ye no regard all ye that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath It was not Titus and Vespasian that had afflicted her they were but His Deputies that was Lord of Sion who had Decreed what they Effected For this cause did neither the Father nor the Son take the name of Judaicus albeit the Difficulty of the War begun by the Father and the Famousnesse of the Victory atchieved by the Son according to the custom of the Romans observed by them in their Triumphs and other Solemnities did solicit them hereunto For what victory gotten by any Roman was like unto this either for the multitude of the Slain or the Captives Nothing in this kind could seem strange unto the Politician if it had proceeded from Tacitus pen. But Satan it seems by Gods permission hath called in that part of Tacitus as a Book too dangerous for his Scholars to read lest giving Credence unto it they might Believe him lesse and Christians more in any other points and yet praised be the Name of Our Gracious God who envies no man the truth and hath left us abundant Records of this Story all answerable to his Sacred Word and Prophecies of old concerning Hierusalem From that part of Tacitus which is left we may gather how consonant his Conclusions would have been unto that Faithful and most Ingenious Historian Josephus with whom he Jumps in these particulars That this people were of Bodies Healthful and able their City exceeding strong every way well provided against long siege Which Assertion would have ministred Suspition to such as measure all Stories by rules of Policy unlesse some Roman writer had avouched it seeing Pompey had razed the City-wals and Sosius had taken it by force in Augustus time since continuing in Subiection unto the Romans until the last and Fatal Rebellion But Tacitus tels us that these Jews made their benefit of Claudius his covetousnesse and purchased licence to fortisie the City in time of peace against war during which it grew more populous then before by the reliques of other ruinated Cities resorting unto it And albeit he differ from Josephus in the number of the besieged yet he acknowledgeth Six Hundred Thousand of all sorts the Women as resolute as the Men Armour and munition enough for as many as could and yet more in this People that durst use and manage them then could be expected in such a number Their Seditious and Factious their stubborn and desperate mindes against God and man and their own souls neglective of fearful Signs from Heaven and other prodigious Tokens foretelling their Desolation are Pathetically described by the same Writer The preparations likewise on Titus his part we may gather from him to be as great as any Roman ever used His army at the first approach to the City thought scorn to expect the help of Famine to make the Besieged yield and yet after one or two Assaults made to little purpose enforced to desist until all the Engines of Batterie either of Ancient or Modern Invention were ready And all these circumstances we have fully set down in this fragment of Tacitus which is left 7
of Canonical Scripture May private Spirits discern their true Sence in matters of Faith as clearly as if they were a Light indeed to thee Oh no you quite mistake his meaning in making such Collections Let Valentian explicate himself in the end of this fourth Paragraph 8 After the Church hath once gathered any Opinion out of Scriptures and thereupon opposeth the Scripture thus understood by it according to the Apostolical Tradition unto contrary Errours It is extream Impiety and wickedness to desire any more either concerning the Authority or Interpretation of that parcel of Scripture under what Pretence soever of Difficulty Obscurity or the like To that Scripture I pray mark his words wel which is commended and expounded unto us by the Authority of the Church that Scripture now ea jam even for this Reason hoc ipso is most Authentick and shines most splendently mojt clearly like a Light videlicet as we have formerly expounded put upon a Candlestick Nay in good sooth just like a Candlestick put upon a Light or Candle For in this Countrey wherein we live we see the Candlestick by vertue of the Light not the Light by means or vertue of the Candlestick And yet if your Church be the Candlestick as you suppose and the Scripture the Light as you expresly acknowledge we must by your Doctrine discern the Light of Scriptures only by the Commendation Explication or Illumination of your Church the Candlestick And this Illumination is only her bare Asseveration for Scriptures she seldom expounds but only by Negatives or Anathemas The best Correction that can be made of this untoward crooked unwieldly Similitude would be this whereas this Doctor supposeth the Pope to be the Church and saith further necesse est ut lumen illud si dei quod in divinis literis splendet praeser at Ecclesia Let him put lucem for lumen and so the Pope being by his Assertion the Church may be truly called Lucifer And then as when Cloth shrinks in the wetting men shape their Garments accordingly making sometimes a Jerkin of that which was intended for a Jacket so out of this unhandsome ill-spun similitude which was marred in the making we may frame a shorter which wil hold exceeding wel on this fashion Even as Satan being the Prince of Darknesse doth to mens seeming transform him self into an Angel of Light Just so doth the Roman Lucifer being by Valentians Confession but the Candlestick labour to transform him self into the Light it self and would be taken for such a Light or Candle as should make the very Light of Heaven it self Gods Word to shine most splendently and clearly by the glorious Beams of his Majestical Infallibility once cast upon it For otherwise unlesse the Supernatural Glory of his Infallibility do infuse Light or adde fresh Lustre to this Light or Lantern of Truth the Candlestick naturally gives no increase of perspicuity to the Light or Candle Which wil shine as clear in a private Mans hands so he wil take the pains to hold it as in a Publick Candlestick But that which I would have the serious Reader to observe especially is this Speech of his Scripture as once commended unto us or expounded by the Churches Authority becomes thereby most Authentick and shines most clearly and most splendently For this same Doctor if a Doctor may be said the same affirming and denying the same in the beginning of that Dispute would gladly shuffle so as he should not be taken with that Trick which wil discredit their Cause for ever and descry their villanous Blasphemy in this Doctrine of their Churches Authority There he would perswade us that he doth not allow of this Speech I believe this or that to be a Divine Revelation because the Church doth tell me so or of this the Church is the Cause why I believe the Divine Revelations whereas this Speech of his Quae Scriptura per Authoritatem doth infer the Authority of the Church to be the very principal and immediate Cause of our Assent unto Scriptures 9 Secondly I would have the sober Christian Reader to observe what an unhallowed and unchristian Conceit it is to admit the Scriptures for a Lantern and yet to affirm that Christians cannot behold the Light therein contained but only as the Church of Rome doth hold it out what is this else but to call the People from the marvailous Light of the Gospel unto the fearful Lightnings of the Law And to make the Pope that Mediator which the People implicitely did request when they desired that Moses might speak to them not God If we be in Christ then are we not called into Mount Sinai to burning Fire Blindnesse Darknesse and Tempests this Light of the Gospel is not environed with a fearful Cloud or Smoak threatning Destruction if we should go up into the Mount to hear the Lord himself speak we have an Advocate with the Father and need not look for a Moses to go up for us while we stand trembling a far off For as our Apostle tels us Heb. 12. 22. We are come unto the Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the celestial Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just and perfect men and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Testament and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel What is the Consequence or Effect of this our Calling Our Apostle makes this Inference verse 25. See therefore that ye despise not him that speaketh Whom did he mean The Pope or Cardinals But they would be but of like Authority as Moses was but he that Speaketh untous is of far greater For so our Apostle collects See that ye despise nâ—t him that speaketh for if they escape not which refused him that spake on Earth much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him which speaketh from Heaven The Israelites I suppose had despised Moses if they had admitted any other infallible Teacher besides him whilest he was alive or believed any other as wel as his Writings after his death but only so far forth as they could discern their Words to be consonant unto his If Moses Writings were to these Jews a plain Rule of Faith then much more must Christs Word registred by his Apostles and Evangelists by the Rule of Faith unto us That Moses Doctrine was their Rule of Faith a Rule most plain and easie these places following abundantly testifie CAP. XVII That the Mosaical Writings were a most perfect Rule plain and easie to the Ancient Israelites 1 SO perfect Directions had Moses left for Posterities perpetual instruction that a great Prophet in later Ages desirous to bring Gods people into the right Paths which their Fathers had forsaken and for this purpose professing to impart to them whatsoever he had